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Middlesbrough have started the season really well, winning four of their opening six matches - including all three of their home matches.

They’ve scored 2+ goals in all three of these home victories, hitting four goals at home against Norwich last time out as they emerged as 4-3 winners.

They take on a Millwall side who have lost four of their last five matches, most recently losing 3-1 on the road to Blackburn. They’ve lost two of their three away games this season, conceding eight goals across these fixtures (2.66 per game).

One of the main reasons for Millwall’s struggles in this period of the campaign is the players they have unavailable due to injury. They will be without the likes of Coburn, De Norre and Crama for this fixture who were all key players last year. 

Middlesbrough scored 34 goals across their 23 home matches in the Championship last season (1.47 per game), and their early form this year gives them a strong chance of scoring at least twice here - something they’ve managed in every league game so far.

Millwall are missing key players and their away record has been poor at the start of this campaign, conceding 3+ goals in each of their last two away matches against Blackburn and Southampton. 

It’s really hard to look past Arsenal in any game at the moment, Mikel Arteta’s side look unstoppable and are by far the most complete side in the Premier League.

This competition is likely to mean very little to Ipswich, with Gary O’Neil likely to prioritise the Premier League following a decent start to the campaign for the newly promoted side. For this reason, I wouldn’t be surprised to see O’Neil rotate for this game which would give Arsenal even more of an advantage.

Arsenal have real depth now, so even if they do rotate with a trip to Brighton to come - it’s likely that even their second string options have enough quality to come out on top here.

Arsenal have won all six of their matches so far this season, winning five of these games to nil. It’s clear that they’re the best side in the country right now, making this an uphill battle for Ipswich.

Tottenham were a really good team to back for corners last season, and they’ve started this season in a similar style - seeing more match corners than any other side in the league across the opening four matches (12.25 per game).

Tottenham have won more corners than any other side in the Premier League (6.75 per game), but the 5.50 corners per game they’re conceding is also one of the highest tallies in the division, which sums up Tottenham quite well at the moment. They struggle to control games, often allowing the opposition to get in decent attacking positions.

Liverpool have seen an average of 9.0 corners per game across their opening four games of the season. Tottenham’s tendency for a slightly higher corner count should see Liverpool’s tally of 4.25 corners per game rise slightly to cover the line we require.

Both of these sides will be relieved to get away from league duties for a bit following a poor start to the campaign from both teams.

Peterborough have only managed to win two of their seven matches this season, though one of these wins did come in the form of a 5-1 win over Watford in the EFL Cup. They’ve seen BTTS in each of their last two matches, only keeping two clean sheets all campaign.

Barnsley have seen BTTS in four of their last five matches, coming into this game having conceded three goals without reply on the road against Plymouth. They ran out 2-1 winners when the sides met back in February, with that clash seeing both sides post a healthy xG (1.11-2.28).

I’ve been keen to go against Fulham quite often already this season, I really don’t rate the direction they’ve taken with Alvaro Arbeloa as head coach and have long felt as though the club were over reliant on Marco Silva, who departed to join Benfica during the summer.

There’s already been some infighting amongst the Fulham camp with rumours of some players not gelling well with the new coaching staff. This is reflected in Fulham’s early record in the Premier League, they’ve lost three of their opening four games, conceding 3+ goals in two of these defeats.

By contrast, West Ham have adapted well to the Championship - most recently running out 6-0 winners over Wrexham, which is a result that will give them lots of confidence ahead of this clash. They have plenty of Premier League quality within their ranks, namely Jarrod Bowen who has already recorded 10 goal contributions this term.

It’s really hard to look past Arsenal in any game at the moment, Mikel Arteta’s side look unstoppable and are by far the most complete side in the Premier League.

This competition is likely to mean very little to Ipswich, with Gary O’Neil likely to prioritise the Premier League following a decent start to the campaign for the newly promoted side. For this reason, I wouldn’t be surprised to see O’Neil rotate for this game which would give Arsenal even more of an advantage.

Arsenal have real depth now, so even if they do rotate with a trip to Brighton to come - it’s likely that even their second string options have enough quality to come out on top here.

Arsenal have won all six of their matches so far this season, winning five of these games to nil. It’s clear that they’re the best side in the country right now, making this an uphill battle for Ipswich.

Both of these sides will be relieved to get away from league duties for a bit following a poor start to the campaign from both teams.

Peterborough have only managed to win two of their seven matches this season, though one of these wins did come in the form of a 5-1 win over Watford in the EFL Cup. They’ve seen BTTS in each of their last two matches, only keeping two clean sheets all campaign.

Barnsley have seen BTTS in four of their last five matches, coming into this game having conceded three goals without reply on the road against Plymouth. They ran out 2-1 winners when the sides met back in February, with that clash seeing both sides post a healthy xG (1.11-2.28).

Barcola is still settling into his role in a Liverpool shirt but has shown some small signs that he will be a very dangerous player for Andoni Iraola. He had three shots against Atletico Madrid last week, seeing two of these efforts find the target.

He didn’t get as many chances in front of goal against Fulham, taking one shot in Liverpool’s 0-0 draw with Alvaro Arbeloa’s side, but I think he’ll get more opportunities here against a Tottenham side who really don’t like visiting Anfield having failed to win any of their last 17 trips to the ground.

