StevieDay1983

Cardiff vs Luton
The midweek Championship games provide some very intriguing fixtures and the one I'm focusing on is the 7:45pm BST kick-off on Tuesday night between Cardiff and Luton at the Cardiff City Stadium. It was the home team who were struggling with the away side knocking on the door of the promotion race last season but it's been a firm case of role reversal in this early stage of the season.
Cardiff once again fell victim to possessing a lack of fire power in their 0-0 draw with Preston at home on the weekend. Steve Morison's side dominated proceedings with even the opposition manager Ryan Lowe keen to point out how impressive the Bluebirds were. Unfortunately, the Max Watters goal drought continued and another missed one-on-one from the beleaguered striker cost Cardiff 2 more points. The team are now down in 14th place but still only 1 point outside the play-offs. It's three league games without a win and no goals scored during that period but the evidence suggests that the capital city side should be placed higher in the table after a string of encouraging possession-based displays that have been hampered by the lack of a clinical finisher up top. Cardiff recorded 22 shots on goal on Saturday yet still failed to score. It's not rocket science to work out what the issue is but finding proven strikers at this level is very tough.
Luton fell just short in the play-off chase for promotion last season but Nathan Jones deserves all the credit in the world for the work he's done with the club. The Hatters were tipped for relegation carnage last season but finished in the top 6 and punched way above expectations. A summer of departures and arrivals has arguably left the squad weaker than last season but there are still enough players at the club to make you feel they could consolidate mid-table this season. Unfortunately, Luton currently sit down in 19th position and just 1 point above the relegation zone after just 1 win from their opening 6 league games so far. Scoring goals also appears a problem for Jones's side with the club failing to even score in 50% of their league games thus far. The team did pick up a 2-0 win in their last away game which was also in Wales against Cardiff's rivals Swansea. It was a result Jones enjoyed being a Cardiff fan himself.
When these two teams met at this ground last season it ended in a narrow 1-0 win for Luton. I'm anticipated a similarly tight affair in this one. Both teams have struggled for goals so far this season and I wouldn't be surprised to see the odd goal separate these two teams. I think if this was on a Saturday afternoon with the Cardiff City Stadium bouncing then it would end in a narrow Cardiff win. The lack of a potent finisher or any striker with some sort of self-belief is killing us and it's preventing me from feeling comfortable backing us winning.
Draw @ 3.20 with Bet365
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.63 with SBK

Crystal Palace vs Brentford
The midweek Premier League games kick-off with a fascinating all-London fixture between Crystal Palace and Brentford at 7:30pm BST on Tuesday night from Selhurst Park. Both of these two teams have experienced highs and lows this season already and we're only 4 league games into the campaign. Can either team push for a win to give themselves a lift up the table?
Crystal Palace were a team I felt could challenge for the top 10 this season after their solid performances last season but it's been a bit of an inconsistent start from the Eagles so far. Just 1 win from their opening 4 league games has left the team down in 12th position but when you add some context to that situation and see that they've already played Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City then it's understandable. Patrick Vieira's men could still be looking to do some transfer business before the end of the window. There is a potential injury blow for the club with Wilfried Zaha a possible doubt for this game. Palace have also only managed to win 2 of their previous 19 top flight derby matches. Home form has been decent recently though with the team winning 4 of their last 6 home league matches. 
Brentford find themselves in a similar situation to their opponents for this game having won just 1 of their first 4 league matches so far. The Bees have struggled with keeping the goals out this campaign on their travels having conceded 5 of their 6 goals on the road already. The team has also failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 18 top flight away games. Thomas Frank's men are free-scoring this season though with only Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool scoring more than the 9 goals that the team have scored so far. There could be history made in this game with striker Ivan Toney aiming to become the first Brentford player to score in 3 straight away league games in the top flight since David McCulloch pulled off the feat back in 1937. 
Interestingly, the home side in this fixture haven't lost any of the previous 7 encounters between Crystal Palace and Brentford. Given Palace's home form and Brentford leaky defence on the road, you'd have to say that the signs are pointing towards a home victory here. Brentford haven't won at Crystal Palace since 1957 and I can't see that changing here. The home side seem a decent bet to win this one but we could see a few goals if the form of both teams' back-lines so far is anything to go by.
Crystal Palace to Win @ 2.20 with SpreadEx
BTTS @ 1.88 with SBK

