Premier League Predictions > Aug 5th - 7th

[StevieDay1983]

The fixtures for the 2022/23 Premier League have been officially released today which means we can take a look at the opening weekend of matches scheduled to be played. Check out those games along with their odds above and give us any early thoughts here. What games are you looking forward to the most?

Personally, I think Crystal Palace versus Arsenal is a cracking first game to start the season and I am also looking forward to seeing Erling Haaland make his debut for Manchester City at West Ham. 

[malabgd]

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal

2022-08-05T21:00+02:00

 

Crystal Palace

Doubtful:

Out (injuries/other): Sam Johnstone (0/0 g, newcomer), Michael Olise (26/2 m), Jack Butland (9/0 g), James McArthur (21/0 m), James Tomkins (8/1 d)

Suspended:

(Players stats are from the last season.)

 

Arsenal

Doubtful: Fabio Vieira (0/0 m, newcomer), Takehiro Tomiyasu (21/0 d), Kieran Tierney (22/1 d)

Out (injuries/other): Emile Smith Rowe (33/10 m, 2nd top scorer)

Suspended:

(Players stats are from the last season.)

 

Daily updated injuries and suspensions information from more than 100 football leagues and competitions worldwide at: www.injuriesandsuspensions.com

[StevieDay1983]

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal

The opening game of the 2022/23 Premier League will be an 8pm BST kick-off on Friday night between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park. It's an intriguing fixture that's between two teams I'm backing to enjoy positive seasons this time around but will either team be able to take all 3 points here? Or will we see them battle it out to a draw in what could prove a nervy and cautious affair?

Crystal Palace will be looking to build on the fine work of last season under Patrick Vieira and you can see how the former Nice and New York City FC head coach is fine-tuning his squad for this campaign. I'm keen to see how they perform without Conor Gallagher on loan because he was clearly missed when he didn't play last season. Will the signing of Cheick Doucoure fill that hole left by Gallagher's return to Chelsea? Vieira will be without a number of first team players for this game including Michael Olise, James McArthur, Jack Butland, James Tomkins, and Sam Johnstone. The statistics provide mixed reading for Palace fans. It's only 5 wins from their last 22 opening games in the top flight. However, they have only lost 4 of their last 19 home league games. That included going unbeaten for their last 6 home league matches. The last five of those saw the team keep a clean sheet. 

Arsenal look like a potentially dangerous outfit this season. I am anticipating them to make a real push for the Champions League qualification places after the signings of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City. Both players are expected to start for the Gunners on Friday night with centre back William Saliba also set to make his first start for the club. His potential centre back partnership with Gabriel is one that the Arsenal fans have been crying out for since last season. Mikel Arteta's side have a number of injury concerns including Emile Smith Rowe but the likes of Kieran Tierney, Fabio Vieira, and Takehiro Tomiyasu should all be fit to play some part. Opening weekend games haven't gone great for Arsenal over recent times with the club losing 5 of their last 9 including the shock 2-0 loss to local rivals Brentford away last season. Defensive fragility is a concern for Arteta coming into this campaign with the team failing to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 10 league games. Could Jesus be a decent pick for anytime scorer having scored 6 goals in his last 7 league games for Manchester City before joining Arsenal and having scored 7 goals in pre-season?

It turns out that Crystal Palace are becoming a bit of a headache for Arsenal having lost just 1 of the last 8 league meetings between the two sides. Palace will be looking to earn back-to-back top flight league wins over Arsenal for the first time in their history after winning this fixture 3-0 back in April. I'm not sure Palace will get the win but they'll certainly provide a tough challenge for Arsenal. I think the Gunners could sneak the win though. I don't feel easy about backing them mind!

Arsenal to Win @ 1.91 with SpreadEx

Anytime Scorer: Gabriel Jesus @ 2.80 with SportNation

[ALEXXXXXXXX]

Everton vs Chelsea

Over (2.5)  @ 2.04

Both of them are in form, getting a winning streak in the most recent preseason games, with over 2 scoring goals on average. I believe that both team will score in the upcoming games and the total goals will be over 2.5.

Edited August 5, 2022 by ALEXXXXXXXX
I lost team name

[StefanBB]

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal

Crystal Palace finished the last season in the safe mid-table zone, being far from the relegation battle. The hosts hope for a similar campaign this time, but it's going to be a challenging season for them. Palace had a pretty good pre-season, losing only to Liverpool and Manchester United in nine games. They beat QPR and Montpellier in the previous two clashes, scoring seven goals to boost their confidence ahead of the season's start. Wilfried Zaha remained in the club, while Eberechi Eze missed many games last season due to injury, which greatly affected Crystal Palace's results. The Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira will be grateful to have no fitness worries whatsoever before this game, thanks to a completely injury-free group to choose from.

