This week I am back with a 7/1 acca for the Saturday fixtures. it looks a tough task to call who will be the match winners, as there are some seriously tight games on paper.
What was apparent in the opening week is that the Premier League is still a fantastic league for goals, with 28 goals across the 10 fixtures. We didn’t have to endure any boredraws, we saw chinks in the armour of some of the big boys and we saw newly promoted sides bullying the established teams, it really is the most entertaining league in the world.
It’s still very early to say how sides are going to perform, we saw in the opening week that there were teams such as Fulham, Bournemouth and Brighton who surprised many, with Villa, Manchester United and Liverpool the big underachievers. With that in mind I am looking at alternative markets such as cards and goals for a couple of the bets.
Arsenal vs Leicester - Arsenal win
The Gunners looked well drilled in their opening match against Crystal Palace, especially in the early exchanges.
Gabriel Jesus didn’t get the goal that fantasy football enthusiasts were hoping for but did pose a constant threat and his link up play was there for all to see. A good preseason and that opening result gives you a positive feeling about Arteta’s side, they are one of those teams that if it clicks they will end up thumping someone five or six nil this season.
As for Leicester you have to say a concerning start to the campaign, it’s been an awful transfer window for the Foxes and there is a lot of speculation regarding the clubs prospects for this coming season. Having gone 2-0 up at home to Brentford in their opening game Brendan Rodgers will have been left seething with his sides mentality and concentration.
Leicester have genuine quality in attacking positions with Maddison, Vardy and Dewsbury-Hall likely to be a handful for plenty of teams over the coming months, where the big concerns are for Rodgers are his team’s inability to defend set pieces, and last season no team conceded more goals from set pieces than Leicester.
Arsenal have won all of the last three meetings between the sides so they know how to get around this Leicester side. With it being their first home game of the season I think it could swing the way of Mikel Arteta once more and his team will have maximum points from their opening two games.
Southampton vs Leeds - Leeds over 1.5 cards
A tough game to pick an outcome from so I am looking towards the cards market.
Last season Leeds picked up 101 yellow cards, 22 more than any other club in the division. They started off the season with a 2-1 win against Wolves and picked up 2 yellow cards during the match.
Really intrigued to see how this game pans out, Leeds have had somewhat of an overhaul after losing their two most valuable assets in Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, if they make it back to back wins the Jesse Marsch era could be well and truly underway.
Brighton vs Newcastle - Newcastle draw no bet
Two of the top performing sides in the opening weekend go head-to-head and I think it could be a really entertaining game.
Graham Potter will have been thrilled by his side’s 2-1 win at Old Trafford, a lot of eyes were watching that match to see how the Erik Ten Hag era would begin, and Potter instantly put a downer on the day.
The losses of Bissouma and Cucurella in the transfer window will have come as a huge blow to Brighton, but it’s proved that as long as there is a good enough system for players to operate in results are still possible. This weekend they come up against one of the form sides in the Premier League, a team on the up and looking to make an impression on the big six.
Newcastle are a side with newfound ambitions and the early signs are really good under Eddie Howe. Since Howe’s arrival at St James Park only three teams have picked up more points, a staggering stat when you consider the Magpies looked destined for relegation before his arrival.
The Toon Army started their campaign with a 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest but the performance itself was even more impressive. From the first whistle it was pure domination and there is a real feel good factor in the North East, something that could set them up for a groundbreaking season. Nick Pope didn’t face a single shot on target in his Toon Premier League debut and I think that he is going to enjoy playing in this newlook Newcastle backline for years to come.
Brentford vs Manchester United - Both teams to score
Brentford had to come from two goals down against Leicester in their opening match to pick up a well deserved point on the road.
Ivan Toney looks like he’s going to come back even stronger than his debut Premier League campaign with Brentford, where he provided 17 goal contributions for the Bees. They will strongly fancy themselves at home against an under pressure Manchester United side who are all over the shop at the moment.
Eric Ten Hag couldn’t have had a much harsher introduction to the Premier League than what he got last week, his side were rolled over with ease and he will have learnt more from that 90 minutes than the whole of preseason. You would have to say he has the toughest job in football right now, and this embarrassment of a transfer window can’t be making his life any easier.
The uncertainty of Cristiano Ronaldo’s position at the club and the drawn out pursuit of Frenkie De Jong have been damning, the attempted signings of Arnautovic and Rabiot have made the club a laughing stock. This weekend I honestly don’t know what to expect from the Red Devils, with the players they have available I expect them to at least score a goal, but I am also expecting a calamity of sorts somewhere at the back.
If you put all four combinations together, bet365 are prepared to offer you 7/1 in return.
* Betting odds correct at the time of writing. Subject to changes.