Post2Post Predicts – Gameweek 9 of the 2021 Premier League Season

By Joe Murphy

With the heavy Christmas schedule fast approaching, there is already another gameweek lined up that’s needs predicting, by both Post2Post and, this week’s special guest, with this Sundays big Derby in mind, we welcome Liverpool fan Liam Parker. With Chelsea, Manchester City, Leicester, Spurs and Liverpool all winning as predicted, there are some rather more challenging-to-predict fixtures this week, so let’s get straight to it.

Arsenal 3 v 3 Aston Villa (Friday, 8pm) L.P – 1-2

I expect this game to go in a very similar fashion to Arsenal’s draw to Crystal Palace, on this most recent Monday night. Aston Villa are conceding, and threw away three points against Wolves over the weekend. I therefore see goals, despite the fact Martinez is returning to the Emirates, desperate to, once again, prove a point. Score draw, let’s say 3-3, and a thriller to kick off the week’s action.

Chelsea 3 v 0 Norwich City (Saturday, 12:30pm) L.P – 3-0

Nothing too rampant, but Chelsea should win this comfortably and without conceding. Norwich, as seen against Brighton, don’t have much to offer going forward and it will take a miracle for them to prevent the Blues from scoring. Romelu Lukaku may not return to goal scoring ways due to his injury picked up in midweek v Malmo, but Chelsea should still see off the Canaries.

Crystal Palace 2 v 2 Newcastle United. L.P – 1-1

It would be too easy to go straight for a Crystal Palace win here, as I see Newcastle getting something from Selhurst Park. The travelling fan base will hope to encourage their team to push for the three points, but Palace should be too good to lose. Palace have found their goal scoring touch, so yet again I expect goals. Saint Maximin and Gallagher to score for each player’s respective team.

Everton 2 v 0 Watford. L.P 1-1

Everton were disappointing against West Ham. They didn’t seem to be quite the same team we had seen before the international break, who got a deserved point at Old Trafford. Whilst Watford were dismantled by Liverpool, this wasn’t as much of a surprise. As good as Mohammad Salah is, the Watford defence cannot allow that goal to happen, and that is a huge concern in my eyes as Watford will need their back line strong in order to have a change of survival, this season. This has become more of a possibility with the introduction of Claudio Ranieri to the Hornets dugout. I expect the newly managed Watford to therefore tighten up and make it difficult for Everton, but the Toffees will still have enough firepower to claim the three points.

Leeds United 2 v 1 Wolves. L.P 3-1

A difficult game to predict, mainly because both of these sides have been inconsistent all season. Both Leeds and Wolves have been outright disappointing most of the time, and this makes this a game where both sides will feel they could win or lose. Despite Wolves stunning comeback at Villa Park, I will go with the home side. Leeds have a certain returning Brazilian midfielder in Raphinha, who could prove pivotal in deciding the outcome with this one. A narrow home win for this prediction, but it could go any way this one.

Southampton 1 v 1 Burnley. L.P 0-0

Much like other teams near the bottom, both of these sides need to start picking up points. It is more of a concern for Burnley, but being the home side, this is more pressure on the Saints. I can see the game playing into Burnley’s hands slightly with the defence holding firm for the majority of the match, something which it hasn’t been able to do much of, this season. I do feel though that Southampton will score, and salvage a point.

Brighton 0 v 2 Manchester City. L.P – 0-2

Brighton look compact, steady and a threat to any team. They dominated against Arsenal and seemed in cruise control against Norwich, just unable to clinch a winner. As for City, a midweek dismantling of Club Brugge in Europe shouldn’t prove as too much of a distraction. Instead, this could empower them to keep their winning run going, and take a routine away victory. Manchester City will not fund it easy, but should find a way to score two or three at the Amex. I’ll take the Conservative option on this occasion.

Brentford 1 v 2 Leicester City (Sunday, 2pm). L.P – 2-2

I am starting to think I’m being rather unfair to Brentford. I haven’t given them much all season and neither am I this weekend, despite impressing seemingly every week. Even against Chelsea, the manner of their defeat was much less routine than expected. That being said, Leicester will be rejuvenated after the 4-2 win over Manchester United, on the Saturday just gone. Jamie Vardy revels playing against newly promoted sides, and he should prove the difference between the two sides.

West Ham 2 v 2 Spurs (Sunday, 2pm). L.P – 1-3

Arguably, in a weekend of close fixtures, this is the hardest single game to predict. West Ham kept their form train going last week with a win at Goodison whilst Harry Kane was back amongst the goals as Spurs saw off a spirited Newcastle, coming from behind to do so. Much like the majority of these fixtures, this one could go either way, so I’ll go for the safe option of a score draw. Son and Antonio to shine for their respective London clubs. Both teams will have to be at their best to beat the other, that’s for sure.

Manchester United 2 v 1 Liverpool (Sunday, 4:30pm). L.P – 1-3

The biggest fixture on the English football calendar, in this writer’s opinion. As a United fan, it’s the game I want to win the most and the fixture I want to lose, the least. That being said, after beating last year’s Spanish champions Athletico Madrid in their own backyard in midweek, they don’t exactly arrive at Old Trafford in the worst form I’ve ever seen. The prospect of Mohammad Salah against a Varane-less United backline terrifies me like you wouldn’t believe. That being said, United seem to be more steady against the so-called “big teams”, albeit more so away from home than at Old Trafford. If the Atalanta game tells us anything, it is that you never know which Man United are going to turn up, even varying from half to half, like on Wednesday night.

Ultimately, this is a question of head versus heart, and I’ve always been one to go with head. However, on this occasion, I’ll go with Pogba and Ronaldo to score, with Mane making it a nervy finish for the hosts. Although 0-4 would not surprise me either. It’s make or break time for Ole.

*All times listed in UK time