Fans throughout the land were holding their breath on Monday when the Premier League met to decide whether games should be put on hold over the festive period as Omicron swept through the training grounds of England’s top flight clubs.
And then there was a collective sigh of relief as the decision makers decided the games can go on Monday when the Premier League methead, with fans in the stadiums, so let’s hope we have a Boxing Day bonanza. This SBOTOP writer has great memories of trips around the UK on snow-swept days on the 26th; win, lose or draw it’s a fine way to get some fresh air and clear out any Christmas Day excesses. So I’ll be hoping there isn’t a late cancellation at Turf Moor where Burnley are set to meet Everton. That’s a game to excite the fans in East Lancashire and the Blue half of Liverpool but, for now, let’s take a look at some top games for the neutrals to enjoy.
Manchester City vs Leicester City
The Sky Blues are clicking through the gears and have opened up a small gap of three points at the top of the table. They come into this game on the back of three wins in ten days, scoring 12 goals and conceding none. Pep Guardiola has the best squad in the land and he can afford to leave out big names when he needs to. With Covid playing havoc with recent fixtures he was dismayed at reports that Jack Grealish and Phil Foden were seen at a nightclub, after City’s recent victory over Leeds, and he promptly dropped them for the Newcastle game.
“At Christmas time I pay a lot of attention to behaviour on and off the pitch.” Said the City boss, and his young midfield stars’ antics obviously didn’t go un-noticed. It means the two will be rested in anticipation of the upcoming clash with Leicester, who have a midweek Carabao Cup date with Liverpool to content with in the run up to the game.
Guardiola clearly wants his team’s Premier League 2021 news to be made on the pitch and not off it and they should put on another show against the Foxes with odds of 1.82 for a City win with a -1.75 handicap.
Liverpool vs Leeds United
The latest Premier League 2021 betting odds have the Sky Blues at odds of 1.30 to retain their league title and Liverpool in pursuit at 4.50. So Jurgen Klopp’s team can’t afford any slip ups over the festive period. The Reds will be without the suspended Andrew Robertson, following his red card against Spurs, but his opposite number Trent Alexander-Arnold is sure to start and is in scintillating form.
Leeds arrive on the back of two heavy defeats, to Manchester City and Arsenal and they are missing some of their top players, and the absence of Kalvin Phillips in particular has robbed the Whites of energy and composure in the middle of the park.
My hunch for this one is a comfortable win for the Reds, -2.25 @ 1.87.
Aston Villa vs Chelsea
A defeat to West Ham, a victory over Leeds United and then two draws, with Everton and Wolves, has left Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel with the Blues and his side now six points behind Manchester City. He tried to get the game with Wolves called off as his side was decimated by illness and injury but the Premier League declined to help, and with the guidelines now saying a team should get a match on if it has 14 fit players, including a goal-keeper, he’ll need to rally his troops for the trip to Aston Villa.
New head coach Steven Gerrard has led Villa to four victories, interrupted only by narrow defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool and his team will press the Blues hard.
Another draw at odds of 3.45 wouldn’t be ideal for Chelsea but it might be the best they can come up with.
Norwich City vs Arsenal
This game looks like an away banker, with basement club Norwich entertaining Arsenal on the back of three defeats, while the Gunners have won their last three. Gabriel Martinelli was outstanding in Arsenal’s 4-1 defeat of Leeds, which cemented the Gunners top for place. He scored two first-half goals and looks an ideal replacement for Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang who appears to be on his way out of the club.
Following the arrival of new head coach Dean Smith, the Canaries had a little flurry of results, earning five of their ten points accumulated with a win over Southampton and draws with Wolves and Newcastle United. The struggling Magpies played virtually the whole game with ten men after Ciaran Clark was sent off within nine minutes; so that was a poor result. The Canaries must fight for every point and will try to make this hard for the Gunners, with odds of 1.83 for a +1.25 start.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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