Premier League leaders Manchester City underlined their championship credentials with a 7-0 thrashing of Leeds United earlier this week and Thursday will see fellow title contenders Chelsea and Liverpool looking to keep pace with Pep Guardiola’s side.
City’s emphatic victory at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday has moved them four points clear of Liverpool at the top of the standings, with Chelsea a further point back in third.
That has heaped the pressure on both Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel’s sides heading into Thursday’s action, but both will expect their teams to come out on top in their respective home fixtures against Newcastle United and Everton.
Those matches make up two thirds of the Premier League action on Thursday, with Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur also set to meet in what could be an entertaining encounter at the King Power Stadium.
Liverpool to Sweep Aside Struggling Magpies
Liverpool vs Newcastle is one of the most iconic fixtures in Premier League history – who can forget Stan Collymore breaking the hearts of Kevin Keegan’s Magpies when netting a 90th-minute winner to seal a 4-3 victory for the Reds in April 1996.
Back in those days Newcastle were challenging at the top of the table, but fast forward 25 years and Liverpool are the team firmly in the title race, while the Magpies are deep in the relegation mire.
Liverpool are on a seven-match winning run across all competitions and they have scored 17 goals during that sequence, while Newcastle have won just once all season and Sunday’s 4-0 thrashing at Leicester means they are conceding on average over two goals per game.
It could be another humbling for Eddie Howe’s side at Anfield, with Liverpool the overwhelming 1/9 favourites to win the fixture, although backing the home win and over 3.5 goals in the match at 20/23 could offer the better value.
Chelsea to Cruise Past Hapless Toffees
Of all three title challengers, it is Chelsea’s form that has dipped slightly of late, with the Blues having won just twice in five matches across all competitions.
However, Thursday’s home clash with struggling Everton should provide Tuchel’s side with the ideal opportunity to return to their best, as no team has picked up fewer points across their last 10 matches than the Toffees.
That has ramped up the pressure on boss Rafael Benitez, who may have thought his side had turned a corner following their recent victory over Arsenal, but that was immediately followed by Sunday’s convincing loss at Crystal Palace.
Throw into the mix Everton’s terrible away record at Chelsea – they have not won on any of their last 26 league visits to Stamford Bridge – and it is difficult to see beyond a home win.
That being said, Chelsea are without a clean sheet in five games, while Everton have scored in each of their last three, so a home victory and both teams to score may be where the value lies at 21/10.
Goals Expected at the King Power
Both Leicester and Tottenham had wanted Thursday’s meeting at the King Power to be postponed due to Covid issues within both camps, but the match will still go ahead.
Leicester’s concerns are at the back, with boss Brendan Rodgers admitting he has no senior fit centre backs available, with Jonny Evans and Caglar Soyuncu the latest to be ruled out.
Those concerns have added to what is already a leaky Foxes backline that has kept just one clean sheet across their last 17 matches in all competitions, while they will be facing a Spurs attack that has improved of late, as they have netted seven goals across their last three league games.
Last seasons’ corresponding fixture ended in a 4-2 victory for Spurs, and all the signs are that there will be plenty of goals once again on Thursday, with over 3.5 in the match available to back at 39/20.
*All odds correct at time of writing.