Sunday Premier League Predictions: Expect goals in Spurs’ clash with Villa

Robin Bairner

31 December 2022

Tottenham and Chelsea are in action on Sunday as the Premier League begins its 2023 portion of the season.

There was little evidence of the World Cup break troubling England’s leading clubs in December as eight of the leading nine teams picked up victories in their first match following the competition.

Indeed, Spurs’ draw with Brentford meant that no club in the top half of the table was beaten as hostilities resumed. Will this trend continue as 2022 makes way for 2023? Robin Bairner has his say.

Tottenham v Aston Villa

Kick-off: 2pm Sunday

Look for the Premier League’s opening match of 2023 to provide plenty of entertainment as Tottenham and Aston Villa is a fixture that promises goals.

Spurs’ last five Premier League outings have seen both teams find the net, while three of those fixtures have seen at least four goals. Interestingly, they also hit four the last time they played Villa in a whitewash victory last season.

This is not an anomaly in recent matches between these clubs. Since Villa won promotion back to the top flight, three of the six meetings between these clubs have seen at least four goals, while four of those have also seen both teams find the net. Spurs have conceded at least twice in four successive league matches dating back to a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford on October 19, so it is easy to see that outcome repeating itself again.

The visitors, meanwhile, are coming off a 3-1 loss against Liverpool - their third match in succession where both teams found the net. Villa have seen at least four goals scored in four of their last five league games, suggesting that odds on a repeat result are longer than they should be.

Prediction: Over 3.5 goals @ 2.94

Nottingham Forest v Chelsea

Kick-off: 4.30pm Sunday

While winning the Premier League this season was always likely to be a step too far for a Chelsea side in transition, sitting eighth at this juncture is undoubtedly a disappointment for the Stamford Bridge side. The arrival of Graham Potter has not provided the impetus they might have wished for, and three defeats and five winless games in succession before the World Cup break was alarming.

A 2-0 home win over Bournemouth on Tuesday has offered some respite, but the pressure will be back on if they fail to overcome a Nottingham Forest team that has failed to settle in the top flight. Steve Coppell’s side, though, has started to find some home form as they have streaked four undefeated games, including a famous 1-0 win over Liverpool.

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Forest have been a tough side to predict at the City Ground - they have notched three wins, two draws and two defeats from eight games. Backing against both teams to score, though, has some value. At least one side has drawn a blank in six of Chelsea’s last eight Premier League fixtures, while that statistic holds in seven of Forest’s last nine fixtures.

Chelsea have won four of their last five against Nottingham Forest without conceding – although all of those have been cup fixtures. The Blues are 2.64 to win with a clean sheet.

Prediction: Both teams to score NO @ 1.96