The first weekend of the new Premier League season certainly didn’t disappoint, providing shocks and goals aplenty as the new campaign got underway in style. The only downside was the earlier than usual commencement of proceedings meant quite a few players looked to be struggling for fitness. Hopefully another week of training will have them back to their best.
One of the most interesting things this weekend is the introduction of Friday night football, which is set to become a regular fixture in our schedules next year. The police asked for Aston Villa’s game at home to United to be moved, so it kicks off the weekend on Friday. Here we have previews for all the live games this weekend, plus a betting tip for each.
Friday 14th August 2015
Aston Villa v Manchester United (19:45) – Both teams to score (Evens with Coral)
This game isn’t just interesting because of the teams, there’s also the decision to move it to Friday night that gives a little added interest. Next season will see 10 more Friday night games, so this is a bit of a test run for Sky. It’s also a big test for Villa, who got their season off to a winning start on Saturday with a 1-0 victory at Bournemouth. Tim Sherwood will be hoping for a better season than last year, as he looks to avoid getting drawn into another relegation battle.
For Manchester United, they have a point to prove after their lukewarm start to the campaign on Saturday. They toiled against Spurs, running out 1-0 winners thanks to a Kyle Walker own goal. Despite their clean sheet, they still have problems at the back, as they bed in a new defence while Louis van Gaal looks set to leave David De Gea sitting in the stands again. Villa are a more attacking outfit this season, and they can take advantage of the visitors here. We’re backing both teams to score, at a generous price of evens.
Saturday 15th August 2015
Southampton v Everton (12:45) – Southampton to win (Evens with Sky Bet)
The usual weekend opener is BT’s early Saturday kick off, which sees Southampton taking on Everton. Both of these sides drew their openers 2-2 last week, and they’ll be hoping for better here. The Saints are bedding in a few new signings, while Everton look a little short after a quiet summer so far. The main talk about the Toffees revolves around whether they can keep hold of their young defensive star John Stones, a situation the Saints have found themselves in all too often over the last couple of seasons. If anything, they prove that you can sell top players and still compete for Europe.
Southampton’s opening day draw was considerably more impressive than Everton’s, as they equalised late on at St James’ Park. The Toffees slipped up at home to Watford, a massive coupon buster, and it looks like Roberto Martinez might have another tough season ahead. As they make the trip down to the south coast, it’s hard to back against the side who finished seventh last season, especially since their Europa League exploits will have given them extra match fitness. Southampton are rarely priced at evens to pick up a home win, so that’s certainly worth backing here.
Sunday 16th August 2015
Crystal Palace v Arsenal (13:30) – Both teams to score (5/6 with Coral)
Last weekend’s games looked like a tough opener for Palace, and an easy three points for Arsenal. It turned out to be the other way round, with Palce winning at Norwich and the Gunners slipping up at home to West Ham, hugely deflating the fans’ early season enthusiasm. While it’s far too early to write off Arsene Wenger’s side, they do need to get points on the board fast to prevent awkward questions about their mentality. They probably could have done without another London derby, as Selhurst Park is a difficult place to go, and the Eagles have made some smart moves in the summer window.
Their 3-1 win at Norwich showed a side more than capable of scoring goals, something that Alan Pardew has to be proud of. He took a struggling side and turned them in to a difficult challenge for Premier League defenders, and they should threaten Arsenal in this one. Petr Cech didn’t have a great Premier League debut for the Gunners, and his nerves show he doesn’t quite trust the back four in front of him. It’s not hard to see why, and we’re backing Palace to score past them here. The Eagles aren’t fantastic at the back themselves, so both teams to score looks like great value at 5/6 with Coral.
Manchester City v Chelsea (16:00) – Under 2.5 goals (5/6 with Sky Bet)
The first really big clash of the season comes on Sunday, as champions Chelsea head to last season’s runners-up Manchester City. The Citizens had a far better start than the Blues as they won 3-0 at West Brom on Monday night. That means they have the chance to move five points clear of Jose Mourinho’s side on Sunday, but the Portuguese coach will probably be setting up to prevent that happening at all costs. We know how difficult it is now to win the league after a bad start, and one point from the opening two isn’t really an option for Chelsea, given how many rivals they have for the title.
We expect a defensive set up from Mourinho here, as he first looks to contain City and shut down their attacking midfield. We’ve seen him bring his side to the Etihad and do well in the last couple of years, so he’ll certainly have a plan going into this. Unsurprisingly, under 2.5 goals is odds-on here, so don’t expect a classic. We’re still backing two goals or fewer, because this looks like the kind of game that’ll be settled by the odd goal. With little entertainment on show, you can at least try to get a winner out of it by backing under 2.5 goals.