Tips: 21st - 23rd January 2022
Each week we will update this page with the latest football bets, tips and match previews from all Premier league games! As you are now a member of the Free BetInfo24 Football service we will drop you an email to let you know that the latest tips are available.
Treble:
Everton / Aston Villa
Chelsea
Man City
Pays 6/1
Bet £5 Get £30 Free With BetVictor
Goals Acca:
Arsenal vs Burnley UNDER 2.5 | Chelsea vs Tottenham OVER 2.5
Man United vs West Ham BTTS | Southampton vs Man City BTTS - No
Pays 21/2
Bet £5 Get £30 Free With BetVictor
Buy Shares In Our £800k Football Pool To Massively Increase Your Chances Of WINNING The Jackpot - Closes 11pm Friday
CLICK HERE
Premier League Betting Previews: 21st - 23rd January 2022
Watford vs Norwich - 20:00 - Friday 21st January 2022 - Sky Sports
Watford @ 1/1 Draw @ 12/5 Norwich @ 13/5
Watford: LLLLD
Norwich: LLLLW
Watford face Norwich at Vicarage Road in the Friday Night Football in another crucial battle in the context of relegation.
Claudio Ranieri's men saw their re-arranged game against Burnley cancelled in midweek, meaning that their last fixture saw them end a run of six consecutive losses as they came from behind in another crucial encounter away at Newcastle, with Joao Pedro's header three minutes from time earning them a vital point. It means the Hornets head into this relegation six pointer in 17th place, one point and one place above the visitors, albeit with two games in hand over Dean Smith's side. The Magpies had the better of the first half chances, with Joelinton hitting the crossbar, before debutant Wood and Fabian Schar both missed headers. At the other end Josh King had Watford’s best chance of the half, with the Watford counter attack eventually finding King in the box, but his left footed drive went wide of the post. The hosts did take the lead in the second half however, with Allan Saint Maximin capitalising on a mistake from Jeremy Ngakia and beating two Watford defenders, before slotting past Ben Foster in the 49th minute to make it 1-0 to Newcastle. Watford looked to respond immediately, with Martin Dubravka forced off his line to deny Josh King, while Moussa Sissoko missed a glaring chance to score against his former side. Claudio Ranieri’s side did eventually find their equaliser, with Joao Pedro’s superb header from a Kiko Feminia cross enough to beat Dubravka and hand Watford a 87th minute equaliser. "I am satisfied, but I want more from my players. We played our football in the last 30 minutes. We conceded too many chances with set pieces and in the second half they only created the goal and we created more chances. I am happy because we drew the match but I am not happy because we didn’t play as well as we used to do. I understand my players, after six defeats in a row maybe you are a little anxious but they have to play. I think we showed very good character, after we conceded the goal our reaction was much better. We have to show this from the beginning." Claudio Ranieri told https://www.watfordfc.com/ that he was “satisfied” with a draw against Newcastle United at St James’ Park, but the Italian wants to see more from his side in the upcoming Premier League fixtures as the Hornets pursue a victory.
Canaries Surprise Toffees
Dean Smith's side also ended a similarly dismal run of five straight defeats as they beat Rafa Benitez's Everton 2-1 at Carrow Road.
Norwich secured their third win of the season last weekend, with the Canaries ending a run of eight games without a win, their last three points coming in the 2-1 win over Southampton, which was Smith's second game in charge at Carrow Road. That win means the have risen off the bottom of the table and up to 18th, but all of the sides around them do have games in hand. A win here would see them move out of the relegation zone, which would be a huge boost for Smith's side with 16 games remaining. Norwich were gifted an early lead by Everton’s Michael Keane, with the Toffees defender getting his footwork all wrong as he deflected Josh Seargent’s cross into his own net in the 16th minute. The Canaries had gone 9 and a half hours without scoring a Premier League goal and it wasn’t long before they were celebrating their second. Just two minutes later (18) Adam Idah scored Norwich’s second, with the Ireland international poking through Pickford’s legs after a great turnover and run down the left from on loan full back Brandon Williams. Vitalii Mykolenko nearly gifted Norwich their third goal in the second half, with his back pass hit straight to Idah, but his heavy touch allowed the Toffees to clear. Everton gave themselves a lifeline in the 60th minute, when Richarlison produced a stunning overhead kick to halve the deficit. Milot Rashica nearly restored Norwich’s two goal advantage on the break, but his effort hit the outside of Everton’s post in what proved to be the last kick of the match. "I’m really pleased. There were moments when we had to hang on. I thought we showed really good quality in the first-half. Our energy levels were really high. We deserved to be in the lead at half-time as well, the way we started the game. We knew we’d have to compete and win duels and second balls and we did, but we found our out balls really well. We felt that if we could win the ball and get a couple of passes then the opposite side of the pitch would be on for us. We got a bit of fortune with the first goal, but it was a good cross from Josh Sargent underneath their backline. We’ve always said if you’ve got defenders facing their own goal, then it can be diverted in and it certainly was. Then, great interception from Brandon on the front foot and a great ball through for Adam, who followed up his positive performance on Wednesday with a really good performance today." Norwich City head coach Dean Smith told canaries.co.uk after the game that he was delighted with his team’s commitment, Carrow Road’s support and Adam Idah’s performance in Saturday’s 2-1 win at home to Everton.
Betting Tips
- Total Goals - Under 2.5 Goals @ 37/40
- Emmanuel Dennis to score first @ 16/5
- Teemu Pukki to score first @ 4/1
Everton vs Aston Villa - 12:30 - Saturday 22nd January 2022 - BT Sport
Everton @ 17/10 Draw @ 8/5 Aston Villa @ 11/5
Everton: WLDLL
Aston Villa: LWLLD
Everton host Aston Villa this weekend with Everton on the lookout for a new manager following the sacking of Rafael Benitez.
