The 2024-25 English Premier League season is now into its second half, with Liverpool sitting pretty atop the table and the team that the others are all chasing. They will be expecting to notch up another win against Brentford this weekend, but so too will the teams immediately behind them in Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. Elsewhere, there are plenty of matchups that look likely to be a little more closely contested, including Everton vs Tottenham and Manchester United vs Brighton. Take a look at our EPL tips and predictions for Matchweek 22 below.
EPL 2024/25 Matchweek 22
Newcastle Utd vs Bournemouth
St. James’ Park, Saturday 18th of January, 11.30pm AEDT
It’s safe to say that Newcastle are on a tear. After splitting their first 15 games of the EPL season 5-5-5, they went on to win five in a row, with their aggregate score over that time an incredible 15-1. Within that same time frame they also won their EFL Cup quarter-final and the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final clash against Arsenal, as well as their 3rd round FA Cup game, giving them eight wins on the trot across all competitions.
But Bournemouth won’t make it easy for them to continue that streak. They, too, are in an impressive vein of form, having made it through their last nine EPL games without a loss – though four of those games did end in a draw. And with a 5-1 FA Cup win in their latest outing, they enter this game with their tails well and truly up. This should be a quality game between two in-form teams, and while Newcastle do deserve to be favourites on their home deck, the draw looks like great value at $4.20 with PlayUp in what should be a hard-fought game.
| Bookmaker | Tip | Odds |
 | Draw | $4.20 |
 | Under 2.5 goals | $2.35 |
 | Bournemouth +1.5 | $1.50 |
Predicted Lineups
Newcastle United
- GK: M. Dubravka
- DL: Lewis Hall
- DC: Dan Burn
- DC: Fabian Schar
- DR: V. Livramento
- MC: Joelinton
- MC: Bruno Guimaraes
- MC: S. Tonali
- FW:L: A. Gordon
- FW:R: Jacob Murphy
- FW: A. Isak
Bournemouth
- GK: K. Arrizabalaga
- DL: Milos Kerkez
- DC: Dean Huijsen
- DC: I. Zabarnyi
- DR: Lewis Cook
- DMC: Tyler Adams
- DMC: R. Christie
- AML: A. Semenyo
- AMC: J. Kluivert
- AMR: David Brooks
- FW: D. Ouattara
West Ham United vs Crystal Palace
London Stadium, Sunday 19th of January, 2.00am AEDT
Both West Ham and Crystal Palace are currently stuck in EPL purgatory, each occupying those mundane mid-low table positions from which both qualification for any leagues and relegation are unlikely. Having said that, there is still plenty of water to go under the bridge so both teams will be eager to keep putting points on the board to ensure their position in the top league next season.
West Ham had a grim couple of games surrounding New Year’s, losing 5-0 to Liverpool and 4-1 to Man City in succession, but they bounced back with a win against Fulham during the week and will back themselves to make it two in a row here. Already they’ve clocked up a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace earlier in the season, and they look like a solid EPL bet to notch up a similar result this weekend.
| Bookmaker | Tip | Odds |
| West Ham/West Ham half-time/full-time | $4.10 |
| West Ham United to win | $2.40 |
| West Ham United 1-0 | $10.00 |
Predicted Lineups
West Ham United
- GK: L. Fabianski
- DL: Emerson
- DC: K. Mavropanos
- DC: Max Kilman
- DR: A. Wan-Bissaka
- DMC: G. Rodriguez
- DMC: E. Alvarez
- AML: Carlos Soler
- AMC: Tomas Soucek
- AMR: M. Kudus
- FW: L. Paqueta
Crystal Palace
- GK: D. Henderson
- DC: T. Chalobah
- DC: Marc Guehi
- DC: M. Lacroix
- ML: T. Mitchell
- MC: Will Hughes
- MC: J. Lerma
- MR: Daniel Munoz
- AMC: Eberechi Eze
- AMC: Ismaila Sarr
- FW: J. Mateta
Leicester City vs Fulham
King Power Stadium, Sunday 19th of January, 2.00am AEDT
Leicester City are a prime example of the gap between the Premier League and the Championship, having been relegated in 2023 only to bounce back by winning the second division last year. Now, they find themselves in significant relegation danger once again. Five consecutive losses around the New Year have certainly not helped, though they are not without a chance of securing a point in this one.
