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BETMGM GOLDEN GOALS MD23: UPSET AT THE EMIRATES?

One of the Premier League’s classic rivalries headlines Golden Goals Matchday 23.

Arsenal vs Manchester United, a match so often a title-decider, sees the Red Devils travel to the Emirates looking for back-to-back wins after last weekend’s dominating victory over Manchester City – and they would be doing the Citizens a favour in the process.

Pep Guardiola’s men are at home to relegation-bound Wolves and can close the gap at the top should Arsenal slip up.

Aston Villa are level on points with City but face a tricky trip to Newcastle, while fourth-placed Liverpool head to the south coast to face Bournemouth.

Elsewhere, struggling West Ham host Sunderland at the London Stadium on Saturday lunchtime and fellow relegation candidates Burnley welcome Tottenham to Turf Moor.

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!

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Here’s how we see things playing out on Matchday 23 (which, please note, has a 12.30pm deadline)…

West Ham 0-1 Sunderland

Dramatic late winners in N17 aside, there is still plenty to be fearful of if you’re Nuno Espirito Santo and West Ham.

Five points below 17th and without a home win in the league since November is far from ideal when welcoming a Sunderland side absolutely beaming with confidence – and who could blame them?

The Wearsiders continue to defy expectations up against some of the most established teams in the league and go into the weekend just one point behind the top six with safety all but assured.

It will perhaps be guaranteed with a win over the same team they beat 3-0 on the opening day of the season.

If anyone is to unlock the door it’s Enzo Le Fee, who has scored in back-to-back games in all competitions while top of the shop for goals and assists in red and white with seven – one more than the talismanic Granit Xhaka.

Alphonse Areola (4.1) and Robin Roefs (3.4) currently sit in first and second for most saves per 90 with both expected to have a somewhat busy afternoon at London Stadium.

A Sunderland win and Le Fee to score or assist will pay out at a commendable 21/4 but add the match to feature more than five saves and you’re looking at a 19/2 Bet Builder worth shouting about.

Burnley 1-1 Tottenham

Competing well in a major European competition only to linger in the bottom half of the Premier League table; history is well and truly repeating itself at Tottenham, but for how much longer?

Next up is a trip to Turf Moor against a Burnley side showing signs of improvement, losing just two of their last six in the league and taking points off both Manchester United and Liverpool.

Chance creation continues to be an issue for the Lilywhites, whose 1.28 xG per 90 puts them 14th in the xG table, a stone’s throw from rock-bottom Burnley’s pitiful 1.03 xG per 90.

It’s no wonder Spurs started taking notes from their north London neighbours, scoring 11 goals from set pieces – joint-fourth best in the league with Newcastle.

Corners should be a given here considering there were 26 in the last game alone; 11 in the reverse fixture that saw the Europa League champions cruise to a 3-0 win courtesy of Richarlison (now injured) and Brennan Johnson (now a Crystal Palace player).

We’re offering 14/1 for a draw, over 10.5 corners and Tottenham to score first if you fancy it. Spurs may have scored first in two of their last three league games but Scott Parker’s men were also a goal down in their last two against other members of the big six and look at how that played out.

Manchester City 4-1 Wolves

Manchester City have slipped seven points behind leaders Arsenal following last week’s Manchester Derby defeat and cannot afford any more slip-ups in their pursuit of the title.

Fortunately for them, they face bottom-of-the-table Wolves here.

Without an away win all season, the Old Gold have gone four unbeaten but their meagre eight points see them a long, long way from safety.

They have scored just five goals and picked up three points on the road so far and fans will be fearing a repeat of the opening day 4-0 reverse to City at Molineux… or worse.

Nonetheless, Erling Haaland is a name that will strike fear into Wolves. The Norwegian has scored 10 goals, including two hat-tricks, against them and grabbed two in that 4-0 win in August.

It’s an entirely plausible 11/2 for Haaland to score two or more and both teams to score in this one.

For all their struggles, Wolves have scored in narrow defeats at Arsenal and Liverpool this season, and have found the net in four of their last five games.

City, meanwhile, have just one clean sheet in their last five so, while it will be a comfortable home win, we don’t see a clean sheet in Gianluigi Donnarumma’s immediate future.

Wolves have certainly turned a corner, albeit a corner that needed turning several miles back down the road. They are playing for pride and to avoid unwanted records – but that won’t do them much good here.

