Premier league, betting
Hello everyone, welcome to our predictions table, here we stick out our necks on possible outcomes of games in the English Premiership. Final break of the year has been respected, men are back, some wounded having failed to qualify for the world cup in Russia next summer.
There are hot and feisty fixtures to look forward to, Arsenal, fresh from the contentious loss to Manchester City at the Etihad host Tottenham, a team on the rise, Liverpool host Southampton, Man City are away at Leicester and United are home to Newcastle. Everton are still without a permanent manager, West Ham will see what David Moyes has to offer and Chelsea are away at stubborn West Brom, it would be an interesting weekend so let’s go with our take on the fixtures.
Saturday 18th November
Arsenal vs Tottenham
Emirates
1:30pm
The age long gap between Arsenal and Tottenham has long been closed, both teams now go toe to toe and more often recently, the white half of North London has come tops, this Saturday they go head to head again, would be special to see how they line up. Before the break, Tottenham continued their good form with a hard fought 1:0 win over troubled Crystal Palace while Arsenal could feel hard done by the referee who gave a debatable penalty and an offside goal enroute a 3:1 defeat at the Etihad.
Champions league football returns for Tottenham days after this and that might have a place as factor, but in all, it would be a spectacle, Arsenal hardly enjoys lunchtime kick offs but the Gunners have won all home games this season, on the same path of statistics, Tottenham have found joy on the road more than on their adopted home turf this term, with kane fit, all eyes would be on how the home side respond to the magic of the Tottenham suppliers, whichever way, there’s football to be enjoyed.
Verdict: Arsenal to win or draw
Bournemouth vs Huddersfield
Vitality Stadium
4:00pm
Bournemouth had a rare success at St James’s Park a fortnight ago, one late header after so many end to end stuffs proved enough as Eddie Howe’s team jumped out the relegation zone for the first time all season long. Huddersfield on their parts did what they’ve been doing, deliver! And West Brom were the latest casualties, and what a goal that was too to settle it.
Both sides have different motivations here, one wants to mix it with the big boys up there, the other wants to steer clear of the red zone down below, a win is what both sides need, it’s in the efficacy of the midfield that victory lies, it’s a matter of who wants it more.
Verdict: Huddersfield to win or draw
Burnley vs Swansea
Turf Moor
4:00pm
The next of our many simultaneous fixtures is at the bogey ground, Turf moor, home of the stubbornest team in the premier league. Disciplined, precise and daring, Burnley are the surprise team this season, very hard to beat and compact from defence to attack, the manner in which they dusted West Brom at the Hawthorns left everyone wondering if we’re having a Leicester once again.
Swansea are in trouble, playing as bad as they can at the moment, it got worse last time out when Glen Murray bundled one in for Brighton, Paul Clement must be on his toes and see this as a must win. There are too many casual players at Swansea and that must explain why they keep collapsing, if they don’t turn things around quickly they might need some help with another manager and a better transfer window in January
Verdict: Burnley to win or draw
Crystal Palace vs Everton
Selhurst
4:00pm
And off we go to Selhurst Park, home of the team at the base of the league, a team struggling on form and with luck, with a little of the latter they would have picked a point against Tottenham especially with Zaha rounding the keeper twice without hitting target. Everton won at last, albeit late on against Watford, another team on the decline.
This is a massive relegation six pointer, an expensively assembled Everton struggling to make any sense with results culminating into the eventual sack of Ronald Koeman, Crystal Palace too had Frank De Boer booted out and Roy Hodgson has only the shock win at home to Chelsea as only thing to show for his appointment, his head would be on the line if things don’t go his way here.
Verdict: Palace to win or draw
Leicester vs Manchester City
King Power Stadium
4:00pm
The Citizens are the best ball playing team in Europe as we speak and somewhat the luckiest too, in his days, Sir Alex Ferguson once stated that you need a bit of luck to win the title, City enjoyed a bit of that in their win over Arsenal last time out, with scores at 1:0, a debatable penalty kick awarded the hosts by the centre referee and a clear offside positional play in the build up to the third scored by Gabriel Jesus when the score was at 2:1 certainly aided Pep Guardiola’s team, this isn’t to say Arsenal would have won. Leicester twice lost the lead away at Stoke to settle for a 2:2 draw but big credits to Claude Puel for turning the gloom around, but can he do anything to stop these rampaging Citizens?
