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Peterborough to score v Luton

Peterborough have scored in five of their six matches under Robbie Savage so far, netting multiple goals in three of these games.

The only side to keep them out since Savage took over was Bradford in the EFL Cup during the week, who have the best defensive record of any side in League One - conceding just five goals across 12 matches. 

Peterborough still managed to register 16 shots and xG of 1.21 despite not scoring, with those underlying numbers being a result of Robbie Savage’s expansive style of play.

Luton have been just as exciting to watch in League One this term, but have sacrificed defensive security as a result - keeping just one clean sheet across their 12 matches and conceding an xG of 14.0 across these games.

Luton have conceded 13 goals across their five away matches in League One this term - only three sides in the division, including Peterborough, have conceded more goals on the road than Jack Wilshere’s side.

Brighton to Score v City 

Brighton scored twice against City in the EFL Cup during the week at the Etihad, coming away with more shots (17-13) and a higher xG than their opponents (2.03-0.76).

Man City obviously rotated quite a bit for that game, but their defensive issues have carried across a few matches now - with Maresca’s side conceding in each of their last five games, conceding multiple goals in four of these matches.

Man City have played Bournemouth, Coventry, Sunderland and Ipswich at home this season in the Premier League and have only kept a clean sheet in one of those games. That came against a Coventry side who still managed 12 shots and forced Donnarumma into making three saves with an xG prevented of 1.76.

No side has scored more goals than Brighton in the Premier League this season (23 - 2.88 per game), and that scoring power stays consistent on the road with Brighton scoring ten goals across their four away games. 

Again, no side in the Premier League can better that tally on the road, so Brighton have clearly been one of the best attacking sides in the English top flight so far this season. 

Bournemouth have been in excellent form going forward, scoring 14 goals in their last five matches alone. That includes three successive 3-0 victories against Aston Villa, AC Milan and Man United. Marco Rose’s men seem to be playing with much more confidence recently, and their front line is firing. They have cleared this line on their own in four of their last five games. 

Leeds haven’t quite been as expansive, but this selection landed in both league meetings last season. It finished 2-2 at the Vitality Stadium, and 2-2 in the reverse fixture at Elland Road. Once again, another even encounter is expected at the weekend.

Man City have won six of their eight home matches across all competitions this season, and their recent games have been exciting to watch.

Over 3.5 goals has landed in five successive matches at the Etihad Stadium, with both teams finding the back of the net in all of those. Ipswich and Sunderland combined for a total of five goals in Manchester, while AEK Athens also scored against City in the Champions League. 

The Seagulls found plenty of success in Manchester midweek, recording 17 shots of which six hit the target. They were unfortunate to lose out on penalties in the end, but will be confident of causing problems again in the final third.

Robbie Savage’s early tenure at Peterborough has gone exactly as you’d expect with the former Forest Green boss opting for quite an expansive style of football which has produced goals at both ends.

Peterborough have seen BTTS in five of the six matches that Savage has taken charge of, with the exception of their EFL Cup defeat to Bradford during the week - where they still generated an xG of 1.21 from 16 shots.

Luton also want to play on the front foot under Jack Wilshere, and they come into this clash having seen BTTS in each of their last five matches and no side in League One has seen more goals per game than Luton (3.67).

I’m also expecting Hamilton to get back on track in Scottish League One by getting the better of Montrose on Saturday.

Darian McKinnon’s men should return home in high spirits after coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw in Dingwall on Tuesday night, keeping them level on points with Ross County at the top of the table.

The Accies have won all six of their home league games this season and will fancy their chances of extending that sequence against a Montrose side they thumped 5-0 away from home earlier in the campaign.

While the visitors moved up to third place with last week’s 3-0 home win over Peterhead, they have found points harder to come by on their travels this term.

Indeed, Stuart Petrie’s side have already lost on the road at Airdrie, Alloa and Ross County this season, and I expect the Gable Endies to suffer the same fate in South Lanarkshire.

I think Ross County can return to winning ways in Scottish League One by defeating East Kilbride on Saturday.

The Staggies saw their six-game winning streak in the third tier come to an end on Tuesday night, when title rivals Hamilton held them to a 1-1 draw.

However, Stuart Kettlewell’s side remain top of the table and are still unbeaten in the league, having won 10 of their opening 12 matches of the season.

County have also won five of their six away games, including each of their last three.

It is also worth pointing out that the league leaders thrashed East Kilbride 4-0 at home in this season’s reverse fixture.

As for Mick Kennedy’s men, they have won just one of their last four league games at home, which strengthens the case for backing County to claim maximum points at K Park.

Southampton boast the strongest home record of any side in the Championship this season, winning five of their six matches at St Mary’s and only dropping points in a 0-0 draw against Bolton - where they had 14 shots and generated an xG of 2.19 with 62% possession.

QPR have won two of their six matches on the road in the Championship this term, with those victories coming very early on in the campaign against Portsmouth and Blackburn. They’ve struggled more recently on the road, notably losing 3-0 to Birmingham in their last away assignment.

Southampton have only conceded four goals across their six home games, which could be the point of difference between these sides. Only Swansea (3) have conceded fewer goals at home than Southampton in the Championship this term, and with three clean sheets from their last four games - QPR could struggle to get on the scoresheet.

There’s quite a clear disparity between these sides when it comes to their goalscoring numbers - West Ham have scored double the number of goals than West Brom in the Championship this season.

No side has scored more goals than West Ham in the Championship (32) and it is this scoring power that sets them apart from most of the sides in the division. They have six players who have scored at least three goals in the Championship this season, showing that they aren’t just reliant on Bowen - who has six goals.

West Brom have only scored seven goals across their six away matches in the Championship this season. They’ve tended to struggle against the better sides in the division, despite remaining quite consistent overall - losing to Middlesbrough and Wolves already this term.

Roma are one of only three sides in Serie A who are yet to lose a game, winning six of their nine matches and scoring the second most goals of any side (23), behind league leaders Inter (25).

Udinese are one of only three sides in the Italian top flight who are yet to win a game at home, losing four of their five matches in front of their own fans. 

The main concern for Udinese is that they’ve only managed to score two goals across these games - the joint lowest of any side at home in Serie A this term. 

Roma have won two and drawn two of their four away assignments in Serie A, with those draws coming against Napoli and Como. They’ve scored nine goals across these games as well, which is a scoring power that Udinese simply can’t match.

Udinese have lost six of their last seven matches ahead of this clash, only claiming a point against a Parma side who are struggling towards the bottom of the table as well in a 0-0 draw.

Betis have been really impressive at home in LaLiga this season, winning four of their five matches in front of their own fans.

The only side to beat them at home domestically this season has been Barcelona, who simply outscored Manuel Pellegrini’s side, and Betis still did well to score twice despite dropping down to 10 men in the second half of that clash.

Malaga have really struggled on their return to the Spanish top flight, failing to win any of their 10 matches and sitting rock bottom of the table. They’ve conceded 19 goals across these games, only three sides in the division have a weaker backline than the away side here.

Malaga’s firepower on the road is particularly alarming. They’ve only scored twice across five away matches, leaving them vulnerable against sides like Betis. They’ve struggled against the more established side in LaLiga, losing to nil against both Madrid sides and conceding five to Real Sociedad a few weeks ago.

Robbie Savage’s early tenure at Peterborough has gone exactly as you’d expect with the former Forest Green boss opting for quite an expansive style of football which has produced goals at both ends.

Peterborough have seen BTTS in five of the six matches that Savage has taken charge of, with the exception of their EFL Cup defeat to Bradford during the week - where they still generated an xG of 1.21 from 16 shots.

Luton also want to play on the front foot under Jack Wilshere, and they come into this clash having seen BTTS in each of their last five matches and no side in League One has seen more goals per game than Luton (3.67).

These sides have met twice already this year with BTTS landing in both matches as Stuttgart came away 3-1 and 4-1 winners.

Leverkusen may get a bit more joy here given that Stuttgart have only managed to win two of their opening seven Bundesliga matches, but their games have still been seeing plenty of goals with 23 in total so far (3.29 per game).

Neither of these sides have been good at keeping clean sheets in the early stages of the Bundesliga season. Stuttgart have kept just one shutout across their seven games, conceding an xG of 17.5 - which is the second highest xG against in the Bundesliga behind Augsburg (19.6).

Stuttgart’s early season slump is not that alarming to me, especially when considering that they’re competing in the Champions League this season - which will have had an effect on their domestic performances.

They still have the firepower to get on the scoresheet against this Leverkusen side, who have only kept out two sides in the Bundesliga this term.

Robbie Savage’s early tenure at Peterborough has gone exactly as you’d expect with the former Forest Green boss opting for quite an expansive style of football which has produced goals at both ends.

Peterborough have seen BTTS in five of the six matches that Savage has taken charge of, with the exception of their EFL Cup defeat to Bradford during the week - where they still generated an xG of 1.21 from 16 shots.

Luton also want to play on the front foot under Jack Wilshere, and they come into this clash having seen BTTS in each of their last five matches and no side in League One has seen more goals per game than Luton (3.67).

Stockport are flying at the moment. I backed them as part of my Early 26/27 Outright to be promoted and they look on course to achieve that, sitting second in the division and notably winning four of their six home matches.

Wimbledon have really struggled on the road this season, winning just one of their six away assignments. The real worry for Wimbledon here is their scoring power, they've only scored five goals across these games - only four sides in League One have scored fewer goals on the road than Wimbledon this term.

Stockport also have Kyle Wootton leading the line, who has been in great form in the early stages of the season. He's netted nine goals across his 13 starts, which is more than any other player in League One this term.

Monza's away games have been full of action this season, with both teams scoring in all five of them.

Their attack has been the main highlight so far.

They've scored in every Serie A game, while Gustavo Varela is the league's top scorer with eight goals in eight games.

The problem is their defence.

Monza have conceded 22 goals this season, and only Sassuolo have let in as many as that.

Away from home, they're letting in an average of 2.8 goals per game.