Fulham have had a solid year but have not been winning much for a while, having picked up just one victory in their past seven matches. That was, however, an impressive one against Chelsea and they’ve also had draws against Arsenal and Liverpool, though two losses and a draw in their last three games against Bournemouth, Ipswich Town and West Ham has been a disappointing return. This is far from a guaranteed win for them, but they should be able to sneak over the line.
| Bookmaker | Tip | Odds |
| Fulham to win | $1.91 |
| Under 2.5 goals | $2.10 |
| Draw/Fulham half-time/full-time | $5.50 |
Predicted Lineups
Leicester City
- GK: J. Stolarczyk
- DL: Luke Thomas
- DC: Conor Coady
- DC: J. Vestergaard
- DR: James Justin
- DMC: B. Soumare
- DMC: Harry Winks
- AML: S. Mavididi
- AMC: B. El Khannouss
- AMR: Jordan Ayew
- FW: Jamie Vardy
Fulham
- GK: Bernd Leno
- DL: A. Robinson
- DC: J. Andersen
- DC: C. Bassey
- DR: T. Castagne
- DMC: Sasa Lukic
- DMC: Tom Cairney
- AML: Alex Iwobi
- AMC: E. Smith Rowe
- AMR: Harry Wilson
- FW: Raul Jimenez
Brentford vs Liverpool
Gtech Community Stadium, Sunday 19th of January, 2.00am AEDT
After just barely avoiding relegation last season, Brentford have had a decent first half of 2024-25, currently finding them smack bang in the middle of the EPL table. They have had no problems finding the back of the net this season – as they showed when they beat Southampton 5-0 a couple of weeks ago – but they haven’t been quite as successful at keeping the opposition off the scoresheet. That could be cause for concern against Liverpool.
The Reds are sitting comfortably atop the table with an enormous goal difference of 28, having booted comfortably the most goals in the league this season. They’ve had a couple of draws to start the calendar year against Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, but prior to that they scored 14 goals in their previous three games. Brentford will put up a fight in this one, but Liverpool’s offensive firepower will likely be able to break down the opposition defence and score at least a couple of times to secure the win and solidify their spot at the top of the EPL.
| Bookmaker | Tip | Odds |
| Liverpool/Liverpool half-time/full-time | $2.20 |
| Liverpool to win | $1.48 |
| Over 3.5 goals | $1.88 |
Predicted Lineups
Brentford
- GK: Mark Flekken
- DL: K. Lewis-Potter
- DC: N. Collins
- DC: S. van den Berg
- DR: Mads Roerslev
- MC: M. Jensen
- MC: C. Norgaard
- MC: V. Janelt
- FWL: M. Damsgaard
- FWR: Bryan Mbeumo
- FW: Yoane Wissa
Liverpool
- GK: Alisson
- DL: A. Robertson
- DC: V. van Dijk
- DC: I. Konate
- DR: T. Alexander-Arnold
- DMC: A. Mac Allister
- DMC: R. Gravenberch
- AML: Cody Gakpo
- AMC: Curtis Jones
- AMR: M. Salah
- FW: Diogo Jota
Arsenal vs Aston Villa
Emirates Stadium, Sunday 19th of January, 4.30am AEDT
Aston Villa have had a solid first half of the 2024-25 season, but this will be a tough clash for the against an Arsenal side which will be eager to get back on the winners’ list as soon as possible. Most EPL predictions suggest that the Gunners are the best hope of stopping Liverpool from winning their 20th title, but they’ve gone three games without a win across all leagues.
They can’t afford many slip ups over the remainder of the season if they’re to make up the seven points they need to catch Liverpool, making this – like most matches for the rest of the season – a must-win game. They’ve been as good as anyone defensively all season, and they look like one of the better EPL tips for the week to keep Aston Villa from scoring while putting in one or two themselves to get back on the winners’ list.