The Gunners missed an opportunity to secure the Champions League ticket last season, but they don't want to repeat the same mistake this time. Arsenal had a very good transfer window, securing the signings of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko. The visitors booked six wins in seven pre-season games, demolishing Sevilla 6:0 in the latest one. Last season, Smith Rowe was the team's top scorer with 12 goals, and even better editions and new goals are expected in the future. He earned a call-up to the England national team. With an injury-free squad, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has no fitness concerns ahead of this game perfect.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            

Arsenal is full of confidence, and the away side hopes for a victorious start to the campaign. We believe the Gunners will meet the expectations and return home with all three points.

Goals Market Prediction

Their head-to-head clashes at Selhurst Park have been a joy to watch lately, as seven of their last eight encounters went over a 2.5 margin. We anticipate another efficient game on Friday evening, and the crowd should enjoy at least three goals in total.

Arsenal to Win @ 1.87

Over 2.5 FT @ 2.00

Correct score 1:2 @ 9.50

[StevieDay1983]

Fulham vs Liverpool

The first Premier League game on Saturday afternoon is a David versus Goliath clash at 12:30pm BST when newly promoted Fulham face a baptism of fire back in the top flight against expected title contenders Liverpool at Craven Cottage. There are not many tougher opening games that the home team could have anticipated so really this is a nothing to lose affair. Or could a heavy loss prove severely detrimental to the team morale?

Fulham took no prisoners in the Championship last season with Marco Silva's team sweeping aside all opposition as they romped to 90 points and scoring 106 goals during the process. A large contribution of those goals were the record-breaking 43 league goals scored by striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. A lot of questions have been raised about Mitrovic and his ability to score at the highest level with the Serbian front man scoring 24 goals in 104 Premier League appearances compared with scoring 85 goals in 126 Championship appearances. There is a feeling Mitrovic is adapting his game though and could this be the season we see him finally do the business in the top division of English football. If not then the Cottagers could be in trouble. Fabio Carvalho and Jean Michel Seri are two big departures for the team but the arrival of Joao Palhinha and Andreas Pereira softens that double blow. I do have concerns about the Fulham back-line and if Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson are regular starters then they could be in for a world of pain.

Liverpool have themselves suffered a big loss this summer with Sadio Mane departing for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. In my opinion, I feel they'll miss Mane more than they'd have missed Mohamed Salah if he left. Mane was a man for the big occasion and always delivered when others didn't. That said, it's games like this against the so-called "weaker opposition" where Salah wreaks havoc. There's a reason the vast majority of fantasy football players are putting Salah as their captain this week and that's because there's a strong feeling he will tear this Fulham defence a new one in this game. I'm interested to see how Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz perform this season. They'll both need to step up with Mane gone and Diogo Jota ruled out for the opening few weeks of the season. This is certainly a game Liverpool will want to use to boost morale and get their goal difference off to a flying start.

There is a bit of scepticism around Fulham this season and I do think a lot of their hope this season hangs on the shoulders of Mitrovic. If he fails to score double figures they're doomed. It's a shame for him that they don't have an easier fixture to start because if he scored in his opening Premier League game of the season it might help. I can't see him scoring here though. Fulham lost 8 of their last 10 games in their last stint in the top flight and finished last season with a 4-0 loss against Sheffield United. Liverpool saw over 3.5 goals scored in 5 of their last 6 league games. Salah is also a great shout for anytime scorer having bagged 6 goals in his last 4 opening league games of the season.

Liverpool HT/FT @ 1.89 with SBK

Anytime Scorer: Mohamed Salah @ 2.00 with SportNation

[StevieDay1983]

Bournemouth vs Aston Villa

The opening weekend of the Premier League gives us a number of classic 3pm BST kick-offs on a Saturday afternoon which is great to see and the first of those I'll take a look at is the clash between newly promoted Bournemouth and an Aston Villa team going through a period of transition. The teams will meet at Dean Court and it's a big chance for both of these sides to start their season on a positive note.

Bournemouth are the team I'm tipping to finish bottom and I know that'll rile their fans because nobody likes to be told they're not rated. Scott Parker's side went up automatically from the Championship last season and there's plenty of capable talent within their team but I do have my doubts about Parker as a manager and the transfer business he's done over the summer. Especially when you consider that Ryan Fredericks and Joe Rothwell are both unavailable for this game. Minus the inclusion of new signing Marcus Tavernier, the Cherries will be lining up with a very similar squad to the one they fielded in the Championship last season. The fact pre-season hasn't gone very well for the team either makes you wonder if it's going to be a very tough campaign for the south coast club. They really need the likes of Dominic Solanke, Kieffer Moore, and Jefferson Lerma hitting their stride early doors otherwise it could be a hard start to the season.