Genk -1 @1.86
Min price to bet: -1.25 @2.04 or -1 @1.75
Model +value: yes
Significant team news: - (same squad for Genk as in last few games)
Note: No reason to stop trusting Genk as long as the market is above our fair prices, they were impressive again last week, won only with 2-1 but it should've been by 3 goals really, they allowed almost nothing to Cercle, conceded out of the blue right at the start of the 2nd half, from what was only Cercle's 2nd shot from inside the box (they finished with 3; Genk had 14) and missed quite a few chances, it was especially amazing they failed to score from set pieces, especially corner kicks, from which they looked very very dangerous indeed, with 3-4 sitters missed. Seraing got a big 3-1 away win at fellow relegation candidates Eupen last week, their first points of the season, and while that will boost their confidence, the problem is that Genk are on another level at the moment, more than likely to bring their hosts down again. About 70.5-71% for an away win for us, Seraing have a narrow ugly pitch that is certainly not something better teams like too much; but that area is their only (small) advantage here. There is -1.25 @2.10 available at the moment, and while this is the hcap we actually prefer to -1 in this case, the problem is that vast majority of the mkt is on -1, so we will stick to lower and uglier price here.
St Truiden -1/4 @2.01
Min price to bet: -1/4 @1.90 or -1/2 @2.20
Model +value: yes, small
Significant team news: yes, quite a few problems for Mechelen, as they are without first choice gk Coucke, star lw Storm, cb/cm Lavalee, lb Bolingoli; rw Shved a doubt and their important duo from last season, am Mrabti and lb Bijker are both still out as well... first choice cf Hayashi is doubtful for the hosts (should be out)
Note: We can say that Mechelen are severely weakened here, their team-news are truly poor, but they were in even worse situation last week and still somehow managed to beat Westerlo 5-4 (and they were 2-4 down with 15 mins to go), in a weird game that featured some terrible defending and goalkeeping. However, it's difficult to ignore these problems at Mechelen, let's not forget they also lost last season top scorer cf Cuypers to Gent this summer, and at this stage they don't look like the side who should challenge for UECL playofs. St Truiden got their first win of the season last week (1-0 at Oostende), but they lost only to Anderlecht this season, despite playing 2 other strong teams in Gent and Union SG; and actually, if we look back at last season as well, loss against Anderlecht was the only defeat St Truiden have suffered in last 14 league games. It's not ideal that cf Hayashi is (likely) out, but his other countrymen are all available, with Japanese legends Kagawa and Okazaki set to lead the line, and rwb Hashioka and gk Schmidt to start as well, as usual. We like the hosts at these prices, est hw at 48.5-49% after some adjustment for team news.

The Punters Lounge Fantasy Football League is reaching new levels of intensity this week as we enter the final round of games for the month of August. @Diwopa has taken the lead at the top of the table with his reusTM side. However, he is closely followed by four teams who are within 7 points. It doesn't look like a number of them have confirmed their usernames on the forum though so unless they do before the end of this round they won't be eligible to win the monthly prize!
Well played to Allan Woods and his Steep learning curve side who became the first team to breach the 100 points mark in a single week to take the highest score this round. He benefited from having Erling Haaland as captain and three Liverpool players (that weren't Mohamed Salah!) in his team. Crazy that he hit such a high score with five of his players scoring 2 points or below!
Commiserations and public shame must be afforded to Brendan Booth and his action plus united team who could only muster 32 points this week. Had Reece James and William Saliba not delivered 7 points each for him it could have been even worse!
Don't forget, midweek games this week so it's a 6pm BST deadline on Tuesday! 

Checked the Paddy Power betting and I am favourite for the sack. My Fans Only squad are great at posing for photoshoots but, when it comes to putting the ball in the net, pure useless !
 

Wolves vs Newcastle
The second 2pm BST kick-off on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League is the clash between Wolves and Newcastle at Molineux. The home team are still striving to pick up their first league win of the season and they'll be hoping to do it against a visiting side that are yet to taste defeat this campaign. Will the result follow expectation or will we see the current form trend bucked?
Wolves have had what can only be described as a slow start to their season. Bruno Lage's men were asleep for a large part of the summer transfer window but it appears someone has put a penny in the meter and kickstarted the recruitment campaign at the 11th hour. Wanderers have struggled in the league. A disappointing 2-1 loss away to Leeds was followed up by a frustrating 0-0 draw at home to Fulham. The 1-0 loss away to Tottenham was more encouraging but still saw them take 0 points from the game. The 2-1 win at home to Championship club Preston in the EFL Cup 2nd Round in midweek gave them a taste of victory but will they carry that confidence into this match? Striker Raul Jimenez played and scored in that cup game so can he solve the team's impotency problem up front? It is now 10 league games without a win for Wolves though. 
Newcastle showed signs of their true potential in the 3-3 draw with reigning champions Manchester City last week. Eddie Howe's side were 3-1 up at one point and looked irresistible on home turf. The Magpies are in 10th position after picking up a 2-0 win at home to Nottingham Forest and earning a 0-0 draw away to Brighton before that City result last weekend. The team have a chance to go their first 4 league games undefeated for the first time since 2011/12. Only Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham have earned more league points in 2022 than Newcastle. If you want a shout for anytime scorer then striker Chris Wood has bagged 6 goals in 8 Premier League appearances against Wolves and he's likely to be given a start with Callum Wilson ruled out through injury.
It's interesting to read that this fixture has finished with a 1-1 score-line in three of the last four seasons at this ground. I have a feeling we could see a similar outcome here. I always feel Newcastle are missing a key factor when Wilson doesn't play and I'm still not sold on Wolves finishing their chances. I think both sides would probably take a draw as well so a low-scoring draw seems like a fair shout in what could be a tense affair.
Draw @ 3.30 with Unibet
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.75 with SBK

