Liverpool and Newcastle play the eve before New Years Eve, which is pretty sensible planning, as Scousers and Geordies would be the last to miss out on a party.

The bookies have Liverpool as firm favourites (around 4/7) to win. I am a little surprised by the bookies confidence in Liverpool at home. Liverpool have drawn six of their nine home games and only scored 11 goals at Anfield this season. Bottom of the table Blackburn who drew at Anfield on Boxing Day have scored more goals at home than Liverpool have.

Four of Liverpool’s six home draws have been against teams in the bottom half of the table. Luis Suarez misses the match as a result of a one match ban following his single finger salute to the Fulham fans, at the end of Liverpool’s 0-1 defeat at Craven Cottage.

Newcastle’s unbeaten run was certain to end when they came up against City, United then Chelsea, but they then dropped points away to Norwich and at home to Swansea and West Brom. Newcastle order was restored with a 2-0 at the Reebok on Boxing Day, and it looks like Demba Ba, Newcastle’s top goal scorer will be fit to play.

Seventh placed Newcastle have the same 4 3 2 away record as fifth placed Chelsea.

There hasn’t been a draw between these two in the league in their last 12 meetings, going back to 2004. It is unlikely that Newcastle will win at Anfield, Liverpool are still unbeaten at home and share the least goals conceded record this season (14) with United.

The value here is in a low scoring draw.

Weekend Football prediction – Draw, correct score 0-0 or 1-1

Best odds for the draw, are currently 4.00 with Victor Chandler and for the correct score of 1-1 the best odds are 9.00 at Ladbrokes

Less than 3 goals also worth considering.

Laith Amiry, weekendfootball

If you only get to watch one Premier league match this weekend, this is the one to watch. It is unusual for Man City to encounter two lots of bad news in one week (if you exclude player behaviour off the pitch), but they just have with their exit from the Champions League and their first defeat of the season at Stamford Bridge on Monday night marking the end of their unbeaten run.

City will be fired up for this game and keen to get back to winning ways, with silverware the target. With one draw and one defeat in their last six, City are still top of the league, but now have United breathing down their necks, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal are not far behind, and City have dropped to fourth in the form table. Who has replaced City at the top of the form table? The team who had a disastrous start to the season and most people had written off, including myself – Arsenal.  Arsenal are now top of the form table, unbeaten in their last six (and unbeaten in the last 8), with the best goal difference and goals scored record, this includes their 5-3 away win over Chelsea.

Clichy is suspended following his red card against Chelsea, Kolarev is injured, but Micah Richards returns for City. Arsenal have no injury worries, and their 4-0 away win at Wigan two weeks ago, will bury any omens about travelling up the M6, following their 4-3 defeat at now second from bottom Blackburn in September, and their 8-2 defeat against 2^nd placed United at Old Trafford in August.

Head to head, Arsenal won 3-0 at Eastlands last season, sandwiched by two 0-0 draws at the Emirates. City have only won one of their last 5 league meetings and three of their last 20 league matches going back to October 2000.

I am surprised that the bookies have City so short at around 4/6, 8/11, the value is in the draw or the away at odds of 4/1 for the team in top form. The draw feels more comfortable given City’s performance over the season and their home record. One thing is for certain this will be no goalless draw and I would expect at least 3 or 4 goals from the two highest goal scoring teams over the last six matches, and a fair number of cards, one possibly two of the red variety.

PS – I have been out of circulation most of this week, but if anyone knows why this match starts at 10 minutes past four not 4:00pm, please post the reason why as a comment to this thread, so that everyone will know – thank you. Is it just James Murdoch demonstrating his power to manipulate?

Weekend Football prediction – Draw, correct score 2-2

Best odds for the draw, are currently 3.80 with Victor Chandler and for the correct score of 2-2 the best odds are 15.00 with Victor Chandler
Also worth looking at 4 goals or more

For the brave, Arsenal are 41.00 with StanJames.com to win 3-2 and 126.00 with Victor Chandler to win 4-2, double the Chelsea scoreline on Monday and at Eastlands – it’s possible!

Laith Amiry, weekendfootball

QPR are now 13^th in the league and have dropped to 17^th in the form table with only one win in their last six league games; however in their last six games, QPR have only conceded 6 goals, whilst scoring 6, their defence are doing something right.

What is missing at QPR are goals, especially at home, Helguson can’t do it all on his own. QPR welcome back DJ Campbell for his first start since October, this should take some of the pressure off Helguson. QPR have only scored 6 goals at home all season, Helguson scored four of these and one was an own goal by Dunne scored in injury time in the Villa home draw. QPR’s home goal scoring record is the lowest in the Premier League, but yes they did beat Chelsea (1-0), their only home victory this season, a stat (one home victory) they share with Wigan and Bolton, both in the relegation zone.

The contrasting stat of note here, is that United are now, following City’s Monday night defeat at Stamford Bridge, the only Premier League side who are unbeaten away from home, with an impressive 12:3 goal ratio. Particularly impressive, when you consider that top of the table City, who admittedly have played one more away game, have conceded 11 goals on the road. Perhaps attack is not always the best form of defence?

Vidic is out for the rest of the season, which is a great loss to United, however Vidic only played 6 league games this season, and credit must go to Ferdinand, Evans, Smalling and Jones who have provided United with one of the best defensive records in the Premier League.

Head to head, QPR have never beaten United in the Premier League, their last win over the reds, coming on New Year’s Day 1992, winning 4-1 at Old Trafford ….. New Years Eve hangover for the United players, possibly? Things were different 19 years ago!

United like City, have only lost one league match this season, and can go top if they beat QPR on Sunday, at least until the whistle blows at Eastlands just before 6pm on Sunday evening, unless Arsenal do the unthinkable and join Chelsea in handing City another London slapping in less than a week.

With QPR’s home defensive record (conceding fewer home goals than both United and Chelsea), I do not expect a rout, but do expect United to take all the points and go top for a few hours and possibly longer.

Weekend Football prediction – Man United Away win, correct score 1-2

Best odds for the away win, are currently 1.50 at Ladbrokes and for the correct score of 1-2 the best odds are 8.50 with William Hill

Laith Amiry, weekendfootball