'The Game Plan' - Matchday 17 Preview

A Full Feast of Football Festive Fixtures

12.30pm Newcastle v Chelsea
After last weekend’s Tyne–Wear derby defeat away to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, Newcastle United return to St James’ Park to host Chelsea in a fixture that has brought them success over the past two seasons, winning both home meetings 2–0.
Newcastle have also found the net twice in each of their last five home games, so supporters will be expecting both a response to Sunday’s disappointment and goals in front of the Gallowgate End. However, they face a Chelsea side arriving in strong away form, having won three of their last four matches on the road and keeping five clean sheets in their last seven outings.
All of this points towards a fascinating clash of styles; either a tight, tactical chess match or an entertaining goal-laden encounter.
Eddie Howe’s side remain defensively stretched as they are without full-backs Kieran Trippier and Emil Krafth and will once again be forced into changes at the back following confirmation that Dan Burn will miss the remainder of the year. The defender suffered a broken rib and punctured lung after a 50/50 challenge with Nordi Mukiele in last week’s derby defeat.
Chelsea, meanwhile, will be hopeful that Cole Palmer is fit enough to start for the second time in eight days. The midfielder only returned to first-team action last week after being sidelined since October, and his availability will be much needed now that 18 year old Brazilian attacker Estavo is side lined awaiting test results having picked up a slight muscle injury mid week

News conference highlights: Newcastle manager Eddie Howe's thoughts on opponents Chelsea, "They are progressing and continuing to get better. They have a very good manager, style of play and team, so we are going to have to be very good. They will pose us some problems if our defensive work isn't of the highest level."

News conference highlights: Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca laminates his commitment to Chelsea amid tabloid reports of various clubs wanting his services, "I have a contract until 2029. [Reports are] speculation, 100%. I have nothing to add. I don't pay attention. If we continue to talk, it means I'm paying attention. I'm just focused on the Newcastle game, my job. I signed a contract last year until 2029 and I'm happy with that."

Predicted team line ups: Newcastle - Ramsdale; Miley, Schar, Thiaw, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Elanga, Woltemade, Gordon

Predicted team line ups: Chelsea - Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Pedro.

Predicted score: 2 - 2

3pm - Bournemouth v Burnley
Bournemouth welcome Burnley to the Vitality Stadium with both sides desperate for a long-awaited victory to provide their supporters with some festive cheer after a bleak December.
The Cherries are without a win in seven matches and were very unfortunate to leave Old Trafford with just a point last time out despite scoring four goals. Andoni Iraola will be hoping his side have not expended all of their attacking ammunition ahead of this clash with fellow strugglers Burnley.
The visitors arrive in even more concerning form than their hosts, having lost their last seven matches in succession. Burnley’s defensive frailties have been a major factor in their struggles, with Scott Parker's side conceding a league high 33 goals in just 16 Premier League games this season.
Bournemouth’s in-form attack will be relishing the opportunity to face the division’s leakiest defence, knowing that three points could lift them as high as ninth in the table. For Burnley, a much needed victory would still leave them second from bottom in the relegation zone, with the Clarets currently sitting six points adrift of safety, but it would at least offer a vital boost of belief heading into the new year.

News conference highlights: Bournemouth manager ...

News conference highlights: Burnley manager Scott Parker Scott Parker spoke on his position as a coach - "Of course I am feeling the pressure for my role. I have felt it when I have sat in this seat or walked out onto the pitch. No-one will put more pressure on me than I put on myself. I am a winner and I am fighter."

Predicted team line ups: Burnley - Burnley: Dúbravka, Walker, Estève, Ekdal, Hartman, Luís, Ugochukwu, Cullen, Anthony, Flemming, Larsen

Predicted team line ups: Bournemouth - Petrovic, Smith, Senesi, Diakité, Truffert, Tavernier, Scott, Semenyo, Kluivert, Jiménez, Evanilson

Predicted score: 1 - 2

3pm - Brighton and Hove Albion v Sunderland
Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Sunderland to the Amex Stadium for the first time ever in the Premier League, as the two sides meet in a mid-table clash with potential European ambitions in mind.
Brighton, winless throughout December, appear to have lost momentum after a fruitful November in which they collected 10 points from a possible 12. Injuries to key players such as Solly March, Kaoru Mitoma and Stefanis Tzimas, coupled with recent suspensions for Lewis Dunk and others, have played a significant role in their recent struggles and disrupted Fabian Hurzeler sides rhythm.
Sunderland, meanwhile, arrive on the south coast full of confidence following a resounding victory over fierce rivals Newcastle. The newly promoted side currently sit 8th in the table, knowing that a win could propel them into the top four. Given their impressive performances this season earning hard-fought draws against Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa, as well as a memorable victory over Chelsea — they would not look out of place among the league’s elite.
However, the next six weeks could prove a stern test of Sunderland’s squad depth. Six of their summer signings; Noah Sadiki and Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo), Reinildo Mandava (Mozambique), Bertrand Traoré (Burkina Faso), Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), and Habib Diarra (Senegal) have all been selected to represent their respective nations at the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins on December 21st. Their absence could significantly shape Sunderland’s fortunes during a crucial period of the season

News conference highlights: Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris on his emotions after Tyre side derby the win - "We felt the energy of the stadium. It was really impressive. It was shared - you just have to enjoy it. It's a really short period."

