There’s another fascinating schedule of Premier League action this weekend including a highly anticipated North London derby. There’s rarely any love lost between these two sides and with plenty at stake here, a fierce contest is very much expected. Arsenal do have the advantage of the Emirates crowd but they are yet to beat Spurs in the league since Mauricio Pochettino took charge. Elsewhere in the capital, there is a great match at Stamford Bridge to look forward to on Saturday, as high flying Chelsea lock horns with Ronald Koeman’s Everton.
With some of the teams around them guaranteed to drop points, it could turn out to be a very good week for Liverpool, providing they can see off the challenge of Watford. Klopp’s men have been in great form of late but they can’t afford any complacency against a Watford side who have lost just one of their five league matches on the road. To end the weekend’s action, Leicester face a clash with West Brom. The two times these sides met last season produced a total of nine goals so maybe we’re in for another entertaining affair this Sunday.
Saturday 5th November 2016
Chelsea v Everton (17:30) – Both teams to score (3/4 with Bet365)
Having secured four league victories in a row since their hammering at Arsenal, Antonio Conte’s side are very much back as title contenders. The most impressive aspect of these four victories is that they have all come with a clean sheet. Conte’s switch to a three at the back has paid off magnificently and his men will be full of confidence heading into this tough game. It’s a fixture Chelsea haven’t lost at Stamford Bridge since 1994, although it did take a 98th minute equaliser from John Terry to preserve this run last season.
With the form Chelsea are in, and their strong home record which has seen them lose only to Manchester City, Liverpool and PSG this calendar year, it’s hard to see Everton clinching the three points. The Toffees have struggled to impress for the full 90 minutes this season as demonstrated by their excellent second half, and lacklustre first half, performance against West Ham last time out. When they turn up the heat they look capable of scoring past any side though, so despite Chelsea’s defensive improvements, there is good value in backing both teams to score.
Sunday 6th November 2016
Arsenal v Tottenham (12:00) – Both teams to score (8/13 at Ladbrokes)
This used to be a derby which Arsenal dominated but progress made by Spurs over the past few years under Argentine boss Pochettino, has turned it into an extremely tight fixture. This time however, Tottenham face the trouble of coming into the match on the back of decidedly average form. The Lilywhites have collected three points from their last three league matches whilst the Gunners have picked up seven in this time. There’s reason to think Spurs will raise their game here though. They often relish playing a more attacking side, as highlighted by their superb 2-0 win over Manchester City in September.
Both teams will be looking for goals here and don’t expect them to play overly conservatively. Olivier Giroud was back amongst the goals against Sunderland on his return from injury and he’ll be a constant threat to a Tottenham defence possibly missing Toby Alderweireld. Spurs have a big boost of their own too as their talisman, Harry Kane, is expected to be back after recovering from an ankle problem. The north London derby has seen both teams score on the last five occasions and given the way things are shaping up it looks like this trend is set to continue.
Liverpool v Watford (14:15) – Liverpool to win with a -1 handicap (3/4 with Coral)
With the way Liverpool have been playing this season, Anfield is not a place any side wants to be visiting at the moment. Jurgen Klopp’s side have won four of their five home games this season, the only blip being their frustrating 0-0 draw to Manchester Untied. Defensively, they are far from the finished article, with just one league clean sheet, but their fluid and clinical forward line more than make up for this. The Reds stand as the joint top goalscorers in the league and will be able to add to their tally here with their full strength side available for selection.
While not quite as prolific as Liverpool, Watford have racked up a decent goals tally themselves this season and have only failed to score on two occasions. Goals have been harder to come by lately though, with just two in their last three games, one courtesy of an own goal. The only way of beating Liverpool at the moment looks to be outscoring them but the Hornets don’t look capable of that at the moment. A home win looks very much on the cards but for better odds, back the Reds to win with a -1 handicap.
Leicester v West Brom (16:30) – West Brom to win with a +1 handicap (21/20 with Bet365)
Leicester’s joy this season has been in the Champions League rather than the Premier League but it would be wrong to assume they are suffering from the mid-week European matches. The Foxes have won two and drawn one of their three matches that have come after a Champions League game so the schedule doesn’t seem to be causing any fatigue. Leicester’s problems in the league stem from elsewhere, such as an underperforming Jamie Vardy and their difficulty of defending set pieces now officials are clamping down on grappling in the box.
With Leicester far from the formidable side they were last season, the Baggies should fancy themselves to grab something here. They may be in a bad patch of form, having failed to win any of their last five, but it must be pointed out the last three were against Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City. With a slightly less taxing run of fixtures ahead of them, expect Albion to start getting some more points on the board starting at a ground they have enjoyed visiting in recent years. The Baggies are unbeaten in their last seven visits to the King Power Stadium and are well priced to win with a +1 handicap as they look to extend this run.