Premier League Betting Tips

Barcelona kick off their LaLiga campaign against an Elche side that they tend to enjoy playing against, winning each of the last 14 head to head meetings between the sides - stretching all the way back to 2014.

Barcelona came away 3-1 winners in this fixture last season, racking up an xG of 6.44 from 30 shots on that occasion. They limited Elche to just nine efforts, laying the foundations for another strong performance in this clash.

Hansi Flick now has the likes of Rodri, Cancelo, Adeyemi and Gordon to call upon following Barcelona’s summer business and I think they’ll get off to a strong start here against an Elche side who can’t quite seem to find a way to beat Barcelona.

PSG will be eager to get back to winning ways in their opening game of Ligue 1 after losing out on the French Super Cup to Lens, who registered a 1-0 victory despite conceding 23 shots and and xG of 1.71.

Luis Enrique’s side boasted the strongest away record of any side in Ligue 1 last season, winning 11 of their 17 away games and netting 33 goals in the process. No side scored more goals on the road than PSG in the French top flight last season, and that firepower may prove too much for Rennes to handle.

PSG have won four of the last five head to head meetings between the sides. They did lose this fixture last season, but the underlying numbers from that game would suggest that Rennes were quite fortunate to come away 3-1 winners, losing the xG battle (3.58-1.36). 

I can see this being a very chaotic game between two sides that have had a lot of change over the summer and landed on two managers that want to play with intensity and press high up the pitch.

Bournemouth were one of the most entertaining sides to watch in the Premier League under Iraola, but his style does take some time to be effective and it’s quite a swing from the more controlled approach that Liverpool utilised under Arne Slot.

Liverpool’s pre-season games were a good example of this, they gave up two goal leads on two occasions against Leeds and Monaco - with both of those games seeing at least five goals in total.

The recent head to head meetings between these sides also offer promise for goals. Six of the last seven head to head clashes have seen 3+ goals, with the exception of one 2-0 Liverpool win at Anfield a few seasons ago.

PSV got back to winning ways against Excelsior last time out after only getting a point in their opening fixture of the campaign at home against Fortuna Sittard, which was a real surprise for the defending champions.

They have another favourable fixture to build momentum here against a Groningen side that they have beaten in each of the last five head to head meetings between the sides, most recently coming away 2-1 winners on the road with an xG of 2.44.

PSV also put four goals past Groningen in this fixture last season. They tend to be really dominant at home having lost just two of their 17 matches in front of their home fans last term, winning 13 of these games and scoring more goals than any other side in the division at home (58).

I see this being quite a chaotic game between two sides that usually have entertaining games and have two new managers at the helm that may lead to some defensive frailties at both ends of the pitch.

Newcastle have lost quite a few key players over the summer, but still have decent firepower with the likes of Osula, Barnes and Wissa. They’ve seen BTTS in all six of their friendly matches ahead of the new campaign, with four of these games seeing BTTS & No Draw.

Andoni Iraola will allow his side to be a lot more energetic and expressive than Slot did, but this change will take some time and the Liverpool boss has already spoken about how his side lose energy in the second half of matches, giving up two goal leads on two occasions during pre-season. 

Cambuur fell to a 3-1 defeat against Fortuna Sittard on the road last time out, and I can see this game ending in a similar fashion as they take on a Feyenoord side that was held by Go Ahead Eagles last time out.

Cambuur are a newly promoted side to the Eredivisie, so matches like this against the established big teams in the division are a bit of a free hit. They scored 42 goals at home in the Eerste Divisie last season (2.21 per game), only drawing five of their 19 matches.

Feyenoord only drew five of their 17 away games in the Eredivisie last season, notably conceding 21 goals alongside the 31 goals they scored. I can see the away side collecting all three points, but a clean sheet may be beyond their capabilities. 

Bournemouth have scored in each of their last five head to head meetings against Manchester City, including both league clashes last season - with only one of these games ending level.

Both sides have new managers at the helm and I think we’ll see that reflected in this game with some defensive issues at both ends of the pitch which can open up the match and give both sides the chances they need to find the back of the net.

Manchester City conceded three goals against Arsenal in the Community Shield last week, which is a good example of the transition that will need to be made under Maresca, and also failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their pre-season friendly matches. 