Aston Villa will be looking to build on the solid work of last season under head coach Steve Gerrard. The permanent signing of Philippe Coutinho is a massive boost for the team and the additional arrivals of Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara are particularly exciting. I'm still not sure that the loan signing of Ludwig Augustinsson is a suitable replacement for the outgoing Matt Targett but then I did also have my doubts about Targett's defensive capabilities. This remains a Villa team that is stacked with talent waiting to pop though. Leon Bailey in particular is a player who has been tipped to shine for years. We saw glimpses last season but will he explode fully this year? It's just looking like a very solid squad this year. Emiliano Martinez, Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Eimiliano Buendia, John McGinn, Danny Ings, and Ollie Watkins plus others. I think if Villa don't come away from this game with at least a point then they'll be deeply frustrated with that.

This will be the 6th time that Aston Villa have played newly promoted opposition on the opening day of the Premier League season and they have only prevailed victorious once in those games... but that was against Bournemouth back in 2015/16. Villa didn't end last season in great form winning just 2 of their last 11 league games. Bournemouth have won the last three meetings all by a 2-1 score-line. One thing I will say for Parker is that he did turn Dean Court into a bit of a fortress last season and if they can do that again this season they stand a fighting chance. First game atmosphere at home could see them scrape something from this game so I'll put a draw down.

Draw @ 3.60 with Betfred

BTTS @ 1.86 with SBK

[fanis24]

I would avoid betting on Arsenal's win. For me over 2.5 is the first option following by 1X of Crystal Palace.

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2022 by fanis24
Adapt

[tschurchy]

22 minutes ago, fanis24 said:

I would avoid betting on Arsenal's win. For me over 2.5 is the first option following by 1X of Crystal Palace.

 

 

 

Agreed! As an Arsenal fan, I've seen this script before and fully expect the Selhurst crowd to be the difference tonight.

[StevieDay1983]

1 minute ago, tschurchy said:

Agreed! As an Arsenal fan, I've seen this script before and fully expect the Selhurst crowd to be the difference tonight.

Ye of little faith! This is a new Arsenal. Potent, vibrant, and gritty! No? OK, maybe I'm being too generous! 

[tschurchy]

3 minutes ago, StevieDay1983 said:

Ye of little faith! This is a new Arsenal. Potent, vibrant, and gritty! No? OK, maybe I'm being too generous! 

It'll be massive psychologically if Arsenal win. Especially given they did the double over us last season.

Either way, Palace are the value bet tonight.

[StevieDay1983]

Leeds vs Wolves

Two teams that I've backed to struggle this season go head-to-head in a 3pm BST kick-off on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League as Leeds take on Wolves at Elland Road. Every comment and prediction I've seen relating to this game so far has found it difficult to separate these two sides so can either team take the victory or will they end up cancelling each other out?

Leeds have suffered some big departures in this transfer window. Both Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha have left for pastures new and it's hard to see how a team that narrowly avoided relegation from the top flight with those two players in the squad can look to improve on last season without them. Head coach Jesse Marsch has attempted to rebuild the squad in his own vision. Pre-season has shown that Brenden Aaronson is a particularly exciting prospect but will he be as effective in a more intense and physical environment? It does seem the wee man was given a free licence to roam in pre-season so could take his time to pick his passes. The Whites will be unable to call upon new signing Luis Sinisterra for this game. Luke Ayling, Adam Forshaw, Stuart Dallas, and Junior Firpo are all out injured too whilst Daniel James is out through suspension. It's also not great reading for Leeds fans to see that the team have only managed 1 win in their last 9 home league games. The team have also failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 12 home league matches. Marsch himself does enjoy an encouraging opening day record having won 4 of his last 5 opening day of the season games played.

Wolves supporters will be a little bit nervous heading into this season. Bruno Lage's side went from potential Champions League qualification contenders to mid-table mediocrity in a very short space of time last season. Wanderers haven't exactly moved the earth in the transfer market this summer with centre back Nathan Collins being the only addition of any real note to arrive at the club. That's not including Hwang Hee-chan's loan move being made permanent. Lage will be without talismanic striker Raul Jimenez for the first few weeks of the season after an injury he picked up in pre-season. Nelson Semedo and Adama Traore are also likely to be absent. Interestingly, Wolves are currently one of the most out-of-form teams in the Premier League having failed to win any of their last 7 league games. It's also now 9 league games without a clean sheet for Wolves. It'll be intriguing to see how Lage lines up this squad that looks very similar to the one that began to fall off the pace last season.