Barcola scored 11 goals across 21 starts in Ligue 1 for PSG last season, taking 67 shots across these games (3.45 per 90) and seeing 31 of these efforts find the target (1.59 per 90). 

It’s been quite a tough start to life at Tottenham for Sandro Tonali who looks to be part of quite an unbalanced Tottenham side that is still searching for a clear style of play under Roberto De Zerbi.

Tonali has been fouled four times across his four starts in the Premier League this season (1.04 per 90), having averaged 1.49 fouls won per 90 for Newcastle last term. Despite his struggles in the early stages of his Tottenham career, winning fouls remains a strong part of his game and can come to the fore against Liverpool’s intense press.

Andoni Iraola wants his side to press quite high up the pitch and create as many high turnovers as possible, making Tonali an obvious target to be fouled. Only four sides have committed more fouls than Liverpool in the Premier League so far this term (13.0 per game).

Szoboszlai has been playing in a slightly deeper role this season as Andoni Iraola attempts to find the right balance in Liverpool’s midfield. 

He’s committed eight fouls across just four starts in the Premier League this term (2.00 per 90) and is the perfect player for Iraola’s style of play - with endless energy that allows him to contest multiple duels during matches.

He’ll be up against Sandro Tonali in what should be an intriguing midfield matchup. Tonali has won four fouls across four starts in the Premier League this season, and I expect Tottenham to try and target Szoboszlai in midfield as he can be a bit careless with his defensive positioning at times. 

Tottenham were a really good team to back for corners last season, and they’ve started this season in a similar style - seeing more match corners than any other side in the league across the opening four matches (12.25 per game).

Tottenham have won more corners than any other side in the Premier League (6.75 per game), but the 5.50 corners per game they’re conceding is also one of the highest tallies in the division, which sums up Tottenham quite well at the moment. They struggle to control games, often allowing the opposition to get in decent attacking positions.

Liverpool have seen an average of 9.0 corners per game across their opening four games of the season. Tottenham’s tendency for a slightly higher corner count should see Liverpool’s tally of 4.25 corners per game rise slightly to cover the line we require.

Tottenham have failed to win any of their last 17 visits to Anfield, with their last victory coming all the way back in 2011.

It’s hard to see how this Tottenham side will be the outfit to break that record seeing as Roberto De Zerbi’s side are yet to score a goal in the Premier League and look to be struggling with infighting following some ugly scenes after they failed to beat Everton last time out.

Liverpool have their own issues as they adapt to the style of Andoni Iraola, but they have avoided defeat in all five of their matches this season - including registering a win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. 

Both of these sides will be relieved to get away from league duties for a bit following a poor start to the campaign from both teams.

Peterborough have only managed to win two of their seven matches this season, though one of these wins did come in the form of a 5-1 win over Watford in the EFL Cup. They’ve seen BTTS in each of their last two matches, only keeping two clean sheets all campaign.

Barnsley have seen BTTS in four of their last five matches, coming into this game having conceded three goals without reply on the road against Plymouth. They ran out 2-1 winners when the sides met back in February, with that clash seeing both sides post a healthy xG (1.11-2.28).

Tottenham have to take this game seriously to gain some momentum after a poor start to the campaign which has seen them fail to score a goal, despite recording an xG of 3.40.

However, this tends to be an entertaining fixture with each of the last three head to head clashes seeing BTTS and the last 10 meetings seeing an average of 4.4 goals per game.

Liverpool have seen BTTS in three of their last five matches, avoiding defeat across these games. This is an impressive start for Iraola in terms of avoiding defeat, but there are question marks over Liverpool defensively.

I expect both sides to rotate for this cup tie as well, especially Liverpool who are now into quite a gruelling schedule with the Champions League to think about.

I think West Ham have a decent chance of causing an upset in this cup tie having made a strong start to life in the Championship. 

They’re the home side here against a Fulham team who have not had a good start to the campaign, failing to win any of their opening four Premier League matches.

They’ve seen BTTS in two of these games, with their first clean sheet of the season coming against Liverpool last time out. 

It looks like there is some tension between Arbeloa and the players at Fulham, which isn’t that surprising given the inexperience of the man in the dug out - with those issues unlikely to go away anytime soon. 

This is a really nice boost for Liverpool to win on Tuesday night against a Tottenham side that are yet to score a goal in the Premier League, recording the lowest xG of any side in the division (3.40).

Liverpool have a really dominant record against Tottenham at Anfield, avoiding defeat in each of the last 17 clashes between the teams in Liverpool. Tottenham's last win against Liverpool at Anfield came all the way back in 2011.

This bet is as short as 1.6 elsewhere, 2.0 is a nice boost.

Solanke scored from two shots in the last round of the EFL Cup as Tottenham registered a 5-1 win over Charlton at home. 

They have a much more challenging task here away against Liverpool, but should feel optimistic about creating chances seeing as Liverpool have been quite open at the back under Iraola so far.

Solanke has been injured for much of De Zerbi’s tenure at the club, but did manage to score three goals across 11 starts in the Premier League late season from 20 shots (1.80 per 90), seeing 11 of these efforts find the target (0.99 per 90). 

Solanke has some positive history at Anfield two, having scored from two shots on target when the sides faced in April last year. 