The final straw for the Everton board was the 2-1 defeat at the hands of Norwich last weekend, with that result meaning the Toffees have a record of just one win in their last thirteen Premier League matches. They find themselves in 16th place and on 19 points. Norwich were gifted an early lead by Everton’s Michael Keane, with the Toffees defender getting his footwork all wrong as he deflected Josh Seargent’s cross into his own net in the 16th minute. The Canaries had gone 9 and a half hours without scoring a Premier League goal and it wasn’t long before they were celebrating their second. Just two minutes later (18) Adam Idah scored Norwich’s second, with the Ireland international poking through Pickford’s legs after a great turnover and run down the left from on loan full back Brandon Williams. Vitalii Mykolenko nearly gifted Norwich their third goal in the second half, with his back pass hit straight to Idah, but his heavy touch allowed the Toffees to clear. Everton gave themselves a lifeline in the 60th minute, when Richarlison produced a stunning overhead kick to halve the deficit. Milot Rashica nearly restored Norwich’s two goal advantage on the break, but his effort hit the outside of Everton’s post in what proved to be the last kick of the match. "I have enough experience and I came here to fix issues that, maybe, are coming from five years ago. I have to make sure I analyse these kinds of mistakes we are making and avoid that for the future. Other things are not in my hands. I have to do my job. We're disappointed because we lost but we must be professional and try to learn not to make these mistakes. We have players coming back and we have to try to make the right decisions like we did in the second half. We have to be proactive. The only positive is that the team is reacting but the mistakes are costing us games every week. We gave ourselves another mountain to climb." Rafa Benitez told Sky Sports that he was confident he can turn Everton’s season around now he is getting his injured players back despite protests from fans. It proved to be the Spaniard's last game in charge.
Villa Hold United
Aston Villa came from two goals down to secure a much needed point as they held Manchester United to a 2-2 draw at Villa Park.
New signings Lucas Digne and Phillippe Coutinho made excellent impressions on their respective debuts, with the Frenchman starting from the off and Coutinho making an instant impact off the bench as his goal gave Villa a share of the spoils. It means Steven Gerrard's side find themselves in 13th place coming into the match, just four points above Everton having played a game more. Emiliano Martinez’s howler gave United an early lead, with Bruno Fernandes’ shot from distance squirming through the Argentine’s hands and into his own net to make it 1-0 to the visitors in the 6th minute. Villa went close at the other end, with Emiliano Buendia’s header from a Villa corner testing De Gea, luckily for the Spaniard the ball was headed straight at him and he cleared the ball to safety. De Gea was on hand again to deny Villa debutant Lucas Digne, with his left footed volley well saved by the legs of Manchester United’s number one. Fernandes doubled United’s lead in the second half, with the Portuguese firing into the roof of the Villa net after Fred capitalised on a mistake by Villa’s number eight Morgan Sanson, making it 2-0 to United in the 67th minute. Jacob Ramsey scored his first goal at Villa Park for his boyhood club as he pulled one back with thirteen minutes to go (77). But it was Coutinho who stole the headlines with a debut goal four minutes later (81), with the Brazillian on hand to convert at the far after Ramsey’s brilliant cross to make it 2-2. "I think it was a game of two halves as far as we’re concerned. I thought we were second best first half, certainly for the first 25 minutes. We didn’t start on the front foot, we weren’t aggressive, we were passive and we certainly deserved to concede a goal on the back of that. So that was really disappointing. We improved slightly from going a goal down. But at half-time we’re 1-0 down and I didn’t like what I was seeing in the first half. So we had to get into the players, we had to be honest with one or two and I expected and demanded a reaction and we got it. I thought we were excellent second half for the majority of it. We conceded and we were a little bit hard done by, I thought it was a little bit against the run of play because we improved. And at 2-0 down I needed the players to show amazing character, amazing courage; we did and we finished ever so strong. If we would have got the second-half performance over 90 minutes I believe we would have won the game." Steven Gerrard was full of praise for Aston Villa’s second-half display when he spoke to Villa TV and he praised the character to fight from two goals down and salvage a 2-2 draw against Manchester United.
Betting Tips
- BTTS @ 7/10
- Dominic Calvert Lewin to score first @ 4/1
- Ollie Watkins to score first @ 5/1
Brentford vs Wolves - 15:00 - Saturday 22nd January 2022
Brentford @ 2/1 Draw @ 2/1 Wolves @ 6/4
Brentford: LWLLL
Wolves: LWDWW
Brentford host Wolves this weekend with Thomas Frank's side on a run of form that has seen them pick up just three points from a possible fifteen.
They come into this match on the back of a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester United, with Frank visibly frustrated in his post match interview as he rambled on about Jadon Sancho and the change in formation from the visitors. That frustration may have been born of their first half performance but it may also be indicative of where they are in the league, with the Bees four successive defeats seeing them drop to 14th place, having played two more games than the sides immediately above and below them in the table. Brentford were by far the better side in the first half, with David De Gea at his best again as the Bees dominated proceedings. The Spaniard was on hand to make two saves to deny Mathias Jansen, both proved crucial as United went into the break level on goals. United improved in the second half and took the lead, courtesy of an excellent first goal from Antony Elanga, who teed himself up with a header after a pinpoint ball from Fred to give United the lead in the 55th minute. Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes combined to craft United’s second, with Ronaldo’s sumptuous chest putting Bruno Fernandes through on goal, the Portuguese unselfishly teeing up Mason Greenwood for a simple tap in to make it 2-0 to United in the 62nd minute. Substitute Marcus Rashford ended his recent barren spell in front of goal with United’s third, with the winger lashing the ball into the roof of the net after excellent work from McTominay and Fernandes to make it 3-0 with thirteen minutes remaining (77). Thomas Frank’s side did secure a consolation goal with five minutes remaining, with Ivan Toney poking home from close range after a Brentford long throw, but it wasn’t enough as United secured their first win in three Premier League matches. "I’m not happy to admit that we’ve lost more games than just the one last night, for various reasons that just hit me harder. In elite sport, it is a lot about controlling your emotions. I am an emotional guy and I show them sometimes; most of the time I am consistent, level-headed, and positive. For me, it was the first time this season that the loss was harder to take. That feeling of it being unfair, although nothing is unfair in football. The feeling that I had in my body was that we 100 per cent deserved something because we had performed so well. It is what it is. With the 24-hour rule I have five more hours to be disappointed. Liverpool and Manchester United were very impressive in different ways. Yesterday, the first-half was a ten out of ten performance. The next thing we need to learn or do a bit better is to avoid the first goal like yesterday. If we can keep this intensity and mentality, and play the Brentford way, then hopefully we can be an asset to the Premier League. The most important thing is to bring that energy level on Saturday." Thomas Frank gave his thoughts on his sides 3-1 loss against Man United when he spoke to the Press Association on www.brentfordfc.com.
