Chelsea face Huddersfield aiming to cure Christmas Blues in Premier League, while Crystal Palace need Watford win
The action is coming thick and fast over the next few weeks, starting with two more nights of Premier League games
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FORGET festivities.
Give Christmas shopping the swerve.
And turn a blind eye to the binmen begging on your doorstep.
Why? Because the football is coming thick and fast over the next few weeks, starting with two more nights of Premier League action and these three Christmas crackers.
OK, so we may have oversold the Burnley v Stoke game, sorry…
BURNLEY v STOKE
“And Burnley will play… Real Madrid.”
Yes, in a week where the draw for the last 16 of the Champions League was made, it’s still a very real possibility that the Clarets might yet sneak into the top four and take their place in Europe’s blue riband event next year.
Certainly, they’re showing no signs of backing off.
Not only are they unbeaten in their last three at home against Stoke but they’ve also picked up 28 points from their 16 games – that’s seven more than at the same stage of the season last time around.
Contrast that with Stoke who are, quite possibly, the dullest team in the division.
They’ve amassed just 16 points – their lowest ever total after 16 matches and they’ve conceded more goals (35) than any other side in the league.
Is the end nigh for Mark Hughes?
Probably, but we have been saying that for some time now.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
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CRYSTAL PALACE v WATFORD
Palace may be unbeaten in five but they’ve only won one of those games and that failure to convert draws into victories could prove extremely costly come the end of the season.
Mind you, losing their first eight games won’t have helped much either.
If the Eagles are going to stay up they’re going to have to bank on their home form.
To date, all ten of their goals this season have come at Selhurst Park and they’ve had 29 more shots on target at home than they have on their travels.
Watford will make life very difficult for Palace though.
The Hornets have already won more away points (13) and scored more away goals (15) than they did in the whole of the 2016/17 season.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
HUDDERSFIELD v CHELSEA
You get the sense that Antonio Conte’s time at Chelsea might drawing to a close. Being 14 points adrift of the leaders after 16 games is bad enough but losing to West Ham? Roman won’t be pleased.
Anything less than a win here for Chelsea and you can forget all about the season of goodwill as the knives will be out for the Italian.
NO MOR Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata to miss Huddersfield clash with back injury
And it’s not going to be easy.
Huddersfield arrested a poor run of four defeats on the spin by comfortably beating Brighton at the weekend the Terriers now have more points after 16 games (18) than any of the three newly-promoted sides last season.
They’ve also won three of their last four home league matches with the only defeat coming against runaway leaders Manchester City.
Chelsea need Eden Hazard to kick-start their faltering title defence.
The brilliant Belgian has been involved in 99 Premier League goals (62 goals scored, 37 assists) since he joined the Blues and can become only the fourth player to reach to century after Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and GIanfranco Zola.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: DRAW