I’d also expect Liverpool to rotate their side for this clash given the increase in game volume over the last few weeks, which should give Solanke even more of a decent opportunity to find the target.

There’s a simple formula to Madrid games, take a look at the opposition right-back for some fouls or a card.

The reason for that is of course Vinicius Junior. His ability to draw fouls is second-to-none, he’s drawn an average of 3.88 fouls per 90 minutes so far this season in La Liga.

He’s been fouled two or more times in every match so far and has also drawn some huge numbers, such as eight against Espanyol and four against Betis.

Sangare does also have good foul numbers himself. He’s committed five in five matches, all five have come across four matches at right-back, ignoring the one where he filled in at centre-half.

Villar has drawn a ridiculous average of 3.62 fouls per 90 minutes so far this season in La Liga. He’s drawn two or more fouls in every league match so far this season except against Bilbao, which is also the game where he played the least minutes (69).

The majority of Real Madrid’s fouls come in central areas. Camavinga leads the way with an average of 2.00 fouls per 90 minutes. There’s also Jude Bellingham (1.06), Bernardo Silva (1.67) and Fede Valverde (0.48).

Madrid will of course have the majority of the game, but it’s worth noting Villar drew three fouls at home to Barcelona, despite Elche losing 5-0.

These sides have been top class for entertainment so far this season. Elche games have seen a huge average of 3.80 goals and three of their five matches have seen this selection land.

As for Madrid, their games have seen 3.60 goals on average and four of their five have had three or more match goals.

The last seven head-to-head meetings have seen three or more match goals.

Elche look poor this season. Only Vallecano (14) have shipped more goals than their 13 this season and only Barcelona (21) have outscored Real Madrid, so they may even cover this line on their own.

Courtois has averaged 3.00 saves per 90 minutes so far this season in La Liga. Despite Madrid’s dominance in many games, they have conceded shots at a decent rate, with this selection landing in four of their five matches.

Even when they’re dominating watches, the door can be left open. In the last match, they battered Rayo Vallecano 4-1 yet Courtois was still forced into six saves.

Only the 4-0 win against Malaga saw Courtois go under two saves.

Elche, despite their woes, have actually averaged 5.20 shots on target per 90 minutes and forced 4.00 saves per 90 minutes from the opponents goalkeeper.

Sunderland suffered a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal on Saturday, but Regis Le Bris’ men gave an excellent account of themselves against the champions, and were unfortunate to leave the Stadium of Light empty-handed.

They managed 12 shots, which was more than Arsenal,  worth 1.8 xG, including a missed penalty. The Black Cats will now turn their attention to the Europa League midweek, which will be just their second ever time competing in a European competition. 

It’s not an easy matchup for them here against AZ Alkmaar - a side who have started the campaign in excellent form, unbeaten in seven across all competitions. They have looked strong in the final third, and their front-footed tactics means goals are usually a target when AZ are playing.

Sparta Prague travel to Armenia on Wednesday night following successive victories to nil. It has been a bit of a shaky start to the season for the Czech Republic side, with three wins and two losses from their opening five league matches, but this looks like a favourable matchup for them to kick off their Europa League campaign on the right foot. 

Sparta faced Ararat in the Conference League qualifiers last season, and they won both legs. It finished 4-1 in Prague, before Sparta came away with another 2-1 win in Armenia. Ararat also received a red card in that match late-on, which shows how Sparta were able to really frustrate them.

Bayer Leverkusen have been another inconsistent team so far, with one win, one drawn and one loss from their first three Bundesliga games, but the common theme has been goals.

In fact, they have scored at least twice in each of those games. They are not short of talent in the final third, especially with Patrik Schick fit and available again, but Leverkusen’s defensive structure has let them down at times. 

However, this looks like an excellent matchup for Leverkusen to dominate. There is a massive gulf in quality between them and Celje, and the Slovenian side have lost three of their opening four league matches. They are short of confidence at the moment, which Leverkusen will hope to exploit.

Sturm Graz come into this midweek clash after handing LASK their first loss of the season - that game finished 2-1 at the weekend.

Despite a stuttering start to the campaign, that was a massive result for Sturm Graz, and they should be full of confidence here. They are priced as pre-match underdogs, but the Austrian side will fancy their chances of at least finding the back of the net on home turf - they have managed that in all five matches this season so far. 

Rennes have been excellent this season, boasting the record of three wins and one draw from their opening four Ligue matches. The only draw came against PSG, as that game finished 2-2. Rennes have scored eight goals in their opening four games, but they have also conceded five.

Wolves look capable of giving Everton a tougher test on Wednesday night than the pre-match odds suggest. 

The Old Gold go into this tie in good shape after losing just one of their opening six Championship matches and snatching a last-gasp 1-0 win at Sheffield United on Sunday. 

Wolves have now scored in all eight of their matches across all competitions this season.

Cesar Peixoto’s side have been particularly dangerous away from home, scoring multiple goals on Championship trips to Birmingham and West Ham as well as at Sheffield Wednesday earlier in this competition. 

While Everton are rarely easy to break down under David Moyes, they have conceded in two of their last three Premier League matches. 

Wolves also scored in all three meetings between the teams last season, so I’m backing them to make the net bulge at least once on Merseyside.

Fleetwood can make life difficult for Sheffield United when the two teams meet at Highbury Stadium in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night.

