Dimitar Berbatov previews the Christmas Premier League action (Picture: Metro / Getty)
Fixtures come thick and fast over the course of the Christmas period and there are some blockbusters to look forward to.
All eyes will be on Anfield come Saturday when the top two go head-to-head, where leaders Arsenal are without a win since 2012.
The Reds fired blanks against Manchester United last weekend and will not want to drop more points at home, particularly against a title rival.
As ever, Dimitar Berbatov previews the action for Metro.co.uk…
Crystal Palace vs Brighton
Roy Hodgson and Crystal Palace caused a major shock against Man City last weekend (Picture: Getty)
I was watching the Man City vs Crystal Palace game and I was thinking to myself, ‘what is going on?’. How was the draw even possible? It was 2-0, and I thought City would score another three goals. But Crystal Palace, man! Football can be strange. Now, Crystal Palace against Brighton, a derby and Palace are so unpredictable, so I’ll go for another draw.
Prediction: 1-1
Aston Villa vs Sheffield United
Come on, Villa! I want them to keep doing what they are doing. Villa are flying and I want them to surprise everyone. The manager will play a vital role. Do you remember what Ranieri used to do at Leicester when they were going for a surprise title? As strange as it sounds, you try to downplay what is happening, but at the same time, you understand what you’re doing, you just don’t want to put so much pressure on the team. You want to continue enjoying your football – and this is what the manager needs to do right now. Sheffield United, well, they’ll probably be relegated. I’ll go for Villa.
Prediction: 2-0
West Ham vs Man United
Jarrod Bowen will fancy his chances of scoring against Manchester United (Picture: Getty)
This is a tough one. West Ham can surprise people – on their day they can beat you, on another day they can lose 5-0 to Fulham. Man United will at least be happy with a clean sheet behind them from Anfield, but this is a tough place to go. I’ll go for a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
Spurs vs Everton
Sean Dyche is great, I love him! But Spurs are on a roll and before they lose Son, who is going to the AFC Asian Cup in January, they need to take full advantage of his role in the team. Richarlison will need to step up even more when Son is not there and now he is scoring goals. Spurs need to win to stay close to the top four, so I will go for them.
Prediction: 2-1
Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth
Nottingham Forest have a big cushion on the teams below them, but they can’t allow themselves to think they’re safe in any way. It will be the new managers first game, so who knows what team he will choose or how the fans will react. I’ll go for a draw here.
Prediction: 1-1
Fulham vs Burnley
Burnley are in big, big trouble. They are now six points off safety and don’t look to be improving. Fulham though, well they are doing what they do; they play good football which I like to see and have scored 10 goals in their last two home games. It’s a great moment for Fulham to continue their form against Burnley, who are struggling a lot. I’m going for a Fulham win.
Prediction: 3-1
Luton vs Newcastle
Can Luton surprise Newcastle? I think they can by playing direct football and trying to bully the opposition. As sad as the moment is with Tom Lockyer, you can use it as motivation for the rest of the team. Try to go out there and win this game for your captain. I am going to go for Luton to get the win.
Prediction: 2-1
Liverpool vs Arsenal
Kai Havertz has found his shooting boots for Arsenal (Picture: Getty)
A great game at Anfield between two of the top teams, and I’ll go for a draw here. Both teams know how to play football and can hurt the other. I think If Arsenal can hold out in that opening 10 minutes of Liverpool pressing and trying to score when the crowd is up and the noise is loud, then I can see a draw at the end.
Prediction: 1-1
Wolves vs Chelsea
Man, the players will hate that fixture! I’ll go for a surprise result because Chelsea are travelling on Christmas Eve. They’re away from their families, so I’ll go with Wolves to surprise Chelsea as nobody wants to be playing on Christmas Eve!
Prediction: 1-0
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Some huge games to come over the Christmas period.