Bologna have been struggling defensively at home too, conceding in all four games and averaging 1.64 xGA.

On the other hand, their attack has been getting better.

They've scored 10 goals in their last five league games, including a 4-2 win over Milan, with Samuel Mbangula grabbing a hat-trick.

With both attacks in good form and neither defence looking particularly solid, there's a good chance we'll see goals at both ends here.

Werder Bremen have seen both teams score in all seven Bundesliga games this season and average seven shots on target per game, the 2nd-highest in the league.

They've also got the league's top scorer, Niclas Füllkrug, who's scored eight goals in seven games. 

He showed once again that he can cause problems even for strong defences, scoring twice against Dortmund in the German Cup in midweek.

Hoffenheim have been looking dangerous going forward too, averaging 18 shots and 1.9 xG per game.

They've scored in all three away games so far, but have also conceded seven goals, including three against Paderborn, one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league.

The defences are another big reason to fancy BTTS here.

Neither side has been particularly good at keeping goals out, with both conceding an average of two goals per game in the Bundesliga.

Fredrikstad have seen both teams score in their last seven league games and have conceded in 21 of their 24 Eliteserien matches this season.

At home, they've scored in 10 of their 11 games, including against Bodø/Glimt and Viking, two of the best defensive teams in the league.

Defence has been one of Fredrikstad's biggest problems, with 41 goals conceded this season and an average of 1.73 xGA per game.

Rosenborg are a real threat going forward, averaging almost two goals per game and coming into this one in great form, having scored 15 goals in their last five league matches.

Amin Chiakha has been their standout player, scoring 15 league goals and finding the net in five straight games.

Despite having one of the best defences in the league, Rosenborg are averaging 1.61 xGA away from home.

Another reason to fancy BTTS here is that Rosenborg have recently conceded against Kristiansund and Sandefjord, two of the lowest-scoring teams in the Eliteserien.

NEC Nijmegen are definitely a team to keep an eye on for BTTS this Eredivisie season, with both teams scoring in nine of their 10 league games.

They've conceded in every single league game, including against PEC Zwolle and Willem II, the two lowest-scoring teams in the competition.

Away from home, NEC are averaging two goals and 1.74 xG per game, and they've even managed to score against Ajax, who have one of the best defences in the league.

Heerenveen have been looking good going forward too, scoring seven goals in their last two league games and averaging 1.63 xG this season.

Jacob Trenskow has been in great form, scoring twice in his last game and taking his tally to six league goals, making him Heerenveen's main attacking threat.

Heerenveen will need to be careful, though.

They're giving away an average of 14 shots per home game and are now facing an NEC side who might struggle to keep a clean sheet, but rarely fail to score themselves.

Bayern Munich head into this big game with the best attack in the Bundesliga, having scored 25 goals in seven matches.

Their numbers at home are even more impressive, with 18 goals in just three games, an average of six per match.

Despite being so strong going forward, Bayern have conceded in their last six games in all competitions, including against Augsburg, Viking and even second-division Magdeburg.

Dortmund have the best defence in the Bundesliga, but they've struggled to keep clean sheets against teams with strong attacks, like Werder Bremen and Bayern themselves in the Super Cup.

The two sides met back in August in a game where both teams scored and Dortmund allowed Bayern 21 shots.

The good news for Dortmund is that they've got Guirassy, who scored seven goals in all competitions and has been their biggest attacking threat, helping the team average 1.65 xG in the Bundesliga.

The last five meetings between Bayern and Dortmund have all seen goals at both ends, and with both attacks looking dangerous lately, BTTS looks like a great option here.

Saturday night’s Milan derby at the San Siro has all the makings of an entertaining encounter, and I’m backing both teams to score.

There has been an uptick in goals across Serie A this season, and these two heavyweights have been big contributors.

Indeed, both teams have scored in six of AC Milan’s opening nine league games of the season, with Inter posting an identical record. 

Even more encouraging is the fact that AC Milan come into this clash off the back of a 4-2 home defeat to Bologna on Wednesday night, while they have beaten Atalanta 3-2 in recent weeks and drew 2-2 away at Lazio last month.

As for Inter, they have also been involved in some high-scoring contests this season, particularly against Serie A’s big hitters, defeating Napoli 3-2 and drawing 2-2 with Roma.

Even in Europe, Christian Chivu’s side have found the net in Champions League defeats to Real Madrid and Club Brugge this season, strengthening the case for each team to oblige.

Craig McLeish’s men ended a five-game losing run with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Dundee last weekend before putting another point on the board in midweek by holding Hibs to a 1-1 draw.

The Buddies also scored and created a number of opportunities in their most recent away match at Aberdeen, which should give them confidence ahead of this weekend’s meeting with a struggling Motherwell team.

Alfred Johansson’s side are in a real slump, having gone seven Scottish Premiership matches without a win, coming away empty-handed from six of those contests.

Indeed, the Steelmen’s only point during that run came in Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw away at St Johnstone, which adds weight to the case for St Mirren to make their mark at Fir Park.

Partick Thistle look well placed to maintain their place at the top of the Scottish Championship by seeing off Morton on Saturday.

The Jags hit the summit last weekend by sweeping aside Stenhousemuir 3-0 at Firhill.

Mark Wilson’s side went through the entirety of last season’s league campaign without losing at home and have yet to taste defeat in six Championship outings in front of their own supporters this term, winning four and drawing two. 

Three of those four victories saw Thistle score at least twice, and I’m expecting them to do so again against Morton.

While the Ton have won their last two league games, both victories came against Queen’s Park and Arbroath, who sit alongside them in the lower reaches of the table. This will be a much tougher test. 

What’s more, Morton have lost three of their five league games away from home this season, conceding multiple goals in each of those defeats.

I think Ross County can return to winning ways in Scottish League One by defeating East Kilbride on Saturday.

The Staggies saw their six-game winning streak in the third tier come to an end on Tuesday night, when title rivals Hamilton held them to a 1-1 draw.

However, Stuart Kettlewell’s side remain top of the table and are still unbeaten in the league, having won 10 of their opening 12 matches of the season.

County have also won five of their six away games, including each of their last three.

It is also worth pointing out that the league leaders thrashed East Kilbride 4-0 at home in this season’s reverse fixture.

As for Mick Kennedy’s men, they have won just one of their last four league games at home, which strengthens the case for backing County to claim maximum points at K Park.

I’m also expecting Hamilton to get back on track in Scottish League One by getting the better of Montrose on Saturday.

Darian McKinnon’s men should return home in high spirits after coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw in Dingwall on Tuesday night, keeping them level on points with Ross County at the top of the table.

The Accies have won all six of their home league games this season and will fancy their chances of extending that sequence against a Montrose side they thumped 5-0 away from home earlier in the campaign.

While the visitors moved up to third place with last week’s 3-0 home win over Peterhead, they have found points harder to come by on their travels this term.

Indeed, Stuart Petrie’s side have already lost on the road at Airdrie, Alloa and Ross County this season, and I expect the Gable Endies to suffer the same fate in South Lanarkshire.

Stranraer are the form team in Scottish League Two, and I think they can avoid defeat in their top-of-the-table clash with Clyde on Saturday.

The Blues are enjoying a nine-match unbeaten run in the league and have impressively taken maximum points from seven of those games.

Chris Aitken’s side have also been scoring for fun in recent months, hitting five in a win over Elgin before going one better by putting Annan to the sword 6-1.

Stair Park has long been a difficult place to visit, where Stranraer are unbeaten in their last four league games, triumphing in three of those. 

Clyde’s midweek exertions could also play into the hosts’ hands, as Darren Young’s side needed extra time and penalties to get past Penicuik in the Scottish Cup on Tuesday night.

Add in the Bully Wee’s return of just one win from five League Two away games this season, and Stranraer look worth backing on the double chance.

Adam Smith drew three fouls during Bournemouth’s 3-0 victory at Man United last weekend - no Bournemouth player drew more infringements in that game.

What the 35-year-old lacks in athleticism, he certainly makes up for with his experience, and he can be quite a difficult player to come up against. Smith is averaging 1.67 fouls drawn per 90 this season, and he has landed this selection in eight out of ten starts overall. 

Leeds have been a good side to target for committing fouls this season, and they have racked up 50 infringements in their last three games alone. That includes 14 fouls against Sunderland, 16 against Man United, and 20 against Arsenal.

Enzo Le Fee has been a magnet for drawing fouls this season, and he was fouled twice against Leeds last weekend. The Frenchman is averaging 2.4 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions this season, and he has landed this bet in six out of nine starts overall.

Le Fee is given plenty of freedom by Regis Le Bris in that advanced midfield spot, and he likes to spot around and pick up pockets of space. 

Le Fee excels at using his body to draw contact and win free-kicks in dangerous positions, and he will find duels against Caleb Yirenkyi in midfield this weekend. The Coventry midfielder is averaging 3.1 fouls per 90 across all competitions this campaign.

Ruben Dias is averaging 1.6 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, which is one of the highest figures in the City squad.

He has been an aggressive presence at the back for Enzo Maresca, who likes his centre backs to be aggressive in their duels to win possession back quickly and sustain pressure. Dias has recorded multiple infringements in five of his last six starts, with the only miss coming against PSG in that stretch. However, Dias was replaced at half-time. 

The Portuguese centre back will now have to deal with Charalampos Kostoulas, who has been fouled 11 times in his last seven starts. That is a matchup to keep an eye on.

There was no love lost for Conor Gallagher last weekend, as he took just 16 minutes to pick up a yellow card against his former club, Chelsea.

The midfielder came on to replace the injured James Maddison, and was booked shortly after for a cynical foul. With Maddison expected to miss out this weekend with a groin injury, Gallagher looks set to start. He is averaging 1.57 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, and he landed this selection in the last game he started. 

Gallagher recorded two infringements against Man United, and he will now find duels against the likes of Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada in midfield. The Palace pair have combined for 2.9 fouls drawn per 90 in the league this season.

