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Knockout punches set to be landed on Boxing Day

December 24, 2011

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The remaining pieces of cold turkey will have been dismissed, the new Christmas jumper will be on, and it will be time for your team to deliver the real Christmas present of the festive period. Three points will be the target for the two Manchester clubs in particular as the Premier League title race heads for the new year, while Chelsea and Liverpool both have extremely winnable fixtures on Boxing Day.

Tube strikes delay Arsenal's victory hunt until the 27th, when they meet Wolves, while Tottenham also wait for their game at Norwich. For predictions ahead of all the festive fixtures, read on...

Betting: Stoke to rattle Villa's defences

BOXING DAY

Chelsea v Fulham

Form: They may have grown stronger as their clash with Tottenham progressed, but Chelsea left White Hart Lane with only a point to show for their efforts. Andre Villas-Boas' side are now 11 points adrift of leaders Manchester City, and they are winless from their last two league outings. After keeping a clean sheet in their 2-0 defeat of Bolton, Fulham were humiliated at home as Manchester United smashed five past them at Craven Cottage on Wednesday. Of grave concern to Martin Jol will be the fact his troops have only won once on the road to date - a 2-0 win over Wigan at the end of October.
Key battle: John Terry may be under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, but no-one can deny his performance against Spurs was anything less than stellar. The England captain seems to thrive with his back firmly against the wall, so Clint Dempsey could be in for a long afternoon.
Player to watch: Daniel Sturridge is keeping Fernando Torres out of Chelsea's starting line-up, and for good reason; nine league goals tells its own story and his attacking threat, particularly down the right, has had Blues' fans out of their seats.
Talking point: Chelsea have opened talks with Bolton over a move for England defender Gary Cahill, but what money would the London club be willing to part with for the 26-year-old's services?
Bet of the day: Chelsea to win both halves: 13/8 with bet365
Prediction: 2-0

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Bolton v Newcastle

Form: Victory over Blackburn in the midweek relegation battle at Ewood Park ended a run of five successive league defeats for Bolton, a much needed boost. Newcastle, worryingly, have not won in six, with three draws and three losses culminating in their most recent defeat - in front of the home faithful - to West Brom.
Key battle: Demba Ba is in prolific goalscoring form at the moment, and if Gary Cahill wants to secure that move to Chelsea then he will have to ensure that sweet right foot of Ba's is not allowed to cause too much damage.
Player to watch: Quality players are few and far between for Bolton at the moment, so with Newcastle a dangerous attacking side Jussi Jaaskaleinen will have to ensure an afternoon free of errors if he is to give his side the confidence to pursue another three points.
Talking point: How much breathing room has victory over Blackburn given manager Owen Coyle? As much as he is well liked around the Reebok, the club have previous with firing managers at the first sign of danger - and Bolton are still a long way from a position of safety.
Bet of the day: Difficult to split the two - with one entering a poor spell and the other on the up - so perhaps a draw is the best bet: 12/5 with bet365
Prediction: 1-1

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Liverpool v Blackburn

Form: Liverpool have won only three of eight home games in the league this season, and two of those victories have come via the odd goal. Blackburn, however, have not won on the road in the current campaign, but they have claimed four draws.
Key battle: If Blackburn are to have any chance of pulling off a surprise win at Anfield, Junior Hoilett is likely to provide the inspiration from the left flank. He will get spaces against Glen Johnson, who loves to bomb on from Liverpool's right-back spot.
Player to watch: Luis Suarez. The Uruguay international is often the player to watch for Liverpool in normal circumstances, but with the glare of a nation on him, he will hope to enjoy the comforts of playing in front of 40,000 adoring fans. He was off his game at Wigan, but the little man rarely has two ineffective games in succession for the Reds.
Talking point: Exactly how good are Liverpool? Stats tell us they have the best defence in the league, and they've missed four penalties and hit the woodwork 17 times. If even half of those had gone in, they'd be in the top three. However, the likes of Stewart Downing and (this season) Dirk Kuyt never look like hurting anybody.
Bet of the day: Glen Johnson to score first: 20/1 with bet365
Prediction: 2-0

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Manchester United v Wigan

Form: Wigan have turned things around to a great extent in recent weeks, losing just one of their last six - including a win and two draws (against Chelsea and Liverpool, no less) in their last three. United, however, present a different proposition - Sir Alex Ferguson's men have dropped just two points from a possible 18.
Key battle: Phil Jones is likely to be in the starting lineup after coming through an injury scare that forced him off against Fulham. He could well slot in midfield, as Ferguson is in something of a crisis in that area, so he will have to impose himself on the ever-improving James McCarthy - who does not lack for tenacity.
Player to watch: Wayne Rooney has rediscovered his form in recent weeks, with his wonderful 30-yard strike against Fulham in midweek his fourth in three games after something of a dry spell. He will be the biggest threat to Wigan's defence.
Talking point: Manchester United are not top of Christmas, but that has not stopped them going on to claim the title come May in the past. Are the Red Devils actually better when chasing another side at the halfway stage - just as Wigan only really perform when the threat of relegation seems to be at its greatest?
Bet of the day: Rooney is on a run of goals at the moment, and him to score any time in a 2-0 home win has value at 8/1 with bet365
Prediction: 2-0