The Wolves fans will be delighted to see that they are undefeated in their last 4 away league games at Leeds. Wolves have also only failed to score in 1 of their last 13 league matches played against Leeds. It was the resilience of Leeds that saw them take 4 points from this fixture last season with a 90th minute goal earning a 1-1 draw at home a 3-2 win away. I'm not sure I can call a winner here. I have very little confidence in either defensive line and I think a score draw is the value bet here.

Draw @ 3.45 with SBK

BTTS @ 1.84 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest

It's another one of the newly promoted teams up in the Premier League in a 3pm BST kick-off on Saturday as mega-rich Newcastle host Nottingham Forest at St James' Park. There is a lot of expectation surrounding the home team now with the club set to make a push on up the table but can they get off to the perfect start against an away side playing their first game in the top flight since 1999?

Newcastle completed their first objective under the new ownership of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund last season by simply staying in the Premier League. Head coach Eddie Howe managed to turn around the fortunes of a team that were briefly looking set to face a relegation battle and ended up guiding them to an 11th place finish. Howe has slowly been tweaking this squad and adding necessary signings to areas of weakness. Joe Willock, Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes, and Dan Burn boosted the squad last season and they have been joined by Matt Targett, Nick Pope, and Sven Botman during this transfer window. Howe could well be without the trio of Jonjo Shelvey, Jamaal Lewis, and Federico Fernandez for this opening game though. Howe has only seen his team lose two home league games since he took charge at the Magpies and those losses came against Liverpool and Manchester City. Newcastle are also undefeated in their past 8 league matches against newly promoted opposition. Callum Wilson could also be a fair shout for anytime scorer having bagged a goal in 3 of his last 4 opening day games of the season. 

Nottingham Forest supporters have waited a long time for this day to come with the club finally back in the top flight of English football. The team started last season with just 1 point from their opening 7 league games in the Championship and were bottom of the table when Steve Cooper replaced Chris Hughton as gaffer. It has officially been 23 years and 82 days since Forest were last in the Premier League which is the longest gap between stints in the top flight of any club in English football. The Tricky Trees do boast the best opening day win ratio out of clubs that have more than one top flight campaign under their belts of 80% in the Premier League though. Interestingly, Forest's last Premier League game did see them beat Leicester by a 1-0 score-line back on 16th May, 1999. The team's defensive displays in the Championship this calendar year were superb with the team conceding just 12 goals in their 21 league games played during 2022. A worrying omen from the history books is that Forest have finished bottom in the Premier League in 3 of their last 5 top flight campaigns.

I think most people, except Huddersfield (and maybe Derby!) fans, will agree that it's great to see Nottingham Forest back in the Premier League but it's a tough opening game for them. Coming to a ground that Howe has turned into a fortress for Newcastle since he came in and the fact he's only appeared to have further strengthened his squad since last season means anything other than a loss will be seen as a great result for Forest. I can see Forest making a good fist of it and they won't get steam rollered but I think Newcastle are favourites for a reason and should get a business-like victory.

Draw HT/ Newcastle FT @ 4.60 with SBK

Anytime Scorer: Callum Wilson @ 2.50 with Coral

[harry_rag]

21 hours ago, StevieDay1983 said:

Anytime Scorer: Gabriel Jesus @ 2.80 with SportNation

Good luck, it's a sound enough looking bet but I'm probably not going to get matched at my target price from an anytime system perspective. Hills have pushed him out to 6/1 for first which I do find tempting but I'm keeping my powder dry, see how he settles in.

[DarrenTse]

Having just one clean sheet in their previous seven games, the Red Devils have lost their last three games. Additionally, it has been a while since they had a strong performance at home. Brighton they have recently been doing well. Despite having a poor h2h record against this opponent, they have routinely won their last several games despite that. These observations suggest that this match will feature lots of goals.

Pick: Over (2.5)

[StefanBB]

Everton vs Chelsea

Everton managed to keep its head above the water last time, but another tough season awaits the hosts. They cannot count on Richarlison anymore, who joined Tottenham Hotspur during the summer transfer window. The Toffees raised their form during the pre-season, beating Blackpool and Dynamo Kyiv in the two most recent matches. In the new season, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is expected to show that he is a real leader. It doesn't get much better regarding selection, with just the lone fitness concern for the Everton manager Frank Lampard to contend with from an otherwise fully-primed group of players. Yerry Mina (Hamstring Injury) will not play.

Chelsea has the ambition to enter the title race, despite not being among the biggest favorites according to the Premier League 2022/23 outright predictions. The Blues have been very active in the transfer window, securing some excellent additions to their squad. Raheem Sterling joined from Manchester City, while Kalidou Koulibaly strengthened the defensive block. Chelsea continued a spending spree with Marc Cucurella's signing, making the Spanish international the most expensive left-back. Now, it is on Thomas Tuchel to incorporate the new players into his system, and a trip to Liverpool is a good test at the start of the season.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            

Chelsea is a firm favorite in this match, and they have more squad depth to return home with all three points. Although the Blues lost four times in a row at Goodison Park, we believe they will win and open the new campaign successfully.

