Written by InhaleSports Contributor Josh Mason
Chelsea vs. Liverpool
Chelsea need to rebound from a strong performance, but poor result last weekend against Swansea. Liverpool on the other hand have momentum after smashing Leciester last week. David Luiz coming in for John Terry could turn out to be a positive for Chelsea, with extra pace needed to face Liverpool’s rapid quartet. If Liverpool catch the Blues on the break, this one could go south really quickly for the home side, but I think Kante is good enough to keep them in the game. One thing looks certain, there will be goals.
2-2
Hull vs. Arsenal
Hull’s surprising start to the season with 2 wins helped earn caretaker manager Mike Phelan the ‘Manager of the Month’ accolade, however their draw against Burnley is probably a more accurate representation of what the team can expect this season. This weekend should see Livermore return to a more familiar midfield role, alongside new signing and ex-Spurs colleague Ryan Mason. Arsenal are coming in off a poor performance midweek against PSG that saw them lucky to escape with a draw, but Arsene will likely recall their strongest squad for this match to avoid slipping further behind City. With a powerful 11, there should be nothing stopping Arsenal from running away with a convincing victory.
1-3
Leicester vs. Burnley
Leicester got a bit of a walloping last week at Anfield and have found themselves just above the relegation zone. Their inability to replace Kante, which to be fair is probably an impossible task, has left their aging defense looking very exposed. However, since then they have had a strong performance in the Champions League, with new signing Slimani looking very promising, and should come into the game full of confidence. Burnley on the other hand have pretty much settled into the reality of a long, relegation-battle season with a team that has shown glimpses of quality and heart but lacks what’s necessary t stay up. I would expect Leicester to win this one comfortably.
2-0
Manchester City vs. Bournemouth
Man City have been breathtaking so far this season, winning all four of their games and looking even stronger as each game passes. They demolished Monchengladbach thanks to an Aguero hat trick, and though he is still suspended this week, Iheanacho has proved a worthy replacement; the Nigerian international has scored an outrageous 9 goals from 13 shots on target since making his Premier League debut. Bournemouth will be an interesting adversary with Jack Wilshere potentially getting his first start and Callum Wilson coming off the back of his first goal of the season, a deft flick that is well worth a watch. I think City will score early and shake Bournemouth’s game plan, which will help make the game more open but see the Manchester club run away with it.
4-1
West Brom vs. West Ham
West Brom recently announced the future takeover of the club from Chinese investors, and despite his denials, I think it could be the end for Tony Pulis. They have not got the results they need to justify his defensive, see ‘negative’, style of play and he has already lamented the board over its inability to back him; this could be a long season for the Baggies. West Ham’s Slaven Bilic will also be feeling a little heat after losing at ‘home’, I wont get into the Upton Park vs. London Stadium row right now, to Watford 2-4 after going 2-0 up and showboating heavily along the way. A potential ‘Manager of the Year’ title challenger last year, things haven’t gone quite to plan for the Croat. The difference between the two teams is that whilst West Brom have Chadli, West Ham have Dimitri Payet; the Hammers should see this one out and get a vital win that could kick start their season.
1-2
Everton vs. Middlesbrough
After failing to find the net in his opening three and a half games, Romelu Lukaku scored a hat trick in the last 25 minutes last week, and Ronald Koeman’s men have quietly gotten to third in the table. Koeman continues to prove that he is one of the best managers in the league, cleaning up Martinez’s mess and Everton could be in for a solid season under the Dutchman; top 6? Boro lost for the first time last week, but have looked reasonably strong for a promoted side after a really tasty summer transfer window. I don’t think they will have enough to beat the Blues though, who will have a fit again Seamus Coleman ready and raring to go.
2-0
Watford vs. Manchester United
Troy Deeney was livid against West Ham after they showboated their way to 2-0 up, but ended up scoring a worldie following some dreadful Hammers defending. That momentum then lead to a 4-2 victory, and they looked pretty comfortable doing it. The Hornets defense definitely has some work to do, conceding in all four games, but they have a lot about them going forward, and since when did Etienne Capoue decide he was going to start banging in screamers every week? United looked poor midweek, but Mou says he will start a ‘normal’ team for the match in London; bare in mind this is a coach that said he doesn’t like individualizing players in response to Pogba criticism, a week after he lamented Mkhitaryan and Lingard in a post match interview…oh well. Going for United in this game may seem like the obvious choice, but I think Watford have the ability to get something.
1-1
Crystal Palace vs. Stoke
This is the second of our “battle to not be the first manager sacked” matches with Alan Pardew against Mark Hughes. Pardiola finally got a win last week but is still a manger under the cosh, as is Sparky. It looks like Palace will go with pacey wingers and crosses into Benteke, a pretty simple but solid set up that could see the big Belgian return 15-20 goals this season (potential fantasy bargain for those that play). Stoke also made a shrewd signing on deadline day in the form of Wilfred Bony on loan, who is a similar powerful unit, but he has struggled for games in Manchester and could take a while to get going. In a game that both managers will desperately want to win, this has draw written all over it.
1-1
Southampton vs. Swansea
The Saints against the Swans doesn’t appear to be the kind of fixture you want on a Sunday afternoon, but such is the burden of having Europa League Thursday’s. Southampton have struggled early on this season and not yet recorded a win. It seems Claude Puel is still tinkering to find his best starting 11 and despite Charlie Austin scoring twice midweek, the Frenchman has still refused to assure him of his place; an interesting move considering Redmond and Shane Long haven’t exactly lit up the league so far. Swansea haven’t won since the opening game of the season despite leading Chelsea until the 85th minute last week, a flukey lead, but a lead nonetheless. The Swans really lack firepower upfront, but record signing Borja Baston could be finally fit to start this weekend. The Spaniard was very highly regarded in La Liga after scoring 18 times for Eibar on loan, and that kind of return could again be enough to prevent a relegation threatened team from hitting the drop.
0-0
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Sunderland
You may have noticed there’s been a consistent theme this week in regards to Sunday fixtures and draws, but fear not, this game will not be the same. Tottenham got a hard lesson midweek in how to dominate a game and lose at home when they were beaten 1-2 by Monaco, who scored with their only 2 shots on target. Spurs have yet to hit their stride this season, with Harry Kane only scoring his first goal last week and looking slightly hungover from the Euro’s, but they still sit undefeated, in fifth, so what does that say about when they hit form? There might not be any more perfect whipping boys to really get their season going than Sunderland, who just lost 3-0 against Everton. After pushing for a move away all summer, Lamine Kone finally signed a new deal with the Black Cats, though anyone that watched the game on Monday might have thought that the deal was a form of punishment to the Wearside club’s supporters. David Moyes has a project ahead of him, and is the kind of manager perfect for a long-term investment, but this weekend they should get a battering.
3-0
