It is set to be another bumper weekend of Premier League football and on Sunday alone there are four fixtures to look forward to, with three of those kicking off at 2pm.
While there is a huge top-of-the-table clash between Liverpool and Arsenal, there is still plenty to play for in the three earlier games of the day, including Manchester United host fellow European hopefuls West Ham with the Red Devils looking to avenge a 2-0 defeat suffered in the capital just before Christms.
Wolves travel to Chelsea with both teams looking to bounce back from midweek defeats and reignite their own bids for European football, while two sides looking to pull away from relegation trouble meet at the Vitality Stadium where Bournemouth entertain Nottingham Forest.
Recommended treble: West Ham or draw double chance, BTTS in Chelsea v Wolves and Bournemouth to beat Nottingham Forest.
- West Ham or draw double chance v Man United
- Both teams to score in Chelsea v Wolves
- Bournemouth to beat Nottingham Forest
Man United vs West Ham
A 97th-minute winner from Kobbie Mainoo helped Manchester United to a 4-3 win over Wolves on Thursday but it was a far from convincing performance, as they twice let two-goal leads slip and their defensive fragilities again exposed when the pressure was on.
What saved Erik ten Hag’s men was an unexpected four-goal salvo but their attacking struggles have been another ongoing problem, with only five sides having scored fewer than their tally of 28 Premier League goals so far this season.
After staging a remarkable come-from-behind win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day, United then suffered a deserved 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest before picking up a somewhat fortuitous point in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham at Old Trafford in a match in which they were a distinct second best.
United have prevailed in two FA Cup fixtures so far but both came against lower-league opponents, and they still made hard work of their fourth-round triumph over League Two Newport, edging it 4-2 after being pegged back from 2-0 up.
As for West Ham, they have been struggling to find ways to win of late, having drawn four of their last five games in all competitions which includes being knocked out of the FA Cup by Bristol City after a replay. However, they are still a point ahead of their Sunday hosts in the Premier League standings and can hold their own at Old Trafford.
West Ham have lost only six times in the top flight this season and are currently enjoying a six-game unbeaten run in the league since their surprising 5-0 humbling by Fulham at the start of December.
Since that defeat to the Cottagers, West Ham have beaten United 2-0 at the London Stadium just before Christmas, and are now targeting a first league double over the Red Devils since the 2006-07 season.
A win might be a stretch for the Hammers but they have enough in their locker to avoid defeat and are worth backing in the double chance market, particularly with Ten Hag’s side having failed to win half of their 22 league games so far.
WEST HAM OR DRAW DOUBLE CHANCE
Chelsea vs Wolves
Chelsea were put in their place by leaders Liverpool in a 4-1 hammering at Anfield on Wednesday and there is not a lot of optimism around Stamford Bridge at the moment.
The Blues remain locked in mid-table obscurity in the league with 12 points separating them from the top five going into this weekend's round of matches.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men have at least booked their place in the final of the EFL Cup - where they will meet Liverpool once again - and have an FA Cup fourth-round replay with Aston Villa just over the horizon, although there is little left to achieve in the league this season.
And Sunday's opponents Wolves can definitely be troublesome opponents, having won the reverse fixture against Chelsea 2-1 at Molineux on Christmas Eve.
Wolves were beaten 4-3 on their own patch by Manchester United in dramatic fashion on Thursday, but that came on the back of a four-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League in which they had won three times and they can be a tough nut to crack.
Goals could therefore be the best angle to play in this game with both sides fresh from high-scoring fixtures and both teams to score looks likely.
Both teams have scored in 16 of Wolves's 22 league games this term as well as in three of their last five matches in all competitions, and the net could once again bulge at both ends.
Nicolas Jackson may also be back for Chelsea following the end of his involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations, while there could also be another appearance from Christopher Nkunku, increasing the chances of the Blues finding the net.
Bournemouth vs Forest
Andoni Iraola continues to do a terrific job at Bournemouth and the Cherries can help their cause by nudging Nottingham Forest closer to the drop zone with victory at the Vitality Stadium, giving themselves more breathing room in the process.
The Cherries could consider themselves unlucky to only draw 1-1 away at West Ham last time out but that game was preceded by a 5-0 hammering of Swansea in the FA Cup fourth round. They have lost only two of their last 12 games in all competitions, with those defeats coming at the hands of top-four sides Tottenham and Liverpool.
Bournemouth have lost just one of their last five games at home in all competitions - to Liverpool - having also beaten Newcastle and Fulham as part of that run.
It is no secret that Nottingham Forest are stronger on their own patch and they have lost seven of their 11 league games on the road this term, with only Sheffield United having lost more.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have not tasted victory in any of their last three games, losing both of their Premier League games in 2024 and drawing 0-0 at Bristol City in the FA Cup fourth round, having needed extra time after a replay to see off League One Blackpool in the the previous round.
Forest have failed to win any of the last seven games against Bournemouth, losing five, and should be taken on.
