Arsenal VS Tottenham
The Premier League returns with a bang as top of the table Arsenal host third place Tottenham in the North London Derby. In their last match, Arsenal were excellent and sent a statement to the rest of the league by beating Brentford away 3-0. Spurs also sent a strong message out as they put six past Leicester including a hattrick from Heung Min Son. In the last 30 North London derby’s, Tottenham have just edged out Arsenal with 12 wins compared to the Gunners 11. The most recent meeting saw Spurs Destroy Arsenal 3-0 and that game ultimately meant that Spurs qualified for the Champions League over Arsenal. For Arsenal, this is a game that they can really show everyone that they are serious about competing at the very top of the Premier League. They are the 4th highest scorers this season and are really good at creating chances which should give them a real chance of picking up a result. Also, they have an 100% record so far at home this season so a loss would most likely hurt their confidence. As for Spurs, they come into this game as one of the two unbeaten sides in the league and they would like to keep it that way. They are the second highest scorers and are going to be very tough to beat if Son continues from his last game. A loss would hurt, a draw would be pretty decent but a win, that would be massive for Antonio Conte’s side. Either way, this is a big, big game.
My Prediction: 3-2
Bournemouth VS Brentford
The Cherries take on the Bees in a 3 o’clock Kickoff. Bournemouth would have been pretty happy with a point away to Newcastle and they sit in a pretty solid 12th place in the table. But the same couldn’t be said for their opponents as Brentford were destroyed on home turf by Arsenal. The Bees now sit 9th place because of it. In their last 14 meetings, both sides have managed 5 wins and there has also been 4 draws. The best part about this is the fact that these games have taken place in the Championship, the Championship play offs, League One and the Johnstones Paint Trophy (now known as the Papa John's trophy). For Bournemouth, they have been playing solid stuff and will look to build on it. They haven’t scored in their last 2 games at home but a win, would see them move ahead of their opponents. As for Brentford, they are very good at scoring goals (5th best) and are even better at creating chances (2nd). They’ll be looking to do both this Saturday in order to take all 3 points.
My Prediction: 0-2
Crystal Palace VS Chelsea
It’s that time again when two London sides face off in the Premier League, this time it’s between Crystal Palace and Chelsea. Quite crazily, it’s been pretty much a month since either of these teams have played a Premier League game as Palace find themselves in 16th place whilst Chelsea sit in 7th. Chelsea have played a few games in the Champions League since then but the biggest talking point for them is the fact that Graham Potter will take charge of his first Premier League game as a Chelsea manager. In the last 20 meetings between the two sides, Chelsea have won 80% of their games compared to Palace’s 20%. In fact, Chelsea have won the last 10 games between the two sides by an aggregate score of 25-5. For Crystal Palace, they are the ranked 12th when it comes to scoring goals and conceding goals. Eze and Zaha will need to be on it once again if Palace are to get a result. As for Chelsea, they haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last seven matches and that is definitely something that Graham Potter will need to iron out. Graham Potter is a very good manager but, so is Thomas Tuchel so I think this weekend will show us if there's underlying problems within the Chelsea squad.
My Prediction: 1-1
Fulham VS Newcastle
6th place Fulham host 10th place Newcastle at Craven Cottage this Saturday. Fulham got a very good and important victory away to Nottingham Forest and they have really impressed with their level of ability so far this season. Newcastle aren’t as high up the table as they should be, and this was shown with them failing to beat Bournemouth at home last time out. What hasn’t helped Newcastle is the number of injuries they have suffered and more importantly, injuries to their key players. In their last 14 meetings, Fulham have managed 6 wins whilst Newcastle have won 5. Also, Fulham have failed to beat Newcastle in their last 4 meetings. For Fulham, they have been really impressive, but can they keep it up? They have been good at home recently and with Mitrovic up front against his old club, you always have a chance. A win could even see them sit inside the top 4 when the weekend is over which is crazy. As for Newcastle, Eddie Howe will want his side to start showing the quality that inside of the players. They have been pretty good at getting their shots on target, but they haven’t quite been good enough to score as many as they probably should have. On paper, this looks to be a really exciting game.
My Prediction: 2-1
Liverpool VS Brighton
Liverpool host Brighton in a battle between two sides who have endured completely different seasons. Liverpool beat Ajax in their last competitive fixture but have been underwhelming in the Premier League and sit 8th as a result of it. Brighton’s last competitive matchup saw them beat Leicester 5-2 just under a month ago and they still sit 4th in the table. However, a big part of their success story is gone as Graham Potter has departed and moved to Chelsea meaning Brighton are now run by Roberto De Zerbi. It will definitely be interesting to see how he gets on in his first few months in England. In their last 12 meetings, Liverpool have won 9 games compared whilst Brighton have only managed 1 win. That win came back in 2021 at Anfield so they would love to repeat history once again. Liverpool have averaged 2.5 GPG so far in the Premier League, a stat that only Manchester City and Tottenham have bettered. They are also 4th in the home League table. As for Brighton, they are in the top 6 when it comes to goals scored per game (1.8) and are the third best team away from home so far this season. If we see the Brighton team that we saw under Graham Potter, this could be a really close game.
