⛅️ Friday Forecast: Dyche returns, tricky trip for City, Isak to star | OneFootball

After a frantic end to the transfer window it’s time to get back to the real action.

Here are our predictions ahead of this weekend’s Premier League fixtures.

💪 Game of the weekend

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City

Less than two weeks has passed since Manchester City 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur, now it’s time for the sequel.

Pep Guardiola laid into his players and the supporters after that match in the hope of getting a response as they aim to overtake Arsenal in their bid to retain their title.

It’s been two wins without conceding since, so perhaps Guardiola’s rant has worked, but the champions visit an unhappy hunting ground this weekend.

City have lost on their last four visits to Tottenham in all competitions without scoring a goal and the other half of north London will be hoping their neighbours can do them a favour.

Spurs will be without Antonio Conte in the dugout as the Italian recovers from having a gallbladder removed and his players will be aiming to inflict another blow to City’s record and continue that remarkable record over the visitors.

📊 Fun fact: City have lost two of their last five Premier League away games, as many as in their previous 37 on the road.

🔮 Our prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Manchester City

😨 Potential upset

Everton v Arsenal

This might sound like a stretch, but hear us out.

Despite the arrival of Sean Dyche as manager earlier this week, the mood colour is gloomy around Goodison Park currently.

Anthony Gordon joined Newcastle for £40m but that money wasn’t reinvested, leaving the Toffees extremely light in attack and with their backs against the wall as they look to avoid relegation to the Championship.

They probably could have done without a visit from the league leaders this weekend but Dyche is known for making his teams resilient and tough to break down.

Could the home fans give their new man an extra boost on Saturday lunchtime in a bid to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season?

📊 Fun fact: Arsenal could become the first team in English league history to register 100 wins against a specific opponent if they win on Saturday.

🔮 Our prediction: Everton 1-0 Arsenal

👍 Big favourites

Manchester United v Crystal Palace

It’s all rosey in the garden again at Old Trafford, isn’t it?

The Red Devils have a trip to Wembley to look forward to after seeing off Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup and look strong bets for a top four finish based on the first half of the season.

Erik ten Hag’s side haven’t lost at home since the opening day of the season and are coming up against a team that have won just one of their last seven.

This is only going one way.

📊 Fun fact: United have won just one of their last five league games against Palace and haven’t gone three top-flight games without a win against them since 1970.

🔮 Our prediction: Manchester United 3-1 Crystal Palace

🤔 Too close to call

Wolves v Liverpool

Wolves have lost to Liverpool in all eight meetings since their return to the Premier League in 2019.

But if there is ever a time to beat Liverpool, it’s now. They are hurting after recent league defeats to Brighton and Brentford. They appeared to have tightened up at the back in the FA Cup visit to Molineux but the last minute defeat to the Seagulls in the same competition would have stung.

Jürgen Klopp’s current side are a pale imitation of the one that has finished in the top three in each of the last five campaigns.

Their hosts have been heavily backed in the January transfer window with seven new arrivals. There’s a feel-good factor around Julen Lopetegui’s side and their quest to stay in the league.

A rare win over Liverpool on Saturday would aid that ambition massively.

📊 Fun fact: Liverpool have lost five of their nine away games so far this season, as many as they had across the two previous seasons combined.

🔮 Our prediction: Wolves 1-1 Liverpool

🔥 Your Fantasy Football captain should be …

Alexander Isak (Newcastle)

Isak’s Newcastle career took a while to get going due to a hamstring injury which kept him sidelined for the best part of three months.

But the Swede has looked like he might be about to start purring since his return, with a goal and an assist in his four substitute appearances.

He is surely knocking on Eddie Howe’s door for a start at this stage and this weekend’s opponents might be the perfect time to launch the €70m man.

16th-placed West Ham have kept just one clean sheet on their travels all season.

Other predictions

Chelsea 2-1 Fulham Aston Villa 2-0 Leicester City Brentford 2- 2 Southampton Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0 Bournemouth Nottingham Forest 2- 1 Leeds United