Plenty of drama was served up in midweek Premier League action and clubs up and down the land are preparing to do it all over again in Gameweek 16 as the hefty fixture list cranks up.
Declan Rice's dramatic winner at Luton Town proved crucial as Manchester City dropped points for the fourth successive match, being deservedly beaten by an incredible Aston Villa performance.
Manchester United bested Chelsea in a clash lacking genuine quality, while Tottenham suffered their fourth loss in five outings as West Ham earned a smash-and-grab victory in north London.
With more mouth-watering encounters on the horizon, here's how 90min sees this weekend's slate of Premier League fixtures playing out.
Premier League predictions: Week 16
These days, if you're an Amazon Prime presenter, you'll be verbally battered by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp if you make fun of early kick-offs. While the German was displeased with the line of questioning after his side's midweek victory at Sheffield United, the Reds are unbeaten in 12:30 games so far this season and are expected to keep that run going against a Crystal Palace team that couldn't find the back of the net in their 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth.
Brighton have given their league aspirations a shot in the arm with two wins in their last three matches and should have too much free-flowing quality in attack for the defensively vulnerable Burnley to handle, while Chris Wilder will hope for his first win in his second spell as Sheffield United manager when Brentford visit.
Having been tipped for the sack after a tough start, Andoni Iraola has turned things around with Bournemouth now unbeaten in their last four league outings. Only Arsenal and Liverpool have picked up more points in their last six than the Cherries, so Manchester United will have to guard against complacency when the clubs meet at Old Trafford.
Wolves have turned Molineux into a fortress of late, avoiding defeat in their last five home league games and scooping wins over Manchester City and Tottenham in that time. They're favoured to overcome Nottingham Forest, which could spell the end for manager Steve Cooper despite the Welshman retaining the fervent support of the club's fans.
Aston Villa have won all seven of their home league matches this term but face a tough task to keep that run going when Arsenal visit in Saturday's late kick-off. The Gunners will be able to either reclaim or extend their lead at the top of the table with three more points.
Date | Kick-off time (GMT) | Fixture & prediction |
---|---|---|
09/12/23 | 12:30 | Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool |
09/12/23 | 15:00 | Brighton 3-1 Burnley |
09/12/23 | 15:00 | Manchester United 2-1 Bournemouth |
09/12/23 | 15:00 | Sheffield United 1-1 Brentford |
09/12/23 | 15:00 | Wolves 2-0 Nottingham Forest |
09/12/23 | 17:30 | Aston Villa 2-2 Arsenal |
10/12/23 | 14:00 | Luton Town 1-3 Manchester City |
10/12/23 | 14:00 | Fulham 1-1 West Ham United |
10/12/23 | 14:00 | Everton 2-2 Chelsea |
10/12/23 | 16:30 | Tottenham 1-1 Newcastle United |
Luton Town have given the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal tough examinations at Kenilworth Road and host Manchester City at as opportune a moment as possible. Pep Guardiola's Cityzens have suffered a historic dip in form but might view this fixture as the perfect opportunity to get back on track.
Fresh from one London derby success on Thursday night, West Ham will want another when they travel across the capital to take on Fulham. The Cottagers have scored 11 goals in their last three league games, the most of any team in the top flight.
Everton bagged their second win on the bounce to jump out of the relegation zone despite their recent points penalty, but Sean Dyche's side may have to settle for a point when Mauricio Pochettino's inconsistent Chelsea arrive at Goodison Park.
Gameweek 16 finishes off with the walking wounded when Tottenham do battle with Newcastle. Spurs threw away another lead as West Ham nicked all three points but face a Magpies squad that was surprisingly thumped 3-0 at Everton last time out.