Premier League: Midweek Previews and Betting Tips

by , 4 January 2023

Premier League: Midweek previews and betting tips. The FA Cup takes centre stage at the weekend, meaning there are midweek league games. There are some crucial games at the foot of the table, with Southampton taking on Nottingham Forest and West Ham travelling to Leeds. At the top of the table, Manchester City hopes to pile the pressure on Arsenal in their game against Chelsea. Join us as we preview the games.

A footballer with the Premier League logo

Despite it being January, the World Cup break means we are not quite at the halfway stage of the Premier League. That means teams still have time time to improve their league position. However, with the FA Cup taking place at the weekend, there is a distinct possibility that clubs may make managerial changes if results don’t go their way.

So join us as we preview Wednesday’s crucial games and Thursday’s exciting clash between Chelsea and Manchester City.

Southampton v Nottingham Forest

Southampton is in danger of relegation and is in terrible form, winless in the last six games (one draw, five consecutive defeats).

The Saints endured another run of four defeats running from September to October. The poor run sees them sit bottom of the Premier League table as they face Nottingham Forest, who have been tenants of this position for a better chunk of the season.

Manager Nathan Jones has to work not only on his team conceding goals but scoring own goals as they have done against their last three opponents.

Playing at St. Mary’s Stadium would not necessarily inspire them as they have won once, drawn three, and lost four this season which collectively marked their worst performance in a calendar year since 1998. However, James Ward-Prowse has been actively involved in games scoring twice, providing one assist, scoring an own goal, and missing a penalty in the last three defeats.

Nottingham Forest could climb out of the red zone for the first time since matchday five if they win.

They are, however, the worst-performing travelling side in the division, yet to win on the road (two draws, six defeats). The Foresters have scored just one goal and conceded an average of 2.75 goals per game. Nevertheless, Steve Cooper will marshal a motivated side that started the year with a hard-fought 1 – 1 draw against Chelsea.

Forest won 2 – 1 in the last away game against Southampton and has a good record against them, winning five, drawing three and losing just twice. Situated at position eighteen in the table, Cooper’s men have not scored in the last six away games since Brennan Johnson scored the opening goal against Everton in August 2022.

Even though we are not at the halfway stage just yet, this game is a relegation six-pointer. Therefore it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a draw here, with a 1-1 scoreline looking appealing.

Southampton v Nottingham Forest betting odds – Southampton 11/10, draw 12/5 and Nottingham Forest 5/2. A Bet Boost worth considering at bet365 is Che Adams to score at any time, Southampton to win and both teams to score at 17/2.

Leeds United v West Ham United

Leeds United and West Ham are two sides battling at the wrong end of the table despite delivering exceptional performances in some of their games this season.

Jesse Marsh’s side drew 0 – 0, taking a precious point from the high-flying Newcastle United, who sit third in the Premier League table. The American manager has been vocal about the need for finances to boost the squad despite their October 2 – 1 win away against Liverpool.

The Whites have earned eleven points at home this season, all coming against sides that were eighth or lower (three wins, two draws). Rodrigo is their leading man in front of goal, scoring before halftime in all their four wins this season.

West Ham is perilously close to the red zone, level on points with eighteenth-placed Nottingham Forest and just two points behind the bottom of the league club, Southampton. The London side has won the last two consecutive games at Elland Road, with the away side taking all three points in this fixture last season.

However, David Moyes has worries about his job after succumbing to a fifth consecutive defeat losing 2 – 0 to Brentford in the previous match. That said, they have survived two slow starts in recent seasons; in the 2013/14 season and the 2017/18 season, they earned only fourteen points from the first seventeen games. Moreover, they failed to win against their peers at the bottom of the table, drawing 1 – 1 against Southampton and losing 1 – 0 against Everton and Nottingham Forest.

Said Benrahma has scored the first goal in two of their last four Premier League outings and is likely to be pivotal in inspiring his side if they are to claim victory.

With so much at stake, a draw is possible, but with home advantage and in better form, we fancy Leeds to nick this one. A 2-1 scoreline is our prediction.

Leeds United v West Ham United betting odds – Leeds 8/5, draw 5/2 and West Ham 13/8. A Bet Boost worth considering is Jarrod Bowen to score at any time, West Ham to win, and both teams to score at 17/2.

Aston Villa v Wolves

Aston Villa produced one of the most exceptional performances over the weekend to beat Tottenham Hotspur 2 – 0 on the road.

Unai Emery is enjoying an impressive managerial bounce winning three and losing just one in his first four games as Villa manager. The run has seen them stride away from the relegation scramble, with a win here sending them to the top half of the table. Emery has a personal battle, having failed to beat Wolves in three games (two draws, one defeat) while at Arsenal and has one win, two draws and two losses against Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui.

Leon Bailey scored the opening goal within ten minutes in Villa’s last two home wins and will hope to inspire his side to victory. Douglas Luis scored and played a critical part in the other goal but limped off in the final minutes. The Brazilian has become supreme in how the team plays, and his availability could motivate them to achieve a good result.