The Cod Army have made an encouraging start to their League Two campaign under Matt Lawlor, going unbeaten across their opening six matches and conceding only four goals.

They have also carried a regular threat at the other end, scoring in five of their six league matches and in each of the previous two rounds of the EFL Cup.

Therefore, Fleetwood may sense an opportunity to cause an upset against a Sheffield United side that have won just two of their opening seven league matches of the season and lost 1-0 at home to Wolves on Sunday.

The Blades have conceded multiple goals in three of their last five league outings, so in-form Fleetwood look well placed to score at least once on Wednesday night.

Coventry and Aston Villa have both made difficult starts to the season, but I think the visitors can avoid defeat inside 90 minutes in Wednesday night’s EFL Cup third round tie. 

Unai Emery’s side are still searching for their first Premier League win after collecting just one point from a possible 12 so far.

However, they did claim an eye-catching 3-2 victory away at Club Brugge in the Champions League last week.

Villa’s new-look squad remains a work in progress, but even if Emery makes changes to his starting XI, he should still be able to name a side capable of causing Coventry problems.

Confidence is likely to be low in the Sky Blues camp, with Frank Lampard’s side losing all four of their opening Premier League matches and suffering their heaviest defeat yet in Sunday’s 5-0 hammering at home to Brighton. 

Villa may also be struggling for form, but their greater quality can tell here and I’m backing the visitors on the double chance.

Manchester United are difficult to trust as odds-on favourites when they welcome Brighton to Old Trafford in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night.

The Red Devils have won just one of their opening four Premier League matches, with Sunday’s 1-0 derby defeat to 10-man Manchester City the latest disappointment in a difficult start to the campaign. 

That does not bode well ahead of a meeting with a Brighton side who have made an impressive start to the season.

The Seagulls are comfortably the leading scorers in the Premier League after four rounds of matches, racking up 13 goals, with five coming at Coventry on Sunday and three at Chelsea last month.

United have already conceded multiple goals away at Hull and at home to Ipswich this season, so Fabian Hurzeler’s side have to be fancied to find the net at least once at Old Trafford.

Mexx Meerdink has earned a promotion this season - he only started nine league matches in the previous league campaign, but the departure of Troy Parrott to Real Betis has benefitted the Dutchman. Meerdink has been active in the final third, scoring three times in seven appearances this term. He is averaging 3.74 shots per 90, which is the highest of any regular starter in the PSV squad. 

The 23-year-old has looked eager to prove himself, and he has landed this selection in five out of seven starts this season. He failed to land this bet against Willem last time out, but Meerdink managed five shots in that match, which shows how he was still picking up promising positions.

Wilson Isidor is expected to lead the Sunderland attack midweek, to afford Brian Brobbey a rest. Regis Le Bris will have to rotate more this season, which will provide Isidor with more opportunities to shine. 

The Frenchman has only started once this season, which was against Hull in the EFL Cup, and he recorded three efforts in that match. Prior to that, Isidor featured briefly off the bench against Brentford and Fulham, but he still managed to register multiple shots in both of those matches.

Isidor even found the back of the net against Fulham, which ended up being the winner. The striker wasn’t a regular starter last season either, but he still averaged 3.23 shots per 90 across all competitions.

Ro-Zangelo Daal has been one of AZ’s standout performers during the opening weeks of the campaign. The winger has bagged five goals from only seven starts across all competitions, recording at least one shot in all of those matches, and multiple efforts in five. 

Daal is expected to start on the left wing for AZ midweek, and this is an excellent opportunity for the 21-year-old to really announce himself. Being right-footed, Daal is always looking to cut inside onto his stronger right foot, to create favourable shooting angles. Even with Sunderland expected to dominate possession on home turf, AZ should still be able to carve out chances on the counter, and Daal is one of their primary outlets.

AZ’s matches have generally been quite entertaining to watch this season, with the Dutch side averaging 20.0 shots per game in the league.

That has translated to 9.2 corners per match. They like to utilise width through their wingers, while their fullbacks are also encouraged to get forward and overlap. If they stick with similar tactics at the Stadium of Light, we should get quite an open contest. 

Sunderland should also play much more positively than they did against Arsenal. The Black Cats have only ever competed once in Europe, so this is a massive occasion for them - the home atmosphere should be electric which will energise the players.

AZ have made an excellent start to their domestic campaign, picking up 16 points from six Eredivisie matches, with 17 goals scored. The Dutch side are currently level on points with Feyenoord at the top of the table, only behind on goal difference, highlighting their excellent form.

Sunderland’s recent results have been more mixed, as they failed to score against Arsenal on Saturday, but they still created good opportunities and were awarded a penalty, which was missed by Enzo Le Fee. Prior to that defeat, the Black Cats had scored against Ipswich, Fulham and Brentford in their opening three league matches. Regis Le Bris’ side will fancy their chances on home turf, but keeping AZ at bay could prove challenging.

Coventry and Aston Villa have both made difficult starts to the season, but I think the visitors can avoid defeat inside 90 minutes in Wednesday night’s EFL Cup third round tie. 

Unai Emery’s side are still searching for their first Premier League win after collecting just one point from a possible 12 so far.

However, they did claim an eye-catching 3-2 victory away at Club Brugge in the Champions League last week.

Villa’s new-look squad remains a work in progress, but even if Emery makes changes to his starting XI, he should still be able to name a side capable of causing Coventry problems.

Confidence is likely to be low in the Sky Blues camp, with Frank Lampard’s side losing all four of their opening Premier League matches and suffering their heaviest defeat yet in Sunday’s 5-0 hammering at home to Brighton. 

Villa may also be struggling for form, but their greater quality can tell here and I’m backing the visitors on the double chance.

This looks like one of the most even games of the night on paper with both sides coming into this game having avoided defeat in each of their last five matches across all competitions.

Milan have seen BTTS in four of these games, most recently coming from two goals down to earn a point against Lazio. Their only clean sheet so far this term came against a Venezia side who have lost all four of their matches in Serie A this term, netting just four goals.

Benfica have avoided defeat in each of their last 12 matches, winning each of their last five ahead of this clash. They’ve seen BTTS in three of these games, and also saw BTTS in each of their final four qualifying matches to reach the Europa League.

This looks like one of the most even games of the night on paper with both sides coming into this game having avoided defeat in each of their last five matches across all competitions.

Milan have seen BTTS in four of these games, most recently coming from two goals down to earn a point against Lazio. Their only clean sheet so far this term came against a Venezia side who have lost all four of their matches in Serie A this term, netting just four goals.

Benfica have avoided defeat in each of their last 12 matches, winning each of their last five ahead of this clash. They’ve seen BTTS in three of these games, and also saw BTTS in each of their final four qualifying matches to reach the Europa League.

Sturm Graz come into this midweek clash after handing LASK their first loss of the season - that game finished 2-1 at the weekend.

Despite a stuttering start to the campaign, that was a massive result for Sturm Graz, and they should be full of confidence here. They are priced as pre-match underdogs, but the Austrian side will fancy their chances of at least finding the back of the net on home turf - they have managed that in all five matches this season so far. 

Rennes have been excellent this season, boasting the record of three wins and one draw from their opening four Ligue matches. The only draw came against PSG, as that game finished 2-2. Rennes have scored eight goals in their opening four games, but they have also conceded five.

AZ have made an excellent start to their domestic campaign, picking up 16 points from six Eredivisie matches, with 17 goals scored. The Dutch side are currently level on points with Feyenoord at the top of the table, only behind on goal difference, highlighting their excellent form.

Sunderland’s recent results have been more mixed, as they failed to score against Arsenal on Saturday, but they still created good opportunities and were awarded a penalty, which was missed by Enzo Le Fee. Prior to that defeat, the Black Cats had scored against Ipswich, Fulham and Brentford in their opening three league matches. Regis Le Bris’ side will fancy their chances on home turf, but keeping AZ at bay could prove challenging.

I expect Unai Emery to rotate his side for this EFL Cup clash, which should see Tammy Abraham come into the starting eleven having had limited opportunities so far with the signing of Nicolas Jackson.

Abraham only played 279 minutes of action in the Premier League last season, but did score two goals across these minutes. He took nine shots in total (2.90 per 90) and can offer a threat to this Coventry backline, who conceded five goals against Brighton last time out.

Abraham should have a point to prove as Unai Emery’s second choice striker at the moment, and Coventry have enough gaps in their backline for the former Chelsea forward to profit. He scored seven goals across 15 starts during his final season in Turkiye, averaging 1.15 shots on target per 90. 

Mason-Clark took three shots against Brighton last time out, seeing two of these efforts find the target.

His performance in that game reflects Coventry’s displays overall so far this season, Lampard’s side are creating chances but lack a clinical edge to make the most of the promising situations they find themselves in. 

I like Mason-Clark for an effort on target here due to how Unai Emery sets up his side. Villa play with a very high line in an attempt to catch out the opposition with the offside trap, but Mason-Clark has the speed to beat this if he times his runs correctly.

Mason-Clark scored 10 goals in the Championship for Coventry last season, averaging 0.96 shots on target per 90. 

McGinn is elite when it comes to winning fouls and his numbers so far this season don’t disappoint, with the Scot drawing 13 fouls across his four starts in the Premier League this term (3.32 per 90).

McGinn’s ability to win fouls mainly comes down to just how good he is at shielding the ball, and using his body to anticipate contact and sometimes even fool the referee when dropping down to the ground.

McGinn’s record when it comes to winning fouls is remarkably consistent, he drew 48 fouls across his 28 starts in the Premier League last year (2.00 per 90), also maintaining a similar average the season prior.

Coventry and Aston Villa have both made difficult starts to the season, but I think the visitors can avoid defeat inside 90 minutes in Wednesday night’s EFL Cup third round tie. 

Unai Emery’s side are still searching for their first Premier League win after collecting just one point from a possible 12 so far.

However, they did claim an eye-catching 3-2 victory away at Club Brugge in the Champions League last week.

Villa’s new-look squad remains a work in progress, but even if Emery makes changes to his starting XI, he should still be able to name a side capable of causing Coventry problems.

Confidence is likely to be low in the Sky Blues camp, with Frank Lampard’s side losing all four of their opening Premier League matches and suffering their heaviest defeat yet in Sunday’s 5-0 hammering at home to Brighton. 

Villa may also be struggling for form, but their greater quality can tell here and I’m backing the visitors on the double chance.

This tends to be quite an entertaining matchup, four of the last five head to head clashes - all taking place since 2024 - have seen BTTS, with both meetings between the sides at Old Trafford last season seeing goals at both ends.

United have real issues defensively having failed to improve their backline over the summer transfer window. This has left them with an ageing backline, that is composed of the same personnel who lined up under Erik Ten Hag.

Brighton have started the season quite well, scoring more goals than any other side in the Premier League and seeing BTTS in two of their four matches. They’ll be optimistic of their chances against United, resulting in an open game which should see goals at both ends.

Benjamin Sesko has had to be patient for his chances in a United shirt so far this season following the injury he picked up in the pre-season campaign which has seen Carrick be quite careful when deploying the forward.

He’s impressed me when he has featured, with goals against Everton and Sabah across recent matches. What always stands out with Sesko is his shot volume, he took 61 shots across 17 starts in the Premier League last season (3.36 per 90), seeing 34 of these attempts find the target (1.87 per 90). 

United have had their issues defensively so far this season, but they’ve still been creating chances with consistency and have the creative quality to pick out Sesko on at least two occasions.  

Yasin Ayari is a player that I have been watching keenly for a while and he’s developed into a really impressive midfielder who has started the season well for Brighton.

Ayari has committed two fouls across his three starts in the Premier League so far this season, after committing 24 fouls across 20 starts in the top flight last term (1.12 fouls committed per 90).

Ayari will line up against a midfield duo of Mainoo and Tielemans who are both very strong when it comes to winning fouls. Mainoo has won five fouls across three starts already this term, while Tielemans has been hauled down on seven occasions across four starts.

I really like Senne Lammens and think he has been unfairly criticised at the start of this season. 

He’s had to make 10 saves across his four Premier League matches so far (2.50 per 90) and will be tested by a Brighton side who have scored more goals than any other side in the Premier League so far.

Lammens was also forced into making 79 saves last season (2.47 per 90) with a save percentage of 66.9%. Lammens made two saves when these sides last met, with United coming away 3-0 winners on that occasion.

Patrik Walemark has been one of Lech Poznan’s best players this season, registering 10 goal contributions across 14 starts - including netting four goals across three starts for Lech Poznan during their qualifying campaign.

Walemark took six shots across those three starts (1.92 per 90), which is a record that is supported by his record domestically at the start of this campaign - Walemark has taken 16 shots across his six starts in the Ekstraklasa, working out to an average of 2.91 shots per 90.

Crystal Palace are still adapting to the style and demands of Pierre Sage, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Lech Poznan have some chances in this Europa League clash. 

Walemark’s record in Europe and domestically makes the 1.80 on offer for him to have 2+ shots here a really attractive price, he’s also available at 2.0 for a shot on target if you were looking at another way to back the 24-year-old here.

I’m really surprised to see Nijmegen priced at 10/1 outsiders to claim all three points here, I do make Juventus favourites - but not by that margin, making BTTS an appealing angle to look at.

Nijmegen enjoyed a really positive season last year, finishing third in the Eredivisie and seeing BTTS more often than any other side across Europe’s top five divisions. This outcome is a result of Nijmegen being very bold in their approach, sending floods of players forward as often as possible.

Juventus have seen BTTS in each of their last two matches ahead of this clash, conceding three goals against Sassuolo last time out. Nijmegen have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last five matches, seeing BTTS in three of these games. 

This is Bournemouth’s first ever experience of a European competition, so it may take the club some time to adapt to the standard and demands of European football - though we have seen the Premier League sides dominate this competition in recent seasons.

Bournemouth’s style of play hasn’t changed that much under Marco Rose, with the German boss wanting his side to press quite high and play with intensity - which are traits that Iraola had already installed in this Bournemouth side prior to his departure from the club to join Liverpool.

Bournemouth have seen BTTS in four of their last five matches, only keeping a clean sheet against Lincoln in the EFL Cup during this spell. They travel to a Real Sociedad side who have also only kept one clean sheet across their last five matches, seeing BTTS in three of these games. 

Marseille have endured quite a poor start to the campaign, most recently losing 1-0 to Rennes on the road as they attempt to shift away from the direction set for the club by Roberto De Zerbi, who is now at Tottenham.

Marseille have only kept one clean sheet so far this season, with that shutout coming against Strasbourg - they have lost the three games since that victory, conceding 2+ goals in two of these matches. 

Besiktas enter this clash in better form having won each of their last three matches, seeing BTTS in two of these games. They’ve only kept one clean sheet across their last five games, which is a record that should encourage Marseille. 

Besiktas only lost four games at home domestically last season, but did concede 20 goals across their 17 matches and this opening game of their Europa League campaign looks good for goals at both ends. 

Both sides carry plenty of threat going forward, but neither has looked convincing at the back of late.

Celtic come into this clash after a bruising 3-0 Old Firm defeat in the Scottish League Cup on Sunday. 

That means 6 of the hosts' 8 domestic matches this season have broken the over 2.5 goal barrier, along with both legs of their Champions League play-off against LASK Linz.

I think the Hoops have enough firepower to clear the over 2.5 goal line single-handedly here, but Ferencvaros should contribute too. 

The Hungarian heavyweights have scored at least twice in each of their last four domestic fixtures and beat Trabzonspor 5-0 on aggregate to reach the league phase. 

