Another international break is behind us as we return to the big time with an action-packed Premier League weekend to look forward to. Not only that but the Champions League returns next week too and I am buzzing to get stuck into what should be an exciting few days as club football returns! The top 4 in the Premier League table is looking very much like what you would expect come the end of the season with Chelsea, Liverpool, City and United battling it out in what looks like being the most exciting title race in years. Elsewhere, Brighton and Brentford have made exceptional starts to the season and are playing some lovely football under their top-quality coaches. Arsenal look to have turned a corner and are now 4 unbeaten in the league after a truly woeful start to the season. The bottom 3 consists of Norwich, Burnley and Newcastle which isn’t overly surprising. Very interested to see what happens at Newcastle though following their well publicised takeover which makes them comfortably the richest football club in the world. Would not be surprised to see £200m+ spent in January in a desperate attempt to improve the playing squad. As ever, I have put together a few hints and tips you should know regarding the televised games this weekend that should help you with your own bets as well as my prediction on how I expect the game to go, hope you enjoy!
Watford v Liverpool
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Saturday 16th October – 12:30PM Kick Off
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Live on BT Sport 1
The weekend starts at Vicarage Road for the early KO between Watford and Liverpool in a very important fixture for both sides. Watford will once again have a new manager on the touchline following the controversial sacking of Xisco Munoz as head coach. The Spaniard won promotion with the Hornets last season but was sacked after just 10 months in charge. Former Leicester and Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri has been handed the job and it is good to see the Italian back in England and his entertaining personality will be welcomed. As for Liverpool, well they are right in the mix aren’t they? The thrilling 2-2 draw with Man City prior to the break leaves them 2nd in the league and they are now the only remaining unbeaten team in the English top-flight.
- Ruthless Watford’s owners, the Pozzo family, are making their 14th managerial change since they took over in 2012.They are renowned for sacking managers hastily and the dismissal of Munoz hasn’t been particularly well received by Watford fans or the English public in general.
- Ranieri has moved quickly to make his first signing as Watford manager. He opted to bring in former Torino defender Nicolas N’Koulou on a free transfer. The Cameroonian defender has signed a short term deal until 2022 with the Hornets.
- Seems a smart move with Watford having problems at the back with some players injured and generally just having a lack of depth. Francisco Sierralta looks to be facing a lengthy spell on the touchlines after tearing a thigh muscle, while there is not much in the way of back up beyond Craig Cathcart and Christian Kabasele.
- Injury problems continue to mount at Liverpool with as many as five senior players expected to miss out against Watford.
- Diogo Jota has picked up an injury while on international duty with Portugal but Klopp has since confirmed he should be fit. Fabinho and Alisson are huge doubts due to being involved for Brazil just 35 hours before this game kicks off and would face a race against time to get back to England in time for the match. Klopp has since said they won’t be involved. Thiago Alacantra and Curtis Jones are also looking doubtful with injuries.
- On a more positive note, Trent Alexander-Arnold has returned to full training during the break having missed the previous two Liverpool games through injury. He could return to the side at right back if deemed fit enough and take the place of Milner.
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Verdict & Prediction
Always difficult to predict how things will go when there is a new manager on the touchline as is the case with Watford. Ranieri has had almost two weeks to work with his new players and employ his tactics and with Liverpool likely missing a number of key players I think they will find it harder than most will maybe think in this one. However, with Salah in the form he is in and with Liverpool looking very strong this season I would still expect them to have enough to get the three points here. 2-1 Liverpool win is my prediction.
Watford Predicted 11: Foster; Cathcart, Troost-Ekong, Kabasele, Rose; Sissoko, Kucka; Sarr, Cleverley, Dennis; King
Liverpool Predicted 11: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Keita, Milner; Salah, Firmino, Mane
Leicester City v Manchester United
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Saturday 16th October – 3:00PM Kick Off
The standout of the 3pm fixtures probably is the game taking place at the King Power Stadium between Leicester and Man United. Leicester bottled the top 4 last season as they lost 3 of their last 5 league games to eventually finish a point behind 4th placed Chelsea as they missed out on Champions League football. They did win the FA Cup however and I was expecting very big things from the Foxes this season but as of yet that hasn’t really materialised. United sit 4th and there are signs they could have a good season but inconsistent results and performances continue to cost them.
- 14th in the table and no win in 4 in the league isn’t exactly the start I was expecting from Leicester this season. Things aren’t any better in Europe either with the Foxes sitting bottom of their Europa League group having picked up just a point from their opening two games.
- Leicester fans may also be a little worried by the news that Brendan Rodgers is currently the big favourite to take the Newcastle job and replace Steve Bruce at the helm following their big money takeover. The loss of Rodgers would be a big blow and the uncertainty surrounding his future is far from ideal.
