Free tips & top bookie odds for Premier League Matchweek 21
IT’S back to the bread and butter after a week of cup action for England’s top teams.
Premier League leaders Chelsea are looking to get straight back on the winners’ list after their streak-ending defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal and Manchester City also need wins to keep touch, while Liverpool and Manchester United will probably settle for anything from their highly anticipated brawl at Old Trafford.
Here are the match odds and team news for the upcoming round of 2016-17 Premier League action, with top prices and first goalscorer specials from our friends at William Hill.
Premier League betting odds – Matchweek 21
All prices provided by WilliamHill.com.au
Tottenham $1.33 – Draw $4.80 – West Brom $10
Burnley $3.50 – Draw $3.10 – Southampton $2.20
Watford $2.40 – Draw $3.10 – Middlesbrough $3.10
Hull City $3.20 – Draw $3.30 – Bournemouth $2.25
Sunderland $2.85 – Draw $3.20 – Stoke City $2.50
Swansea City $7 – Draw $4.25 – Arsenal $1.44
West Ham $2.20 – Draw $3.50 – Crystal Palace $3.10
Leicester City $5.50 – Draw $4 – Chelsea $1.60
Everton $4.20 – Draw $3.60 – Man City $1.83
Man United $2.10 – Draw $3.40 – Liverpool $3.40
Tottenham Hotspur vs. West Bromwich Albion
11:30pm AEDT – Saturday, January 14, 2017 – White Hart Lane, North London
- 1-1 correct score – $10
- Dele Alli first goalscorer – $4.50
Spurs were perhaps the biggest winners of the festive period.
Last week, with their fifth win on the trot, they became the first team since October to beat Chelsea in the Premier League.
Not only did that close the gap to the league leaders down to seven points, it also saw them skip into third place ahead of both Arsenal and Manchester City.
The Lilywhites have come out of the Christmas and New Year’s frenzy with a fit and firing squad, regaining the services of key defender Toby Alderweireld along the way.
And it has been a golden time for Dele Alli, whose winning brace against Chelsea made it seven goals in his last four league appearances.
Will Tottenham’s emerging superstar bag a fourth consecutive EPL double when West Brom come to visit?
Albion are travelling very nicely on the whole.
If you exclude results against the top six, Tony Pulis and his mob haven’t been beaten by any of the rest since early September.
But they could be short-staffed for the trip to Spurs, with whom they drew 1-1 in the reverse fixture at The Hawthorns.
The Baggies are eager to fast-track the clearance of Allan Nyom, who has opted to stay and play for his club rather than join the Cameroon squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
There are also some concerns over the fitness of Chris Brunt and Jonny Evans, although both are rated strong chances to recover in time for Saturday’s clash.
West Brom have beaten Spurs only once in their last 14 EPL meetings, although nine of those have ended in draws.
Leicester City vs. Chelsea
4:30am AEDT – Sunday, January 15, 2017 – King Power Stadium, Leicester
- Chelsea half-time/Chelsea full-time – $2.35
- Pedro first goalscorer – $5.50
The Foxes will have to use all their cunning over the back half of the season to ensure this doesn’t become the most laughable title defence in living memory.
At least they have managed points in three of their last four games, although they might have expected more than singles from their clashes with Stoke and Middlesbrough.
But the next few weeks pose a special test of depth and resilience for a club that seemed to have everything go its way last season.
Daniel Amartey, Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani are key figures at King Power Stadium, and all are away for AFCON 2017.
However, it looks likely that both Andy King and Jamie Vardy will recover from illness in time to face Chelsea.
The Blues find themselves in a situation they haven’t experienced since the end of September: hoping to bounce back from defeat.
Spurs ended their magical run at 13 consecutive wins in the Premier League – one shy of equalling the all-time record.
All of a sudden Chelsea are no longer the champions-elect and there are concerns over the sustainability of Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 system.
Expect them to counter that media hogwash with a show of force in the East Midlands.
Everton vs. Manchester City
12:30am AEDT – Monday, January 16, 2017 – Goodison Park, Liverpool
- Man City win/both teams to score – $3.60
- Sergio Aguero first goalscorer – $4.25
The Toffees have steadied the ship after an ugly five-game winless run through November and early December.
Their last five league outings have returned three wins, one draw and a 1-0 derby defeat to Liverpool.
Everton boss Ronald Koeman clearly isn’t satisfied, however, as Goodison Park has been a hotbed of activity throughout the January transfer window.
In comes Morgan Schneiderlin, who played with distinction under Koeman at Southampton before joining Manchester United in 2015.
The French midfielder’s arrival is most timely now that Idrissa Gana Gueye has left for the Cup of Nations.
The Merseysiders are also reported to be in talks with Standard Liege’s Ishak Belfodil and exiled West Brom striker Saido Berahino.
But this weekend’s clash with Man City might come too soon for any further additions to the Everton squad.
Pep Guardiola’s men had to work hard in trying conditions at Burnley last time out, but they did just about enough to secure a much-needed win.
With Fernandinho suspended (again) and Ilkay Gundogan out for the foreseeable future, City’s midfield is sorely stretched.
If Fernando doesn’t shake off his knock in time, Pablo Zabaleta may have to partner Yaya Toure in the middle of the park.
Young forward Leroy Sane is also in doubt with a muscular injury.
Everton managed a 1-1 draw in the reverse clash at Eastlands, albeit aided by penalty misses from both Sergio Aguero and Kevin de Bruyne.
Manchester United vs. Liverpool
3am AEDT – Monday, January 16, 2017 – Old Trafford, Manchester
- Draw/under 2.5 goals – $4.25
- Henrikh Mkhitaryan first goalscorer – $7.50
At long last, Man United are firing on all cylinders.
Jose Mourinho’s men have won five in a row and are now 11 games unbeaten in the league.
All they need is a slip-up or two above them and they will be right back in the hunt.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is scoring for fun, Marcus Rashford keeps producing match-turning cameos and Paul Pogba is now showing why the Red Devils paid so much for his services.
Then there is Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who has breathed new life into the United midfield since cracking into the first XI at the start of December.
Can the Armenian star deliver a telling blow in one of Europe’s greatest fixtures?
Liverpool have endured a pretty ordinary week of cup football.
Held to a goalless stalemate by lowly Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup third round last weekend, they were then beaten 1-0 in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal against Southampton.
Jurgen Klopp put out patchwork teams for those ties, but the performances of senior men such as Emre Can, Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge were uninspiring.
The German gaffer will have to draw on his squad again this weekend with star striker Sadio Mane away at the AFCON and captain Jordan Henderson battling a dodgy heel.
The last encounter between these two was a decidedly cagey affair at Anfield that ended 0-0.
Liverpool last defeated United at Old Trafford in 2014, when the scorers were Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez – both long gone now.
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