David Affengruber averaged 1.1 fouls per 90 for Elche last season, and that figure has increased to 1.4 fouls per 90 since arriving at Fulham. He has been called for six infringements in his last three starts alone, which shows how he has taken a bit of time to adjust to life in the Premier League. 

He will have to deal with the in-form Nicolas Jackson this weekend, which promises to be a difficult assignment. Aston Villa in general have been a team to target for drawing fouls this campaign, ranking fifth in the division for total fouls suffered. Based on that, this looks like a great matchup to target Affengruber for a couple of infringements.

Stranraer are the form team in Scottish League Two, and I think they can avoid defeat in their top-of-the-table clash with Clyde on Saturday.

The Blues are enjoying a nine-match unbeaten run in the league and have impressively taken maximum points from seven of those games.

Chris Aitken’s side have also been scoring for fun in recent months, hitting five in a win over Elgin before going one better by putting Annan to the sword 6-1.

Stair Park has long been a difficult place to visit, where Stranraer are unbeaten in their last four league games, triumphing in three of those. 

Clyde’s midweek exertions could also play into the hosts’ hands, as Darren Young’s side needed extra time and penalties to get past Penicuik in the Scottish Cup on Tuesday night.

Add in the Bully Wee’s return of just one win from five League Two away games this season, and Stranraer look worth backing on the double chance.

I’m also expecting Hamilton to get back on track in Scottish League One by getting the better of Montrose on Saturday.

Darian McKinnon’s men should return home in high spirits after coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw in Dingwall on Tuesday night, keeping them level on points with Ross County at the top of the table.

The Accies have won all six of their home league games this season and will fancy their chances of extending that sequence against a Montrose side they thumped 5-0 away from home earlier in the campaign.

While the visitors moved up to third place with last week’s 3-0 home win over Peterhead, they have found points harder to come by on their travels this term.

Indeed, Stuart Petrie’s side have already lost on the road at Airdrie, Alloa and Ross County this season, and I expect the Gable Endies to suffer the same fate in South Lanarkshire.

Man City have won six of their eight home matches across all competitions this season, and their recent games have been exciting to watch.

Over 3.5 goals has landed in five successive matches at the Etihad Stadium, with both teams finding the back of the net in all of those. Ipswich and Sunderland combined for a total of five goals in Manchester, while AEK Athens also scored against City in the Champions League. 

The Seagulls found plenty of success in Manchester midweek, recording 17 shots of which six hit the target. They were unfortunate to lose out on penalties in the end, but will be confident of causing problems again in the final third.

Brighton have made a strong start to the Premier League season, boasting the record of five wins, one draw and two losses from their eight games so far, putting them just five points behind both Arsenal and Man City.

Despite that, the Seagulls have one of the worst disciplinary records in the division, and they have landed this selection in seven of their eight league matches. That includes picking up two yellow cards against Liverpool last weekend, despite having 65% possession at Anfield, and four yellows against Arsenal back in September. 

Brighton landed this selection midweek as well, as Michael Svobody, Lewis Dunk and Mats Wieffer were all booked.

Chema Andres committed two fouls against Liverpool last weekend before being replaced after 54 minutes. The Spaniard missed out midweek, but his injury was confirmed to only be minor, so there is confidence around the Brighton camp that he will return this weekend.

Andres has adapted seamlessly to life under Fabian Hurzeler, and Brighton have won four of the five matches he has started. In that time, Andres has picked up two bookings, and he has recorded multiple infringements in all five. 

He is averaging 2.57 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, which shows how he likes to get stuck into duels, and he usually has plenty of work to do in Brighton’s midfield.

Andres will be primarily up against Rayan Cherki in midfield, but Jeremy Doku should also occupy a similar zone of the field as Andres. Those two are likely to find duels in transition, or when the Belgian international cuts inside. 

Doku was fouled four times against Aston Villa last weekend, taking his average to 3.8 fouls drawn per 90 this season.

The winger has established himself as one of the toughest players in the Premier League to contain in one-on-one scenarios, and he is always looking to be positive. Given that Brighton are averaging 12.4 fouls per game in the league this season, it looks like a favourable matchup to back this selection.

Yasin Ayari went closest to scoring for Brighton at Anfield last weekend, and the Swedish international was guilty of missing a huge chance in the first-half to give his side the lead. Ayari almost atoned for his mistake soon after, but was denied by the post.

He finished the game with three shots meaning he has landed this selection in all seven Premier League starts this season. 

Ayari started against Man City midweek in a defensive midfield position, but he still landed this selection with ease, finishing the match with four shots. He is likely to return to a more advanced role this weekend, making him a target for shots once again.

Bournemouth have found their feet after a tough start to the Premier League season, and they come into this match having won each of their last five matches across all competitions. They are not short of talent in the final third, and Ryan Christie perhaps goes under the radar as a player who poses a threat going forward. 

The Scottish international is averaging 3.15 shots per 90 across all competitions this campaign, which is one of the highest figures in the Bournemouth squad. Even last season, he had an average of 2.12 shots per 90 across all competitions, rising to 3.09 when playing at the Vitality Stadium.

Brandon Thomas-Asante is averaging 2.2 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, making him one of Coventry’s main threats in the final third.

The winger likes to be direct when he receives possession, looking to move inside rather than staying out wide. Frank Lampard has used Thomas-Asante on the left wing, right wing and through the centre, which highlights his versatility and importance in forward areas. 

Sunderland are conceding an average of 12.5 shots per game across all competitions this season, rising steeply to 14.3 when playing away. The Black Cats haven’t been too convincing on their travels this campaign, so Thomas-Asante should find chances here.

Fabian Hurzeler opted for rotation midweek, so Charalampos Kostoulas was completely left out of the squad. The Greek international has had a week to rest and prepare for this fixture, and he registered four shots against Liverpool last weekend.

One of those efforts hit the target, meaning Kostoulas has landed this selection against Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United this season. He thrives in tougher matchups. 

Brighton found plenty of success going forward against Man City midweek, And Georginio Rutter recorded five shots, of which four hit the target. Kostoulas will likely lead the line this weekend, and based on those numbers from Rutter, he has every reason to be looking forward to this game.

Sandro Tonali accounted for two of Tottenham’s 15 shots against Chelsea last weekend, taking his average to 1.7 shots per 90 across all competitions this season.

This upcoming clash looks like an excellent chance for him to improve those figures, as Palace have been one of the worst defensive units in the Premier League so far. They are conceding an average of 16.9 shots per game in the league, and no side has conceded more goals than them this term. 

There should be plenty of opportunities for Tonali to get forward, and he isn’t shy to try his luck from distance. Both efforts against Chelsea last weekend came from outside the box.

Nicolas Jackson put in his best performance in a Villa shirt so far against Man City last week, scoring twice from three shots to secure the three points for Unai Emery’s side.

I’m not surprised that Jackson is improving under Emery, the Villa boss has a track record of improving the movement and finishing of strikers with a good example being the development of Ollie Watkins under Emery.

Jackson has had more shots on target than any other Aston Villa player in the Premier League this season (7 - 1.14 per 90). 

He’s had a shot on target in each of his last four Premier League starts, managing multiple efforts on target in three of these games.

I’m not convinced at all by the direction that this Fulham side have taken under Arbeloa. They’re conceding 14.00 shots per game, and could struggle to handle the threat of Jackson who will be full of confidence following his brace last week.

The Brazilian striker finds himself in a rich vein of form at the moment, and he comes into this clash full of confidence. Evanilson has scored in each of his last three successive league matches, which were against Chelsea, Sunderland and Man United. He accrued 13 shots across those games, which shows just how easily Bournemouth have been able to carve out chances, and Evanilson is usually the target going forward. 

Leeds are conceding an average of 15.0 shots per game when playing away this season, with exactly a third of those hitting the target. James Trafford has been kept busy when Leeds play away, and he will have to be wary of the threat posed by Evanilson this weekend.

Bournemouth have been in excellent form going forward, scoring 14 goals in their last five matches alone. That includes three successive 3-0 victories against Aston Villa, AC Milan and Man United. Marco Rose’s men seem to be playing with much more confidence recently, and their front line is firing. They have cleared this line on their own in four of their last five games. 

Leeds haven’t quite been as expansive, but this selection landed in both league meetings last season. It finished 2-2 at the Vitality Stadium, and 2-2 in the reverse fixture at Elland Road. Once again, another even encounter is expected at the weekend.

The Cherries have one of the worst disciplinary records in the league, having already picked up 22 yellow cards. Only Brentford have been carded more times than Bournemouth this campaign. 

Despite their positive form in recent weeks, cards have remained a target. In fact, at least five cards have been shown in each of their last five matches across all competitions.

Referee Tony Harrington was kept busy midweek, as he dished out a total of six yellow cards, with three to either side. There were 28 fouls given midweek, and this selection landed in the first half alone. That has been a theme for Bournemouth so far - their games can be quite chaotic, with plenty of space to exploit in midfield areas.

Bournemouth’s defensive players have accounted for most of those bookings, but their forwards have been intense in their press. Evanilson is averaging 1.72 fouls per 90 in the Premier League this season, while Justin Kluivert is at 2.54 fouls per 90. Those two should both find duels against James Justin this weekend, who has been playing at centre back recently.

Justin has been adept at drawing contact this season, landing this selection in seven of his eight starts. His average of 1.27 fouls drawn per 90 in the league is one of the highest figures in the Leeds squad, and he has an excellent matchup to increase those figures at the Vitality Stadium.

Ethan Ampadu has been in the wars recently, and he has been carded in each of his last three successive league starts. In that time, he has racked up a total of ten infringements. The Welshman likes to be aggressive in the heart of midfield, and he will have the tough task of trying to contain those in-form Bournemouth attackers. 

Evanilson is averaging 1.98 fouls drawn per 90 in the league this season, while Marcus Tavernier is not too far behind with 1.35 fouls drawn per 90. Both of those should find duels against Ampadu in midfield this weekend, which bodes well for this selection.