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham
The last game of the weekend in the Premier League will see newly promoted Nottingham Forest welcome Champions League qualification hopefuls Tottenham to the City Ground for a 4:30pm BST kick-off on Sunday afternoon. This is set to be an enthralling encounter with the home team showing they are a force to be reckoned with on home turf as they take on one of the big guns of the top flight.
Nottingham Forest might well have been favourites to be relegated before the season started but heavy spending mixed with a confident squad and a competent manager can be a successful mix at this level. The Tricky Trees started with an underwhelming 2-0 loss away to Newcastle before a superb 1-0 win at home against West Ham. The 1-1 draw away to Everton last week showed that the team perhaps needs to be a little more streetwise on their travels but the 3-0 win away to League Two club Grimsby in the EFL Cup 2nd Round made it 3 games undefeated for the East Midlands club. It's now 8 wins at home in a row for Forest showing how key the City Ground could be for their survival this season. The team have also only conceded 7 goals in their last 16 league games at this venue. There is an opportunity for history to be made here with Forest in line to win their first two back-to-back home league games in the top flight for the first time since 1984.
Tottenham are looking very useful indeed this season with Antonio Conte's men remaining unbeaten for their first 3 league games of the season. Spurs started their season with a resounding 4-1 win at home to Southampton before a resilient 2-2 draw away to rivals Chelsea and a narrow 1-0 win at home to Wolves. Harry Kane is now only 2 goals away from moving up to 3rd place in the all-time scorers charts for the Premier League. Tottenham managed to keep a clean sheet in all six league games against newly promoted opposition last season. Conte himself has only lost 1 of his 17 league games played against newly promoted teams in the Premier League. A victory here would see them keep the pressure on their rivals Arsenal at the top end of the table.
It's surprising to read that Nottingham Forest have actually won 6 of the previous 10 league encounters between these two teams but you have to fancy Tottenham to get something here. Conte, as a manager, appears to instil a sense of resoluteness and courage in his teams that allows them to go into hostile environments and remain unfazed. I have no doubt that Forest will be a difficult team to play at the City Ground but I can see Tottenham coming away with a clean sheet win.
Tottenham to Win to Nil @ 2.60 with BetVictor
Anytime Scorer: Harry Kane @ 2.00 with Bet365

Southampton vs Manchester United
The opening Premier League game of the weekend will see two teams clash who experienced tricky starts to the season but appear to be showing signs of improvement recently. It's Southampton versus Manchester United in a 12:30pm BST start on Saturday afternoon from St Mary's Stadium. Can either team earn back-to-back wins in the league to see them rise right up the league table?
Southampton were being sentenced to doom by a number of their critics after their poor start to the season but the 2-1 win away to Leicester brought Ralph Hasenhuttl's side their first league victory of the campaign. The 3-0 win away to Cambridge in the EFL Cup 2nd Round in midweek added more winning joy for the Saints and suddenly the mood in the camp is a lot more upbeat with the team in 11th place and unbeaten in 3 matches across all competitions. Che Adams could be a man to back for anytime scorer after grabbing two goals off the bench last week against the Foxes. Unfortunately, Southampton have still lost 5 of their last 7 away league matches. They have also conceded at least two goals in 6 of those encounters. It's a defensive issue that needs addressing with the team already conceding 7 goals in 3 league games this season.
Manchester United come into this game off the back of an impressive 2-1 win at home against Liverpool last Monday night. The Red Devils answered a lot of critics with that victory and performance. It's probably come as no surprise for those that have slated centre back Harry Maguire. Head coach Erik ten Hag will be delighted to have earned his first 3 points as the United manager and avoid achieving some unwanted club records. There is an opportunity here for United to win back-to-back games in the league for the first time since February. The club remain on a terrible run of 7 away league defeats in a row which is their worst record of this sort since 1936. The team is also aiming to avoid losing their first two away league games of a top flight season since 1973. 
It doesn't bode well for the home side that they haven't beaten Manchester United in their last 12 Premier League meetings. Southampton are also just two goals away from conceding 100 goals against United at this level. I can see United getting those two goals here. Southampton looked better against Leicester but Leicester have their own problems this season so it might not prove to be as an impressive result as it suggests on paper. United looked a lot more dynamic and urgent on Monday but it's one thing doing it against your rivals in front of a packed home crowd but can they do it on their travels against a team they're expected to beat? They should but it might not be as glorious as the win against Liverpool.
Manchester United to Win @ 1.87 with SpreadEx
Total Number of Away Goals Over 1.5 @ 1.66 with SportNation

Brentford vs Everton
The Premier League action continues at 3pm BST on Saturday afternoon with Brentford looking to continue their encouraging start to the season at home against a troubled Everton at the Brentford Community Stadium. These were two teams I predicted might endure a tough season this time around. So far, at least one of them is living up to that expectation. Will things get worse for the visitors here?
Brentford are silencing the doomsayers who predicted a second season syndrome case for the West London club with 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss from their opening 3 league games. Thomas Frank's men will have been gutted not to follow up their resounding 4-0 home win against Manchester United with a victory in the derby game with Fulham but we all know how those games can go. They're roulette. The Bees are impressing across the board though and that 3-2 loss to Fulham doesn't change that. Brentford have kept 6 clean sheets in the league since February which is more than any other team in the top flight during that same period. It's also 6 clean sheets in their last 8 home league games so that defensive line is providing the backbone for some solid league form right now. It's interesting that the defensive displays have been so solid with both Kristoffer Ajer and Ethan Pinnock out injured.
Everton could be the latest big name to drop out of the top division unless things change rapidly soon. Frank Lampard is keeping the hounds from the door already with the Blues picking up just 1 point from their opening 3 league games. In Lampard's defence, he has been without Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Yerry Mina, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Ben Godfrey, Tom Davies, Andres Gomes, and Andros Townsend. Dele Alli has also just been shipped off to Besiktas. The Toffees come to this venue knowing they picked up just 1 point from 6 away league games to London last season. The club have now lost 14 of their last 18 away league games. It'll be interesting to see what involvement winger Anthony Gordon has in this game given the reported interest from Chelsea. Will new signing Neal Maupay start? It's hardly an inspirational arrival given he was often blamed for his impotency in front of goal for Brighton.
As @neilovan mentioned above, Everton are quite frankly awful this season. Their only point so far has been a dour 1-1 draw at home to newly promoted Nottingham Forest. A team who will pick up points at home but have shown they will likely struggle on their travels. Brentford beat Everton twice last season both home and away. I'd say both teams are weaker this season but Everton more so than their hosts. I think this game is another Brentford will be looking to win. Brentford have the more prolific attacking line-up and that could be the deciding factor.
Brentford to Win @ 2.15 with SpreadEx
Anytime Scorer: Ivan Toney @ 2.68 with SBK

