Premier League Predictions > Oct 22nd - 24th

[StevieDay1983]

[StevieDay1983]

Here are the odds and ratings for this weekend's Premier League matches coming up. I've started a new role with Punters Lounge this week so I won't be able to commit as much time to writing previews but I will still be able to focus on a selection of games each week. Hopefully, this will enable me to also engage more with you guys and help to generate more interaction on the forum as a whole. Let us know your bets for this round of games below! 

[StevieDay1983]

Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool

Just over 30 years ago, the first ever Premier League game was televised on Sky Sports with Nottingham Forest pulling off a 1-0 victory over Liverpool at the City Ground. Fast forward a few decades and the teams once again meet in this 12:30pm BST kick-off on Saturday afternoon from the City Ground in front of the TV cameras. You would have to wager that the score is unlikely to end in a 1-0 home win once more!

Nottingham Forest come into this game off the back of a credible 0-0 draw away to Brighton in midweek but the Tricky Trees are back at the bottom of the league table due to Leicester's resounding 3-0 win over Leeds. Steve Cooper's side are now just 3 points off safety but there was a lot of positives the team can take away from the last performance. Unfortunately, it is still 9 league games without a win. That result in midweek means the club have now also equalled their worst ever start to a top flight season after 11 matches. The team have shown they can start well at home in the league having taken the lead in their last 3 home league games but they've failed to win each of those so holding onto those leads is an entirely different proposition. Striker Taiwo Awoniyi could make club history by becoming the first Forest player to score in each of his first three home league games.

Liverpool followed up their impressive 1-0 win at home to Manchester City last weekend with another dogged 1-0 win at home in midweek but this time it was against West Ham. Those back-to-back league victories have moved the team up to 7th place in the table and just 4 points off the pace of the Champions League qualification spots. Jurgen Klopp will be aware that winning those two league games at home was lovely but it's the team's away form that really needs addressing. The Reds have failed to pick up a win on their travels in the league so far with 2 draws and 2 losses on the road. However, the encouraging news is that Liverpool have now gone 16 top flight away games undefeated against newly promoted teams. The club also haven't suffered back-to-back away defeats in the league since 2017. Mohamed Salah could be a decent anytime scorer pick having scored in each of his last 6 appearances against newly promoted teams.

OK, so I know I said it was unlikely this game would end in a 1-0 home win but Nottingham Forest have shown they are a potential banana skin at home for visiting teams and Liverpool don't exactly have the most convincing away league record recently. I still think this should be a game Liverpool win but it might not come without its scares for the away side. Forest are likely to only get better and this is far from a done deal when you look at the stats.

Nottingham Forest +2 @ 2.05 with 888Sport

Total Goals Scored Under 3.5 @ 1.67 with VBet

[ALEXXXXXXXX]

Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool

Liverpool are better than Forest. Besides, Liverpool are on a run while Forest are still in a poor state. There’s no doubt that Liverpool are going to win in the forthcoming game.

Pick: 2

O/U Pick: Under 3.25

[StevieDay1983]

Saturday 3pm Kick-Off Selections

As part of my new schedule, I'll be taking a slightly briefer look at the non-televised games in the Premier League in a single summary post. You can still find my bet selections below for these games...

Everton vs Crystal Palace

Two teams with contradicting form right now. The home side on a 3-game winless run and down in 15th place but they have played some tough opposition. Failing to score in two of those matches is a worry. The away team are undefeated in 3 league games in 11th position but they were arguably matches they had anticipated turning over a solid points total in. Crystal Palace have only picked up 1 win in the last 15 top flight meetings. Everton haven't lost against the Eagles at Goodison Park in the last 7 league games played here. I was tempted to swing a bet on Palace but I think the Toffees could prove tough to break down. So I'll back a draw.