Saturday night’s Milan derby at the San Siro has all the makings of an entertaining encounter, and I’m backing both teams to score.

There has been an uptick in goals across Serie A this season, and these two heavyweights have been big contributors.

Indeed, both teams have scored in six of AC Milan’s opening nine league games of the season, with Inter posting an identical record. 

Even more encouraging is the fact that AC Milan come into this clash off the back of a 4-2 home defeat to Bologna on Wednesday night, while they have beaten Atalanta 3-2 in recent weeks and drew 2-2 away at Lazio last month.

As for Inter, they have also been involved in some high-scoring contests this season, particularly against Serie A’s big hitters, defeating Napoli 3-2 and drawing 2-2 with Roma.

Even in Europe, Christian Chivu’s side have found the net in Champions League defeats to Real Madrid and Club Brugge this season, strengthening the case for each team to oblige.

I think a minimum of nine match corners should be within range during this San Siro showdown.

Of the two rivals, Inter Milan have been the stronger corner performers this season, averaging 5.89 per 90 in Serie A.

That can be attributed to the fact that the Nerazzurri’s matches are generating an average of 9.00 corners per game, which is exactly what we’re looking for here.

Admittedly, AC Milan have been nowhere near as reliable on the corner front, but their 2-0 win at Udinese last weekend produced exactly 9 corners, with the hosts winning 5 and the Rossoneri 4, and I think we could see a similar total here. 

Adding weight to this selection is the fact that Milan’s home defeat to Benfica in the Europa League last month saw both teams combine for 11 corners, while there were 10 flag kicks in their 3-0 loss away at Bournemouth last week.

As one of Milan’s main threats, Pulisic has been a regular target for opposing players this season. 

Pulisic has drawn an average of 0.93 fouls per game in Serie A this term, earning his team a free-kick during Wednesday night’s 4-2 defeat to Bologna after coming off the bench for the final half-hour.

That means he has now drawn 4 fouls across his last five Serie A appearances, and there’s plenty of scope for that trend to continue in a fixture where sparks are almost certain to fly.

The AC Milan ace has been deployed in the number 10 role in recent outings, which should bring him into close contact with Hakan Calhanoglu.

The Inter midfielder has averaged 1.08 fouls per 90 in Serie A this season and has been penalised in each of his last two appearances, while he has overstepped the mark 3 times across his three Champions League outings for the Nerazzurri this term.

Nicolo Barella should be in the thick of a fiery midfield battle in Saturday night’s Milan derby, making the Inter ace worth backing to commit at least one foul.

The Italian international has been catching the attention of referees this season, averaging 0.81 fouls per game in Serie A, and a match of this magnitude should bring his combative side to the fore.

Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that Barella has committed 1 foul in each of his last three league outings, including against Venezia on Wednesday night despite featuring only in the second half.

Notably, he was also penalised once during Inter’s Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk last midweek.

He is likely to find himself operating in similar areas to Ardon Jashari, who was fouled once against Bologna on Wednesday night and has also been brought down in two of his three Europa League appearances for AC Milan this season.

Barella is also likely to cross paths with Luka Modric, who has drawn 0.80 fouls per game in the Italian top flight this term.

Nicolas Jackson put in his best performance in a Villa shirt so far against Man City last week, scoring twice from three shots to secure the three points for Unai Emery’s side.

I’m not surprised that Jackson is improving under Emery, the Villa boss has a track record of improving the movement and finishing of strikers with a good example being the development of Ollie Watkins under Emery.

Jackson has had more shots on target than any other Aston Villa player in the Premier League this season (7 - 1.14 per 90). 

He’s had a shot on target in each of his last four Premier League starts, managing multiple efforts on target in three of these games.

I’m not convinced at all by the direction that this Fulham side have taken under Arbeloa. They’re conceding 14.00 shots per game, and could struggle to handle the threat of Jackson who will be full of confidence following his brace last week.

Josh King is quite clearly Fulham’s most influential player, and has added end product to his game this season - taking more shots (21) and having more shots on target (10) than any other Fulham player.

King has had 2+ shots in seven of his eight Premier League appearances this term, taking 3+ shots in five of these games - including each of his last two. 

King has found the target in six of his eight Premier League appearances this season, and will be able to cause Villa issues with his clever movement. His teammates trust him more too, with King averaging 53.4 touches per 90 compared to 41.5 touches per 90 in the Premier League last season.

Unai Emery has assembled one of the most aggressive and hard working midfield duos with Kamara and Joao Gomes being the perfect players for his system.

Both have got through a lot of defensive work so far this season, but Kamara has been the standout for fouls - committing more fouls than any other Villa player across his eight appearances (18 - 2.27 per 90).

Kamara is also averaging 10.3 defensive contributions per 90 and contesting 12.48 duels per 90, so he’s constantly in battles where he can give away fouls. He’s committed a foul in seven of his eight Premier League appearances, committing multiple fouls in five of these games.

I’m interested in his battle with Josh King here. King is Fulham’s best player and will require quite a bit of attention from Villa’s midfield duo. Only one Fulham player has won more fouls than King in the Premier League this season (12 - 1.63 per 90).

I think this could be a case of one manager really outclassing the other.

Unai Emery saw his side start the season really slowly (again), but they’ve settled into a really nice rhythm and I wouldn’t be put off by their defeat to Bournemouth in the EFL Cup during the week.

Villa rotated quite a bit, and Bournemouth still needed a man of the match performance from Di Gregorio to keep them out.

Fulham have not impressed me at all this season, six of the eight points they’ve earned have come from wins against Coventry and Hull - both 1-0 victories where Fulham looked far from comfortable.

They’ve only managed to win one of their four away assignments in the Premier League, notably losing to both Sunderland and Ipswich on the road. 

We need Villa to score twice here, which is something they’ve managed in seven of their last ten matches. 

Sunderland’s recent form has been really poor, and they have failed to score in any of their last three Premier League matches, but the Black Cats were handed a confidence booster midweek.

They beat Brentford 3-2 in the EFL Cup, finally looking more succinct in the final third. The return of Brian Brobbey to first team action is another boost, so Regis Le Bris will be confident his men can at least cause a threat in the final third this weekend. 

Coventry have one of the worst defensive records in the division, having only kept one clean sheet in their eight Premier League matches so far. They were beaten 1-0 by Fulham last weekend, and 3-1 by Spurs before that.

Frank Lampard’s men conceded at least four corners in both of those matches, and their opponents are averaging 5.0 corners per game across all competitions this campaign.

They haven’t been particularly effective at limiting chances for their opponents, and Sunderland will be desperate for three points here, which bodes well for this selection. 

Despite their struggles, the Black Cats are averaging 4.25 corners per game this season, and they have landed this selection in five out of eight Premier League matches overall.

They landed exactly three corners in each of their misses, which shows how they have consistently been able to clear or get close to this line.

Sunderland have been one of the more effective sides at drawing infringements this season, averaging 14.1 fouls drawn per Premier League game. Enzo Le Fee has been a key contributor to that record, and he is averaging 2.1 fouls drawn per 90 - the advanced midfielder should find duels directly against Caleb Yirenkyi in midfield. 

The Coventry man is averaging 3.1 fouls per 90 since completing his move to England, and he has landed this selection in five of his eight starts overall. Yirenkyi likes to be aggressive in midfield and close opponents down quickly, and this matchup against Sunderland is a favourable one for him to increase his foul numbers further.

Trai Hume committed two fouls against Leeds last weekend, and he looks set to match up against Brandon Thomas-Asante here. It’s another tough matchup for the Sunderland fullback, against a tricky and direct winter. Thomas-Asante likes to isolate defenders and look to beat them one-on-one, meaning he can be a difficult player to contain. 

The winger is averaging 3.7 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions this season, which is comfortably the highest figure in the Coventry squad. He has landed this selection in all seven of his starts, including 13 fouls drawn in his last four appearances alone.

If Sunderland are to put an end to their winless streak of six Premier League matches, Brian Brobbey will have to play a key role.

The Dutchman returned to Sunderland’s starting eleven against Leeds last weekend, and he managed two shots which both hit the target. Prior to that, Brobbey scored a hat-trick at the Etihad Stadium against Man City, as his side were beaten 5-3. 

Coventry have conceded an average of 16.3 shots per game this season, with 5.0 hitting the target. They have struggled to limit chances for their opponents, and Brobbey should be filled with confidence after seeing those figures.

If their Super Cup clash was anything to go by, this should be a very competitive game.

That meeting ended in a 2-1 Bayern win, landing this bet, and both teams' stats for it to land again look particularly strong.

It’s no secret that Bayern are a powerhouse going forward, scoring the most goals in the Bundesliga this season (25) from the highest xG in the league (23.81). 

However, it’s their leaky defence that interests me.

They’ve seen BTTS land in five of their seven league games, stretching to 10 games (all comps), including their two DFB-Pokal ties against teams from the second division. 

They’ve also seen over 2.5 goals in six of their seven league games this season, with it landing in all but one game (all comps).

Dortmund’s games have been high-scoring too, with seven of their games (all comps) seeing over 2.5 goals, whilst their goalscoring record also looks very sustainable against their xG, scoring 12 goals from an xG of 11.52. 

Their defence has been better than Bayern’s, only allowing their opponents to score in two games this season, but Bayern are a different beast, especially at home, and are priced at just 1.03 to score.

Not much needs to be said here, after winning the Ballon d’Or on Monday, Kane will be wanting to show exactly why he’s the best player in the world, and I think he will do just that.

He’s hit the target at least once in 11 of his 12 appearances for Bayern this season and averages 1.68 shots on target per 90. 

He gives himself plenty of opportunities to test the keeper too, averaging 5.21 shots per 90, with those being spread both inside and outside the box (18 shots inside, 13 shots outside). 

He’s on penalties as always as well, there’ll be plenty of opportunities for him to hit the target tonight.

