Sports

Premier League: Preview and predicted lineups of ‘Matchday 23′ for Sunday fixtures

admin
Premier League: Preview and predicted lineups of ‘Matchday 23′ for Sunday fixtures
Premier League: Preview and predicted lineups of ‘Matchday 23′ for Sunday fixtures

New Delhi: Matchday 23 of the Premier League promises an action-packed Sunday on 26th January, with several key clashes taking centre stage. Teams at both ends of the table are desperate to make their mark as the season heats up. Aston Villa look to solidify their impressive home form against West Ham United, while Tottenham Hotspur aim to end their disastrous league run in a must-win game against relegation-threatened Leicester City.

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace take on Brentford in a battle of contrasting fortunes, and Manchester United face Fulham in a game that could determine their hopes of salvaging their troubled campaign. With pivotal points on the line and fierce competition in every fixture, Sunday’s matches promise drama, goals, and potential shifts in the Premier League standings.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City

Tottenham head into this clash after a mixed bag of results. Recent triumphs in the League Cup over Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as an unconvincing FA Cup win against Tamworth, offered some relief for Ange Postecoglou. However, their Premier League form remains disastrous. Last weekend’s 3-2 loss to Everton marked their third straight league defeat, extending their winless run to six matches since their victory against Southampton in December. Sitting 15th and just eight points clear of relegation, Spurs’ defensive issues are evident, with only Southampton conceding more since December.

Leicester find themselves in deeper trouble. With seven straight league losses, they sit 19th, two points from safety. A 6-2 FA Cup win over QPR is their only solace in 2025. Their away form is equally dire, conceding three or more goals in five successive defeats at Tottenham. Both sides are desperate to escape their struggles.

  • Tottenham predicted line-up: Kinsky; Porro, Gray, Dragusin, Davies; Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison; Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son.
  • Leicester City predicted line-up: Stolarczyk; Justin, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Skipp, Soumare; McAteer, El Khannouss, Mavididi; Vardy.
  • Where to watch: Hotstar, Star Sports
  • Time: 7:30 PM (IST)
  • Match prediction: Spurs 4-1 Leicester City

Crystal Palace vs Brentford

Crystal Palace have turned their season around after a poor start, going unbeaten in their last six games across all competitions. Oliver Glasner’s side have taken 11 points from their previous five league matches and advanced in the FA Cup with a win over Stockport County. However, their home form in the Premier League remains a concern, with only four teams performing worse at home. Their defence has been solid, conceding 28 goals in 22 matches, but scoring has been an issue, with just 25 goals this season and only 10 at home.

Brentford, on the other hand, have struggled on the road, winning just once away in the league. That victory, however, was a 5-0 thrashing of Southampton. Despite their travel woes, the Bees boast one of the league’s best attacks, scoring 40 goals, with Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa in fine form. Both sides aim to climb the table at Selhurst Park.

  • Crystal Palace predicted line-up: Henderson; Mitchell, Guehi, Lacroix, Richards, Munoz; Kamada, Hughes, Sarr, Eze; Mateta.
  • Brentford predicted line-up: Flekken; Lewis-Potter, Collins, Van den Berg, Roerslev; Yarmolyuk, Norgaard, Janelt, Damsgaard; Wissa, Mbeumo.
  • Where to watch: Hotstar, Star Sports
  • Time: 7:30 PM (IST)
  • Match prediction: Palace 1-2 Brentford

Aston Villa vs West Ham

Aston Villa enter this weekend’s Premier League clash against West Ham aiming to bounce back from a narrow Champions League defeat to Monaco, where Wilfried Singo’s first-half goal halted their unbeaten start to 2025. Despite the setback, Villa are well-placed in the league phase of UEFA’s top competition and remain ninth, level on points with the top eight. On the domestic front, Villa showed resilience by earning a 2-2 draw at Arsenal last time out and now return to Villa Park, where they are unbeaten in their last 10 league games.

Currently four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, Unai Emery’s side have a chance to complete a Premier League double over West Ham—a feat last achieved in the 2010-11 season. Their strong home form will be key to this.

West Ham, under new manager Graham Potter, have struggled for consistency. Potter’s tenure began with an FA Cup loss at Villa Park, and subsequent league results have been mixed. A 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend highlighted their attacking woes, as the Hammers failed to record a single shot on target. With only 11 away goals this season, they rank among the league’s poorest travelling sides.

  • Aston Villa predicted line-up: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Malen, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins.
  • West Ham predicted line-up: Fabianski; Coufal, Kilman, Cresswell; Wan-Bissaka, Alvarez, Soler, Emerson; Paqueta, Soucek; Kudus.
  • Where to watch: Hotstar, Star Sports
  • Time: 10:00 PM (IST)
  • Match prediction: Aston Villa 3-1 West Ham

Fulham vs Manchester United

Manchester United are enduring a tough Premier League season, sitting 13th in the table after a disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Brighton. Ruben Amorim’s side, still adjusting under their new boss, have suffered 10 league losses, placing them closer to the relegation zone than the European spots.

Despite this, a late Bruno Fernandes goal secured a Europa League win over Rangers, offering a glimmer of hope ahead of their trip to Fulham. However, Amorim risks setting an unwanted record of seven league defeats in a single season.

Fulham, on the other hand, are in fine form. Their 2-0 win over Leicester last weekend marked a steady run of results, with only one loss in their last 11 matches. Marco Silva’s side have scored two goals in five straight league games and sit comfortably in the top half, just four points off seventh.

While they’ve drawn their last four home games, Fulham will hope to end a dreadful run of seven consecutive home defeats to Manchester United in the league.

  • Fulham predicted line-up: Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Traore; Jimenez.
  • Manchester United predicted line-up: Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez; Diallo, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot; Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund.
  • Where to watch: Hotstar, Star Sports
  • Time: 12:30 AM (IST)
  • Match prediction: Fulham 1-2 Man United

 Premier League Matchday 23 promises thrilling action as Aston Villa, Tottenham, Fulham, and Crystal Palace seek vital wins to bolster their campaigns on Sunday, 26th January.  Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today

Related Posts