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Sunderland v Everton

Form: Sunderland have seen a revival of sorts under Martin O'Neill, winning two of their three games (most recently against QPR) following a run of a draw and two defeats. Everton's win against Swansea was their first following a three-game winless streak, although they did win two on the trot prior to that.
Key battle: As always it is Everton's inability to score goals that always comes under the spotlight. Leon Osman always seems to score in bursts, so Lee Cattermole will need to guard the spaces between midfield and defence.
Player to watch: Might Nicklas Bendtner be on the verge of embarking on a genuine goalscoring run, just weeks after one really could have helped previous manager Steve Bruce?
Talking point: Who has more passionate supporters out of Sunderland and Everton? There's a bar-room debate that could get spicy...
Bet of the day: Get behind a gritty draw where the ball spends most of its time in the middle third of the pitch: 9/4 with bet365
Prediction: 1-1

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West Brom v Manchester City

Form: West Brom enter the game in high spirits, having won three of their last six and the last two (against Blackburn and Newcastle, both away) in succession. It's the sort of run you want to take into a clash with the league leaders - City have drawn one and lost one (against Chelsea) of their last six.
Key battle: David Silva remains City's pivotal creative force, something his decisive goal against Arsenal perhaps doesn't fully reflect. Youssouf Mulumbu is a key presence for the Baggies, but it remains to be seen if his game is tailored to neutralise the Spaniard's threat.
Player to watch: Yaya Toure has been key to City's success this season, but is set to head to the African Cup of Nations in January. This game could give an idea of just how big an absence the Ivory Coast international could prove to be.
Talking point: Has Roberto Mancini been the best manager in the Premier League over the course of 2011? If Roy Hodgson continues to oversee West Brom's rise up the table does he re-enter the conversation to be the next England manager, just a year after he appeared to scupper his chances after a disastrous spell at Liverpool?
Bet of the day: Mario Balotelli loves scoring at The Hawthorns (notching twice there last season, before getting sent off) and we love Mario Balotelli. That's enough for us to tip him as first goalscorer at 4/1 with bet365
Prediction: 2-2

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Stoke City v Aston Villa

Form: Stoke breathed new life into their bid for a European spot with four straight league wins, although their last outing ended in a one-sided loss to Manchester City. Aston Villa simply cannot defend set-pieces and have won only one away fixture all season.
Key battle: Quite simply, the key battle is Villa's defence against Stoke's aerial bombardment. When Yossi Benayoun is able to score a header from a corner Alex McLeish must know things are bad, and Tony Pulis will be licking his lips whenever his side get the chance to put the ball in the box.
Player to watch: Darren Bent is expected to boost Villa by returning from injury. He has a debt to repay after going shopping during their loss to Liverpool, but will he make any impact at the Britannia?
Talking point: If you were picking your dirtiest XI players in the Premier League, would Alan Hutton feature in your lineup?
Bet of the day: Stoke to score a penalty: 6/1 with bet365
Prediction: 3-1

TUESDAY

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Arsenal v Wolves

Form: Arsenal's home form has been typically outstanding since an early loss to Liverpool, winning six of their other seven matches at the Emirates. Wolves love to become embroiled in helter-skelter contests, and they will take heart from the way they rallied to draw with Norwich last time out.
Key battle: The right-back area is a real problem for Arsenal due to injuries, and Matt Jarvis has been in electric form in his last couple of outings. Jonathan Woodgate lasted less than 20 minutes against the winger, so how will Arsenal's defenders deal with his threat?
Player to watch: Gervinho. Of course Robin van Persie is the best player on the pitch, but the movement and speed of Gervinho continuously opens gaps and sees the forward create several chances per game. If only he could finish.
Talking point: If a poll was conducted among Arsenal fans regarding the potential loan deal for Wayne Bridge, would even 10% of fans be in favour of the switch?
Bet of the day: Wolves are awful starters. Back at least three goals in the first half: 9/2 with bet365
Prediction: 4-0

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Swansea City v QPR

Form: Swansea remain the most difficult team to penetrate on home soil this season, conceding only twice at the Liberty Stadium. Only Manchester United have won there, and the Swans host a QPR side who are in freefall after three straight losses - the last of which came at home to fellow strugglers Sunderland.
Key battle: Luke Young has been exposed defensively in recent weeks and he will encounter one of the league's most dangerous dribblers in Scott Sinclair this weekend.
Player to watch: Joey Barton was completely off his game against Manchester United, resulting in his wayward pass for Michael Carrick's match-clinching goal. Now that the honeymoon period is over, will Barton become bored at Rangers?
Talking point: Why do certain teams have such contrasting results when playing home or away? Swansea have taken 15 points at home this season, and only three away. Surely a football pitch is a football pitch?
Bet of the day: Less than two goals in the game: 9/4 with bet365
Prediction: 1-0

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Norwich City v Tottenham

Form: Norwich have only tasted defeat in two of eight home fixtures this season, and they will feel they should have beaten Wolves last time out after throwing away a lead on two occasions. Tottenham have picked up 16 points on the road but they seemed to fade in their clash with Chelsea on Thursday.
Key battle: Steve Morison's role up front for Norwich has been vastly understated this season. He has a deceptive turn of a foot and is strong on the ball, ingredients that may concern William Gallas, who isn't the biggest centre-back.
Player to watch: Gareth Bale. Undoubtedly the outstanding player for Tottenham against Chelsea, and Norwich did give plenty of room to Wolves' wingers at Molineux.
Talking point: How desperately do Spurs need a back-up winger? The side looks shorn of balance without Aaron Lennon on the right wing, and the same would be said if Bale was sidelined on the left.
Bet of the day: Norwich to win: 7/2 with bet365
Prediction: 2-1

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