What’s more, 4 of the visitors’ opening six league games have featured over 2.5 goals, so the same selection looks worth supporting at Celtic Park.

I’m expecting a big response from Celtic after Sunday’s 3-0 hammering by Rangers. 

With the Parkhead crowd demanding a reaction, the Hoops should come flying out of the traps, making them worth backing to earn 6+ corners on Thursday night.

Moreover, Celtic have long been strong corner performers, and this season has been no different. 

Indeed, Martin O’Neill's men have averaged a whopping 9.67 corners per game in the Scottish Premiership this term, clearing the 6+ line in every match. 

Celtic also racked up 8 corners at home to LASK Linz in the first leg of their Champions League play-off.

Ferencvaros had to defend 7 flag kicks away at Trabzonspor in their Europa League play-off tie, and I expect Celtic to keep them just as busy at Parkhead.

Haissem Hassan looks well placed to attempt 2+ shots against Ferencvaros on Thursday night.

The Egyptian is very direct and needs little invitation to try his luck when an opening presents itself. 

He has started each of Celtic’s last three Scottish Premiership matches and racked up 10 shots across those games, attempting at least 2 on each occasion.

Hassan also got a shot away after coming off the bench against Rangers on Sunday, cutting in from the right wing and letting fly with his preferred left foot, as he so often does.

He looks likely to return to the starting XI on Thursday night and should give the Ferencvaros back line plenty to think about.

The Hungarian side conceded 24 shots away at Trabzonspor in their Europa League play-off tie, which only strengthens the case for Hassan to pull the trigger at least twice.

Camilo Duran has been the standout performer among Celtic's summer signings so far, and I'm backing him to score or assist against Ferencvaros on Thursday night.

Duran is clinical in front of goal, capable of a moment of magic from distance, and has already proven he can turn provider too.

That is underlined by the fact that the Colombian has already racked up an impressive 6 goals and 3 assists in 10 appearances for Celtic across all competitions.

His most eye-catching display came in Celtic's last European home game, when he struck twice against LASK Linz in a Champions League first leg play-off tie.

Ferencvaros have failed to keep a clean sheet in 2 of their last 3 Hungarian league games, so the Hoops ace looks a prime candidate to have a hand in a goal at Parkhead.

Crystal Palace are clearly still adapting to the style and demands of Pierre Sage, but should have an opportunity to gain some momentum and confidence here as they kick off their Europa League campaign.

One thing which has become quite obvious over the last few years is just how strong the Premier League sides are in the Europa League and Conference League. Palace obviously won the Conference League last season, so they now have European experience which will aid them in the Europa League and I can only see their home games going one way.

Lech Poznan have done very well to qualify for the Europa League, but this does look like an uphill battle for a side that competed in the Conference League last year - and lost to Gornik Zabrze over the weekend, hindering their preparations for this clash.

I’m really surprised to see Nijmegen priced at 10/1 outsiders to claim all three points here, I do make Juventus favourites - but not by that margin, making BTTS an appealing angle to look at.

Nijmegen enjoyed a really positive season last year, finishing third in the Eredivisie and seeing BTTS more often than any other side across Europe’s top five divisions. This outcome is a result of Nijmegen being very bold in their approach, sending floods of players forward as often as possible.

Juventus have seen BTTS in each of their last two matches ahead of this clash, conceding three goals against Sassuolo last time out. Nijmegen have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last five matches, seeing BTTS in three of these games. 

This tends to be a really entertaining encounter, each of the last five head to head meetings between the sides at Old Trafford has seen BTTS & Over 2.5 Goals, with Brighton notably winning all of these games.

The most recent meeting between the sides at Old Trafford was in the FA Cup earlier this year, with Brighton coming away 2-1 winners on that occasion and both sides boasting a healthy xG (1.30-1.24).

Brighton have scored more goals than any other side in the Premier League so far this season, most recently hitting five against Coventry without reply. They saw BTTS in both league games before that victory against Leeds and Chelsea, seeing BTTS & Over 2.5 goals against the latter.

United have only kept one clean sheet so far this season, with that shut out coming against Sabah in the Champions League. I can’t see them keeping Brighton out, but they do have the firepower to cause issues at the opposite end.

Hoffenheim picked up their first Bundesliga win of the season last weekend, coming away with a 2-1 win against Stuttgart. After a difficult start, that result should provide some much-needed confidence ahead of this Europa League clash. The German side face Crete, and they come into this one as heavy favourites. 

Crete actually finished sixth in the Greek Super League last season, but they qualified to the competition after winning the Greek Cup. On paper, Hoffenheim have a much stronger side than Crete, so they will be confident that they can kick off their European campaign with a win. Hoffenheim finished fifth in the Bundesliga last season, and they will hope to re-discover those levels and kick on.

This is Bournemouth’s first ever experience of a European competition, so it may take the club some time to adapt to the standard and demands of European football - though we have seen the Premier League sides dominate this competition in recent seasons.

Bournemouth’s style of play hasn’t changed that much under Marco Rose, with the German boss wanting his side to press quite high and play with intensity - which are traits that Iraola had already installed in this Bournemouth side prior to his departure from the club to join Liverpool.

