FRIDAY:
SOUTHAMPTON V ASTON VILLA
Southampton have started to pick up some form in recent weeks with two wins from their last three games which will surely give them some confidence going into this one. I still have concerns about them in terms of scoring goals and not winning enough games but their recent form could help them change that if they can keep it up.
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith is under pressure going into this game with his side currently on a run of four straight defeats. He's yet to find his best team and system after bringing in a fair few players during the summer and he needs to find a solution to that quickly if results are to improve.
Villa should still be ok whether they stick with Smith or not because they have a good squad of players. Some of them are out though injury whilst some still need time to settle in. Once the new players are settled and the injured players are back, they should be fine.
I'm going for a Southampton win here because of the recent form they've been in which will give them plenty of confidence. Villa will want to show a reaction as they're in need of results but I think the Saints will just edge this one.
PREDICTION: 2-1
SATURDAY:
MAN UNITED V MAN CITY
Man United got a much needed result against Spurs last weekend where they put in a much improved performance. It was a result and performance they needed having been battered by Liverpool the week before and the change in formation was a key part of that as they looked more secure at the back with the three central defenders.
They had to rely on Cristiano Ronaldo to get them out of trouble against Atalanta in midweek and if they do the same here, they may not get anything. Ronaldo may be a world class superstar, but you can't rely on him to bail you of trouble in every game. Especially as he's 36 years of age.
Man City put a tough week behind them in midweek by putting in a controlled and comfortable display to beat Club Brugge 4-1 in the Champions League. They did have to work a bit in the first half but in the second half they were dominant from start to finish and ended up wining the game rather comfortably which is what most people expected.
City haven't beaten United in the league for the last two seasons which gives them a point to prove going into this game. The reason for this is that they want to show that they're still the no.1 team in Manchester having not won this fixture for a couple of seasons. They have done better than United in recent years in terms of winning trophies but if they can win this game, they will prove everyone that they're still the best in Manchester.
I've got to back City to win this one because I can see them being too good for United. United will be without Varane who will be a big loss like he was against Liverpool a couple of weeks ago and without that calmness at the back, I can see City punish them.
PREDICTION: 0-3
BRENTFORD V NORWICH
Brentford are in the middle of their first Premier League blip following three straight defeats. They'll see it as that because they back themselves in every game they play and they're confident that they'll return to winning ways soon. That's been their mind-set all season and it has served them well in most of the games they've played in.
Their defeat to Burnley was probably their worst result of the season so far if you compare it to the other games they've lost. They struggled to cope with Burnley's long ball game and hopefully they'll learn something from that game when they take on other teams who are tough to break down.
I can't see any hope for Norwich this season in terms of staying up and many people are probably saying the same thing. They have just two points to their name after 10 games and with those numbers at this stage of a season, you can only see them go one way.
They did play a bit better in their defeat to Leeds last time out but they still made mistakes for the goals they conceded. That has been a constant theme of theirs throughout the season and I really can't see them address it anytime soon. Unless they work on it during the upcoming international break.
I'm backing Brentford to bounce back in this one because they'll have more than enough to win this game. They've looked more like a Premier League side than Norwich and because of that I can see them win this one comfortably.
PREDICTION: 2-0
CHELSEA V BURNLEY
Chelsea had to be patient against a stubborn Malmo side in midweek and it eventually paid off with Hakim Ziyech's winning goal in the second half. They may expect a similar kind of game in this one as Burnley are not an easy team to play against but the blues should still be able to find a way like they did against Malmo.
One thing I've noticed about Chelsea recently has been their strength in depth with players like Ruben Loftus Cheek and Callum Hudson Odoi being able to come in and do a job for the team. Strength in depth is vital to any team hoping to challenge for the title and Chelsea have it in all areas which is another reason why they'll be up there at the end of the season with Man City.
Burnley finally got off the mark last weekend with their win over Brentford which was their best performance of the season by far. They caused Brentford problems for the majority of the game and with that first win out of the way they can finally focus on building some momentum so they can get themselves further up the table. But doing it in this one will be tough as they'll be up against a very strong Chelsea team.
I can't see anything other than a Chelsea win here because of how strong they are at the moment. Burnley will try and keep the score down, but I still think Chelsea will have more than enough to win the game.
PREDICTION: 2-0
CRYSTAL PALACE V WOLVES
Crystal Palace finally got a result that they deserved with their win at City last time out where they were impressive throughout by playing on the front foot and pressing high. They've put in many good performances this season but haven't always got the results they've deserved. Hopefully their win at City last weekend will be a turning point in their season.
Wolves are beginning to come together under Bruno Lage with the club unbeaten in their last five and up to 7th in the table following their win over Everton on Monday night. They've adapted well to Lage's style of play which did take time and they're scoring goals which was a struggle for them earlier in the season.
Raul Jimenez is back in form which is a massive plus for them and if they can keep him fit, they should finish in and around the top 10.
I can see this one being an open game because of the way that both sides like to play. But as Palace have drawn a lot of games this season, I can see this one being the same result. Wolves are in decent form, but I can see both sides cancel each other out because of the quality of players they have going forward.
PREDICTION: 2-2
BRIGHTON V NEWCASTLE
Brighton have been brilliant so far this season but they haven't won their last five games which is a slight worry for them. They have been great to watch and are still having a good season, but they need to start winning games again so they don't slide further down the table like they have done in the past.
They showed good character to come from behind and grab a draw at Liverpool last time out in a game they could've won. If they play like they did against Liverpool in this one, they'll definitely get something because of how they play.