Similarly, Marco Rose’s side have seen BTTS in all three of their friendly matches ahead of the new campaign, and the early signs suggest that he will be just as bold in his approach as Iraola was during his time as Bournemouth boss. Only one of these games ended level, offering promise for BTTS & No Draw again here. 

PSV haven’t been concerned about keeping clean sheets in recent seasons in the Eredivisie, often trusting their attacking options to get them over the line. 

They’ve seen BTTS in each of their opening league matches of the campaign, seeing BTTS & No Draw last time out as they won 2-1 against Excelsior on the road. 

They take on a Groningen side that have also seen BTTS in both of their league matches so far, winning both games against Utrecht and Den Haag. 

Each of the last three head to head meetings between the sides has seen BTTS & No Draw, with PSV coming out on top on all three occasions.

Mats Wieffer looks set to continue at right-back for Brighton, and he should find plenty of duels against Alejandro Garnacho on the flank here. The former Chelsea and Manchester United man has had enough time to recover from the head injury he sustained during pre-season, and he will be eager to prove himself at his new club.

Garnacho is a direct winger who likes to isolate defenders one-on-one, and use his pace to beat them. Wieffer, who is naturally more comfortable in midfield, may struggle when defending in wider areas. The Dutchman picked up eight yellow cards from just 23 league starts last season, while Garnacho averaged 1.63 fouls drawn per 90 for Chelsea.

Aston Villa have been dealt a couple of setbacks prior to the new season starting - Amadou Onana has picked up an ACL injury, while Joao Gomes is also set for a few weeks on the sidelines after getting injured against PSG. Unai Emery will be desperate for Boubacar Kamara to stay fit, and Ross Barkley seems like the prime candidate to partner him in midfield this weekend. 

Barkley had an average of 1.05 fouls drawn per 90 last season, and the main focus here is on his matchup against Brighton. The Seagulls ranked fourth in the division for total fouls committed last season, which shows how they like to be aggressive in their press, particularly in midfield areas. Barkley should see plenty of the ball at the Amex Stadium here, and he will hope to lock down a starting spot in the eleven with a strong performance.

Since completing his move from Bournemouth in January, Antoine Semenyo has averaged 1.47 fouls per 90 for Manchester City, which is one of the highest figures in the squad. He tends to be quite aggressive in his duels out wide and regularly tries to regain possession immediately after his side loses the ball.

Semenyo will now be directly up against Adrien Truffert this weekend, a player who is adept at drawing contact. The Frenchman averaged 0.85 fouls drawn per 90 in the league last season, and he landed this selection in difficult away matches against Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea. Bournemouth are unlikely to dominate possession at the Etihad Stadium, but Truffert should still receive enough of the ball when the Cherries attempt to play out from the back.

With Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes completing big-money moves to London clubs, and Joelinton out with an injury, Newcastle’s midfield blueprint has been ripped up for the start of the new season. The Magpies have been active in the transfer market, and Aladji Bamba looks set to start in a holding midfield position.

The 20-year-old completed his move from Monaco over the summer, and this promises to be a really difficult test for him against Liverpool. Under Andoni Iraola, the Reds have returned to the high-pressing, high-intensity style which they previously played under Jurgen Klopp. Bamba should have plenty of defensive work to get through in the middle of the park. He made 18 appearances in Ligue 1 last season, with ten of those being starts, and averaged 2.54 fouls per 90.

Rio Ngumoha looks set to start for Liverpool on the wing here against Newcastle, and he should be looking forward to returning to St James’ Park after scoring the winner for Liverpool on his debut last season. He found the net in the 100th minute to send the travelling supporters into delirium, and there are high expectations surrounding the youngster going into the new campaign.

Ngumoha averaged 1.97 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions last season, landing this selection in six of his nine starts. He is incredibly direct when receiving possession, attempting to beat defenders at every available opportunity with his acceleration and quick changes of direction. 

With Tino Livramento injured, summer signing Amar Dedic could be handed his competitive Newcastle debut at right-back, and this will be a tough test for him.

Garnacho is at Aston Villa on loan this season, and this is a real chance for him to prove his worth.

He missed out against PSG due to concussion protocols, but should be able to make his competitive debut against Brighton here. Garnacho had a difficult campaign for Chelsea last season, having scored just one goal from his 24 league appearances, but he still averaged 2.34 shots per 90. Prior to that, he managed 3.44 shots per 90 for Man United.

