
Arsenal almost allowed Manchester City the chance to leapfrog them at the top of the Premier League last week, but a 94th-minute own goal secured a win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and kept the Gunners at the summit of the table.
City’s victory against Crystal Palace on Sunday was far more comfortable. That result extended their winning run to six matches in all competitions, leaving Pep Guardiola’s side in the better form of the two heading into the next round of fixtures.
Premier League tipster Ben Smith has selected a five-leg accumulator covering matches played from Saturday, 20 December, through to Monday, 22 December. All five selections are priced with Betway, who offer a wide range of competitive Premier League odds across the full fixture list.
Bournemouth came close to winning at Old Trafford for the third season in a row on Monday night, but ultimately settled for a point after a chaotic finale that saw a 3-2 lead slip, a 4-3 deficit follow, and the match end 4-4.
That draw, combined with a previous 0-0 result against Chelsea, reads reasonably well on paper, yet it leaves Andoni Iraola’s side without a win in seven league matches and in need of a positive result this weekend.
They are helped by the timing of this fixture. Burnley arrive depleted by injuries and further weakened by the absence of Lyle Foster, Axel Tuanzebe, and Hannibal Mejbri at AFCON.
With Burnley short of options, Bournemouth’s deeper squad points towards a second-half win here.
Brighton’s recent downturn has not necessarily come as a surprise. They collected four points from trips to Crystal Palace and a home match with Brentford, results that flattered them given the underlying numbers. That run has corrected itself in December, with just one point taken from their last three league games.
Despite that, Brighton are priced as clear favourites against Sunderland, whose promising season continued with victory in last weekend’s Tyne-Wear derby.
The Black Cats are less consistent away from home than at the Stadium of Light, but they have still produced several notable results on the road. Wins at Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, along with a draw at Anfield, underline their capability.
With Sunderland odds-against to take something from this game, I’m happy backing Régis Le Bris’ side to avoid defeat.
It took a little time for Nuno Espirito Santo’s influence to show at West Ham, but even if the wins have not arrived as regularly as he would like, they have become far more competitive against leading sides.
Their current five-match winless run includes fixtures against Aston Villa, Brighton, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Bournemouth. Three of those games ended in draws, while West Ham managed to score in four of the five, showing a clear improvement in their attacking output.
Jarrod Bowen has rediscovered his scoring touch, finding the net in each of his last two appearances. Callum Wilson has also become a genuine threat after playing a limited role earlier in the campaign.
Manchester City are in good spirits, but they are not flawless defensively. They have conceded in each of their three home matches against teams currently in the bottom eight, and West Ham look capable of breaching that back line here as well.
It has taken Liverpool time to settle on a system and lineup that works this season. While they are not entirely convincing across the pitch and still have areas to improve, there has been a clear step forward in terms of balance and overall structure.
With Mohamed Salah absent and Cody Gakpo now injured, Arne Slot has opted to pack the midfield, focus on controlling central areas, and rely on the full-backs to provide width in attacking phases. That approach suits Milos Kerkez and the returning Conor Bradley, who is back from suspension.
Liverpool also possess one of the league’s most effective forwards in Hugo Ekitike, who should like his chances against a Spurs defence that conceded three goals at Nottingham Forest. The Reds have a solid record in this fixture and look capable of extending it.
Aston Villa have emerged as genuine title contenders and arrive here aiming to make it ten wins from ten in all competitions, with six of those victories coming in the league.
They have beaten Manchester City and Arsenal at Villa Park within the last two months, and while the bookmakers had little option but to install them as favourites against Manchester United, the price still looks generous.
United have lost only once since the end of September, but concerns remain, highlighted by conceding four goals against Bournemouth in their most recent outing.
The absence of Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo due to AFCON further weakens them, and I expect them to struggle here.
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