Goals Market Prediction

Their head-to-head clashes in Liverpool haven't been very efficient, and we believe this one should follow the same pattern. Therefore, the crowd shouldn't see more than two goals in total.

Chelsea to Win @ 1.65

Under 2.5 FT @ 1.88

Correct score 0:2 @ 8.00

[StevieDay1983]

15 hours ago, harry_rag said:

Good luck, it's a sound enough looking bet but I'm probably not going to get matched at my target price from an anytime system perspective. Hills have pushed him out to 6/1 for first which I do find tempting but I'm keeping my powder dry, see how he settles in.

He looked very lively so a shame he didn't get first scorer or even score at all. Think he'll be worth backing a lot this season though. I can see him getting a lot of assists through his busy nature in and around the area too.

[silver fox]

Newcastle to bt Nottingham Forest

Newcastle did well to overcome a poor start to finish 11th in the league this season and with the investment in the club will be looking to at least challenge for a European spot this term. They take on a Nottingham Forest side that returned to the top flight for the first time since 1999 via the play-offs. Steve Cooper has done a great job at Forest but with 12 new signings has basically rebuilt his team and I believe it will take time for them to gel which in the Premier League is not always there. Newcastle's fans have been amazing, and they will be right behind the side for the first home game of the season. If they can pick up from where they left of last season they should win today winning 6 of their last 8 league games a record more impressive given that the 2 games they lost in that run were against Liverpool and Manchester City. Forest have had an average pre-season winning just 2 of 6 games. The last time these 2 sides met in the league was back in 2016 at St James Park when Newcastle ran out 3-1 winners and I expect a similar result today. 

[StevieDay1983]

Tottenham vs Southampton

If you read my club-by-club prediction table earlier this week you will see that I'm expecting big things from Tottenham this season and they begin their campaign at home to Southampton in a 3pm BST kick-off on Saturday afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Many people are tipping the away side to have a tough season but we'll see how they perform here in one of their hardest fixtures of the year.

Tottenham are moving in the right direction under head coach Antonio Conte. The team gatecrashed the Champions League qualification places at the end of last season and finished the season unbeaten in their last 6 league games including winning their final 3 league matches of the season. Each of those victories delivered clean sheets too. When you see that Conte has seemingly strengthened that impressive team with the signings of Richarlison, Ivan Perisic, Djed Spence, Fraser Forster, and Yves Bissouma plus Clement Lenglet, Dejan Kulusevski, and Cristian Romero on loan then you begin to wonder what their actual potential is this season. Spurs are notorious for bottling their expectations but Conte is a natural-born winner. If Conte can get Harry Kane to start scoring in August and Son Heung-min can build on his form of 12 goals in his last 10 league games then that is a devastating line-up right there!

Southampton come into this game with their fans feeling quite pessimistic about this year. I feel they have every reason to feel slightly more optimistic than last season. Ralph Hasenhuttl has worked hard to add more strength in depth. Gavin Bazunu, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Romeo Lavia, Joe Aribo, and Sekou Mara show a favouritism towards youth which is always a gamble but it also brings with it a degree of fearlessness to it. I'm not sure this Saints squad is any weaker than last season and they managed a 15th position finish that time around. Unfortunately, Southampton have lost every single one of their opening league games of the season under Hasenhuttl. They have also picked up just 1 win in their last 12 league games but they have won 2 of their last 3 away league games in London. Is James Ward-Prowse a decent pick for anytime scorer given he bagged 9 of his 10 league goals last season on his travels?

This will be the fourth time that these two sides have met on the opening weekend of a league campaign and Tottenham are unbeaten with 2 wins and a draw in those three previous encounters. Spurs may well be without the suspended Richarlison and Bissouma is an injury doubt but they still have plenty of quality on display. Southampton will be keen to limit the damage here because it's a tricky opening game and they won't want squad morale to take a hit especially after the way last season ended. I can see a business-like win for Tottenham and it might be worth backing the clean sheet victory too.

Tottenham to Win to Nil @ 2.38 with BetVictor

Tottenham to Win & Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.91 with Boylesports

 

[StevieDay1983]

Everton vs Chelsea

The final Premier League game of the day on Saturday afternoon is between last season's under-achievers Everton and Champions League qualification hopefuls Chelsea in a 5:30pm BST kick-off from Goodison Park. This is a big opportunity for the home team to shove a lot of the words critics have thrown at the club back down their throat but they face a stiff challenge from a visiting team beginning life under new ownership.

