Which teams have the most favourable fixtures this December?

CHRISTMAS is a time for friends, family and football.

The games come thick and fast throughout the festive period and Dream Team managers will need to have their wits about them if they are to come out the other side with an improved rank.

Many gaffers like to take each Gameweek as it comes but it’s often beneficial to plan further ahead.

With that in mind, let’s analyse each Premier League team’s fixtures between Gameweeks 13 and 17 – some teams will play NINE games during this crucial period.

LIVERPOOL

• Manchester City (h)
• Newcastle (a)
• Everton (a)
• Girona (a)
• Fulham (h)
• Southampton (a)
• Tottenham (a)
• Leicester (h)
• West Ham (a)

Everything’s coming up roses for the Reds right now.

Arne Slot’s side are top of the league and well on course for safe passage through to the Champions League round of 16.

And it’s a great time to play Man City with the defending champions in the midst of a rare crisis.

No fewer than five Anfield residents have achieved 100+ points to date – they’re flying.

MANCHESTER CITY

• Liverpool (a)
• Nottingham Forest (h)
• Crystal Palace (a)
• Juventus (a)
• Manchester United (h)
• Aston Villa (a)
• Everton (h)
• Leicester (a)

Pep Guardiola’s winless run has extended to six games in all competitions and so it has to be considered a terrible time to visit Anfield.

Erling Haaland (£8.6m) addressed his minor blip with a brace against Feyenoord but points have severely dried up for the likes of Rico Lewis (£3.4m) and Josko Gvardiol (£4.6m).

Dream Team’s transfer activity suggests many gaffers have lost patience with City assets… at least for the time being.

CHELSEA

• Aston Villa (h)
• Southampton (a)
• Tottenham (a)
• Astana (a)
• Brentford (h)
• Shamrock Rovers (h)
• Everton (a)
• Fulham (h)
• Ipswich (a)

The Blues are one of five teams with nine fixtures to fulfil from this weekend until New Year’s Day.

However, Enzo Maresca has made extensive use of rotation in the Conference League so it’s likely to be Christopher Nkunku (£4.5m), Joao Felix (£4.4m) and Mykhailo Mudryk (£3.1m) who cash in against Astana and Shamrock Rovers.

Those three league games at the end of the month could be profitable for Cole Palmer (£6m) backers if Chelsea’s talisman is in the mood.

ARSENAL

• West Ham (a)
• Manchester United (h)
• Fulham (a)
• Monaco (h)
• Everton (h)
• Crystal Palace (h)
• Crystal Palace (a)
• Ipswich (h)
• Brentford (a)

The Gunners won’t be leaving London until 2025 and one suspects minimal travel time will be an advantage when the schedule gets hectic.

A double header against the Eagles has to be considered a stroke of luck (facilitated by the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw) given Oliver Glasner’s men are currently languishing 19th in the table.

Bukayo Saka (£6.4m) could well be a must-have asset for December as ninth-placed Fulham is his toughest domestic opponent according to the league table.

BRIGHTON

• Southampton (h)
• Fulham (a)
• Leicester (a)
• Crystal Palace (h)
• West Ham (a)
• Brentford (h)
• Aston Villa (a)

Just the seven games for the Seagulls but a string of bottom-half opponents (and Fulham) until the end of Gameweek 16 appears ripe with potential.

Joao Pedro (£4.1m) averages 8.7 points-per-game at the time of writing, a rate only bettered by Haaland and Mohamed Salah (£7.4m) among forwards.

Kaoru Mitoma (£3.7m) and Georginio Rutter (£3.4m) might prove to be smart differential midfielders.

TOTTENHAM

• Fulham (h)
• Bournemouth (a)
• Chelsea (h)
• Rangers (a)
• Southampton (a)
• Manchester United (h)
• Liverpool (h)
• Nottingham Forest (a)
• Wolves (h)

There’s almost no point looking at Spurs’ schedule because their inconsistency defies the form table; as typified by their mighty 4-0 win over Man City in the wake of their defeat to Ipswich.