Bournemouth have seen BTTS in four of their last five matches, only keeping a clean sheet against Lincoln in the EFL Cup during this spell. They travel to a Real Sociedad side who have also only kept one clean sheet across their last five matches, seeing BTTS in three of these games. 

Crystal Palace tasted defeat for the third time in the Premier League this season, even though we are only four games into the season. This time they did at least manage to find the back of the net twice, but the main concern has been their defensive structure. The Eagles have leaked chances, and have conceded at least twice in all four league matches up until this point. 

Lech Poznan will see that record, and be hopeful that they can cause an upset. The Polish side have been in better domestic form than Palace, picking up nine points from their opening four league games, with seven goals scored in that time. Over 2.5 goals has landed in three of their matches so far. 

Both sides carry plenty of threat going forward, but neither has looked convincing at the back of late.

Celtic come into this clash after a bruising 3-0 Old Firm defeat in the Scottish League Cup on Sunday. 

That means 6 of the hosts' 8 domestic matches this season have broken the over 2.5 goal barrier, along with both legs of their Champions League play-off against LASK Linz.

I think the Hoops have enough firepower to clear the over 2.5 goal line single-handedly here, but Ferencvaros should contribute too. 

The Hungarian heavyweights have scored at least twice in each of their last four domestic fixtures and beat Trabzonspor 5-0 on aggregate to reach the league phase. 

What’s more, 4 of the visitors’ opening six league games have featured over 2.5 goals, so the same selection looks worth supporting at Celtic Park.

Tavernier’s data so far this season is superb. He’s already netted three Premier League goals and averaged a hefty 2.06 shots on target per 90, which comes from averaging some good shot volume at 3.34 per 90 minutes.

He’s developed into a top level attacking threat, willing to take on strikes from range as well as crashing the box late.

Tavernier also takes free-kicks from Bournemouth and will have a go from nearly any distance and angle.

Sociedad haven’t been great defensively this season and have allowed opponents an average of 14.83 shots per 90 minutes.

Sociedad have excelled in the corner markets so far this season. They’ve averaged 7.67 per match, rising to 9.00 when playing at home.

They’ve had at least seven corners in all of their home games so far. We only need four here.

Bournemouth do ship a few, too. They’ve conceded at least four in each of their Premier League away matches and have conceded an average of five per match, rising to six when playing away from home.

The hosts will try and keep hold of the ball and build chances, so they should see some sustained spells of pressure that lead to corners.

Probably not a player you think of right away when you’re looking for someone to draw fouls, but Adam Smith has been excellent at this so far this season.

The 35 year-old right-back has been fouled six times, an average of 1.50 per 90 minutes in the Premier League, making him Bournemouth’s third most fouled player.

He’s been fouled in three out of four matches and drew three against Manchester City on opening day.

He’s also very consistent for minutes. He’s played every second of Bournemouth’s Premier League campaign up to this point.

Bournemouth are exceptional going forward, but have become a side associated with letting leads slip and conceding soft goals.

BTTS has landed in each of their four Premier League matches so far, so this selection has of course landed in all too - and three of those matches have seen over 2.5 goals, with each of their last two finishing 2-2.

Sociedad Matches have seen an average of 2.63 goals in La Liga, with four of their six paying out on over 1.5 goals. Their last two have seen eight match goals scored.

Obviously, Palace are heavy favourites at around 1.40 in most places, but Lech will cause them some problems.

I’ve been woefully unimpressed with The Eagles so far this season and they did have some struggles early on in their Conference League campaign last season.

They lost to Larnaca in the league phase and drew with Finnish minnows KuPS and squeezed past Larnaca again in the knockouts, similarly with Zrinjski.

Walermark has averaged just shy of three shots per 90 minutes domestically and has been in excellent form in Europe, including netting twice in just 36 minutes in the 7-0 drubbing of Thun.

Walemark has a lovely left-foot and likes an effort from range, he’s also an option for direct free-kicks.

With the arrival of Quentin Timber, Kamada has stepped forward into more of a number 10 role for Palace, and he’s been brilliant.

We’re in this for fouls drawn so let’s look at those numbers. The Japanese international has drawn an average of 1.54 fouls per 90 minutes in the Premier League.

He’s drawn at least one foul in every game he’s played this season, even when playing just 32 minutes in the cup against Middlesbrough.

He drew 1.33 fouls per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season and 1.53 in the Conference League.

Timber has slotted in nicely to the Palace midfield and I think that signing has definitely improved them, as Kamada is better in the support role than the likes of Nketiah.

Timber has drawn an average of 2.22 fouls per 90 minutes in his brief stint in the Premier League, he’s been fouled five times across three appearances. He also drew a foul in the 45 minutes he played for Marseille this season.

Timber drew 1.63 fouls per 90 minutes for Marseille last season and his prior seasons in France and Holland he drew - 1.03, 1.74, 1.96, 1.43 and 1.65, spanning his seasons across top flight football.

The Spanish midfielder committed a foul in both legs of the games against AGF and Thun. He did blank against Klaksvik, but that was somewhat of a non-contest as Poznan dominated their weaker opponents.

Rodriguez’s position of course matches him up against the aforementioned midfielders in Timber and Kamada, who have drawn an average of 3.76 fouls per 90 between them. There’s also Adam Wharton, who’s drawn 2.11 per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season.

It’ll be a tough evening for Rodriguez, I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes over this line.