With 11 defeats in 12 against the Citizens, Rob Edwards will be glad to see the back of them for the season.

Bournemouth 1-2 Liverpool

Don’t let Bournemouth’s recent flirtation with drop zone form fool you; the Vitality remains a tricky place to visit.

The Cherries are a robust mid-table side on their own patch, with 19 of their 27 Premier League points coming at home.

Their last outing here was a thrilling 3-2 victory over Spurs while only league leaders Arsenal and a then-in-form Everton have made them taste defeat on the south coast this league season.

However they now face a Liverpool team on a six-game winning streak against them, a run in which all but one fixture has seen an over 2.5 goals selection land.

And remember, despite a perception of poor form, the Reds are unbeaten in their last 11 domestic matches and their last five on the road.

A midweek trip to Marseille is balanced by Bournemouth's own Monday evening clash at Brighton, levelling the fatigue factor somewhat.

With Liverpool taking the second-most shots per 90 in the league at 15.5, Bournemouth keeper Dorde Petrovic – who averages four saves per game against the top four, including a gargantuan six against the Reds in the reverse fixture – is set to be busy.

Backing a Liverpool win, over 2.5 goals and over 2.5 Petrovic saves makes for a sensible punt at 11/4.

Keep an eye out also for the potential Premier League return of Mohamed Salah, who boasts 12 goals in 12 league games against the Cherries. Adding him to score anytime to our Bet Builder propels those odds up to 11/2.

Newcastle 2-2 Aston Villa

Despite a recent dip in form, including a loss to Everton and a draw, Aston Villa find themselves in third and level on points with Manchester City after 22 games.

Unai Emery's side need a positive result as they travel to Newcastle for a fixture that has not been kind to them in recent years, having lost their last four visits while conceding 13 goals.

However, this season feels different. A recent home loss to Everton was a setback but it followed an impressive 11-game winning streak at home in all competitions.

With only three Premier League defeats since August, their recent below-par performance can be seen as a one-off and they are very capable of bouncing back and securing a result here.

Newcastle's strong home record, with no losses since September, is being tested by defensive injuries as Fabian Schar, Tino Livramento, Dan Burn and Emil Krafth are all out.

Recent performances have been less than convincing, including an uninspired 0-0 draw at Wolves and narrow victories against Leeds and Bournemouth.

Offensively, there's been a heavy reliance on the in-form Harvey Barnes and Bruno Guimaraes, especially with Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa struggling to find the net.

Barnes has been a real threat for Newcastle, scoring five league goals so far, as well as having seven shots on target in his last four games.

We’re taking the winger to have another effort on target here – but our 15/1 Bet Builder isn’t in favour of the Magpies.

Ollie Watkins scored both in Villa’s last away win, at Chelsea, while five of his seven Premier League goals have come on the road. The England striker to score, Villa to grab a draw and Barnes to have a shot on target is our pick here.

Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United

The path to the title looks clear for the Gunners. They are seven points ahead of their closest rivals, undefeated in 12 games in all competitions and have scored 10 goals across their last four while conceding just four in that run.

The 3-1 win over Inter in the Champions League on Wednesday was Arsenal’s fourth consecutive game on the road.

They now head back to the Emirates looking to maintain and bolster an impressive recent home league record against Manchester United.

They have won their last four league encounters against the 13-time Premier League champions at the Emirates and are starting to look like they have some real options in the frontline, with the return from injury of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

Even Viktor Gyokores is starting to find the net regularly; the Swedish frontman has two goals in his last three games.

Team of the Week MD22

However, they are facing a reinvigorated United outfit here. Two of their best players, Amad Diallo and top scorer Bryan Mbeumo, are back from the Africa Cup Of Nations, with each putting in impressive displays against Manchester City last weekend.

It was a one-sided affair and Arsenal’s chief title rivals were lucky to not lose by more. We expect Arsenal to boss possession but a new-look United that thrives on the counter-attack could provide a shock result.

With fast breaks likely to be the order of the day for the Red Devils, we like Mbeumo to score anytime in the game and Bruno Fernandes to assist anytime in the game at odds of 13/1.

It’s how the opening goal came about in the derby on Saturday. It can happen again here.

MD23 Picks

Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change. Please note: This week's Golden Goals deadline is Saturday 24th January 2026 12:30. Opt-in is required and you can find out more here.

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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.

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