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No Mohamed Salah discussions in the Premier League this weekend because he's gone to Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt! If Liverpool get the money they want, I think they will sell Salah in January. It also depends on whether they can then go and get Antoine Semenyo, or whoever they consider as an ideal replacement, in the same window.
Salah walked up to the Kop after the Brighton game and it was an emotional moment. We'll have to wait and see if that was his official farewell to the Liverpool fans. I can't put my finger on it and say he will definitely return to Anfield after the AFCON!
On that note, let us dive straight into my predictions for gameweek 17 in the Premier League.
Newcastle United vs Chelsea
This is a massive football match. I was at Cardiff the other day watching Chelsea getting an important win in the cup. Now they take the trip to Newcastle in what is a fixture that can have great impact on who finishes inside the top four in the Premier League.
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If Chelsea win this game, they will be nine points ahead of Newcastle. I don't think Newcastle will be able to catch up with Chelsea if that kind of lead opens up between them.
Both these teams will not catch Arsenal or Manchester City. So they are essentially fighting for the remaining European spots. And there is a lot of competition for teams to finish behind Arsenal and City.
Newcastle can't get going at home for some reason. Now they play back-to-back games against Chelsea and Manchester United at home. If Newcastle win these two games, they have a strong chance of finishing in the top four.
Cole Palmer returning to the Chelsea line-up is a massive boost to Enzo Maresca's team. We saw his impact against Everton. It wasn't the best of performances from Chelsea, but he still grabbed a really good goal.
We must not forget that Chelsea were playing competitive football till July last season. They will be forced to manage the minutes of Palmer and others with so many games coming up in the next few weeks. It will be interesting to see how many matches Palmer starts in the festive period.
I didn't think Newcastle were great in their win over Fulham in the cup. Chelsea have been decent away from home as well. I think this will be a draw and that's a good result for Chelsea.
Prediction: Newcastle United 1-1 Chelsea
Wolves vs Brentford
I still don't see where Wolves are going to win a football match! They were decent against Arsenal but it was a game where they put 10 men behind the ball. When Arsenal got a goal, Wolves had to have a go and that's when they looked good.
This is the problem with Wolves. When they don't have to take the initiative in games, they look decent sitting back. But this game against Brentford is at home and they need to have a go to try and get their first win. I must admit, that does not suit them at all here.
The next five games are so crucial for Brentford. After that, they face Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Arsenal. The amount of points Brentford can get before this run of games will be crucial in terms of where they finish the season.
If Brentford win this game, they can go 10 points clear of West Ham in 18th-place. That is a good enough gap from the relegation zone. But if they lose, the gap could be seven points. We've seen Liverpool and Arsenal lose their footing on seven-point leads at the top, so that can happen at the bottom too.
Brentford will be disappointed with their draw against Leeds last weekend. I expect them to bounce back and get maximum points here.
Prediction: Wolves 1-2 Brentford
Manchester City vs West Ham United
I can't see anything but a win for Manchester City here. Both Erling Haaland and Phil Foden are enjoying some incredible form and City are now putting severe pressure on Arsenal.
There are still 22 games left, so I'd still back Arsenal for the league title. But if only five games were left now and both Arsenal and City were playing like they are now, I'd always back Pep Guardiola's team!
Manchester City cannot keep relying only on Haaland and Foden though. They need contributions from everyone like at Arsenal. That's why Rayan Cherki finding some form is a big positive for City.
I'm backing City to win and go above Arsenal in the points table before the Gunners face Everton, which is quite extraordinary to think of after the starts made by both teams.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 West Ham United
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Sunderland
What an incredible win for Sunderland in the derby last weekend. I didn't see that one coming, if I'm being honest! Credit to Sunderland, they have recruited well and everything is clicking for them at the moment.
But the problem they face now is that many of their key players will be unavailable due to AFCON. Granit Xhaka has been one of the best players in the league this season, but Noah Sadiki gives Sunderland the legs in midfield. Sadiki is away on international duty with DR Congo. I think Sunderland will struggle without him.
I have a feeling Brighton will win this game. If they get three points, they can go above Sunderland in the table. With several key players missing for the visitors, I expect Brighton to take full advantage at home.
Prediction: Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Sunderland
Bournemouth vs Burnley
I keep saying last chance, last chance for Burnley every weekend. But that last chance is gone now and I think they will get relegated! I don't see how Burnley can get out of the bottom-three now.
Bournemouth played an incredible game at Old Trafford on Monday. If it becomes that kind of a game, Burnley will get brushed aside. Seven losses on the trot for Burnley now so it's hard to see them getting a win here.
Antoine Semenyo scored against Manchester United and is expected to leave Bournemouth in 2026. Liverpool have been linked with wanting to sign him, but is that the perfect club for him? More teams have a go at Manchester United than Liverpool and there is a lot of space on the pitch at Old Trafford.
When was the last time Salah went one-on-one with the goalkeeper? It doesn't happen often with teams' strategy against Liverpool. Semenyo is a willing runner, but he enjoys space on the pitch. Even though Liverpool are a better team than Manchester United, I ain't so sure he fits perfectly at Anfield! There will also be the added pressure of replacing Salah.
