Paul Merson predicts Manchester City vs Tottenham and other Premier League GW12 fixtures
Right then, no more international breaks until March. We're now entering the most exciting phase of a Premier League season. From now until the turn of the year, the fixtures come thick and fast. It all begins this weekend, where we have a number of interesting fixtures to look forward to.
In terms of the title race, Arsenal are in last chance saloon already! If they lose this weekend and Liverpool win, they will go 12 points behind. That gap is too big to recover from in my opinion.
Manchester City have not been their usual self and have a huge task at hand when they host Tottenham Hotspur. There's a lot riding on this weekend and I can't wait to see how it all unfolds.
Without further ado, let's dive straight into my predictions for Premier League gameweek 12:
Leicester City vs Chelsea
The only reason why you would think Leicester have a chance here is because we are coming off an international break. Chelsea would have had players involved with their national teams and their travel could have been tiring. But I would still have to go with Chelsea in this one. They are playing alright and I have a feeling this could be an easy win.
The game against Arsenal was quite even and it shows Chelsea are on the right track under Enzo Maresca. Four years ago, Chelsea would have lost that game after conceding first but they ended up grabbing a point.
I would be shocked if Chelsea finished above Arsenal though. Their squad is really young and I doubt they can get third place this season. If they win the Europa Conference League and finish inside the top four, that would count as a successful campaign. It will also make them the first club to win all three European trophies on offer now.
Leicester are not expected to cause Chelsea a lot of problems here. I'm predicting an easy win for the Blues.
Prediction: Leicester City 0-3 Chelsea
Fulham vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves got a massive result before the international break when they beat Southampton 2-0. But this is a really difficult game for them against Fulham. After this game at Craven Cottage, they face Bournemouth (H), Everton (A), West Ham United (A), Ipswich Town (H) and Leicester (A). Gary O'Neill has to look at those fixtures and believe they can put on a bit of a run.
If Wolves are not six points clear of the relegation zone by the end of December, they will get relegated!
Fulham are underrated in my opinion. Marco Silva is doing a great job there. Over the years, we have had teams like Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, who can upset big teams. Fulham are in that category now. They are expected to get some good results this season and cause problems along the way for the big boys in this league.
I don't think Fulham will qualify for European football though. There are stronger teams than them that are competing for it and they could come up short. However, this game against Wolves shouldn't be a problem for them.
Prediction: Fulham 2-0 Wolves
Everton vs Brentford
Everton need to start winning football matches. It's becoming a bit of a five-horse race to avoid relegation now and I will not count Everton in that. But if they do what they did against Southampton a few weeks ago, they will be pulled back into that conversation!
It's because of the way Everton play that I feel they will always somehow get out of trouble in the end. Make no mistake, this is a hard game for Everton and I don't think they will win. I look at this game and Brentford are a team that score a lot of goals, Everton don't. So I have to back Brentford to win here.
Who needs a player in January? Bryan Mbeumo is a good choice. One thing that was missing from his game was goals, but now he has brought that to the table as well. It depends on who wants to sign him though. I don't see a mid-table club spending £40-50 million to get him in January. So it's a question of whether one of the big boys want him, I doubt that. He has to keep doing what he is doing for the rest of the season. If he does that, he will be bought by someone, one million per cent sure.
Prediction: Everton 0-1 Brentford
Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest
It is a tricky game for Arsenal because they have no more mistakes left in them now. They have to keep winning, it's as simple as that. Nottingham Forest are actually a better team away from home. But that 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United in their last game is a sign of their good start slowly wearing off now.
I feel Arsenal's midfield will be too much for Forest in this game. The likes of Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey will dominate them. Forest are always a threat on the counter-attack, but I'm not sure if Chris Wood can cause too many problems to the like of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
This is a cup final for Arsenal, a must-win game. Mikel Arteta and company have some lovely fixtures coming up and will be hopeful of putting on a solid run. I back them to win their next six or seven games and it starts with this one.
Except Liverpool, they have now already played away games against all the teams that finished in the top six last season. And we're only 11 games into the season! That shows how tough a run they've had and now it's time for them to enjoy some of the relatively easier fixtures. Arsenal have to keep winning and if they win their next six or seven games, they will be back in the title race and will have every chance to win it.
If it becomes a 12-point gap between them and the league leaders, then Arsenal have no chance. They are nine points behind Liverpool now, that's why it's a cup final from here on.
Prediction: Arsenal 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Bournemouth vs Brighton & Hove Albion
What a game we have on our hands here, this will be good. Brighton beat Manchester City 2-1 at home last time out, they should have beaten Liverpool too in my opinion. There's not a lot wrong with this team, just like their opponents Bournemouth. That's why this is one of the most entertaining games of the week in my opinion, there will be goals in it too.
If I had to pick one standout player from Bournemouth I would choose Evanilson. To come into this league and play, it's really difficult. But he looks lively and he's a real threat. He has surprised me with how well he has been playing after coming here. I would even say he's doing better than Dominic Solanke at the moment, which is crazy considering he is the replacement for the latter at Bournemouth.
Evanilson has scored four goals in his last six appearances and that includes some important goals like the one in the win over Manchester City and the late equaliser (90+6') away at Aston Villa. Not many players from Portugal come here and do that well, Cristiano Ronaldo is an exception!
I would like to say some things about Danny Welbeck as well. He has been outstanding for Brighton this season. He plays every week, virtually every game and still scores goals at this age. Barring the last two games, he had four goals in five matches. They were big goals too, especially that one in the comeback win over Tottenham. I have to give him a special mention, his goal returns have improved so much.
