*** Liverpool Vs Leeds United (26/12/21 at 12:30), Wolves Vs Watford (12/12/21 at 15:00) & Arsenal Vs Wolves (28/12/21 at 12:30) have postponed (updated on 23/12/21 at 15:17.) ***

| General |

▪ 4 matches are currently set to go ahead (that can change)

▪ 6 matches have been postponed

| 18/12/21 | 15:00 (UK) | Villa Park | Aston Villa Vs Burnley (Postponed) |

| Gerrard’s Villa March On / Burnley Fresh But Struggles To Win Away |

Villa go in to GW18 off the back off 4 wins out of 6 since Gerrard’s arrival as manager, whilst also only having only been narrowly beaten by Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as having conceded 1 goal or less in 5 of those 6 league matches.

| Aston Villa’s Most Recent Matches (Most Recent At The Top) |

Vs Norwich City (0-2)

Vs Liverpool (0-1)

Vs Leicester City (2-1)

Vs Manchester City (2-1)

Vs Crystal Palace (1-2)

Vs Brighton (2-0)

▪ At the time of writing, before GW18 commences, Aston Villa are 10th in the Premier League.

Aston Villa are more compact, intense and playing some decent football under Gerrard.

▪ No Aston Villa defender has had more significant returns than Cash (clean sheets, assists & goals), only one defender has made more tackles than the former Nottingham Forest player, and the Polish international continues to push really high up (Villa’s attackers at times tuck in, to leave space, and has had numerous goal attempts in recent matches).

▪ Aston Villa have scored 2 or more in 4 of their previous 6 Premier League matches.

▪ Watkins has scored 3 goals in his previous 6 Premier League matches (since GW12, since Gerrard became Aston Villa manager).

▪ Ashley Young scored for Aston Villa against Burnley in 2010 (partly trivial stat).

| Aston Villa’s Matches Coming Up |

Vs Burnley (H)

Vs Chelsea (H)

Vs Leeds United (A)

Vs Brentford (A)

| Burnley’s Most Recent Matches (Recent At The Top) |

Vs West Ham United (0-0)

Vs Newcastle United (1-0)

Vs Wolves (0-0)

Vs Crystal Palace (3-3)

Vs Chelsea (1–1)

Vs Brentford (3–1)

| Burnley’s Matches Coming Up |

Vs Aston Villa (A)

Vs Everton (H)

Vs Manchester United (A)

Vs Leeds United (A)

Burnley have not as of yet won a match away from home in the Premier League, but are unbeaten in 8 of their previous league 10 league matches, and having conceded 1 or less/kept 2 clean sheets in their previous 3 matches (overview) but have 3 matches away (at the time of writing) – Burnley are unbeaten of half of their away matches from home.

| 18/12/21 | 15:00 (UK) | Elland Road | Leeds United Vs Arsenal |

| The Highs And Lows of Leeds United / Arsenal Scoring/Conceding Away From Home |

Leeds United continue to be struggling with injuries, but are unbeaten at home since GW7, and largely unbeaten in matches against teams outside if the top 6 (overview).

In addition to that, Leeds United have shown great spirit at times this season (significant injury time goals scored – in terms of points gained at least – against Crystal Palace and Brentford) especially having had some hammerings (against most of the top 6), and Raphinha’s influence is vital – the Brazilian has scored/assisted in 5 of Leeds United’s home matches (as well as scoring 3 goals away from home).

| Leeds United’s Recent Matches |

Vs Manchester City (0-7)

Vs Chelsea (2-3)

Vs Brentford (2-2)

Vs Crystal Palace (1-0)

Vs Leeds United (0-0)

Vs Spurs (2-1)

▪ Only 4 players have had more shots than Raphinha (set piece taker) in the Premier League in 2021/22.

| Matches Coming Up |

Vs Arsenal (H)

Vs Liverpool (A)

Vs Aston Villa (H)

Vs Burnley (H)

| Arsenal’s Recent Matches |

Vs West Ham United (2-0)

Vs Southampton (3-0)

Vs Everton (2-1)

Vs Manchester United (3-2)

Vs Newcastle United (2-0)

Vs Liverpool (4-0)

▪ Arsenal go in to GW18 (and the Christmas matches) off the back of having scored 2 goals or more in 4 of their previous 6 Premier League matches.