Everton are being tipped to struggle once again after last season's disappointing campaign. Head coach Frank Lampard exceeded the expectations of many by steering the Toffees clear of relegation but the season ended with just 1 win from their last 4 league games and ending up in 16th place. Transfer activity hasn't exactly been inspirational over the summer with the only additions being James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil, and Ruben Vinagre. This has proven especially underwhelming given the fact that star player Richarlison has been moved out of the exit door. The club has suffered a further blow with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin ruled out for the opening weeks of the season and his under study Salomon Rondon is suspended. It makes it even more mystifying that Lampard hasn't moved to sign a striker. Let's face it, Calvert-Lewin is beginning to appear a little injury prone. Home form was crucial for Everton last season with the team earning 29 of their 39 points last season on home turf. The club do boast a superb opening day record though having gone unbeaten in their last 10 seasons.

Chelsea will start life under the Todd Boehly consortium era in this game and the jury remains out on whether this will be a positive period for the club or not. The days of mega-spending under Roman Abramovich may be long gone but the new owners have already shown a willingness to back head coach Thomas Tuchel. The departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen were disappointing and the exit of Romelu Lukaku was unsurprising but a suitable number of players have been brought in to soften those losses. Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Marc Cucurella are the stand out signings so the Blues fans can't complain too much. Chelsea do possess the second best opening day record in the Premier League with 19 wins. Only Manchester United have won more. Chelsea also have an awesome away record under Tuchel with the team losing just 4 of their 28 away league games under the German. They conceded a joint low of 11 league goals away from home last season too.

It's an intriguing statistic to see that Everton have won each of their last four home league games against Chelsea but have they ever been in such a dire state as they are now? I don't think so. I'm still not convinced that everyone is all good at Chelsea. The change of ownership was very unsettling and the transfer business hasn't exactly struck me as having a clear direction. Chelsea have notoriously missed out on a lot of players they wanted to sign. Mainly because Barcelona somehow managed to sign them instead. However, this is a team that won the Champions League just over a year ago. I just don't rate this Everton team and I think Chelsea will do enough to sneak a narrow win.

Chelsea to Win to Nil @ 2.50 with Betfred

Anytime Scorer: Raheem Sterling @ 3.50 with VBet

[Labrador]

If you look at the respective teamsheets of Bournemouth and Villa this afternoon I suspect there would not be a single Bournemouth player that would warrant a place in Villa's team, ..............yet this is Villa, and Bournemouth are bound to be at 110% for their latest Premiership debut.

I'm sure Villa will be all out for 3 points and will at no stage settle for a draw. They will have Cash and Digne (replacement last January for Targett, although Augustinsson is an interesting recruit) bombing forward. I anticipate Villa will have the majority of possession and have bought their corners squared at 42 with Sporting Index.

Whilst not confident that Villa will find the net as often as their likely possession should warrant, I think there is a chance they score 3 or 4 goals so have bought their goal rush at 18 (Sporting Index).

[StevieDay1983]

Leicester vs Brentford

The Premier League has three matches scheduled on Sunday afternoon. The first of those that I'm previewing is the clash between Leicester and Brentford in a 2pm BST kick-off at the King Power Stadium. It's probably fair to assume that both of these teams will be happy with a repeat of their final league position from last season this time around but can either team start with a win?

Leicester appear to be the one team a lot of people are thinking could freefall down the table. Head coach Brendan Rodgers saw his team plagued by injuries last season but they still managed an 8th placed finish. The Foxes have already said farewell to captain and keeper Kasper Schmeichel but in Danny Ward they have a ready-made replacement. The big question is whether or not they can hang onto their other star names such as Youri Tielemans, Wesley Fofana, and James Maddison. Those players remain with the club for the time being and the only injury concerns for Leicester ahead of this game are Ricardo Pereira who has been ruled out for 6 months and Harvey Barnes. Maddison could be a shout for anytime scorer having bagged 3 goals against Brentford last season. Jamie Vardy is another anytime scorer shout with his 7 goals scored on the opening weekend of league games only second in the Premier League to the 8 goals scored by Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, and Frank Lampard. The good news is that Leicester haven't started a Premier League campaign with a home defeat since 2001 and that was when they played at Filbert Street. 