Wolves Hammer Saints
Wolves come into the game on the back of their biggest win of the season, having secured a 3-1 win over Southampton at Molineux.
Raul Jimenez, Conor Coady and Adama Traore were the goal scorers as Bruno Lage's men comfortably overcame Southampton for their 9th win of the season and their second successive win. It means they come into this match nipping at the heels of Manchester United in the table, with four points separating the sides, albeit with Wolves enjoying a game in hand over the Red Devils. Wolves made the breakthrough from the penalty spot eight minutes before the break, with Rayan Ait Nouri fouled in the box by Jan Bednarek. Raul Jimenez stepped up to convert and gave Wolves a 1-0 lead in the 37th, his fifth goal in seven matches against the Saints. The Saints had a great chance to go in at half time on level terms, but Mohamed Salisu’s header from an Oriol Romeu cross was denied by Wolves keeper Jose Sa. Wolves doubled their lead in the 59th minute, with Wolves captain Connor Coady reacting quickest when Max Killman’s header rebounded off the post for his first Premier League goal at Molinuex. James Ward Prowse produced one of the goals of the season to halve the deficit, with the Saints skippers free kick from 35 yards out giving Southampton hope with six minutes to go. They nearly equalised through a Romain Perraud header, with the French midfielder’s header hitting the post after a perfectly weighted cross from Jan Bednarek. That hope was quickly extinguished however, with Wolves grabbing their third of the game through Adama Traore, who was played in behind the Saints defence by Rayan Ait Nouri for his first goal of the season in the 91st minute. "It was a very good game. In this moment, against this team, three points, it’s a good moment for us. It was a good performance because in the first-half, it was very hard. The way they played, the way they press, the way they make contacts with our men, they are a tough team to play. First, they come with the line of five and then they try to press high. But in the second-half, I thought we were better than them. We created more chances, and I think the victory is good for us. Especially what we did in the second-half. We’ll continue to grow and my first words go to Toti [Gomes]. Two weeks ago, he was on his holidays, and he came here and did a couple of trainings with us and when he does a performance like that – he didn’t do any mistakes. It was compact, it was solid, with Coady and Max [Kilman], and the first words go for him because what he did, it was very good." Bruno Lage praised the debut performance of Toti Gomes when he spoke to Wolves TV, as the defender slotted impressively into a hard-working Wolves defence to help the side secure a well-fought three points at home to Southampton.
Betting Tips
- BTTS @ 20/21
- Yoane Wissa to score first @ 11/2
- Raul Jimenez to score first @ 9/2
Leeds vs Newcastle - 15:00 - Saturday 22nd January 2022
Leeds @ 19/20 Draw @ 13/5 Newcastle @ 13/5
Leeds: LLLWW
Newcastle: LLLDD
Leeds host Newcastle at Elland Road this weekend, with Marcelo Bielsa's side producing a stunning display to edge West Ham at the London Stadium.
The Whites produced arguably their best performance on the road as they came out on the right side of a five goal thriller, with Jack Harrison scoring his first ever senior hat-trick. It means that Leeds have pulled away from the relegation zone with their two successive wins and a third over Newcastle would see them move onto 25 points, 12 clear of 18th placed Norwich. Jack Harrison scored his first hat-trick as a professional footballer as he inspired Leeds to a 3-2 win over West Ham at the London Stadium. The midfielders first goal of the afternoon came in the 10th minute, as he swept a brilliant cutback from Adam Forshaw into the bottom corner of West Ham’s net. The Hammers hit back through Jarrod Bowen, fresh from his double against Norwich in midweek, with the winger putting the finishing touch on an Aaron Cresswell corner to level the scoring (33). Harrison restored Leeds lead from a set piece four minutes later, with the winger casually kneeing in Luke Ayling’s header in the 37th minute. Pablo Fornals ensured West Ham came from behind for the second time in the match, with the Spaniard’s superb solo run and finish seven minutes after the restart levelling the score on 2-2. But Harrison and Leeds were not to be denied as he scored his and Leeds third goal of the game in the 60th minute, dinking over Fabianski after a fabulous ball in from Raphinha to make it 3-2 to the visitors. Leeds went close to making it 4-2, with Raphinha’s free kick rattling the crossbar. They were also denied a goal by VAR, with Mateus Klich’s effort ruled out by VAR after hitting Rodrigo Moreno in an offside position in the West Ham goal. They were nearly made to pay, as West Ham’s in form man Jarrod Bowen had a golden chance to equalise with one of the last kicks of the game, but his decision to chest the ball instead of heading it saw the ball balloon over the bar and saw Leeds take a crucial three points. "It was a very even game, a beautiful game, a typical Premier League game. It was good the difference was in our favour, but the margin was very small. It is a triumph for the players because the effort they put in was moving, they produced a desire to win which was very, very big. I’m very happy for Jack, he is a very noble player who puts in a lot of effort. Today the performance of Raphinha, Harrison and James, the three of them complimented each other really well, we had an offensive capacity we didn’t have in the last game. It really was a match for the players, because with each of them you can find a reason why they stood out. To have won two games in a row in the Premier League is a stimulus, but we now have to sustain the performances over time." Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa spoke to LUTV following Sunday’s win over West Ham United.
Magpies Held At Home
Newcastle come into the game having been held to a 1-1 draw in their relegation encounter against Watford.
