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| Week 2 has some cracking matchups, with the highlight fixture between Tottenham and Chelsea |
The first round of the Premier League produced lots of goals, excitement, drama and upsets. This weekend we can expect more of the same and lots of money to be made.
Saturday 19 August
15/2 Swansea | Draw 7/2 | Man United 7/20 (13:30)
Manchester United travel to Swansea in the first match of the weekend. Jose Mourinho’s side are unbeaten in their last three meetings against the Welsh outfit, winning twice. The Swans come off a goalless draw at Southampton, while the Red Devils recorded an emphatic 4-0 win over West Ham at Old Trafford. It was a statement of intent by Mourinho’s side and a performance from Romelu Lukaku that would have excited United fans. The Belgian looked worthy of the £75million spent on him by delivering a breathtaking performance which saw him score twice. I’m expecting another comfortable win for United. Get on.
19/20 Bournemouth | 49/20 | Watford 11/4 (16:00)
Bournemouth host Watford at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday in what promises to be a tight affair. These teams have been difficult to separate having cancelled each other out in six of their last seven meetings. Eddie Howe’s side succumbed to a 1-0 defeat away to West Brom last weekend, while Watford held Liverpool to a credible 3-3 draw at Vicarage Road. The Cherries were impressive at home last season, while the Hornets were poor on their travels, losing 13 of their 19 matches. I’m backing Bournemouth to make home advantage count this time.
29/20 Burnley | 2/1 | West Brom 2/1 (16:00)
Burnley welcome West Brom to Turf Moor on Saturday with the Lancashire side high on confidence following their shocking 3-2 win at Chelsea. Sean Dyche’s side will be looking to build on that result, but they’ve struggled against West Brom since being promoted in 2014/2015. Tony Pulis’ men are unbeaten in their last four meetings against the Clarets, winning twice – both by 4-0 scorelines. However, both those wins came at the Hawthorns with the Baggies winless on their last six trips to Turf Moor, losing three times. After beating the league champions on their turf, Burnley will be hopeful they can get a positive result and I’m tipping them on the Win/Draw Double Chance at 7/20.
15/20 Leicester City | 26/10 | Brighton 36/10 (16:00)
Leicester City host newly-promoted Brighton on Saturday afternoon. Surprisingly, Chris Hughton’s side completed a league double over the Foxes when the teams last met in the 2013/2014 Championship. A thumping 4-1 win at the King Power Stadium followed with a 3-1 victory at the Amex Stadium. Craig Shakespeare’s side fell to an agonising late 4-3 defeat against Arsenal in the opening game of the season, while the Seagulls suffered a 2-0 defeat at home at the hands of Manchester City. A lot has changed since the last time these teams met and I’m expecting a comfortable win for the Foxes.
7/20 Liverpool | 38/10 | Crystal Palace 13/2 (16:00)
Liverpool will be desperate to get their first win of the season when they host Crystal Palace on Saturday. Jurgen Klopp’s side were held to a 3-3 draw at Watford, while Frank de Boer’s first game in charge of Palace ended in a crushing 3-0 defeat by newcomers Huddersfield. The Eagles recorded a 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield last season, but prior to that, Klopp’s side won back-to-back meetings against the London-based side. I expect Liverpool to win here, but they’ll struggle to keep a clean sheet. Take Liverpool to Win & Both Teams to Score at 17/10.
7/10 Southampton | 11/4 | West Ham 38/10 (16:00)
West Ham will be looking to recover from their 4-0 thrashing at Manchester United when they travel to Southampton on Saturday. The Hammers were outclassed by Mourinho’s side and Slaven Bilic will be eager to move on from that defeat. Southampton come into this tie off a goalless draw at home to Swansea and Mauricio Pellegrino will look to get his first win at the club. West Ham were annihilated at Old Trafford, but I’m expecting an improved performance from Bilic’s side. The Hammers have made quality signings in Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez. They earned a 3-1 win at St Mary’s last season and I’m backing them on the Win/Draw Double Chance at 21/20.
