While the Premier League tends to produce surprise results on a weekly basis, the hectic schedule over the Christmas period only adds to the chances of the lower-placed teams getting the better of their more illustrious opponents. The majority of the managers in the top flight have been quick to criticise the amount of games which they have to play, citing the short turnaround as unrealistic for players who would naturally prefer to spend more time with their families. From a supporters perspective, however, it throws up drama, and we expect to see more of the same on Boxing Day.
Just like bet9ja prediction can help you reach a decision with your football bets on Boxing Day, it may prove beneficial to back the underdogs in several matches later this week. After their relatively surprising defeat at home to Chelsea on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur play host to Brighton & Hove Albion, another team who are capable of using three at the back to good effect. Against their London rivals, Spurs had no answer to Chelsea's change of tactics, and it will only tempt Graham Potter into using the same system on their own visit to face Jose Mourinho's men. Spurs also have to make do without Son Heung-min due to suspension, only improving the odds for Brighton to complete the double over the top-four contenders after their 3-0 victory earlier in the season.
Staying on the topic of Chelsea, they have generally performed better against the higher-quality teams this season, specifically away from Stamford Bridge. Despite all of the positivity surrounding their triumph against Spurs, facing an in-form Southampton outfit at home will throw up a completely different equation, one which may not play into Frank Lampard's favour. The Englishman tends to retain the same team and setup should his players produce a strong performance, but playing a counter-attacking style against the Saints will not necessarily work. The South-coast outfit, on the other hand, will relish the opportunity to play on the break if they can frustrate Chelsea during the early stages, and it would not come as a huge surprise if Ralph Hasenhuttl's men follow in the footsteps of West Ham United and Bournemouth in registering a win and clean sheet in West London.
Manchester United will also feel that they should be recording a home success over Newcastle United, but gone are the days when you can consistently predict the Red Devils to register three points at Old Trafford with a feeling of confidence. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will expect his side to produce a positive response to losing out at Watford at the weekend, but his Newcastle counterpart Steve Bruce has made the Magpies difficult to beat against the top teams. They have already picked up a win at Spurs and draw against Manchester City, while also running Liverpool and Chelsea close at Anfield and Stamford Bridge respectively. Newcastle also head into Saturday's encounter with the incentive to move ahead of Man United in the Premier League table, something which was considered unthinkable at the beginning of the campaign. Much could depend on how Bruce uses a squad which has suffered injuries in recent weeks, but we feel that the North-East outfit will do enough to earn at least a share of the spoils against their former title rivals.
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