PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHDAY 16 PREVIEW

Crystal Palace vs Liverpool

Liverpool will be aiming to keep the pace with Arsenal in the Premier League title race and extend their impressive run in the competition when they visit struggling Crystal Palace for Saturday’s clash at Selhurst Park.

Jürgen Klopp did head back to Merseyside with one concern, though, after losing World Cup-winning Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister to injury midway through the second half at Bramall Lane. The former Brighton man could join a growing absentee list that also includes Alisson, Joël Matip, Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcântara, Stefan Bajcetic and Andrew Robertson.

Klopp may at least take some solace from Liverpool’s position in the league table, sitting just two points behind league-leading Arsenal, who snatched a dramatic 4-3 win at Luton Town on Wednesday, and two ahead of third-placed Aston Villa after Unai Emery’s side secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Manchester City to send Pep Guardiola’s defending champions down to fourth.

In complete contrast to their visitors, Palace have just one win in their last eight Premier League games – a 2-0 success at Burnley – and slipped down to 14th in the league table after a 2-0 reverse at home to Bournemouth on Wednesday.

The Eagles lost English defender Tyrick Mitchell to a first-half muscle injury at Selhurst Park when already trailing to Marcos Senesi’s header, before substitute Kieffer Moore confirmed victory for Andoni Iraola’s away side with a 91st-minute strike. Roy Hodgson’s lineup for Liverpool will likely be without Mitchell, as well as the injured Eberechi Eze, Cheick Doucouré, Rob Holding and goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Palace were jeered off at Selhurst Park in midweek and matters could worsen with Klopp’s men next to visit before a thankless trip to Man City’s Etihad Stadium – and Hodgson’s record against his former side is abject, too. He has lost each of his last eight Premier League games against Liverpool since a 1-0 win with West Brom in April 2012. In fact, previous Liverpool managers in the Premier League have lost 17 of their last 19 games against their former Anfield club in the competition – the exceptions being two Brendan Rodgers wins with Leicester City (February and December in 2021) – and Hodgson’s injury-hit side will struggle to improve that record.

Klopp will fancy amending that underwhelming record, though, as Palace have failed to score in four Premier League home games this season against Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Arsenal.

Additionally, since the start of October, no side have won fewer Premier League games than Crystal Palace (W1 D2 L5), while only Sheffield United (six) have scored fewer goals than the London club (seven) – the pressure will continue to mount on Hodgson with defeat here.

Crystal Palace 1 vs Liverpool 3

Manchester United vs Bournemouth
Wednesday’s clash with Chelsea could have represented another crisis point for Manchester United, whose preparations for that game were marred by reports of player unrest, vehemently denied by boss Erik ten Hag. However, a team accustomed to grinding out uninspiring victories produced arguably their best performance of the season to beat the Blues, leaving them looking up ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Bournemouth.

Incredibly, despite the noise that continues to surround Ten Hag’s team, they enter Matchday 16 just three points behind Manchester City in the Premier League table. Since the start of October, only leaders Arsenal (19) have won more Premier League points than United’s 18, with the Red Devils winning six of their eight games in that time.

While McTominay grabbed the headlines, Fernandes provided the creative spark in an improved United display, teeing up five chances for his teammates. He has created at least five chances in 22 different Premier League games since his competition debut in February 2020, with only Kevin De Bruyne doing so more often in that time (23).

McTominay’s brace saw him surpass Fernandes and Rasmus Højlund (five apiece) to become United’s leading scorer across all competitions this term with six goals. Five of those have come in the Premier League, making this the Scot’s most prolific campaign in the competition, while 12 of his last 13 Premier League strikes have come at Old Trafford.

United’s injury problems are beginning to ease somewhat, with Mason Mount back in training and Jonny Evans returning from the bench in midweek. Christian Eriksen, Casemiro, Lisandro Martínez and Tyrell Malacia are still sidelined, however.

Bournemouth travel to Old Trafford in high spirits after continuing their revival with Wednesday’s impressive 2-0 win at Crystal Palace. That result put further distance between the Cherries and the relegation zone, also extending their unbeaten run to four Premier League games (three wins, one draw). They last enjoyed a longer streak under Gary O’Neil last October, going six matches without losing (two wins, four draws).

Andoni Iraola appeared to be under severe pressure when Bournemouth took just three points from their first nine games of the Premier League season (three draws, six defeats), but they have since earned 13 points in six matches (four wins, one draw, one loss), finally getting to grips with the former Rayo Vallecano coach’s dynamic style of play.

