Premier League Matchday 23 Preview and Prediction

After 10 midweek games were played between Tuesday and Thursday, top-flight action has returned to the spotlight following a quieter period last month with the mid-season break and two rounds of FA Cup action.

Matchday 23 will see five fixtures take place on Saturday, with Everton taking on Tottenham to kick off the action.

Sunday looks like the most pivotal day as a top-of-the-table clash between Arsenal and Liverpool takes place at the Emirates Stadium, where the visitors triumphed when the teams met in the FA Cup last month.

A match between Brentford and Man City on Monday will round out the matchweek, with Erling Haaland now back in action for the defending champions.

Everton vs Tottenham: Prediction and Preview

Sean Dyche must find a way for Everton to arrest their winless Premier League run, already contending with a 10-point deduction and returning to the relegation zone ahead of Saturday’s early kick-off against Tottenham at Goodison Park.

A point in the 0-0 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Matchday 22 should not be frowned upon for the Toffees, where goalkeeper Jordan Pickford kept yet another clean sheet. The England number one has now kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League this season (eight), with six of those coming in his last nine league matches.

Some nerves still remained on MD 22 in north London as Ivan Toney’s strike – set up by a comical Udogie error – teed up a nervy ending, although Postecoglou’s men held on for a victory that moved them up to fourth in the league table after edging ahead of Villa on goal difference. Spurs also sit just three points behind Arsenal and Manchester City, though the latter have a game in hand as that pair trail league-leading Liverpool by five.

Tottenham have won more Premier League games against Everton (30) than they have against any other club, while they’ve also scored more goals against the Toffees (100) than they have against any other side in the competition.

Indeed, Everton have won just one of their last 22 Premier League games against Spurs (D10 L11) and are winless in six against them since a 1-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on MD1 in 2020-21.

As for recent times at Goodison, there should be no fear for the visitors, who are unbeaten in each of their last 10 trips to the blue half of Merseyside in the Premier League (W3 D7), with each of their last four visits ending level.

Everton have lost just two of their last seven home Premier League games (W3 D2) – against Manchester City and Manchester United – while Dyche’s side have also kept three clean sheets in their last four league matches on home soil.

However, Spurs have won just one of their last five away Premier League games (D2 L2), with that victory coming at Nottingham Forest in December – and their record in this kick-off time is poor, too.

PREDICTION: Tottenham to win or draw @1.37

Brighton vs Crystal Palace: Prediction and Preview

Reports linking Roberto De Zerbi with managerial positions at Liverpool and Barcelona were indicators of a job generally well done by the Italian at Brighton. But, a few days can be a long time in football, and a brutal midweek defeat to Luton Town brought the Seagulls and their boss back to earth.

Saturday’s clash with bitter rivals Crystal Palace at the Amex Stadium is the perfect opportunity for a response.

That crushing Luton defeat left Brighton eighth in the league table after failing to score for a third-straight Premier League outing in 2023, only going on a longer such run in the competition between March and April 2019 under Chris Hughton (six games). In fact, that goalless run comes after scoring in all but one of 35 league matches between March and December 2023 – the last team to fail to score in their first four games in a calendar year was Leicester City in 2017.

Tuesday’s victory over the Blades may have somewhat eased the pressure on Palace manager Roy Hodgson, too, with his 14th-place side sitting six points clear of Everton in the relegation zone heading into MD 23. However, there may still be some concern for Hodgson as Olise and Eze were withdrawn against the Blades, with the latter suffering what his manager described as an “unfortunate” hamstring issue.

In fact, Palace have failed to win any of their last five Premier League games against the Seagulls since a 2-1 away win in February 2021 (D4 L1), as Jean-Philippe Mateta and the now-departed Christian Benteke were on target.

Expect goals on Saturday, too. While the first Premier League meeting between Brighton and Crystal Palace finished 0-0, since then both teams have scored in 10 of their 12 encounters (one clean sheet each). De Zerbi’s side have scored exactly once in each of the last seven meetings but haven’t netted more than once in any of the last nine.

These two rivals could not be separated earlier in the season either, with Danny Welbeck’s late goal cancelling out Jordan Ayew’s opener at Selhurst Park in a 1-1 draw on 21 December.

Brighton may be winless in their last five Premier League away matches – their longest streak since a seven-game run under Graham Potter ended in December 2021 – but their home form is far more encouraging.

The Seagulls are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League games at the Amex (W4 D5) since a 3-1 loss to West Ham in August. It’s their longest streak without a home league defeat since a run of 14 between September 2016 and February 2017, and their longest ever in the top flight.

However, Palace have won two of their last three Premier League matches (L1) – beating Brentford and Sheffield United either side of a 5-0 hammering by Arsenal – as many as in their previous 15 league games combined (W2 D5 L8).

PREDICTION: Brighton to win @1.70

Manchester United vs West Ham: Prediction and Preview

For all their troubles, Manchester United have not lost their knack for pulling results out of the fire. For just under two minutes on Thursday, it looked as though the pressure on Erik ten Hag would be ratcheted up as Wolves fought back from 3-1 down to level a thrilling contest at 3-3 in second-hald stoppage time. However, Kobbie Mainoo stepped up with a brilliant, curling effort in the 97th minute to bail the Dutchman out, and leave United looking up ahead of Sunday’s meeting with West Ham.

