Coronavirus fears has forced this weekend’s Premier League games behind closed doors but there is still a full fixture list scheduled to go ahead.

The Merseyside Derby on Monday is the highlight of Matchday 30.

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Plenty to discuss after last weekend’s English top-flight action. Liverpool finally lost a Premier League game after going 44 games unbeaten. Surprisingly it was relegation candidates Watford who put Jurgen Klopp’s side to the sword with Ismaila Sarr bagging two as The Hornets won 3-0.

Elsewhere, Manchester City picked up the first domestic trophy of the season beating Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup Final. At the foot of the table, Watford and Aston Villa’s relegation rivals Norwich and West Ham picked up wins. The final nine weeks of the season will be very interesting at the bottom of the table as teams battle for survival.

This week’s big game sees Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United face Manchester City at Old Trafford.

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Just seven points separates Burnley in 10th and Chelsea in 4th as the race for 4th place heads into the final stretch. Chelsea (44 points) and Manchester United (41 points) lead the way in 4th and 5th respectively. They’re both in action away from home this weekend.

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The Premier League is back this week with a full round of fixtures after the winter break. It has been an eventful week off the pitch for the top teams in the league – Manchester City have been given a two-year ban from European football while Liverpool suffered a blow to their Champions League defence with a 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid.

The Reds’ 1-0 win over Norwich last weekend stretched their lead to 25 points at the top of the table. They play West Ham on Monday night.

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We’re hoping for a slightly more entertaining weekend of Premier League fixtures this weekend after last weekend delivered three forgettable games and postponed match in rainy Manchester.

League leaders Liverpool are back in action this weekend and they can stretch their lead to 25 points at the top of the table. The race for the European places is heating up too – Wolves face Leicester and Manchester United play Chelsea in two of the standout fixtures this weekend.

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The introduction of the Premier League’s very own winter break has caused plenty of controversy this week. The mid-season break began for 12 teams with the other eight in action this weekend.

League leaders Liverpool’s absence was most newsworthy with Neil Critchley and the U-23s taking the field for their FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury on Tuesday night.

That means is that we have slim pickings for this weekend’s bets. The relegation six-pointer between Watford and Brighton is the highlight.

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Leicester City v Chelsea, 7:30AM Saturday 1^st February

It’s third against fourth on Saturday lunchtime in the Premier League as Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City host Frank Lampard’s Chelsea.

Rodgers will be hoping his side bounce back from their midweek Carabao Cup semi-final exit to Aston Villa, while Lampard’s team have won just one of their last three games – and that was at Hull City in the FA Cup.

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With the FA Cup 4th Round taking center stage at the weekend, Premier League soccer has a full slate of games in for midweek.

That round of fixtures began on Tuesday night with Arsenal coming back to tie 2-2 with Chelsea and Newcastle performing a miraculous comeback against Everton. Elsewhere, Manchester City picked up another win while Southampton kept their good run going with a win over Crystal Palace.

Four games take place over the next two nights with Wolves vs Liverpool being the highlight.

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Any weekend that features Premier League soccer is a good one. One that features a derby between Liverpool and Manchester United is even better.

The two storied rivals meet each other for the second time this season on Sunday at Anfield. Remarkably, United are still the only team to take points off the champions-elect. Their 1-1 draw at the end of October is the only blemish on Liverpool’s flawless season. United’s form has improved since then and they are challenging for a Champions League spot.

There’s some other good games on the schedule too. Arsenal play Sheffield United in a repeat of the 2003 FA Cup Final and Newcastle host Chelsea.

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After a weekend off to cater for the FA Cup 3rd Round fixtures, the Premier League is back. We last had a look at the Premier League on New Year’s Day, where we correctly predicted wins for Leicester and Manchester City.

It looks likely that those two teams will face each other in the Carabao Cup Final and battle it out for 2nd place in this year’s final standings. Three points should be no issue for either team this weekend, Leicester face Southampton while Manchester City travel to Aston Villa.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of this weekend’s key fixtures.

