The title race is shaping as an epic with league leaders Chelsea just one point ahead of Man City and two points ahead of Liverpool. Matchday 15 is headlined by a huge top four clash between Chelsea and West Ham. As always, we’ve got you covered with tips and previews for a huge weekend of Premier League action.
EPL Matchday 15 Betting Tips
West Ham vs Chelsea
Saturday December 4th, 11:30pm (AEDT)
London rivals Chelsea and West Ham go head to head in a crucial clash on Saturday night. With Man City and Liverpool having easy matches this weekend, Chelsea cannot afford to slip up against the Hammers. After being right amongst the top three, West Ham have gone winless in their last three matches, including a 1-1 draw with Brighton on Thursday. Chelsea bounced back from a disappointing draw against Man United, with a gritty 2-1 against Watford on Thursday.
Chelsea are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League fixtures, with their last defeat coming way back in September. Chelsea’s success has been built on it’s defence, which has been the best in the Premier League this season. Chelsea have conceded a league fewest six goals, and they’ve held West Ham goalless in their last two Premier League matches against the Hammers. Hakim Ziyech became Chelsea’s fifteenth different goal scorer this season, in what has been the second most prolific attacking side in the Premier League this season.
West Ham were an attacking juggernaut to start the season, but have scored only two goals in their last three games, and coming up against an incredible defensive outfit, it’s hard to see them finding a way to rediscover their early season form. Chelsea have won their last two games against the Hammers, and West Ham have shown in recent weeks that their lack of big game experience is a massive issue. Chelsea will hold their spot at the top of the table.
Wolverhampton vs Liverpool
Sunday December 5th, 2:00am (AEDT)
Liverpool extended their winning streak to three games with a dominant 4-1 win over arch-rivals Everton during the week. It was the third game in a row the Reds have scored 4 goals, with their 43 goals the most in the Premier League, ten more than second ranked Chelsea. Wolverhampton come into this clash on the back of a goalless draw against 18th placed Burnley, with their inability to convert chances hurting them as it has done all season long.
Wolves had sixteen shots on goal, but could only manage two on target. Wolverhampton rank 18th in the Premier League for goals scored, scoring just twelve goals from fourteen games this season. For context on the difference in attacking units, Liverpool have scored twelve goals in their last three games. The Reds have dominated Wolves over the last decade, winning their last nine Premier League games against Wolves.
Wolves will have their work cut out trying to deal with three of the top four goal scorers in the Premier League in Mo Salah (13 goals), Diogo Jota (8) and Sadio Mane (7), and although their defence has been solid this season, the Reds simply have too much attacking firepower for them to handle. Wolverhampton haven’t defeated Liverpool in a Premier League match since 2010, and with the disparity in attacking quality between the two sides, it’s hard to see Wolves ending that streak.
Everton vs Asenal
Tuesday December 7th, 7:00am (AEDT)
Everton’s dramatic slide continued with a 4-1 defeat in the Merseyside Derby, the loss taking the Toffee’s winless run to eight games. There’s a mountain of pressure building on Rafa Benitez, with Everton languishing in fourteenth place on the Premier League table. Remarkably, Arsenal squandered an opportunity to make their way into the top four after a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Manchester United on Friday. With West Ham playing Chelsea, a win against the Toffees will see the Gunners jump into the top four.
Despite the loss on Friday, Arsenal are one of the most in form teams in the Premier League, with a 7-2-2 record in their last eleven games. It has been a remarkable turnaround from their 0-0-3 start. The Toffees defence has been in all sorts, conceding eight goals in their last three games, and with just a few days turn around post the Merseyside disaster, Everton are going to have a tough time regrouping.
Everton have conceded 25 goals this season, the fifth most in the Premier League. Everton haven’t tasted victory since September, and given how poor they’ve played recently, it’s going to be hard to see them finding a way to stop Arsenal. The Gunners are flying at the moment, and they won’t have any issues getting past Everton.
Other Tips
Newcastle vs Burnley - Under 2.5 Goals ($1.84 at Sportsbet)
Southampton vs Brighton - Brighton H2H ($3 at Sportsbet)
Leeds vs Brentford - Over 2.5 Goals ($1.87 at Sportsbet)
Tottenham vs Norwich - Tottenham -1.0 ($2.10 at Sportsbet)
Manchester United vs Crystal Palace - Crystal Palace +1.0 ($2.37 at Sportsbet)
Aston Villa vs Leicester - Aston Villa H2H ($2.30 at Sportsbet)
