The transfer window came to a close last Thursday night and now all 20 Premier League managers will have to make do with what players they have, until January at least. Pep Guardiola will be very satisfied with the state of his squad and his star-studded side will be put to the test on Saturday when they host Liverpool. There was no deadline day drama for Man United who made their key signings early on. The league leaders are up against Stoke as they look to preserve their status as the only side with a 100% record.
Moving on to Sunday and there is a high stakes game already for Frank de Boer. His Crystal Palace side find themselves without a point so far and the Dutchman is the odds-on favourite to be the next Premier League manager to get the sack. A good showing from his men is needed when they make the trip north to take on Burnley. Following this clash, it is Swansea against Newcastle at the Liberty Stadium. A very long trip awaits the Magpies faithful but a first away win of the season would make it all worthwhile.
Saturday 9th September 2017
Man City v Liverpool (12:30) – Liverpool to win or draw (21/20 with BetVictor)
By hammering Arsenal 4-0 last time out, Liverpool further improved their excellent record against the Premier League big boys. Last season they didn’t drop a single point against a team in the top six and they should always be feared in high-profile matches such as these. With City far from formidable at the moment, they will not be travelling to Manchester looking to settle for a draw. The attacking trio of Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah will look to catch City on the break and you should expect them to do this to good effect.
You have to fancy that Liverpool will score in a game like this especially when it’s been over five years since they didn’t net in this fixture. City will therefore have to look to outscore their opponents but their attacking players are yet to hit top speed. Improvements can be expected as time progresses given the talents they have but for now, Guardiola’s men look like needing more time to gel. With the Citizens not looking capable of ending Liverpool’s exceptional run against the top sides just yet, the Reds are good value to secure at least a point.
Stoke v Man United (17:30) – Man United to win and under 3.5 goals (23/20 with Ladbrokes)
Jose Mourinho will be wondering how long he can maintain his side’s Premier League winning streak for. It’s three from three so far but an away test at Stoke has foiled many teams in the past including Arsenal last month. This is arguably their toughest test of the season so far but their rock solid defence looks like giving them the foundations they need for a good result. The chance of a fourth consecutive clean sheet will be increased if Stoke forward Eric Choupo-Moting is ruled out after picking up a knock on international duty.
Stoke added Kevin Wimmer to their defensive ranks late on in the transfer window and the German gives them good depth to an already strong looking defence. Mark Hughes will likely employ a five man back line to try and deal with United’s attacking threat and this should help keep the score down. It’s hard to see them troubling the Red Devils at the other end of the pitch though as the Potters look a little light upfront. Expect the home team to be competitive here but their lack of fire power is likely to be the difference.
Sunday 10th September 2017
Burnley v Crystal Palace (13:30) – Burnley to win (11/8 with Betfair)
A last gasp equaliser against Spurs a fortnight ago courtesy of new boy Chris Wood will have delighted Burnley boss Sean Dyche. His men rode their luck on a couple of occasions but were deserving of their point after creating some good openings for themselves late on. Combined with their opening day victory over Chelsea, it’s been a good start to the campaign for Dyche. It’s at Turf Moor where they’ve typically performed the strongest though and although they lost their opening home contest, this shouldn’t become a common occurrence.
Frank de Boer needs a big performance from his side here to buy himself some more time as Palace boss. His footballing style is rather different to what the Palace players are used to and it seems like he needs more time if he’s to be a success at Selhurst Park. Although the signing of Mamadou Sakho will be an immediate boost to the Palace defence, this won’t help a disjointed attack find their feet. With not a single point, or league goal, to their name so far and a tough fixture awaiting them, you simply have to bet against the visitors getting anything from this clash.
Swansea v Newcastle (16:00) – Swansea to win (11/8 with BetVictor)
Swansea’s 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace last time out was a particularly big one as they showed they are able to win without last season’s star man, Gylfi Sigurdsson. Although not a direct replacement, there is hope that surprise loan signing Renato Sanches could be the type of player who makes the difference for Swansea this season. He joined the club late in the transfer window along with Wilfried Bony, who was brought back to Wales to replace last season’s top scorer Fernando Llorente. With some useful looking signings made, it will be interesting to see how they perform this Sunday.
Newcastle were also able to pick up three points in their most recent Premier League fixture, sweeping aside a poor West Ham side 3-0. A frustrating transfer window has killed some of the optimism following this result however. The Toon Army have made few improvements to their starting 11 and Rafa Benitez was unable to oversee the squad overhaul he wanted. On paper the Swans have the stronger of the two sides and as they tend to perform well at home, they are very well priced to claim back to back league victories.