News conference highlights: Brighton manager Fabian Hurzelerbbr on the importance of having a big squad with captain Chris Dunk suspended for this clash - "He (Dunk) will be a big miss but we all know and emphasise week for week that we have a strong squad and have players that can replace him."

Predicted team line ups: Brighton - Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu; Hinshelwood, Ayari; Minteh, Rutter, De Cuyper; Welbeck

Predicted team line ups: Sunderland - Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Mandava; Mundle, Xhaka; Poveda, Le Fée, Ba; Brobbey

Predicted score: 3 - 0

3pm - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brentford
Wolverhampton Wanderers remain the only side across England’s top four divisions yet to record a league victory this season and are currently on a grim run of nine consecutive defeats and without a win in their last 20 league matches.
They welcome a Brentford side also struggling for form, with the Bees winless in seven and beaten in each of their last four away outings, conceding exactly two goals in every one of those defeats.
Despite Brentford’s downturn, much of the attacking focus will fall on in-form striker Igor Thiago. The Brazilian sits second in this season’s goalscoring charts with 11 goals and may see this as the ideal opportunity to reignite his scoring touch, having failed to find the net in his last three appearances.
Wolves’ extremly fagile defence that has conceded 35 goals in just 16 league games will be further exposed by the absence of central defender Yerson Mosquera, who is suspended after accumulating five yellow cards.
At the other end of the pitch, Wolves’ problems are just as stark. They are the league’s lowest scorers with only nine goals all season, shared among eight different players, alongside one own goal — a statistic that underlines their lack of a consistent attacking threat

News conference highlights: Wolves manager Rob Edwards on how his team can get the most from home fans -"Supporters haven't seen the team win in such a long time. It's down to us. We've got to show some belief, some intensity. I know then that supporters will come with us."

News conference highlights: Keith Andrews said he will not underestimate Wolves' ability -"It's going to be a really difficult game. I watched a lot of them this morning and have a decent understanding of how they play, with more detail around exactly what they do. They have a lot of pride in what they're trying to do. I'm anticipating a really tough game, one we have to be ready for."

Predicted team line ups: Wolves - Johnstone; Krejci, Agbadou, Toti; Tchatchoua, Gomes, Andre, Wolfe; Lopez; Arokodare, Strand Larsen

Predicted team line ups: Brentford - Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Hickey; Henderson, Yarmoliuk; Schade, Damsgaard, Lewis-Potter; Thiago

Predicted score: 1 - 3

Manchester city v West ham
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, currently on a six-match winning run, could sit top of the league at Christmas for the first time since 2021/22 with victory over West Ham, coupled with Arsenal failing to take all three points against Everton later in the evening.
After a sluggish start to the campaign and criticism over an apparent over-reliance on talisman Erling Haaland, City’s supporting cast have begun to hit their stride. Several players have stepped up with crucial goals and assists, most notably Phil Foden with seven goals, Cherki with six assists, and Jérémy Doku, who has provided four. At the other end of the pitch, recently crowned Best Men's Goalkeeper Award from FIFA 2025, Gianluigi Donnarumma has been outstanding, producing countless saves and registering six clean sheets.
West Ham, by contrast, find themselves languishing in 18th place. Following a difficult 2025, the Hammers are now under their third manager of the year, Nuno Espírito Santo, and will spend Christmas in the relegation zone if they fail to secure a win. Since back-to-back victories in early November against Newcastle and Burnley, West Ham have endured a five-game winless run, and a trip to the Etihad Stadium is among the toughest assignments they could face.
History offers little encouragement for the visitors as they have lost 15 of their last 16 away matches against Manchester City, with their last victory (1-2) at the Etihad coming back in 2015 under Slaven Bilić

News conference highlights: Manchester city manager Pep Guardiola was rather blunt when responding to a question about his teams chances of winning the league this season - "We are not at the level required to win the title."

News conference highlights - West Ham manager Nuno Santos reflects on his teams inability to hold in to leads in recent games and gain three points from positive performances - "We were punished by details and mistakes and it's up to us to correct those. We're in a difficult position and have to sustain our performance throughout all the game. We need to work on removing these oscillations from the games and Saturday is another opportunity to do that."