With injuries to both Karetsas and Konstantelias, Guirassy will be leading Dortmund’s line tonight, which should give him ample opportunity to test the Bayern keeper.

He has recorded the most shots on target of any Dortmund player this season with 10, averaging 1.62 shots on target from 3.39 shots per 90.

He is a real threat aerially too, with 1.18 of his average shots per 90 coming from headers.

Dortmund average 5.0 accurate crosses per game, recording 19 crosses in their Super Cup clash, so there will likely be chances in the air for him tonight too.

I mentioned Bayern’s defensive record earlier, conceding in 10 of their 13 games (all comps), and I think their high defensive line could give Guirassy some freedom in behind tonight, especially as a striker who enjoys playing on the shoulder of the last defender.

Upamecano has committed the most fouls for Bayern this season, whilst his opponent, Guirassy, has won the most fouls across the Dortmund squad. 

Upamecano averages 1.54 fouls committed per 90, landing this line in six of his last seven games.

He also finds himself in plenty of duels each game, averaging 10.92 per 90, winning 6.62 of those.

What interests me here is Bayern’s high defensive line, causing Upamecano’s average position to be sitting on the halfway line, which I think could allow Guirassy some freedom today.

As mentioned, Guirassy enjoys playing on the shoulder of the last defender, which I think could cause Upamecano some problems here, especially if Bayern are caught in possession.

He is being brought down an average of 1.62 times per 90, which has resulted in him being priced at 1.071 to be fouled.

I think Upamecano’s stats are far too strong for this price, especially when paired against Guirassy.

Dominic Solanke was benched against Chelsea last weekend, but he is expected to re-claim his starting spot up front this weekend.

The 29-year-old found the back of the net in this fixture last season, so he has every reason to be looking forward to this matchup. Solanke has started just five matches for Spurs this season, but he has scored in two of those, including against Man United just a couple of weeks ago. 

He has a knack for popping up in dangerous positions in the final third, and this looks like a great matchup for him given Palace’s poor defensive record. They have been leaking chances at the back, so Solanke should be able to find success.

James Maddison was dealt another injury blow last weekend, as he lasted just 50 minutes before being replaced with a suspected groin injury.

His return date is unknown, but Conor Gallagher is expected to deputise in the advanced midfield spot until Maddison returns. Gallagher managed two shots against his former club Chelsea despite only coming on from the bench, and he landed this selection as one of those efforts hit the target. 

Gallagher is averaging 2.09 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, and he has even managed to find the back of the net in two of his last five appearances.

The departure of Marc Guehi and Maxence Lacroix has massively hindered Palace this season, and Chris Richards is the only one remaining of their centre back trio from last season.

The American international is perhaps the most important player for the Eagles at the moment, and he has started each of the last nine successive matches across all competitions. 

Richards has accrued eight fouls in that time, landing this selection in seven of those games, with two yellows to his name. Based on that, this price appeals.

In addition to that, the centre back is averaging 1.86 tackles per 90 this season, which shows just how many duels he has been contesting this season.

Axel Disasi is expected to start alongside Richards this weekend again, having recently returned from suspension. The former Chelsea man was shown a straight red card against Ipswich Town before the international break.

However, he hasn’t changed his aggressive play style - Disasi returned from his ban to commit three fouls against Newcastle last weekend, and he was fortunate to escape a booking in the end. 

Prior to that, the centre back recorded two infringements against Besiktas in the Europa League. He is averaging 1.57 fouls per 90 across all competitions since completing a move to Selhurst Park over the summer, and he should have plenty of defensive work to get through this weekend. 

Michael Olise is one of the Bundesliga's top scorers this season, with six goals in seven games, along with three assists.

The Frenchman is averaging 4.3 shots and 2.57 shots on target per game, and he's hit the target in all seven league matches so far.

At home, Olise has scored five goals in three games, while Bayern have already found the net 18 times at the Allianz Arena, an incredible average of six goals per game.

Dortmund might have the best defence in the Bundesliga, but they conceded twice against Bremen in the German Cup on Tuesday and another two against Bayern in the Super Cup.

Olise scored against Dortmund and had five shots in their last meeting, and he could play a big part in helping Bayern find the net against their rivals again this Saturday.

Schade has been Brentford’s most prolific forward this season, scoring three goals in the league. I think his pace and directness could cause Forest some issues today, particularly when Munoz is caught pushing higher up the pitch. 

Schade is averaging 1.04 shots on target from 2.67 shots per 90 across his eight games this season, hitting the target in five of those games. 

He is a massive threat in the box and thrives when played in behind through the half space between full-back and centre-back. This is where I feel he could exploit Forest. With Munoz playing more as a winger in Glasner’s system, it results in Jair Cunha having to cover in that right-back space, stretching the forest back three. 

This should give him plenty of space to attack in between Cunha and Milenkovic, allowing him to operate inside the Forest box, where he is so dangerous.

Of his 18 shots taken this season, 16 of these have come from inside the box. What’s more is that he averages 5.19 touches in the opposition box per 90, so given the space that should be available, I think he’ll enjoy plenty of opportunities.

I mentioned this matchup earlier, but I think Cunha will have his work cut out with Schade this afternoon.

Cunha often drifts into more of a right-back position for Forest, especially when in transition, to cover for Munoz playing as more of a winger in attack and I think Brentford will look to exploit this today.

Not only is Schade their best attacking threat so Cunha will naturally be wanting to stay tighter to him, he also loves attacking the half space between the right-back and right centre-back, and finds most of his attacking joy when played in behind in that space.

That said, Cunha’s stats are also strong for fouls committed this season, averaging 1.18 per 90, as well as committing at least one in four of his six league appearances for Forest.

In comparison to Schade who wins 1.48 fouls per 90, I think this is a battle to keep an eye on this afternoon.

Munoz is a proven threat in the attacking third and we know how key he is to Oliver Glasner’s attack, so to get this price on a single shot feels big.

He’s had at least one shot in six of his seven league appearances this year (for both Forest and Palace) and is averaging 1.36 shots per 90. This is no fluke either, in his last two seasons under Glasner at Palace, he averaged 1.01 and 1.03 shots per 90 respectively. 

Both Brentford and Forest play with attacking full-backs, especially down Munoz’s side, with Lewis-Potter occupying similar positions to Munoz as more of a winger in attack.

Only four teams in the league have allowed their opponents more touches in their box than Brentford this season, and Munoz averages 3.36 touches in the opposition box himself, so could see himself with plenty of opportunities here.

The physical battle between McBurnie and Diop really interests me here. Diop has been consistent for committing fouls this season, he’s committed at least one in five of his eight appearances for Ipswich in the league, averaging 0.88 committed per 90.

However, it is McBurnie’s knack for winning fouls that makes this an appealing selection for me. 

McBurnie is averaging 1.91 fouls won per 90 in the league, drawing at least one in every game this season, and he is only priced at 1.25 to win one. 

Both his, and Hull’s, playstyle suits fouls perfectly. Hull’s compact 5-4-1 formation results in McBurnie using his physical presence to hold-up long balls and bring his teammates into play with his back to the centre-half. Hull average 22.0 accurate long balls per game, which ranks 8th in the league, so emphasises their use of this as an outball. 

Diop is an equally physical player, we saw last week where he was lucky not to be sent off for a reckless tackle, whilst he also committed a foul against Liam Delap, who is an equally physical striker to McBurnie. Although the two teams play in different ways, I would expect this battle to end in a similar way, with Diop committing fouls.

I think there will be fouls in the Hull midfield today, given the quality of Julio Enciso in the Ipswich attack. Enciso has drawn the most fouls across the Ipswich squad this season with 13, averaging 1.80 per 90.

That draws my attention to Regan Slater, who has started every game for Hull this season, and I think his defensive nature will lead to him committing fouls here, especially considering he averages 0.80 fouls committed per 90.

Slater has been playing as a box-to-box midfielder, however has shown his importance for them defensively. He is averaging 6.77 defensive contributions, as well as 1.99 tackles per 90 for Hull this season. He also loves a duel, averaging 7.7 per 90, winning 4.63 of these. 

However, he is prone to be dribbled past, averaging 1.19 per 90, which does interest me in his battle with Enciso, who averages 2.22 successful dribbles per 90, from 5.27 attempts. Given his averages, it’s definitely a match-up I’d be keeping an eye on, particularly in an Ipswich transition.

Hull have received the joint-most yellow cards this season (22) and have received at least two cards in seven of their eight Premier League games.

Ipswich’s games have been just as card heavy, however mainly for their opposition. Each of their eight opponents in the league have received 2+ cards, with 3+ landing in seven of those. 

Hull also received 2+ cards in both meetings with Ipswich in the Championship last season and I think this occasion will be a physical, competitive encounter, as both sides will be viewing this as a must-win game.

Given their records, and previous meetings, I’d be very surprised if this game didn’t follow suit.

Belloumi has been a shot machine this season, currently ranking in the top 10 of Premier League players for  shots taken.

It’s no surprise that his stats are very strong, averaging 3.30 shots per 90, and landing 2+ in seven of his eight appearances. He is a threat from both inside and outside the box too, with 10 of his shots coming from inside, and 12 coming from outside, which gives him plenty of opportunities to have a go at goal.

Hull’s playstyle allows him to be one of their main attacking focal points. Their heavily defensive formation consisting of five defenders, with two defensive-minded central midfielders, means they heavily rely on their wingers to create their opportunities on goal. Resulting in Belloumi’s impressive return of three goals and two assists in eight appearances.

He has been quieter in Hull’s last two games, not registering a shot on target, however still recorded 3+ shots in both games. Hull will be seeing this as a good opportunity to get back to winning ways, so I think Belloumi will be heavily involved.

Tottenham secured a massive three points last weekend, as they beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. Spurs will hope to take three points against another London rival this weekend, and it looks like a favourable matchup. 

Crystal Palace are currently just one point above the relegation zone, having conceded 19 goals in their eight Premier League matches. That is the worst defensive record in the division.

