EPL Soccer Picks, Predictions, Best Bets: Phil Foden leading the way for Manchester City
The English Premier League kicks off this weekend with some crucial matchups, as Manchester City chase the league leaders of Arsenal and are just two points behind.
Liverpool looks to repeat and improve upon their recent positive results when they head to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while Manchester United attempts to stagger Aston Villa’s efforts as the Lions press onward in third place and arguably the best form of any English club. City’s Phil Foden hopes to continue his impeccable form with another goal against Nottingham Forest on away soil this weekend.
Catch another round of the Premier League this weekend, with kick-off between Newcastle and Chelsea this Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET sharp.
Tottenham vs. Liverpool best bet: Liverpool ML (+105)
The English giants will meet for the first time this season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The last match between these teams ended in a 5-1 Liverpool victory at Anfield in April 2025 last season.
The Spurs may have started the season strong, but they have fallen to 11th place with 22 points and a 6-4-6 record as they enter this matchup at +240 odds to win. The beginning of December looked relatively promising as they fought out a 2-2 draw to Newcastle, followed by a 2-0 victory over Brentford, before heading to the Champions League to take a 3-0 win over Slavia Praha, only to fall 3-0 to Nottingham Forest most recently last Sunday. Tottenham have won only two of their eight home games in the Premier League, which means they could find trouble against the Reds this Saturday as they hit their stride.
Liverpool stays strong as they pump out bearable results that are by no means dominant on the score line, although they’ve climbed back to seventh place in the Premier League with 26 points and an 8-2-6 record. They’re priced to win on Saturday at +105 odds after rallying for a crucial 1-0 win over Inter in the Champions League and a recent 2-0 win over Brighton last Saturday. With Tottenham struggling at home this season and the Reds back on the climb, Liverpool is in a good position to take the win in this match at +105 odds.
Aston Villa vs. Manchester United best bet: Aston Villa -0.5 (+115)
Aston Villa is in the best form the club has seen for quite some time, as they impressively reside in third place in the EPL with 33 points and a 10-3-3 record, taking out Arsenal, Man City, and Tottenham so far this season. The +115 home favourites this Sunday take on the Red Devils after notching a 3-2 victory over West Ham, with 12 goals in their last five games in all competitions. They’re amidst a nine-game winning streak in all competitions, and I fully expect them to cover a -0.5 spread as they take home turf advantage in this match.
Manchester United have shown many inconsistencies this season, going 2-2-1 in their last five games to hold sixth place in the league with 26 points along with Palace, Liverpool, and Sunderland. They’re only +210 underdogs for the weekend after drawing Bournemouth in a barnburner 4-4 result, but they are missing very important players like Bryan Mbeumo (United’s top goalscorer) and Amad Diallo due to their international duty as they head to the Africa Cup of Nations. With these factors in mind, I’m expecting Villa to edge the Red Devils by at least one goal.
Best player prop bet: Phil Foden Anytime Goalscorer (+188)
The Manchester City English midfielder has reached impeccable form this season with six goals in his last four Premier League matches. He’s got seven on the season, and could very well add to that tally tonight at +188 to continue his streak. The Sky Blues should hardly be troubled against 18th-place West Ham, a team that’s allowed 32 goals this season – the third-highest goals allowed count in the Premier League.
