Premier League Matchweek 16 Preview and Prediction
Our expert analyst has made his picks for the upcoming round of matches, with the league table now taking shape as we embark on a busy run until the festive period.
Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table now stands at just four points, with Chelsea having surged into title contention, while the bottom three teams are at risk of being cut off from the sides above them.
Matchday 16 will see matches spread across Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Title contenders Arsenal and Liverpool will play home matches against Everton and Fulham, respectively, as part of five fixtures on Saturday.
Four Sunday games include a massive Manchester Derby between champions Man City and Man Utd, who are in danger of suffering a third consecutive Premier League defeat under Ruben Amorim.
A Monday fixture between in-form Bournemouth and a West Ham team who are looking to rebuild their season rounds out the action.
Ahead of what looks set to be an entertaining group of Premier League fixtures, let’s check our expert's match predictions.
Man City vs Man Utd Preview and Prediction
Two fallen Mancunian mammoths headline this weekend's round of Premier League action, as Manchester City and Manchester United renew hostilities at the Etihad in Sunday's Manchester derby.
While Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim will be experiencing his first taste of derby day since taking charge of the 20-time English champions, he has already masterminded one slaughter of the Citizens in 2024-25.
A corner had seemingly been turned when Nottingham Forest rocked up to the Etihad and left battered and bruised after a 3-0 defeat, but City reverted to weak ways in the Premier League at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park home, where they had to come from behind twice just to snatch a share of the spoils.
Now reeling from their seventh defeat in 10 matches in all competitions - a form that could justifiably lead to the sacking of most managers not named Guardiola - Man City are only just clinging onto a top-four place in the Premier League table and are eight points behind leaders Liverpool at the time of writing.
Results going against them on Saturday could bump City out of the Champions League berths before the derby, but if there is any crumb of comfort for the Citizens faithful to cling onto, it is the fact that their stuttering side has scored three goals in back-to-back home games against Feyenoord and Forest.
Man United's number one was culpable for Matej Vydra's opening goal in the Europa League affair, but Hojlund's brace off the bench saw Amorim join an exclusive club of Man United managers; only Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson also won both of their first two continental games in charge of the club.
Victory in Europe was the ideal tonic to back-to-back Premier League losses to Arsenal and - surprisingly - Nottingham Forest, who also capitalised on horror moments from Onana and his defence last weekend to leave the Red Devils in an unlucky 13th place in the table.
Indeed, the Red Devils have failed to win any of their last five Premier League matches on the road, have only beaten Southampton away from home in the top flight this term and boast just two successes from their last 13 league games on rival territory.
Man City have also conquered their formerly noisy neighbours in each of their last three meetings at the Etihad, and should Guardiola's men give themselves a shot in the arm with derby delight on Sunday, Amorim would have suffered three straight top-flight losses for the first time in his fledgling managerial career.
PREDICTION: Manchester City 3-2 Manchester United
City's diminished defence, Man United's propensity to gift goals to the opposition and the visitors' shoddy form away from home all point to a Manchester derby living up to the pre-game billing, and for the second time this season, Guardiola and Amorim could witness their outfits share five goals between them.
However, a repeat of the Portuguese's 4-1 pummelling with Sporting is surely out of the question; we do back the Red Devils to breach a depleted City backline more than once, but the champions remain an attacking force to be reckoned with at home and can capitalise on their visitors' Thursday night fatigue to prevail in an exhilarating encounter.
Arsenal FC vs Everton FC: HOME WIN @1.22
Liverpool FC vs Fulham FC: HOME WIN @1.34
Chelsea FC vs Brentford FC: HOME WIN @1.34
Southampton FC vs Tottenham Hotspur: OVER 2.5 @1.30
SPANISH LA LIGA
Rayo Vallecano vs Real Madrid: 2 DNB @1.22
Atletico Madrid vs Getafe CF: HOME WIN @1.42
Villarreal CF vs Real Betis Seville: 1.27
FC Barcelona vs CD Leganes: OVER 2.5 @1.32
GERMAN BUNDESLIGA
FC Augsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen: OVER 1.5 @1.20
FSV Mainz vs Bayern Munich: OVER 2.5 @1.52
Borussia Dortmund vs TSG Hoffenheim: OVER 2.5 @1.39
RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @1.47
