Written by Cornermanden. The author’s opinions and predictions are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Unibet. Odds and details may change between the time of writing and when placing a bet – always check before betting.
English football returns to its regular relentlessness with Christmas football on the 26th and 27th in Premier League round 19. I love this time of year, almost mostly because of the high volume of football games at all times – every day. I have my opinions on two games in particular, so let’s go ahead and see what we have in store.
A Harder Game Than It Might Suggest
Chelsea v Crystal Palace
Chelsea have found things quite difficult against defensive minded teams this season. We can see so from their xG against teams when they are forced to be creative and unlock a riddle, so to say. Their games against Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, Man City and Brighton were very good, and the chances created were heavy compared to in “easier” games against poorer opposition. I don’t think you need to analyse football very deeply to understand that certain teams are better equipped to handle a specific type of opposition. Chelsea definitely fits that bill.
News about Roy Hodgson leaving Crystal Palace has been announced, and the feeling around Crystal Palace fans on X looks to be optimistic. It gives the board time to make a good call and the correct appointment, while the current team steers away from the worst relegation scrap. I still think they have enough about them to do so. Of course, it’s another season of “nothing” for Palace, but a club of that size should take that any day of the week. The FA Cup, though, is obviously a decent chance to create special memories.
I think this game will be low margin and a lot of the same for Chelsea’s sake. There’s nothing to suggest that they will be a creative force against deep lying blocks in the short term.
Chelsea to start with a 0-1 corner handicap combined & them scoring under 2.5 goals – using the Bet Builder – is my bet in this game. The price is 2.17. I just think they’ll be frustrated and that Palace will be very pleased with a point.
Too High To Ignore?
Everton v Manchester City
It’s not very often that you see City priced at 1.58 in the Premier League, unless they play teams of a much stronger stature than Everton were expected to be before the season.
Now they are, and I can understand why. Any team will find life more difficult if they lack their man man; Keving De Bruyne has been out for the entirety of the season, and their goal scoring machine up front has been out with a foot injury for the last few weeks. On top of that, Jeremy Doku has a niggling muscle problem that keeps him away from the matchday action.
What’s interesting about City is the narrative surrounding them. It’s almost like they’ve been a lot weaker than usual, but in reality they are still the best team in the league according to the xG difference. In fairness to the critics, this is the weakest “start” to a City season under Pep Guardiola’s reign. Of course, game state matters here; because they haven’t had the best results (in comparison to their own, high standards), the onus has been on them to attack and their opponents to defend.
I still fancy them to get their mojo going – and that quite soon. Everton were excellent away at Spurs on Saturday, and I strongly feel that there’s no way they’ll be relegated if they keep performing like they are. The defence is tight, they create chances and the collective spirit is almost unprecedented. Regardless of that, I fancy City to get the job done and show their superiority. City -1 (asian handicap) at 1.91 is my bet in this game.
Conclusion
These are my picks for the 27th December in Premier League round 19:
