2021/22 Premier League Matchday 12: Predictions & Results
Pintsized Background
Moaning about the international break isn’t going to stop it from occurring. A necessary evil, to be sure, but it was a pleasure watching England cruise to a World Cup spot in Qatar. Whether Southgate is the correct man for the job is yet to be seen. One semi and one final in the past two major tournaments speaks for itself, though.
Snapping back into the Premier League Predictions, Matchday 12 has a little to offer for everyone. Newcastle could well find their first victory under new ownership against a shaken Brentford. Norwich aim to continue their positive steps with the new man at the helm, Dean Smith. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces a career-defining fixture against recently promoted, Watford – lose, and the Nord could finally be on the chopping block.
Failed to catch the action from the Premier League last weekend? No worries. Peep our preview of Premier League Predictions: Matchday 11. Prefer a review of the event to jog the memory? Read Premier League Review: Matchday 11!
Unconvinced by Pintsized’s mystical predicting powers? Take a look at our prediction success last week detailed in Premier League Statistics: Match Day 11.
Bitesize Predictions
| Fixtures | Pintsized | Ryan | Steviano | Results |
| Saturday, 20 November | ||||
| Leicester vs Chelsea | 1-3 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0-3 |
| Aston Villa vs Brighton | 1-2 | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2-0 |
| Burnley vs Crystal Palace | 1-0 | 1-1 | 1-2 | 3-3 |
| Newcastle vs Brentford | 1-1 | 1-1 | 2-1 | 3-3 |
| Norwich vs Southampton | 0-2 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 2-1 |
| Watford vs Man United | 2-2 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 4-1 |
| Wolves vs West Ham | 1-3 | 2-2 | 1-2 | 1-0 |
| Liverpool vs Arsenal | 3-0 | 3-1 | 1-1 | 4-0 |
| Sunday, 21 November | ||||
| Man City vs Everton | 3-1 | 3-0 | 2-0 | 3-0 |
| Spurs vs Leeds | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2-1 |
Premier League Matchday 12: Saturday, 20 November
Leicester (#12, 15pts) vs Chelsea (#1, 26pts)
Pintsized
Leicester have proven to be an incredible disappointment so far. After crushing Man United 4-2, before beating Brentford away, it appeared to all that Brendan Rodgers had finally pieced together the jigsaw. Drab performances to Arsenal and Leeds see the Foxes slump in the mid-table. There will be no slack allowed against a Chelsea squad burnt from a recent home draw to Burnley. With Leicester facing a must-win match mid-week against Legia Warsaw, to keep any European hopes alive, I expect the Foxes to have their head turned.
Prediction: 1-3
Ryan
What a way to return to club football than with an absolute lunch-time banger. Both Leicester and Chelsea are coming off the back of surprising draws against Leeds and Burnley respectively, the latter of which drawing a lot of surprise. This should be a good watch and I can see the blip at Stamford Bridge being no more than that and thus providing a big 3 points for the title contenders.
Prediction: 1-2
Steviano
Chelsea will be keen to get back to winning ways after stumbling to a draw at home with Burnley last time out. Leicester are still to hit the heights of last season and I don’t see them winning this one.
Prediction: 1-2
Aston Villa (#16, 10pts) vs Brighton (#7, 17pts)
Pintsized
STEVIE G IS BACK, BABY. After a stellar job returning Rangers to greatness, securing the Scottish Premiership last season, slippy G is thrust into a floundering giant(ish) club. There is quality in this Villa side, and Dean Smith can feel hard done despite overseeing their current five-loss slide. John McGinn, Leon Bailey, Emiliano Martinez, Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins, Tyrone Mings – these are all quality players, that are somehow defying Aristotle with the whole being worse than the sum of its parts. Potter’s Brighton may no longer be in title contention, but the Seagulls are proving almost impossible to out-score. Leandro Trossard continues to find equalisers while Shane Duffy burns hot on the form of his life. A rude awakening for young Stevie.
Prediction: 1-2
Ryan
From one Premier League icon to another, Steven Gerrard has slipped his way back into the league (pun very much intended) in a managerial capacity with Villa. They’re hoping for a new manager bounce after a poor showing at Southampton in what proved to be Dean Smith’s last hurrah. Brighton will have been disappointed not to have capitalised on an unsteady Newcastle, only managing a point at home. For some reason, I can see Brighton starting to fizzle out here plus with the new manager bounce, Villa should see themselves back to winning ways.
Prediction: 2-0
Steviano
Neither team have won in their last 5 games but the new manager bounce for Villa with the Stevie G factor coming in may see them through this.