Son Heung-min (£5.3m) and company will be busy boys in the coming Gameweeks though with plenty of points on offer.

As well as the skipper, Pedro Porro (£4.4m), Dejan Kulusevski (£3m), Brennan Johnson (£3.7m), James Maddison (£4.5m) and Dominic Solanke (£4.3m) are all perfectly viable options.

Plus, Fraser Forster (£1.8m) is a potential bargain while Guglielmo Vicario (£3.1m) recovers from a fractured ankle.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST

• Ipswich (h)
• Manchester City (a)
• Manchester United (a)
• Aston Villa (h)
• Brentford (a)
• Tottenham (h)
• Everton (a)

After a flying start to the campaign, consecutive losses to Newcastle and Arsenal either side of the international break have come as a reality check for Forest.

Chris Wood’s (£3.8m) owners will be hopeful of healthy returns at home to the Tractor Boys this weekend but the schedule takes a nasty turn from Gameweek 14.

ASTON VILLA

• Chelsea (a)
• Brentford (h)
• Southampton (h)
• RB Leipzig (a)
• Nottingham Forest (a)
• Manchester City (h)
• Newcastle (a)
• Brighton (h)

In complete contrast to last season, the Villains have earned more league points away from home this time around.

Unai Emery’s men are in a bad moment right now having gone seven games without a win in all competitions.

Emi Martinez (£3.9m), Ollie Watkins (£5.3m), Lucas Digne (£3.5m) and Morgan Rogers (£2.8m) are all popular selections in the realm of Dream Team but gaffers will need to see an upturn from Villa sooner rather than later.

FULHAM

• Tottenham (a)
• Brighton (h)
• Arsenal (h)
• Liverpool (a)
• Southampton (h)
• Chelsea (a)
• Bournemouth (h)

The West Londoners have enjoyed a positive start to the campaign but their next four opponents are all within the top six of the table – a tough test.

Fulham will be desperate to get one over their local rivals on Boxing Day but their record against Chelsea is miserable – they haven’t won at Stamford Bridge since 1979!

NEWCASTLE

• Crystal Palace (a)
• Liverpool (h)
• Brentford (a)
• Leicester (h)
• Brentford (h)
• Ipswich (a)
• Aston Villa (h)
• Manchester United (a)

Gaffers keen on backing Alexander Isak (£5.4m), an understandable inclination, might want to target the Magpies’ fixtures in Gameweeks 15 and 16 (Leicester, Brentford, Ipswich and Villa).

Eddie Howe’s side looked to be heading the right direction after wins over Chelsea, Arsenal and Forest but an unexpected defeat to West Ham on Monday night has slowed their momentum.

Truth be told, Newcastle games have been a tad light on Dream Team points this season.

BRENTFORD

• Leicester (h)
• Aston Villa (a)
• Newcastle (h)
• Chelsea (a)
• Newcastle (a)
• Nottingham Forest (h)
• Brighton (a)
• Arsenal (h)

The Bees boast the best home record in the top flight but the second-worst away record.

Given the nature of their away fixtures in December, their problems on the road could extend until the new year.

That being said, Bryan Mbeumo (£4.3m) is a decent midfield option for Gameweek 13 – the Cameroon star averages 8.1 points-per-game this season.

MANCHESTER UNITED

• Everton (h)
• Arsenal (a)
• Nottingham Forest (h)
• Viktoria Plzen (a)
• Manchester City (a)
• Tottenham (a)
• Bournemouth (h)
• Wolves (a)
• Newcastle (h)

The last of our teams with nine fixtures to fulfil.

A match-up with the Toffees represents a relatively favourable first league game at Old Trafford for Ruben Amorim but the Portuguese tactician faces some tough tests in December.

A trip to Czechia in the Europa League might provide some relief before a tricky Gameweek 15 (Man City and Spurs) but if the Red Devils come through relatively unscathed there could be healthy returns up for grabs against the Cherries and Wolves.