Brentford defied the odds by not only staying up last season but finishing in a very credible 13th place. Thomas Frank undoubtedly had Danish star Christian Eriksen to thank for that with the former Tottenham and Inter Milan midfielder playing a key role in the club's upturn in form after his arrival. The Bees have looked to strengthen their squad by signing Ben Mee, Keane Lewis-Potter, Thomas Strakosha, and Aaron Hickey but is it enough? Ivan Toney showed he can score goals at this level but they'll need him repeat the 12 league goals he scored last season if they are to avoid a relegation dogfight. Brentford have won their opening game in 4 of their last 6 top flight campaigns including a shock 2-0 win over Arsenal at home last season. Unfortunately, they have won just 1 of their last 10 opening weekend league games when they have played away. The team have conceded in each of their last 16 away league games but they did pick up 4 wins in their last 6 away league matches to end last season.

It doesn't bode well for Brentford that Leicester are unbeaten in the last 6 meetings between the two teams with the most recent Brentford victory in this fixture coming way back in 1953. Leicester won both the home and away ties by a 2-1 score-line last season and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a similar outcome here again. Leicester may have their concerns for this season as a whole if certain players leave but, for the time being, those players remain and I can see them doing OK so long as that continues. Brentford, however, could find second season syndrome setting in.

Leicester to Win @ 2.15 with SpreadEx

Anytime Scorer: James Maddison @ 3.40 with VBet

[StefanBB]

Manchester United vs Brighton

The Red Devils were anything but impressive in pre-season, and, no doubt, new boss Erik ten Haag faces an uphill task in the 2022/2023 Premier League campaign. As always, a man to watch in the home team will be Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, while Christian Eriksen will likely make his EPL debut with Man Utd against Brighton. 24-year-old Argentine center-back Lisandro Martinez completed a £47m move to Old Trafford earlier this summer to rekindle with former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag, whom he played under for three seasons. The home side fans hope for a good start for their team, and we’ll see whether the Red Devils can meet expectations in this match.

The Seagulls, on the other hand, are eager to claim a major scalp on Matchday 1, but they will have to do it without key midfielder Yves Bissouma, who signed a deal with Spurs in the summer. Left-back Marc Cucurella may not be available after it was claimed that he is due to move to Chelsea for a fee exceeding £50 million, although the club has denied reports. Neal Maupay had a successful season behind him after scoring eight goals, and many teams are interested in this guy. Poland international Jakub Moder continues his road to recovery from a cruciate injury.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            

Manchester United should stop its decline and enter the new campaign confidently. Although Brighton is a tricky opponent, the Red Devils should keep the perfect record against this opponent at Old Trafford and celebrate a victory in front of their fans.

Goals Market Prediction

The crowd at Old Trafford saw goals in both nets in three of these two sides’ last four encounters. We expect another efficient game, and neither team should keep a clean sheet.

Manchester United to Win @ 1.68

BTTS Yes @ 1.93

Correct score 2:1 @ 9.00

[StefanBB]

West Ham vs Manchester City

Much more at ease than the previous year when they had come close to relegation, this West Ham team perfectly raised their heads in 2021-2022 to avoid any further scares. Better still, the Londoners were able to steal 7th place in the standings, allowing them to play in the preliminary rounds of the Conference League. The Hammers want to sneak into the top four with Gianluca Scamacca, Nayef Aguerd, and Flynn Downes joining the squad in the summer. There are no injury worries in the home team ahead of the season opener, meaning that David Moyes is going to field the best possible side. Michail Antonio has been the main player of the Hammers, and in the Premier League last season, he scored ten goals and assisted his teammates eight times.

Manchester City begins their title defense with a match against West Ham United at London Stadium. Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, and Oleksandr Zinchenko are no longer parts of the team, but the club chiefs did well to sign Norway superstar Erling Haaland in the summer transfer window. Kalvin Phillips is likely to make his official Man City debut against the Hammers as well, while Aymeric Laporte remains on the sidelines with injury. Riyad Mahrez scored 11 goals last season and hopes for even better performances in the new season.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            

It is going to be an entertaining clash since it won't be easy for the defending champions. Nevertheless, we expect them to show dominance and win by at last two goals. 

Goals Market Prediction

Both teams were involved in many high-scoring matches last season, and this one shouldn't be much different. We anticipate goals in both nets in this encounter. 

Manchester City AH -1.5 @ 2.05

BTTS Yes @ 1.83

Correct score 1:3 @ 12.00

[StevieDay1983]

Manchester United vs Brighton

The second 2pm BST kick-off in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon is the fascinating match-up between Manchester United and Brighton at Old Trafford. These two teams experienced two contrasting games when they met in the league last season so which way will this game end up going as both teams look to deal with a number of key changes to their playing and backroom staff over the summer.

