SATURDAY:
LEICESTER V MAN CITY
Leicester have got some much needed confidence back and their win over Wolves showed it. It was good to see Jamie Vardy get off the mark in that game as I was starting to wonder if he was past his best. He wasn't on the pitch long but his goal showed that there is still a lot of life left in him at 35 years of age.
The Foxes have kept clean sheets in their last three home games which will give them a lot of confidence going into this game. They've given them a platform to build on in an attempt to get results and they've given them a lot of confidence.
Man City were kept quiet in midweek against Borussia Dortmund with the German side having the better chances on the night. Kevin De Bruyne was a miss in that one as was Erling Haaland who was subbed off at half time with a foot injury.
De Bruyne should return for this one after being rested in midweek which will give City a massive boost. But I'm not sure that Haaland will feature as he went off with a fever as well as a knock in midweek.
PREDICTION: 1-1
I can see this one be a close game as Leicester have started to pick themselves up in recent weeks and City could be without Haaland. As I'm not sure Haaland will play, I have a feeling that the Foxes might nick something here because of their recent improvement and particularly at home.
BOURNEMOUTH V TOTTENHAM
Bournemouth were let down by two VAR that went against them in their defeat at West Ham on Monday night and those decisions were what decided the game. They now need to get a result here after suffering back to back defeats at the hands of Southampton as well as West Ham.
Spurs didn't wake up until the second half against Sporting Lisbon in midweek where they started to ask the Sporting defence more questions after a flat first half. They probably should've won the game with the chances they had towards the end of the game for which they'll no doubt be kicking themselves.
Some Spurs fans have been unhappy with their style of play under Conte with it being defensive and not allowing the team to be adventurous. This was what made me question their appointment of Conte last season and it could be what costs them this season.
PREDICTION: 0-1
I'm going for a Spurs win here because they have players who are capable of them winning a game. Bournemouth will set up to be difficult to beat in order to frustrate Spurs but I still think Antonio Conte's side will find a way to win game through either Kane or Son.
BRENTFORD V WOLVES
Brentford will be glad that they'll be back at home for this one given their struggles on the road this season. They look a lot more solid at home than they do away where they appear to be shipping in goals for fun. But as they're at home for this one, they should be more settled at the back.
It's getting very worrying for Wolves at the moment with their defeat to Leicester last weekend telling us that they need that new manager in. They do have Steve Davis till the new year but if results don't improve within that time, the board may be rushed into making that decision a lot sooner than they thought.
There were chants directed towards their technical director Scott Sellars during their defeat to Leicester and understandably so because of their poor recruitment in the summer. But I do feel that it was slightly over the top as it was the only bad summer they've had since they've been in the Premier League.
PREDICTION: 2-0
I've got to back Brentford to win this one because they're strong at home and have more goals in them. With Wolves' confidence shot to pieces after their defeat to Leicester, this should be a comfortable win for the Bees. Especially with Ivan Toney in the form he's in.
BRIGHTON V CHELSEA
Brighton are still without a win under Roberto De Zerbi and you could say that the tough fixtures haven't helped. The Italian has had to play Liverpool, Spurs and Man City in three of his opening five games in charge and has another tough game in this one against Chelsea.
Graham Potter returns to Brighton for the first time since leaving them at the end of last month and I'm hopeful that he's going to get a good reception for the home fans. He did a magnificent job during his time at AMEX in making Brighton an established Premier League club and changing their philosophy.
Chelsea should've had the game wrapped up by half time against Salzburg in midweek with the amount of chances they had. They did get the win they deserved but they still should've had it wrapped up by half time because of how dominant they were.
PREDICTION: 1-1
This one should be a very close game as Brighton will know how Chelsea will set up and Chelsea will know the strengths and weaknesses of Brighton. This is because of Graham Potter being Brighton's former manager and the knowledge of his former players. Because of this I can see the points being shared.
CRYSTAL PALACE V SOUTHAMPTON
Crystal Palace at the moment appear to be another one of those teams who will get points at home but struggle on the road. All the games they've won this season have come at home including their most recent ones against Leeds and Wolves which will give them some confidence going into this game.
The Eagles rarely looked in the game against Everton last time out and they'll be happy that they'll be at home for this one. Especially as they've been unconvincing on the road recently.
Southampton have shown some fighting spirit in recent games which has helped them get results and had also given them some breathing space between themselves and the relegation zone. They managed to stay in the game against Arsenal last weekend where they showed that fighting spirit to get a point.
PREDICTION: 2-1
This fixture has produced close games over the years and I can see this one being another one. I think Palace will edge though as they have enough attacking talent that is good enough for them to win any game.