Wolves’ misfortunes have persisted relatively worse for a side that has been brilliant since their promotion has been at the forefront for a Europe League place but are now profoundly entrenched in the survival struggle.

They sit second to bottom in the Premier League table, but a win at Villa Park will spring them out of the danger zone. The biggest worry for Wolves is their lack of goals as the lowest scorers in league with just ten goals despite heavily investing in attackers. Diego Costa seems washed out, while Raul Jiménez has never recovered from the head injury; now the pressure is on Matheus Cunha to inspire the attack.

However, they have been great on the road, winning 2 – 1 against Everton and drawing 1 – 1 against Brentford and will be delighted to play away. Ruben Neves has taken points in ten of his eleven goal-scoring appearances (winning seven, drawing three, losing one) and will hope the Portuguese international will inspire his side to victory.

We feel the Unai Emery resurgence will continue, with Villa winning this one 3-1.

Aston Villa v Wolves betting odds – Aston Villa 10/11, draw 5/2 and Wolves to win 16/5. A Bet Boost worth considering is Ollie Watkins to score at any time, Aston Villa to win, and both teams to score at 9/1.

Crystal Palace v Tottenham

Crystal Palace is unbeaten against Tottenham in the last four games (two wins and two draws) at Selhurst Park, including a 3 – 0 win in the previous head-to-head match.

They won 2 – 0 against Bournemouth, recovering from a 3 – 0 thumping by Fulham to creep closer to the top half in their seventh straight League game without a draw (four wins, three defeats). Playing at home has a good feeling for Patrick Viera’s side, as four of their six wins this campaign have been at Selhurst Park.

Eberechi Eze is having an outstanding season and is the Eagles’ best attacker at home, scoring three goals in their last five Premier League wins. The home team will be hoping to score early as they have won the three competitive fixtures when they score before the break and have lost four when they fail to score early.

Tottenham is walking on thin ice, delivering inconsistent results and under-par performances compared to the level we have been accustomed to.

They were booed off the pitch after a frustrating 2 – 0 defeat at home against Aston Villa that saw them hand Manchester United the fourth position. The defeat comes after a 2 – 2 draw against Brentford, meaning they failed to conquer midtable teams and conceded twice in the previous two games.

Antonio Conte has to work on how his side starts the game as they seem to gather strength as the game progresses, as they have not had a halftime lead in eight consecutive games. However, Spurs have a delicious side on paper, especially in the attack led by Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, lethal enough to provide an attacking spark. In addition, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is making a name for himself in the star-studded team as the only player to score in multiple away games this season.

The Tottenham manager has been critical of the quality he has at his disposal, and this negativity could well affect his current crop of players. Therefore we predict a 2-1 win for Palace.

Crystal Palace v Tottenham betting odds – Crystal Palace 13/5, draw 5/2 and Tottenham to win 21/20. If you disagree with our prediction, a Bet Boost worth considering is Harry Kane scoring any time, Tottenham winning, and over two goals in the game at 9/2.

Chelsea v Manchester City

Graham Potter welcomes the defending Champions in the first of two encounters as they are set to travel to the Etihad for an FA Cup contest.

The Blues failed to follow up from a 2 – 0 win against Bournemouth to draw with relegation-battling side Nottingham Forest 1 – 1, moving them to tenth place. They now sit ten points from fourth, and nineteen separating them from the top, with the tenth position being the lowest they have achieved after sixteen games since 2015-16 (sixteenth) when they finished tenth.

After winning the first three games, pressure is mounting on Potter, who has won just one in seven (drawing three and losing three). However, a good performance against Man City could relieve the pressure and prompt the owner to add more signings. Raheem Sterling scored against Forest in the previous game, with all his Chelsea goals being the opening goal for his side.

Manchester City has been stunned by high-flying Arsenal, who lead the Premier League table.

The defending champions are eight points adrift of the leaders; therefore, they cannot afford another setback when travelling to Stamford Bridge. Pep Guardiola has a good record of seven wins and just one defeat against Potter and will be hoping his side will recover from the 1 – 1 draw against Everton over the weekend. Furthermore, in the past twenty-five games, they have suffered just one loss on this trip (eighteen wins, six draws).

Kevin De Bruyne has five goal contributions (four goals, one assist) in the last five games against the Blues. The main issue for the Citizens is Guardiola’s rotation which saw Joao Cancelo and Phil Foden benched since their return after the World Cup. Nevertheless, we expect the two impressive players to jump straight into the team to inspire a title chase and keep the pressure on Arsenal at the top.

We predict the defending champions will beat Chelsea 2-1.

Chelsea v Manchester City betting odds – Chelsea 17/4, draw 16/5 and Manchester City to win 8/13. A Bet Boost worth considering is Erling Haaland scoring at any time, Manchester City winning, and both teams scoring at 4/1.

If you plan on betting on any game, don’t forget we review all the best UK betting sites. Many operators offer generous special offers for new customers that can boost your bankroll in your quest to beat the bookies!

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