Last weekend’s Premier League action saw Chelsea’s horror start continue, while Manchester United saw off their old rivals Liverpool. It was yet another thrilling round of action, giving us more shocks and some great goals.
Those results have also set us up for a huge round of games this weekend, with Chelsea’s clash against Arsenal topping the bill. As well as that, we see the leaders Manchester City in action, plus Tottenham host a strong Crystal Palace side and Manchester United travel to Southampton. He we have and betting tips on all the upcoming live games as we try to help you turn a profit from the weekend’s action.
Saturday 19th September 2015
Chelsea v Arsenal (12:45) – under 2.5 goals (Evens with Coral)
Another defeat last weekend has left Chelsea in a tough position in the table, sitting just a place above the relegation zone. They’ve basically surrendered their title in September, with an 11 point gap between them and Manchester City. Few can understand exactly what has happened to the dominant side of last season, but it’s hard to see them coming back any time soon. Jose Mourinho has brushed off speculation about his position, but given the club’s history with managers in this kind of situation, he probably doesn’t have the greatest sense of job security right now.
Arsenal have had a mixed start to the new season, but they’ve been impressive away from home so far. They beat Palace and Newcastle on the road, and they’re now looking like a side who are quite solid at the back, although, uncharacteristically without too many goals up top. That’s far from what Arsenal have been in the past, but many fans will see it as a welcome change. They should come here looking to keep things tight again, while Mourinho is likely to go back to basics in order to sort out his defence. Expect to see a tight game here, which makes under 2.5 goals the value bet.
Manchester City v West Ham (17:30) – Man City to win and both teams to score (13/8 with Coral)
The late game on Saturday is a real case of an unstoppable force meeting and immovable object. We see West Ham, who have added quality going forward, coming to the Etihad having scored in every game so far, collecting a total of 11 goals. West Ham’s fantastic forward line now comes up against a City defence who have a 100% record in both wins and clean sheets. It’s set to be a fascinating match up seeing those two go head to head, but which of those fine records will still be standing come Saturday night?
The level of City’s defence puts you in their corner to begin with, but it’s not that straightforward when you think about it. While they’ve made a great start, they don’t look like a world beating defence just yet. They don’t seem to match up to the great back fours of old, so can they really keep this record up? Plus, West Ham are perfectly set up for this game. Their counter attacking style has seen them win at Arsenal and Liverpool, and it should cause a few problems for the leaders as well. While it’s hard to see a West Ham win here, you can certainly see them getting a goal.
Sunday 20th September 2015
Tottenham v Crystal Palace (13:30) – Tottenham to win (19/20 with Sky Bet)
Spurs don’t have a great return in points so far this season, but they’ve actually made a better start than it seems. Their win at Sunderland last Sunday was their first of the campaign, but they’ve been unlucky in games against Everton and Leicester. One huge boost for them is that they’ve kept clean sheets in their last two games, and they now look like a much more solid unit. This will be a big test for that defence, as they take on Palace and their flying attacking players. Can they record a third shutout in a row?
Crystal Palace did draw a blank at home to Man City last week, but they had plenty of chances to score in that game. They will find things tough in this trip across the capital, as Spurs are getting good at restricting the space used by Palace’s wingers. Alan Pardew will be delighted with how his side have started, but this game might be too much of a stretch for them. Tottenham haven’t been clinical in front of goal, but they should be able to find a way past this Palace defence, and pick up another win.
Southampton v Manchester United (16:00) – United to win (5/4 with BetVictor)
Southampton haven’t made the greatest start to the season, struggling in the Premier League and dropping out of the Europa League early. Many blame the players they lost in the summer, while others point at the number of players they’re trying to bed in. Realistically, it’s probably a mixture of the two, and the Saints don’t seem close to fixing those problems. While they’re in no danger of the drop, their issues will see them struggle to take on sides like United in the way they did last term. That doesn’t bode well for them this weekend.
The Red Devils will be boosted by their win over Liverpool last week, which saw them move third in the table. Their style of play really doesn’t look impressive, but they grind teams down and get results. That does lead to them getting some quite big prices, like their odds for a win in this game. You get the feeling they are one special player away from being complete, but they’re still a solid team. The goals are flowing a little easier for them now, which makes them look like great value to pick up three points here, and keep up the pressure on Man City.