Eddie Howe's side let a huge opportunity slip through their fingers as they conceded with three minutes to go in their crucial six pointer against Watford. The Magpies did make the most of their chances as a moment of brilliance from Saint Maximin was their only shot on target. The result means they drop to 19th place but are still just two points away from Watford who have a game in hand on the sides around them. The Magpies had the better of the first half chances, with Joelinton hitting the crossbar, before debutant Wood and Fabian Schar both missed headers. At the other end Josh King had Watford’s best chance of the half, with the Watford counter attack eventually finding King in the box, but his left footed drive went wide of the post. The hosts did take the lead in the second half however, with Allan Saint Maximin capitalising on a mistake from Jeremy Ngakia and beating two Watford defenders, before slotting past Ben Foster in the 49th minute to make it 1-0 to Newcastle. Watford looked to respond immediately, with Martin Dubravka forced off his line to deny Josh King, while Moussa Sissoko missed a glaring chance to score against his former side. Claudio Ranieri’s side did eventually find their equaliser, with Joao Pedro’s superb header from a Kiko Feminia cross enough to beat Dubravka and hand Watford a 87th minute equaliser. "Watford had their best spell in that second period as we were seeing the game out. We were close and they had a couple of moments, but we go through those. We were within touching distance of a really important win but unfortunately we didn't get it. There's a few things to look at. We need the second goal and we need to keep attacking. We need to keep believing in an attacking sense isn't over, we need to go for more goals. But also, if we don't get the second goal, we have to be ruthless and manage the game better in that last phase. But if you look where the goal comes from, we're disappointed in a couple of aspects of our defending and decision making because I feel like we bought it on ourselves. We can't be satisfied, we're hugely disappointed. We saw this as a big opportunity for us, but that's what we've got. Now we have to dust ourselves down very quickly, adjust our mindset and get ready for another massive game next week. Was it an opportunity missed? Yes, we feel that way right now when we're winning the game so late into the match. We saw it as a big opportunity going into the game and it was an even bigger one going into that moment. Conceding goals late and dropping points has been a common theme and it's something we definitely have to work on." Eddie Howe was clearly disappointed when he spoke to Sky Sports as Newcastle conceded a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Watford and he feels they have missed a huge opportunity to gain points against a relegation rival
Betting Tips
- Total Goals - Over 2.5 Goals @ 4/6
- Raphinha to score first @ 7/2
- Chris Wood to score first @ 11/2
Man United vs West Ham - 15:00 - Saturday 22nd January 2022
Man United @ 17/20 Draw @ 27/10 West Ham @ 29/10
Man United: DWLDW
West Ham: LWWWL
Manchester United face West Ham this weekend with United producing an excellent second half performance to overcome Brentford.
Ralf Ragnick's side produced another Jekyll and Hyde performance as they overcame Brentford by an impressive 3-1 scoreline. It means that United come into the game in 7th place, level on points with Arsenal. Brentford were by far the better side in the first half, with David De Gea at his best again as the Bees dominated proceedings. The Spaniard was on hand to make two saves to deny Mathias Jansen, both proved crucial as United went into the break level on goals. United improved in the second half and took the lead, courtesy of an excellent first goal from Antony Elanga, who teed himself up with a header after a pinpoint ball from Fred to give United the lead in the 55th minute. Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes combined to craft United’s second, with Ronaldo’s sumptuous chest putting Bruno Fernandes through on goal, the Portuguese unselfishly teeing up Mason Greenwood for a simple tap in to make it 2-0 to United in the 62nd minute. Substitute Marcus Rashford ended his recent barren spell in front of goal with United’s third, with the winger lashing the ball into the roof of the net after excellent work from McTominay and Fernandes to make it 3-0 with thirteen minutes remaining (77). Thomas Frank’s side did secure a consolation goal with five minutes remaining, with Ivan Toney poking home from close range after a Brentford long throw, but it wasn’t enough as United secured their first win in three Premier League matches. "I wouldn’t say [we had] a strong conversation [at half-time[ but obviously we had to change a few things and the first half we were not good in almost all aspects of the game - sloppy passing, not strong enough in the 50/50 situations, and we gave away almost every second ball. In the second half, we were more urgent, we were attacking them higher up the pitch, we were taking the right positions when we were on the counterattack, and we scored. This was the big difference. The way that they played, they were extremely aggressive, extremely proactive and brave, with a lot of physicality. We knew that from the start, of course we saw them play other games at home, it’s not a coincidence they beat teams like Arsenal and dominated them. We were fully aware of this, but in the first half we were second best in all aspects. In the second half, we had counterattacking situations ourselves and we knew we could make their back three drop back and bring them into one-on-one sprinting duels. We knew that we would be better in those areas of the pitch. Ralf Rangnick told MUTV that the Reds were more urgent and took up ‘the right positions on the counterattack’ during an inspired second-half performance against Brentford.
Hammers Fall Against Leeds
West Ham come into the game having suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Leeds, a side they'd comfortably beaten in the FA Cup Third Round.
Despite that disappointing defeat, their seventh of the season, West Ham still remain well placed in terms of a Champions League berth. They currently occupy fourth spot, albeit having played three more games than a Tottenham side that are unbeaten in the league under Antonio Conte. Jack Harrison scored his first hat-trick as a professional footballer as he inspired Leeds to a 3-2 win over West Ham at the London Stadium. The midfielders first goal of the afternoon came in the 10th minute, as he swept a brilliant cutback from Adam Forshaw into the bottom corner of West Ham’s net. The Hammers hit back through Jarrod Bowen, fresh from his double against Norwich in midweek, with the winger putting the finishing touch on an Aaron Cresswell corner to level the scoring (33). Harrison restored Leeds lead from a set piece four minutes later, with the winger casually kneeing in Luke Ayling’s header in the 37th minute. Pablo Fornals ensured West Ham came from behind for the second time in the match, with the Spaniard’s superb solo run and finish seven minutes after the restart levelling the score on 2-2. But Harrison and Leeds were not to be denied as he scored his and Leeds third goal of the game in the 60th minute, dinking over Fabianski after a fabulous ball in from Raphinha to make it 3-2 to the visitors. Leeds went close to making it 4-2, with Raphinha’s free kick rattling the crossbar. They were also denied a goal by VAR, with Mateus Klich’s effort ruled out by VAR after hitting Rodrigo Moreno in an offside position in the West Ham goal. They were nearly made to pay, as West Ham’s in form man Jarrod Bowen had a golden chance to equalise with one of the last kicks of the game, but his decision to chest the ball instead of heading it saw the ball balloon over the bar and saw Leeds take a crucial three points. "I didn't think we played well. I think the schedule has just been too much for us this week and it certainly caught up on us today. When you play Leeds, everyone knows the amount of energy that you need to put into the game to get a result. And then, when you have them two Sundays in a row it's going to be difficult enough, never mind with the midweek game put in between that as well. The players have given the best they can - we didn't play as well as we can but it's not our commitment or attitude in question, that's for sure. We started the second half great and got back in the game, but then gave away a rotten goal. That meant we had to chase the game again. When we got back to 2-2 I thought we would go on to win the game, but it wasn't the case." David Moyes admitted to West Ham TV that his side did not perform at their best in Sunday's 3-2 Premier League defeat to Leeds United.