Getting beat by Fulham was a kick in the teeth for Burnley. Nothing but a Bournemouth win in this one.
Prediction: Bournemouth 3-1 Burnley
Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool
Tottenham were atrocious last week against Nottingham Forest. If you take away the games against Brentford and Slavia Prague, Spurs have struggled so bad in recent weeks.
I said to you before, the day Thomas Frank came out and called Tottenham fans out for not being real supporters, I thought he was done at the club! Spurs are 11th in the league now. If Newcastle draw, Bournemouth and Brentford win like I've predicted, Tottenham could be 14th or 15th by the end of the weekend, which is not good enough.
Hugo Ekitike has to start ahead of Alexander Isak in this game. When we look at Isak's struggles, it just reminds us how important it is to have a proper pre-season. Liverpool could be in the top four or top five if they win, so they should play Ekitike.
Who comes in for Salah on the right? There is the option of using Federico Chiesa and he deserves more minutes. But I just feel like Dominik Szoboszlai might play there in this game. His best position is in midfield, but Slot may use him there and deploy Curtis Jones in midfield.
Liverpool have not set the world alight with their performances but they are unbeaten in their last five games with three wins. I can see them beating Tottenham comfortably.
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Liverpool
Leeds United vs Crystal Palace
I'm going for Leeds to win this one! Crystal Palace look like a really tired football team now. I know Palace made several changes in midweek, but I doubt they have a chance here.
Leeds have turned a bent in recent weeks. They are now on a run of three games without a defeat. If you're a Leeds fan and you need more positivity, they have also scored at least one goal in each of their last six games. If you need to stay up, you need to score goals. In this league, 0-0 draws won't get you anywhere!
I believe it's a direct battle between Leeds and West Ham to avoid relegation. If Brentford lose this weekend, you can consider them to be in it too, but that's unlikely. If Leeds play with the same tempo we've seen them in recent weeks, they can beat Palace by half-time at Elland Road!
Prediction: Leeds United 2-0 Crystal Palace
Everton vs Arsenal
Arsenal will be second in the league by the time they play this game and that would be a shocker to them. It's not long ago that Arsenal were four or five points clear at the top of the table, look how quickly it has changed!
This game will tell us if Arsenal can actually win the Premier League this season. If they fail to beat Everton, they will be second in the table at Christmas. Who would have thought that four weeks ago? Who would have thought that with just one minute to go at Villa Park?
Everton are a different animal with Kieran Dewsbury-Hall and Jack Grealish in their team. They played well even though they lost to Chelsea last weekend. A few years ago, I would have backed Arsenal to win this game comfortably. But when I look at this Everton team, I think they can cause Arsenal a few problems.
I think Arsenal will go with Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyokeres as their front-three in this game. The problem is what they do in midfield with Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard. Eze fell asleep at the far post against Villa and Odegaard was outstanding in that game. I think Mikel Arteta should trust Odegaard instead of Eze here.
Arsenal will be under immense pressure during this game. When I watched them against Wolves, I thought they looked a bit nervous. I'm going to back Arsenal to win, but the more I think about it, the more I start doubting my prediction!
Prediction: Everton 1-2 Arsenal
Aston Villa vs Manchester United
You know what? I really enjoyed watching Manchester United the other day against Bournemouth. The first 20 minutes, they were simply outstanding. United brought pace, guile and had Bournemouth on the ropes!
And then suddenly, they gave away everything and conceded a really poor goal to Antoine Semenyo. I feel Aston Villa will have too much for United on Sunday. Villa are playing with so much confidence. Even when they went behind to West Ham, we knew they would win that game.
I don't care what league you are in, but if you are on a run like Villa now, you are a really good team! In the Arsenal game, they did not settle for a point and that shows how relentless and confident they are at the moment.
Except for the Liverpool game, Villa have scored in all their matches since mid-September. I don't see how United can outscore them. It's a big pitch at Villa Park and both teams will have a go at each other. I expect goals, goals and more goals with Villa coming out on top.
Prediction: Aston Villa 3-1 Manchester United
Fulham vs Nottingham Forest
Fulham are a decent team and have performed well in recent weeks. I thought they were a bit unlucky in their cup exit to Newcastle.
When I look at Fulham's next opponents Nottingham Forest, I don't see them struggling to avoid relegation. I expect them to move up quickly in the table. In fact, I don't think they will finish the season in the bottom half!
But Forest need to start producing results away from home. They won at Wolves, but that is a game everyone expects to win. Fulham will provide a strong challenge here.
Harry Wilson is thriving off the confidence from his recent performances. I saw him play against Newcastle and whenever he got on the ball, he looked confident and lively. He's scored a couple of worldie goals as well recently.
I like him as a player. Wilson is now starting to finally show the kind of form that he first displayed when he came through at Liverpool. You can't do that at a club like Liverpool if you aren't a good footballer!
I don't think there's much difference between these two teams. When the season ends, I believe there may just be a point or two separating them in the table. Draw here.
Prediction: Fulham 2-2 Nottingham Forest
