The curtain comes down on 2021 in the English Premier League this midweek, with no let-up in the frantic festive fixture schedule amid the rise in Covid-19 cases across the country.
Manchester City will sit top of the EPL table at the turn of the year whatever happens this week.
Pep Guardiola’s defending champions are in scintillating form as they head to Brentford on Wednesday night, coming into the midweek matches with a six-point cushion at the summit.
Liverpool have the opportunity to half the deficit on Tuesday at Leicester, with the Foxes having been on the receiving end of a 6-3 thumping at the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day.
The Reds also hold a precious game in hand on their title rivals, with Jurgen Klopp going all out to regain the EPL crown in the new year.
Chelsea are keeping pace at the sharp end, too, with a home game against Brighton at Stamford Bridge the next assignment for Thomas Tuchel’s men on Wednesday evening.
Manchester United must wait until Thursday night to attempt to do better than their scrambled draw on Monday, with dogged Burnley the visitors to Old Trafford.
It was supposed to be reunion time elsewhere in the north west on the same night, with Everton boss Rafa Benitez pitting his considerable wits against former side Newcastle, fresh from their point against the Red Devils.
Not so fresh as it turns out for the Toon Army, hobbled by a host of injuries and Covid-19 cases to see the fixture called off.
Antonio Conte is masterminding a stellar run of form at Tottenham since taking the hotseat in north London.
Spurs travel to Southampton on Tuesday sitting pretty enough in fifth place, not to mention their several games in hand following their Covid travails of December.
West Ham are also eyeing an unlikely Champions League push across Hackney Marshes, despite being overturned by the Saints on Boxing Day.
The Hammers are also on the road on Tuesday night, making the short trip to Vicarage Road to tackle Watford.
Selhurst Park is the venue, meanwhile, for Crystal Palace to welcome bottom side Norwich, who start the week three points adrift of safety under new boss Dean Smith.
Arsenal’s four-game winning streak is on hold, with Coronavirus cases aplenty seeing their Emirates Stadium encounter with Wolves postponed.
The same fate befalls Leeds and Aston Villa, who had been due to meet at Elland Road, while the rest of the top flight soldiers on into 2022.
English Premier League predictions for 28 – 30 December
Prediction methodology explained: The expected win percentage is based off publicly available odds. For example, if a team’s odds are 2.30, the expected chance of winning is 43%. If the odds are 1.62 the expected chance of winning is 62% and so on. These are accurate at the time of writing but are subject to change. Where there is no value listed, the odds were not available at the time of writing.