Betting Tips
- BTTS @ 8/15
- Cristiano Ronaldo to score first @ 10/3
- Michail Antonio to score first @ 7/1
Southampton vs Man City - 17:30 - Saturday 22nd January 2022 - Sky Sports
Southampton @ 19/2 Draw @ 19/4 Man City @ 1/4
Southampton: DWDWL
Man City: WWWWW
Southampton host Manchester City in the Saturday evening kick off, with the hosts looking to end City's 13th consecutive league victory.
The Saints come into the game on the back of a 3-1 defeat away at Wolves, with James Ward Prowse's stunning free kick from range the only highlight of the game for Ralph Hasenhuttl's side. That defeat ended a run of four games without defeat but they now find themselves in 12th place on 21 points after 21 games. Wolves made the breakthrough from the penalty spot eight minutes before the break, with Rayan Ait Nouri fouled in the box by Jan Bednarek. Raul Jimenez stepped up to convert and gave Wolves a 1-0 lead in the 37th, his fifth goal in seven matches against the Saints. The Saints had a great chance to go in at half time on level terms, but Mohamed Salisu’s header from an Oriol Romeu cross was denied by Wolves keeper Jose Sa. Wolves doubled their lead in the 59th minute, with Wolves captain Connor Coady reacting quickest when Max Killman’s header rebounded off the post for his first Premier League goal at Molineux. James Ward Prowse produced one of the goals of the season to halve the deficit, with the Saints skippers free kick from 35 yards out giving Southampton hope with six minutes to go. They nearly equalised through a Romain Perraud header, with the French midfielder’s header hitting the post after a perfectly weighted cross from Jan Bednarek. That hope was quickly extinguished however, with Wolves grabbing their third of the game through Adama Traore, who was played in behind the Saints defence by Rayan Ait Nouri for his first goal of the season in the 91st minute. "I think we had more chances in the end than they had, definitely. We never stopped fighting for the result, after Prowsey’s unbelievable free-kick there was another chance for Romain where he has to make the goal. This is the thing where we have to complain that we have the chances but either the goalkeeper made good saves or we haven't found the back of the net but we tried everything.” It’s a longer distance, it’s not possible to deliver on the inside of the foot. For me, this was, I think, the best I’ve seen from him. Better than the others all over the world, this was for me unbelievable. When you give this one, then you have to give the other one. I think the problem is VAR told him check completed. I think if he looks at this situation, I’m sure he gives it again because the referee did a fantastic job today." Ralph Hasenhüttl reflected on a disappointing afternoon at Molineux when he spoke to SFC Media as his Southampton side fell to a 3-1 defeat to Wolves.
City Edge Chelsea
City come into the game having completed the domestic double over Chelsea, with Guardiola's men securing their second 1-0 win of the season over Tuchel's side.
It was an excellent win for Pep Guardiola's side as they all but ended Chelsea's title challenge in January with that win. It means they extend their lead at the top of the table to 11 points, albeit having played a game more than Liverpool. It was a dominant first half in terms of chances for City, with Kepa Arrizabalaga called into action to deny both Kevin de Bruyne and John Stones with relative ease. The Blues keeper produced a fine save to deny Jack Grealish after Mateo Kovacic’s error nearly saw City capitalise, with Kepa’s legs the only thing keeping Chelsea from succumbing to a first half deficit. Chelsea improved in the second half, with Romelu Lukaku forcing a fine save from Ederson before Hakim Ziyech blazed over the bar on the rebound. City continued to press for the all important opener, with both Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne going close. De Bruyne did eventually find his range against his former club, with the Belgian’s superb cut inside and strike into the bottom right hand corner in the 70th minute enough to gift City all three points at the Etihad. "It is not his best, but he is much better, today he gave everything and scored an outstanding goal. I know how difficult it is to play against Chelsea. They defend all the corridors inside, there are no channels to attack, you have to be so patient and not lose the ball in certain positions that they are waiting for. After that, the most important thing is to have the quality in the final third. After three defeats in a row, especially in the final of the Champions League, to be able to play the way we have done in these two games is the biggest compliment I can give to my players. In 180 minutes, we conceded one shot on target against the European Champions. We defended and (showed) heart and gave everything to try to win against this team. I give compliments because the opponent is so good, Thomas Tuchel is an outstanding manager and the player they have playing and on the bench, in the squad is always really good." Pep Guardiola insisted to City+ that the best is yet to come from Kevin De Bruyne in the 2021-22 campaign.
Betting Tips
- Total Goals - Over 2.5 Goals @ 40/85
- Armando Broja to score first @ 15/2
- Raheem Sterling to score first @ 7/2
Arsenal vs Burnley- 14:00 - Sunday 23rd January 2022
Arsenal @ 3/10 Draw @ 4/1 Man City @ 9/1
Arsenal: WWWWL
Man City: DLDLL
Arsenal host Burnley this weekend, with the Gunners in mixed form having lost their last Premier League game and crashed out of the Carabao Cup.
Arsenal come into the game on the back of a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City, but it was a performance they can be proud of despite the result. Two of their last three matches have seen the Gunners reduced to ten men, both the Manchester City game and their midweek Carabao Cup encounter against Liverpool saw Gabriel and Xhaka receive their respective marching orders. It means the Gunners will be bruised but they have produced positive performances in both of the games and they'll be really confident of producing a North London derby double in the Premier League. Arsenal made a rapid start at the Emirates and they thought they had an early penalty after a challenge on Martin Odegaard by Ederson, but both the referee and the VAR agreed that there was inconclusive evidence to award it. The Gunners did break the deadlock in the 31st minute, with Bukhayo Saka’s sweeping finish from a Kieran Tierney cross enough to give Mikel Arteta’s men a 1-0 lead. City levelled in the 57th minute from the penalty spot after Bernardo Silva was fouled by Granit Xhaka. Riyad Mahrez stepped up to convert the penalty to make it 1-1. Nathan Ake kept his side level with a goalline clearance, after Laporte and Ederson nearly made a mess of what should have been a simple headed backpass. Less than a minute later Arsenal were down to ten men after Gabriel received his second yellow of the match for a foul on Gabriel Jesus, meaning the Gunners had half an hour to play with a man down. City snatched the three points with the last kick of the game, as Rodri poked home from close range in the 93rd minute to make it 2-1 to the Champions. "Frustration and being proud of the performance is both there. Of course, in football, it’s about getting the points and you need and in this case, we really wanted and deserved the three points, but we end with zero points and that’s of course very disappointing." We are very proud because if you look at our process that we’re in with this young team, we want to see a team that can develop, be able to compete with a top team like Man City and in this case, I think we were the dominant team. We deserved the goal, I think we also deserved the penalty and to score at least one more than we did before half time, that’s the only thing. When you create those chance against a team like this, you have to take them." Albert Stuivenberg, deputising for Mikel Arteta who had COVID, gave his thoughts to www.arsenal.com on their narrow 2-1 defeat against Manchester City.
