Highlights: Chelsea rescue thrilling draw at Newcastle in heated classic
Video credit: TNT Sports
There is a strange feel to December 26 this year, with only one match taking place as Manchester United host Newcastle United at Old Trafford.
It is the fifth time Arsenal have topped the table at Christmas in the Premier League era. Their supporters need no reminder of how the previous four campaigns ended.
The outlook is much more bleak for Wolverhampton Wanderers. They head to Liverpool with just two points on the board, somehow leaving Derby County’s infamous 11-point ‘haul’ from 2007-08 far in the distance.
Ally enjoyed a storming round last time out. Three correct scores powered him to a 13-6 win, cutting Fletch’s overall lead to just eight points. An attempt to sneak an extra three points via the predictions WhatsApp group was swiftly rejected.
Think you know ball? Check out the experts’ picks and have your say by voting on all 10 fixtures below.
| Wins | Points | |
| Fletch | 9 | 124 |
| Ally | 4 | 116 |
Gameweek 18 predictions
| Date | Match | Ally | Fletch |
| Fri, Dec 26, 20:00 | Man Utd v Newcastle | 1-2 | 2-2 |
| Sat, Dec 27, 12:30 | Nottingham Forest v Man City (TNT) | 1-3 | 0-2 |
| Sat, Dec 27, 15:00 | Arsenal v Brighton | 3-0 | 2-0 |
| Sat, Dec 27, 15:00 | Brentford v Bournemouth | 2-1 | 2-1 |
| Sat, Dec 27, 15:00 | Burnley v Everton | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Sat, Dec 27, 15:00 | Liverpool v Wolves | 3-0 | 4-0 |
| Sat, Dec 27, 15:00 | West Ham v Fulham | 2-1 | 1-1 |
| Sat, Dec 27, 17:30 | Chelsea at Aston Villa | 2-2 | 2-1 |
| Sun, Dec 28, 14:00 | Sunderland v Leeds | 2-1 | 2-1 |
| Sun, Dec 28, 16:30 | Crystal Palace in Tottenham | 2-1 | 2-1 |
Selected matches:
Man Utd v Newcastle
Ally:
Prediction: Man Utd 1-2 Newcastle
Fletch: “Tricky one this. No Bruno Fernandes for Man Utd, which I think is a problem for them. When Newcastle are hot, they are really good; when they are cold, they can lose to anyone. I think we might end up with a draw here.”
Prediction: Man Utd 2-2 Newcastle
Nottingham Forest v Man City
Ally:
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-3 Man City
Fletch: “I just think City are as good as anybody right now. They are on a roll, playing well, plus Forest have got a few injuries. City know they’ve got to keep winning games. Forest are good at home, but I just think City will be too good for them.”
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Man City
Get involved: Vote on Gameweek 18 fixtures
Now it is over to you, the audience. Vote on the results for the next round of fixtures below!
You had a superb Gameweek 17, drawing level at the top. Can you take the outright lead for the first time this season? Here is how you are getting on so far:
| Points (match result only) | |
| Fletch | 84 |
| You (voter average) | 84 |
| Ally | 77 |
FRIDAY
Man Utd v Newcastle
SATURDAY
Nottingham Forest v Man City (TNT)
Arsenal v Brighton
Brentford v Bournemouth
Burnley v Everton
Liverpool v Wolves
West Ham v Fulham
Chelsea at Aston Villa
SUNDAY
Sunderland v Leeds
Crystal Palace in Tottenham
Ally vs Fletch scoring – and how you can play along
Each gameweek, Ally and Fletch predict the scores for every game and offer some hot takes on the biggest matches. The points system:
- One point for getting the right result (win, draw or loss)
- Three points for getting the score bang on
- Double points for matches on TNT Sports
Want to get involved? You can vote on the result of every game – win, lose or draw – above, with a separate leaderboard tracking how you stack up against the experts.
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