Marcos Senesi and Kieffer Moore were on target for them at Selhurst Park, with loanee Luis Sinisterra assisting Senesi’s opener on his first league start for the club. The Colombian has been involved in four goals in his last five Premier League starts, after netting three times for Leeds United in April.

Though United have already suffered five home defeats across all competitions this season, they have won three of their last four at Old Trafford in the Premier League, beating Brentford, Luton Town and Chelsea, losing the other 3-0 to rivals Man City.

They should be wary of the challenge posed by Bournemouth, though, as they’ve made things awkward for several of the Premier League’s elite lately.

They have won three of their last six league matches against teams that finished in the top four the previous season (three defeats), beating Liverpool in March, Tottenham in April and Newcastle United in November.

Man Utd 2 vs Bournemouth 1

Aston Villa vs Arsenal

Aston Villa clinched the standout result of what has been an incredible season for the club on Wednesday, leapfrogging Manchester City to go third in the Premier League table with a deserved 1-0 win over the champions at Villa Park. Unai Emery’s team will attempt to repeat the trick against leaders Arsenal on Saturday with club history in their sights.

Leon Bailey’s deflected strike was enough to down Pep Guardiola’s lacklustre visitors as Villa matched the best home winning streak in their league history, posting a 14th successive home league victory for a third time (also in 1903 and 1931).

The last visiting team to avoid defeat at Villa Park in the Premier League? That would be Arsenal, who claimed a thrilling 4-2 win there in mid-February. That is the only defeat former Arsenal boss Emery has suffered in five managerial meetings with the Gunners, though three of those encounters have finished level.

Having already beaten Manchester United, Man City and Brentford with late goals this term, Arsenal enjoyed their most dramatic finish yet in midweek as Declan Rice’s header – after 96 minutes and 23 seconds – broke Luton Town hearts in a 4-3 triumph at Kenilworth Road, the latest in a series of goalfests to grace the Premier League in recent weeks.

Rice’s goal, Arsenal’s latest winner on record in an away Premier League game (since 2006-07), ensured they will enter Matchday 16 two points clear of Liverpool at the summit. It was the Gunners’ fifth 90th-minute winner in the Premier League in 2023 – the most ever recorded by a team in a single calendar year.

Arteta’s team, who had faced criticism over a drop-off in their attacking numbers, now look to be clicking into gear in the final third. Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz joined Rice in netting against Luton, with Jesus also earning plaudits for his clever assist for Havertz’s goal. The Brazilian has six goal involvements in his last five games across all competitions, both scoring and assisting in three different matches during that span.

Arteta will watch Saturday’s game from the stands, having received his third yellow card of the season – and a one-match touchline ban – for his ‘excessive celebrating’ of Rice’s winner. The Spaniard surely won’t mind getting into trouble for the same offence a few more times this term.

While Villa have a perfect home record in the Premier League this season, Arsenal have won five of seven on the road (one draw, one loss), with four of those victories coming by a one-goal margin, including their last two at Brentford and Luton.

Though they upset the champions last time out, Villa are winless in their last eight Premier League games against sides starting the day top of the table (one draw, seven defeats), losing each of the last five in a row. Their last such victory came against Chelsea in March 2014, by a 1-0 scoreline.

Aston Villa 2 Arsenal 2

Tothhenham vs Newcastle

Matchweek 16 of the Premier League will wrap up with a clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle.

After strong starts to their respective campaigns, both sides have now dropped out of the top four. Tottenham have failed to win any of their last five games in the league, most recently throwing away a one-goal lead and losing 2-1 to West Ham.

With the honeymoon phase of his tenure seemingly over, Ange Postecoglou needs a response from his Spurs team if they are to be top-four contenders this season.

Newcastle's overall form is better — including wins over Manchester United and Chelsea in the past fortnight — but their away record is appalling.

Eddie Howe's side have won just one of their last nine matches as the visitors. Now, they face a potentially challenging trip to north London just days after a 3-0 defeat to Everton.

With both sides low on confidence, it could be a cagey affair. However, we're predicting Tottenham's attacking approach will wear down an undermanned Newcastle side.

Generally speaking, Newcastle have been solid this season defensively, but some slip-ups have proven costly.

As they look to amend their concerning away from, plenty of effort will go into ensuring they don't concede early against Tottenham, which could make for a cagey first half.

However, as we saw in their losses to Everton and Bournemouth, Newcastle have shown a tendency to collapse in the second half of away matches.

Postecoglou will not change his attacking approach, and Spurs have enough quality upfront — even without Maddison — to find a late breakthrough and secure the win.

Tothhenham 2 vs Newcastle 1