There are six Premier League matches taking place at 12:30pm and 3pm on Saturday, with the standout clash being the lunchtime kick-off.
Tottenham play host to a Newcastle team who are up to fifth and have the top four in their sights after four straight victories.
Meanwhile, defending champions Manchester City and fourth-placed Chelsea are among those in action at 3pm.
- NEWCASTLE TO WIN
- BOURNEMOUTH VS EVERTON - UNDER 2.5 GOALS
- ASTON VILLA TO WIN AND BTTS
- CRYSTAL PALACE VS CHELSEA - DRAW
- ERLING HAALAND - FIRST GOALSCORER
Bet On The Premier League
Tottenham vs Newcastle (12:30)
The pressure was growing on Eddie Howe at the start of December, but Newcastle have turned things around and now look to be firmly back on track.
It’s five straight wins in all competitions and four league victories on the spin for the Magpies, including a 2-0 success at Man Utd on Thursday.
The run is made all the more impressive by the fact that Howe’s men have kept clean sheets in their last four league matches.
In stark contrast, Tottenham head into Saturday’s clash having won just one of their last seven Premier League games.
That run has seen Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs drop into the bottom half of the table, with a big couple of weeks ahead.
Following Saturday’s game, Tottenham face Liverpool in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday, before the North London derby on January 15th.
Newcastle have won four of their last five meetings with Spurs, with three or more goals scored in all of those five matches.
Alexander Isak has netted five goals in the last four encounters between the sides and goes into this clash having found the net six times in Newcastle’s last four matches.
NEWCASTLE TO WIN
Bournemouth vs Everton (3pm)
Seven games unbeaten has seen Bournemouth move up to seventh in the league and Andoni Iraola continues to work wonders at the Vitality Stadium.
If there is one worry for the Cherries boss it will be regarding their home form, with just one win in their last four on home turf.
The last two games - against West Ham and Crystal Palace - at the Vitality Stadium have finished in draws, with their opponents playing in a similar style to what they can expect against Everton.
Defeat to Nottingham Forest was a first loss in five for Sean Dyche’s men, who are currently 13 points behind their opponents.
The Toffees have the second lowest goal tally in the league, but defensively they are amongst the best in the top-flight, conceding just 24 goals in 18 games.
UNDER 2.5 GOALS
Aston Villa vs Leicester (3pm)
Four straight defeats have seen Leicester drop to second bottom in the Premier League and the Foxes have scored just once during that run.
They head to Villa Park on Saturday two points from safety, with Leicester’s last away win coming at Southampton on October 19th.
Villa struggled for consistency through the month of December, with three defeats, three victories and one draw in their seven matches.
Unai Emery’s men are now ninth in the table and will need to get back on track soon to keep alive their top-four hopes.
The hosts will be missing two key players for Thursday’s game, with Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers both out through suspension.
Villa should still have enough to collect the three points, but Leicester will feel they can make a game of it.
ASTON VILLA TO WIN AND BTTS
Crystal Palace vs Chelsea (3pm)
Chelsea’s title hopes have taken a big dent over Christmas, with no wins in their last three, including a shock 2-0 loss at Ipswich on December 30th.
They now make the trip across London to face a Crystal Palace side who have lost just one of their last eight league games.
The Eagles are still only five points above the drop zone, so can’t afford to take their foot off the pedal, especially when their home form has been disappointing.
Selhurst Park is usually a fortress for Palace, but they have won just two of their home league games this season.
Only Brighton have had more draws than Oliver Glasner’s men this season, with Palace collecting a point from eight matches this term.
With Chelsea currently not firing on all cylinders, the hosts look capable of collecting another point off the Blues, following a 1-1 scoreline at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season.
DRAW
Man City vs West Ham (3pm)
It’s sixth versus 13th at the Etihad Stadium, as Man City face West Ham - two teams under-performing so far this season.
The defending champions have won just two of their last 10 Premier League games, which has left them 14 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
City’s results at home have been the biggest eye-opener, with just one win in their last five matches in all competitions at the Etihad.
The Irons have picked up in recent weeks, with two wins and two draws in the month of December, but their last fixture of 2024 saw them thumped 5-0 at home to Liverpool.
The Hammers have also been hit by injury blows to two key forwards, with Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen both facing extended spells on the sidelines.
Erling Haaland might have struggled in recent weeks, but he got back to scoring ways in the 2-0 win at Leicester and has a brilliant record against West Ham.
The Norwegian has scored seven goals in five appearances against the Hammers, including a hat-trick in the 3-1 win at the London Stadium in August.
ERLING HAALAND - FIRST GOALSCORER
Southampton vs Brentford (3pm)
Two out-of-form teams meet at St Mary’s on Saturday, with both Southampton and Brentford collecting just a point each from their last five league games.
The situation is much more serious though for Saints, who remain rock bottom and still searching for their second win of the season despite a recent change in manager.
Ivan Juric has shored them up defensively, but they will need to be more offensive in this game, which looks like a must-win if they are to stand a chance of pulling off the great escape.
Brentford’s away record is poor, with no league wins on the road this term, but they have got the players to take advantage of any gaps left by the hosts.
OVER 3.5 GOALS
