This weekend is shaping up to be an exciting one in the Premier League with some highly anticipated clashes. The match to get things underway is one between current leaders Chelsea and third placed Manchester City who trial by just a point. It may only be fairly early days in the season but the outcome of this clash could have a big impact on who sits top of the league come the end of the season.
In the evening there is another London derby to look forward to, this time between Arsenal and West Ham. It may not be the fiercest of the London rivalries but these two sides have produced some excellent matches in the past and we’re hoping for another here.
On Sunday we’ll get to see how Liverpool fare without their playmaker Philippe Coutinho when they take on Bournemouth. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said the Brazilian’s absence could cost Liverpool in their challenge for the title so three points will be needed to help ease such fears. Following this game, Everton host Manchester United with both sides seeking just their second league victory since September. While the pair may be out of form at the moment, that’s no reason to think they won’t produce an exciting and competitive spectacle at Goodison Park.
Saturday 3rd December 2016
Manchester City v Chelsea (12:30) – Both teams to score (8/13 with Betfred)
Manchester City haven’t lost a home game since March but three consecutive 1-1 draws in the league at the Ethiad Stadium certainly offer hope for Chelsea. The away side should fancy themselves against a vulnerable looking defence which has managed just two clean sheets in the league this season. Antonio Conte seems to be getting the best out of the likes of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard at the moment and the pair have both netted five times since the 3-0 defeat at Arsenal. With Chelsea’s good form showing no sign of stopping just yet, they look set to grab some goals here.
Goals look likely for Manchester City too though. While Chelsea’s five man defence has managed six clean sheets in their last seven matches, they haven’t faced a team with such an offensive threat in this period. The Citizens are joint with Chelsea as the second top scorers in the league and it’s very rare not to see them find the back of the net at home. The last time it happened was against Real Madrid in March and with no injury concerns to their main attacking options, there is little to reason to think this run won’t be extended, despite Chelsea’s strong defensive record.
West Ham v Arsenal (17:30) – Chelsea to win (3/4 with Sky Bet)
A point away at Old Trafford last weekend certainly would have been more than most West Ham fans expected following their demoralising loss to rivals Tottenham the week before. While signs of improvement were there, the Hammers did have goalkeeper Darren Randolph to thank for keeping the score level and they still looked a little toothless in attack. It was a game that saw the first goal from any of West Ham’s recognised strikers this season, but goalscorer Diafra Sakho is now likely to miss a few games thorough injury.
West Ham’s attacking woes look set to continue for a little while longer at least and this should help give Arsenal the three points. While the Gunners defence is more vulnerable since the injuries to Hector Bellerin and back up option Matheiu Debuchy, the Hammers don’t look able to capitalise on this. Arsenal on the other hand should be able to make the most of the home side’s poor form that has seen them fail to win any current top half opposition in the league this season. Arsene Wenger’s side haven’t lost away in any competition since March so his side look good value for the three points here.
Sunday 4th December 2016
Bournemouth v Liverpool (13:30) – Liverpool to win by one goal (27/10 at Bet365)
Bournemouth fell to a surprise defeat at the hands of Sunderland during their last game at the Vitality Stadium but that shouldn’t stop them being able to give Liverpool a tough time. The Cherries showed how good they can be when hammering Hull 6-1 last month, a win which was their third successive in the league at home. Eddie Howe’s attacking style reaped its rewards that day, but on other occasions, for example against Manchester City and Arsenal, such an approach can often give the opposition plenty of opportunities in front of goal.
While Sunderland’s parking the bus strategy worked until the 75th minute against Liverpool, it’s very unlikely Bournemouth will employ a similar tactic. This should benefit Jurgen Klopp’s side who struggled to break down such a deep and compact defence, especially without star-man Philippe Coutinho who has been ruled out for five weeks. The Liverpool squad does have talent to replace him though and they should also have Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino fit for this match. It’s not likely to be a comfortable match for Liverpool but they should have enough to edge the contest.
Everton v Manchester United (16:00) – Manchester United to win (5/4 at Betfred)
While both teams have been struggling for league wins lately, Manchester United can count themselves a little unlucky that this is the case. They created more than enough chances to secure wins against the likes of West Ham, Burnley and Stoke but a combination of excellent goalkeeping and poor finishing forced them to settle for a draw. With a stroke more luck, results look like coming to Jose Mourinho’s side very soon and perhaps even as quickly as this weekend as they take on a less than confident Everton side.
The Toffees have won just one of their last eight Premier League games and they have a rather difficult run of fixtures coming up. To make matters worse for Ronald Koeman, his side haven’t beaten any of the ‘top six’ sides on the last 12 occasions. His players don’t seem to be ones that rise to the big matches, something that won’t be helped due to a lack of form coming into this fixture. The Dutch manager is unlikely to have a quick fix up his sleeve for his side so December could well be another disappointing month for them.