Prediction: 2-0
Burnley (#18, 8pts) vs Crystal Palace (#10, 15pts)
Pintsized
The Sean Dyche effect is in full effect. When the chips are down, the proud Northerner rises to the occasion. Much like a battered sausage, drenched in curry sauce, Dyche is the staple icon of comfort during hard times. Nabbing a point off Chelsea away is miraculous when considering the Londoner’s form. Exceptional performances from Ben Mee and James Tarkowski explain Burnley’s resurgence, a solid backbone for most in the PL. Palace, too, is tearing up the scripts. Undefeated in six games, Vieira has effectively built a team around loanee, Conor Gallagher. I apologise for doubting the Frenchman. If a manager is fielding Christian Benteke and still getting results, then they are truly a magician.
Prediction: 1-0
Ryan
Burnley pulled off another big effort at a top team, taking an unlikely point away from Stamford Bridge. Palace continue to impress with a strong win against a plucky Wolves proving that Vieira may indeed know what he’s doing as a Premier League manager. This is a tough one to predict so I’ll go down the middle.
Prediction: 1-1
Steviano
Palace are the surprise team for me this season and Viera has got them playing attacking football with a youthful feel to the team. Burnley will be pleased with the point at Chelsea but they don’t feel like the resilient Burnley of previous seasons.
Prediction: 1-2
Newcastle (#19, 5pts) vs Brentford (#14, 12pts)
Pintsized
The fast-food culture of football has seen insane demands of a dire Newcastle side that Steve Bruce was just about milking the last drop out of. Christmas cannot come sooner for the inpatient Geordies as they seek a wholesale squad revival – perhaps only retaining the services of Allan Saint-Maximin, Callum Wilson and Joe Willock. Eddie Howe will have to do for now. The only team left in the PL without a victory, they have a strong shout against a shaken Brentford. After the Bees ran rampant in their introduction to the big time, they are staring a 5-match slide down the barrel. Ivan Toney was barely able to sniff the ball against Norwich, forced to occupy the centre of the pitch after Norgaard spooned the ball away hopelessly.
Prediction: 1-1
Ryan
At the start of the season, this would have been seen as a potential relegation scrap but more so for Brentford rather than Newcastle. The home team managed an impressive draw against an in-form Brighton. Less impressive was a home loss to struggling Norwich for Brentford in what was arguably even more disappointing than their trip to Turf Moor. This break will have done Brentford some good to get back to their early season form whereas for Newcastle, the earliest they’ll see any changes will be in January even with Eddie Howe. For now, both sides will be happy with a point each.
Prediction: 1-1
Steviano
Another new manager bounce may be enough for a home win for the Toon against a Brentford team with a lot of injuries and a 4 game losing streak which will dent the early season confidence especially with the last one against Norwich.
Prediction: 2-1
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Norwich (#20, 5pts) vs Southampton (#13, 14pts)
Pintsized
Daniel Farke’s parting gift of three points could be massive in regards to the season. Somehow upgrading their manager to Dean Smith, the Canaries could well stay afloat in the Premier League for the first time in forever. Mathias Normann continues to be a bright spark in an otherwise ill-equipped squad. Southampton may have fumbled their way into six points over the past couple of weeks, but that has long been the gritty nature of their football. Heavy pressing and narrow attacks ensure that Southampton always have a presence in the centre of the park, allowing them the time to ship up at the back and dull quick counters.
Prediction: 0-2
Ryan
I think I might have seen a flying pig outside. That at least sounds more realistic than a Norwich win this season but here we are. What sort of warped world does a win get a manager the sack? Southampton have swapped trends from drawing every game to winning 1-0 every game. They’ll be happy with that and did the job against Villa last time. This should continue on this weekend.
Prediction: 0-1
Steviano
And another new manager although I’m not sure the bounce will be as big this time. Dean Smith was unlucky to lose the Villa job and will have his work cut out with the Canaries.
Prediction: 2-2
Watford (#17, 10pts) vs Man UNited (#6, 17pts)
Pintsized
Ranieri may have fallen to Southampton and Arsenal, but his Watford side are looking far more resilient at the back than before his arrival. Arteta has turned Arsenal around, playing free-flowing attacking football that has seen the Gunners put at least two past most opposition. For the Hornets to only fall away at the Emirates to a scrappy 1-0 is of huge credit. Against a far more disorganised United attack, this could be the match that sees Ole fall to the side. Beating Nuno’s Spurs away has barely softened the toxic mood, building at Old Trafford, and it won’t be long before Ronaldo takes over the managerial role himself.
Prediction: 2-2
Ryan
Looking at the 1-0 loss to Arsenal would suggest Watford put a big performance on and came close. They did not. Looking at the 2-0 loss to City would suggest United put a strong performance on and came somewhat close. They absolutely did not. It’s rather depressing being a United fan at the moment, knowing that Ole will stay without threatening much of anything this season. Against my better judgment, I’ll go with United to bounce back after a well-needed break but still don’t have a lot of confidence really.