Verdict: Manchester City to win
Liverpool vs Southampton
Anfield
4:00pm
Liverpool will have an eye on their midweek champions league fixture but will also take this seriously, they have a good chance of climbing up should one of the teams above stutter, considering the fixture at the Emirates, Liverpool need to win here.
There is a problem with scoring at Southampton, they lost last weekend to Burnley, created loads of chances and still couldn’t score any, they have the fewest goals this term barring Crystal Palace, quite terribly, they are thirteenth on the log and are only going to keep sliding down except of course they do something about their goal shy attitude. Liverpool will look to build on the 4:1 success against hapless Westham that eventually got Slaven Bilic sacked.
Verdict: Straight win Liverpool
Westbrom vs Chelsea
Hawthorns
4:00pm
The last but not the least of our simultaneous fixtures sees Westbrom at home to Chelsea, the Baggies lost at home last weekend and have it all to do as Chelsea knock on their weakened doors. Talking about the champions, they beat Manchester United with yet another brilliant header from Alvaro Morata who is proving every dime of his signing, huge statement that was as Manchester United were condemned to their second defeat of the season.
Chelsea are away at Qarabag in the champions league on Wednesday and that might count here, a win is not negotiable in midweek with Athletico and Roma in the mix, but West Brom could fancy their chances against the troubled Blues.
Verdict: Chelsea to win
Manchester United vs Newcastle
Old Trafford
6:30pm
The curtain drops after a feisty day of thick footballing action at the famous Old Trafford ground as two wounded lions take centre stage, United lost at Chelsea before the break while Bournemouth scored late to hand Newcastle a defeat of theirs a day before. Manchester United are now so far off their neighbours now and they need every point on offer to catch up.
Newcastle aren’t doing badly, although the loss at home to the cherries wasn’t in the script and they wouldn’t have preferred United as their opponents of the day but they have to fight, with a point needed to guarantee knock out stage football for the Red Devils in Europe, there’s very little the Gordies can do to stop them.
Verdict: Manchester United to win
Sunday 19th November
Watford vs West Ham
Vicarage Road
5:00pm
There’s only one fixture on Sunday and it’s at Vicarage where there are loads of talking points; from Marco Silva being massively wanted for the vacant role at Everton, to all eyes being on West Ham as David Moyes takes the dugout for the first time ever as a Hammer, after the sack of Slaven Bilic, it was down to who and most surprisingly, the Scott got the nod till the end of the season.
Watford have been on a decline since coming from behind to beat Arsenal early October, losing when least expected, it is an opportunity for them to make a statement again and expect banners urging marco Silva to stay all around the pitch on Sunday. Moyes has been around for a long while, over a decade at Everton, less than a year at Manchester United, a better forgotten year at Sunderland where he was relegated and now at a troubled West Ham... anyone’s guess?
Verdict: Both teams to score
Monday 20th November
Brighton vs Stoke
TAEC Stadium
9:00pm
Finally, after a long weekend we end it for the round at the American Express Community Stadium, home of Brighton and Hove as they host Stoke. It hasn’t been the best of starts for the Potters but they did manage to earn a point from resurgent Leicester last time out while it was all joy away from home for Brighton as they stole all three points at the Liberty Stadium.
Brighton are composed, disciplined and fearless, as opposed to Stoke who haven’t been their usual self this term, over reliance on 36-year-old Peter Crouch will soon haunt them down with thick and fast fixtures coming up, bolstering the squad in January would be the only escape route hence they find themselves mixing it down below with Palace and Everton. Brighton have started life in the premier league quite well, this should be in their grasps.
Verdict: Brighton to win or draw
Strictly the writer’s opinion
Written by @komptrolla