Premier League GW18 predictions: Man City return to winning ways as Man United falter again

As families up and down the state tuck into their turkey leftovers, 20 Premier League teams volition beryllium putting connected a festive spectacle crossed December 26 and 27, including 8 intriguing Boxing Day battles.

Champions-in-crisis Manchester City footwear disconnected the post-Christmas enactment astatine location to Everton successful the December 26 lunchtime kickoff, respective hours earlier rubric favourites Liverpool invited Leicester City to Anfield.

In betwixt the 12.30pm and 8pm fixtures, Chelsea and Fulham fastener horns successful a West London derby astatine Craven Cottage, portion Manchester United person galore wrongs to close distant to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Nottingham Forest besides look a stern trial of their Champions League credentials astatine location to Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United's location conflict with Aston Villa has each the makings of a fascinating fixture.

Let america not hide the 4 teams who besides person the luxury of a football-free Boxing Day; Arsenal instrumentality connected Ipswich Town successful North London connected December 27, the aforesaid evening that Brighton & Hove Albion tackle Brentford.

Another Premier League gameweek means different Sports Mole prediction contention against a celebrated instrumentalist oregon band, and for the vacation season, we are pitting our wits against Peter Hooton, the pb vocalist of Liverpool indie set The Farm and a lifelong Reds supporter.

Read connected to observe Peter and Sports Mole's predictions for Premier League gameweek 18, arsenic good arsenic uncovering retired who won past weekend's conflict with The Now's Shane Callaghan.

Man City vs. Everton

Thursday, 12.30pm

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Peter: Man City 2-0 Everton

Sports Mole: Man City 3-0 Everton

City's caller signifier has been scarcely believable, but they person plentifulness of favourable fixtures ahead, starting with this 1 against opponents who person enjoyed precise fewer bully days astatine the Etihad successful the past fewer years.

In the past 365 days, Everton person won conscionable 1 Premier League distant game, and that was astatine Ipswich, and ending their adjacent 15-year hold for a triumph astatine the Etihad looks improbable to travel here.

Chelsea vs. Fulham

Thursday, 3pm

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Peter: Chelsea 3-1 Fulham

Sports Mole: Chelsea 3-1 Fulham

After being frustrated by an impenetrable Everton, Chelsea volition fancy their chances of returning to winning ways against a much unfastened Fulham side, adjacent if they whitethorn person much to interest astir defensively.

Fulham person proven themselves to beryllium a competitory outfit since returning to the apical formation nether Silva, but their grounds against Chelsea remains woeful, and their winless streak could widen to 20 present astatine the Bridge.

Newcastle vs. Aston Villa

Thursday, 3pm

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Peter: Newcastle 2-2 Aston Villa

Sports Mole: Newcastle 2-1 Aston Villa

Newcastle (16) and Aston Villa (15) travel into this festive contention having mislaid much Premier League games connected Boxing Day than immoderate different clubs successful the competition's history.

A lesser powerfulness distant from home, Villa could present gully level with their hosts successful that dubious ranking, arsenic the Magpies are flying precocious aft recovering their signifier successful the last third.

Nott'm Forest vs. Spurs

Thursday, 3pm

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Peter: Nott'm Forest 2-1 Spurs

Sports Mole: Nott'm Forest 2-2 Spurs

Tottenham whitethorn beryllium capable to boast the Premier League's champion antiaircraft grounds distant from location alongside Manchester United, but that volition number for small against an inspired Forest broadside if their caller vulnerabilities are exposed erstwhile again.

Postecoglou's men tin inactive combat occurrence with occurrence connected their day, though, and Forest person seldom outplayed the Lilywhites successful caller times, truthful different engrossing brushwood whitethorn extremity with honours even.

Southampton vs. West Ham

Thursday, 3pm

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Peter: Southampton 0-2 West Ham

Sports Mole: Southampton 1-1 West Ham

Not since 2015 person West Ham fallen to decision against the squad starting the time astatine the bottommost of the Premier League table, and portion that inclination should proceed connected Boxing Day, Lopetegui's men whitethorn person to beryllium contented with conscionable the 1 point.

Missing 2 of their rule attacking threats successful Antonio and Paqueta, the Irons volition person their enactment chopped retired against a Saints backline that has been shored up since Russell Martin's exit, and Juric's Premier League tenure appears destined to statesman with a low-scoring stalemate.

Bournemouth vs. Crystal Palace

Thursday, 3pm

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Peter: Bournemouth 2-1 Crystal Palace

Sports Mole: Bournemouth 1-0 Crystal Palace

Conceding conscionable 7 goals crossed 8 Premier League location matches successful 2024-25, Bournemouth volition beryllium assured of keeping an often-misfiring Crystal Palace outfit astatine bay.

The Eagles volition beryllium buoyed by the apt instrumentality of Eze to top-flight action, though we cannot envisage a Boxing Day occurrence for the visitors connected the South Coast.

Wolves vs. Man Utd

Thursday, 5.30pm

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Peter: Wolves 1-1 Man Utd

Sports Mole: Wolves 2-3 Man Utd

In 1 of the astir intriguing festive fixtures, it could beryllium telling successful however some club's seasons cookware out, due to the fact that different triumph for Pereira successful his 2nd crippled could spot them cruise to safety.

Another decision for United would beryllium catastrophic, but they person a bully grounds present and look to beryllium doing amended connected the road, truthful they volition question to capitalise connected Wolves having the joint-worst location grounds successful the part truthful far.

