The way the Premier League is shaping up this season, we could have a very interesting title race on our hands. Manchester City top the league table by four points but that lead could be slashed if they fail to beat Tottenham at White Hart Lane in what could be their most difficult match of the season so far. Third place Arsenal are also in action following this match and have a trip to Burnley to look forward to. The Gunners have now won four league matches in a row and will start piling the pressure on the teams around them if they can continue this streak for a while longer.
Liverpool are currently the second favourites to lift the Premier League trophy and they will be looking to strengthen their claim by picking up three points against a struggling Swansea side in Saturday’s early kick-off. We’ll also be able to see if Manchester United can gather some momentum following their emphatic 4-1 win over Leicester last weekend. Jose Mourinho was able to silence some of the critics with this result and he’ll be looking for another dominant performance when they take on an out-of-form Stoke side at Old Trafford.
Saturday 1st October 2016
Swansea v Liverpool (12:30) – Liverpool to win and both teams to score (19/10 with Betfair)
Swansea can’t have been overly disappointed to have lost to a very impressive Manchester City side last weekend but that defeat did extend the Swans winless run to five games now and pressure is beginning to build already on Francesco Guidolin. For somebody in real need of a win, a fixture against Liverpool isn’t what he would want but the Italian manager is optimistic of a turnaround. He saw enough positives in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to think they will be able to make life tough for Liverpool here but he may have to wait a little longer to get some more points on the board.
Liverpool seem to love a challenge at the moment though and come into this game having won their last four matches in all competitions, scoring 14 goals while doing so. It’s hard to bet against Jurgen Klopp’s side at the moment when they are attacking with such flair and menace. With such an eye for goal, Liverpool’s goalscoring ability looks able to compensate for their less than solid defence that is without a league clean sheet this season. As a result, backing Liverpool to win and both teams to score in this game looks like a great option for what looks set to be an exciting encounter.
Sunday 2nd October 2016
Manchester United v Stoke (12:00) – Manchester United to with a -1 handicap (5/6 with Coral)
Manchester United put in a much improved performance during their 4-1 win over Leicester on Saturday. Although three of their goals came from corners, this is not bad news coming into this match given that Stoke are very vulnerable from set pieces at the moment. Jose Mourinho’s decision to drop Wayne Rooney proved to be an astute one with replacement Juan Mata shining in the number 10 role. This cannot be seen as the sole reason for United’s improvement however, as Ander Herrera also made a big difference on his second league start of the season and the early goal no doubt played its part to settle any nerves.
With the Red Devils able to approach this game with a good degree of confidence and a more effective system, the outlook is bleak for Stoke here even though they ended a run of four straight losses last weekend with a draw against West Brom. The biggest issue with the Potters is their defence, which has now gone 16 Premier League matches without a clean sheet and continues to feel the absence of goalkeeper Jack Butland. Stoke have not shown anything since the start of the season to suggest they can compete here and so expect to see United to see this game out with a degree of comfort.
Tottenham v Manchester City (14:15) – Sergio Aguero to score anytime (13/10 with Betfair)
The only two remaining unbeaten teams in the league go head to head this Sunday in what promises to be a very exciting match. When these two sides meet there are usually goals, a quite incredible 26 in the last six meetings to be exact. Tottenham triumphed on both occasions last season but with City looking revitalised under Pep Guardiola, the tables may turn once more. The Spaniard will need to manage the absence of Kevin De Bruyne carefully though, he’s been an integral part of City this season and will be tough to replace.
Guardiola isn’t the only manager with a major absentee for this game however. Mauricio Pochettino will be without the services with Harry Kane and his replacement Vincent Janssen is still searching for his first league goal. The Dutchman has by no means performed badly but looks unlikely to provide the same level of danger as Sergio Aguero. City’s talisman has been in red hot form this season and seems to enjoy playing Tottenham, scoring against them 10 times previously. Even without De Bruyne feeding him this weekend, City have enough quality in their midfield to create chances for the Argentine who is good value to score this weekend.
Burnley v Arsenal (16:30) – Under 2.5 goals (6/5 with Betfred)
Given the form Arsenal are in lately it would take a brave man to bet against them. At odds of 2/5 though you won’t be getting yourself any decent returns and there seems a slight chance of an upset occurring given Burnley’s strong record at home. They may have lost to struggling Swansea on the opening day of the season but since then they have triumphed over Liverpool and an in-form Watford side. Arsenal have shown no signs of struggling away from home this season but even so the way Burnley operate at Turf Moor makes breaking them down a real challenge for any side, even one with as much attacking prowess as Arsenal.
A better option for this match is to put money on a lack of goals as Turf Moor has been notoriously stingy for goals for a long time. There hasn’t been over two goals in one match at the Lancashire ground since the 25th January and given the odds that are available for under 2.5 goals, it seems hard to turn it down. The Gunners do have 12 goals in their last four away matches in all competitions but scoring early has helped them do this. If the Clarets can keep them out for the first half an hour or so, expect them to keep the scoreline low once again this time.