How do you follow an exciting World Cup tournament? Easy, you follow the English Premier League and the FA Cup in January. There might be a chill though because in this sometimes freezing month, the transfer window is wide open. Sports betting experts predict the top three favorites of the upcoming championship with odds: Manchester City. 4/9, Arsenal. 2/1, Newcastle. 33/1
Some fans might need reminding of the standings in the English Premier League. It was on November 12 that the last fixtures were played and that feels like an absolute age ago.
The season resumes just eight days after the World Cup final. England love their Christmas fixtures so on Boxing Day there are seven games due to be taking place. League leaders Arsenal return to action with a home game against London rivals West Ham United. They’ll be looking to maintain their five point lead at the top of the Premier League.
A glance at the English Premier League table poses plenty of questions. Both Chelsea and Liverpool find themselves outside of the Champions League places. They both have a lot of work to do if they want to finish in the top four.
Liverpool are in sixth place, seven points behind Tottenham in fourth but with a game in hand. Chelsea are down in eighth place, eight points adrift of fourth spot but they also have played one less game than Tottenham.
Chelsea have new American owners and in January we might just find out how patient they are. Will they be like former owner Roman Abramovich and swiftly replace those who struggle. Already this season has seen Thomas Tuchel leave his job as coach.
Graham Potter has taken over and made a reasonable start to life at Stamford Bridge. However, his new club were probably glad the break came when it did after three successive Premier League defeats. That made it five league games without a win for the Blues.
They host Bournemouth and then travel to Nottingham Forest (heaven knows many players they’ll sign in January) so should be able to get some points on the table. January 5 however may be a different story when Chelsea are home to Manchester City.
That’s a match that is one of the top games seen in the English Premier League. It attracts plenty of betting interest all over the world. That will include the US state of Ohio who makes sports betting legal in January. Those opening accounts with online sportsbooks will be keen to place bets on this and other Premier League games.
Just three days after that match at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea travel north to face City again, this time in the FA Cup third round. With tricky games at neighbors Fulham and then home to Crystal Palace, January isn’t going to be an easy month for Chelsea. It gets worse though, their final Premier League game of a busy month is an away game against Liverpool.
Could a poor January see Chelsea’s owners lose faith in Potter and realize he may not be the man for the job?
Jurgen Klopp may also be under pressure at Anfield. Liverpool haven’t been in great form this season, particularly on the road where they had to wait until November to win their first match.
Their first four fixtures when the Premier League resumes are all against sides outside the top six but there are tricky games at Brighton and Brentford. By the time they host Chelsea on January 21, their bid for a Champions League place next season might just be on shaky ground, just like their opponents.