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Newcastle United v Leicester City

1st January 2020 10AM

The beginning of this decade saw a bore draw between these sides down in the Championship. A lot has happened at both clubs in the intervening years – not least a Premier League title at the King Power – and the only constant as the decade draws to a close is Andy Carroll up front for Newcastle United.

The clubs have met nine times since in the Premier League and it’s advantage Leicester City with six wins to the Toon’s three.

They should make that seven out of ten on the first day of the next decade. The Foxes are -160 with CanPlay to take all three points at St James’ Park on New Year’s Day and cement their second place position in the league table. Both teams have scored in only two of those last nine meetings and an away win to nil looks worth a punt at +150 against a side who are among the division’s lowest scorers.

Conversely, Brendan Rodgers’ side have scored more than anyone but Liverpool and Man City and knocked five past Steve Bruce’s men in the reverse fixture this campaign. Jamie Vardy nabbed a brace in that game and the Premier League’s top scorer should return to the starting eleven following the birth of his daughter. He is -125 to add to his 17 league goals on Wednesday afternoon and a best price of +225 to open the scoring.

This fixture ended 0-2 last season and we wouldn’t rule out a repeat at a decent looking +700 with CanPlay.

Manchester City v Everton

1st January 2020 2:30PM

Everton are in fine form since the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti, taking seven points from a possible nine under the veteran Italian manager. Their meeting with Man City on New Year’s Day, however, will be the first major test of the former Chelsea manager’s reign.

 City have won their last four meetings with Everton by a two goal margin and they are +300 to win by exactly two goals again at the Etihad. We think it’ll be closer than that, though, based on the current form of both teams.  A home win by exactly one goal is also around +300 but we’re going to stick our necks on the line and go for Everton Draw No Bet at a generous +750 with CanPlay. An away win can be backed at +950, should you fancy it.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has more league goals than the likes of Anthony Martial and Roberto Firmino and added a fine brace to topple Newcastle on Saturday. The young striker scored in this fixture twelve months ago – and in the clash at Goodison Park in September –  and is +240 to maintain his rich vein of form and net against the league champions and a massive +800 with CanPlay to score the opener.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus has scored at least once in his last four games against The Toffees. The Brazilian forward may not start, but if he does he looks good value at +100 to keep that run going.

The 26th December always means a bumper day of action in the Premier League.18 teams are in action with Leicester City vs Liverpool being the highlight of the day.

Mark your cards with our top tips for the Boxing Day fixtures. Place your bets with CanPlay Sports.

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It’s fair to say that last week’s tips didn’t exactly go to plan. Nigel Pearson’s defensive Watford side negated a Liverpool goalfest although The Reds did extend their lead at the top of the table with a 2-0 win. In London, Bournemouth picked up their first win in six games with a 1-0 win over Frank Lampard’s Chelsea.

This week we’re taking a look at two games that will have major implications on the Champions League race and will set the tone for these clubs as we head into the busy Christmas schedule.

Manchester City host Leicester on Saturday evening before Frank Lampard travels to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face his old boss in a mouthwatering tie.

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Liverpool v Watford, 7.30am Saturday 14^th December

Irrespective of Liverpool’s result against Watford on Saturday morning, The Reds will top the Premier League table on Christmas Day.

The good news for Jurgen Klopp & co is that twelve of the last fifteen league leaders at Christmas have gone on to lift the title in May. The bad news for Jurgen Klopp & co is that the three anomalies were Liverpool – in 2008/09, 2013/14 & last season.

However, they’ve never had the comfort of an eight-point lead as they have now. Four points separated them from Manchester City last year, while just a point and goal difference split them and the chasing pack in 2009 and 2013 respectively.

It would take a few Steven Gerrard-sized slips to throw it away again and we don’t expect one against The Hornets on Saturday. Thirty-nine points separate these sides – after just sixteen games – and the league leaders are just -530 to take the three points in Nigel Pearson’s first game in charge of Watford.

