In what has been an enthralling season, once again the title race swung as Liverpool moved into top place on the Premier League table. The Reds clash against traditional rivals Manchester United leads Matchday 17’s slate of games, and we’ve got you covered with our best bets!
EPL 2023-24: Matchday 17 Preview & Betting Tips
Manchester City vs Crystal Palace
Etihad Stadium, Sunday 17th December, 2:00am AEDT
Manchester City host Crystal Palace at the Etihad on Sunday morning, as they look to keep themselves in the title race. Manchester City put an end to a four game winless streak with a 2-1 victory over Luton Town last weekend. It was another dominant performance by the defending champions that didn’t reflect on the scoreboard, as City had 14 more shots on goal than Luton, as well as having 66% possession. Manchester City’s inability to convert a large percentage of their shots on goals has been a huge issue for City, who have been unusually inefficient. Despite their form slump, City are still within four points of league leaders Liverpool and are still well and truly in the title race.
Palace have been a solid defensive outfit this season, however their inability to pose an attacking threat looms as the key difference in this fixture. Crystal Palace have scored just fifteen goals from sixteen games this season, the second fewest in the league. 20th placed Sheffield United are the only team to have scored less goals than Roy Hodgson’s side. Palace have won just one of their last nine games, with a 1-2-6 record since October, as they looked destined to finish in the bottom half of the table once again.
Although Pep Guardiola’s side haven’t been at their best of late, Crystal Palace are ripe for the picking and this game could get ugly if the defending champions score early. In their last sixteen Premier League games against Palace, Manchester City have a 11-3-2 record. This is a golden opportunity for City to get back on track and send a statement to the league, and you can expect Pep Guardiola’s side to produce a ruthless performance against a side they’ve dominated over the past five years.
Manchester City -2
$2.35 (1 Unit)
Arsenal vs Brighton
Emirates Stadium, Monday 18th December, 1:00am AEDT
Arsenal surrendered top spot on the Premier League table, after Aston Villa ended the Gunners four game winning streak in a 1-0 defeat on Matchday 16. Arsenal have fallen one point behind Liverpool, and now have a big task on their hands as they take on Brighton at home. The Seagulls are looking to keep themselves in the hunt for European football, with Brighton four points behind fifth placed Tottenham. Arsenal’s affair against Villa was a back and forth encounter, however the Gunners were held goalless for only the second time this season.
Brighton’s early season joy has taken a hit since starting the season with five wins from their first six games. Since Matchday 7, the Seagulls have a 2-5-3 record with their struggles coming off an inability to defend at a high standard. Although Brighton are 8th on the table, the Seagulls have the sixth worst defence in the league having conceded 28 goals in 16 games. Brighton are yet to keep a clean sheet this season, and are going to have a huge challenge containing the quality Arsenal possess in their front third.
Brighton have beaten teams this season in high scoring games, however they’ve relied solely on their attacking game, which has proven to be an unsustainable method of winning games. Their attacking game hasn’t been able to hold to their early season standards, and their defence has completely fallen apart. Arsenal have scored 35 goals this season which is the fourth most in the Premier League, and they will be eager to bounce back after going goalless last week. The Gunners haven’t lost consecutive games in the league this season and that won’t be changing this week.
Arsenal -1
$2.35 (1.5 Units)
Liverpool vs Manchester United
Anfield, Monday 18th December, 3:30am AEDT
The Premier League’s most iconic rivalry is set to add another chapter on Monday morning as league leaders Liverpool take on Manchester United who are once again in crisis mode. The Red Devils suffered an embarrassing 3-0 defeat against fourteenth placed Bournemouth, and head to Anfield which has been an absolute graveyard for United since Jurgen Klopp became the manager of Liverpool. Liverpool scored twice in the final sixteen minutes of the game to overcome Crystal Palace in a 2-1 victory that saw the Reds move into top spot on the Premier League table. Liverpool haven’t lost in the league since September, with the Reds currently on a nine game unbeaten run.
Liverpool have been the most consistent team at both ends of the pitch, ranking top two in the league for goals conceded and goals scored. The Reds have the league’s best defence having conceded only 15 goals this season and are the second highest scoring team in the league with 38 goals. Liverpool has scored in every game they’ve played this season, and have only conceded multiple goals in a game twice. Mo Salah sits second in the Golden Boot race with eleven goals this season, and has spearheaded Liverpool's recent dominance against Manchester United. In the last five Premier League meetings between the two clubs, Salah has scored nine goals, scoring in all five games, including two braces and a hattrick.
This has been a massive mismatch over the last five years, so the handicap markets are the place to go in this fixture. In their last ten Premier League matches against United, Liverpool have a 6-3-1 record and it’s an even more dominant record across their last five games. In the Reds last five Premier League fixtures against the Red Devils they hold a 4-0-1 record, with the four wins coming by an aggregate score of 20-2. The scorelines in those four wins have been 4-2, 5-0, 4-0 and 7-0. Jurgen Klopp’s side have obliterated United and after what Manchester United produced against Bournemouth last weekend, it’s difficult to see how their record against Liverpool changes.
Liverpool -1
$1.80 (2 Units)