Draw @ 3.20 with Betfred

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.62 with SBK

 

Manchester City vs Brighton

It had seemed that Manchester City would be the team to beat this season in the Premier League but last weekend's 1-0 loss away to Liverpool has left them in 2nd place and 4 points off the pace of league leaders Arsenal. Pep Guardiola's side have also failed to even score in their last two games played. That means despite the rumours that striker Erling Haaland is only human! Brighton continue their transition under Roberto De Zerbi but have now failed to win any of their 4 league matches under the Italian head coach. The fact that the Citizens have won all 5 of their home league games so far this season and the Seagulls have not been able to win any of their 12 away league games against City suggests that we should probably back a solid home win here!

Manchester City HT/FT @ 1.80 with Bet365

Manchester City to Win to Nil @ 2.15 with Boylesports

[StevieDay1983]

Chelsea vs Manchester United

The big game this weekend in the Premier League will take place on Saturday afternoon in a 5:30pm BST kick-off from Stamford Bridge when Chelsea play Manchester United. Both teams come into this game in decent form so it'll be interesting to see how this one goes. Will either team take all 3 points or will they do battle to a draw? It could be a very tough one to call.

Chelsea are seemingly thriving under the new management of Graham Potter. The Blues are unbeaten during this tenure with the club up to 4th in the league table and on the brink of sealing their place in the last 16 of the Champions League. It's now been 7 matches unbeaten across all competitions under Potter for the London-based club and they have now kept five clean sheets in a row in all competitive action. That means this defence has not conceded a league goal in over 350 minutes of football. Home form also remains a good foundation for Chelsea's league campaign with the team unbeaten in their last 8 home league games including winning the previous three at this ground. Potter has already tasted victory against Manchester United and Erik ten Hag after pulling off a shock 2-1 win at Old Trafford with his former club Brighton earlier in the season. He could become the first manager to win against United twice in a single season with two different clubs in the top flight since Andy Atiken pulled it off back in 1908/09 with Middlesbrough and Leicester.

Manchester United will undoubtedly feel progress is being made but the 2-0 win at home to Champions League qualification rivals Tottenham in midweek left a sour taste in the mouth after Cristiano Ronaldo's hissy fit that saw him leave the ground early in a tantrum before the game had even finished after he wasn't brought on as a substitute. The Red Devils are now in 5th position after 3 league games unbeaten. Those results have now meant it's 5 matches undefeated across all competitions and the club are now through to the knockout stages of the Europa League. The most stark changes in ten Hag's management of the team recently has been the tightening of the defence with the team keeping three consecutive clean sheets. The team as a whole also appears to be playing on the front foot a bit more. It's still not perfect but the free-flowing play is slowly coming back and it all bodes well for the fans that wanted to see a return to the "attack, attack, attack" mantra that became ingrained in the team under Sir Alex Ferguson down the years. Away form has been a problem for United in recent months but the team have won 3 of their last 4 away league games so maybe that issue has been addressed.

It's not great reading for Chelsea fans heading into this game with the team now without a win in their last 9 league meetings with Manchester United. United are also unbeaten in their last 6 visits to Stamford Bridge across all competitions. It's also interesting to read that no fixture in Premier League history has produced more draws than this one. I wouldn't be surprised to see another one here and I wouldn't be shocked if it ended 0-0.

Draw @ 3.66 with VBet

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.98 with VBet

[StevieDay1983]

Southampton vs Arsenal

The Premier League offers a packed schedule of four 2pm BST kick-offs on Sunday afternoon and in line with my own new schedule I will focus on the televised game with my selections for the other matches at this time below. It's Southampton versus Arsenal at St Mary's Stadium and even though the away side are heavy favourites there was a warning shot from the Nottingham Forest versus Liverpool game on Saturday about how we should never write off the underdogs.

Southampton have done what Southampton are so good at doing. Particularly under Ralph Hasenhuttl. They reel you in with a run of awful results and flirt with the prospect of falling deep into the relegation zone and just as you start to write them off they hit back! The Saints had lost 4 league games in a row before their 1-1 draw at home to West Ham and their 1-0 win away to Bournemouth moved them up to 15th position in the table. They are far from safe yet as they are only 2 points off the bottom three but it's given them some respite and stopped the rot. The win over Bournemouth was actually a first clean sheet for the team in 17 league games so that will bring the back-line confidence. However, they have still conceded a staggering 249 league goals under Hasenhuttl and that's a whopping 30 goals more than any other Premier League side during that period.

