Premier League Gameweek 18 ACCA: Foxy Leicester hit London with goals on the agenda

Updated: 20/11/2024

Much like every other Chelsea fan, when Arsenal under-perform it puts a smile on my face. Unsurprisingly, towards the end of Arsene Wenger’s tenure, I spent many a weekend a happy chap. I know I might get some push back, but during their ‘underwhelming’ seasons my hatred for the North London club faded because they became less of a threat.

This season their resurgence under Unai Emery has managed to bring back my animosity from years gone by. The last two weeks, in particular, I’ve felt a passionate rage against Arsenal as The Gunners have been the sole reason that both of my accumulators have lost.

I won’t go as far to say that I’m openly avoiding Arsenal in my ACCAs for BetBull, but now they’re not in this selection I’m desperately hoping Burnley can nick a result.

Speaking about this weekend, there’s a lot of ‘mismatches’ in the league. Almost all the ‘top’ sides are playing teams one might expect to finish mid-table or bottom half. Generally when that’s the case value is hard to find, but that just means more research for me.

Huddersfield vs. Southampton

Saturday, 22 December, 15:00

I must admit, although their result against Cardiff wasn’t the best, I’ve been impressed with the speed that Ralph Hasenhuttl has adapted to his role at Southampton. Although they were pegged back twice against Arsenal, Southampton never gave up and I think they would have done so under previous management.

Hasenhuttl appears to understand the small intricacies of the Premier League. In all honesty that confidence he shows could give a decent Southampton squad the belief that they didn’t have under Mark Hughes. These next few weeks are crucial.

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In my opinion, David Wagner has attempted to turn Huddersfield into an amalgamation of two different sides: Liverpool and Arsenal. Hasenhuttl has already performed well against one of those teams therefore why wouldn’t his system work in a must win game against the worst home team in the league?

As I’ve mentioned time and time again in these articles, failure to adapt after their breakthrough season has left Huddersfield vulnerable. Unfortunately for fans of the club, it doesn’t look like David Wagner has a plan B. For me that makes them odds on for the drop unless significant investment is made in January.

Newcastle vs. Fulham

Saturday, 22 December, 15:00

The only thing consistent about Newcastle this season is their inconsistency and I’m fully aware of the irony.

Just after they found some form, Newcastle suffered a heavy home loss to West Ham. A decent away point at Goodison Park was followed by a narrow loss at home to Wolves and then an unconvincing win at Huddersfield.

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Despite the fact they’ve been somewhat erratic, Newcastle had such a poor start to their campaign that recent wins have seen them move four points clear of the relegation zone.

Both sides will be fully aware of the magnitude of this game and each manager has a track record of getting the best from certain players. Even so, Fulham are struggling to find any sort of form and the installation of Claudio Ranieri at the helm is yet to help.

Not only do Fulham sit bottom on just nine points after 17 games, they also have the worst away form in the league. Their only point came in a draw against Brighton.

To put it simply, I’d be amazed if Newcastle didn’t pick up all three points this weekend.

Chelsea vs. Leicester

Saturday, 22 December, 15:00

I’m not going to lie, this selection was a tough one to make, but I can validate why I think it’ll come to fruition.

As we’ve explored a multitude of times, Leicester love to play quick counter attacking football. Having watched Chelsea at every available opportunity this season, I know for a fact they’re vulnerable to sides who can break quickly because unfortunately the ‘starting’ back four is starting to show identifiable flaws.

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The errors of seasons past are starting to creep back into the game of David Luiz; Cesar Azpilicueta has struggled to adapt into the ‘new’ Sarri system; and question marks have always existed over how Marcos Alonso stands up as a natural defender in a back four.

If Leicester play to their strengths and Jamie Vardy returns from his minor groin injury at 100% or even as an impact sub, I really do expect the away side to score. While Alvaro Morata remains a doubt, it looks as though Eden Hazard will play as a false nine again. That allows for the introduction of either Pedro or Ruben Loftus-Cheek, both of whom are in good goal scoring form.

Recommended Premier League Accumulator

Back Southampton (0.0 Asian Handicap) @ 5/7

Back Newcastle @ 5/7

Back Chelsea & BTTS @ 2/1

Total ACCA Odds: 8.97/1

You can back this accumulator by downloading BetBull here and then following my profile FootieWriter.

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🇬🇧 Premier League Gameweek 18 ACCA: Foxy Leicester hit London with goals on the agenda was originally published in blog.betbull.com on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Original source: https://blog.betbull.com/premier-league-gameweek-18-acca-foxy-leicester-hit-london-with-goals-on-the-agenda-581273ab22b6?source=rss—-8f47704ae58f—4

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