Leeds Edge Clarets
Burnley have enjoyed an extended break as well, with both the Leicester and Watford fixtures postponed due to COVID issues.
That means the Clarets last game was a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Leeds, they also come into this game having lost the services of Chris Wood and Maxwel Cornet, with Wood joining relegation rivals Newcastle and Cornet heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations. It makes Burnley's task of overturning their recent form that bit more complicated and they head into this tie bottom of the league, albeit the Clarets will go above Watford with a win, with several games in hand. The hosts created plenty of first half chances, with Junior Firpo backheel and Tyler Roberts header both going close, although from a Leeds perspective it was a case of the wrong players at the right time. The pressure did eventually told in the 39th minute, with Jack Harrison beating Wayne Hennessey at the second attempt, having seen his initial shot saved. The Leeds winger slotting into the bottom left hand corner to make it 1-0 to Leeds six minutes before the break. Maxwel Cornet levelled nine minutes after coming on, with the second half substitutes brilliant free kick beating Meslier from range to make it 1-1 with 54 minutes on the clock. Raphinha missed a golden chance to put Leeds back in front, with the Brazillian hitting the side netting at the back post after a glorious ball across goal from James, an open goal missed by Leeds number ten. Stuart Dallas did restore the hosts lead in the 77th minute, with his brilliant side footed strike on the edge of the Burnley penalty area perfectly curled into the bottom corner to make it 2-1 with 13 minutes to go. Substitute Dan James made it 3-1 in the 92nd minute to put the game beyond doubt, with the winger heading past Wayne Hennessey at the back post after a superb cross in from Joe Gelhardt to give Leeds all three points. We came across a Leeds side who were active. I thought they were decent today, they played strong and they played long as well. Leeds got after the ball, they ran and pressed hard which we knew they would do. "Sometimes you need an edge to a performance, and we didn’t find that. We found some moments where we could have put ourselves in front, and we could have dealt with things better, the first goal particularly, but overall, they played with an edge that we couldn’t find over the 90-odd minutes. Leeds played so open and predictable at times, and we started the second-half well. Maxwel got his goal, and we were pretty much going okay at that moment until a soft goal which gives them and the stadium a lift. We were chasing at the end, but we never found a golden moment. We had some good moments but the edge that you need to go and win football matches, they supplied it more than we did. We’re not a million miles away performance wise, but it’s the edge to the performance. They were hungrier, they were first to balls and that body language, intent and desire can make a difference, and we didn’t show as much as that as they did." Manager Sean Dyche gave his assessment of Burnley’s defeat away at Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United to Clarets+ on Sunday, and believes the Clarets lacked the cutting edge.
Betting Tips
- Total Goals - Under 2.5 Goals @ 11/10
- Gabriel Martinelli to score first @ 7/2
- Matej Vydra to score first @ 10/1
Crystal Palace vs Liverpool - 14:00 - Sunday 23rd January 2022 - Sky Sports
Crystal Palace @ 19/4 Draw @ 31/10 Liverpool @ 8/15
Crystal Palace: DLWLD
Liverpool: WDLDW
Crystal Palace host Liverpool in the first of two Super Sunday offerings this weekend, with the Eagles looking for their first win in three matches.
For the second time this season Palace managed to grab a draw from the jaws of victory against their A23 rivals, but I think they can have less complaints in their battle at the Amex, with the Seagulls missing a hatful of chances in the first half. Brighton enjoyed a rapid start and it saw Palace keeper Jack Butland called into action early on, with the Palace keeper forced to deny Leandro Trossard when he was through on goal. Things went from bad to worse for Palace as they conceded a penalty, after Will Hughes hauled down Joel Veltman, but Butland was the hero again as he saved Pascal Gross’ appalling penalty. Neal Maupay then saw his goal overturned by VAR, with Butland deemed to have had two hands on the ball before the Brighton striker bundled it in. Incredibly Palace managed to go into the break goalless. Brighton continued to go in search of the elusive opener as Jakub Molder hit the crossbar just after the break. But it was Crystal Palace who managed to take the lead, this despite the Brighton onslaught, with Connor Gallagher finding the corner of the net in a crowded Brighton penalty box in the 69th minute to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. With three minutes left to play Brighton found the goal their dominance deserved albeit from an unlikely source, with Joachim Anderson bundling into his own net in the 87th minute to make it 1-1 at the Amex. Positiveness. The discipline, and we needed to be disciplined today. I think we were disciplined, we were patient as well. We defended well as a team, and that wasn’t the case away from home since the start of the season. We need to have this kind of maturity. There is talent in the team. You saw Michael [Olise] and [Eberechi] Eze coming back. When you look at how young we were up front, those kinds of games will make those players better. That’s really exciting for the football club. He [Gallagher] gets that energy to understand the right time to get inside the box. His finishing is fantastic – he can finish with both feet, and has the timing. He will keep scoring important goals for us. In the second-half we knew that if we kept defending well we would frustrate them, and that would allow us to create chances. We were really disciplined, and I liked the way that the wingers worked tactically. I think they were really disciplined. There are a lot of positives to take into the second-half of the season." Patrick Vieira pointed to the positives Crystal Palace could take from the Amex when he spoke to Palace TV, despite the late Brighton goal that denied them all three points, explaining that these experiences will only improve his young side.
Reds Hammer Bees
Liverpool bounced back in style as their 3-0 win over Brentford was their first win in four matches.