The 22-year-old just seemed to be lacking confidence at times, but he will hope to find his feet again. Garnacho likes to cut inside from the left and shoot whenever space opens up, and has the tools to cause Brighton problems on the break.

Georginio Rutter is another player with a lot to prove this season, after his previous campaign didn’t quite go to plan. He fell out of favour towards the end, and started just 20 Premier League matches in total, finishing with only three goals to his name. However, with Danny Welbeck off to Chelsea, Rutter looks set to be entrusted to lead the line for Brighton this term, and there is a big responsibility on his shoulders.

Playing through the middle should allow Rutter to spend more time closer to goal, rather than dropping deep or drifting into wider positions, which naturally increases his potential to shoot. Brighton generally play with plenty of attacking intent at the Amex Stadium, and they will hope to provide for Rutter up top.

Semenyo was one of City’s better players in the Community Shield last week, notably having more touches in the opposition box (12) and more shots (3) than any other player on the pitch.

One of those three attempts did find the target and drew a save from David Raya, with Semenyo being one of the best players in the Premier League when it comes to shot accuracy.

Semenyo scored 17 goals in the Premier League last season from 83 shots (2.33 per 90), seeing 41 of these efforts find the target (1.15 per 90). This is a shot accuracy of 49%, which is really impressive for this level and shows a consistency to Semenyo’s game when taking aim.

He’s facing up against his former club here, giving him extra motivation to find the target as City seek out their first win of the season.

Newcastle have undergone significant change over the summer, with key players like Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon all departing Tyneside. Bazoumana Toure has been drafted in from Hoffenheim to fill the void on the left wing for £42 million, and the highly-rated 20-year-old is expected to make his competitive debut for the Magpies this weekend.

One of his key strengths is his pace in behind, and that could be important against a side like Liverpool. The Reds have shown a vulnerability on the break during pre-season, and they are expected to play front-footed football under Andoni Iraola, which could leave spaces for Newcastle to exploit. Toure will be eager to get off on the right foot with Newcastle fans, so he is one to watch this weekend.

Rio Ngumoha will have fond memories of his last visit to St James’ Park, as he marked his debut with a goal in the 100th minute to earn Liverpool all three points. The winger has gone from strength to strength since then, and he is expected to play a key role for the Reds this season, especially with Cody Gakpo linked with a move away from Anfield. Ngumoha looks ready to slot into a starting role.

The 17-year-old averaged 2.53 shots per 90 across all competitions last season and was a constant threat on the left wing. Ngumoha was always looking to chop inside onto his stronger right foot and curl the ball towards the far corner. He was one of the shining lights in a poor last season for Liverpool, and the Iraola system should cater to his strengths a bit more.

Marcus Tavernier was quietly one of Bournemouth’s best players last season. His performances never quite got the recognition they deserved due to the presence of Kroupi and Rayan, but he is a quality player and recorded 11 goal contributions in the Premier League last term.

Tavernier took 70 shots in the Premier League last season (2.30 per 90), seeing 24 of his efforts find the target (0.79 per 90). 55% of his efforts came from outside the box last season, with Tavernier also having a role on free kicks for Bournemouth.

Only the injured Kroupi scored more goals for Bournemouth in the Premier League last season than Tavernier (7) - with two of these goals also coming from the penalty spot, suggesting that Tavernier will also fill that role in the absence of Kroupi. 

Alex Scott has continually been linked with a move away from Bournemouth this summer, but the Cherries have managed to keep him for now and he is set to play an important role in this encounter.

Scott is very tidy on the ball, but I’ve been more impressed with his growth out of possession over the last few seasons at Bournemouth. Iraola has made him a very hardworking player when Bournemouth are without the ball, but this does come with the slight drawback of Scott being a bit reckless with his challenges.

Scott picked up five yellow cards in the Premier League last season, averaging 1.42 fouls committed per 90. He should maintain that level of tenacity this campaign, particularly against the likes of Elliot Anderson (2.16 fouls won per 90) and Phil Foden (1.34 fouls won per 90). 

It’s going to take Elliot Anderson some time to grow into his role at Manchester City following the departure of Rodri to Barcelona.

Anderson is clearly a player with the ability to be world class, but I think we’re going to see him struggle at times to hold the midfield together from a defensive point of view - especially when City lose the ball in moments of transition.

