Matchweek 17 Premier League odds & first goalscorer betting

CHELSEA’S march to the 2017-18 English Premier League title continued in midweek, although a plucky Sunderland made them work for it.

The 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light saw the Blues go six points clear at the top after Arsenal slipped up at Everton on Wednesday night.

Liverpool returned to winning ways at Middlesbrough to skip into second place, edging out the Gunners on total goals scored.

There was no change in the rest of the top six, with Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United all picking up wins.

A Merseyside derby and a top-four tussle share the headline slot for EPL Matchweek 17, while four of the bottom six feature in a pair of fixtures that could have dire consequences later in the season.

Here are the top match odds and feature bets for the last round of Premier League 2017-18 action before the hectic and always entertaining Christmas and New Year’s schedule.

EPL Matchweek 17 betting

All odds provides by Sportsbet.com.au

Crystal Palace $6.50 – Draw $4.10 – Chelsea $1.53

Middlesbrough $2.10 – Draw $3.40 – Swansea City $3.60

Stoke City $2.40 – Draw $3.30 – Leicester City $3

Sunderland $2.50 – Draw $3.30 – Watford $2.87

West Ham $1.61 – Draw $4 – Hull City $5.50

West Brom $5 – Draw $4 – Man United $1.67

Bournemouth $2.70 – Draw $3.40 – Southampton $2.60

Man City $2.20 – Draw $3.50 – Arsenal $3.20

Tottenham $1.22 – Draw $6.50 – Burnley $13

Everton $3.80 – Draw $3.60 – Liverpool $1.95

Middlesbrough vs. Swansea City

2am AEDT on Sunday, December 18, 2016 at Riverside Stadium

• 1-1 correct score – $7 at Bet365
• Gylfi Sigurdsson first goalscorer – $7.40 at CrownBet

For all their spurts of promise this season, the Boro are very much in the relegation battle.

Injuries to Alvaro Negredo and Gaston Ramirez over the last few weeks have severely disrupted the Teesside club’s attack, which has managed only two goals in December so far.

The defeat to Liverpool saw them slide into 17th place, only a game outside the dreaded drop zone.

But Aitor Karanka’s men have a decent chunk of goal difference on 18th-placed Swansea City – their opponents this weekend in what could prove a decisive clash in the fight for survival.

The Swans have endured a rollercoaster ride since Bob Bradley took charge in October, as perfectly illustrated by their win-loss-win-loss run over the last four rounds.

So much of their forward play relies on midfielder/striker/free-kick specialist Gylfi Sigurdsson – the club’s all-time leader for both goals (30) and assists (21) in the Premier League.

But summer signing Fernando Llorente has started to find the net after heeding the new manager’s wake-up calls, aided by some solid work from Jefferson Montero and Mo Barrow on the wings.

These teams haven’t played each other in league action since Swansea won promotion from the Championship in 2012, so there is very little help in the way of head-to-head form.

Boro are weak at home and the Swans have only four points from eight away games, so an uninspiring stalemate could well be on the cards.

Manchester City vs. Arsenal

3am AEDT on Monday, December 19, 2016 at Etihad Stadium

• Arsenal win/both to score – $5 at Sportsbet
• Alexis Sanches first goalscorer – $6.60 at CrownBet

After horror results against Chelsea and Leicester, the Citizens bounced back in midweek as goals from Pablo Zabaleta and David Silva secured a 2-0 win over Watford.

It came at a price, however, as star midfield recruit Ilkay Gundogan went down with a knee injury that will keep him off the park this weekend at the very least.

That means City boss Pep Guardiola will be without four of his best 11 for Arsenal’s visit, with Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho both suspended and captain Vincent Kompany still a few weeks away due to injury.

After bagging 11 goals in three big wins on the bounce, the Gunners tasted defeat in the EPL for the first time since the opening weekend as Ashley Williams grabbed a late winner for Everton at Goodison Park.

The Londoners have a few injury issues of their own, with centre-back duo Per Mertesacker (knee) and Shkodran Mustafi (hamstring) both sidelined.

Chuba Akpom (back), Santi Cazorla (leg), Mathieu Debuchy (hamstring) and Danny Welbeck (knee) are also out, while Aaron Ramsey is in doubt for the trip to Eastlands due to a tight hammy.

Neither side brings ideal form into this clash, which makes tipping it all the harder, but recent history is firmly with the visitors.

City haven’t beaten Arsenal in any competition since 2013, with the Gunners winning on four of their last seven meetings.

Everton vs. Liverpool

7am AEDT on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at Goodison Park

• Liverpool half-time lead – $2.58 at CrownBet
• First goalscorer James Milner – $13

The Toffees needed a win badly after five games without a three-pointer, and it came in unexpected circumstances this week as they rallied from a goal down to shock an up-and-about Arsenal outfit.

The late drama didn’t end with the 87th-minute winner, however, as the usually rock-solid Phil Jagielka picked up a second booking in extra time to earn himself a spot in the stands for the derby.

They will also be without record signing Yannick Bolasie, who was forced off against Man United earlier this month and is now set for a lengthy rehab period after scans revealed a ruptured ACL.

Everton’s cross-town rivals have a few injury problems of their own, with Emre Can battling a knee ligament problem and neither Philippe Coutinho nor Daniel Sturridge expected back until the new year.

But Divock Origi is scoring goals for fun and should relish the opportunity to outshine his fellow Belgian striker, Romelu Lukaku, on the Blues star’s own patch.

Adam Lallana is also back in top touch after his injury spell, bagging a brace in the 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough.

Even after their deplorable defensive efforts against Bournemouth and West Ham, Jurgen Klopp’s men should fancy themselves in a fixture the Reds haven’t lost since 2010.