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3 bold Premier League predictions: Leicester hand Liverpool first loss on Boxing Day

By Peter Johnstone

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 25: Jamie Vardy of Leicester celebrates scoring their 5th goal with Ayoze Perez ; they both later go on to score a hat-trick each during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Leicester City at St Mary's Stadium on October 25, 2019 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 25: Jamie Vardy of Leicester celebrates scoring their 5th goal with Ayoze Perez ; they both later go on to score a hat-trick each during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Leicester City at St Mary's Stadium on October 25, 2019 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images) /
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Matchday 19 of the Premier League is almost upon us and there are some great fixtures to look forward to. Here are 3 bold predictions for all the action on Boxing Day and beyond.

Another Premier League matchday is nearing us with nine fixtures taking place on Boxing Day (Dec. 26) and one game the next day. Southampton travel to Chelsea and Leicester host Liverpool in the headliner on Thursday, while Manchester City have a difficult trip to Wolves in a later kick off on Friday.

Here are three bold predictions for all the action:

danny ings
Southampton’s Danny Ings celebrates their win after the Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images) /

3. Danny Ings scores again as Southampton hold Chelsea to draw

A month ago a fixture between Chelsea and Southampton would have only had one winner. Chelsea were flying and the Saints were languishing around the bottom of the league. A lot has changed since then with Chelsea hitting a slight dip in form and Southampton turning their fortunes around.

Frank Lampard’s side got back to winning ways at the weekend with an impressive win over Tottenham whilst the Saints managed to take all three points away to Aston Villa. Southampton are nowhere near safety but they look a shadow of the team which was annihilated 9-0 by Leicester at the end of October.

Chelsea had two poor results in losses away at Everton and then at home to Bournemouth but they made up for that by giving Jose Mourinho’s Spurs side a lesson on Sunday. The Blues were strong from back to front and are the first team to come away with a clean sheet against Spurs since the Portuguese manager took over.

This makes Saturday’s match-up much harder to call, more so because it’s difficult to tell which Chelsea side will turn up than anything else. Southampton desperately need points and they way they’ve managed to gain these lately is via Danny Ings.

The English striker has been in phenomenal form this season and with his double at the weekend he became the league’s joint 2nd top scorer alongside Marcus Rashford, Tammy Abraham and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. That’s pretty good company to keep especially considering Southampton’s lowly league position.

If Danny Ings gets a chance this weekend then you’d fancy him to take it and it’s likely the Blues will give him one. Chelsea have only kept home clean sheets against Brighton, Newcastle and Crystal Palace this season and none of those sides had a prolific goalscorer in their team.

It’s also hard to see Chelsea not scoring in this game so we should be in for an entertaining match. Tammy Abraham will open the scoring for Chelsea before James Ward-Prowse draws the Saints level from a set-piece. Willian will put the Blues back in front but Danny Ings will grab his 12th goal  of the season to hold the Londoners to a draw.

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