Last week’s Premier League action saw some controversial incidents and quite a few shocks. West Ham’s win at City was the big one, which surely ruined a few coupons up and down the country. With Chelsea getting back to winning ways and United closing the gap, the pressure is now on City.
The leaders get to kick off the weekend this week, as they face a trip to White Hart Lane to take on Tottenham. This weekend is a little low on live action, with just one top flight game coming on Sunday. But, with City, United and Chelsea all in action on Saturday, we could be about to see a huge day in the race for the title. Here we’ve taken a look at all the live games, picking a betting tip for each.
Saturday 26th September 2015
Tottenham v Manchester City (12:45) – Man City to win (19/20 with BetVictor)
The way many talked about City, it was like they expected Manuel Pellegrini’s men to go on and win every game this season. After defeats at home to Juventus in the Champions League and West Ham in the league, questions are now being asked of them. While they’re still favourites to win the title, they do need a response against Tottenham this weekend to get back on course. They know that any slip up leaves United with the chance to go top, while Chelsea will be aiming to cut the gap.
Spurs have been impressive in recent weeks, and they’ve really improved at the back. Their early season form didn’t get them too many wins, but three consecutive clean sheets in the league shows just how well they’re doing. There is a huge difference between shutting out the likes of Crystal Palace and Sunderland, and keeping Man City at bay. This should be a close game, but expect City to shade it and take the points. Given how badly they need the win, they should be back to their best here.
Newcastle v Chelsea (17:30) – Under 2.5 goals (Evens with Coral)
Later on Saturday, the attention turns to the champions, who face a trip to St James’ Park. After a solid win at home to Arsenal last week, Jose Mourinho’s men seem to be getting back to their best. Can they start a run of form that would get them back in touch with City? To do that, they’ll need to produce a win at a ground where they tend to struggle, this is where their unbeaten record was lost last season. Can they have a better trip this time around?
They do seem to be facing the Magpies at the right time, given that Steve McClaren can’t seem to get his team going. They’ve not won a game yet this season, and a home defeat by Watford last week shows just how much trouble they’re in right now. They’re currently in the bottom three, and they surely won’t be looking forward to the prospect of a rejuvenated Chelsea team. The odds on the Blues are too short to be worth backing, so our tip is under 2.5 goals. The visitors have sorted out their defence, and they should be able to record a low scoring win here.
Sunday 27th September 2015
Watford v Crystal Palace (16:00) – Under 1.5 goals (21/10 with BetVictor)
The only Premier League action on Sunday sees Crystal Palace making the trip to Watford, who just recorded a second consecutive win. The Hornets’ victory at Newcastle was a huge boost to their survival chances, but just how much of it was down to their performance, as opposed to the Magpies’ inept display? The jury is still out on that one, but one thing we can be certain of is Watford’s great record at home so far this season. Two wins and a draw, all coming in low scoring games. Between those three matches, Odion Ighalo’s strike against Swansea was the only goal.
Crystal Palace have a side packed with pace, but they’ve struggled to use it in recent weeks. It should suit them in games were they are second best, but they drew a blank at home to Man City and away at Spurs. They had a great August, but September hasn’t been so fruitful for the Eagles. Given that both of these sides are having problems scoring, we’re backing under 1.5 goals in this one, which could give you a big win to make up for the lack of goals this Sunday.
Monday 28th September 2015
West Brom v Everton (20:00) – Both teams NOT to score (20/23 with Coral)
Monday night sees the final game of this round of league fixtures, as West Brom face Everton. The Baggies picked up a great 1-0 win at rivals Aston Villa last weekend, thanks to Sido Berahino, The young forward dropped his threats to go on strike and now he’s back amongst the goals. It’s much needed for Tony Pulis and his team, as they have a real problem up front. Despite spending £17 million on two new forwards in the summer, they still aren’t scoring enough. They’ve hit four goals in six games, which has seen them struggle. They’ve yet to win at home, which means there’ll be big pressure on their shoulders going into this one.
Everton have started well, and so far they’ve been full of goals at home. Their 3-0 win at Southampton showed how dangerous they can be going forward. But since that game they’ve not scored away from home, drawing blanks at Tottenham and Swansea. Roberto Martinez has been praising his defenders as the best in the league, but his forwards aren’t quite up to scratch. It’s easy to see one of these teams failing to score, we’re backing against BTTS in this one, as we expect a cagey game with little between the two teams.