Brighton vs Leeds
The next game up in our Premier League previews is the 3pm BST start on Saturday afternoon between two teams that have enjoyed positive starts to the season in Brighton and Leeds at the Amex Stadium. Not many fans would have put these two teams in the top 5 after 3 league matches but here we are. A victory for either team will push them even higher and leave the supporters dreaming of the impossible this season. It really is a nothing-to-lose game for both sides.
Brighton look like a real threat to the European qualification places this season with Graham Potter's men picking up 7 points from their first 3 league games so far. The Seagulls stole the headlines with a 2-1 win away to Manchester United in their season opener before earning a gritty 0-0 draw at home to Newcastle. The team got back to winning ways with a surprise 2-0 win away to a slow-starting West Ham. A squad packed with fringe and reserve players cruised to a 3-0 win away at Forest Green Rovers in the EFL Cup 2nd Round in midweek which gave the first team a deserved break. This is the first season in 10 campaigns that Brighton have avoided defeat in their first three league games of a season. It's a run that stretches into last season with Brighton now losing just 1 of their last 12 league games. If Brighton avoid a loss here they will set a club top flight record of 9 games without a defeat which stretches back to 1981.
Leeds are certainly the one team that have stunned me so far. Credit to Jesse Marsch for the results he has managed to get so far with 7 points from their first 3 league games leaving the team in 3rd place. It's like the glory days have come back to Elland Road... except Peter Ridsdale and his lavish fish tank aren't there! The Whites beat Wolves 2-1 at home in their first league game and followed that up with a dramatic 2-2 draw away to Southampton. The sceptics were firmly silenced after the dominant 3-0 win over an off-colour Chelsea last week though. Rodrigo is like a striker reborn having bagged 4 goals in his 3 league games so far. He could become the first striker for the club to score in 4 successive top flight league games for Leeds since Mark Viduka back in 2004. This is the club's best start to a Premier League season since their remarkable 2001/02 start. A win here would be the first time they have reached 10 points after 4 top flight league games since 1995/96. It's just 3 losses from their last 13 Premier League matches now.
The head-to-head record is finely balanced between these two sides over their entire history with Leeds just 1 win away from levelling it at 18 victories each with 13 draws but Leeds have only managed to earn 2 wins in their last 17 matches against Brighton. Both games last season ended in a draw and the way they have both started this season I wouldn't be surprised if this went the same way.
Draw @ 3.90 with SpreadEx
BTTS @ 1.84 with SBK

Chelsea vs Leicester
I'm not saying that this next game is set to be dubbed "El Sackico" but it certainly involves two teams who have a couple of question marks over their heads after 3 league games as Chelsea play Leicester in a 3pm BST kick-off on Saturday afternoon from Stamford Bridge. Neither team is in the top half of the table which is close to unthinkable for these two clubs and a loss here will crank up the pressure even more.
Chelsea suffered a summer of disruption after the sale of the club to Tom Boehly and his consortium but you have to give the new owners credit where its due, they have got the cheque book out. Head coach Thomas Tuchel has spent over £150 million improving his squad but it's resulted in the team picking up just 4 points from their first 3 league games. The narrow 1-0 win away to struggling Everton was hardly convincing with a penalty separating the two teams. The 2-2 draw with Tottenham at home will have been seen as dropped points against a bitter rival and the scenes from that game hardly painted the players or staff in a positive light. Then there was the disappointing 3-0 demolition at the hands of Leeds last week. Tuchel himself will be serving a one-game touchline ban for this game after his actions in that Tottenham game. The Blues will also be without the suspended Kalidou Koulibaly and the injured N'Golo Kante. The team have only managed to win 5 of their last 15 home league games.
Leicester have their own issues going on at the moment. Brendan Rodgers' side have been sleepwalking through this summer transfer window with the attitude that it's more a case of keeping the players they have than adding new blood. The Foxes won't have centre back Wesley Fofana involved for this game as speculation continues about his reported move to Chelsea. The club have only managed to get 1 point from their 3 league games so far leaving them just one place off the bottom. The team started the season with a 2-2 at home to Brentford but surrendered a two-goal lead in that one. That was followed up by a 4-2 loss away to Arsenal and a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Southampton. It's now just 2 wins from the last 15 away league games for Leicester. Defensive performances have been the constant concern with the team keeping just 1 clean sheet in their last 27 away league matches. James Maddison could be a wild pick for anytime scorer having scored or assisted in each of his last 7 matches.
Not only is the away league record an issue for Leicester but the team have also only managed to earn 1 win from their last 10 Premier League away encounters against Chelsea. That said, Chelsea have dropped points in 5 of their last 7 home league games against Leicester. Neither team is in a great place right now and whilst Chelsea's home form isn't great, Leicester's away form is woeful. I don't feel confident backing Chelsea but I'll do it reluctantly just because I have major concerns over Leicester right now.
Chelsea to Win & BTTS @ 3.00 with Bet365
Anytime Scorer: James Maddison @ 7.00 with Bet365