Manchester United begin the competitive matches of the Erik ten Hag era here and the tenure of the Dutchman has not already been without its controversies. The former Ajax head coach wasted no time in shifting some deadwood out of the club with the likes of Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani, and Andreas Pereira all leaving. The additions have been limited so far though. The Red Devils have brought in full back Tyrell Malacia, versatile defensive player Lisandro Martinez, midfielder Christian Eriksen, and the more bizarre arrival of midfielder Tom Huddlestone in a player/ coach role. Anthony Martial is likely to be absent for this game which is a shame given his pre-season form. It's uncertain what involvement Cristiano Ronaldo will have either with conflicting messages about his future at the club coming from ten Hag, Ronaldo himself, and the owners. United's record on the opening game of the season has been decent for a while now with the club winning 10 of their last 13 such league games. They do boast the best record for victories on the opening weekend of the Premier League with 20 wins. No pressure on ten Hag but 6 of the last 7 Manchester United managers have won their first game in charge of the club. It'll be interesting to see if Bruno Fernandes can carry his positive form from the end of last season into this one. He ended the last campaign with 4 goals in his last 5 league games.

Brighton come into this campaign with a few people backing them to consolidate their place in the top of the table after finishing in 9th last season. Graham Potter is earning huge praise for his work with the team but he must once again deal with a couple of big departures after Yves Bissouma left for Tottenham and Marc Cucurella signed for Chelsea. The Seagulls have kept to their traditional restricted transfer budget with Julio Enciso being brought in to try and address the profligacy in front of goal issue and the other less high profile arrivals of Benicio Baker-Boaitey, Imari Samuels, and Simon Adingra coming in on a shoestring. The loan agreement to bring in Levi Colwill as part of the Cucurella deal will be a shrewd one, especially if there is a right to buy clause in there. It's probably not the best statistic for Brighton fans to read but they have lost all 10 of their Premier League games that they have played in Manchester so far. The team did lose just 1 of their last 9 league games last season and they did lose just four times on their travels in the league last season. I do think that Potter still has some transfer business left to complete before the window closes at the end of this month and that business could determine where this Brighton side finishes this season.

This will be the first time these two sides have met in a top flight opening game of the season. Brighton not only have a terrible record in Manchester at this level but they have also lost 6 of their last 7 encounters with Manchester United in the Premier League. However, the last meeting was a resounding 4-0 win at home. It's now 14 visits to Old Trafford without a victory for Brighton and I can see that stretch continuing here. I'm expecting to see United improve on last season but they still have some deep-rooted issues that will take ten Hag more than a few months to sort out.

Manchester United to Win @ 1.73 with Betfred

Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.91 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

West Ham vs Manchester City

The last Premier League game of the weekend is the 4:30pm BST kick-off on Sunday afternoon between West Ham and Manchester City at the London Stadium. Both teams will have been pleased with their respective campaigns last season and be looking to repeat their performances. Can the home side deliver a shock win against the reigning champions or is there a sense of inevitability about the away victory?

West Ham fans will undoubtedly be satisfied with the transfer window their team have had this summer. Not only have the club held onto their big stars of Pablo Fornals, Jarrod Bowen, and Declan Rice but they have made surgical additions to their squad to improve the overall strength and depth. Arrivals including Nayef Aguerd, Alphonse Areola, Flynn Downes, Gianluca Scamacca, and Maxwel Cornet have boosted quality right across the pitch. The Hammers may not have Aguerd and Scamacca available for this game but they are pleasing acquisitions all the same. West Ham have lost 5 of their 6 opening game matches but did beat Newcastle by a 4-2 score last season. David Moyes did lead his team to 10 points from a potential 12 points at home against the top four sides last season. The team also managed to score in every single one of their home league games last season.

Manchester City will begin the defence of their league title in London. All eyes will be on the Premier League debut of Erling Haaland. Pep Guardiola moved to sign the Norwegian international after it became clear his team lacked a world class finisher up front. The Citizens have seen a number of players depart the club though with exits including Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, and Fernandinho. You have to say that the City squad as a whole is arguably weaker this season. The addition of Kalvin Phillips will certainly bolster the middle of the park. City will be hoping to carry their decent form from last season into this one having gone undefeated in a club record run of 18 away league games and they have only lost 1 of their last 28 league matches. Haaland could be worth backing for anytime scorer having bagged a hat-trick on his debut for both RB Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund. He can be found at a tempting 15.00 with Coral to bag a hat-trick here but I'm not sure I'll back it.

These two sides have met three times on the opening weekend of a top flight season and West Ham have failed avoid defeat in any of those and haven't even managed to score against Manchester City in those fixtures. City are also unbeaten in their last 13 league meetings with West Ham but they have only managed to draw their last three visits to this stadium. I'm not entirely comfortable backing City to win here. I can see them getting a draw but the price on the win is too low for me to want to back given how they performed in the FA Community Shield and often get off to a slow start.

West Ham Double Chance @ 3.20 with SBK

BTTS @ 1.80 with Sporting Index