Plymouth Argyle vs MK Dons: Form, odds and stats

New Year’s Day games don’t come much harder at the moment for MK Dons than with a trip to the League One leaders Plymouth Argyle.

Mark Jackson’s side are in the bottom three, but are still a point from safety after losing on Thursday night to Peterborough. It was their fourth defeat in six games, but their recent wins over Forest Green and Portsmouth have put them in with a chance of escaping the relegation zone should results fall their way on Sunday.

Argyle head into 2023 four points clear at the top of the table, most recently beating Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 at Home Park on Thursday. With just one defeat in their last six games, Argyle head into the game in great form, with 10 points from a possible 15.

And when the sides last met, it was a comfortable 4-1 win for Steven Schumacher’s side at Stadium MK, with three of the goals coming from Dons mistakes.

The last trip to Home Park though, eight months ago at the end of April, saw Dons run riot with a 5-0 win courtesy of four Scott Twine strikes as it secured third place for Dons while ending Plymouth’s play-off hopes.

In nine meetings between the sides down the years, Plymouth have five wins to Dons’ three, with one draw.

Dons could be without Tennai Watson for the game in Devon, with the defender limping out against Peterborough on Thursday night. Dean Lewington and Josh Kayode remain sidelined.

Referee Paul Howard will take charge of the game - his ninth game of the season. He has booked 19 yellows and sent off two this season. His last Dons game came in this same fixture in 2020 - a game Dons lost 1-0. Richard Morris and Justin Amey will run the lines with fourth official Mark Pottage.

Bookmakers have Dons at 7/2 to win on Sunday, with Argyle at 3/4 and 14/5 the draw.