NEWCASTLE V ASTON VILLA
Newcastle are flying at the moment after 4 wins from their last 5 games which have them inside the top four. I was asking in a previous post whether they could push for Europe this season and there is a good chance that they could if they keep up the current form they're in.
They put Spurs on the back foot in their win against them last Sunday in the way they pressed them and made it very uncomfortable for their defence. That was a statement win for the Magpies and win that will give them a lot of confidence going into the rest of the season.
Aston Villa put in a brilliant response against Brentford last weekend where they scored three times inside the opening 15 minutes. Goals have been a problem for Villa this season and Steven Gerrard will no doubt be wondering how he never got his side performing like that.
I'm not sure about their decision to appoint Unai Emery as their new manager simply because of how it ended for him at Arsenal. He was never able to find his best team during his time at Arsenal and he's certainly going to need to do that at Villa and quickly if they're to push themselves away from the lower section of the table.
PREDICTION: 2-0
Villa will have some confidence on board after their win over Brentford but I think Newcastle will as well which is why I think they'll win this game. They're in the better form out of the two teams and I can see them carry it into this game.
FULHAM V EVERTON
Fulham boss Marco Silva will be facing Everton for the first time since he was sacked by them in 2019 and he'll be facing them with a point to prove. He didn't have the best of times on Merseyside and he'll no doubt want to show how much he's improved as a manager since he left them.
Everton returned to winning ways with their win over Crystal Palace last weekend where Dominic Calvert Lewin got off the mark for the season. It was good to see him back on the score sheet after an injury plagued start to the season and his goal will no doubt give him a lot of confidence.
The Toffees have a good record against Fulham and it will surely give them a lot of confidence going into this game. They may not be as strong away as they are at home but their overall record against their opponents will still give them some belief here.
PREDICTION: 0-2
I'm backing Everton to win this one because of the overall record they have against Fulham. Fulham will go for it like they have done in most of their games this season but I think the Toffees will have enough to take the points here.
LIVERPOOL V LEEDS
Liverpool appear to be doing better in Europe than they are in the league after securing their place in the last 16 of the Champions League in midweek. It was a good performance from them against Ajax after a slow start and they need to start producing those kind of performances in the league on a consistent basis.
It's worrying times for Leeds at the moment given the current form they're in and the fixtures they have coming up. They have Bournemouth and Spurs after this tough one against Liverpool and with the pressure that Jesse Marsch is under, he might not see all of them through.
Leeds were one of my relegation favourites at the start of the season simply because they lost their two most important players in Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha. I thought they would alright after a decent start but their poor form since then has got me thinking that the absence of those two players is beginning to be felt.
PREDICTION: 4-0
I'm backing Liverpool to win here because they're back at home where they're strong and Leeds of course are struggling for form. The reds might be missing one or two key players through injury but I still think they'll show up and win this game comfortably.
SUNDAY:
ARSENAL V NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Arsenal dropped points for only the second time this season with their draw at Southampton last weekend where they looked a bit tired in the second half. They would've felt disappointed about that result if it was last season or the seasons before but given their strong start to the season, they would not have felt as disappointed as they would've done in the past.
Nottingham Forest have won their last two games against Arsenal both of which were in the FA Cup including their victory in the 3rd Round last season. Forest will be feeling confident that they can upset them again but they know that they'll be up against a much stronger Arsenal team who will want revenge on them.
Steve Cooper's side have looked much improved defensively in recent weeks and their win over Liverpool should no doubt give them a lot of much needed confidence. They looked organised throughout that game and they need to keep it up so they can properly kick start their season.
PREDICTION: 2-0
I think Arsenal will win here because they're strong at home and should have enough quality to win this game. Forest will try and make it difficult for them but I think the Gunners will find a way through their stubborn defence.
MAN UNITED V WEST HAM
Man United will be without Raphael Varane for this game after picking up an injury in their draw with Chelsea. This will no doubt be a massive blow for United because of important he's been for them this season. It'll be interesting to see who starts in his absence with both Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire available for this game.
Cristiano Ronaldo should be involved in some capacity after returning to the squad for their Europa League tie against Sheriff in midweek. He probably won't start the game but I think he'll come on later on. Especially if United need someone to score a winning goal for them.
West Ham you could say were lucky against Bournemouth on Monday night with both of their goals being decided via VAR. The second decision was probably the right one as the Bournemouth defender moved his hand towards the ball which gave the Hammers a penalty that was scored by Said Benrahma.
The Hammers might feel a bit tired in this one with it being their third game in a week having played in the Europa Conference League in midweek as well their game on Monday. They'll still look to compete but there still might be a hint of tiredness in their game as a result of it being their third game this week.
PREDICTION: 2-1
I'm backing Man United to win this one because I think they'll have enough quality to win the game. West Ham will make it a close game but I think United will just edge it here.
Comentários