To get us underway this week in the Premier League there is a battle very close to the top of the table between Man United and Tottenham. Only goal difference separates the second and third placed side and both teams will have their sights set on closing the gap on league leaders Man City. Occupying the final top four spot is Chelsea, who face Bournemouth on Saturday evening. With the Blues having already dropped 11 out of a potential 27 points, Antonio Conte is reportedly feeling the heat and the Italian can’t afford a poor result on the south coast.
On Sunday the action stays by the seaside for a match-up between Brighton and Southampton. Chris Hughton must be pleased with how his side’s season has gone so far and a win this weekend could be enough to push the Seagulls into the top half of the table. The same is not a possibility for Everton this week but they will at least have the chance to drag themselves clear of the relegation zone when they play Leicester. It’s been a poor season for both these struggling sides who have been responsible for two of first three managerial causalities of the season.
Saturday 28th October 2017
Man United v Tottenham (12:30) – Draw (12/5 with Betfair)
Having witnessed Tottenham’s dominant attacking display against Liverpool last weekend, Jose Mourinho will be aiming to keep things tight at the back for this game. It’s something he is known for doing as his squad have kept nine clean sheets across all competitions this season. They were far from solid when neither Phil Jones nor Eric Bailly were on the pitch during their 2-1 defeat to Huddersfield last weekend however. Mourinho will be desperately hoping at least one of them is fit enough for Saturday’s test otherwise the Red Devils may have another nervy display on their hands.
As for the Tottenham injury list, Mauricio Pochettino has far fewer worries. Harry Kane is expected to be fully fit and the Argentine could even have both left backs, Ben Davies and Danny Rose, back at his disposal. With a near full strength side which is full of confidence following a brilliant 4-1 demolition of Liverpool on Sunday, the Spurs players will not be fearing their trip to Old Trafford. United may have won all their league home games this season but Tottenham have claimed three points in all of their four away tests. Something has to give here and with little to separate the two sides, a draw looks a likely outcome.
Bournemouth v Chelsea (17:30) – Chelsea to win by exactly 1 goal (11/4 with Bet365)
Chelsea might have seen off Watford’s challenge by a two goal margin last weekend but it could have easily been a different result on another day. The Hornets created some very dangerous openings and exposed some real weaknesses in the Blues defence. To their credit though, Antonio Conte’s men did keep plugging on until the very end to snatch the all-important three points. If recent rumours are to be believed however, there is some unrest behind the scenes at the club and it’s hard to see Chelsea returning to their best while this is the case.
The Blues may not need to be at their best to beat an out of form Bournemouth outfit however. The Cherries are languishing in the relegation zone and their only two wins of the season have come against fellow strugglers Stoke and newly promoted Brighton. The losses they have picked up though have not been embarrassing ones and Eddie Howe will have taken positives from the single goal defeats against the likes of Man City and Spurs. Bournemouth have the ability to give the visitors a hard time here but ultimately they look like falling just a little short.
Sunday 29th October 2017
Brighton v Southampton (13:30) – Under 2.5 goals (3/5 with BetVictor)
Chris Hughton rightly described his side’s performance during the 3-0 win over West Ham last Friday as outstanding. The Seagulls were good value for their win and it was a game which saw Glenn Murray open his account for the season. It was their defensive display which particular caught the eye of the 58-year-old manager however. The centre back pairing of Duffy and Dunk have adapted very well to the demands of Premier League football. They have two clean sheets from their last four games and were only denied a third by a needless penalty conceded by Bruno late on against Everton.
Mauricio Pellegrino may be concerned about how his men are going to break down a fairly competent looking defence on Sunday. The Saints have struggled for goals all season with just eight coming in their nine league matches this season. Against West Brom last weekend, their sole strike came from a magical Sofiane Boufal solo effort but the Moroccan is not a reliable source of goals. Both sides seem stronger in defence than attack and with the Amex Stadium not a place full of goals this season, back another low scoring affair in Brighton.
Leicester v Everton (16:00) – Leicester to win (6/5 with BetVictor)
Everton’s 5-2 defeat to Arsenal at the weekend proved to be the final straw for Ronald Koeman who was swiftly shown the door by his superiors. There was so much promise following plenty of transfer activity in the summer but the Dutchman was simply unable to get his side playing good football. The Toffees will be fast searching for his replacement but whoever ends up taking the helm will likely need a bit of time to resolve the mess at Goodison.
Their opponents here haven’t fared too much better this season, with just one more point claimed in the league but they are showing signs of finding their feet. They put on a decent show during their 2-1 win over Swansea, Riyad Mahrez in particular stood out for his impressive performance. The win in Wales means that the Foxes are now three unbeaten in the league and it’s not too hard to see them pushing on from this. The attacking pair of Shinji Okazaki and Jamie Vardy should have too much for an Everton defence that has shipped 18 league goals this season, a number that will surely rise on Sunday.