Liverpool vs Bournemouth
The penultimate preview from the 3pm BST kick-offs on Saturday afternoon is the clash between Liverpool and Bournemouth from Anfield. Who honestly would have thought that by the time this game came around that it would be the visitors that were positioned higher in the league table than the hosts? It's perhaps even more surprising when you see that these two teams have picked up just 1 win between them so far and Liverpool have contributed none to that!
Liverpool will begrudgingly admit that any hopes of regaining the Premier League title this season already look very unlikely after just 3 league games. The Reds have picked up just 2 points from their opening 3 league games as the club endures its worst start to a campaign under Jurgen Klopp. The most pessimistic of fans are even wondering if it's the fated seventh season syndrome kicking in under Klopp that he experienced at both Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund? Breaking the results down, I'm not sure things are necessarily are bad as the results suggest. The 2-2 draw away to Fulham was an opening game against a newly promoted side. Always going to be difficult. The 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace was with 10 men so that's on Darwin Nunez. Then the 2-1 loss away to Manchester United was the home team having a point to prove against a bitter rival. Let's not forget the elongated injury list the team is suffering from. Most notably, Thiago who has become integral to this system. Liverpool have lost just 1 of their last 33 league games against newly promoted teams. Mohamed Salah could be a decent pick for anytime scorer having bagged 8 goals in 6 league games against the south coast opponents for this game.
Bournemouth were tipped by many to struggle this season and despite a positive opening day 2-0 win at home over an under-cooked Aston Villa team it's seemingly being a prediction that looks like coming true. The Cherries have suffered back-to-back defeats with a 4-0 loss away to Manchester City followed up by a 3-0 defeat at home to Arsenal. Both of those games could've been heavier losses too. Scott Parker will be keen to avoid his team getting too demoralised as they continue this tricky spell of fixtures. You only need to see the tough start Norwich endured last season and how it can have a long lasting negative impact on a newly promoted team's season. Bournemouth have only managed to have 16 shots on goal in their opening 3 league games which is a lowest for the Premier League since Huddersfield only managed 16 shots on goal back in 2018/19. There's very little doubt that Bournemouth will look to sit back and stifle Liverpool's attack but I feel this is a case of resistance being futile.
The head-to-head statistics make for grim reading for Bournemouth fans with Liverpool winning the last six encounters by an aggregate score-line of 19-1. In fact, Bournemouth have never recorded a win at Anfield and have only ever managed 1 win in 17 meetings against the Merseysiders in all competitions. I can't see that changing here. Bournemouth might keep Liverpool at bay or keep the score respectable by being so negative but they won't hold them off for the whole 90 minutes and I can see another loss without scoring a goal for Bournemouth here.
Liverpool to Win to Nil @ 1.80 with BetVictor
Mohamed Salah to Score 2 or More Goals @ 4.33 with Bet365

Manchester City vs Crystal Palace
The final 3pm BST kick-off that I'm looking at from the Saturday games is Manchester City versus Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium. Only 3 points separate these two teams and the away side have come to this venue and caused an upset before. The home team will certainly see this as a great opportunity to extend their unbeaten start to the league campaign though as they look to retain their Premier League title.
Manchester City were understandably tipped as the team to beat this season after signing Erling Haaland and when he grabbed a ruthless brace in the opening weekend 2-0 win over West Ham away it seemed it could be a long and hard season for City's title rivals. However, the Norwegian front man was largely kept quiet in the 4-0 win at home to Bournemouth and the 3-3 draw away to Newcastle so is it all as cut and dry as we thought? Pep Guardiola's side will be looking to get back to winning ways here. Interestingly, the Citizens have found themselves 2 goals down in 3 of their last 5 Premier League games stretching back into last season. However, the reigning champions have scored at least twice in each of their last 12 league games. The team love playing at 3pm on a Saturday having only lost 2 of their last 54 league games played at this time and day. If you're looking for something a bit different then Kevin De Bruyne has bagged an assist in each of his last 4 appearances. Got to be worth a punt on him surely! Let me know if you find decent value on him grabbing another in this game.
Crystal Palace head into this game with a hit and miss record so far. Patrick Vieira's side will have been gutted to not have taken something from the opening weekend 2-0 loss at home to an impressive Arsenal but they can be forgiven for that one. The Gunners look special this season. The Eagles then held on for a decent 1-1 draw away to 10-men Liverpool. Was it a missed opportunity to take all 3 points? The team made up for that with a Wilfried Zaha-inspired 3-1 win at home over Aston Villa last week. That winning trend continued in midweek with the fringe players earning a business-like 2-0 win away against Oxford in the EFL Cup 2nd Round. Zaha looks like he's enjoying his football right now and his two goals last weekend took his tally to 11 goals in his last 16 league games. It's good to see this Palace team starting to build momentum this season and they're certainly going to be a tricky task for City here.
It's interesting to read that despite City boasting that impressive 3pm Saturday kick-off statistic that their last two losses at 3pm on a Saturday have both come against Crystal Palace. It was also Palace who won this fixture by a 2-0 score-line last season and they have taken 7 points from their last three visits to the Etihad Stadium. Will they do the same here? I think at the very least they'll give it a good go so I'll back them with a handicap.
Crystal Palace +2 @ 2.45 with 888Sport
Total Goals Scored Over 3.5 @ 2.34 with SBK

