Our Premier League GW14 Predictions

The games continue to pile up as we enter the intense Christmas period of the Premier League. Here are our predictions ahead of yet another intriguing weekend of action:

Arsenal vs Wolves

In North London, the team at the top is looking for another win. Arsenal haven’t looked at their very best, but that is sure to come sometime soon. In a tough fixture against Brentford, they got the job done with Kai Havertz the unlikely hero. He even scored in their mauling of Lens in mid-week, with Gunners fans hoping he may be finally matching that price tag. They have a wealth of attacking talent from Bukayo Saka to Leandro Trossard, but they still miss a no. 9. Meanwhile, Declan Rice has took the team forward and made a key block on the line on Saturday night. The goalkeeping situation is still an issue as shown by Aaron Ramsdale’s shakiness, but fortunately, the Gunners have one of the best defences in the league.

Wolves meanwhile have got over a difficult summer to make a fairly positive start. They were undone in a thrilling clash with Fulham by controversial decisions, as the officials continued to make blunders on the pitch and in the VAR studio. In the absence of Pedro Neto, Hwang Hee-chan has been on fire, although the return of the Portuguese wing wizard would be a welcome boost. However, defensively they are struggling with Max Killman, Toti Gomes, and co. failing to shut up shop since late August.

The Gunners look strong at the moment, and I don’t see the West Midlands side changing that. They will give the home side’s back four a tough time, but they should still be on top come Saturday night.

Score Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Wolves

Tom Atkinson

Brentford vs Luton

Hosting Luton this Saturday afternoon, I believe Brentford will get themselves back on track with three points after two losses to Liverpool and Arsenal.

Having turned somewhat of a new leaf however, Luton have one win and two draws from their last five games – something a lot of people didn’t think they’d be able to do given their squad depth. An opportunity to push themselves further away from the relegation zone after Everton’s 10 point deduction, if a highly driven Luton team turn up in these winter temperatures I can certainly envision them getting a draw out of the game.

That being said, Brentford’s attack has been a handful this season, and the London side have scored in 10 out of 13 games so far. Bryan Mbuemo has been in class form and can definitely see him relishing the opportunity to get his personal stats up today. I fear if Brentford get a quick start, the Luton side won’t have enough to fight back from a losing position.

Score Prediction Brentford 3-1 Luton

Harvey Marwood

Burnley vs Sheffield United

Both of these sides are so desperate for a win that this fixture feels very important, even at this stage of the season. Burnley and Sheffield United have been given a lifeline by Everton’s points deduction and need to close the narrow gap between themselves and Luton as soon as possible.

Sheffield United were routinely outclassed last week by a Bournemouth side who have struggled for the most part this season, while Burnley lost in heartbreaking fashion at home to West Ham last time out. Vincent Kompany has the better performance to build off last week and I believe with Burnley’s home advantage, they should have just enough to come out on top. I do also believe that time could be up for Paul Heckingbottom in the Sheffield United dugout if the Blades lose this game.

Score Prediction: Burnley 3-1 Sheffield United

Joe Simpson

Nottingham Forest vs Everton

Sean Dyche will feel as if last week’s scoreline against Manchester United didn’t reflect the performance that his side put in, and on another day the Toffees could have perhaps got something out of that game. A galvanised Everton side are looking to climb up the table quickly after feeling aggrieved at the Premier League’s points deduction.

Nottingham Forest meanwhile are settling in to a position of mid table mediocrity, joining the likes of Fulham and Wolves in a position of relative security given the poor form of the promoted sides this season. On their day Forest can cause anyone problems thanks to the pace of their attacking options and the creativity of Morgan Gibbs-White.

The City Ground is always a tough place to go and Everton will need to be at their best if they want to get something out of this one. I do believe these two teams are evenly matched and I can see the spoils being shared here.

Score Prediction: Nottingham Forest 2-2 Everton

Joe Simpson

Newcastle vs Manchester United

A huge game for two teams who are currently looking in from the outside when it comes to the top four race. Newcastle have been decimated by injuries, but even with a depleted squad managed to fire four past Chelsea last week and almost clinch a historic win against PSG in Europe.

Manchester United on the other hand saw their Champions League hopes hang in the balance after more calamitous goalkeeping from summer signing Onana. The 3-0 scoreline against Everton flattered Erik Ten Hag’s side slightly and Galatasaray demonstrated the defensive weaknesses of the Red Devils.

St James’ Park will be bouncing this evening and if Newcastle get off to a fast start, they may well not be caught again by Manchester United. I expect a hard fought battle with the home side just edging it.

Score Prediction: Newcastle 2-1 Manchester United

Joe Simpson

Bournemouth vs Aston Villa

It feels like Bournemouth have finally started seeing the fruits of Andoni Iraola’s labour and just in time, as the pressure was starting to crank up. Back to back wins in the league has restored some of the faith in the new coach and more importantly sees them moving away from the relegation pack heading into the hectic Christmas period. 

