Former England international predicts Man Utd will lose to Tottenham

Commentator and former England player Chris Sutton predicts Tottenham will win 3-1 at Man Utd in round 21 of the Premier League.

Man Utd - Tottenham : 11:30 p.m. Sunday, January 14

The interesting thing about the Premier League this year is that many teams have been inconsistent. Man Utd are one of them. They won their last home game against Aston Villa but lost their next game against Nottingham Forest. Old Trafford is no longer an impregnable fortress for the "Red Devils" and with 22 goals in the first 20 rounds, only the bottom two teams Sheffield United and Burnley have scored fewer goals than Man Utd.

Scoring goals is not a problem for Tottenham, they have scored 20 more than Man Utd. But losing captain Son Heung-min, who returned to play for South Korea at the Asian Cup, could cause problems. Tottenham recently signed former Chelsea striker Timo Werner and hope he can add quality to their attack. Werner often gives opponents trouble with his pace, but the German's ability to take chances remains a question mark.

Forward Richarlison dribbles past Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka during the 2-2 draw between Man Utd and Tottenham on April 27, 2023. Photo: Reuters

I still think Tottenham will win without Son. Spurs haven't won home and away against Man Utd in a season since 1989-90, but I think it will happen this season. We know Tottenham will attack. They do that against everyone and will create chances.

But that approach could be an opportunity for Man Utd to play to their counter-attacking strengths. Alejandro Garnacho has looked more confident each week of late. The Argentine striker will be a formidable striker, but it will depend on how his team-mates play.

Prediction : 1-3

Statistics : The last 17 times Man Utd faced Tottenham at Old Trafford, there was no draw. The "Red Devils" won 13 of them. Tottenham scored in the last 32 Premier League matches. This could signal a high-scoring match.

Chelsea - Fulham : 7:30 p.m. Saturday, January 13

Chelsea have won three games in a row in all competitions and showed some consistency until losing to Middlesbrough in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final on Tuesday. I think Chelsea have improved, but that's largely down to how poor they were last season - scoring just 38 goals and picking up 44 points.

Chelsea have scored 34 goals this season, raising their average points per game from 1.15 to 1.4. But that's not enough to satisfy the fans. I've put my faith in Mauricio Pochettino and his team many times since the start of the season, but I was wrong. However, there's not much reason to bet on Fulham in this match. Of course, they had an impressive win over Arsenal last round, but that was at home at Craven Cottage.

Pochettino was disappointed when Chelsea lost to Middlesbrough in the League Cup on September 1. Photo: Reuters

Fulham have not been too bad away from home. They took the lead and almost pulled off a shock midweek 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in the League Cup semi-finals. However, statistics show that Marco Silva's men have only won one of their last 10 away games.

On the other hand, despite their woes, Chelsea have won five consecutive home games in all competitions. 21-year-old midfielder Cole Palmer will be the home team's most dangerous striker. But if Chelsea do not capitalise on their opportunities, they could pay the price. Fulham have shown they have sharp attacks and in a reunion with their former club, midfielder Willian, who is almost 36, could make Chelsea regret it. The Brazilian has scored four goals in his last five starts. Last season, Willian opened the scoring as Fulham beat Chelsea 2-1.

Prediction : 2-1

Statistics : Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 18 home games against Fulham, winning 11 and drawing seven. Their last home defeat to this opponent was in October 1979, when they lost 0-2.

Newcastle - Man City : 0:30 Sunday, January 14

Unfortunately for Newcastle, this is not a good time to face Man City. Pep Guardiola's team played well in the first half of the season, but did not really show their true strength. Now, they welcome back Kevin De Bruyne. With a new haircut, the Belgian midfielder promises to breathe life into Man City's style of play.

Newcastle have lost three Premier League games in a row, but I think the most important game for them was their recent FA Cup win over Sunderland. That result has lifted a significant burden off manager Eddie Howe, who, despite only playing in the Championship, is Newcastle’s Tyneside rival.

Guardiola instructed Kevin De Bruyne when he sent the midfielder onto the field against Huddersfield Town on January 7. Photo: Reuters

Newcastle are playing a relatively open game, so I think there will be many goals. However, Man City will score more and win. The problem for Guardiola's team is how they will cope with the pressure at St James' Park, especially when key striker Erling Haaland cannot return due to a foot injury.

Prediction : 1-3

Statistics : Newcastle have won just one of their last 32 Premier League meetings with Man City (D5 L26). The Magpies beat them 2-1 in January 2019. In their last 30 Premier League meetings, Man City have scored against Newcastle. However, when the two sides met in the League Cup earlier this season, Newcastle won 1-0 at St James' Park.

Everton - Aston Villa : 9pm Sunday, January 14

Everton have had a dismal Christmas period, losing three games in a row, while Aston Villa are flying high in second place. But I don’t think this will be a strong team vs. weak team. We know Villa are well organised, but they haven’t been convincing. We saw that in the draw with Sheffield United, or the thrilling win over Burnley.

Meanwhile, Everton are desperate for points. Their recent poor run of form has left them just one point above the relegation zone. After Luton drew with Burnley in the early game of the round, the gap has been closed and Everton are now in 17th place thanks to a superior goal difference.

Defender Matty Cash celebrates after scoring for Villa in their FA Cup win over Middlesbrough on January 6. Photo: Reuters

I believe Everton will find their form under Sean Dyche. It’s just a question of when they will be back on top again. And Everton won’t be easy to beat when they do. I scored my last goal against Everton for Villa at Goodison Park in 2006 and wouldn’t underestimate Everton in their current form.

Prediction : 1-1

Stats : Everton have lost their last three home games against Villa. Since returning to the Premier League in 2019, Villa have not lost any of their nine meetings with Everton (W7 D2).

Vinh San (according to BBC )

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