| Bookmaker | Tip | Odds |
| Arsenal to win | $1.45 |
| Under 2.5 goals | $2.05 |
| Aston Villa 0 goals | $2.20 |
Predicted Lineups
Arsenal
- GK: David Raya
- DL: M. Lewis-Skelly
- DC: Gabriel
- DC: W. Saliba
- DR: J. Timber
- MC: Declan Rice
- MC: M. Odegaard
- MC: Mikel Merino
- FWL: G. Martinelli
- FWR: L. Trossard
- FW: Kai Havertz
Aston Villa
- GK: E. Martinez
- DL: Lucas Digne
- DC: Ezri Konsa
- DC: Tyrone Mings
- DR: Matty Cash
- DMC: B. Kamara
- DMC: Y. Tielemans
- AML: Jacob Ramsey
- AMC: M. Rogers
- AMR: Leon Bailey
- FW: O. Watkins
Everton vs Tottenham Hotspur
Goodison Park, Monday 20th of January, 1.00am AEDT
After just avoiding relegation each of the last two seasons, Everton is once again in trouble of being booted from the top league in a few months’ time for the first time since 1992. Scoring has been a massive problem for them – after a 4-0 win over the Wolves in early December, they scored just once in their next five games, and will need to change that quickly if they’re to avoid relegation.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have been in a funk of their own and have dropped into the bottom half of the table as a result, but they are a better side than their record would suggest. A run of draws and losses through late December and early January have set them back a long way, but this is a good opportunity for them to get back to their winning ways.
| Bookmaker | Tip | Odds |
| Tottenham to win | $2.45 |
| Tottenham to win or draw | $1.45 |
| Tottenham to win 2-1 | $9.00 |
Predicted Lineups
Everton
- GK: J. Pickford
- DL: V. Mykolenko
- DC: J. Branthwaite
- DC: J. Tarkowski
- DR: Ashley Young
- DMC: I. Gueye
- DMC: Orel Mangala
- AML: I. Ndiaye
- AMC: A. Doucoure
- AMR: J. Harrison
- FW: D. Calvert-Lewin
Tottenham Hotspur
- GK: A. Kinsky
- DL: Djed Spence
- DC: R. Dragusin
- DC: Archie Gray
- DR: Pedro Porro
- DMC: Pape Sarr
- DMC: L. Bergvall
- AML: Son Heung-Min
- AMC: D. Kulusevski
- AMR: B. Johnson
- FW: D. Solanke
Manchester United vs Brighton and Hove Albion
Old Trafford, Monday 20th of January, 1.00am AEDT
Manchester United might not have been the powerhouse they once were over the past few season, but they’ve still not finished lower than 8th since 1990. That stretch is in danger this season, particularly if they can’t secure the points against Brighton – which has proved difficult for most teams of late.
Not that Brighton have been winning. They’ve had the most draws in the league this season, with right around half of their games ending in a stalemate including four in a row over late December and early January. With neither team having set the world on fire of late, that looks like decent value this game too, particularly with major international betting sites like Unibet and Bet365.
| Bookmaker | Tip | Odds |
| Draw | $4.20 |
| Under 2.5 goals | $2.35 |
| Brighton and Hove Albion +1.5 | $1.50 |
Predicted Lineups
Manchester United
- GK: Andre Onana
- DC: M. De Ligt
- DC: L. Martinez
- DC: H. Maguire
- ML: T. Malacia
- MC: M. Ugarte
- MC: K. Mainoo
- MR: N. Mazraoui
- AMC: Amad Diallo
- AMC: Bruno Fernandes
- FW: R. Hojlund
Brighton and Hove Albion
- GK: B. Verbruggen
- DL: P. Estupinan
- DC: Lewis Dunk
- DC: J. van Hecke
- DR: Joel Veltman
- DMC: Carlos Baleba
- DMC: Yasin Ayari
- AML: Kaoru Mitoma
- AMC: Julio Enciso
- AMR: Brajan Gruda
- FW: D. Welbeck
Nottingham Forest vs Southampton
City Ground, Monday 20th of January, 1.00am AEDT
After six consecutive wins, Nottingham Forest finally failed to get the full points during the week, but they shouldn’t be too disappointed with their effort. They took it right up to the best team in the league, leading Liverpool for most of the game before conceding a 66th minute goal which ultimately led to a draw between the top two teams.