Despite ending last season in fine form, the job Unai Emery continues to do at Villa is more commendable than ever. From staring at relegation when he first came in to finishing in the European places in half a season, Emery now has the Birmingham outfit seriously eyeing up Champions League football. Villa score in bunches and don’t tend to concede more than the one goal, a dangerous combination for any side trying to best them. I really respect both sides approach for the game but Villa just feel like the more obvious choice and despite turning the page, I’m still not convinced about the Cherries’ proficiency up top.

Score Prediction: Bournemouth 1-3 Aston Villa

Jesse Williams

Chelsea vs Brighton

Stamford Bridge plays host to two teams who are having a mixed bag of a season. Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino have shown signs of improvement in some games, like the thrilling draw against Manchester City, but in others they have been just as poor as last season. One of those fixtures was last week’s 4-1 battering by Newcastle with the Geordies cruising through The Blues’ defence time and time again. Thiago Silva showed his age in that game, and many will now wonder if his time is up at a top level, while Reece James was exposed and sent off for his mistakes. Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer have been the shining lights with their skill on the ball and knack for a goal, getting their team out of trouble at times. I’m also still not convinced by Robert Sánchez, who is showing why Brighton were so keen to move on.

Speaking of The Seagulls. they’ve really shown inconsistency over the last few months. They failed to win for 6 matches before beating Nottingham Forest last Saturday, but even that was nervy. João Pedro and Evan Ferguson have been lethal up front, causing havoc against any defence they play. Both were key to that victory and Brighton’s strong performance in the Europa League. However, the secure defence they had last season hasn’t been quite as strong, and losing Lewis Dunk will be a worry for Roberto De Zerbi.

Here we have two sides with excellent attacking options, but defensively they are exposable. You never quite know what you’re going to get with Chelsea each week, so this game could go either way. I predict both will struggle in defence without their leaders, but we’ll see goals on either end and a thrilling game.

Score Prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Brighton

Tom Atkinson

Liverpool vs Fulham 

Liverpool will take great encouragement about their title aspirations after last week’s 1-1 draw against Manchester City. Jurgen Klopp’s men matched up against the treble winners well, but their doubters who point fingers at their defensive shortcomings were certainly not disproven. While their ability to self sabotage was not ruthlessly punished, that cannot continue if they really harbour thoughts of finishing top come May. Liverpool’s firepower as always remains the key and should be far too much for their London visitors on Sunday. While this won’t be a test of their title credentials, maintaining form especially around this time of the year is key to your ambitions in the back end of the campaign. 

After their high flying return to the top flight last year Fulham have come down to earth a bit and have set their stool firmly in the middle of the table. It may feel like a regression, but stability is what Fulham really need having been a consistent yo-yo side. Clearly they aren’t the same side from last season but can still go out and give a good account of themselves most weeks. Fulham caught a lucky break last time out and they’ll probably need a bit more of that if they want anything from this one.

Score Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Fulham

Jesse Williams

West Ham vs Crystal Palace

Two elder statesmen of the Premier League face off on Sunday as Roy Hodgson takes on David Moyes at the London stadium. The Hammers will be relatively happy with their start to the season, coping well with the loss of talismanic captain Declan Rice given the promising performances of Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez.

Palace meanwhile are proving that for mid table teams, existence in the Premier League can sometimes feel as if you are stuck in limbo. Never really at threat of relegation whilst also not challenging for the European spots can lead to frustration, even with the mercurial Michael Olise back in the side. This London derby should be hard fought, but I believe that the Hammers will edge this one given their quality in the midfield and forward areas.

Score Prediction: West Ham 3-1 Crystal Palace

Joe Simpson

Manchester City vs Tottenham

The big fixture this weekend and the one everyone is excited for, Manchester City take on Tottenham at the Etihad for Sunday’s 4:30 kick off.

Having fallen from their lead at the top of the table and with Arsenal now having a one point advantage, Guardiola will be desperate to have no more slip ups and keep the gap as narrow as possible at the top of the table. It’s not a game that will come easily however, and after a short blip in form, Tottenham will do everything to prove their case in fighting for Champions League football.

A number of injuries threw a spanner in the works under Ange Postecoglu’s starting reign in North London, which had begun fantastically. Losing main playmaker James Maddison has been a major issue, and could be on the brink of losing their fourth successive Premier League game, something that hasn’t happened at Tottenham since 2004. I think again, Manchester City are going to prove just too strong this weekend, but it will be a tight game with Spurs’ shaping defensively and compact style.

Score Prediction: Manchester City 2-1 Tottenham

Harvey Marwood