▪ 17 of Arsenal’s league goals (23) have been scored at home.

▪ Smith-Rowe, Arsenal’s top goal scorer in the league, has scored 6 goals (8 goal involvements) in 10 Premier League appearances since GW6.

▪ Arsenal have conceded in 5 of their 8 Premier League away matches in 2021/22.

▪ Only 4 teams have conceded more goals away from home than Arsenal.

| Arsenal’s Matches Coming Up |

Vs Leeds United (A)

Vs Norwich City (A)

Vs Wolves (H)

Vs Manchester City (H)

| 19/12/21 | 14:00 (UK) | St.James’ Park | Newcastle United Vs Manchester City |

| A Bit of A Free Swing For Newcastle (?) – No One Really ‘Expects’ Them To Get Anything (But They Do Need Win More Football Matches) / Manchester City Away From Home |

Newcastle face a huge task in trying to stay in the Premier League, new signings will help, but their next 3 matches are before January.

Newcastle have caused Manchester City problems at St.James’ Park in recent seasons (4 points gained against the current Premier League champions), and have a fresh Wilson available – who did not start at Anfield and has scored 5 league goals at home in 2021/22 – only Salah & Vardy have scored more at home in the Premier League this season. However, at the other end of the pitch, Newcastle United have conceded in 16 of their matches in all competitions (currently set to face a team that has scored in every Premier League away match since GW1, I think, probably).

However, Newcastle United have conceded in 16 of their 17 Premier League matches, and face a side that has scored in every Premier League away match since GW1.

| Recent Matches (Most Recent At The Top) |

Vs Liverpool (3–1)

Vs Leicester City (4-0)

Vs Burnley (1-0)

Vs Norwich City (1–1)

Vs Arsenal (2-0)

Vs Brentford (3–3)

| Matches Coming Up |

Vs Manchester City (H)

Vs Manchester United (H)

Vs Everton (A)

Vs Southampton (A)

| Manchester City’s Most Recent Matches |

Vs Leeds United (7-0)

Vs Wolves (1-0)

Vs Watford (3-1)

Vs Aston Villa (2-1)

Vs West Ham United (2-1)

Vs Everton (3-0)

▪ Manchester City go in to GW18 off the back of 7 consecutive Premier League wins.

▪ 15 different players have scored for Manchester City in the Premier League in 2021/22.

▪ De Bruyne played 90 mins – Vs Leeds United (7-0) in GW18 – and scored a brace (and appeared to play rather central, having played a bit wide ish in the past it might be Guardiola needs to get him closer to goal, given his excellent creativity and technical ability in striking a ball).

| Manchester City’s Matches Coming Up |

Vs Newcastle United (A)

Vs Leicester City (H)

Vs Brentford (A)

Vs Arsenal (A)

| 19/12/21 | 14:00 (UK) | Molineux | Wolves Vs Chelsea |

| Wolves (4th Least Goals Conceded) Vs Chelsea (2nd Least Goals Conceded Overall) / Recent Form (Scored/Conceded) / Mount |

| Quick Stats Both For Teams / Sá(ves) Saves |

▪ Wolves have conceded 1 goal or less (4 clean sheets) in their previous 6 Premier League matches.

▪ At the time of writing, only 2 goalkeepers (Krul & Meslier) have made more saves than Sa (56) in the Premier League in 2021/22.

▪ Chelsea have conceded in 5 consecutive Premier League matches (Chilwell, Kanté and/or Kovacic have not played in any of said matches).

▪ Chelsea have scored in every Premier League match since GW7.

▪ Chelsea continue to create numerous chances but face one of the best defences in the league.

