This weekend the Premier League gets off to a scintillating start with a north London derby awaiting us for Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off. It’s Arsenal who are the hosts this time as they look to close the four point gap that separates them from rivals Tottenham. Later in the day we see if Newcastle can claim anything away at Manchester United. Old Trafford has returned to being somewhat of a fortress this season though so even a point would be a great return for Rafa Benitez and his players.
On Sunday there will be plenty of attention on the Watford verses West Ham clash as it sees a Premier League return for David Moyes. The Scot has been drafted in on a short-term deal to try and steer the Hammers away from a potential relegation scrap this season. At the start of the campaign many were tipping Brighton to be part of the battle at the bottom but the Seagulls sit in eighth place ahead of this round of fixtures. On Monday night they will be out for some more valuable points when they take on Stoke at the Amex Stadium.
Saturday 18th November 2017
Arsenal v Tottenham (12:30) – Draw (13/5 with BetVictor)
Arsenal have enjoyed plenty of joy against Tottenham over the years but since Mauricio Pochettino took charge of the Lilywhites, things have been a lot different. The Argentine has only lost one of his seven north London derbies, the sole loss coming in the League Cup in 2015. His side were previously regarded as a club with little backbone but now they are one of the most feared outfits in the country. Although they lost against Man United in their last away game, prior to that they had been unbeaten on their travels, holding their own even against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
For a time it looked as though Spurs might be facing this game without several important names but Harry Kane is set to be fully fit alongside Jan Vertonghen, Dele Alli and Harry Winks. Hugo Lloris is still a doubt but Tottenham appear to have found decent back up in the form of Paulo Gazzaniga who was man of the match on his debut against Crystal Palace. A close to full strength Spurs should be able to match an Arsenal side who have got the results at home but in no exceptional style. The last three north London derbies at the Emirates have ended all square and we look set for another stalemate here.
Man United v Newcastle (17:30) – Man United to win to nil (20/23 with BetVictor)
Already eight points behind rivals and table toppers Man City, Jose Mourinho’s side cannot afford to drop any more points soon if they are to remain in the title race. There’s little reason to think this will happen this weekend as United are absolutely dominant at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have faced eight games in front of the home crowd across all competition this season, winning every single one of them. In this time they’ve conceded just the one goal too despite not having a constant back four.
Many teams have tried and failed to score at Old Trafford but can Newcastle be an exception to the rule? Their scoring record and performances away from home would suggest not. Rafa Benitez’s men have managed a slightly below average 10 goals this season but only three have come on the road. Looking at the strikers available to the Spaniard, it’s hard to see who would cause the United defence any real issues. Trying to hold out for a 0-0 doesn’t seem too likely either as the Toon Army have mustered up just one clean sheet in their last six games
Sunday 19th November 2017
Watford v West Ham (16:00) – West Ham to win or draw (4/5 with Bet365)
David Moyes’s last two stints in the Premier League have been ones to forget but he reappears this time for a side who desperately needed a fresh face. This West Ham squad is not a poor one on paper and having a new man at the helm may give them the new lease of life that they need. It’s a winnable debut game for Moyes too with Watford out of form and on a run of three successive defeats. His chances of a positive debut have been boosted by the timely return of Michail Antonio from his rib injury sustained against Brighton last month.
There’s been disappointment in all of Watford’s three recent defeats although all for different reasons. They deserved a draw against Chelsea, never got out of the starting blocks at home to Stoke and at Everton the Hornets threw away a two goal lead plus missed a last minute penalty. They don’t look like a side who will fail to pick up points for too long but this could be a very bad time to face a potentially revived West Ham. The new manager effect is often quite a big one so Marco Silva’s wait for a win may well continue.
Monday 20th November 2017
Brighton v Stoke (20:00) – Under 2.5 goals (8/13 with Betfair)
After collecting 15 points from 11 league matches, Brighton have made a very solid start to their first ever season in the Premier League. They are enjoying a decent run of four games unbeaten too and this included a wonderful display away at West Ham in which the Seagulls won 3-0. Scoring so many goals has not been a common feature for Chris Hughton’s men however. In the 10 other games they have faced this year, the south coast side have netted just eight times.
This is part of the reason why the Amex Stadium has not been a place for goals this season. Five out of the six games played there have had fewer than three goals but can Stoke help change this? The answer seems to be probably not. Jack Butland being out with a broken finger makes Stoke less stable at the back but you’d still fancy them to largely contain Brighton’s limited attack. Going forwards and the Potters have managed just five goals in their six away tests this season. Mark Hughes has tried many different attacking options but the Welshman is yet to find one he’s happy to stick with and we see another dour clash here.