Klopp could rotate his starting line-up ahead of a manic festive fixture pile-up that includes at least one Club World Cup match. It is advisable, therefore, to wait until an hour before kick-off to bet on any goalscorer markets. Should he start, Divock Origi looks good value at +125 to score anytime and +400 to open the scoring.

The Reds have scored a whopping 16 times in their last three home games against Watford, and that’s when their opponents were not in the precarious position they’re in now. Over 4.5 home goals looks great value at +425 with CanPlay.

Chelsea v Bournemouth, 10.00am Saturday 14^th December

Five consecutive Premier League defeats isn’t exactly the ideal preparation for Bournemouth ahead of a visit to Stamford Bridge against an exciting, young Chelsea side who have just qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Eddie Howe’s side lie just one point ahead of the relegation zone and will need to replicate the form that saw them beat Manchester United in early November to take anything against Frank Lampard’s fourth-placed Chelsea.

The Blues aren’t exactly in fine form themselves though domestically – losing three of their last four Premier League fixtures. The clubs have met eight times since The Cherries were promoted to the top flight and only three of those have seen both teams score. Chelsea have taken maximum points in five of those. Furthermore, Bournemouth have only scored three times in their last five Premier League outings on the road and we like the look of a Chelsea win to nil here at +115. An Eden Hazard-inspired Chelsea won this tie at Stamford Bridge 2-0 last season and we’re plumping for the same correct score again at +700 with CanPlay.

Only one player has scored more Premier League goals this campaign than Tammy Abraham – who’s averaged a goal every 104 minutes. The young England striker, who scored against Lille on Wednesday, is -190 to add to that tally on Saturday and +220 to net the opener.

This week was our annual introduction to the ‘Festive Football Calendar’. This weekend will bring the third game of the week for all of the Premier League teams and it’s the start of a period where teams from the English top flight will play 8 games in just over a month.

Liverpool have cemented their lead at the top of the league with wins over Brighton and local rivals Everton. Leicester City are hot on their heels with seven wins in a row. The league leaders face each other at Leicester’s King Power Stadium on the 26th December in a game that will have a big impact on the title race.

The Manchester Derby is the pick of this weekend’s action.

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Newcastle United v Manchester City, Saturday 30th November 7.30am

In the past ten years, Newcastle United have lost 16 times out of 18 in the league to Manchester City. There was one tie. The one positive for Steve Bruce’s side is that their only victory in that time was in January this year, when a late Matt Ritchie penalty dealt Pep Guardiola’s team a title blow.

City went on to recover, of course, while a lot has changed at St James’ Park in the interim. Bruce has replaced Rafa Benitez, while the other Toon goalscorer that day, Salomon Rondon, has joined his former boss in China.

It’s arguable that the Venezuelan striker’s absence is the most keenly felt. Newcastle have more Premier League points than they did at the same stage last season, but only one team have scored fewer goals.

Rondon’s replacement, Joelinton, has failed to sparkle and has notched just one league goal. Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin have yet to get off the mark, not a great return for a combined spend of almost £80 million on the front trio.

We fancy City to make it 17 wins from 19 against Saturday’s hosts and an away win to zero comes in at -110. The visitors haven’t been blowing away teams on the road, with a tally of eight goals from their last four away games. We like the look of a 2-0 City win at +625 with CanPlay.

City will miss the injured Sergio Aguero, but Newcastle certainly won’t. The Argentine has scored a whopping ten goals in his last six league games against The Magpies. In his absence, Gabriel Jesus should step up to the plate and the Brazilian striker is +260 to score first and -140 to net anytime.

Liverpool v Brighton, Saturday 30^th November 10.00am

On paper, this looks like a formality for the league leaders. However, it took a sole Mo Salah strike in both their meetings last season for Liverpool to earn maximum points. Another 1-0 win for Jurgen Klopp’s side on Saturday can be backed at +725, while the Egyptian forward is +300 to net the opener at Anfield and -110 to score anytime.