Arsenal vs Fulham
The 5:30pm BST kick-off in the Premier League on Saturday evening is an all-London affair between early pace setters Arsenal and newly promoted Fulham from the Emirates Stadium. It's looking like a fantastic opportunity for the home team to extend their unbeaten start to the season but they face a visiting side who have already taken points off Liverpool this season so it's not a given.
Arsenal sit proudly on top of the top division of English football right now and it's a decent start to the season that was tipped by many to happen. The Gunners have recruited brilliantly over the summer and the decision to appoint Martin Odegaard as captain has been well-received. Mikel Arteta's men boast a 100% record after a 2-0 win away to Crystal Palace was followed by a 4-2 victory at home to Leicester and a 3-0 win away to Bournemouth. You can argue that the team hasn't faced a real challenge in their quest for the title yet but in seasons past it was in matches like these first three that they dropped points. Arsenal are unbeaten in their previous 33 home league games against newly promoted sides. Two clean sheets from their opening 3 league games of the season is also a sign that the emergence of centre back William Saliba has been an influential factor.
Fulham will be satisfied with their start to the season so far. Marco Silva's men produced a courageous display in their 2-2 draw at home with Liverpool. The 0-0 draw away to Wolves really should've been a win after Aleksandar Mitrovic missed the penalty late on. The dramatic 3-2 win over rivals Brentford in the last game was then a classic and showed the fight and spirit amongst this Cottagers squad. It leaves you thinking that they could be a surprise package this season. Mitrovic has now bagged 3 goals and has firmly answered the critics who doubted he could score at this level. Silva has a 50% win ratio against Arsenal having played them 6 times down the years as Olympiakos, Watford, and Everton manager. So he does know how to beat them.
It's an ominous statistic to read that Arsenal have never suffered defeat at home to Fulham in 30 meetings across all competitions. The last time they met at this venue was back in 2021 when an injury-time equaliser by Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah earned a 1-1 draw to deny Fulham. I'm expecting this to be a thrilling game with both teams going for it. I can only see one winner in Arsenal though.
Arsenal HT/FT @ 2.05 with Coral
Arsenal to Win & BTTS @ 2.80 with Sporting Index

Aston Villa vs West Ham
It's a battle of the teams in claret on Sunday afternoon at 2pm BST in the Premier League as Aston Villa face West Ham at Villa Park. Both teams will be deeply disappointed with their respective starts to the league campaign. The home side have only picked up points in one of their league games so far and the visitors sit rock bottom of the top flight table. Defeat here for either team could set the alarm bells ringing.
Aston Villa will feel that the pressure will be on them as the home side to get back to winning ways here. Steve Gerrard's men started the season poorly with a lacklustre 2-0 loss away to newly promoted Bournemouth. The 2-1 win at home to an under-performing Everton papered over the cracks before the demoralising 3-1 loss away to an improving Crystal Palace brought them back down to earth with a bump. The 4-1 win away to League One club Bolton in the EFL Cup 2nd Round in midweek will have boosted spirits to an extent but Villa fans will want more. Villa have only averaged 1.13 points per game in the league during 2022. The team have lost 8 of their last 14 league games. An ominous warning from the stats is that striker Danny Ings is without a win or goal scored in 10 appearances against their opponents for this game.
West Ham could not have anticipated a worse start to their league campaign. The Hammers could well be distracted slightly by the Europa Conference League which saw them beat Danish Superliga team Viborg by a 6-1 score on aggregate. David Moyes has seen his team lose all 3 league games so far with defeats coming to Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, and Brighton. It's even more worrying that the team hasn't even managed to score a goal in the league yet. This has only happened once before after three league games and that was back in 1971/72. Only four teams in the history of the top flight have gone their first four league games without earning a point or scoring a goal. They were Derby in 1899, Stoke in 1906, Preston in 1924, and Crystal Palace in 2017. West Ham have now lost 7 of their last 9 away league games but the good news is that Moyes himself is unbeaten in 12 league encounters with Aston Villa.
The scene is set for West Ham to try and earn a fifth straight Premier League win over Aston Villa. Judging on what I've seen so far I'm not confident either team can get the victory but I would have to slightly favour the away side. I'm not completely sure that Gerrard is going to last until Christmas in this Villa role but I can see Moyes turning things around with the Hammers. I was tempted by the draw but I can see West Ham pinching it.
West Ham Draw No Bet @ 2.32 with SBK
BTTS @ 1.73 with SBK

Wolves vs Newcastle
The second 2pm BST kick-off on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League is the clash between Wolves and Newcastle at Molineux. The home team are still striving to pick up their first league win of the season and they'll be hoping to do it against a visiting side that are yet to taste defeat this campaign. Will the result follow expectation or will we see the current form trend bucked?
Wolves have had what can only be described as a slow start to their season. Bruno Lage's men were asleep for a large part of the summer transfer window but it appears someone has put a penny in the meter and kickstarted the recruitment campaign at the 11th hour. Wanderers have struggled in the league. A disappointing 2-1 loss away to Leeds was followed up by a frustrating 0-0 draw at home to Fulham. The 1-0 loss away to Tottenham was more encouraging but still saw them take 0 points from the game. The 2-1 win at home to Championship club Preston in the EFL Cup 2nd Round in midweek gave them a taste of victory but will they carry that confidence into this match? Striker Raul Jimenez played and scored in that cup game so can he solve the team's impotency problem up front? It is now 10 league games without a win for Wolves though. 
Newcastle showed signs of their true potential in the 3-3 draw with reigning champions Manchester City last week. Eddie Howe's side were 3-1 up at one point and looked irresistible on home turf. The Magpies are in 10th position after picking up a 2-0 win at home to Nottingham Forest and earning a 0-0 draw away to Brighton before that City result last weekend. The team have a chance to go their first 4 league games undefeated for the first time since 2011/12. Only Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham have earned more league points in 2022 than Newcastle. If you want a shout for anytime scorer then striker Chris Wood has bagged 6 goals in 8 Premier League appearances against Wolves and he's likely to be given a start with Callum Wilson ruled out through injury.
It's interesting to read that this fixture has finished with a 1-1 score-line in three of the last four seasons at this ground. I have a feeling we could see a similar outcome here. I always feel Newcastle are missing a key factor when Wilson doesn't play and I'm still not sold on Wolves finishing their chances. I think both sides would probably take a draw as well so a low-scoring draw seems like a fair shout in what could be a tense affair.
Draw @ 3.30 with Unibet
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.75 with SBK

