It was a quieter week of winners with our editors picks for last week, but he’s got some strong fancies for this weeks action!
There’s some superb matches on offer this weekend, including a couple of crackers on Super Sunday – Liverpool vs Aston Villa and Arsenal vs Man Utd.
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Odds correct at time of posting – 11.10am Thursday 31st August
Luton vs West Ham (8pm Friday)
I had West Ham down to struggle this year after losing Declan Rice, but they’ve been excellent in the way they’ve spent that money and they’ve really impressed me how they’ve started the season. Luton have started the season exactly how I expected them to, and I don’t see it getting any better for them on Friday night.
After drawing their opening game away to Bournemouth, David Moyes’ side have run out 3-1 winners against both Chelsea and Brighton, with both games showing their attacking prowess now. The signing of James Ward-Prowse has already looked a good thing, with two assists and a goal in his first two games, and the latest addition of Mohammed Kudus is a fantastic addition to their squad. The only downside to their start is they’ve conceded in all three games so far.
It already looks an uphill task for Luton to avoid relegation, with both Brighton and Chelsea running out comfortable winners against them. They’ve conceded seven goals in two league games so far, and with West Ham scoring goals for fun at the moment, it’s easy to guess which way I’m predicting this game to go! This will be Luton’s first home game of the season, so I expect the crowd to get behind them and I can see them scoring, but I do think West Ham will have too much for the newly promoted side and I’m backing them to take the three points back to East London.
Prediction – Luton 1-3 West Ham
Best Bet – West Ham To Win + Over 2.5 Goals (7/4)
Sheffield Utd vs Everton (12.30pm Saturday)
This has to be the least appealing game on paper this weekend – two sides without a point to their names after three games and just two goals scored between them.
Sheffield Utd have at least managed to score in two of their games this season, and they’ve since added Cameron Archer to their attacking options, which looks a good move for all involved. After netting 11 goals in 22 appearances on loan at Middlesbrough last season, he’ll be looking to link up with fellow new recruit Gustavo Hamer, who looks like he could be one of their key players this season.
Everton have signed Beto to try and help them in their goalscoring woes and he netted in the Carabao Cup game in midweek, but Sheffield Utd will be a bit harder to break down than League Two side Doncaster! They’ve managed 18 shots on target in their three games this season, so they’re getting in goalscoring positions, they just haven’t had anyone to stick the ball in the net. Maybe that will change now with Beto, but I’m not convinced just yet.
With doubts surrounding both sides attacking prowess, and the fact the last four head-to-head’s have seen only one side score, I think the safest option will be backing the ‘both teams to score – NO’ option.
Prediction – Sheffield Utd 0-0 Everton
Best Bet – Both Teams To Score – NO (4/5)
Brentford vs Bournemouth (3pm Saturday)
Brentford are unbeaten heading into this, with a win and two draws giving them a solid enough platform to build on into September. I had them down to beat Crystal Palace last week but they failed to build on a promising first half and eventually succumbed to a much-improved Palace side in the second half, albeit it was a fortunate goal they scored!
Bournemouth haven’t had the best start to the season, and they were comfortably beaten by Tottenham last week, leaving them on just one point after the first three games. Bournemouth are in a bit of a rut at the moment, having failed to win any of their last seven league games, and their away record doesn’t make for good reading either – they’ve lost 26 of their last 36 away PL games.
When you factor in Brentford’s impressive home record (lost just three of their last 26 league matches), and Bournemouth’s poor away form, it should see the home side land the spoils here, but I don’t see it being an overly high scoring affair. The 4/6 for a home win looks a bit short to me, but the 11/10 for a Brentford win + under 4.5 goals looks much more appealing.
Prediction – Brentford 2-0 Bournemouth
Best Bet – Brentford To Win + Under 4.5 Goals (11/10)
Burnley vs Tottenham (3pm Saturday)
Bunrley have had a tough welcome back to the Premier League, with defeats at home to Man City and Aston Villa, and it doesn’t get any easier for them with the visit of high-flying Tottenham this weekend. Spurs have impressed with two wins and a draw to kick off their season and look good value to extend their strong start here.