- The loss of several key players through injury has hardly helped them either. Wesley Fofana remains a long-term absence and has been joined by Wilfried Ndidi on the sidelines. Jonny Evans is also classed as 50/50 going into this one leaving the hosts looking short at the back once again.
- United will likely be looking a little short in the centre of defence with Raphael Varane picking up a groin injury for France over the international break and will join Harry Maguire who is already on the sidelines. There is reportedly an outside chance the United skipper could return here though.
- Fred and Edison Cavani are also major doubts with Brazil playing Uruguay in the early hours of Friday morning. It therefore seems unlikely either of them will be back and ready to play in Saturday’s match in Leicester, although that is yet to be confirmed by Solskjaer.
- Elsewhere, Marcus Rashford could be in the squad for the first time this season having now returned to full training following shoulder surgery. Offensively United look pretty much close to full strength with Bruno, Ronaldo, Pogba, Greenwood, Sancho, Lingard and Martial all set to be fit.
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Verdict & Prediction
Both sides are missing key players at the back so I wouldn’t be surprised to see a high scoring match as a result. Vardy is sure to cause problems and CR7 will be raring to go having started as sub against Everton last time out. United are fantastic on their travels though and are now 29 league matches unbeaten on the road. I fancy them to have too much for Leicester and seal a high-scoring win, 3-2 United.
Leicester Predicted 11: Schmeichel; Pereira, Soyuncu, Vestergaard, Bertrand; Soumare, Tielemans; Perez, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy
Man United Predicted 11: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Bailly, Lindelof, Shaw; Pogba, McTominay; Greenwood, Fernandes, Sancho; Ronaldo
Brentford v Chelsea
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Saturday 16th October – 5:30PM Kick Off
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Live on Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Premier League
Given it has been 74 years since Brentford last played in the English top-flight, it is fair to say they have certainly settled in well to the Premier League. The performance and manner of the 2-0 home win over Arsenal on the opening day sent a message to the rest of the league that they mean business. Away wins at Wolves and West Ham and a draw at home to Liverpool show they can compete with some of the best sides in the division and they certainly won’t be overawed by the visit of West London rivals, Chelsea. The visitors are top of the pile after a fine start to the season but in recent weeks prior to the break there were signs that the wheels were starting to come off slightly. A trip to Brentford will most definitely provide a test and I expect this to be a very interesting encounter.
- On the injury front, Brentford will most likely be missing up to three players. Kristoffer Ajer, Vitaly Janelt and Shandon Baptiste missed the clash against West Ham for various reasons and all three aren’t expected to make the game against Chelsea.
- I fancied the Bees to have a strong season but so far they have defied even my expectations. They are extremely well managed by the talented and eccentric Thomas Frank and with Matty Benham as owner they look to be in very good hands going forward.
- Relegation really seems the least of their worries and the way things are going there is no reason why Brentford can’t challenge for a top half finish this season.
- Chelsea may have to do without their number 9 Romelu Lukaku who picked up an injury while playing for Belgium over the international break. Belgium boss Roberto Martinez said he is suffering from muscle fatigue going on to say ”He is not in the best conditions to play. He is leaving the national team camp due to these problems – I don’t know how long it will take.“ Tuchel has however said that he still expects him to be available
- On a more positive note for the Blues, Ngolo Kante is expected to return the squad having overcome his covid problems. Reece James is still in rehab and Thiago Silva is a out due to his involvement with Brazil over the international break meaning he is likely to return to London too late to be involved. Tuchel has also said Antonio Rudiger won’t be available.
- Whatever side Tuchel puts out he knows he will be in for a tough afternoon against a top quality Brentford side who have already beaten Arsenal and drawn with Liverpool on home soil.
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Verdict & Prediction
Now, Brentford have proven what a difficult side they are to beat and I fancy them to get a result against Chelsea who showed signs of slowing down prior to the international break. The likely absence of Rudiger along with Thiago Silva is sure to hurt them somewhat and it’ll be up to some more fringe players to fill the void. An entertaining score draw is the most likely outcome for me in this one, 1-1.
Brentford Predicted 11: Raya; Jorgensen, Jansson, Pinnock; Canos, Jensen, Norgaard, Onyeka, Henry; Mbeumo, Toney
Chelsea Predicted 11: Mendy; Chalobah, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Alonso Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell; Mount, Werner, Havertz
Everton v West Ham
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Sunday 17th October – 2:00PM Kick Off
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Live on Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Premier League
Interesting tie at Goodison Park to kick us off on Sunday afternoon as West Ham make the trip to Merseyside to take on the Toffees. I must admit, I didn’t hold out much hope for Everton and their chances this season given their summer business but so far Rafa and his squad have overachieved and sit 5th in the table prior to the weekend’s fixtures kicking off. As for West Ham, well they look a quality side but will be very disappointed in the manner in which they lost to Brentford prior to the international break. Both sides are likely to compete for a top 7 finish come the end of the season and this game will give us a good indication of where both sides are currently at.