Thursday’s victory took United within one point of sixth-placed West Ham, who fought back for a 1-1 draw at home to Bournemouth with James Ward-Prowse rescuing a point for the Hammers by converting a penalty won by Mohammed Kudus.

That ultimately cost David Moyes’ men two points, though they are now unbeaten in six league games, their longest streak since September 2021 (seven), even if their last three have finished level.

They have tended to fare well on the road this season, taking 17 points from their 11 away league games (five wins, two draws, four defeats), which is already five more than they collected on their travels in 2022-23 (three wins, three draws, 13 defeats).

West Ham have a dismal record at Old Trafford, where Man United are unbeaten in their last 15 Premier League games against the Irons (12 wins, three draws).

However, Moyes’ side did manage a 2-0 win in December’s reverse fixture at the London Stadium, with Bowen and Kudus on target.

They could now complete their first league double over United since 2006-07, when they won 1-0 at Old Trafford on the final day of the season to secure survival with Carlos Tevez scoring the goal.

That remains their most recent league victory at Old Trafford, where United have won their last three meetings with the Irons by a 1-0 scoreline.

United have taken 10 points from their last five home league games (three wins, one draw, one defeat), having lost three of their previous four at Old Trafford (one win).

However, they have conceded seven goals in their last three home league matches, losing 3-0 to Bournemouth, beating Aston Villa 3-2 and drawing 2-2 with Tottenham.

They have not conceded multiple goals in four successive home league games since doing so between November 1971 and January 1972.

While West Ham’s last league defeat came in early December at Fulham (0-5), they are actually winless in their last five matches across all competitions, drawing four and losing an FA Cup third-round replay at Bristol City.

PREDICTION: Man Utd to win @1.63

Arsenal vs Liverpool: Prediction and Preview

Sunday’s Premier League action is headlined by a titanic clash of title rivals at the Emirates Stadium, with Arsenal desperate to strike back at leaders Liverpool, who take a five-point lead to north London. With Manchester City also in ominous form, any slip-ups could prove pivotal.

We look to have a three-horse race on our hands after the Premier League’s midweek fixtures, with Liverpool, City and Arsenal all winning while Aston Villa suffered a dire 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United.

Mikel Arteta’s men have responded well to a poor run that saw them go three league games without a win across the festive period, a sequence that began with a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture at Anfield on 23 December.

Arsenal have made a habit of starting well against Liverpool, opening the scoring in the first 10 minutes of their last three league meetings with the Reds, though they have only won one of those matches (two draws). They last scored first in four straight league games against Liverpool between August 1967 and November 1970 (a run of six).

Gabriel Martinelli was responsible for the opening goal in two of those games, and he has more goal contributions versus Liverpool (six – four goals, two assists) than against any other team since arriving at Arsenal in 2019.

Arteta has no new injury concerns ahead of the game, and he could even have Fábio Vieira and Mohamed Elneny available, with the latter unable to prevent Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations exit last Sunday. The Gunners boss does have a decision to make in midfield, having selected Emile Smith Rowe ahead of Kai Havertz and Jorginho in midweek.

If anyone thought the news of Klopp’s impending exit would prove a distraction for Liverpool, they banished that notion with Wednesday’s crushing win over Chelsea as Diogo Jota, Conor Bradley, Dominik Szoboszlai and Luis Díaz all scored for the rampant Reds.

Salah will again be absent on Sunday after sustaining a hamstring injury at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Wataru Endō is still at the Asian Cup with Japan. Alexis Mac Allister should be able to shake off the knock he suffered against Chelsea, while Andy Robertson is pushing for a start after being eased back into action from the bench recently.

Sunday’s game comes less than a month after the most recent meeting between the teams, with Liverpool having beaten Arsenal 2-0 in the FA Cup on 7 January. The Gunners missed several early chances in that game, but a Jakub Kiwior own goal and a powerful Díaz finish condemned them to a third-round exit.

In the Premier League, however, Arsenal have taken five points from their last three games against Liverpool (one win,
two draws), as many as in their previous 12 (one win, two draws, nine losses)


However, Liverpool have scored in 16 successive league games against Arsenal, last being shut out by the Gunners in a goalless draw in August 2015. Overall, they have scored 108 Premier League goals versus the Gunners, making them the only side to reach a century against them in the competition.

Liverpool have won their last four away games in the Premier League, beating Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Bournemouth, scoring 10 goals and only conceding one.

Klopp’s men only won five of their previous 15 games on the road prior to this run, drawing seven and losing three.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have won six of their last seven league matches at the Emirates, the exception being a 2-0 defeat to West Ham on 28 December. Only Liverpool (29) and Aston Villa (28) have bettered the Gunners’ return of 26 points at home in the Premier League this season.

PREDICTION: Liverpool win or draw @1.60