In those two defeats, Burnley have only mustered three shots on goal, which although the opposition was high quality, doesn’t bode well for them. They need to start creating more goalscoring chances, but this might not be the game they do so.
Tottenham have won both of their last two games to nil, and they look good value for another win to nil here. They may have lost in midweek to Fulham in the Carabao Cup, but they did make wholesale changes and with their usual starting XI back here, I think they’ll run out comfortable winners again.
Prediction – Burnley 0-2 Tottenham
Best Bet – Tottenham To Win To Nil (11/4)
Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest (3pm Saturday)
Chelsea got their first win of the season last week, when cruising to a 3-0 win over Luton, and it might pay to strike whilst the irons hot with them. They face a Forest side who have been notoriously poor on their travels in the Premier League, but who were unlucky not to hold on to victory against Man Utd last weekend.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side dominated from start to finish last weekend, and it looks like he’s starting to find out his best XI, with the likes of Sterling and Nicolas Jackson looking impressive already. It’s also worth noting they’ve won seven of the last eight H2H’s at Stamford Bridge, with the only blip coming last season in a 2-2 draw, where they conceded from Forest’s only shots on target in the game.
Forest look a much improved side from last season, and in Taiwo Awoniyi they have one of the in-form strikers in the league, having scored in each of his last seven PL games. Forest have lost two of their three PL games this season, but they’ve scored in each of them and I’d fancy them to score here too. With that in mind, I’ll be backing Chelsea to win and both teams to score at 2/1.
Prediction – Chelsea 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Best Bet – Chelsea To Win + Both Teams To Score (2/1)
Man City vs Fulham (3pm Saturday)
Results wise this should be fairly straightforward, with Man City a clear favourite to make it four wins from four games, but at 1/7 I will be looking elsewhere to find a value bet. What makes it difficult is you just don’t know what Fulham side are going to turn up – it could be the side who were demolished 3-0 by Brentford, or it could be the one who beat Everton and drew against Arsenal!
Man City have carried on where they left off last season, dominating each game they play and a certain Erling Haaland scoring in virtually every game. They did have a bit of a scare last week when Sheffield Utd grabbed an 85th minute equaliser, but that panic lasted a total of three minutes when Rodri fired them back in front. I don’t see Fulham causing them too many problems this weekend, with City winning each of the last fourteen H2H’s!
Fulham have been clinical when they have had chances this season, scoring three goals from just seven shots on goal, and they’ll need to be clinical again here if they do manage to get any chances. Looking for a value bet, the Haaland to score + City win only pays 4/9, so I’m siding with Julian Alvarez to find the net in a City victory. He scored in both H2H’s last season and only Haaland has managed more shots on target for City this season, so he looks good value to find the back of the net again here.
Prediction – Man City 2-0 Fulham
Best Bet – Alvarez To Score + Man City To Win (5/4)
Brighton vs Newcastle (5.30pm Saturday)
This should be a fun game, with all three of Brighton’s games seeing both teams score, and two of Newcastle’s three games also seeing both sides score. It’s hardly a shock to see it’s only 2/5 for both teams to score here!
Brighton looked excellent in their first two games of the season, winning 4-1 against Luton and Wolves, but fell apart against West Ham last week. I expect them to put in a much better performance here, but they face a Newcastle side who they lost to in both H2H’s last season and will be keen to get back on a winning run.
Eddie Howe’s side demolished Villa 5-1 in their opening game, before losing to Man City and an agonising defeat to Liverpool last week. Their late collapse against Liverpool would have been a tough one to take, and they’ll be determined to get back on track on Saturday. I fancy them to do so, but I think Brighton will score too. This could be one of the more entertaining games of the weekend and I’m looking forward to it, especially now I’ve seen SkyBet are offering 11/4 for a Newcastle win and both teams to score!