Predicted team line ups: Manchester city - Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Gonzalez; Bernardo, Reijnders, Cherki, Foden; Haaland

Predicted team line ups: West ham - Areola; Mavropanos, Kilman, Todibo; Walker-Peters, Potts, Magassa, Scarles; Fernandes, Paquetá; Bowen

Predicted score: 3 - 0

3pm - Liverpool v Tottenham
Liverpool v Tottenham is the highest-scoring fixture in Premier League history, with 206 goals across their meetings, but whether this contest lives up to that billing remains to be seen. On current form, it possibly will not.
Both clubs — and their managers — are widely viewed as underperforming and are feeling growing pressure from sections of their respective fan bases. At this stage last season, and the one before, Liverpool had dropped just nine points from their opening 16 matches. This campaign, they have more than doubled that total, with 24 points already surrendered.
Defensively, Liverpool have been unrecognisable, often sloppy and disjointed, while new manager Arne Slot has yet to extract the best from his summer signings. He has also struggled to strike the right balance in attack, with only £79 million signing Hugo Ekitiké offering anything close to a respectable return on investment.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are under new leadership in Thomas Frank — a coach renowned for compact defensive structures and sharp offensive transitions — yet Spurs have failed to establish a clear identity. Performances have often been dull and erratic, leaving supporters frustrated and confused. At home, they have managed just one win from seven league games, and after winning three of their first four away fixtures, they have not tasted victory on the road since a 3–0 win at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Long-term injuries to key attacking players such as James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Roberto Solanke have undoubtedly hindered Frank’s attempts to impose his style and assert control in matches.

News conference highlights: Liverpool manager Arne Slot on the trajectory of his team - "Now, I see players progressing in terms of their fitness, and as a result of that, their performances.,, We are getting closer and closer to the team I want us to be."

News conference highlights: Despite unrest amongst home supporters Thomas Frank states he feel supported from those above him -"I feel supported. I have felt that the whole time. My mind has not changed. We are building. I've said it many times, I am most critical of myself, but we have a lot of people that need to perform. I'm very comfortable and confident that I will fix it, but it is not just me. When this club comes out on top, there will be many good people working together and aligned for years."

Predicted team line ups: Liverpool - Alisson, Bradley, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Curtis Jones; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz; Ekitike

Predicted team line ups: Totttenham - Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kudus, Simons, Odobert; Richarlison

Predicted score: 1 - 1

8pm - Arsenal v Everton
Under night heads lights The Hill Dickenson Stadium will host its first encounter between Everton and Arsenal. A fixture that has provided great entertainment over the years at Arsenal's Highbury and Emirates stadiums plus Everton's former home, Goodison Park. In fact Everton have only lost one their last 8 home games against Arsenal and will be hoping that home form continues.
If Arsenal win they will top the league for the third time in the past 4 seasons although on each of the previous occasions we're unable to lift the Premier league trophy at the end of the season in May finishing runners up on both occasions.
Everton's recent rise up the league has been down to their ability to keep clean sheets under manager Moyes' leadership and also their dynamic attacking trio of Ilmin Ndiaya, Kiernan Dewsbury Hall and Jack Grealish who have contributed with a total of 10 goals and 8 assists and so far this term. Unfortunately for Everton they are likely to be without their forwards for this clash as Ndiaya hs travelled to the AFCON to represent Senegal, Dewsbury-Hall who suffered a hamstring injury in recent deafeat against Chelsea and Jack Grealish also picked up a knock.

On the other hand Arsenal are still blighted with injures to their back line and will be missing right back Ben White and centre backs Gabriel and Mosquera but welcome back attackers Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus. Trossard could prove to be the difference in this game having scored both of Arsenal's away goals against Everton in the last two seasons

News conference highlights: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expresses his admiration for his former manager David Moyes - "Gratitude and admiration. He taught me the love that goes for the game and then the integrity that the game requires. I think he's a remarkable man. The way he manages the club, the people, his players. He's outstanding and I'm very grateful for everything that he did for me and for Everton as well."

News conference highlights: Everton manager David Moyes remains realistic about the the ups and down of a Premier league season - "Every win gives you that feeling you have a chance to make Europe. Every defeat makes you think, 'hey, let's just behave ourselves a little bit and think a bit clearer'. That's just the way the Premier League is this season."

Predicted team line ups: Arsenal - Raya; Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Calafiori, Odegard, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard

Predicted team line ups: Everton - Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Iroegbunam, Garner, McNeil, Alcaraz, Dibling, Barry

Predicted score: 0 - 2