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham
The last game of the weekend in the Premier League will see newly promoted Nottingham Forest welcome Champions League qualification hopefuls Tottenham to the City Ground for a 4:30pm BST kick-off on Sunday afternoon. This is set to be an enthralling encounter with the home team showing they are a force to be reckoned with on home turf as they take on one of the big guns of the top flight.
Nottingham Forest might well have been favourites to be relegated before the season started but heavy spending mixed with a confident squad and a competent manager can be a successful mix at this level. The Tricky Trees started with an underwhelming 2-0 loss away to Newcastle before a superb 1-0 win at home against West Ham. The 1-1 draw away to Everton last week showed that the team perhaps needs to be a little more streetwise on their travels but the 3-0 win away to League Two club Grimsby in the EFL Cup 2nd Round made it 3 games undefeated for the East Midlands club. It's now 8 wins at home in a row for Forest showing how key the City Ground could be for their survival this season. The team have also only conceded 7 goals in their last 16 league games at this venue. There is an opportunity for history to be made here with Forest in line to win their first two back-to-back home league games in the top flight for the first time since 1984.
Tottenham are looking very useful indeed this season with Antonio Conte's men remaining unbeaten for their first 3 league games of the season. Spurs started their season with a resounding 4-1 win at home to Southampton before a resilient 2-2 draw away to rivals Chelsea and a narrow 1-0 win at home to Wolves. Harry Kane is now only 2 goals away from moving up to 3rd place in the all-time scorers charts for the Premier League. Tottenham managed to keep a clean sheet in all six league games against newly promoted opposition last season. Conte himself has only lost 1 of his 17 league games played against newly promoted teams in the Premier League. A victory here would see them keep the pressure on their rivals Arsenal at the top end of the table.
It's surprising to read that Nottingham Forest have actually won 6 of the previous 10 league encounters between these two teams but you have to fancy Tottenham to get something here. Conte, as a manager, appears to instil a sense of resoluteness and courage in his teams that allows them to go into hostile environments and remain unfazed. I have no doubt that Forest will be a difficult team to play at the City Ground but I can see Tottenham coming away with a clean sheet win.
Tottenham to Win to Nil @ 2.60 with BetVictor
Anytime Scorer: Harry Kane @ 2.00 with Bet365

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham
The last game of the weekend in the Premier League will see newly promoted Nottingham Forest welcome Champions League qualification hopefuls Tottenham to the City Ground for a 4:30pm BST kick-off on Sunday afternoon. This is set to be an enthralling encounter with the home team showing they are a force to be reckoned with on home turf as they take on one of the big guns of the top flight.
Nottingham Forest might well have been favourites to be relegated before the season started but heavy spending mixed with a confident squad and a competent manager can be a successful mix at this level. The Tricky Trees started with an underwhelming 2-0 loss away to Newcastle before a superb 1-0 win at home against West Ham. The 1-1 draw away to Everton last week showed that the team perhaps needs to be a little more streetwise on their travels but the 3-0 win away to League Two club Grimsby in the EFL Cup 2nd Round made it 3 games undefeated for the East Midlands club. It's now 8 wins at home in a row for Forest showing how key the City Ground could be for their survival this season. The team have also only conceded 7 goals in their last 16 league games at this venue. There is an opportunity for history to be made here with Forest in line to win their first two back-to-back home league games in the top flight for the first time since 1984.
Tottenham are looking very useful indeed this season with Antonio Conte's men remaining unbeaten for their first 3 league games of the season. Spurs started their season with a resounding 4-1 win at home to Southampton before a resilient 2-2 draw away to rivals Chelsea and a narrow 1-0 win at home to Wolves. Harry Kane is now only 2 goals away from moving up to 3rd place in the all-time scorers charts for the Premier League. Tottenham managed to keep a clean sheet in all six league games against newly promoted opposition last season. Conte himself has only lost 1 of his 17 league games played against newly promoted teams in the Premier League. A victory here would see them keep the pressure on their rivals Arsenal at the top end of the table.
It's surprising to read that Nottingham Forest have actually won 6 of the previous 10 league encounters between these two teams but you have to fancy Tottenham to get something here. Conte, as a manager, appears to instil a sense of resoluteness and courage in his teams that allows them to go into hostile environments and remain unfazed. I have no doubt that Forest will be a difficult team to play at the City Ground but I can see Tottenham coming away with a clean sheet win.
Tottenham to Win to Nil @ 2.60 with BetVictor
Anytime Scorer: Harry Kane @ 2.00 with Bet365

Arsenal vs Fulham
Arsenal will be aiming to keep their 100% record intact when they take on Fulham at their Emirates Stadium. The Gunners made a flying start to the season, with the team impressing in a 3-0 win over Bournemouth, and they are seen as hot favorites to win Saturday’s local derby. The Gunners have been very efficient so far, scoring nine goals in only three matches this season. On the other hand, they managed to keep the clean sheet twice. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be grateful to have no fitness worries at all before this match, thanks to a fully healthy group available to select from.
The Cottagers, on the other hand, did well to beat Brentford 3-2 at the weekend, and they must be high on spirits ahead of yet another local derby. Aleksandar Mitrovic and Co, though, are not regarded as good travelers, and given Arsenal’s brilliant start to the season, a home win should definitely be considered. The visitors still haven’t suffered a defeat upon their return to the Premier League, and that might help them a lot in their quest to remain in the English top flight. Aleksandar Mitrovic enjoys the pitch, and when he receives the ball and goes towards the goal, the opponent has problems. Fulham manager Marco Silva has to choose a team with limited availability. Neeskens Kebano (Knock), Harry Wilson (Knee Injury), and Manor Solomon (Knee Surgery) will not be playing here.
Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            
Arsenal looks pretty confident this season, and despite a good series of their rival, we expect the Gunners to continue in the same fashion. Therefore, the hosts should win by at least two goals.
Goals Market Prediction
These two teams produced at least three goals per game in three of their previous four encounters. Since they have been pretty productive at the start of the campaign, we expect this one to go over a 2.5 margin.
Arsenal AH -1.5 @ 1.95
Over 2.5 FT @ 1.55
Correct score 3:1 @ 12.00

