The first full Premier League gameweek of 2025 is headlined by the biggest fixture in English football as leaders Liverpool welcome crisis-ridden rivals and self-confessed relegation candidates Manchester United to Anfield on Sunday.
Both sides could have barely been in more contrasting form during the first half of the season and, while Liverpool will be looking to maintain the standards they set in 2024, Man United will be hoping that the new year brings with it a new start.
The Slow Readers Club bassist and Red Devils fan James Ryan will certainly be hoping for that too, and an enormous upset at Anfield is one of his numerous bold predictions for gameweek 20 of the Premier League season as he becomes the latest musician to take on our weekly prediction competition.
Can Arsenal, away to Brighton & Hove Albion, or Chelsea, away to Crystal Palace, capitalise on any Liverpool slip-up? Will Manchester City make it consecutive wins for the first time since October when they host West Ham United? Will Nottingham Forest continue their incredible campaign?
Read on below to find out both James Ryan and Sports Mole's predictions for the opening gameweek of the new year.
Spurs vs. Newcastle
Saturday, 12.30pmJames: Spurs 1-3 Newcastle
Sports Mole: Spurs 1-2 Newcastle
Not one of the previous 59 Premier League meetings between Spurs and Newcastle has finished goalless, and that sequence should not be snapped at a ground where Tottenham have both scored and conceded in their last eight top-flight games.
While the Lilywhites are backed end the Magpies' stellar streak of clean sheets, the hosts' ravaged defence should be ruthlessly exposed by their bogey team Newcastle, who have our vote to prolong Postecoglou's misery and enhance their top-four credentials.
Aston Villa vs. Leicester
Saturday, 3pmJames: Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester
Sports Mole: Aston Villa 3-1 Leicester
Unbeaten in the Premier League at home since August, Aston Villa should be extremely confident of putting an out-of-form Leicester side to the sword this weekend.
The Foxes' difficult run of fixtures continues into 2025 as they visit the Second City on Saturday, when a fifth straight top-flight defeat appears likely.
Bournemouth vs. Everton
Saturday, 3pmJames: Bournemouth 2-0 Everton
Sports Mole: Bournemouth 3-0 Everton
Bournemouth were woeful for 85 minutes in the reverse fixture before a staggering late win, but they should make much lighter work of this one against an Everton side devoid of ideas and confidence.
Everton have still never won a Premier League game at the Vitality, and everything the Cherries excel at is what they are currently lacking, and a repeat of last week's performance could result in another ugly scoreline.
Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea
Saturday, 3pmJames: Crystal Palace 2-1 Chelsea
Sports Mole: Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea
Palace have a dreadful record against Chelsea, and they are not much better when facing fellow London clubs, but Glasner has made them difficult to beat with a much more settled side of late.
Chelsea's shortcomings are being exposed, with the goals drying up and defensive frailty becoming costly, and this will be another difficult afternoon for Maresca's side.
Man City vs. West Ham
Saturday, 3pmJames: Man City 3-0 West Ham
Sports Mole: Man City 3-0 West Ham
Bowen's absence deprives West Ham of their principle attacking threat away from home, as the ex-Hull City man has registered 16 combined goals and assists in Premier League away games since the start of last season; none of his teammates has contributed more than eight.
Given the sorry nature of their defensive display against Liverpool too, Lopetegui's men should be put to the sword by a revitalised Man City, set to win back-to-back games for the first time since October.
Southampton vs. Brentford
Saturday, 3pmJames: Southampton 1-2 Brentford
Sports Mole: Southampton 0-0 Brentford
Juric has put his marker down quickly and instantly made Southampton tougher to score against, compared to the shots that would frequently rain down on their goal under Martin.
Brentford have the firepower, but they have looked slightly blunt in recent weeks, taking just one point from their previous five games, and the goals have dried up for some of their key attacking players.
Brighton vs. Arsenal
Saturday, 5.30pmJames: Brighton 2-1 Arsenal
Sports Mole: Brighton 1-3 Arsenal
Brighton had both scored and conceded in six successive Premier League home games before their goalless affair with Brentford on December 27, and the goals ought to flow once again versus an Arsenal side who have struggled for clean sheets on the road of late.
However, Arteta's men are coping just fine on the offensive front without the influential Saka and have our backing to march to a second 3-1 win of the year, thus preventing Liverpool from steering further clear at the Premier League summit.
Fulham vs. Ipswich
Sunday, 2pmJames: Fulham 2-0 Ipswich
Sports Mole: Fulham 2-1 Ipswich
Ipswich have won two of their three Premier League games away from home and head to Craven Cottage in high spirits after beating Chelsea, but they will once again be underdogs this weekend against a Fulham side who have made themselves difficult to beat in recent weeks.
A similarly close contest to the 1-1 draw played out between these two teams at Portman Road earlier this season could be on the cards on Sunday, but we are backing the home side to come out on top by a narrow margin.
Liverpool vs. Man Utd
Sunday, 4.30pmJames: Liverpool 1-2 Man Utd
Sports Mole: Liverpool 3-0 Man Utd
Disjointed in attack, vulnerable at the back and struggling massively to adapt to the demands of an Amorim system, Man United are at risk of being completely overrun at Anfield, although expected recalls for Ugarte, Mainoo and Fernandes should mean that their display is not at pitiful as it was against Newcastle.
The Red Devils fanbase will certainly travel in fleeting hope rather than expectation, though, and we can picture Liverpool repeating their 3-0 Old Trafford trick, boosting their title hopes at the expense of their opponents' Premier League status entirely.