Bruno Fernandes (£6.4m), Alejandro Garnacho (£4.2m), Noussair Mazraoui (£4.1m) and Diogo Dalot (£4m) have all provided their fair share of points across the first 12 Gameweeks of the season.

BOURNEMOUTH

• Wolves (a)
• Tottenham (h)
• Ipswich (a)
• West Ham (h)
• Manchester United (a)
• Crystal Palace (h)
• Fulham (a)

Antoine Semenyo (£2.9m) is the only player in the squad to make any waves in Dream Team so far and he’s suspended for this weekend’s trip to Molineux.

And with just seven games for the Cherries, let’s move on…

WEST HAM

• Arsenal (h)
• Leicester (a)
• Wolves (h)
• Bournemouth (a)
• Brighton (h)
• Southampton (a)
• Liverpool (h)

The Hammers have just seven fixtures with testing match-ups bookending this run but a few Dream Team managers may feel Jarrod Bowen (£5.3m) is worth a whirl at some stage.

The England international has amassed 105 points at an average of 7.5 per outing via four goals and four assists.

Bowen has almost twice as many points as West Ham’s next best performers, Mohammed Kudus (£5.1m) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£3.3m), who are level on 56 each.

EVERTON

• Manchester United (a)
• Wolves (h)
• Liverpool (h)
• Arsenal (a)
• Chelsea (h)
• Manchester City (a)
• Nottingham Forest (h)

There’s no sugarcoating the Toffees’ December; it’s a brutal run.

Dwight McNeil (£3.7m) has impressed this season but gaffers should probably stay well clear of all Everton assets in the run-up to New Year’s Day.

LEICESTER

• Brentford (a)
• West Ham (h)
• Brighton (h)
• Newcastle (a)
• Wolves (h)
• Liverpool (a)
• Manchester City (h)

The Foxes are in desperate need of a new manager bounce and they’ll probably need to get their points early in December as they face an extremely taxing end to the month.

WOLVES

• Bournemouth (h)
• Everton (a)
• West Ham (a)
• Ipswich (h)
• Leicester (a)
• Manchester United (h)
• Tottenham (a)

Wolves are a tad light without European fixtures or a Carabao Cup quarter-final but six consecutive bottom-half opponents could yield plenty of points for Matheus Cunha (£4.8m).

Gary O’Neil’s star player averages 8.3 points-per-game this season and is in particular strong form right now having banked over 50 points in his last four appearances.

IPSWICH

• Nottingham Forest (a)
• Crystal Palace (h)
• Bournemouth (h)
• Wolves (a)
• Newcastle (h)
• Arsenal (a)
• Chelsea (h)

Liam Delap (£2.4m) is the only Tractor Boy with an ownership above 0.3% and that’s unlikely to change any time soon, despite Kieran McKenna’s admirable efforts in Suffolk.

CRYSTAL PALACE

• Newcastle (h)
• Ipswich (a)
• Manchester City (h)
• Brighton (a)
• Arsenal (a)
• Arsenal (h)
• Bournemouth (a)
• Southampton (h)

The Carabao Cup draw has cruelly given the Eagles a double header against the Gunners but at least they have eight fixtures, one more than nine other clubs.

Palace have found it hard going this season but Eberechi Eze (£5m) is player to keep an eye on as he tends to collect Dream Team points for fun when fit – he’s due back from injury any day now.

SOUTHAMPTON

• Brighton (a)
• Chelsea (h)
• Aston Villa (a)
• Tottenham (h)
• Liverpool (h)
• Fulham (a)
• West Ham (h)
• Crystal Palace (a)

With all due respect to Saints, there aren’t many Dream Team bosses out there keen on a club rooted to the bottom of the table.

Their next six opponents are all top-half clubs too – it could get messy for Russell Martin and his troops.

Target the right fixtures with the right players and you will surge up the leaderboard this Christmas!

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk