BETMGM GOLDEN GOALS MD18: BACK VILLA TO DELIVER FESTIVE CHEER
The festive fixtures are one of the highlights of the Premier League season – and Matchday 18 has thrown up some vital clashes at both ends of the table.
Leaders Arsenal are now just two points clear at the top but have a chance to build on this when they take on Brighton at the Emirates.
Aston Villa are part of the chasing pack and very much in the race. If they can come through the test at Stamford Bridge then Villa fans might start believing it could be their year.
At the other end of the table Burnley desperately need three points and have a chance to do so as Everton visit Turf Moor, rejuvenated Leeds are at unbeaten-at-home Sunderland and West Ham host Fulham.
Running the Golden Goals anchor leg this week is Crystal Palace, who have lost their last two league games, as they welcome Tottenham to Selhurst Park.
Remember, successfully predicting the scorelines in these games could net you up to £250,000. The best part? Getting as few as two scores correct could mean one of several prizes heading your way, ranging from Free Bets to a share of £5,000 cash!
Click here for full Golden Goals information, including prize breakdown and terms.
Here’s how we see things playing out on Matchday 18…
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
It’s been a shaky few weeks for the league leaders with the gap at the top now down to two points and Manchester City and Aston Villa closing in.
And still, they topped the Premier League tree going into the Christmas period following the 1-0 win last weekend on Merseyside and will no doubt make it their new year’s resolution to stay there.
Mikel Arteta has clearly kept receipts this season, turning last year’s stumbles into positive strides by taking all three points from the likes of Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Everton… all sides that cost them in the previous campaign.
The next name on that list? Brighton.
The Seagulls frustrated Arsenal twice last season with a pair of 1-1 draws. That’s a result they’d happily bite your hand off for given their current form: winless in four with zero goals scored in the last two.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are unbeaten at the Emirates this season with seven wins and just one draw.
Up against his former club, the spotlight will once again fall on the Gunner’s number 14 and we expect him to deliver.
That’s why he also leads the line in our 15/8 Bet Builder: Arsenal to win, no to both teams to score and a Viktor Gyokeres shot on target.
Burnley 0-0 Everton
Burnley have managed just 11 points from 17 games and remain in 19th as the gap above the bottom three continues to drift even further out of reach.
Everton sit more comfortably in 10th but consistency has been hard to come by under David Moyes, which doesn’t look like it will improve anytime soon with key players missing through AFCON and injury.
No Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in particular – both joint top scorers with four apiece – leaves a noticeable hole in their attack.
Against Arsenal, they failed to score for the second game in a row and mustered just 0.20 xG at home. For context that’s less than the Wolves team they faced at the Emirates the week prior, who generated 0.38 xG.
Burnley are not without their attacking faults either, recording one of the lowest shot volumes in the league and having scored more goals away (12) than they have at home (seven).
We’re predicting no goals in this game but that’s not to say this won’t be an entertaining affair, as we fully expect both keepers to be very active throughout the 90 minutes as both sides look for a breakthrough. Martin Dubravka currently ranks second for saves per match, averaging 3.5, while Jordan Pickford boasts the third-highest record for goals prevented in the league.
This game won’t be pretty… unlike this 23/2 Bet Builder: a draw, under 0.5 goals and over 5.5 total keeper saves.
Tough, tense and goalless.
West Ham 2-2 Fulham
All of a sudden, the Hammers find themselves adrift near the bottom of the table.
They’ve had a tough run, but there’s no hiding from the fact that only in the 2002-03, 2006-07 and 2022-23 campaigns had they registered 10 defeats by this stage of the season.
There is still hope in that they stayed up in two of those three campaigns – 2006-07 and 2022-23 – but time is slipping away and this now feels like a must-win.
Slowly but surely, Marco Silva has his underperforming Fulham charges climbing the rankings.
At the beginning of the campaign, questions were being asked of the Cottagers and their top-flight credentials. Was this the year they’d be sucked back into a relegation battle?