▪ Only 2 defenders have had more significant returns than James.

▪ Mount had 4 shots on target – Vs Everton (1-1) in GW17 and has scored/assisted 7 Premier League goals since GW9.

| Most Recent Matches (Wolves) |

Vs Brighton (0-1)

Vs Manchester City (1-0)

Vs Liverpool (0-1)

Vs Burnley (0-0)

Vs Norwich City (0-0)

Vs West Ham United (0-0)

| Matches Coming Up (Wolves) |

Vs Chelsea (H)

Vs Watford (H)

Vs Arsenal (A)

Vs Manchester United (A)

| Recent Matches (Chelsea) |

Vs Everton (1-1)

Vs Leeds United (3-2)

Vs West Ham United (3-2)

Vs Watford (2-1)

Vs Manchester United (1-1)

Vs Leicester City (0-3)

| Matches Coming Up |

Vs Wolves (A)

Vs Aston Villa (A)

Vs Brighton (H)

Vs Liverpool (H)

| 19/12/21 | 16:30 (UK) | The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | Spurs Vs Liverpool |

| Spurs To Actually Play Football Again (?) / Liverpool’s Rythm & Form Continues |

| Spurs’ Recent Matches (Yes, Try Not To Laugh, As In Their Previous 6 League Matches) |

Vs Norwich City (3-0)

Vs Brentford (2-0)

Vs Leeds United (2-1)

Vs Everton (0-0)

Vs Manchester United (0-3)

Vs West Ham United (1-0)

▪ Spurs have won 3 of their 4 league matches under Conte.

| Fixtures Coming Up |

Vs Liverpool (H)

Vs Crystal Palace (H)

Vs Southampton (A)

Vs Watford (H)

| Liverpool’s Recent Matches |

Vs Newcastle United (3-1)

Vs Aston Villa (1-0)

Vs Wolves (0-1)

Vs Everton (1-4)

Vs Southampton (4-0)

Vs Arsenal (4-0)

▪ Liverpool go in to GW18 off the back of 6 consecutive Premier League matches.

▪ No defender has more significant returns (clean sheets, assists & goals) than Trent (18) in the Premier League in 2021/22.

▪ No team has scored more goals away from home than Liverpool (26) in the Premier League in 2021/22.

▪ Salah, Mané and Jota are in the top 4 for most shots in the Premier League in 2021/22.

| Matches Coming Up |

Vs Spurs (A)

Vs Leeds United (H)

Vs Leicester City (A)

Vs Chelsea (A)

| Teams/Players Not Involved In GW18 But Possibly To Be Involved From GW19-21 (Pandemic Permitting) |

| Spurs (Play 3 of The Current Bottom Half)|

Reguilón, Son & Possibly Kane (well rested mentally and physically, after playing a massive amount of matches this calender year).

▪ Crystal Palace (at home in GW19) & Watford (away in GW21) are one of the highest conceding teams away from home in the Premier League and Watford have conceded in every league match respectively in 2021/22.

▪ Palace are one of the highest conceding teams away from home in the Premier League in 2021/22.

Manchester United (de Gea, Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford and/or Ronaldo).

▪ Manchester United are set to play 2 of the bottom 3 in GW19 (Vs Newcastle United away) & GW20 (Burnley at home).

| Everton (Doucouré & Gray/Calvert Lewin/Richarlison – If Fit/Depending On Match Fitness) |

▪ Everton have picked up 4 points from their previous 3 matches (2 away), having got those said points against 2 of the current top 4, and are set to play the current bottom half teams (Burnley away, Newcastle United at home and Brighton at home respectively) in GW19, GW20 & GW21.

| Crystal Palace (Guaita, Guéhi, Mitchel, Gallagher and/or Zaha) & Watford (their fixtures are not easy but reasonable and have a direct goal threat under Ranieri).

▪ Crystal Palace are set to play West Ham United at home (with a decent overall away record but have conceded in all but 4 matches) and Spurs at home (have a mixed record away from home in 2021/22).