You would have got pretty long odds on Arsenal topping the Premier League pile at the end of 2022 but that’s guaranteed to happen even if they lose on the road at Brighton.
Nobody had the Gunners as title contenders after a late wobble last season saw them miss out on the Champions League places.
But Mikel Arteta recruited wisely in the summer and the early pacesetters are showing no sign of falling away yet.
Arsenal faced a test of nerve on Boxing Day when they fell behind at home to West Ham but the response was impressive as they rallied to claim a 3-1 win.
The loss of star man Gabriel Jesus didn’t seem to hurt them too much as replacement Eddie Nketiah scored a brilliant goal to show Arteta has plenty of firepower.
And there should be thrills today as the leaders bid to outgun a Seagulls side who usually play on the front foot.
Roberto De Zerbi had some teething troubles after taking over from Graham Potter but Brighton are flying now, with just one defeat in six games.
They returned with a 3-1 triumph at Southampton and have scored three or more in four of their last six outings.
That suggests an open game today and McBookie offer 5/6 on over 2.5 goals, with BTTS priced at 4/6. Those odds aren’t very tempting but over 1.5 first-half goals pays 7/4 with the same firm.
Leandro Trossard didn’t score on Boxing Day but the Belgian has been Brighton’s biggest threat all season, netting seven times.
He’s 7/2 with Bet365, which looks overpriced, while Unibet are offering 8/11 on Trossard having over 0.5 shots on target.
Despite Arsenal sitting top of the pile, Manchester City remain heavy odds-on favourites to retain their crown.
Pep Guardiola’s men have returned from the World Cup break in style, beating Liverpool 3-2 in the League Cup before seeing off Leeds 3-1.
They play earlier than the Gunners today so can put more pressure on the leaders by beating Everton at the Etihad.
The Toffees find themselves in a relegation battle for the second season in a row and crashed 2-1 at home to Wolves to leave them even closer to the drop zone.
The last thing Frank Lampard needs is a trip to the Etihad and the Toffees are 22/1 rank outsiders with VBet.
The Goodison boss will probably park the bus so it could pay to back most goals to come in the second half at 10/11 with McBookie.
As usual, Erling Haaland is too short for anytime scorer at a best 2/5 with Unibet but you can boost those odds to 16/5 at McBookie by backing him to score a header.
Newcastle’s remarkable run should continue when they host Newcastle with Eddie Howe’s side a best 18/35 at VBet.
The Magpies haven’t lost since Liverpool pinched a last-gasp winner in August and blew away Leicester on Boxing Day with a 3-0 win on the road.
Leeds always have a go so it should be another entertaining game.
BTTS and over 2.5 goals are both odds-on but combining them in a McBookie bet builder pays 111/100.
I also like the 19/20 on offer at Unibet for over 9.5 shots on target.
Julen Lopetegui got off to a winning start as Wolves boss but his side were lucky to escape from Goodison with three points. They now host Manchester United and the in-form Red Devils look decent value at 39/40 (VBet) to beat a side in the drop zone.
The card markets could be worth a look too and Nathan Collins is prone to a bad challenge against the bigger teams. He saw red in the loss to Manchester City and was also booked against Spurs, with Unibet pricing him at 7/2 for a card.
The big game on New Year’s Day sees Spurs host Aston Villa with both teams looking
vulnerable at the back last time out.
Tottenham had to come from 2-0 down to pinch a point at Brentford while Villa shipped three in their home loss to Liverpool.
Antonio Conte’s side are notoriously slow starters so I’m backing most goals to come after the break at 21/20 with McBookie.
Premier League Boxing Day Tips
- Super singles Haaland to score header (16/5, McBookie).
- Collins card (7/2, Unibet).
- Over 1.5 first-half goals in Brighton (7/4, McBookie)
- Manchester United to win (39/40, VBet)
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