Wolves vs. Nott'm Forest
Monday, 8pmJames: Wolves 2-2 Nott'm Forest
Sports Mole: Wolves 1-2 Nott'm Forest
Wolves can always be backed to make the Molineux nets bulge, but they will be deprived of the man who has had a direct hand in almost half of their Premier League goals this season; Cunha has scored 10 and set up four of Wolves' 31 efforts.
In contrast, Forest are showing no signs of floundering and should be strengthened by the returns of no fewer than three key cogs, so Nuno should mark his return to his old haunt by haunting the Old Gold and keeping the Tricky Trees on the Premier League podium.
James Ryan Q&A
How did you come to support Man United and what are your favourite memories from your time as a fan?
I honestly don't know because my dad is a Man City fan and my mam bought me and my brother Sheffield Wednesday quilt covers when we were kids because they were on offer at Newton Heath market.
How I ended up supporting United with that I'll never know! You'd expect me to follow in my dad's footsteps but he didn't force me to support City at all.
He still tells the story of showing me Maine Road from the window in the hospital the night I was born but that obviously had no impact on my future.
I support United because I love them. It's football isn't it? I can't really explain it but I remember as a kid my uncle knocking on our door one day and he asked my mam if I could go to the United match with him. I said yeah straight away. I just remember getting there early and walking up the steps to see the Old Trafford pitch and knowing that this was my team. It's been that way ever since.
My best memory was away at Blackburn Rovers in April 2008. We were being pushed for the title by Chelsea at the time and Blackburn were beating us 1-0 with Brad Friedel in net having the game of his life.
We just needed a point to keep away from Chelsea and Tevez scored an equalizer in the 88th minute. I was right behind it on row 10 or thereabouts and I just remember the full stand going wild and I ended up hung over the advertising boards. I think the full United end knew at that point we were going to win the league.
Who have been your favourite five players for your club?
Paul Scholes, Bryan Robson, Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Eric Cantona
What's going on with the band at the moment?
We have a brand new album out in March (Out Of A Dream) and a single from that album out this month. We play a couple of shows in Dublin and Belfast in early February and then during March we play a few smaller, intimate shows around the country around the release of the album.
We're then off to Europe in April and hopefully on the festival circuit in the summer. We're don't have many festivals booked at the moment but we're hoping to get more.
'Animals' by The Slow Readers Club is available to stream now.
You can follow The Slow Readers Club on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter).
2024-25 SEASON LEADERBOARD (ARTISTS)
Scores are calculated as one point for a correct result and five points for a correct scoreline.
1. Kyle Starkey (16pts | Gameweek 3)
2. Make Friends' Max Lewin (15pts | Gameweek 2)
3. Everyone Says Hi's Nick Hodgson (13pts | Gameweek 1)
4. Blitz Vega's Kav Sandhu (10pts | Gameweek 5)
5. Trampolene's Jack Jones (9pts | Gameweek 4)
= Kneecap's Mo Chara (9pts | Gameweek 6)
7. Feet's Harry Southerton (7pts | Gameweek 13)
= IN PARALLEL's Harrison Baker (7pts | Gameweek 15)
9. Kids in Glass Houses' Iain Mahanty (6pts | Gameweek 7)
= proFESSional's Rob Hennebry (6pts | Gameweek 8)
11. Maddox Jones (4pts | Gameweek 9)
= The Farm's Peter Hooton (4pts | Gameweek 18)
12. She Drew The Gun's Louisa Roach (3pts | Gameweek 10)
= The Now's Shane Callaghan (3pts | Gameweek 17)
= Chilli Jesson (3pts | Gameweek 11)
15. Soft Launch's Josh McClory (2pts | Gameweek 12)
= My First Time's James Mellen (2pts | Gameweek 14)
= Apollo Junction's Ben Hope (2pts | Gameweek 16)
2024-25 COMPETITION HISTORY
Gameweek 1: Everyone Says Hi's Nick Hodgson 13-14 Sports Mole
Gameweek 2: Make Friends' Max Lewin 15-4 Sports Mole
Gameweek 3: Kyle Starkey 16-13 Sports Mole
Gameweek 4: Trampolene's Jack Jones 9-9 Sports Mole
Gameweek 5: Blitz Vega's Kav Sandhu 10-11 Sports Mole
Gameweek 6: Kneecap's Mo Chara 9-4 Sports Mole
Gameweek 7: Kids in Glass Houses' Iain Mahanty 6-3 Sports Mole
Gameweek 8: proFESSional's Rob Hennebry 6-7 Sports Mole
Gameweek 9: Maddox Jones 4-10 Sports Mole
Gameweek 10: She Drew The Gun's Louisa Roach 3-4 Sports Mole
Gameweek 11: Chilli Jesson 3-8 Sports Mole
Gameweek 12: Soft Launch's Josh McClorey 2-3 Sports Mole
Gameweek 13: Feet's Harry Southerton 7-10 Sports Mole
Gameweek 14: My First Time's James Mellen 2-8 Sports Mole
Gameweek 15: IN PARALLEL's Harrison Baker 7-2 Sports Mole
Gameweek 16: Apollo Junction's Ben Hope 2-3 Sports Mole
Gameweek 17: The Now's Shane Callaghan 3-6 Sports Mole
Gameweek 18: The Farm's Peter Hooton 4-4 Sports Mole
Gameweek 19: N/A
body check tags ::