The Eagles have won two league matches so far, but neither performance was particularly convincing. They edged past Fulham 3-2, despite conceding 3.14 xG, while Forest also managed 3.34 xG against Palace in a 3-1 defeat.

Crystal Palace have picked up 12 yellow cards and one red from their eight Premier League matches so far, which is nothing to write home about, but the focus here is on Spurs.

De Zerbi’s men deserve credit for how they have played this season - their points tally doesn’t quite do them justice. Spurs had 69% possession against Chelsea last weekend, and they are averaging 62% of the ball in the league this season. 

Because of that, Tottenham rank fourth in the division for total fouls drawn, and their opponents have been shown 20 yellows and two red cards in eight matches. This selection has landed in each of their last eight successive matches across all competitions.

Mohammed Kudus has been a key reason for Spurs’ impressive record for drawing fouls this season, as he is averaging 2.26 fouls drawn per 90.

However, the focus here is on the winger to record a couple of shots. He managed two efforts against Chelsea, of which one hit the target. In fact, he has been consistently at getting over this line, recording multiple attempts at goal in each of his last five appearances across all competitions. 

This looks like an excellent matchup for Kudus to make it six in a row, as Palace are conceding 17.8 shots per game when playing away in the Premier League this season.

Jan Paul Van Hecke is averaging 1.30 fouls per 90, which is impressively high for a centre back, and he has landed this selection in eight of his nine starts as a Spurs player.

The Dutchman likes to stick tight to opposing strikers and step out to contest duels, which means he is sometimes caught out of position and forced into committing fouls. 

He will find duels against Jean-Philippe Mateta this weekend, and that is a matchup to keep an eye on. The Frenchman has recently returned from injury, and has drawn four fouls in three appearances up front for Palace.

Mateta likes to be physical and use his body to shield the ball, which bodes well for this selection.

Anan Khalaili is another player to target for fouls this weekend, as he has landed this selection in eight of his nine starts as a Crystal Palace player.

That includes two fouls against Newcastle last weekend, which was enough to earn him a booking. The Israeli international is tasked with getting up and down that right flank as Daniel Munoz did last season, but he has been given a much greater role defensively. 

Khalaili is averaging 1.2 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, and he now is expected to have plenty of defensive work to get through against Spurs this weekend.

His primary matchup is likely to be Mathys Tel, who will be full of confidence after scoring a wonderful solo goal against Chelsea last weekend.

Alexander Isak looks much more like the player that Liverpool thought they were getting last summer, leading Liverpool for goals (6), shots (20) and shots on target (9).

Isak has found the target at least once in all seven of his Premier League appearances this season, managing multiple shots on target in two of these games. 

He’s also notably had 3+ shots in five of these matches, suggesting that Liverpool are also providing Isak with much better service than they did last season. 

Isak ranks in the 96th percentile for shots on target when compared to other Premier League strikers, with the Swedish forward also ranking in the 93rd percentile for shots.

Only three Arsenal players have had more shots than Gabriel (9 - 1.13 per 90) in the Premier League this season, and one of those players is a doubt for this game.

Arsenal are expected to be without Saka, Tzolis and Madueke for this clash which decimates Arteta’s attacking options. I think we’ll see Arsenal lean more on their efficiency from set pieces as a role, with Gabriel being a regular target from corners and other set pieces.

Gabriel has had 2+ shots in each of his last two Premier League matches, scoring against Everton last time out. He’s had a shot in six of his eight Premier League appearances, which is a solid record for a centre back and shows just how often Arsenal look for the Brazilian from set pieces.

Gabriel had a shot in both league meetings with Liverpool last season, managing two shots when the sides met at the Emirates. He also maintained an average of 0.88 shots per 90 in the Premier League last season, ranking in the 94th percentile when compared to other centre backs in the division.

Liverpool have been way more aggressive when out of possession this season, and that’s directly linked to the style of Andoni Iraola.

Liverpool were far too passive when they were without the ball under Arne Slot last year, ranking 18th in the Premier League for fouls committed (10.08 per game).

That’s completely changed this season, with Liverpool averaging 13.75 fouls committed per game - only two sides in the Premier League have committed more, with Liverpool committing at least 11 fouls in every Premier League game.

Myles Lewis-Skelly is an obvious target to win fouls against Liverpool’s intense press. He’s won 12 fouls across his six matches in the Premier League (2.67 per 90), and maintained an average of 2.05 fouls won per 90 in the Premier League last season.

Arsenal have won more fouls than any other side in the Premier League (15.50), making this the perfect matchup for Lewis-Skelly to win a few fouls.

Liverpool have scored in each of their last five matches ahead of this clash, and look like they’re really coming together under Iraola - who has found a nice blend with Wirtz, Isak, Gakpo and Barcola.

Just looking at those names on paper, it’s hard to side against Liverpool finding the back of the net in most games. They’ve scored multiple goals in four of these games, and face off against an Arsenal side who are dealing with loads of injuries at the moment.

Up to six first team Arsenal players could be missing, including Saka, Calafiori, Saliba and Tzolis. There really isn’t a better time to play Arsenal, the absences of Saliba and Saka in particular will have an effect on Mikel Arteta’s side and can support an argument for Liverpool to get on the scoresheet. 

Building on Liverpool’s higher levels of aggression this season, leading to them committing way more fouls than they did last season, backing them to pick up 2+ cards looks like a decent angle here.

Only Aston Villa have drawn more cards from their opponents (3.25 per game) than Arsenal (3.13 per game), with Mikel Arteta’s side winning more fouls than any other side in the division (15.50 per game).

Liverpool have picked up 2+ cards in 75% of their Premier League matches this term, and this matchup looks like a really strong one for them to pick up at least two cautions again. 

Andoni Iraola’s side have picked up 17 yellow cards in total across their eight matches (2.25 per game). The referee for this clash is Andy Madley, who is averaging 4.0 cards per game in the Premier League this term. 

Jet To Vegas holds a Racing Rating of 8.1 ahead of the 13:25 at Ascot.

No relation to an Andy's Bet Club favourite, Night In Vegas, however, we will be hoping that Jet To Vegas offers us the same kind of success. Jet To Vegas looks like a very promising chase prospect this season, having already scored at Grade 2 level over hurdles, ahead of Chart Topper, Vanderpoel and Putapoundinthejar, all of whom look very useful chase prospects.

Jet To Vegas scored on chasing debut at Market Rasen last month, beating out some handy horses that day, and that piece of form puts him well ahead of the others today, with a number of them making their chasing debut. 135 looks a rather lenient mark considering he scored nicely on debut, and I believe with natural improvement as he gains more experience over fences and trains on, he should be well ahead of 135 today.

Mr Lucas Murphy takes 7lb off the burden anyhow and strengthens the argument that Jet To Vegas is weighted to win well today.

Grey Cuban holds a Racing Rating of 8.4 ahead of the 14:44 at Newmarket.

Grey Cuban is another one that I believe is overpriced here. He got home at York to win a valuable handicap off a mark of 107, carrying over 10th, and the winning distance doesn't even really reflect how comfortable it was; he made all that day and never truly looked in danger.

He's back into listed company today, and he's got form at this level recently, finishing a close second in the Stand Cup Stakes at Chester in September, behind Plage De Havre and ahead of Dubai Honour. He's more than entitled to his place here at this company, and if he gets to the front today, he will be very difficult to catch.

There are no other clear front-runners in the field, and so there is a good chance Grey Cuban gets things to fall in place today. He has the beautiful combination of being the best front-runner in the field (54%) and the best finisher (143.1%).

Popular Dream holds a Racing Rating of 9.0 ahead of the 20:00 at Southwell.

I'm surprised to see 11/2 available as I write. Joanna Mason, who rides today, is one of the better jockeys at Southwell today, with only Jason Hart and Lewis Edmunds having more winners than her over the last five years, and Popular Dream is a course specialist.

His 5th-placed effort off an unchanged mark may look poor, but five hours that day finished within a length of each other. Popular Dream came from the wide outside to challenge that day, and Joanna Mason did not have the ride, as she did when he won on his penultimate start (coming from the near-side rail). In fact, all of his wins have come with Joanna on board.

This is a small field, so Joanna is unlikely to have to take him wide to find running room here, and when you look at the speed data, Popular Dream should have these beat; he ranks as the most consistent runner, the best closer, and has posted both the best career peak speed (43.9mph) and winning speed (39.5mph). 11/2 looks a very inviting price for an EW bet here at Southwell.

Neswick is Saturday's Racing Ratings NAP of the Day, with a Racing Rating of 9.6 ahead of the 20:30 at Southwell.

Neswick got her head in front for the first time on his last start; conveniently, that effort was here at Southwell, after being stepped up to 14f for the first time. She raced prominently that day, and the positive ride was enough for her to battle home; hopefully she'll replicate that with her low draw today.

She seems well treated for that effort, being raised just 2lbs for her success here, and given that she is just three, she is entitled to improve, especially since it was her first effort over a testing trip; as a proven stayer, she holds leading claims in this field.

Her speed figures are impressive, especially compared with the field she faces today; her finishing kick is 124%, comfortably the best in the field, and her high cruising speed and consistency both rank in the top two. She has all it takes to put it up to the field here today.

Jet To Vegas holds a Racing Rating of 8.1 ahead of the 13:25 at Ascot.

No relation to an Andy's Bet Club favourite, Night In Vegas, however, we will be hoping that Jet To Vegas offers us the same kind of success. Jet To Vegas looks like a very promising chase prospect this season, having already scored at Grade 2 level over hurdles, ahead of Chart Topper, Vanderpoel and Putapoundinthejar, all of whom look very useful chase prospects.

Jet To Vegas scored on chasing debut at Market Rasen last month, beating out some handy horses that day, and that piece of form puts him well ahead of the others today, with a number of them making their chasing debut. 135 looks a rather lenient mark considering he scored nicely on debut, and I believe with natural improvement as he gains more experience over fences and trains on, he should be well ahead of 135 today.

