The Premier League returned with a bang last weekend and it’s looking like we’ve got an incredibly exciting season in store. This week there’s an away test for early league leaders Manchester United who travel to Swansea. Jose Mourinho couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season but he must ensure his players don’t get carried away after one game. Later on Saturday, Arsenal make the journey north to face Stoke. There’s a bit of ill-feeling amongst these two sides and the Stoke faithful will be looking to make life as tough as possible for Arsene Wenger’s men.
On Sunday we can sink out teeth into the first London derby of the season as Spurs take on Chelsea. It’s the first league game Spurs are playing at Wembley and they’ll be looking to turn it into a fortress as they did with White Hart Lane last year. Both sides are outside picks to win the league this season but it’s Manchester City who are the current favourites. On Monday evening we see their star-studded side in action against an Everton outfit who also looked to have bought smartly this transfer window.
Saturday 19th August 2017
Swansea v Man United (12:30) – Man United to win to nil (23/20 with BetVictor)
Swansea held on against Southampton to get themselves off the mark this season but it was a performance that won’t have filled Paul Clement with too much confidence. Southampton were the only team who ever looked like scoring, registering 29 shots to Swansea’s 4. Scoring goals looks like it could be a problem for the Welsh side this season, especially if last season’s key playmaker, Gylfi Sigurdsson, completes his transfer to Everton. The only positive is that Spanish striker Fernando Llorente is close to a return and the target man may be fit enough to feature on Saturday.
Even if Llorente is passed fit to play though, it’s hard to see him breaking through Mourinho’s tight defence which was the second meanest in the league last season. United only gave West Ham a couple of sniffs at goal last weekend and with Nemanja Matic now shielding the back four, things should be even more secure than they were before. At the other end of the pitch, United looked even more impressive as Romelu Lukaku was dangerous alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. With the Red Devils looking capable of big things this season, this has to go down as comfortable away win.
Stoke v Arsenal (17:30) – Arsenal to win and both teams to score (12/5 with Betfred)
We witnessed a thrilling start to the season last Friday as Arsenal fought back from behind to beat Leicester 4-3. It was a game which would have both delighted and frustrated Arsene Wenger who saw his men so deadly in attack but so fragile defensively. Centre backs Gabriel and Laurent Koscielny, injured and suspended respectively, missed the opening game and both will sit this one out too. As a result, problems look set to remain at the back for Arsenal but going forward they should have plenty of joy with their wealth of attacking talents.
Arsenal have only one won of their last seven visits to the Britannia Stadium so Stoke is far from a place the Londoners enjoy traveling to. It used to be Stoke’s physicality which caused the Gunners problems but they don’t quite have the muscle in the side that they used to. The height of Stoke new boy Choupo-Moting could cause the Arsenal defence problems though and he looks set to start after impressing as a substitute against Everton. It’s fair to think the home side can break the Arsenal defence but they are unlikely to have enough fire power to keep up.
Saturday 20th August 2017
Tottenham v Chelsea (16:00) – Tottenham to win (11/10 with Sky Bet)
Last weekend Chelsea became the first reigning title holders to concede three goals on the first game of the following season. Few people could have predicted they would fall to a 3-2 defeat to Burnley but you have to believe that had Gary Cahill not seen red early on then we would have had a completely different game. For this contest, the Blues are missing Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas through suspension and Eden Hazard through injury. The pair of Tiemoue Bakayoko and Pedro are also doubts but both stand a chance of shaking off their respective injuries in time.
Tottenham also have absences of their own to worry about. First choice full backs Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier are not expected to be fit in time and Erik Lamela is still a few weeks away from a return. Even with some names sidelines, they were able to see off the challenge of Newcastle last Sunday but after the Magpies went down to 10-men, anything less would have been a poor result. It’s fair to say that neither team real impressed during their season opener but with less off the field problems and a more established attack, Spurs look capable of edging this derby clash.
Monday 21st August 2017
Man City v Everton (20:00) – Everton to win with a +2 handicap (10/11 with Coral)
There were those who were expecting Man City to run riot against newly promoted Brighton but it took 70 minutes for them to break the deadlock. With several new additions to the side and a new 3-1-4-2 formation, Pep Guardiola’s players will need some time to adjust before hitting their peak. As the Spaniard admitted himself after the Brighton game, his side were stable but improvements are required. Playing at home may inspire a better performance although the Citizens actually won more league games on the road last season.
Everton have a decent recent record against Man City, only losing two of the last seven encounters. City may have improved their squad since but Ronald Koeman has also made some smart additions to his side this summer. Much like City though, their new players will need time to settle before hitting top gear. Their 1-0 win over Stoke last weekend was a solid start but you feel as though the Merseysiders will have more to offer as the season progresses. With both sides still finding their feet a little, a close contest is on the cards and one that Everton should not lose by more than one goal.