- Everton showed the rest of the Premier League what they are capable of as they came from behind to earn a deserved 1-1 away at Manchester United prior to the international break.
- The summer signings of Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray, while not the most glamorous on paper, have proven to be brilliant bits of business. Both have hit the ground running at Goodison Park with Gray in particular really shining at his new club.
- The news on the injury front seems to be improving too with a number of important players reportedly close to returning. The likes of Richarlison, DCL and Seamus Coleman are all closing in on a return and could make the squad come Sunday afternoon.
- The disappointing home defeat to Brentford last time out sees West Ham ninth going into this weekend which given some of the football they have played this season is probably considered slightly disappointing.
- The demands of playing in Europe alongside domestic duties could prove to be slightly too much for a fairly small West Ham squad and how they fare this season will likely depend on how seriously and how far they progress in Europe.
- Vladimir Coufal withdrew from international duty with the Czech Republic due to a niggling groin problem and appears to be the only West Ham injury doubt going into the game at the time of writing.
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Verdict & Prediction
The outcome of this game for me depends on the Everton lineup. Should the likes of DCL and Richarlison return then I would certainly fancy them to get a result. However if they miss out then they are lacking a little in forward areas and West Ham have the quality to punish them. All things considered, I fancy another entertaining score draw in this one. 2-2
Everton Predicted 11: Pickford; Godfrey, Holgate, Keane, Digne; Townsend, Doucoure, Allan, Richarlison; Gray, Rondon
West Ham Predicted 11: Fabianski; Fredericks, Zouma, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Benrahma, Fornals; Antonio
Newcastle v Spurs
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Sunday 17th October – 4:30PM Kick Off
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Live on Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Premier League
Whether you agree with the takeover or not, you can’t really begrudge Newcastle fans for being excited about the recent takeover. They have been suffering under Mike Ashley for a number of years and now as the richest club in the world are likely to experience exciting times ahead. Steve Bruce will inevitably be moved on and it will be interesting who is brought in as a replacement with many high-profile names reportedly in the running. Whoever takes the job they are guaranteed to have a massive transfer budget come January and expect plenty of massive names to come to St James Park over the coming years. As for Spurs, well they stopped the rot with a decent home win against Aston Villa prior to the international break. They sit 8th at the time of writing and from the outside looking in at least it doesn’t look particularly happy camp. The fans don’t seem to be convinced by Nuno as manager and their best player in Harry Kane doesn’t look like he wants to be there. It will be interesting to see how they get on over the next couple of weeks.
- At the time of writing, Steve Bruce remains at the club as manager and is in line to manage his 1000th game on Sunday against Spurs. However, his future at the club looks untenable with the ambitious new owners keen to bring in their own man to lead the club
- Newcastle will be hoping the goings on off the field will help their fortunes on the pitch. They are yet to win a Premier League game this season and sit amongst the bottom 3.
- They will also be boosted by the likely return of a number of key players. Callum Wilson, Jonjo Shelvey and Jamal Lascelles are all expected to return.
- The injury/absentee news isn’t quite so positive on the Tottenham side of things with as many as 4 key players major doubts to be involved on Sunday.
- Giovanni Lo Celso, Emerson Royal, Christian Romero and Davinson Sanchez are all currently set to miss the clash.Lo Celso and Romero are away with Argentina, who face Paraguay and Uruguay before hosting Peru on Friday, October 15, which gives them just over 48 hours until to fly back over and be ready for the match.
- Elsewhere, Ben Davies has also pulled out of the Wales squad through injury, whilst Steven Bergwijn and Ryan Sessegnon are doubts after missing recent matches. This could potentially leave Spurs very short in a number of positions, particularly defensively ahead of the game at St James Park.
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Verdict & Prediction
St James Park is likely to be buzzing as the Toon Army celebrate the takeover in the terraces creating an electric atmosphere. Spurs could struggle to deal with it and should Wilson return I could see them causing a depleted Spurs backline plenty of problems. Maybe a slightly bold call but I quite fancy Newcastle to get an unlikely win here, the feel-good factor is back and I fancy them to earn their first win of the season against a fragile Tottenham Hotspur. 2-1 Newcastle
Newcastle Predicted 11: Darlow; Ritchie, Clark, Fernandez, Manquillo; S. Longstaff; Murphy, Willock, Hayden, Saint-Maximin; Wilson
Spurs Predicted 11: Lloris; Tanganga, Rodon, Dier, Reguilon; Hojbjerg, Skipp; Lucas Moura, Ndombele, Son; Kane