Chelsea vs Leicester City
Before the start of the 2022-23 season, Chelsea was one of the top favorites to win the title. Sure, Manchester City and Liverpool were the top two candidates, but Tuchel's team was seen as one of the possible dark horses. However, based on what we've seen from them so far, the title dream seems to be already over. However, the level of disappointment produced by the draw with Tottenham is nothing compared to what happened after Round 2. Last Sunday, Chelsea got blown out by Leeds 3-0 despite starting the game as huge favorites. The Blues look forward to improving their game, but they won't have an easy opponent. Armando Broja (Unknown Injury) and N'Golo Kanté (Muscular problems) won't be available for Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel.
The Foxes have had a slow start into the season since they snatched just one point from the first three games. They wasted a 2-0 lead against Brentford at home before losing to Arsenal and Southampton. Another tough game is ahead of Leicester City as they travel to Stamford Bridge. Despite scoring in all three matches so far, their defense has been very leaky in the new season. Owing to an otherwise healthy squad, there's just the one fitness issue for the Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers to contend with. Ricardo Pereira (Achilles tendon rupture) misses out for this game.
Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            
Neither team has been convincing this season, and both sides want to start a series of good results after this game. However, Chelsea is a favorite in this match, and we believe they shouldn’t miss a chance to win at the home ground.
Goals Market Prediction
Leicester City has been involved in many high-scoring matches this season, and their games are a joy to watch. This trend should continue, and the crowd should enjoy at least three goals in total at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea AH -1 @ 1.70
Over 2.5 FT @ 1.65
Correct score 3:1 @ 12.00

Had the misfortune of wasting time watching a bit of Everton. They are just awful.  Are there 3 worse teams in the league than them? I don't think so. 
That Chelsea want Anthony Gordon for 60 million pounds is insane, in my opinion. This is a youngster that has done very little in the game, that barley stands out in a mediocre team. 
I think Brentford win here. They are a hard working side, with some quality, and a very good atmosphere. Can't see Everton scoring a goal.
Leicester will get nothing at Chelsea, and Arsenal will beat Fulham. For me it is a decent treble. Arsenal, Chelsea and Brentford all to win.

I don't think much of Southampton. Sure, they beat Leicester, but Leicester are rubbish at the moment. Surely Rogers is on borrowed time there.
I am a Man United fan. Loved them as a kid growing up (in the mid 70's), and went through the torture of the 80's and then the glory years, under Fergie where he built 3 amazing sides.  To see Ronaldo in his peak, live at OT was amazing.  Frankly, I'm loving Ten Hag ... no nonsense, no BS, no Cristiano and no Maguire. He is the first one after Fergie that looks like he can go up against Pep and Klopp and possibly triumph.  I think the signings have been very good, probably the only exception is Eriksen (but maybe the free was too good to pass up). For me he is too similar to Fernandez ... not in nature but in game style on the pitch. Maybe you can't start both of them.
The win over Liverpool is huge. Ten Hag is changing the mentality and the expectation and the way they play. But if results are lousy, players check-out. When the results are good (or better), players buy-in. The manager has a limited time, before players will stop listening (ie. Ragnick who lost them pretty quickly). So the win over Liverpool showed them the blueprint and the rewards. Everyone wants to do well, nobody wants the bird from their own fans!
Casimero is a great addition. He plays with Fred in the Brazil national team and they will work well together. I think it is going to give United a much stronger defensive core. Martinez excellent, Malacia reminded me of Paul Parker, Varane excellent, so much better than Maguire it was embarrassing (didn't lose a header the whole match). Their transitional play (which has been non-existent for 3 years) is going to develop, and click as players get more and more used to it.
I think United are going to start keeping clean sheets and controlling games. This theory is very much opposite to what has been happening, where they have been giving up goals, left right and center.
I like the clean sheet for United at odds of 3 and possibly the longshot, United to win and score 3+ goals with clean sheet at 8  (over 2.5 and NO). There are just too many quality players in this squad, that have been under performing for years. Ten hag looks like he already is getting a tune outta them.

It's their new way of posting selections, they tell you which game they meant after the event. It apparently improves the strike rate no end! 

PSV v Rangers: BTTS (Yes) @ 4/7 (Bet365)
The first leg ended 2-2 in a very entertaining game and though PSV should be favourites to go through with home advantage this game should still produce goals. Away goals no long count double which means both sides need to get a win. Whilst both sides have started their league campaigns well remaining unbeaten and scoring lots of goals their defences have not been the most solid. PSV have conceded in all 6 of their competitive games so far whilst Rangers have conceded in 5 of the 7 games they have played in all competitions. 

I agree though it's nice when all the stats align! (Qualifiers, group and KO games in the tournament in question and the other one, e.g. Champions and Europa League.) I sometimes think that when the ref looks like a demon in one tournament and a peacekeeper in the other it's best to assume the truth is somewhere in the middle.
Hopefully tonight it's full on spite and malice from the get go in "your" game and tasty but not too tasty in mine!