Anderson collected more yellow cards than any other Nottingham Forest player in the Premier League last season (8), notably averaging 1.54 fouls committed per 90.

Semenyo was one of City’s better players in the Community Shield last week, notably having more touches in the opposition box (12) and more shots (3) than any other player on the pitch.

One of those three attempts did find the target and drew a save from David Raya, with Semenyo being one of the best players in the Premier League when it comes to shot accuracy.

Semenyo scored 17 goals in the Premier League last season from 83 shots (2.33 per 90), seeing 41 of these efforts find the target (1.15 per 90). This is a shot accuracy of 49%, which is really impressive for this level and shows a consistency to Semenyo’s game when taking aim.

He’s facing up against his former club here, giving him extra motivation to find the target as City seek out their first win of the season.

Rayan caused City real problems when the sides met at the Vitality Stadium a few months ago, taking two shots and seeing one of these efforts come back off the post.

Rayan really impressed in the second half of last season, settling in instantly after making the move from Brazil to register seven goal contributions across 13 starts - with five of these being goals.

Rayan took 28 shots across these games (2.25 per 90) and will be even more important to Bournemouth in the early parts of this campaign given that Kroupi will be out for the first few months of the season.

One of Bournemouth’s best traits under Iraola was getting shots away as quickly as possible when winning the ball high up the pitch. 

Bournemouth ranked first in the Premier League during Iraola’s tenure for high turnovers leading to shots, and I don’t think Marco Rose will change this part of Bournemouth’s game that much as their system proved to be very effective.

Bournemouth drew two saves from Donnarumma when the sides last met, and forced four saves from the Italian when Bournemouth travelled to the Etihad last season. He was forced into making 2.29 saves per 90 in the Premier League overall last term. 

I’ve already touched on some of the defensive issues which may be present at City as they transition from Guardiola to Maresca, and Bournemouth can profit from that to test Donnarumma on at least two occasions.

Bournemouth averaged 5.58 corners per game in the Premier League last season, winning 3+ corners in 89% of their matches.

The Cherries racked up 3+ corners in both head to head meetings with Manchester City last season, winning seven when the sides last met and four in their defeat at the Etihad earlier on in the campaign.

Manchester City conceded 3.82 corners per game in the Premier League last season. This is quite a low line for Bournemouth to cover and I expect corners to be just as crucial as they were in the Premier League last season.

Bournemouth have scored in each of their last five head to head meetings against Manchester City, including both league clashes last season - with Bournemouth actually being the side to end City’s title hopes by holding them to a 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium.

Both sides have new managers at the helm and I think we’ll see that reflected in this game with some defensive issues at both ends of the pitch which can open up the match and give both sides the chances they need to find the back of the net.

Manchester City conceded three goals against Arsenal in the Community Shield last week, which is a good example of the transition that will need to be made under Maresca, and also failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their pre-season friendly matches. 

Similarly, Marco Rose’s side have seen BTTS in all three of their friendly matches ahead of the new campaign, and the early signs suggest that he will be just as bold in his approach as Iraola was during his time as Bournemouth boss.

The head-to-head meetings between these sides last season were intriguing. It finished 4-3 to Villa at the Amex Stadium before Emery’s men completed the league double with a much more cagey 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture. Both games were evenly contested for long periods, and Brighton collected at least two cards in each encounter.

The Seagulls received three cards in the home fixture, all of which arrived during the first half, before again clearing this line at Villa Park. Aston Villa drew the second-most cards of any Premier League side last season. Meanwhile, Brighton ranked fourth in the division for total cards accumulated. Those two trends match up nicely here, especially in what should be a competitive opening fixture.

As well as cards, corners have been a consistent market in recent meetings between these teams. The seven-goal thriller at the Amex Stadium produced 11 corners, while there were another 12 when they met at Villa Park. This selection landed in both head-to-head encounters last season, despite the two matches playing out very differently.

Both sides are quite similar in that they like to have spells of settled possession, but can also be devastating on the counter, and play direct at times. There will be no shortage of talent on show at the Amex Stadium this weekend, and chances are expected to be available at both ends of the field, which makes corners a target.