Brighton certainly gave a better account of themselves in the 2018/19 campaign than in the previous season’s fixtures, when they suffered two four-goal margin defeats to The Reds.  Another Livepool win by four goals or more can be backed at +330 with CanPlay.

However, we fancy something in between. Wednesday’s Champions League draw against Napoli marked the eleventh game in a row in which the league leaders have conceded in. Meanwhile, Graham Potter’s side have scored in five of their last six domestic matches. Both teams to score here is +105 and +150 when combined with a home win.

Six of the Premier League favourites’ last seven league wins were won by a one-goal margin – strangely, the outlier was against Manchester City – and another win by a goal is decent value here at +245. Brighton’s last game on the road ended in a 3-1 defeat at Manchester United and we fancy a similar score-line here at +1075.

The Premier League returns this weekend after a short hiatus for the international break. There are some really interesting games on the fixture list this weekend with José Mourinho making his Tottenham dugout debut and Manchester City playing Chelsea in a top four clash.

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After Champions League action in midweek, the big hitters are back in action with Liverpool hosting Manchester City on Sunday. You can read our preview of that game here.

Matchday 12 begins on Friday night with Norwich City facing Watford. That already has the look of a relegation six-pointer with the teams sitting in the bottom two positions in the table. Another interesting game this weekend sees Leicester host Arsenal on Saturday evening. A win for Leicester will lift them in to second place before Sunday’s showdown. Unai Emery is in the hotseat in the Arsenal dugout and a win is a must for him if he wants to keep his job after the international break.

Here’s our tips for this weekend’s football.

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Liverpool v Manchester City, 11:30AM Sunday 10^th November

You wouldn’t be blamed for expecting a goalfest in Liverpool v Manchester City on Sunday.

If Pep Guardiola’s side continue scoring at the rate they have been in the Premier League, they’ll comfortably top 100 goals come May – overtaking their record haul of 106 two seasons ago. Meanwhile, Liverpool can boast such attacking riches as Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane with the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gini Wijnaldum increasingly chipping in with important goals.

The Reds are unbeaten in an incredible 28 top flight games home and away, with their last defeat coming at the Etihad in early January.  Of course that run has to come to an end at some stage and who better than their title rivals to inflict it on them?

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After midweek Carabao Cup action the Premier League is back with a full slate of weekend fixtures. Have a read of our tips and predictions for games involving title challengers Liverpool and Manchester City.

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After a less than impressive performance with our three tips last week we’re back again with your CanPlay Premier League treble. Liverpool’s winning streak came to an end last week with a 1-1 draw with Manchester United while Leicester climbed to third with a dramatic win over Burnley.

Southampton and Leicester kick off the weekend on Friday night but Liverpool versus Spurs on Sunday is the highlight of the weekend on Sunday afternoon.

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The Premier League is back. The cliché goes that ‘a week is a long time in soccer’ and that’s never more true when it involves a weekend without Premier League soccer. The international break is over and the players are heading back to their clubs for a full weekend of Premier League action.

We have taken a look ahead to this week’s games to give you three tips for your Premier League treble.

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Brighton V Spurs Saturday October 5th 7:30 am

After a mid-week drubbing by Bayern Munich in the Champions league. Spurs will be looking to rebound at the expense of Brighton.

Rumours of dressing room unrest and conflicts are an unwelcome distraction as Tottenham’s season hasn’t quite gone to plan.

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Liverpool managed to maintain their perfect start to the EPL with a victory away to Chelsea last weekend. Jurgen Klopp’s side dominated the first 55 minutes before a late Chelsea onslaught nearly delivered a draw for Frank Lampard’s young team. That makes it fifteen EPL victories in a row for Liverpool and on current form they could continue that streak for another while yet.

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Liverpool will try to maintain their perfect start to the season with a victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this weekend. Jurgen Klopp’s men have opened up an early five point gap at the top of the Premier League table and we are tipping them for victory in our first Gameweek 6 prediction.

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