But they should be straight back on the winners’ list this weekend. Southampton finds themselves dead last by a long way having won just a solitary game all season, and that does not look likely to change in this one. This is the most lopsided matchup of Matchday 22, and gives Nottingham Forest what should be an easy opportunity to get straight back onto the winners’ list with a comfortable victory.
| Bookmaker | Tip | Odds |
| Nottingham Forest to win | $1.45 |
| Nottingham Forest -1.5 | $2.30 |
| Nottingham Forest/Nottingham Forest half-time/full-time | $2.20 |
Predicted Lineups
Nottingham Forest
- GK: Matz Sels
- DL: N. Williams
- DC: N. Milenkovic
- DC: Murillo
- DR: Ola Aina
- DMC: Ryan Yates
- DMC: E. Anderson
- AML: C. Hudson-Odoi
- AMC: M. Gibbs-White
- AMR: A. Elanga
- FW: Chris Wood
Southampton
- GK: A. Ramsdale
- DC: Nathan Wood
- DC: T. Harwood-Bellis
- DC: Jan Bednarek
- ML: K. Walker-Peters
- MC: Lesley Ugochukwu
- MC: Flynn Downes
- MR: Y. Sugawara
- AMC: T. Dibling
- AMC: Mateus Fernandes
- FW: Paul Onuachu
Ipswich Town vs Manchester City
Portman Road Stadium, Monday 20th of January, 1.00am AEDT
Speaking of lopsided matchups, this one doesn’t exactly shape up as a thriller either. Ipswich Town have had a great couple of seasons, being promoted in back to back years, but the fun is over now. They currently find themselves in the relegation zone, but with little separating them from 17th and 18th a good result or two could see that change quickly.
But that will be hard for them to attain this weekend. Man City’s reign at the top of the Premier League might be over, but they still have plenty to play for in the form of a Champions’ League spot, and this is a good opportunity for them to pick up three more points after a really disappointing draw to Brentford during the week. They conceded two goals in the last ten minutes to tie that one at 2-2, and they’ll be keen to take out a bit of frustration on the struggling Ipswich Town.
| Bookmaker | Tip | Odds |
| Manchester City to win | $1.30 |
| Manchester City -1.5 | $1.83 |
| Over 3.5 goals | $2.05 |
Predicted Lineups
Ipswich Town
- GK: C. Walton
- DL: Leif Davis
- DC: Dara O'Shea
- DC: J. Greaves
- DC: L. Woolfenden
- DR: Ben Johnson
- ML: N. Broadhead
- MC: Sam Morsy
- MC: Jens Cajuste
- MR: Wes Burns
- FW: Liam Delap
Manchester City
- GK: Stefan Ortega
- DL: J. Gvardiol
- DC: M. Akanji
- DC: Nathan Ake
- DR: Rico Lewis
- DMC: M. Kovacic
- ML: Savinho
- MC: B. Silva
- MC: K. De Bruyne
- MR: Phil Foden
- FW: E. Haaland
Chelsea vs Wolverhampton
Stamford Bridge, Tuesday 21st of January, 7.00am AEDT
The lopsided matchups continue on Tuesday morning Australia time when Chelsea host the Wolves in what should be a comfortable win for the home side. And boy do they need it. Just a few short weeks ago they were right up the top of the table with Liverpool, but three losses and two draws from their last five games have seen their championship hopes slashed.
But this is a great opportunity for them to get back to their winning ways. The Wolves have actually had a better last few weeks than Chelsea have, picking up a couple of impressive wins either side of Christmas to get them out of the relegation zones, but wins have still been few and far between for them this season. Given the respective form of these two teams this could be closer than it might have been a month ago, but Chelsea should still have no problems getting the full points.
| Bookmaker | Tip | Odds |
| Chelsea to win | $1.30 |
| Chelsea -1.5 | $1.82 |
| Chelsea/Chelsea half-time/full-time | $1.86 |
Predicted Lineups
Chelsea
- GK: R. Sanchez
- DL: M. Cucurella
- DC: Levi Colwill
- DC: T. Adarabioyo
- DR: Malo Gusto
- DMC: M. Caicedo
- DMC: E. Fernandez
- AML: Jadon Sancho
- AMC: Cole Palmer
- AMR: Pedro Neto
- FW: N. Jackson
Wolverhampton
- GK: Jose Sa
- DC: Santi Bueno
- DC: E. Agbadou
- DC: Matt Doherty
- ML: R. Ait-Nouri
- MC: Andre
- MC: Joao Gomes
- MR: Pedro Lima
- AMC: Matheus Cunha
- AMC: G. Guedes
- FW: J. Larsen