Danny Welbeck is another player who joined Chelsea over the summer, so Georginio Rutter looks set to lead the line for Brighton. The Frenchman usually likes to drop into deeper midfield areas to get on the ball and carry it forward - he is quite similar in a sense to Matheus Cunha. Rutter averaged 1.81 fouls drawn per 90 in the Premier League last season, which shows how difficult he can be to dispossess.

The 24-year-old was given a regular starting role up front for Brighton during pre-season, which suggests he will lead the line against Aston Villa. Unai Emery likes his side to be aggressive in midfield to win the ball back quickly, so Rutter draws a good matchup here.

Morgan Rogers has departed for Chelsea, while Johan Manzambi is not yet back to full fitness, so Emi Buendia looks set to start in the advanced midfield position against Brighton. The Argentine international performed well against PSG in the Super Cup final, and he finished the game with three fouls drawn, despite facing arguably the strongest midfield in Europe.

Buendia typically sees much more of the ball when operating centrally, where he can drift into pockets between the opposition’s midfield and defence. He averaged 2.3 fouls drawn per 90 last season, making this line appealing if he continues in the number ten role. Brighton will have to be aggressive in midfield to try and limit the amount of space and time Buendia gets on the ball.

Diego Gomez finished last season with an average of 2.32 fouls per 90 across all competitions, which was the highest figure in the Brighton squad. That intense defensive style of play earned him nine yellow cards from just 26 Premier League starts, and one of those bookings came in this fixture against Villa last season. 

Villa’s squad has changed significantly over summer, but they are still not short on players willing to get on the ball, and try to beat their marker. Diego Gomez should find duels against Emi Buendia in particular, and that is a matchup to keep an eye on. If Diego Gomez starts on the right wing, he should find duels against Alejandro Garnacho.

William Osula has shown that he can be an effective striker at this level having netted seven goals across eight starts in the Premier League last season.

It took him a while to settle at Newcastle, but he looks to be Matthias Jaissle’s preferred number nine ahead of the new season - notably scoring from five shots against Strasbourg in Newcastle’s final pre-season friendly, seeing two of those efforts find the target. 

Osula is still only 23, so he can develop even further this season if he does get consistent playing time as the main striker. Osula achieved his seven goal tally from 12 shots on target last season (1.33 per 90) and came off the bench to score in this fixture the last time the teams met at St James’ Park.

Cody Gakpo took more shots than any other Liverpool player last season (87 - 2.85 per 90), finishing the campaign as Liverpool’s second top scorer in the Premier League with seven goals behind Hugo Ekitike (11).

Gakpo saw 21 of these efforts find the target (0.69 per 90) and notably found the target in both of his appearances during pre-season for Iraola’s side, netting against Como last time out. 

Liverpool should be quite a fun side to watch under Iraola, he encourages his teams to press high and get shots away quickly after winning the ball back in dangerous areas. I think Gakpo will benefit from this style, and can see Liverpool’s general shot output improving this term. 

I can see this being a very chaotic game between two sides that have had a lot of change over the summer and landed on two managers that want to play with intensity and press high up the pitch.

Bournemouth were one of the most entertaining sides to watch in the Premier League under Iraola, but his style does take some time to be effective and it’s quite a swing from the more controlled approach that Liverpool utilised under Arne Slot.

Liverpool’s pre-season games were a good example of this, they gave up two goal leads on two occasions against Leeds and Monaco - with both of those games seeing at least five goals in total.

The recent head to head meetings between these sides also offer promise for goals. Six of the last seven head to head clashes have seen 3+ goals, with the exception of one 2-0 Liverpool win at Anfield a few seasons ago.

Another stat to keep an eye on with Liverpool this season is their card count. Iraola’s Bournemouth side ranked within the top three sides in the Premier League for both fouls and cards in each of the last two seasons - and that is no accident.

Those tallies are a direct result of Iraola’s style of play, which involves an intense press and committing multiple tactical fouls to protect the backline. Liverpool ranked 19th for yellow cards in the Premier League last season (1.5 per game), but that will definitely increase under Iraola’s instructions.

This game has developed into a bit of a rivalry too, Liverpool committed 15 fouls and picked up three yellow cards in this fixture last season - collecting two cautions after just 25 minutes of action. Each of Liverpool’s last three trips to St James’ Park have seen them collect at least two cards.

