This weekend the Premier League gets off to a cracking start with a north London derby. There is absolutely no love lost between Tottenham and Arsenal in a rivalry which has been far more closely contested in recent years. Later in the day we will see if Leicester can make Manchester City pay for their disruptive pursuit of Riyad Mahrez by denying Pep Guardiola’s men victory at the Etihad Stadium.
Sunday begins with a huge game for relegation threatened Huddersfield who take on a Bournemouth side who recently dragged themselves clear of the drop zone. Newcastle are another side embroiled in the relegation dog fight and they face even tough opponents in the form of Manchester United. In a similar situation to the Magpies are Southampton who face a difficult home test against Jurgen Klopp’s free-scoring Liverpool.
Saturday 10th February 2018
Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal (12:30) – Tottenham to win (11/10 with BetVictor)
It may be early to say but it’s looking as though Arsenal enjoyed a rather successful transfer window. Henrik Mkhitaryan claimed three assists on his home debut during the 5-1 win against Everton and new record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also got on the scoresheet. Despite losing Alexis Sanchez, there’s a lot of pace and creativite quality in this Arsenal attack although they often struggle to flex their attacking muscles away from home. The Gunners have managed just 15 goals away from home in the league this season.
It’s these struggles on the road which make Spurs worth backing for the win. Arsenal have often lacked the right mentality in away fixtures and some new signings won’t help change this. Tottenham on the other hand do seem to be growing in confidence at home and in the big games. They battered Man Utd at Wembley a fortnight ago and were the better side during the 2-2 away at Liverpool last weekend. Mauricio Pochettino has instilled a fearless attitude amongst his men and this could separate the two rivals here.
Manchester City v Leicester City (17:30) – Man City to win and both teams to score (6/4 with Betfred)
Man City couldn’t hit top gear against a stubborn Burnley side last weekend who deserved their point in the 1-1 stalemate. Turf Moor has not been an easy place to go for most sides this season though so Guardiola will not be concerned with the result. Back on home soil we are likely to see a City performance more in line with what we’ve come to expect from them this season. Only two points have been dropped at the Etihad all campaign and it’s a place where the Citizens boast a +36 goal difference.
Riyad Mahrez has missed the last two matches for Leicester after unsuccessfully trying to force his way out of the club. He may return for Claude Puel here but the Foxes showed they can cope without him last weekend. Leicester created plenty of chances without the Algerian against Swansea and only wastefulness stopped them scoring more than once. They should be fancied to create more openings for themselves here but City’s greater quality should ensure the visitors are outscored.
Sunday 11th February 2018
Huddersfield Town v AFC Bournemouth (12:00) – Draw (11/5 with BetVictor)
Huddersfield are the joint favourites for the drop following a patch of dismal form. The Terriers have lost five consecutive league games and all of the defeats have been by at least a two goal margin. Terence Kongolo and Alex Pritchard were brought in during the transfer window to bolster the squad but they don’t look like having a major impact. David Wagner’s side seem to be playing with too much fear at the moment and this is bad news as they approach some in-form opponents.
Bournemouth have pulled themselves clear of the drop zone after picking up 14 points from the last possible 18. They are now playing some of their best stuff and the 3-0 win at Chelsea is one that will live long in the memory. This was an abnormal away performance for Bournemouth though who are usually solid but unspectacular on the road. They’ve tended to draw against the teams around them such as Brighton and Newcastle last month and Crystal Palace in December. Such results suggest that another draw could well be on the cards here.
Newcastle United v Manchester United (14:15) – Man Utd to win (8/13 with Betfred)
Newcastle sit just one point above the drop zone coming into this weekend’s fixtures and the mood is far from jubilant at St James’ Park. The Newcastle fans have not seen their team claim a league victory at home since October and getting one here will be a very tall order. Their lack of joy at home stems from troubles in front of goal, only once since September have they managed more than one goal against Premier League opposition. Islam Slimani has been brought in on loan to try and improve this but he may need time to adjust to his new side.
Jose Mourinho needed a much improved showing from his side last weekend following their awful performance in the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham. Things were better during the win over Huddersfield although there is still much room for improvement. Alexis Sanchez did at least stand out though, his tenacity and drive offering a constant threat to the Terriers’ defence. The Chilean looks like being a vital acquisition for the Red Devils and he could well be enough to separate the two teams here.
Southampton v Liverpool (16:30) – Southampton to win or draw (11/10 with Betfair)
Southampton performed wonderfully against West Brom on Saturday, fighting back from going a goal down early on. Many Saints fans will be hoping for an unchanged line-up and also a repeat performance from Mario Lemina who scored a screamer during a man of the match display. The win now makes it five games unbeaten for the Saints and this includes a deserved draw against Tottenham in a game where they stifled Spurs’ attacking talents.
If the Saints can stop Tottenham playing then perhaps they can stop Liverpool playing too. The Reds have been scoring for fun this season but as Swansea recently showed, they can be stopped. The loss to the Swans was the sixth time this season Liverpool dropped points on the road and only four teams in the Premier League have conceded more than the Reds away from home. Clearly Klopp’s men are there for the taking on their travels and with Southampton in a solid patch of form, they should be backed to get something from this contest.