Liverpool vs. Leicester

Thursday, 8pm

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Peter: Liverpool 3-0 Leicester

Sports Mole: Liverpool 4-1 Leicester

After a mates of antiaircraft calamities, Leicester brag Van Nistlerooy mightiness see sacrificing an attacker to adhd an other assemblage successful defence connected Boxing Day, not that it should bash overmuch bully for precise long.

Slot's men whitethorn beryllium blameworthy of giving an casual extremity distant close now, but immoderate rearguard mistakes should beryllium cancelled retired by ruthless finishing, arsenic the Reds support their steadfast pb successful archetypal place.

Brighton vs. Brentford

Friday, 7.30pm

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Peter: Brighton 2-1 Brentford

Sports Mole: TBC

Arsenal vs. Ipswich

Friday, 8.15pm

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Peter: Arsenal 3-0 Ipswich

Sports Mole: Arsenal 3-0 Ipswich

McKenna has stuck to his guns nary substance who Ipswich person faced this season, meaning that the Tractor Boys are improbable to sacrifice an attacking subordinate successful favour of an other defender for the travel to the Emirates, and the visitors person a knack for scoring distant from home.

However, adjacent a Saka-less Arsenal should not person immoderate problems picking the Ipswich lock, and we tin lone representation the Gunners making airy enactment of the Tractor Boys, with different cleanable expanse successful tow.

Peter Hooton Q&A

How did you travel to enactment Liverpool and what are your favourite memories from your clip arsenic a fan?

My grandad and dada were some calved adjacent to the crushed and supported Liverpool FC, truthful from an aboriginal property I followed successful the household footsteps. There are truthful galore superb memories but the astir memorable crippled I went to was beating Roma connected their location crushed to triumph the European Cup successful 1984 arsenic they had already declared themselves 'Campioni d'Europa' and we were expected to beryllium the sacrificial lambs!

Who person been your favourite 5 players for your club? (Historically oregon currently)

Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes, Steven Gerrard and Mohamed Salah

What's going connected with the set astatine the moment?

We person conscionable finished a caller medium which volition beryllium released successful May 2025. We person released Feel the Love, Let the Music Take Control and Forever and Ever connected streaming platforms successful the past twelvemonth but this volition beryllium a afloat merchandise connected each formats connected the Modern Sky label. We are truly excited astir our archetypal merchandise successful decades, and we volition beryllium playing festivals successful the UK and Ireland passim 2025. Check our website for further details - https://thefarmmusic.co.uk/.

You tin travel The Farm connected Instagram and X (formerly known arsenic Twitter).

2024-25 SEASON LEADERBOARD (ARTISTS)

Scores are calculated arsenic 1 constituent for a close effect and 5 points for a close scoreline.

1. Kyle Starkey (16pts | Gameweek 3)
2. Make Friends' Max Lewin (15pts | Gameweek 2)
3. Everyone Says Hi's Nick Hodgson (13pts | Gameweek 1)
4. Blitz Vega's Kav Sandhu (10pts | Gameweek 5)
5. Trampolene's Jack Jones (9pts | Gameweek 4)
= Kneecap's Mo Chara (9pts | Gameweek 6)
7. Feet's Harry Southerton (7pts | Gameweek 13)
= IN PARALLEL's Harrison Baker (7pts | Gameweek 15)
9. Kids successful Glass Houses' Iain Mahanty (6pts | Gameweek 7)
= proFESSional's Rob Hennebry (6pts | Gameweek 8)
11. Maddox Jones (4pts | Gameweek 9)
12. She Drew The Gun's Louisa Roach (3pts | Gameweek 10)
= The Now's Shane Callaghan (3pts | Gameweek 17)
= Chilli Jesson (3pts | Gameweek 11)
15. Soft Launch's Josh McClory (2pts | Gameweek 12)
= My First Time's James Mellen (2pts | Gameweek 14)
= Apollo Junction's Ben Hope (2pts | Gameweek 16)

2024-25 COMPETITION HISTORY

Gameweek 1: Everyone Says Hi's Nick Hodgson 13-14 Sports Mole
Gameweek 2: Make Friends' Max Lewin 15-4 Sports Mole
Gameweek 3: Kyle Starkey 16-13 Sports Mole
Gameweek 4: Trampolene's Jack Jones 9-9 Sports Mole
Gameweek 5: Blitz Vega's Kav Sandhu 10-11 Sports Mole
Gameweek 6: Kneecap's Mo Chara 9-4 Sports Mole
Gameweek 7: Kids successful Glass Houses' Iain Mahanty 6-3 Sports Mole
Gameweek 8: proFESSional's Rob Hennebry 6-7 Sports Mole
Gameweek 9: Maddox Jones 4-10 Sports Mole
Gameweek 10: She Drew The Gun's Louisa Roach 3-4 Sports Mole
Gameweek 11: Chilli Jesson 3-8 Sports Mole
Gameweek 12: Soft Launch's Josh McClorey 2-3 Sports Mole
Gameweek 13: Feet's Harry Southerton 7-10 Sports Mole
Gameweek 14: My First Time's James Mellen 2-8 Sports Mole
Gameweek 15: IN PARALLEL's Harrison Baker 7-2 Sports Mole
Gameweek 16: Apollo Junction's Ben Hope 2-3 Sports Mole
Gameweek 17: The Now's Shane Callaghan 3-6 Sports Mole

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