My Prediction: 2-1
Southampton VS Everton
Both Southampton and Everton come into this game with 7 points from 7 games. In their last match, Southampton were disappointing and ending up losing against Aston Villa whilst Everton got their first win of the season at home to West Ham. Everton have won in 9 of their last 21 matchups with Southampton whilst the Saints have managed 7 wins. For Southampton, a game like this at home is one they need to be winning if they want to steer clear of the relegation fight. They need to put the ball in the back of the net though, something they haven’t managed in their last 2 matches. Everton will also feel good about their chances of taking all 3 points however, they have also found it extremely difficult to score goals, they sit 18th in GPG. They are unbeaten in their last six games though which is impressive, but they are definitely aiming for more.
My Prediction: 0-0
West Ham VS Wolves
A battle between 17th and 18th takes place as West Ham host Wolverhampton Wanderers. In their previous matchup, West Ham suffered a disappointing loss away to Everton and are currently sitting in the relegation zone with just 4 points. As for Wolves, they were blown away by Manchester City which was a result of Bruno Lage’s lack of ability to bring out the best in his players. Nathan Collins also got sent off for a stupid challenge which was maybe an even bigger concern given he was one of their better performers. In their last 11 meetings, both sides have managed 5 wins apiece. The last draw between the two sides actually came all the way back in 2010. For West Ham, this is a game they need to win. They have the worst record in the league at home this season and are the joint lowest scorers in the league. The other joint lowest scorers are Wolverhampton Wanderers which really doesn’t fill you with much confidence. A Wolves win would be huge for their confidence but a loss, in my opinion, should see the end of Bruno Lage in charge.
My Prediction: 0-0
Manchester City VS Manchester United
The Manchester Derby is once again back! 2nd place Manchester City come into this game after brushing aside Wolves and haven’t lost a competitive matchup since May (Community Shield doesn’t count). As for Manchester United, they haven’t played in the Premier League for nearly a month but before that, they managed 4 league wins in a row. In their last 32 meetings, Manchester City have won 15 of them whilst Manchester United have won 13 of them. Also, Man City did the double over Man U last season. For Manchester City, they have won every game at home this season and are comfortably the league’s highest scorers and Erling Haaland will definitely be looking to make another statement in his first Manchester derby. When it comes to United, they will be looking to continue their excellent league form, but it will be very tough. This would easily be Eric Ten Hag’s biggest victory of his Manchester United career so far but, the only concern that I have for United is City are capable of exposing United’s weaknesses.
My Prediction: 3-2
Leeds VS Aston Villa
The second game on Super Sunday sees Leeds United host Aston Villa. Leeds haven’t played for a month, so they have definitely had enough time to think about how poor they were against Brentford. However, they still sit 11th in the table which is pretty good. For Villa, they managed to get a very important win on Friday Night Football against Southampton. In their last 11 meetings, Villa have won 36% of their games whilst Leeds have won 27%. In the last 2 seasons, Aston Villa have earnt themselves 10 points in these games so they clearly like playing them. For Leeds, they have managed 7 points from 3 league games at Elland Road and are actually on a seven-game unbeaten run at home. Leeds will need Jack Harrison to be on form again if they want to get the win. As for Villa, they have failed to secure a single point so far in away matches in the Premier League. Aston Villa will hope to build on their win from 2 weeks ago and move ahead of their opponents.
My Prediction: 2-1
Leicester City VS Nottingham Forest
Bottom of the league Leicester host the team just above them Nottingham Forest on Monday Night Football. Leicester City were thrashed 6-2 by Tottenham Hotspur and have actually conceded a total of 11 goals in just 2 games which is incredibly worrying. Notts Forest have also struggled, and they came out on the losing side against fellow promoted side Fulham last time out. That result really showcased that Forest aren’t good enough at the moment. In their last 11 meetings, 45% of their games have ended in draws whilst both sides have managed 3 wins. The two sides most recent game came in the FA Cup back in February and Nottingham Forest managed an incredible 4-1 victory. For Leicester, they are in a really bad place right now. There only victory this season came against league 2 Stockport where they won on penalties! They’ve actually been pretty decent in front of goal, but the defensive has been pretty shambolic recently. This is a game that Leicester should and must win. As for Nottingham Forest, their last 2 losses have been really disappointing, and they don’t want to make it a third. Only Leicester and Bournemouth have conceded more goals than them which is a definite cause for concern. Buying 20+ players clearly hasn’t worked for Steve Cooper’s side.
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