Prediction: Bournemouth 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace
Big game for both teams. Aston Villa have to get back to winning ways. Form-wise they have dropped off a bit and they must turn that around quickly. Villa are without a win in their last five games across all competitions, having lost four on the trot after the draw with Bournemouth.
During this wretched run of form, Crystal Palace beat Villa in the EFL Cup round of 16 clash. But Palace are still in a bit of trouble in the league in my opinion. After this trip to Villa, they have some huge games coming up where they face Newcastle (H), Ipswich (A), Manchester City (H), Brighton (A) and Arsenal (A). That's a tough run.
I'm backing Villa to get back on track with a win here. They are ninth in the league now, if they don't win again, they will drift away from the big boys quickly. I know they are only one point away from third-place, but there are five teams in front of them. Their goal difference is zero, which is madness. Tottenham are actually behind Villa and Spurs' goal difference is +10!
Goal difference acts as an extra point in this league, so Villa must be careful and work in improving it. They also have Juventus coming up in the Champions League and like I always say, they must not get caught up with that playing on their minds. It has to be one game at a time.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2-0 Crystal Palace
Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur
If someone would have said to me at the start of the season that Manchester City would lose four games in a row, I would have said never in a million years! Yet, here we are. It doesn't get any easier for them this weekend, Tottenham are a tough opponent.
But then again, Tottenham are Spursy. Who would have thought they would get beat by Ipswich? Still, it wouldn't shock me if Spurs get a result here simply because Manchester City have not been Manchester City for a while now.
Since the draw against Newcastle, barring the wins over Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Praha, City have not wiped the floor with anyone like we are used to seeing. I just can't imagine them losing five in a row, that's why I'm going for a City win here. But I can assure you it won't be an easy win.
Tottenham have history of getting results against City, it goes back a long time. I remember them getting a result under Harry Redknapp in the 2009-10 season to qualify for Europe, thanks to a goal from Peter Crouch. So it's a tricky game. There is no pressure on Tottenham this week and if they click, I think they have a chance. That's why I say I wouldn't be shocked if Spurs get a result.
Manchester City not being their usual self is entirely down to Rodri's absence and not because Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan aren't firing. Rodri moves the ball quickly and that opens up space, City are missing that now. But I certainly think Gundogan looks nowhere near the player he was before, he is struggling.
Prediction: Manchester City 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton vs Liverpool
I can't see anything but a Liverpool win here. The only game they lost this season was after the international break in September, but I doubt that will happen again. I can't see Southampton passing the ball around like they do for 90 minutes and not shoot themselves on the foot. I have a feeling Southampton will score though. But over the 90 minutes, they will get hammered. If Liverpool can take their chances, it could become a rout!
Liverpool have the easiest fixture among the top three this weekend. If they win and the others slip-up, the title race is over. We're on thin ice with these teams at the moment.
The contract situation at Liverpool is getting a bit nervy, isn't it? I got this feeling that one of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk or Mohamed Salah will sign a pre-contract agreement with another club in January. We might not see it in public, but they might just do it. If you've got just six months left on your contract and you get injured, what happens then? Better safe than sorry.
I'm not sure if Van Dijk will do it, but one of the other two might. I think it could be Alexander-Arnold, especially with talk about Real Madrid as well.
Everything is perfect at Liverpool now, so no one is talking about this situation. But if they start losing games, it could get a little bit toxic with fans calling them out. I might be wrong, but the fans will be angry, especially with someone homegrown like Alexander-Arnold if he doesn't sign and they start losing. When you think of it, it's actually quite unbelievable. They are probably the first three names on the team sheet at Liverpool and yet they are out of contract in six months!
Prediction: Southampton 0-3 Liverpool
Ipswich Town vs Manchester United
It's a good first game to be in charge if you're Ruben Amorim, but it's also a dangerous game and I'll tell you why. Manchester United cannot lose this game, that would be catastrophic. But if they win, people are going to be like, 'it's only Ipswich, of course you had to win'.
This is certainly a tough game for United. I'm backing them to win but I don't think it will be easy. Amorim will want to play three at the back, this is a good game to test that out. Even though I feel United will win against Ipswich, I have a sneaky feeling about this game.
Marcus Rashford was clearly not the first-choice in attack under Ruud van Nistelrooy. So he has to turn things around under Amorim. If he is unable to do that, I think United have a big problem. Rashford's wages are going to become an issue if they want to move him on. I don't know who buys him at the moment. It will be interesting to see how he performs under Amorim, certainly something to keep an eye on.
Prediction: Ipswich Town 1-2 Manchester United
Newcastle United vs West Ham United
Newcastle are starting to pick up pace now. They have won three in a row and sit just a point off third-place. I can see them winning this game. If they start this game well, they will run riot.
West Ham got absolutely rinsed 3-0 by Nottingham Forest a couple of weeks back. I don't even know how they beat Manchester United! I worry for West Ham, but I still think they will give Julen Lopetegui a lot more time. If they weren't going to back him, they would have got rid of him after the draw with Everton before the international break.
If you are counting on Lopetegui to turn it around against Newcastle here and Arsenal next, you are delusional! I don't think he will be there long-term, but he still has time. West Ham have a clash against Leicester coming up in two games' time (3 December), that's a cup final and if he does not win, he won't be in the job.
I'd be shocked if West Ham get anything out of this game. It has Newcastle written all over it. I'm backing the hosts to slaughter West Ham and become a strong candidate in the race for top four.
Prediction: Newcastle United 3-0 West Ham United