Joao Pedro has enjoyed a really strong pre-season for Chelsea under Xabi Alonso as he looks to build on a successful debut campaign for the Blues, in which he scored 15 Premier League goals.

He took 73 shots in the top flight last season (2.46 per 90), seeing 28 of these efforts find the target (0.94 per 90). 

These numbers may feel a bit low, but his underlying data picked up massively in the second half of the campaign when he was actually trusted as a number nine, with Enzo Maresca always reluctant to deploy him in that role.

Joao Pedro should only improve further under the guidance of Xabi Alonso, with Palmer and Rogers now operating behind him in a dangerous front three. 

Joao Pedro scored seven goals across five appearances during pre-season, and notably had the summer to rest after not being called up to Brazil’s World Cup squad. 

I’ve always been quite defensive of Rob Sanchez. He’s definitely got errors in him, but these are often overly scrutinised and he doesn’t get the same level of attention when he actually puts in a good display. 

He was forced into making 98 saves in the Premier League last season, working out to an average of 2.90 saves per 90 with a save percentage just shy of 70%. 

He was called into action three times in this fixture last season, and Chelsea’s pre-season campaign would suggest that there are still some defensive issues for Alonso to iron out.

Sanchez made three saves in Chelsea’s final pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad, and will be tested by the likes of Garcia, Bobb, Kevin and King in this clash.

One area of Chelsea’s game that may take some time for Alonso to properly address is how reckless the Blues have been when it comes to their disciplinary record.

Chelsea ended last season with eight red cards, four more than any other team in the Premier League. They also ranked second for yellow cards, with only Tottenham picking up more cautions than the Blues. Chelsea have actually ranked in the top two teams for yellow cards in each of the last three seasons.

This won’t be a quick fix, much of these temperament issues are down to Chelsea’s young squad and this is a perfect game for that issue to tide to the fore given that it is a West London derby. 

Chelsea picked up 2+ cards in both head to head meetings with Fulham in the Premier League last season, picking up four cautions (including a red card) when these sides met at Craven Cottage last year.

One really interesting aspect of Chelsea’s recruitment this summer is how they’ve really focused on bringing in height and physicality - which are traits that this Chelsea side have desperately missed in the Premier League over recent campaigns.

Lacroix, Rogers and Palestra are all over 6 foot, and bolster the squad in all three areas of the pitch to make Chelsea look like a pretty dangerous side from set pieces on paper. They’ve also secured Austin McPhee, the set piece coach from Aston Villa, who should further improve Chelsea’s effectiveness from set piece situations.

Chelsea saw 10.24 corners per game in the Premier League last season, seeing 9+ match corners in 74% of their games. Fulham averaged 10.48 corners per game in the Premier League, seeing 9+ corners in 79% of their matches.

Chelsea’s attack on paper ahead of this season looks really promising with Morgan Rogers set to slot in alongside Palmer as the duo operating behind Joao Pedro. 

If Chelsea can get the balance between the three right, they could end up being one of the top scoring sides in the division. All three players reached double digits for goals in the Premier League last season, and you’d think that they will compliment each other really well.

I’m also not fully convinced about the direction that Fulham have taken this summer, losing Marco Silva and replacing him with Alvaro Arbeloa. He doesn’t have much coaching experience at all, and this is a very testing opening game for his side. 

Chelsea scored 3+ goals in each of their final three pre-season games ahead of the new campaign, with two of these games being against AC Milan and Real Sociedad.

Our next stop on the train takes us to St James’ Park, and I’m focusing on Gravenberch to win at least one foul here.

Gravenberch was one of the few Liverpool players whose level didn’t really drop last season with one of his best assets being his ability to find a way out of tight spaces.

Gravenberch won 42 fouls across his 34 starts in the Premier League last season (1.26 per 90), including winning a foul in this fixture as Liverpool came away 3-2 winners.

Newcastle may have lost Tonali and Guimaraes from their midfield but have notably brought in Aladji Bamba from Monaco as a replacement.

We can expect Bamba to be just as aggressive as Tonali and Guimaraes given that he committed 23 fouls in Ligue 1 last season across just 10 starts (2.54 per 90).

Newcastle committed 17 fouls in this fixture last season, also picking up a red card. This game has become quite intense in recent seasons given the transfer sagas and cup final between the sides last year - so I wouldn’t be surprised to see another game with a high foul count.