Mr Lucas Murphy takes 7lb off the burden anyhow and strengthens the argument that Jet To Vegas is weighted to win well today.

Popular Dream holds a Racing Rating of 9.0 ahead of the 20:00 at Southwell.

I'm surprised to see 11/2 available as I write. Joanna Mason, who rides today, is one of the better jockeys at Southwell today, with only Jason Hart and Lewis Edmunds having more winners than her over the last five years, and Popular Dream is a course specialist.

His 5th-placed effort off an unchanged mark may look poor, but five hours that day finished within a length of each other. Popular Dream came from the wide outside to challenge that day, and Joanna Mason did not have the ride, as she did when he won on his penultimate start (coming from the near-side rail). In fact, all of his wins have come with Joanna on board.

This is a small field, so Joanna is unlikely to have to take him wide to find running room here, and when you look at the speed data, Popular Dream should have these beat; he ranks as the most consistent runner, the best closer, and has posted both the best career peak speed (43.9mph) and winning speed (39.5mph). 11/2 looks a very inviting price for an EW bet here at Southwell.

Neswick is Saturday's Racing Ratings NAP of the Day, with a Racing Rating of 9.6 ahead of the 20:30 at Southwell.

Neswick got her head in front for the first time on his last start; conveniently, that effort was here at Southwell, after being stepped up to 14f for the first time. She raced prominently that day, and the positive ride was enough for her to battle home; hopefully she'll replicate that with her low draw today.

She seems well treated for that effort, being raised just 2lbs for her success here, and given that she is just three, she is entitled to improve, especially since it was her first effort over a testing trip; as a proven stayer, she holds leading claims in this field.

Her speed figures are impressive, especially compared with the field she faces today; her finishing kick is 124%, comfortably the best in the field, and her high cruising speed and consistency both rank in the top two. She has all it takes to put it up to the field here today.

I can’t see this one going to the scorecards and both fighter’s durability and recent performances make the case. 

Osbourne is explosive and hits hard early, finishing three of his five UFC wins. He’s also one-dimensional and fades as fights go on, which leaves him open to being stopped late if he can’t get the job done early.

Durden has been finished in 8 of his 11 defeats (6 submissions, 2 KO/TKOs), so if Osbourne lands cleanly in the first round, there’s every chance it ends there.

If Durden survives the early storm, his high pace and grappling come into play. 

He averages 3.8 takedowns per 15 minutes at 48% accuracy, exactly the pressure Osbourne has struggled with, and a tiring Osbourne could easily give up a submission from round two onwards.

Lebosnoyani edged unbeaten prospect Seokhyeon Ko on all three cards last time out, and the grappling numbers say a lot about this fight. He stuffed all four of Ko’s takedown attempts and landed three of his own.

He has clean striking and has a beautiful highlight-reel knockout on his record. 

Hasanov is an undefeated wrestler from Azerbaijan (6-0-0). He won his UFC debut landing 17 takedowns and banking 11 minutes of control with just 21 significant strikes. 

Lebosnoyani has shown he can defend the takedown, and answer with his own, which could test the cardio of Hasanov who looked shattered after his UFC debut win. 

It’s likely going to be a grueling fight but I think Lebosnoyani will start to pull away in the latter rounds. 

Smith is 13-0 with ten knockouts and is one of the most explosive athletes in the UFC. 

He’s got some brutal ground and pound where he’s finished fights in seconds exploding with punches once gaining top position. His takedowns are very accurate with 12 of 14 takedown attempts landing between the Contender Series and the UFC.

Brown has lost his last two fights, and although he’s more experienced he struggles against fighters who close the distance and look to work on the inside. 

Brown’s best chance is to land a clean shot when Smith looks to explode but if Smith gets hold of him the strength gap will likely show. 

I see Smith closing the distance, slamming Brown to the canvas and then providing a violent beating to finish the fight.

Moicano takes on another younger, rising talent in the UFC for the second straight fight, having subbed prospect Chris Duncan in his last fight. He’s won three of his last five fights, beating Jalin Turner, Benoit Saint Denis, and Chris Duncan, but losing to Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush.

Moicano’s grappling is the biggest difference here, he produces multiple takedown attempts and works for the back position, where he’s won all seven of his UFC submissions by rear-naked choke. Nolan has a habit of giving up his back after being taken down, which is where the UFC veteran will be looking to finish the fight.

Nolan arrives on a five-fight win streak. He’s younger, and packs a lot of power in his strikes, especially his punches and he’s got a wonderful kicking game. The risk for Moicano is getting caught early. 

However, I think Moicano will use all of this fighting IQ and experience to drag Nolan into a grappling match and test him over the full five rounds. 

Last but not least is a featherweight bout involving former Naoya Inoue opponent David Alan Picasso, of Mexico, and Carl Jammes Martin, who hails from the Philippines.

Following his defeat to Inoue last December, Picasso has returned to featherweight and scored a round-two knockout win over Maicol Rincon in his lone outing of the 2026 calendar. Yet, at the world level, Picasso has not shown that he is a genuine puncher, with career-best wins over Azat Hovannisyan and Kyonosuke Kameda each coming on points.

Those close to Carl Jammes Martin have always championed him as a threat, but he also has limited featherweight experience and is making an almighty jump up in levels here, with Picasso the sensible pick of the two for any trebles or accumulators.

A towering, imposing figure, Rafael Espinoza could well be the best featherweight on the planet at the moment, but his doubters are right to criticise his recent run of opponents, which haven’t really been up to scratch or able to test him

Here, Espinoza takes on a late-notice opponent in Nicaragua’s Ricardo Blandon, who has fought as low as super-flyweight, as recently as 2022, and has no real place in a featherweight world title challenge, other than because the fact that he has the guts to step in at the last minute.

Expect Espinoza to make easy work of Blandon, despite the fact that the latter has been halted only once in six defeats, with ‘El Divino’ hopefully moving on to bigger and better challengers in the coming months.

In a confusing clash, we do not yet know if Jaime Munguia’s WBA super-middleweight world title will be on the line against what is an unsanctioned challenger in Russia’s Nikita Zon, after Munguia avoided a scrap with his mandated dance partner, Bektemir Melikuziev.

Whilst Zon’s official record will read officially as an undefeated one, he has twice lost on IBA-Pro cards (which are more-or-less professional), including a final-round knockout loss to Cuban standout Arlen Lopez, which was up at cruiserweight.

Meanwhile, whilst Munguia has 35 KOs to his name in 46 wins, in his two outings since being knocked out himself by Bruno Surace, we have seen him adopt a less aggressive approach.

As a result, I fancy Zon to take Munguia the distance here, with Munguia being more cautious than the bookmakers expected and winning on the cards, priced at 4.00

Canelo Alvarez enters the fight as the favourite and it’s difficult to argue against that being fair. He is a four-division world champion, he is the A-side without holding the world title and he is likely to get favouritism on the scorecards if this bout is a close one and goes the full distance.

Although, that being said, the value of an Mbilli win inside of the distance is, in my personal opinion, extremely eye-catching, deemed to be less likely than an Mbilli win on the cards by the bookmakers.

Mbilli is one of the biggest super-middleweight knockout artists in the world and Canelo - whilst he has never been stopped or even dropped in his 68-bout career - was underwhelming in both of his outings in 2025 and comes into this contest off the back of his longest ever inactive spell, due to an elbow injury.

Adding to this, Mbilli, who boasts 24 KOs in his 29 wins, will be well aware that he will almost require a knockout in order to retain his WBC super-middleweight world title and can be expected to take the fight to Alvarez, encouraged by the fact that Canelo has not halted an opponent since 2021. 

Backing his power to be superior to that of Canelo’s, I see 8.00 as a very handsome price for Mbilli to come out on top in what I suspect could turn into somewhat of a shoot-out, which end’s Canelo’s eight-fight streak of going the distance one way or the other. 

If the French-Cameroonian can initiate a firefight, I believe this to be a genuine 50-50 affair, largely due to the comparative hunger of Mbilli and the possibility of Father Time having caught up with Alvarez, but it’s important to note that Mbilli’s knockouts tend to come through accumulation rather that single-shot power and that an early end is therefore unlikely.

In summary, we are unlikely to see Canelo flatlined by a knockout of the year contender, but the pressure and pace that Mbilli will push - and the damage that he could cause throughout - may make this a gruelling night for Canelo and there is definitely value in backing the reigning WBC champion.

Johan Manzambi is such an exciting player and has been a really good replacement for Morgan Rogers so far, registering four goal contributions across just four starts in the Premier League.

Manzambi and Jackson are clearly crucial to this Aston Villa side, they combine well together and Villa look a little toothless when either isn’t playing. Manzambi also scored in the Champions League for Villa a few weeks ago against Fenerbahce, so he’s clearly comfortable with the demands of this level.

Another factor is Manzambi’s physicality and ability to drive through central areas - which is something that Rogers excelled at for Villa last season. He fits perfectly into Unai Emery’s tactical system, and I can see him combining well with Jackson again in a game that I expect Villa to win quite comfortably.

Shea Charles picked up his first yellow card of the season for Fulham against Coventry last time out, contesting 11 duels in total during that game.

Charles will have another tough assignment here against an Aston Villa side who have drawn more cards from their opponents than any other side in the Premier League (3.25 per game).

Only four sides have been fouled more than Aston Villa this season too (13.50 per game), so it’s fair to assume that Charles will be getting through a lot of work when Fulham are without the ball.

Charles will be in a midfield battle with Joao Gomes and Boubacar Kamara, who are just as likely to bring the Northern Irishman down - so I can see quite a scrap developing in that part of the pitch.

Charles collected six yellow cards across just 21 starts in the Championship last season, and the caution he picked up against Coventry should be the first of quite a few this year.

Boubacar Kamara has committed more fouls than any other Aston Villa player this season (18 - 3.23 per 90), and has been extremely fortunate to avoid a card from this foul tally.