Jurgen Klopp's side celebrated a good week all round, with Liverpool progressing to the Carabao Cup Final in midweek after brushing Arsenal aside at the Emirates. A win here would put them in a good spot for when their AFCON players return. Liverpool had the best of the first half chances, with Virgil Van Dijk’s effort cleared off the line superbly by Bees keeper Alvaro Fernandez. At the other end Ivan Toney went close with a drive from range, with Alisson a relieved man to see it skip past his right hand post. The Reds eventually did take the lead a minute before the break (44), with Fabinho heading in Trent Alexander Arnold’s corner at the back post to give Liverpool a 1-0 lead. Bryan Mbeumo had a great chance to equalise for Thomas Frank’s side, but his left footed effort again went the wrong side of Liverpool’s post. Alvaro Fernandez was at his best as he was forced to deny Diogo Jota one on one, with the Portuguese hitting the Brentford post moments earlier. Alex Oxlade Chamberlain doubled Liverpool’s advantage in the 69th minute, with the midfielder heading in a pinpoint cross from Andrew Robertson at the back post to make it 2-0. Takumi Minamino went some way to making up for his glaring miss in midweek as he made it 3-0, with the Japan forward celebrating his 27th birthday with a tap in from close range as Liverpool secured all three points. "Today pretty much started with birthday songs in all available languages and it was really nice. So Taki obviously got the boost already before the game through the nice songs. And then, meanwhile, coming on and being that much in the game and scoring this really nice goal was absolutely helpful for him and for us. Very important. How I said, Taki's in a good moment and that's why it was very helpful. The way Brentford plays against us is really uncomfortable. As the team at home, if you want to and have to win the game then you want to control the game. To control this game is particularly difficult because the ball felt like it was 20 minutes in the air today and there were so many situations – header, header, header, header, header. So you need to be full of desire in these moments to sort it. You have to bring the ball down on the floor and from there you have to play, so it's really tricky and that's why I'm so happy. The game against Brentford – I knew before that it will be a really tough one – it was a tough one and that's why I'm so happy that we did so well in other moments. We showed the boys at half-time three situations where we did really well in the first half. I think we had more but we showed them three where we really played the way we have to play." David Moyes told West Ham TV that he was delighted to end 2021 with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Watford on Tuesday.
Betting Tips
- BTTS @ 7/10
- Connor Gallagher to score first @ 15/2
- Diogo Jota to score first @ 7/2
Leicester vs Brighton - 14:00 - Sunday 23rd January 2022
Leicester @ 6/4 Draw @ 23/10 Brighton @ 17/10
Leicester: LWLWL
Brighton: WDWDD
Leicester host Brighton in the third 2pm kick off this Sunday, with Brendan Rodgers' side looking to bounce back from that incredible Tottenham defeat.
The Foxes last game can only be described as one of complete and utter madness, going into the fifth minute of injury time Leicester lead 2-1, but just two minutes later they had managed to succumb to a 3-2 defeat with Steve Bergwijn the chief architect of Leicester's downfall. The Dutchman's introduction eleven minutes from time proved to be the catalyst and that defeat, Leicester's eighth, sees them remain in tenth place. Harry Kane appeared to be back to his best, with the England captain dancing through the Leicester defence and unleashing a strike into the bottom corner, but luckily for the Foxes Luke Thomas was there to clear off the line. Leicester did take the lead against the run of the play, with Patson Daka lifting the ball over Hugo Lloris from a tight angle to make it 1-0 to the hosts in the 24th minute. Spurs pushed for an equaliser as Pierre Emile Hojbjerg’s effort was cleared off the line by Marc Albrighton. Kane wasn’t to be denied this time though, with the Tottenham number ten casually firing into the far corner in the 38th minute for the 250th goal of his club career, leaving Caglar Soyuncu on his backside in the process. James Maddison restored Leicester’s lead in the 76th minute, with the midfielder combining with Harvey Barnes, who had only been on the pitch for a minute, to make it 2-1 to Leicester. The introduction of Steven Bergwijn proved to be crucial, with the Dutch winger picking up not one goal but two goals in an injury time packed with madness. The Dutchman’s first goal came in the fifth minute of stoppage time, pouncing on a ball in the six yard box and firing past Schmeichel to level the scoring. And two minutes later he scored the winner, after Harry Kane’s through ball found him on the other side of the Leicester defence and he rounded Schmeichel to secure a 3-2 victory with the last kick of the game (97). "Mainly us presenting Tottenham with the goals. It's so frustrating. It was frustrating enough to allow them to equalise late on. For 93-and-a-half minutes of the game, we put in really good work. We looked like we were going to see it through, but to take the equaliser was a little harsh. To concede so late on is very, very naive from us. You cannot do that. There's obviously a learning which takes place and they'll be disappointed, but you cannot lose a game like that. I spoke at half-time about the fundamentals in our passing, that we needed to be tidier and clean the game up a little bit more. In the second half, it was some of the fundamentals of defending. We had a couple of duels where we needed to win a couple of headers and we didn't do that and then we're on the back foot and they end up scoring. It's disappointing. You get measured by the team that's out there. I've always said we never make it an excuse. We were 2-1 up on 93-odd minutes against a top-level team and we should win the game, but we didn't. The assessment is pretty clear for me. We can't be looking at players that aren't fit and available because they've been out for a period of time. You've got to at least draw that game. You should win it and we didn't do that so that's what we've got to be judged on." Brendan Rodgers told LCFC TV that 'naivety' contributed to Leicester City's late 3-2 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
Brighton Hold Blues
Brighton come into this game having held Chelsea for the second time this season, with Adam Webster's header cancelling out Hakim Ziyech's opener.
