The World Cup has finished and now it's back to the Premier League action with Matchday 17 kicking off on Boxing Day! It’s non-stop football action, and we’ve got you covered with our Matchday 17 preview.
EPL 2022-23: Matchday 17 Preview & Betting Tips
Brentford vs Tottenham
Brentford Community Stadium, Monday 26th December, 11:30pm AEDT
Tenth placed Brentford host fourth placed Arsenal in the first Premier League game after the World Cup. Spurs have a three-point gap in fourth position, however with Man United having a game in hand, it’s crucial Tottenham don’t drop points in this clash. Tottenham have had six key players feature in the latter stages of the World Cup, and it will be fascinating to see the carry over effects from the tournament in Qatar.
The key to this fixture will be the battle between Spurs’ front three and the struggling Brentford defence. Tottenham are the equal second ranked attack in the Premier League with 33 goals this season, while the Brentford defence is ranked 15th, having conceded 25 goals across fifteen games.
Brentford have gone four games without keeping a clean sheet, and have won just one of their last five games. Tottenham are unbeaten across the two Premier League meetings between the two sides, with a 2-0 win and a 0-0 draw in the two fixtures against Brentford last season. Spurs have too much quality up front for a Brentford defence that has been incredibly vulnerable this season.
Tottenham
$1.87 (2 Units)
Arsenal vs West Ham
Emirates Stadium, Tuesday 27th December, 7:00am AEDT
League leaders Arsenal will be looking to keep a stranglehold atop the Premier League, when they host the struggling West Ham at the Emirates. The Gunners sit five points clear of second placed Manchester City, and will be hoping the World Cup break hasn’t stalled their early season momentum.
Mikel Arteta’s side have been outstanding at both ends of the pitch, ranking as the equal best in the league (11 goals conceded) and the equal second-best attack (33 goals). Their consistency across all facets of the game has allowed the Gunners to find ways of winning games regardless of the scenario or conditions. The same can’t be said for the Hammers, who are the third worst attacking team in the Premier League, scoring only 12 goals from 15 games.
Arsenal have dominated West Ham in recent seasons, with the Gunners holding a 9-2-1 in their last twelve Premier League matches against West Ham. Arsenal haven’t lost in the Premier League against the Hammers since 2019, and will be looking to keep that strong form going. Will the mid-season break harm Arsenal? After what they’ve shown in the first half of the season it’s difficult to have any doubts over the Gunners, and they’ll be too strong for West Ham.
Arsenal -1
$1.80 (1 Unit)
Leeds vs Manchester City
Elland Road, Thursday 29th December, 7:00am AEDT
The defending champions will be looking to keep the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the league, when they travel to Elland Road to take on Leeds. It’s a homecoming for CIty star Erling Haaland heads back to the place of his birth, looking to continue his remarkable season.
Haaland has an outrageous 18 goals from 13 appearances this season, and after having a month-long break during the World Cup, it’s scary to think how good a fresh Haaland could be in the back half of the season. City’s depth will be more important than ever in this stage post the World Cup, with most clubs set to be carrying players who aren’t fresh.
The difference in the attacking quality in this Manchester City side in comparison to the Leeds defence, could see this game turn ugly very quickly. City are the most prolific attack in the Premier League with a ridiculous 40 goals in 14 games, seven more than the next best side. Leeds on the other hand are the 16th ranked defence in the league, having conceded 26 goals this season. Manchester City have won their last two Premier League games against Leeds in dominant fashion, with 7-0 and 4-0 victories, and this will be a similarly big win for the defending champs.
Manchester City -1.5
$1.80 (2 Units)
More EPL Matchday 17 Tips
Crystal Palace vs Fulham (Tuesday 2am AEDT)
The long break couldn’t have come at a better time for Fulham who had just lost to both Manchester clubs back-to-back. Their resumption won’t be a walk in the park however, as Palace have been playing some nice football this season. At home, I expect Palace will have the advantage in this one.
Crystal Palace ($2 at Ladbrokes)
Everton vs Wolves (Tuesday 2am AEDT)
It’s been a tough season for both teams in this matchup as they’ve combined for only five wins from 30 fixtures. Finding the back of the net has been a major struggle for both teams, especially Everton who have failed to score in five of their last six league matches. As such, I’m expecting a cagey, low-scoring affair.
Under 2.5 Goals ($1.65 at Ladbrokes)
Leicester vs Newcastle (Tuesday 2am AEDT)
After an incredibly tough start to their campaign, the Foxes finally started to build some momentum heading into the break. They won four of their last five games, three of which were on the road. Regardless, Newcastle have been the far more impressive team in this matchup and are the deserving favourites to get the chocolates on Tuesday. Anything over even odds is value.
Newcastle ($2.25 at TAB)
Southampton vs Brighton (Tuesday 2am AEDT)
Southampton will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak when they host Brighton in their return game. Alarmingly, this isn’t their worst losing streak of what’s turning into another really poor campaign. In contrast, the Gulls have been excellent this season and will be confident of securing all three points when they head to St. Mary’s. They should have the edge in this matchup.
Brighton ($2.25 at TAB)
Aston Villa vs Liverpool (Tuesday 4:30am AEDT)
Liverpool will be hoping that the long break will help reinvigorate what’s been a lacklustre campaign to date. Defence has been a big issue all season, highlighted by the fact that they’ve only had four clean sheets. With that in mind, backing both teams to score looks to be the wisest way to play this one.
Both Teams to Score ($1.60 at Ladbrokes)
Chelsea vs Bournemouth (Wednesday 4:30am AEDT)
Chelsea’s form heading into the World Cup break was nothing short of atrocious. They return on Wednesday morning hoping to snap a three-match losing streak as well as a five-match winless streak. Thankfully, they have a relatively soft fixture to kick things off, with 14thplaced Bournemouth coming to town. Chelsea will see this as a great opportunity to kickstart their campaign and I expect them to take advantage of it.
Chelsea -1.5 ($2 at TAB)
Manchester United vs Nottingham (Wednesday 7am AEDT)
Nottingham started to find some points in their last couple of matches leading up to the break. A couple of wins has seen them climb off the bottom of the table and into 18th spot. It was only a matter of time until they started to bear fruit from their massive splash in the transfer window, and they’re not without a chance at Old Trafford despite what the odds suggest. Getting near even odds for the away side to simply score looks to be terrific value.
Nottingham Over 0.5 Goals ($1.80 at Ladbrokes)