Arsenal remain top of the Premier League with a game in hand on the teams behind them but their gap at the summit has been reduced to just a single point after Manchester City's win over Brighton on Saturday afternoon. It's 9 wins from 10 league matches so far for Mikel Arteta's team and they secured a place in the knockout phase of the Europa League after their 1-0 home win over PSV in midweek. This start to their league campaign is the best opening for a Gunners team since the 1903/04 season when they were in the second tier. Arsenal currently boast the best away defensive record in the top flight this season having conceded just 3 goals and keeping four clean sheets. The team also remain the only top flight side to have scored in every single one of their league games this season. If you're looking for a leftfield choice for anytime scorer then Bukayo Saka has bagged 4 goals in his last 7 league appearances for the club.

It may well be a case of Arsenal being strong favourites here but Southampton did actually win this fixture last season. Each of their 8 Premier League wins over Arsenal have also come on home turf so this isn't necessarily a happy hunting ground for the league leaders. Southampton are just starting to find a bit of form now but they still lack quality compared to their visitors. You'd think Arsenal should come away from this with a clean sheet win but it will be a test. It's going to be tough for the travelling side and fine margins will decide it. Despite that defeat here last season, Arteta has generally had the upper hand on Hasenhuttl with just 1 loss from their last 7 meetings.

Arsenal to Win to Nil @ 2.70 with BetVictor

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 2.36 with SBK

 

The Other Sunday 2pm BST Kick-Off Picks

Aston Villa vs Brentford

The home side enter a new era after the departure of Steve Gerrard following the 3-0 hammering away to Fulham in midweek. The Lions are in 17th place and only outside the relegation zone due to goal difference. It's just 4 wins from the last 22 league games for Villa so they're in trouble. The Bees come into this game in patchy form with just 1 win from their last 5 league games leaving them in 10th place. The worrying stat for Thomas Frank's side is that they are without a win in all 5 away league games this season. I wouldn't be surprised to see a draw here.

Draw @ 3.55 with Unibet

BTTS @ 1.85 with Betway

Leeds vs Fulham

Another team facing turmoil is the Whites who will be looking to end a winless run of 7 league games that has included losing each of their last 3 league games including failing to even score in 3 of their previous 4 league matches. Jesse Marsch's team are down in 16th position in freefall and the fans are booing him calling for him to be sacked. The Cottagers are experiencing a complete contrast with the club up in 9th place and coming in off the back of a resounding 3-0 win over Aston Villa in midweek. Marco Silva's side have now scored 5 goals in their last 2 league games but have only won 1 of their last 5 away league games. I still think Leeds are in trouble so Fulham could add to their woes.

Fulham Draw No Bet @ 2.64 with SBK

Anytime Scorer: Aleksandar Mitrovic @ 2.40 with Bet365

Wolves vs Leicester

Two teams that are struggling right now go head-to-head at Molineux. The home team are still under the caretaker charge of Steve Davis but have lost 2 of the 3 league games under his management leaving the club down in 18th position. It's just 2 wins from their last 18 league games stretching back into last season. The visiting side are back at the bottom of the table despite winning in midweek due to Nottingham Forest's surprise win over Liverpool on Saturday. It's just 1 loss from their last 4 league games with back-to-back clean sheets. Things are improving for the Foxes and I wouldn't be surprised to see them grab something here despite losing all 5 of their away league matches so far.

Draw @ 3.40 with SpreadEx

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.82 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Tottenham vs Newcastle

The final game of the Sunday schedule in the Premier League is the 4:30pm BST kick-off between Champions League qualification rivals Tottenham and Newcastle from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. These two teams have enjoyed very encouraging starts to their respective campaigns so it'll be interesting to see how they fare against each other with the difference between a win and a lose potentially influencing their season in a big way.

