Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are set to square off this weekend in their third and final meeting this January. The Blues handily beat Spurs in both legs of their EFL Cup semi-final tie and will be eager to complete a hat-trick of victories over their London rivals when they clash in the Premier League.
Elsewhere, Manchester United will be desperate to keep their fading top-four hopes alive when they host West Ham United, while Norwich and Watford do battle in a relegation six-pointer.
So without further ado, here are SBOTOP’s picks of the top three Matchweek 23 games that you should be looking forward to.
Watford FC vs Norwich City
Watford host Norwich this weekend in a crucial relegation six-pointer. The Hornets are in 17th place with 14 points, just one point above Norwich, who are in 18th. Although, Watford will still have to face bottom-side Burnley in midweek, which could push them further away from the relegation zone.
The Canaries boosted their Premier League 2022 odds of survival a world of good by beating Everton 2-1, a result which led to the sacking of Toffees boss Rafa Benitez. That win snapped Norwich’s eight-game winless run and six-game losing skid.
Meanwhile, Watford held fellow relegation strugglers Newcastle to a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park, snapping their seven-match losing streak in all competitions.
Watford handily won their first meeting with Norwich this season 3-1 at Carrow Road. Emmanuel Dennis gave the Hornets the early lead, but Teemu Pukki equalised 10 minutes from half-time. Ismaila Sarr then scored twice in the last 30 minutes to secure all three points.
However, Watford will be without Sarr for this fixture; the young striker is still representing Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Young Joao Pedro has been impressive while starting in place of Sarr, though. The 20-year-old Brazilian has scored in each of his last two appearances while producing nine shots.
Manchester United vs West Ham United
Manchester United’s hopes of breaking into the Premier League’s top four took yet another hit as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Aston Villa. The Red Devils had gone 2-0 up thanks to a Bruno Fernandes brace, but Philippe Coutinho inspired a late Villa comeback.
Ralf Rangnick’s side have now won just once in their last four games, which also included a disappointing draw at Newcastle and a home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
As things stand, United are six points adrift of fourth-placed West Ham, whom they meet this weekend. Although, Man United will be in action against Brentford in midweek, while the Hammers will get the extra days off to recover after their stunning 3-2 defeat at home against Leeds.
This is a massive match for Man United, whose Premier League 2022 results and performances have not improved all that much under Rangnick. It would be a disaster for them to once again miss out on the Champions League, so they must beat West Ham to keep pace in the race.
Meanwhile, returning to Old Trafford is always a big deal for David Moyes. His Hammers will be keen to get him a win, especially after their heartbreaking defeat at the hands of United in their first meeting this season. Jesse Lingard, who starred on-loan at West Ham last season, came back to haunt his old club with an 89th-minute winner as United claimed a 2-1 victory.
Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur
Antonio Conte’s reunion with his old club Chelsea did not go as well as he would have hoped as his Spurs side lost both legs of their EFL semi-final against the Blues and 3-0 on aggregate.
It was a disappointing showing by Spurs, who had been picking up some momentum in the Premier League. They are now unbeaten in their last eight games, with five wins and three draws.
Conte will be counting on his team to get some revenge when they meet for their rubber match against the Blues this weekend.
Chelsea are coming off a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Manchester City, which all but ended their Premier League title hopes this season. The Blues are now 13 points adrift of leaders City and are two points behind Liverpool in second while playing a game more than the Reds.
Both clubs will be in action in midweek, with Chelsea taking on a dangerous Brighton side that held them to a draw last month. Meanwhile, Spurs also have a tricky away test as they face Leicester, who are finally back in action after two weeks off due to Covid-related postponements.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
