Premier League Predictions: Matchweek 18

While Europeans will be forced to discuss political affairs and answer awkward questions about their love lives on Boxing Day, English football fans will once again be treated to a feast of the Premier League.

There are eight Premier League games ahead of you this Boxing Day, with two more set to light up our screens on Friday night.

The schedule is crammed into the new year with game weeks that are hard to tell as we enter that weird point in the calendar where the days merge into one big jubilation.

Here’s how 90 min projects Premier League Game week 18 unfolding.

Champs just can’t catch a break, can they? Poor old Cityzens will be training on Christmas Day before Boxing Day kicks off at lunchtime.

Manchester City they have won just one of their previous 12 games in all competitions and dropped to seventh in the table. Given how even and predictable their offense has looked in recent weeks, Thursday’s fight at home against Evertonwho shut out Arsenal and Chelsea in back-to-back games, looks tricky on paper.

It’s certainly unlikely to be a belt you’d want to enjoy to start the day’s action.

Chelsea lost ground against top-of-the-table Liverpool after a draw at Goodison Park on Sunday, so will be keen to get back to winning ways at the first attempt when they face Fulham in the not-so-wicked West London Derby. Leading the league Liverpool they were at their best at Tottenham last time out and are four points clear at the top with a game in hand. They round off Boxing Day at home with a bang Leicester.

Newcastle in relation to Aston Villa the extraordinary match of the day emerges at 15:00 with both teams heading into the competition with the wind in their sails. These two clubs have followed similar trajectories in recent years, and this clash could prove significant in determining which side will break into the top four during the second half of the season. Newcastle will leapfrog their opponents in the table with another win at St James’ Park.

Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest go into Boxing Day as the division’s two teams and are both at home after enjoying the festivities. While Bournemouth face a The Crystal Palace a team stopped by Arsenal last week, Forest are up against the beleaguered Tottenham a team desperate to enter the new year.

Southampton offered insightful pragmatism in their stalemate at Fulham on Sunday, and it will be interesting to see what Ivan Jurić will serve on his managerial bow. Defeat for West Ham at St Mary’s would increase the pressure on the already under fire Julen Lopetegui.

Vitor Pereira’s mandate at Wolves they have started brightly and the new manager will see this as a great moment to face Manchester United. Ruben Amorim has a seismic job on his hands and there is unlikely to be any immediate respite after the Red Devils were beaten by Bournemouth this weekend. These two sides played a classic at Molineux last season.

Fridays are a less busy football night, and the overlap is a bit annoying. Just start the Brighton game at six, lads.

Either way, the Seagulls could win here as they face Brentford a team that has yet to win a Premier League away game this term. The Bees have also lost their previous three in all competitions with Thomas Frank leading a long list of injuries.

Brighton they survived a miserable December, d. Their last home win came on November 9 against Premier League side Man City.

Gameweek ends in North London as Arsenal page mourning the loss of Bukayo Saka to a torn hamstring faces the newly promoted Ipswich Town. The Tractor Boys have won just two league games this season, both away from home and one in North London.

Despite losing Saka, the Gunners remain in contention for the title and are expected to round off their 2024 campaign with three points on home soil.

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