7/2 Stoke City | 28/10 | Arsenal 7/10 (18:30)
Arsenal will head to the bet365 Stadium to take on Stoke City in Saturday’s final match. Arsene Wenger’s side come into this matchup off a stunning 4-3 win at home to Leicester City, while the Potters slumped to a 1-0 defeat away to Everton. The Gunners are unbeaten in their last five meetings against Mark Hughes’ men, winning four times – including two on the bounce. After losing Arnautovic, Stoke have signed Jese Rodriguez on loan from PSG to add firepower in their side. But with the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka now finding his feet, the Potters will get gunned.
Sunday 20 August
27/20 Huddersfield | 21/10 | Newcastle 2/1 (14:30)
Newly-promoted sides Huddersfield and Newcastle will go head to head in Sunday’s opener. The Terriers made a dream start to life in the Premier League with an impressive 3-0 win at Crystal Palace, while the Magpies were beaten 2-0 by Tottenham on their return to the top flight with Jonjo Shelvey shown a red card. When these sides met in the Championship last season, the away team came out on top. Newcastle won 3-1 at the Kirklees Stadium, but Huddersfield earned a 2-1 win at St James’ Park. I’m going for Both Teams to Score at 9/10.
11/10 Tottenham | 49/20 | Chelsea 49/20 (17:00)
Click here for full match preview
Monday 21 August
3/10 Man City | 17/4 | Everton 15/2 (21:00)
Ronald Koeman’s new-look Everton side will face a stern test when they travel to Manchester City on Monday. Pep Guardiola’s side failed to beat the Merseyside club last season, with the Toffees earning a 1-1 draw at the Etihad and a breathtaking 4-0 victory at Goodison Park. Lukaku scored in both of those results and Everton now have to rely on a past-his-prime Wayne Rooney. The former United striker scored a fine header to hand the Toffees a 1-0 win over Stoke last weekend and he’d love to get on the scoresheet against City. Guardiola’s lethal strike force of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus should put Koeman’s side to the sword, but the Toffees – who could have Gylfi Sigurdsson apart of their side – will cause a lot of problems going forward. Man City to Win & Both Teams to Score is tipped at 17/10.
TREBLE @ 3/1
Man United Win 7/20
Leicester Win 15/20
Arsenal Win 7/10
Written by Chad Nagel
Injuries and Suspensions
Arsenal
Laurent Koscielny – OUT (Suspended)
Jack Wilshere – DOUBT (Leg injury)
Gabriel – OUT (Knee injury)
Per Mertesacker – DOUBT (Facial injury)
Kieran Gibbs – DOUBT (Illness)
Alexis Sanchez – OUT (Abdominal injury)
Santi Cazorla – OUT (Ankle injury)
Chelsea
Gary Cahill – OUT (Suspended)
Cesc Fabregas – OUT (Suspended)
Eden Hazard – OUT (Ankle injury)
Tiemoue Bakayoko – OUT (Knee injury)
Pedro – DOUBT (Ankle injury)
Everton
Seamus Coleman – OUT (Broken Leg)
Ramiro Funes Mori – OUT (Knee injury)
Ross Barkley – OUT (Hamstring injury)
Yannick Bolasie – OUT (Knee injury)
James McCarthy – DOUBT (Knee injury)
Aaron Lennon – DOUBT (Knock)
Liverpool
Nathaniel Clyne – DOUBT (Muscle injury)
Mamadou Sakho – OUT (Knee injury)
Philippe Coutinho – DOUBT (Back injury)
Adam Lallana – OUT (Thigh injury)
Daniel Sturridge – DOUBT (Thigh injury)
Manchester City
Benjamin Mendy – DOUBT (Thigh injury)
Ilkay Gundogan – DOUBT (Knee injury)
Manchester United
Marcos Rojo – OUT (Knee injury)
Luke Shaw – OUT (Foot injury)
Ashley Young – OUT (Hamstring injury)
Tottenham
Danny Rose – DOUBT (Knee injury)
Kieran Trippier – DOUBT (Ankle injury)
Erik Lamela – OUT (Hip injury)
Georges-Kevin Nkoudou – DOUBT (Foot injury)