Newcastle will have Graeme Jones in charge again for this one with a new manager still yet to be appointed. They suffered a set back during the week with Unai Emery turning the job down and now their main target is Eddie Howe. Their search for a new manager was never going to be easy because of the takeover and their league position. But if they could get Eddie Howe in, it would be a big bonus as knows the Premier League.
The Magpies are still without a win this season and they may have to wait a bit longer for it as they have some tough games coming up. They do have their two best players available in Callum Wilson and Allan Saint Maximin, but their first win will once again have to wait.
I've got to go with a Brighton win here because of the season they're having. They're in much better form than Newcastle despite the fact they haven't won for a few games but with their style of play, I can see them win this one comfortably.
PREDICTION: 3-0
SUNDAY:
ARSENAL V WATFORD
Arsenal are on good run of form going into this one and Mikel Arteta deserves a lot of credit for this because his job appeared to be on the line following their disastrous start. Defensively they're looking solid with Aaron Ramsdale making a huge difference along with the partnership and Gabriel and White plus they look exciting going forward.
Emile Smith Rowe is in excellent form and has arguably been Arsenal's best player this season. He's been an important player for the Gunners ever since he broke into the first team and I can see him have another good game here.
This was the fixture that sealed Watford's Premier League fate a couple of seasons ago with their 3-2 defeat being the result that sent them down on the final day of that season. A lot has obviously changed since then and Watford will be eager to show that they're a much better side than they were back then.
It's been an up and down start for Claudio Ranieri at Watford with each of his three games producing different performances. They didn't have many clear cut chances in their defeat to Southampton last weekend with their opponents seeing more of the ball and having the better opportunities. It will be interesting to see which version of Watford turn up for this one.
I've got to give Arsenal the win here because they're in great form and I can see them being too strong for Watford. Their recent performances have been very good and I can see them put in another convincing one here.
PREDICTION: 3-0
EVERTON V TOTTENHAM
Everton have stumbled in recent weeks following three straight losses and it hasn't come at a good time because of the fixtures they have coming up. They have City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea in four of their next six games after this one where they need a reaction following their flat display against Wolves on Monday night.
They're definitely missing Dominic Calvert Lewin as they haven't had that focal point up top. Calvert Lewin provides that whenever he plays and without him they're not as much of a threat going forward which has been evident in their last few games. I can see that being the case again in this one.
I wasn't sure about Antonio Conte taking the Spurs because of the lack of top quality players in the squad. Kane and Son are the only players they have in that bracket and that shows how big a job the Italian has on his hands. He'll get the best out of players like he did with Hazard and Costa at Chelsea but Conte still has a tough job on his hands in terms of getting Spurs into the top four/five.
The players simply need to react because they have a new manager in place for whom they want to impress. I can see them play better than they did against Man United last weekend but I don't think the performance will be there as they're about to get used to a new way of playing.
Both sides need to show a reaction with Everton having lost three in a row and Spurs wanting to get off to a good start under their new manager. With the Toffees without Calvert Lewin and Spurs beginning to get used to Conte's methods, I can see this one being a bit cagey so I'm going for a draw.
PREDICTION: 1-1
LEEDS V LEICESTER
Leeds got a much needed victory last time out at Norwich which in turn got them out of the relegation zone. It's been a tough season for Marcelo Bielsa's side and one of the main reasons for it has been injuries to key players. You could talk about a second season syndrome for them but if they had their key players fit, they might be higher up the table.
Patrick Bamford has been a big miss because they haven't had a centre forward to put the ball in the net on a regular basis. With him out of this one I can see the lack of a clinical centre forward potentially costing them in this game.
Leicester will have Wilfried N'Didi back for this one which will be a massive boost because they've missed him badly during his absence. They did get wins without him against Man United and Brentford but with the Nigerian back at the base of their midfield, the Foxes will look more solid because of what he offers the team defensively.
With all their key players available for them, the Foxes will hopefully kick on because they haven't been the same team without some of their key players. They've really suffered with the injuries they've had this season and with their key players all back things will hopefully be looking upwards.
I'm handing Leicester the win here because they've got key players coming back whereas Leeds are missing one or two in Bamford and Ayling. They'll both play their ways but with Leicester having all their best players available including Wilfried N'Didi, they should win this one comfortably.
PREDICTION: 0-3
WEST HAM V LIVERPOOL
West Ham have been magnificent this season both in the Premier League and in Europe which is a massive boost for them. Most clubs struggle in the league when they're in Europe for the first time but the Hammers are dealing with the distraction pretty well. They've got a strong squad and have a good manager at the helm who deserves a lot of credit for the job he has done.
He may have done a fantastic job with the Hammers, but David Moyes' record against Liverpool is poor. He lost against them several times when he was Everton boss and hasn't beaten them since he left the other half of Merseyside in 2013. The Hammers will go into this with plenty of confidence from their strong start. But getting a result will be difficult as Liverpool are looking very strong at the moment.
Liverpool got their Champions League last 16 place booked during the week with their 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid where they also qualified as winners of their group. They were dominant from start to finish against the Spanish champions in midweek with the return of Fabinho to their midfield making a big difference.
They missed Fabinho in their draw with Brighton last weekend as they let the game slip away from them. They lacked someone to control play in midfield and protect the back four as Brighton got through their midfield rather comfortably. But with him back from injury, the reds should see this one out better.
I'm going for a Liverpool win here because of David Moyes' terrible record against them and the fact that they've got Fabinho back to control play in their midfield. The Hammers will give it a go but with a solid presence like Fabinho in the reds midfield, I think Liverpool will just edge it here.
PREDICTION: 1-2
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