Weekend Winners: Gordon 9/2, Woltemade 7/2 & Villa's Historic 10th Win in a Row

The final Premier League weekend before Christmas delivered drama across the board. Newcastle blew a two-goal lead against Chelsea, Liverpool survived a chaotic nine-man Spurs side, and Aston Villa extended their winning streak to ten matches against Manchester United.

Newcastle 2-2 Chelsea: Early Strikes and Second-Half Chaos

Saturday's early kick-off at St James' Park set the tone for a wild weekend. Newcastle raced into a two-goal lead through Nick Woltemade's double inside 20 minutes, but Chelsea fought back through a Reece James free kick and Joao Pedro's composed finish to salvage a point.

Pre-Match members collected early. Anthony Gordon 2+ Shots on Target at 9/2 landed by the 8th minute. Gordon was heavily involved throughout, providing the assist for Woltemade's second goal before testing Robert Sanchez on multiple occasions.

The Nick Woltemade 2+ Shots on Target at 7/2 followed shortly after, completing by the 24th minute as Newcastle's record signing bagged his brace. Woltemade joined the Magpies from VfB Stuttgart in the summer for a club-record fee and has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting forwards in the league. A £10 stake returned £45.

A Chelsea-focused builder at 11/2 also came through: Pedro Neto 1+ SOT, Pedro Neto 2+ Shots, Joao Pedro 1+ Shots, and Garnacho 1+ SOT. Chelsea's spirited second-half response saw all four legs land comfortably.

As the Blues pushed for an equaliser, Counta Elite identified Over 3.5 Match Goals during the early second half. With the score at 2-1 following James' curling free kick, the model detected the edge. Joao Pedro's 66th minute equaliser completed the selection.

Tottenham 1-2 Liverpool: Red Cards and Counta Calling the Chaos

The late kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was pure chaos. Xavi Simons saw red after 33 minutes for a studs-up challenge on Virgil van Dijk. Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike gave Liverpool a 2-0 lead before Richarlison pulled one back. Then Cristian Romero was sent off for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate in stoppage time. It was Tottenham's 11th home league defeat of calendar year 2025.

Pedro Porro Over 1.5 Shots at 7/2 completed at full time. The Spanish wing-back found shooting positions throughout despite his side's numerical disadvantage.

Counta Elite was live throughout, delivering two in-play winners. Over 2.5 First Half Corners (Asian) was flagged mid-first half and landed before the break. Then, with tensions boiling over and cards flying, Counta identified Over 4.5 Total Cards during the second half. The bookings kept coming as tempers flared, completing the selection comfortably.

Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester United: Rogers, Cunha, and a Late First Half Signal

Sunday's headline match saw Aston Villa host Manchester United, with Unai Emery's side chasing a tenth consecutive victory in all competitions. They delivered, becoming the first Villa side to achieve that feat since 1914.

Counta Elite identified Over 0.5 First Half Goals at 11/4 at 44:46 on the clock. With less than a minute of first-half stoppage time remaining, Morgan Rogers curled a stunning strike into the top corner to make it 1-0. The signal landed with seconds to spare.

Villa couldn't hold the lead into the break. Matty Cash was dispossessed by Patrick Dorgu, allowing Matheus Cunha to run through and equalise in the third minute of added time. Rogers struck again 12 minutes into the second half, assisted by a Youri Tielemans cross, becoming the first Villa player since Dion Dublin in 1998 to score two or more goals in back-to-back Premier League appearances. The 2-1 victory moved Villa to within three points of leaders Arsenal.

Pre-Match members cleaned up on the shots markets. Youri Tielemans Over 1.5 Shots at 4/1 landed as the Belgian midfielder got forward repeatedly, assisting Rogers' second and trying his luck from range. A £10 stake returned £50.

Matheus Cunha Over 1.5 SOT at 5/2 completed by the 49th minute. The Brazilian forward threatened throughout, though he'll rue a glaring miss from six yards when he headed wide from Dorgu's cross.

A builder combining Cunha 2+ SOT and Rogers 2+ SOT at 11/1 delivered when Rogers' second goal flew past Senne Lammens. One of our members turned €2 into €24.

The bigger builder at 15/1 featured Rogers 3+ Shots, Cunha 5+ Shots, and Lisandro Martinez 2+ Shots. All three landed as both teams created plenty of shooting opportunities. £10 became £150.

Cunha Over 2.5 SOT at 10/1 also completed. The United forward's constant pressing and movement generated four shots on target, making the selection comfortable by full time. A £5 stake returned £55.

A combined shots selection on Dabble featuring Rogers and Bruno Fernandes 3+ SOT at 7/2 also landed before Fernandes was withdrawn at half-time with a suspected hamstring injury.

Weekend Summary

What's Next

The festive fixtures begin with a single Boxing Day clash: Manchester United host Newcastle at Old Trafford on Friday night. The Magpies hammered United 4-1 at St James' Park in April and won 1-0 at Old Trafford last December. Ruben Amorim will be desperate to stop that run. Saturday brings the real action with Chelsea vs Aston Villa, Liverpool vs Wolves, and Forest vs Man City all in the same afternoon. Pre-Match Football is also covering AFCON throughout the winter, so there's no quiet period. Counta Elite continues 24/7 across global competitions.