The holiday period can sometimes prove pivotal in the title race and Chelsea go into Christmas three points clear of champions Manchester City.
Goals by John Terry and Cesc Fabregas were enough to claim all three points against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium on Monday and the Blues now face London rivals West Ham. The game gets under way at 12.45 and it will be interesting to see whether Sam Allardyce employs the same defensive policy which yielded a 0-0 draw last season.
Jose Mourinho labelled it “19th century football” but that did not concern Allardyce. His side are performing with a lot more credit this season and a top ten finish looks distinctly possible. A feisty encounter seems assured but Chelsea can match any team physically and can grab another victory.
Man City are on their travels at West Brom and they should keep up the pressure on Mourinho’s side with the minimum of fuss. They have won all but one of their last nine meetings with the Baggies and can be backed with confidence on the handicap.
Arsenal did not impress everyone with their 2-2 draw at Anfield but they should have too much fire power for QPR. Harry Redknapp’s side are still seeking their first away point of the season and this does not look like providing it. Olivier Giroud is in unstoppable form at present and he can fire the Gunners to victory.
Liverpool deserved their point against Arsenal, even if they required a goal deep into injury-time. They were down to ten men at the time so Brendan Rodgers will not doubt their commitment. They visit struggling Burnley who have failed to score in five of their last six games. The home side will see this as an opportunity to cause an upset but Liverpool’s superior quality can see them home.
Stoke were very poor against Chelsea on Monday night, other than a few fleeting moments in the second half. They are unlikely to get any change out of a visit to Goodison Park who will be looking to Ross Barkley to continue his return to full fitness. He will give their attack a new dimension which has been lacking in the early part of the season.
Manchester United’s progress was temporarily stalled by Aston Villa at the weekend, a costly result for those attempting accumulator bets on the top teams. They host a Newcastle side that has failed to progress from their shock 2-1 win over Chelsea. Van Persie has a fine scoring record against the Magpies and can again feature in an entertaining fixture.
Tips
Chelsea to beat West Ham by one goal @14-5 Ladbrokes
Liverpool to beat Burnley @17-20 Coral
Ross Barkley to score and Everton beat Stoke @7-2 Bet365
Van Persie to score and Man United beat Newcastle @7-5 Bwin
Olivier Giroud to score and Arsenal beat QPR @11-10 Bwin
Man City (-1.0 handicap) to beat West Brom @13-8 Spreadex
