We’re only two games into the season but it’s been enough time for Manchester United to claim many of the early plaudits. The Red Devils sit at the top of the league and to ensure they stay there, they’ll need to bag all three points against Leicester on Saturday. Being the league leaders at this early stage hasn’t shifted City from being the bookies’ favourites for the title though. The Citizens make the trip down south to take on Bournemouth as they look to bounce back from Monday night’s frustrating draw with Everton.
Moving on to Sunday and Tony Pulis is in action against his former club as West Brom face the challenge of Stoke. The Potters are yet to beat the Baggies since the Welshman took charge but they’ll be hoping that run comes to an abrupt end here. To round off the weekend’s action, there could be a thriller in store as Liverpool welcome Arsenal to Anfield. These two sides have produced some excellent contests in recent years and we have the makings of another great end to end clash this time.
Saturday 26th August 2017
Bournemouth v Man City (12:30) – Man City to win with a -1 handicap (10/11 with Coral)
A harsh second booking for Kyle Walker meant City’s job on Monday night became a lot harder. They fought back to salvage a point but Guardiola knows his men can’t be dropping too many points early on in the season. The spirit and attitude they showed against Everton bodes well for them though and they will be eager to get back on the pitch to put things right. The defensive problems of the past look like being far less of an issue this season and even with Walker out suspended, they have an excellent replacement in Danilo.
City have cruised to victory on their last two visits to Bournemouth and the Cherries need to improve their game to avoid a repeat of this. Their season has begun with back to back defeats and not a single goal scored. It’s too early for alarm bells to be ringing for Eddie Howe but you would think Bournemouth need to have some sort of form to stop City. Without it, Guardiola’s men look like having too much quality for the home side, who look set to win by at least a two goal margin at Dean Court for the third consecutive time.
Man United v Leicester (17:30) – Man United to win and both teams to score (9/4 with Bet365)
United have begun their 2017/18 Premier League campaign with two 4-0 victories and they managed to knock four past Leicester in this reverse fixture last season. While another big haul doesn’t seem out of the question, United’s goal scoring threat has perhaps been exaggerated by late goals against stretched opposition who have lost concentration. Leicester should be able to provide greater resistance although it’s hard to see them shutting out the talented United attack for the full 90 minutes. The Foxes rarely keep clean sheets on the road under Craig Shakespeare and United are much better at capitalising on their opportunities this season.
Leicester don’t quite have the same attacking muscle power as their opponents and this is likely to see them succumb to back to back away defeats. You can expect the Foxes to put up a real fight though and they look capable of firing past David De Gea in the United goal. The Red Devils are yet to concede a goal but they’ve ridden their luck on a couple of occasions and against a more clinical outfit, they could well pay the price. Six of the last seven meetings between these two sides have seen both sides score and it’s worth combining this with a United win for increased odds.
Sunday 27th August 2017
West Brom v Stoke (13:30) – Under 2.5 goals (8/13 with Betfair)
United aren’t the only ones who have made a perfect start to the season. Two 1-0 victories see West Brom enjoying the heights of third place. The pair of clean sheets they’ve managed have come despite last season’s regulars, Jonny Evans and Gareth McCauley missing through injury. This game will be too soon for McCauley but Evans may be fit enough to help further bolster the Baggies backline. You shouldn’t have many concerns about the state of the West Brom’s defence and Stoke will have a hard time breaking it down.
If Stoke do need a bit of magic to find a way past Ben Foster then could summer signing Jese have the answer? The former Real Madrid man impressed many with his skill against Arsenal and he does seem to provide that cutting edge the Potters need. Playing away from home against a notoriously tough side is a different challenge though and the Stoke forwards wont’ be afforded the same attacking freedom. Mark Hughes will prioritise defence and five at the back will likely be employed again for a fixture that looks set to be lacking in goals.
Liverpool v Arsenal (16:00) – Both teams to score (1/2 with Ladbrokes)
Liverpool were denied three points by Watford during their season opener but they managed to do enough to secure victory against Crystal Palace last time out. Things may had been different had Christian Benteke converted a huge chance at 0-0, a moment which highlighted the vulnerability of the Liverpool defence. With defensive problems set to linger, Arsenal will able to exploit this to their advantage. The Gunners may have fired blanks at Stoke last weekend but they were creating chances for themselves and goals will come if they continue to play the same way.
Barcelona seem to have given up on their pursuit of Phillipe Coutinho and the Brazilian may be in for a timely start here. If not though, the Reds still have enough firepower with the likes of Sadio Mane, Mohammed Salah and Roberto Firmino. They didn’t create too much against Crystal Palace but this game should be far more open with both sides, not just the home side, looking to send men forward. Both teams have scored in this fixture on seven of the last eight occasions and backing it to happen once again looks like a very safe bet.