Premier League wrap – Gameweek 17

Gameweek 17 was better than our previous round of predictions, however there is still room for improvement. Manchester City dropped points to Palace, Arsenal regained top spot with a... Read more
Premier League wrap - Gameweek 17

Gameweek 17 was better than our previous round of predictions, however there is still room for improvement. Manchester City dropped points to Palace, Arsenal regained top spot with a win over Brighton and Manchester United held on for a massive point at Anfield.

The first game of the weekend was Nottingham Forest vs Spurs.  Forest manager Steve Cooper was under serious pressure with his side uncomfortably close to the relegation zone.  Spurs dominated early, having nearly 70 percent of the ball and putting the hosts backline under constant pressure.  Richarlison made the breakthrough in added-time of the first half, a well deserved goal for Ange Postecoglu’s side.  The second half saw Spurs continue to control the game.  Dejan Kulusevski doubled the visitors lead in the 65th minute.  Five minutes later, Spurs were down to 10-men after Yves Bissouma got given a straight red card.  Forest could not make the numbers advantage count.  Spurs won 2-0.

Oliver correctly predicted a Spurs win while the MoneyMan and Dylan both incorrectly predicted a draw.

Bournemouth vs Luton was abandoned in the 6oth minute after Luton captain Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch.  This is the second time Lockyer has had a cardiac arrest on the pitch in his career, previously occurring while Luton were in the Championship.  The doctors that treated Lockyer have given an update on his health, stating he is awake and in a stable condition.  Our thoughts are with Tom Lockyer, Luton and Bournemouth after this traumatic event.

Chelsea were in desperate need of a win when they hosted Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge.  The Blues were dominant with the ball and created good opportunities in front of goal.  Sheffield held out well in the first half, preventing Chelsea from taking the lead.  Mauricio Pochettino’s side started the second half with more quality.  Cole Palmer made the breakthrough in the 54th minute.  Five minutes later Nicolas Jackson doubled the lead.  Sheffield were now out of the game.  Chelsea won 2-0.

The MoneyMan, Oliver and Dylan all correctly predicted a Chelsea win.

Manchester City needed a win against Crystal Palace to stay within reach of Arsenal, Liverpool and Villa at the top.  It looked to be a casual day at the office for City.  The hosts were totally dominant and went a goal ahead thanks to Jack Grealish.  Palace threatened at times but not with enough to concern Pep Guardiola’s side.  The second half started similarly to the first, Rico Lewis made it 2-0 nine minutes after the restart.  The defending champions took their foot off the gas and paid the price.  Jean-Phillipe Mateta pulled one back in the 76th minute.  Game on.  The comeback was completed in the 95th minute when Michael Olise converted a penalty to make it 2-2.

The MoneyMan, Oliver and Dylan incorrectly predicted a Manchester City win.

Fulham were in impeccable goal scoring form going into their match against Newcastle at St James’ Park.  The match started as a good contest, both teams were battling for control while troubling both sets of defenders.  The game was changed in Newcastle’s favour in the 22nd minute after Raul Jimenez was given a straight red card.  Fulham held on for the rest of the first half but the Magpies were now asking serious questions.  Teenager Lewis Miley scored his first Premier League goal to give Eddie Howe’s side the lead in the 57th minute.  A  few minutes later Miguel Almiron doubled the lead.  Fulham tried to stay in the game but ultimately could not cope.  Dan Burn made it 3-0 in the 82nd minute.

The MoneyMan and Oliver correctly predicted a Newcastle win while Dylan incorrectly backed a draw.

Sean Dyche travelled to his old home ground Turf Moor with his Toffee’s on the back of some really impressive results.  Vincent Kompany’s side had more than 65 percent of the ball but could not trouble Jordan Pickford.  Amadou Onana put Everton ahead in the 19th minute and central defender Michael Keane made it a two goal lead in the 25th minute.  Burnley tried to find a goal but could not break down the Toffees.  Everton won 2-0.

Dylan correctly predicted an Everton win while the MoneyMan and Oliver incorrectly predicted a draw.

Arsenal had one eye on the top of the table but would face a challenge when they hosted Brighton at the Emirates.  The Gunners started well.  Brighton tried to play out from the back but Arsenal’s press was electric.  Both sides had their opportunities but the momentum was favouring Mikel Arteta’s side.  Gabriel Jesus scored from a corner in the 53rd minute to give Arsenal the lead.  Brighton attempted to respond and had a good spell in the second half but continued their trend of failing to hit the back of the net.  Kai Havertz sealed three points for the hosts in the 87th minute with a composed finish.

The MoneyMan, Oliver and Dylan all correctly predicted an Arsenal win.

Brentford’s poor form going into this fixture would give Aston Villa another opportunity to apply the pressure on Arsenal and Liverpool.  Villa started strong and controlled possession.  There were some great chances for Unai Emery’s attackers but they could not find the back of the net.  The Bee’s shockingly took the lead in the 45th minute with one of the first shots at goal.  Villa responded well in the second half, but Brentford were standing strong.  The game changed when Ben Mee was sent off in the 71st minute, now Villa could put even more pressure on the hosts.  Just minutes later, Alex Moreno equalized.  In the 85th minute Ollie Watkins scored the winner for Villa.

Dylan correctly predicted an Aston Villa win while the MoneyMan and Oliver just missed out with their prediction of a draw.

West Ham hosted Wolves at the London Stadium after a mixed set of results last week.  This game was all about Mohammed Kudus.  The Ghanaian has hit the ground running in the Premier League and he was the difference in this fixture.  Kudus grabbed a brace in the first half, this was enough to end the game.  Wolves tried their best to get a goal back but ultimately it was not Gary O’Neil’s sides best performance.  Jarrod Bowen made it 3-0 in the 74th minute.  Game over for the visitors.

The MoneyMan and Oliver correctly predicted a West Ham win while Dylan incorrectly called a draw.

The final game of the weekend was massive on paper, but disappointing in practice.  Liverpool faced a wounded Manchester United at Anfield.  The Reds dominated from kickoff.  They managed to gain five corners in the first five minutes, but could not convert.  The feeling around this game was that United were hard to breakdown but Liverpool’s attack was poor.  34 shots at goal and failing to score is laughable from Liverpool’s perspective.  The final score was 0-0.

The MoneyMan, Oliver and Dylan incorrectly predicted a Liverpool win.

This was another difficult week for our predictions.  Gameweek 17 saw Oliver get five correct calls.  Dylan got four correct calls while the MoneyMan managed three correct predictions. Oliver and Dylan are now both tied at the top on 84.  The MoneyMan is just behind on a score of 83.

Article written by