Cherries to back and Wednesday woe for Mourinho
Early December always features a midweek round of fixtures and looking through the games, four on Tuesday and six on Wednesday, it could be the bottom half that is most significantly affected.
It was again another mixed bag for those at the bottom over the weekend, although the game of the round 15 could come on Wednesday at Old Trafford.
Terriers take on tough Cherries test
Saturday could have been oh so different for Huddersfield, leading 1-0 at home to Brighton, only to have Steve Mounie sent off. That 2-1 defeat ended their three-game unbeaten run, dropping them to 17th, and they now face a tough trip to Bournemouth.
The ninth-place Cherries went down 3-1 to Manchester City but Eddie Howe will have seen the trip to the Etihad as somewhat of a shot to nothing and there were positives, with Callum Wilson scoring his seventh of the season and he is 2.10 to score at anytime on Tuesday. It did, however, signal a fourth straight defeat, but that run has also included games against Arsenal and Manchester United.
Tuesday’s match looks the perfect chance for Bournemouth to bounce back and with the Terriers scoring in all but one away game this season, they could prove an awkward opponent and the home win and both to score at 3.25 seems a sensible bet.
Happy Hammers can conquer Cardiff
Both 13th place West Ham and Cardiff in 16th enjoyed morale-boosting victories last time out and will fancy themselves for the points at the London Stadium.
The Hammers won at Newcastle for the first time since 2012, cruising to a 3-0 victory, while the Bluebirds battled to a 2-1 triumph at home to Wolves.
This is unlikely to be a classic, with West Ham inconsistent in their flamboyance, while the visitors’ results are normally built on grit. Cardiff have scored just twice away and picked up only one point on the road this season, two statistics that demonstrate just how they set up.
Do not expect a classic in Stratford, but West Ham have a touch of class about them and should win to zero at 2.80, while do not be afraid of a goalscorer bet and Felipe Anderson appears particularly good value at 2.85.
Gunners to heap more misery on Mourinho
How do you solve a problem like Jose? Injuries, poor form, tactical laxity – there is just something not right at Manchester United. Again they were sluggish as they came from two down to draw 2-2 at struggling Southampton on Saturday and now face in-form Arsenal on Wednesday.
While Man Utd are in a malaise, Unai Emery has injected fresh life into the Gunners and his ruthlessness in withdrawing Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi at half-time in Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham, helped his side come from 2-1 down to win 4-2.
It is now 19 games unbeaten for Arsenal and they will see Wednesday’s game as the chance to get one over on another top-four rival. However, they have not won at Old Trafford in the Premier League since September 2006.
Mourinho has built his career on winning the big games, but has lost to both Tottenham and Manchester City this season.
Emery’s side are 3.05 to win the game but having scored more second-half goals than any other side in the Premier League this season (24), the 6.90 for draw/Arsenal in the HT/FT market has to appeal.
Ranieri to get revenge on Foxes
Bigger teams might be playing on Wednesday but the game at Craven Cottage undoubtedly catches the eye, as bottom club Fulham host mid-table Leicester. The fixture will mark the first time Claudio Ranieri has faced the club he guided to Premier League glory before being sacked nine months later.
Ranieri tasted defeat for the first time since taking over as Cottagers boss on Sunday at another former club Chelsea, but having beaten Southampton 3-2 in his opening game in charge, the Italian will always have had an eye on this one.
Leicester boss Claude Puel seems to get the best out of his side when they play fast and direct, just like when they won the title, and they stormed past Watford 2-0 on Saturday.
The Foxes have only conceded one goal in their last five in all competitions but this looks set to be an open affair, with over 3.5 goals available at 2.95. However, home advantage could be the difference, with the Fulham win available at 3.05.