They’ve started to answer some of those questions with a string of recent wins, including a hugely creditable victory on the road over Tottenham and an incredible fightback from 5-1 down to Manchester City to close the game out 5-4.
The last five meetings between these two have spawned 15 goals at an average of three goals per game, suggesting a high-scoring draw could be the play.
Harry Wilson has been in incredible form, too. His performance against Burnley last weekend saw him grab two assists and a goal.
As such, we like the look of him to get in the game again here and he features in our 16/1 Bet Builder of over 1.5 Fulham goals, Wilson to score or assist and the game to end in a draw.
Chelsea 1-2 Aston Villa
Aston Villa are flying. Sunday’s 2-1 win over Manchester United was their seventh in a row in the Premier League. The Villans are third and have cemented their place in the title race.
They sit seven points clear of Chelsea ahead of this one, with the stuttering Blues winning just one of their last five league games.
Last week’s game at Newcastle summed them up. Brilliant after half-time… but already 2-0 down after such a slow start. Inconsistency continues to be an issue.
Villa are benefiting from an inspired Morgan Rogers.
The England international has hit seven league goals and four in his last two, including a stunning opener in the win over United. We’re looking at the tasty 5/1 for Rogers to score anytime here and Villa to win or draw.
They’ve only lost one of their last three trips to the Bridge and have kept three clean sheets in the process.
It will be a tough one but, if they can nick it, and we think they can, then the pressure is well and truly on the top two with Arsenal up next for Unai Emery’s men.
Sunderland 1-1 Leeds
The Black Cats continue their surprising march up the league after an impressive 0-0 draw away to Brighton last weekend.
However, there are concerns about a recent lack of goals.
They have managed just two in their previous four matches. The recent dry spell is further compounded by the mass exodus of their playing squad to the AFCON. Key players like Bertrand Traore and Noah Sadiki are among six missing.
For Leeds, there has been a seismic shift in optimism driven by recent results, with eight points coming from an available 12.
Part of that mood shift can be attributed to the goal-scoring exploits of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The former Everton target man has six goals in his last five appearances, including a spectacular double in the 4-1 demolition of Crystal Palace last weekend.
Given the low-scoring propensity of the hosts and the form of their opponents, we’re calling this a low-scoring draw.
There is an attractive price of 19/1 for the match to end in a draw, Calvert-Lewin to score anytime and to register over 1.5 shots on target, covering the 1-1, 2-2, 3-3 and 4-4 eventualities in case the hosts find their shooting boots.
Crystal Palace 2-1 Tottenham
Crystal Palace had won their last two on the road before a humbling at Leeds, as they deal with a packed fixture list in three competitions.
Spurs, meanwhile, are struggling.
Defeat at home to Liverpool last week was their fifth already at home and, while they have fared better on their travels, they haven’t won an away game in the Premier League since October and overall have just two victories in their last 10.
Being reduced to nine men against the Reds indicated a lack of discipline and 14th in the league at Christmas won’t be deemed good enough for a side that was supposed to kick on in the Premier League this year.
They have also lost their last two against the Eagles. Palace have lost just two games at Selhurst Park this season and, while they have been in their last two home games, they can bounce back here.
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the winner here last season and, despite having only one goal in his last seven, can be the difference in this one.
The Frenchman has seven in the league and has had 23 shots on target in his 17 Premier League matches.
Five of his goals have been at home, too, so 19/4 for him to score, Palace to win and both teams to score carries considerable appeal.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change. Please note: This week's Golden Goals deadline is Saturday 27th December 15:00. Opt-in is required and you can find out more here.
Golden Goals Terms & Conditions
Opt in & predict 6 correct scores (see game lobby for weekly tournament cut-off time) to win up to £250k jackpot. Predict 2+ correct scores and win a prize (ranging from Free Bets to £5k Prizepool). Winnings shared evenly in case of multiple winners. Each prize subject to its own terms. Void if 1 or more matches postponed/abandoned or not completed. Verification procedures apply. 18+. T&Cs and exclusions apply.
