This may look a silly selection by the time you’re tucking in to enjoy your Sunday Roast, with Leeds the clear favourites for this game, and 37 points above Portsmouth in the table, but the 2/1 about Leeds not to win this game makes some appeal. 

Firstly, Portsmouth’s home form is of top half standard. They have picked up 29 points from 17 matches at Fratton Park over the course of the season, which they started off very slowly. They didn’t win a home game until the 9th November, but since then their record is P11 W8 D2 L1 on home turf.

Leeds have picked up 31 points from their 17 away games, so only two more than Pompey have managed, and of the 17 games they have failed to win on nine occasions, so more than they have won. It’s only fair to point out that they have won their last three away games against three top ten sides, including their nearest challengers for the title, but having failed to beat West Brom at Elland Road last weekend, and Leeds history of stuttering towards the end of campaigns in the past, they may be a little more vulnerable here than they have been in recent weeks.

Despite the inconsistencies that have been plaguing Tottenham this season, largely as a result of injuries, one area where they’ve stayed consistent is winning corners, especially in games at home. This is best illustrated by Tottenham’s recent defeat to Manchester City at home in which they managed to win the corner battle (8-3) despite a poor performance. 

Tottenham have won more corners than any other side in the Premier League (202 – 7.48 per game), 34 more corners than their opponents here. The initial meeting between the sides at the Vitality Stadium was dominated by Bournemouth, the 1-0 win they managed was not reflective of the threat they caused Tottenham in the game in having more shots (21-12), shots on target (8-4) and big chances (7-1). However, despite this dominance – Tottenham still managed to win the corner battle (9-5).

Tottenham are averaging 8.29 corners per game at home in the Premier League this season, more than any other side in the division on home ground. They’re conceding 5.64 corners per game at home which is quite high, but Tottenham’s tendency to regularly post high numbers in this department should make up for the opportunities they give to the opposition in their own half.

Tottenham can’t really play any other way, they are always on the front foot and boast brilliant delivery from these corner situations through the likes of Pedro Porro and James Maddison.

Manchester United do not have many attackers that can trouble Arsenal’s solid backline, but of the limited options at their disposal, Garnacho stands out as a player that can find the target at least once here.

Garnacho has had 23 shots on target across his 26 Premier League appearances this season (1.40 per game). Currently, Garnacho is the most likely Manchester United player to find the target and the only player in the squad to be averaging over 1.0 shots on target per 90 in the Premier League.

Looking at the other options in the United attack, Zirkzee is steadily improving but has a bit of a different role in the absence of a right winger, which sees him in front of goal less often whilst Rasmus Hojlund still looks way off the pace. Hojlund hasn’t scored in 17 games and is only averaging 0.54 shots on target per 90, which suggests that Garnacho will be the main source of any attacking joy Manchester United get here.

Garnacho found the target in the FA Cup meeting between these sides in January, in which Manchester United were reduced to 10 men and had to rely solely on a counter-attacking threat, there could be a similar situation replicated here with Arsenal nailed on to control this game. Garnacho is most effective in this role, his speed and timing of runs in behind the Arsenal backline should get him a view of goal here.

Juventus arrive at this clash in strong form, and with little separating these sides in the league table, they look well-placed to secure a draw against high-flying Atalanta.

History suggests a stalemate is likely, as their reverse fixture ended in a 1-1 draw—an outcome that has become typical in this matchup. Remarkably, six of the last eight meetings across all competitions have finished level.

Since Gian Piero Gasperini took charge of Atalanta, no Serie A fixture has produced more draws, with 11 of their 17 encounters ending all square.