Graham Potter's side continued their reputation as the draw specialists, with Brighton now top of the league in that department, they are in double figures so far (11), two more than Palace, Newcastle and Southampton. Brighton made an electric start to the game, with Jakub Moder’s early chance narrowly hit wide of the post. The European Champions did take the lead, slightly against the run of play, as Hakim Ziyech’s excellent low strike from outside the box was enough to beat Robert Sanchez at his near post just before the half hour mark (28). The hosts continued to dominate but couldn’t cut through, with Alex Mac Allister going close and Danny Welbeck hoofed over when put through on goal. They did eventually find the equaliser their play deserved when Adam Webster headed in a Mac Allister corner on the hour mark to make it 1-1. Both sides went in search of the winner, but Neal Maupay and Romelu Lukaku were unable to produce the crucial second. "We are pleased and proud of our performance. Chelsea are a top team and we gave them a good game and deserved our point. The performance was full of courage and hard work. We gave ourselves a chance to win the game because we played so well. Chelsea have got some top players. You have to cover each other but the boys played on the front foot when they could. They gave everything and it was a performance I enjoyed. The players showed great spirit on the pitch and contributed to what I thought was a great atmosphere - our fans really got behind the team again. For the goal we try to look at how we can score and managed to execute the set piece well. It was a great moment for Adam and our supporters. Adam had had a spell out with injury but you can see what he gives the team. He can carry the ball forward and he helps us build our game, he's an important player for us and I was delighted with his performance." Graham Potter was a proud head coach after watching his side hold Chelsea to a 1-1 draw in a thriller at the Amex he spoke to MyAlbion TV.
Betting Tips
- Total Goals - Over 2.5 Goals @ 9/10
- Patson Daka to score first @ 9/2
- Neal Maupay to score first @ 9/2
Chelsea vs Tottenham - 16:30 - Sunday 23rd January 2022 - Sky Sports
Chelsea @ 4/6 Draw @ 27/10 Tottenham @ 4/1
Chelsea: WDDLD
Tottenham: DWDWW
Chelsea face Tottenham at Stamford Bridge in a mouth watering clash this Sunday, with the Blues now out of the title race and winless in their last four matches.
Thomas Tuchel's side have enjoyed a frustrating recent run of form, they are out of the title race after City opened up a double digits lead over the Blues, and they failed again in their quest to beat Brighton, who held them to a 1-1 draw at the Amex. It means the Blues come into the game in third place, they are 12 points behind City having played a game more and they have a seven point gap between themselves and West Ham in fourth. Brighton made an electric start to the game, with Jakub Moder’s early chance narrowly hit wide of the post. The European Champions did take the lead, slightly against the run of play, as Hakim Ziyech’s excellent low strike from outside the box was enough to beat Robert Sanchez at his near post just before the half hour mark (28). The hosts continued to dominate but couldn’t cut through, with Alex Mac Allister going close and Danny Welbeck hoofed over when put through on goal. They did eventually find the equaliser their play deserved when Adam Webster headed in a Mac Allister corner on the hour mark to make it 1-1. Both sides went in search of the winner, but Neal Maupay and Romelu Lukaku were unable to produce the crucial second. "It is hard to analyse games like this. We have to respect the opponent, it is very tough to play at Brighton. They played it like a cup game, the noise at the end when the referee blew the whistle was like if we lost the game. This could very easily give you the impression that we lost the game but we didn’t lose and other teams will struggle to get points here. It’s even tough if you are full strength and if you are not tired. So there are some obstacles to overcome here and I refuse to be angry because it’s not about the ambition or that we don’t want it. We were a bit lucky to be 1-0 ahead and you can take advantage of it, score a second one, but we struggled to show the quality and we know the reasons behind it. Of course we demand a lot from us but this is not the moment to be too harsh on the team." Thomas Tuchel told www.chelseafc.com that whilst he wasn't pleased with his sides performance at Brighton, that it wasn't the time to stick the boot into his players.
Spurs Stun Leicester
Tottenham come into the game on the back of a miraculous recovery against Leicester, with two late goals in injury time helping Spurs snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Antonio Conte's side kept their unbeaten run in the Premier League intact as they overturned a 2-1 deficit with goals in the 95th and 97th minute from Steven Bergwijn. It was an incredible comeback and one that will give them huge confidence heading into this crucial fixture. Tottenham are in a fantastic position in the battle for the top four, if they were to win all of their games in hand they would have anywhere between a four and nine point gap on the sides around them. Harry Kane appeared to be back to his best, with the England captain dancing through the Leicester defence and unleashing a strike into the bottom corner, but luckily for the Foxes Luke Thomas was there to clear off the line. Leicester did take the lead against the run of the play, with Patson Daka lifting the ball over Hugo Lloris from a tight angle to make it 1-0 to the hosts in the 24th minute. Spurs pushed for an equaliser as Pierre Emile Hojbjerg’s effort was cleared off the line by Marc Albrighton. Kane wasn’t to be denied this time though, with the Tottenham number ten casually firing into the far corner in the 38th minute for the 250th goal of his club career, leaving Caglar Soyuncu on his backside in the process. James Maddison restored Leicester’s lead in the 76th minute, with the midfielder combining with Harvey Barnes, who had only been on the pitch for a minute, to make it 2-1 to Leicester. The introduction of Steven Bergwijn proved to be crucial, with the Dutch winger picking up not one goal but two goals in an injury time packed with madness. The Dutchman’s first goal came in the fifth minute of stoppage time, pouncing on a ball in the six yard box and firing past Schmeichel to level the scoring. And two minutes later he scored the winner, after Harry Kane’s through ball found him on the other side of the Leicester defence and he rounded Schmeichel to secure a 3-2 victory with the last kick of the game (97). "Honestly, to lose this game… I couldn’t accept to lose this game after the chances we created, for the game we played. At the end, we must be very happy, because the players know our philosophy, don’t give up, never. First of all, I’m happy for the team. I’m happy because, maybe, I made a good substitution! I’m happy for Steven, he deserves these goals. You must have belief, belief in the team, in the possibility that in only two minutes, you can score another goal. As I said before, to lose this game, even to draw, it wasn’t right. At the end, we won the game, and we deserved to win this game. Until the end, you have to be concentrated, to be focused and not to give up, be ready to fight until the end. This must be our philosophy, then, if the opponent deserves to win, we are the first to clap then. Otherwise, until the end, we have to fight. It's a big win, for sure. Also, we’ve beaten a team that last season finished in front of us, last season they won the FA Cup and then the Community Shield. It means they are an important team. The manager is doing a fantastic job with Leicester. To win against them was important for us, to improve our confidence, our belief and, then, we know the path is long, but we’ve just started this path and we want to finish it in the best possible way." Antonio Conte told Spurs TV that he felt even a draw wouldn’t have been a fair reflection of our performance against Leicester City at the KP Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Betting Tips
- Total Goals - Over 2.5 Goals @ 20/21
- Romelu Lukaku to score first @ 4/1
- Harry Kane to score first @ 5/1