Prediction – Brighton 1-2 Newcastle
Best Bet – Newcastle To Win + Both Teams to Score (11/4)
Crystal Palace vs Wolves (2pm Sunday)
Crystal Palace have already impressed me this season. I had them down for a bottom half finish after losing Wilfried Zaha, but Eberechi Eze has taken on the talisman role and has been phenomenal so far. He turned the game around when he came on against Plymouth in midweek, and the home faithful will be hoping he can put on another dazzling display on Sunday.
Palace may only have four points from their opening games, but they were the better side against Brentford last week and could’ve easily walked away with the three points. If they put in a similar performance this weekend, I expect them to be too strong for Wolves.
Wolves may have beat Everton last week, but it wasn’t a convincing performance and they were dismantled by Brighton the week before. If they lose Matheus Nunes to Man City (which should go through before Friday’s deadline), I fear for Wolves this season. They haven’t made any improvements to their squad and unless they do, I think they could find themselves in a relegation battle. I don’t see them causing Palace too much danger here, and will be backing Roy Hodgson’s side to win this to nil.
Prediction – Crystal Palace 2-0 Wolves
Best Bet – Wolves To Win To Nil (2/1)
Liverpool vs Aston Villa (2pm Sunday)
I love a game that screams out goals, and this is the pick of the bunch this weekend. Liverpool’s three games have seen 9 goals in total and both teams to score land in all three games, whilst Villa’s three have seen 14 goals and both teams score in two of the three. The only game that didn’t was against Everton, who have failed to score a single PL goal this season!
Both sides are clinical in front of goal, but neither side are fantastic at the back either, so it should be a brilliant watch. Liverpool can count themselves fortunate for their win against Newcastle last weekend, but their never-say-die attitude has to be applauded, and it was a couple of cracking finishes from Darwin Nunez too. Aston Villa look a much improved side from last season, with the signings of Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres looking a real coup for the club. Diaby has hit the ground running and looks one of the best deals of the summer, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he found the back of the net here.
Liverpool have a superior H2H record, winning five of the last six, and with this being at Anfield I’ll be backing them to continue that excellent record. The fact they’re 7/4 to win with both teams scoring looks superb value and is probably the best bet of the weekend for me.
Prediction – Liverpool 3-1 Aston Villa
Best Bet – Liverpool To Win + Both Teams To Score (7/4)
Arsenal vs Man Utd (4.30pm Sunday)
What a way to end the weekend action! Arsenal vs Man Utd rarely disappoints and this should be no different. The fact Arsenal are as big as 4/5 to win this is surprising, as I think they’ll be far too strong for a United side that has struggled away from home.
Mikel Arteta’s side slipped up last week by drawing against Fulham, where they really should have put the game to bed and made too many mistakes – I still have no idea where Ramsdale was going for their opener! I also don’t know why Gabriel has been dropped, and I’d be hopeful he’s back in the starting XI for my prediction this week.
Man Utd almost paid the price for a sluggish start against Nottingham Forest last weekend, where they saw themselves 2-0 down within four minutes. A stunning fightback saw them come out victorious though, but that was the third game in the row they’ve hardly been inspiring in. They could’ve easily dropped points at home to Wolves in the season opener, and they were comfortably dispatched by Spurs on their sole away game so far this season.
I think Arsenal will prove too strong for Erik ten Hag’s side and will be backing them to win. The last four H2H’s in the league have seen both teams score, so I’ll be backing the 2/1 on Arsenal winning and both teams scoring.
Prediction – Arsenal 3-1 Man Utd
Best Bet – Arsenal To Win + Both Teams To Score (2/1)
WEEK FOUR PREDICTIONS
- Luton 1-3 West Ham
- Sheffield Utd 0-0 Everton
- Brentford 2-0 Bournemouth
- Burnley 0-2 Tottenham
- Chelsea 2-1 Nottingham Forest
- Man City 2-0 Fulham
- Brighton 1-2 Newcastle
- Crystal Palace 2-0 Wolves
- Liverpool 3-1 Aston Villa
- Arsenal 3-1 Man Utd
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