Tottenham have enjoyed a decent start to their season with the club in 3rd place in the table but they have suffered defeat in two key games already against teams they will have considered rivals for a top four finish in the form of Arsenal and Manchester United in recent weeks. It is worth remembering that both of those losses did come on their travels though and Antonio Conte's men are actually in the midst of an incredible streak of wins at home having earned victory in each of their last 10 home matches across all competitions. There is a chance for Spurs to win each of their opening 6 home league games of a season for the first time since 1964/65. There is an obvious choice for anytime scorer with Harry Kane not only bagging 9 league goals already but he has also scored 5 goals in his last 5 games played against Newcastle in the league.

Newcastle head into this game having lost just 1 of their last 14 matches across all competitions including suffering just 1 league defeat so far this season. Eddie Howe's side are sat in 6th position and only 3 points off the pace of the Champions League places. The team will undoubtedly be thinking it could have been an even better start to the season given they have drawn 6 league games already. The Magpies boast the best overall defensive record in the top division having conceded just 9 league goals and keeping 5 clean sheets. There is an echo from the history books that could prove a good omen for Newcastle. They beat Fulham by a 4-1 score on their last visit to London. The last time they managed to win back-to-back wins in the capital city was when they beat Fulham 4-0 and followed it up with a 1-0 victory away to Tottenham.

For all the evenly balanced stats and historical hints at an upset, the facts remain that Tottenham have won 7 of the last 10 top flight meetings between these two teams and their home record in the league under Conte is superb. I'm not sure there's a lot separating these two teams this season but I do feel Newcastle are maybe a season or two behind Tottenham still in their evolutionary process. So I'll have to back a home win.

Tottenham to Win @ 2.11 with VBet

Anytime Scorer: Harry Kane @ 2.40 with Bet365

[Labrador]

What must Steven Gerrard be thinking?

Same team as in midweek when abysmal at Fulham is 3-0 up after 14 mins!

[StevieDay1983]

West Ham vs Bournemouth

The weekend's Premier League fixtures draw to a close on Monday night with a clash between West Ham and Bournemouth which is set to kick-off at 8pm BST from the London Stadium. Both teams come into this game after suffering a couple of disappointing results so they'll be keen to bounce back with a victory in this one. Can either side pull off earning the 3 points though?

West Ham were looking back to their old best under David Moyes after a slow start to their campaign but a 1-1 draw against Southampton and then a 1-0 loss to Liverpool stopped that run in its tracks. Probably not surprising given both games were away and the Hammers have been appalling on the road for a while now having only won 1 of their last 6 league games on their travels. Those couple of results now mean West Ham are 12 points off the pace that they were at this stage last season and that's a hell of a drop-off after just 11 games played with the team down in 17th place and 2 points above the relegation zone. Home form is carrying them along though and there's a chance for the team to win 5 home games across all competitions for the first time since 2012.

Bournemouth are still without a permanently appointed manager with Gary O'Neil continuing in his caretaker role. The Cherries are in 13th position and 4 points above the relegation places but after two games without a win there's a concern that form could fall off a cliff unless they get a win on the board soon. The 1-0 loss at home to Southampton in midweek was O'Neil's first taste of defeat as gaffer and it'll be interesting to see how he reacts. There is a tendency for inexperienced managers to over-tweak or panic after first losses rather than keeping faith with what has got them through the previous decent results. The club are unbeaten in 3 away league games under O'Neil but they are currently on a run of 15 away league matches without a clean sheet.

This match is a replay of the first ever game played at the London Stadium when West Ham came away from that match with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth. The south coast club have only managed to earn 2 wins from their 8 away games against the London side. I have to show confidence in West Ham to win this one given their superb home form. It seems they have made the London Stadium a fortress now which is incredible given how toxic the atmosphere there used to be. It might take West Ham time to get going because they have the lowest number of first half goals scored in the top flight but they should get there.

Draw HT/ West Ham FT @ 4.40 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.92 with SBK