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Nottingham Forest v Liverpool
12:30 @ City Ground
Back to back 1-0 wins over Man City and West Ham have given Liverpool the momentum to kickstart their season as they moved up to 7th in the league table this week. They are still looking for their first away win this campaign, and with a trip to the City ground against a Nottingham Forest side that sit bottom of the table, Klopp will be confident that his side will bring home the 3 points.
7 goals scored and 23 conceded have given Forest anything but a fairytale return to the topflight. 2.09 goals and 2.72 yellow cards picked up each game highlight that their are problems all over the pitch for Steve Cooper and his players. I would expect more of the same in the first fixture of the weekend, as Liverpool look to avoid going 5 opening away games without a win for the first time since 2006/07.
My best bets for this game:
- Nottingham Forest to have 3 or more yellow cards (6/4)
- Over 2.5 goals (4/9)
Everton v Crystal Palace
15:00 @ Goodison Park
Losing just one of their last 6 Premier League matches, Crystal Palace take on an Everton side that haven't scored in their last 265 minutes of football.
8 goals scored and only 3 at home highlight that Everton are crying out for a goal scorer, with Lampard admitting "We've got work to do in that area of the pitch". In contrast, Palace have scored 6 in their last 4 and average 1.20 goals per game this season. And with 11.0 shots (4.2 on target) per game, I expect Jordan Pickford to be in full demand throughout this game.
Star man Wilfred Zaha comes into this game with 5 goals and 1 assist, and will be looking to build upon this start against a out of form Everton. With a 46% shooting accuracy (12 shots on target from his 26) Zaha hasn't been short of chances, and with odds of 2/1 to have 2 or more shots on target, I make that my stand out bet for this game.
With all the stats pointing in the direction of a Palace win, history is something that is not on their side. Winless in their last 7 visits to Goodison park, Viera will be looking to overcome past results and move into the top 10.
My best bets for this game:
- Wilfred Zaha to have 2 or more shots on target (3/1)
- Everton to score under 1.5 goals (4/9)
Man City v Brighton
15:00 @ Etihad Stadium
After being named Club of the year at the Ballon d'Or ceremony midweek, Man City will be looking to avoid back to back league defeats for the first time since December 2018 against a Brighton side struggling to adapt to life post Potter.
Man City have dominated at the Etihad in recent times and have achieved 9 consecutive home wins, a streak which started with a 3-0 win v Brighton last season.
With all the headlines focused on Erling Haaland, I think it's worth noting the flying form of Phil Foden. 6 goals and 3 assists so far this campaign see's his goal involvement standing at 0.90 a game, and with 423 passes; 20 shots; and 60% shooting accuracy, Phil is quickly becoming one of Pep's most valuable assets. There is always the risk of rotation under Guardiola, but assuming Phil does start, I fancy him to have 2 or more shots and target, and also to score anytime.
New manager Roberto De Zerbi is still seeking a first win since taking charge of Brighton (D2 L2), and with a trip to the Etihad the most unlikely of places to go an win, his side can take comfort in knowing that they held Liverpool to a draw at Anfield. However, this is a Man City side looking to bounce straight back from a 1-0 defeat, and with a void game midweek, this side will be much fresher than the Brighton squad that were held to a 0-0 draw against bottom of the side Forest.
My best bets for this game:
- Foden to have 2 or more shots on target (17/5)
- Foden to score anytime (11/4)
- Man City -1 (4/7)
Chelsea v Man United
17:30 @ Stamford Bridge
The standout fixture of the weekend see's 4th place Chelsea take on 5th place Man United as both sides look to build upon their recent good form.
Chelsea have taken 13 out of a possible 15 points from their last 5 games, conceding 2 goals and scoring 9. Graham Potter has quickly strengthened things up at the back, and with a side averaging 1.50 goals a game, Chelsea fans will be happy with the early progression under their new manager.
Similarly Ten Hag has got his team back on track following the 6-3 humiliation against rivals City. With 4 wins from 5 in all competitions, and new signing Antony scoring 3 goals in 5 games in the league, the fans will have full confidence in supporting their side through this rebuild.
With these two sides winning 18 of the available 30 Premier League titles on offer since the competitions inception, this game will be a huge test for both sides in measuring how far they have progressed under their new managers. With this in mind, I expect their to be numerous bookings for both sides as they head into this match averaging 2 or more yellows per game (Chelsea 2.0; United 2.80). Over 3.5 yellow cards is the first selection that makes the short list.
The two players that make the shortlist on the shots front are: Mason Mount and Antony. Mount has featured in all 10 league games so far, and averages 2.24 shots per game (0.49 on target), I do expect him to have at least one shot on target, but will be following the numbers here and backing Mount to simply have 2 or more shots. Antony enters this match with an average of 4.03 shots per game (1.79 on target). Looking to be the real deal for this United side, I will be backing him to have 1 or more shot on target.
My best bet for this game:
- Over 3.5 cards; Mount to have 2 or more shots; Antony to have 1 or more shot on target (11/8)
I like all of these as singles, but if you wanted a big 250/1 cheer for the entire day, you can back:
Over 2.5 cards for Nottingham Forest; Over 2.5 match goals
Zaha over 1.5 shots on target; Under 1.5 Everton goals
Foden over 1.5 shots on target; Man City to win the match by 2 or more goals
Over 3.5 cards for both teams combined; Antony over 0.5 shots on target; Mount over 0.5 shots in the match
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