Prediction: 1-2
Steviano
Both teams have a lot of injuries and neither are in sparkling form but I expect United’s star players to have to much for Watford.
Prediction: 1-2
Wolves (#8, 16pts) vs West Ham (#3, 23pts)
Pintsized
Pinch me. Third in the table? West Ham have flirted with the top four in previous campaigns, but it has only been fleeting and at the time felt shallow. Now, with Moyes masterminding the league, there is a belief that West Ham could pull off an outrageous Top 4 finish and Europa League final. With Michail Antonio flown back on a private jet from Jamaica duty to ensure the talisman returns, it highlights the intent of the organisation. Wolves are no pushovers, however. Joao Moutinho has continued to dominate the midfield for Wolves, enabling their threats in Ruben Neves, Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore to push up the pitch with freedom. Declan Rice will have to be imperious once again for the Hammers to get three.
Prediction: 1-3
Ryan
Matches between these two are always quite close or entertaining. Wolves disappointed against Palace in a 1-0 loss. West Ham continued to impress this season with a massive win against Liverpool in a game of the season contender. Both teams have been playing well overall though and I can see a draw between the pair in a hard-fought affair.
Prediction: 2-2
Steviano
West Ham will miss Ogbonna and potentially Rice which will be a big loss but Antonio should be available and I think that their confidence will carry them through.
Prediction: 1-2
Liverpool (#4, 22pts) vs Arsenal (#5, 20pts)
Pintsized
Match of the weekend. Thoroughly beaten by West Ham away, Klopp’s men already look to be falling off the pace of the top-four. Four draws by November is a killer in terms of title contention. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s blistering form is a positive sign, however, and has effectively allowed Salah to run rampant this season. It is still difficult to take Arteta’s squad as a genuine threat, especially when their main goal-scoring threat is taking the form of Emile Smith Rowe. With Aubameyang and Lacazette contributing just five total goals this PL campaign, there isn’t a consistent goal threat to draw confidence from.
Prediction: 3-0
Ryan
Liverpool continue to slip up and fall behind the pack near the top. A loss against West Ham does not help matters. Arsenal have been going the opposite way and picking up positive results more frequently. For some reason, Arsenal always have a mind block at Anfield and this could be the ideal opportunity for Liverpool to get back to winning ways.
Prediction: 3-1
Steviano
Liverpool have a long injury list which will hamper them – Arsenal are in great form but a young team coming to Anfield will be difficult and I can see this as a draw
Prediction: 1-1
Premier League Matchday 12: Sunday, 21 November
Man City (#2, 23pts) vs Everton (#11, 15pts)
Pintsized
Is this going to turn out to be anything other than a squash match? After Palace embarrassed City at home, Pep’s bald head has been working overtime. Eviscerating Club Brugge was inevitable, but the easiest derby in recent memory was impressive. For a team without an elite striker, City are keeping pace with goal difference. A dire away form for Everton is unlikely to break the trend at the Etihad. With Dominic Calvert-Lewin still out with injury, this could be embarrassing.
Prediction: 3-1
Ryan
The only disappointing thing for City following the derby was that they didn’t score more than 2. Everton played a surprisingly boring affair at home to Spurs in a battle of solid defences and blunt attacks. This won’t be the case at a high-scoring City and with all of their injuries, this might be a long afternoon for the Toffees.
Prediction: 3-0
Steviano
Everton seem to have fallen apart without Calvert-Lewin and go to a City team buoyed by a great performance against United – expect City to prevail but Rafa always has a game plan for the big games.
Prediction: 2-0
Spurs (#9, 16pts) vs Leeds (#15, 11pts)
Pintsized
Antonio Conte’s mighty Spurs revival has yet to hit the ground running. After almost bottling a 3-0 lead to Vitesse at home, Spurs could count themselves extremely lucky to take a point away from Goodison Park. VAR controversies and awful refereeing ensured Everton’s attack met a brick wall of red tape. Leeds haven’t proven themselves much of a force away from home this season, but Raphinha has the ability to pop up with a freak piece of skill at any point. Leed’s inability to hold onto clean sheets will bite them on the rear once again.
Prediction: 2-0
Ryan
The aforementioned draw has already been discussed above but this was definitely better for Antonio Conte and Spurs in this case. Leeds maintained their exciting style of play and now they’re picking up points to go with it, especially with a good draw against a similar style of play in Leicester. Unfortunately for Bielsa, Conte won’t allow for such excitement and will blunt them into a boring loss.
Prediction: 2-0
Steviano
Similar to Everton a missing striker has really hampered Leeds and they go to a Spurs team with a natural born winner in charge – Conte to get his first win.
Prediction: 2-0
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