He’ll likely have to commit at least two fouls here again with Kamara and his midfield partner in Joao Gomes having to contain Josh King.

The Fulham number ten is clearly their most talented player, and receives quite a lot of attention as a result - only Calvin Bassey (13) has won more fouls for Fulham than Josh King (12) this season.

Kamara collected five yellow cards across his 17 starts in the Premier League last season. He’s been so lucky to not pick up a card domestically so far, but King could finally see that caution produced in the direction of the Frenchman.

Jet To Vegas holds a Racing Rating of 8.1 ahead of the 13:25 at Ascot.

No relation to an Andy's Bet Club favourite, Night In Vegas, however, we will be hoping that Jet To Vegas offers us the same kind of success. Jet To Vegas looks like a very promising chase prospect this season, having already scored at Grade 2 level over hurdles, ahead of Chart Topper, Vanderpoel and Putapoundinthejar, all of whom look very useful chase prospects.

Jet To Vegas scored on chasing debut at Market Rasen last month, beating out some handy horses that day, and that piece of form puts him well ahead of the others today, with a number of them making their chasing debut. 135 looks a rather lenient mark considering he scored nicely on debut, and I believe with natural improvement as he gains more experience over fences and trains on, he should be well ahead of 135 today.

Mr Lucas Murphy takes 7lb off the burden anyhow and strengthens the argument that Jet To Vegas is weighted to win well today.

Martator holds a Racing Rating of 8.4 ahead of the 14:00 at Ascot.

The Jumps are back at Ascot, and the 14:00 looks like a highlight of the day. We're siding with Cheltenham Festival winner, Martator, who won the Grand Annual on his last start at 66/1! In the season building up to that incredible effort, he showed very little, except for a great run here at Ascot, where he was 2nd to Calico and beat JPR One.

Martator will be well suited by today's conditions, with the ground declared Good, and he is returned to Ascot, where he has an incredible record: three wins from five and only one unplaced effort. He is 5lbs worse off than Vanderpoel; however, he beat him by well over 11 lengths that day and could still be ahead of a mark of 144. Especially as he has previously placed in a Grade 2 off 155.

Nap Hand holds a Racing Rating of 7.8 ahead of the 15:43 at Ascot.

Nap Hand represents a yard with a fantastic record in this race, winning 2 of the last 5 runnings, and looks to have a live chance to make it 3 of 6, as the Gordon's team up here. I thought his effort at Plumpton was rather eye-catching; in a confident ride from Freddie Gordon, he reeled in a runaway leader with ease and gave indications he may have more to come.

He runs off 120 today, making him a very light contestant; he'll carry 10st8lbs and could be relatively well in here if he builds on his impressive effort at Plumpton. He'll have no issue with the ground and comes into this well.

Popular Dream holds a Racing Rating of 9.0 ahead of the 20:00 at Southwell.

I'm surprised to see 11/2 available as I write. Joanna Mason, who rides today, is one of the better jockeys at Southwell today, with only Jason Hart and Lewis Edmunds having more winners than her over the last five years, and Popular Dream is a course specialist.

His 5th-placed effort off an unchanged mark may look poor, but five hours that day finished within a length of each other. Popular Dream came from the wide outside to challenge that day, and Joanna Mason did not have the ride, as she did when he won on his penultimate start (coming from the near-side rail). In fact, all of his wins have come with Joanna on board.

This is a small field, so Joanna is unlikely to have to take him wide to find running room here, and when you look at the speed data, Popular Dream should have these beat; he ranks as the most consistent runner, the best closer, and has posted both the best career peak speed (43.9mph) and winning speed (39.5mph). 11/2 looks a very inviting price for an EW bet here at Southwell.

Racing Santander come into this clash against Real Madrid as massive underdogs at the weekend, but they will take some confidence from the fact they are unbeaten at home this season. In fact, all 11 of the points they have accrued in La Liga this season have come at the El Sardinero Stadium.

Sergio Canales has been a key reason for that. He is averaging 3.44 shots per 90 at home this term, landing this selection in four of his five starts overall. Once again, it’s a tough matchup for the newly-promoted side against Los Blancos, but they did score twice against Barcelona earlier in the campaign, which shows how they can cause problems in the final third even against top sides.

Declan Rice is averaging just 0.82 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, which is nothing to write home about, but he tends to record a shot in tougher matchups. Rice landed this bet against Chelsea back in September, while he also recently scored against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The English midfielder also has a notable shot record against Liverpool - landing this bet in five out of six starts against the Reds as an Arsenal player.

The Gunners are looking a bit short on attacking options, which means there will be a greater responsibility on the shoulders of Rice in the final third at Anfield this weekend.

Bradley Barcola converted a vital penalty midweek, as Liverpool progressed past Chelsea in the EFL Cup. The Frenchman has really grown in confidence over the last few weeks, and Liverpool will be relying on him in the final third. Barcola is averaging 2.5 shots per 90 since joining Liverpool, with eight of his 18 attempts hitting the target. He bagged a hat-trick against LASK in the Champions League a few weeks ago, which shows just how devastating he can be.

Arsenal are a much tougher matchup, but they come into this clash after being dumped out of the EFL Cup by Fleetwood Town. That is certain to knock their confidence, so it seems like a good time for Liverpool to face the Gunners.

Goncalo Guedes is averaging 3.41 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, with ten efforts in his last three appearances alone. He found the back of the net against Malaga, and he has every reason to be looking forward to this matchup.

Real Sociedad went unbeaten in their four head-to-head matchups against Athletic Club last season in the Basque derby. Guedes started all four of those games, landed this selection in three of those, and he even managed to find the back of the net in both league meetings. That includes scoring the only goal for his side at the San Mames Stadium in the league last season.

Carlos Puga has committed more fouls than any other Málaga player in LaLiga this season, averaging 2.39 per 90 minutes.

The right-back has already picked up three yellow cards in nine games, despite playing just 490 minutes.

It's nothing new, either. He picked up nine yellow cards in each of the last two seasons, when Málaga were still playing in Spain's second division.

Puga is likely to come up against Abde Ezzalzouli, Betis' top scorer in LaLiga, who's been fouled at least once in each of his last eight games.

The left winger also wins more fouls than any other Betis player, averaging 1.95 per 90 minutes across all competitions.

Two of Puga's three yellow cards this season came from fouls on players attacking down the left, so he's definitely one to keep an eye on for a booking against Betis.

Hakan Çalhanoğlu faces his former club having already picked up three yellow cards in ten games this season, despite playing just over 500 minutes.

The midfielder picked up seven yellow cards in 22 Serie A games last season, averaging roughly one every three matches. 

One of those bookings actually came against Milan, when he was shown a yellow card for arguing with the referee.

He could find himself up against Musah in midfield, who's averaging 1.53 fouls won per 90 minutes this season.

Three opponents have already been booked for fouls on Musah this season, including Atalanta's Éderson and Lazio's Zaccagni.

With the rivalry against his old club and his recent disciplinary record, Çalhanoğlu could be in for a busy night, and there's a good chance he'll add another yellow card to his tally.

Como have been really impressive in the early stages of the season.

That 4-1 win over Man Utd in the Champions League seems to have acted as an extra catalyst for Cesc Fabregas’ side - who have won both of their matches in Serie A since that victory.

Como have avoided defeat in all three of their home games this season, winning two of these matches and only conceding one goal. 

No side has conceded fewer goals than Como at home in Serie A this term, which is likely to be the point of difference between the sides.

Venezia sit rock bottom of Serie A having lost eight of their opening nine matches. The only side they’ve beaten was Napoli at home, which was a bit of a fluke result if you look at the underlying numbers.

Their away form is particularly alarming, losing all four of their matches on the road and conceding nine goals in the process. Como should be able to extend their winning run here, against the worst side in Serie A.

Trabzonspor are flying at the moment, winning each of their last six matches - including wins over Galatasaray and Besiktas.

This run has moved them a bit closer to the league leaders in Galatasaray, and that gap could close to three points if results go the way of the home side here.

Salah clearly finds this league too easy, he’s registered 11 goal contributions across his eight starts in the division and is unsurprisingly Trabzonspor’s top goalscorer.

Gaizentep have only won two of their nine games in the Turkish Super Lig this season, notably losing four of their last five matches ahead of this clash. 

I worry about their scoring power against Trabzonspor here, the home side have scored 13 more goals than their opponents and that is likely to be the main point of difference here. Trabzonspor have also only conceded one goal at home this season. 

Groningen have seen more goals per game than any other side in the Eredivisie this season (4.0 per game).

Their five home games have produced 22 goals (4.40 per game), with an exact split in the number of goals scored and conceded. They’ve only won two of these games too, suggesting that their style of play is entertaining but not that effective.

Sparta Rotterdam have seen 3+ goals in 90% of their matches in the Eredivisie this season, which is the joint highest tally in the division alongside their opponents here and Excelsior.

Sparta have only managed to win one of their four away games in the Eredivisie this season, but have still scored eight goals across these games. Unsurprisingly, Groningen have only kept one clean sheet this term - while Sparta are one of six sides in the Eredivisie yet to keep a single shutout.

Building on Liverpool’s higher levels of aggression this season, leading to them committing way more fouls than they did last season, backing them to pick up 2+ cards looks like a decent angle here.

Only Aston Villa have drawn more cards from their opponents (3.25 per game) than Arsenal (3.13 per game), with Mikel Arteta’s side winning more fouls than any other side in the division (15.50 per game).

Liverpool have picked up 2+ cards in 75% of their Premier League matches this term, and this matchup looks like a really strong one for them to pick up at least two cautions again. 

Andoni Iraola’s side have picked up 17 yellow cards in total across their eight matches (2.25 per game). The referee for this clash is Andy Madley, who is averaging 4.0 cards per game in the Premier League this term. 

Sociedad come into this clash in better form, unbeaten in any of their last six games, and they have been entertaining to watch recently. This selection has landed in five of those six matches, and Sociedad have cleared this line on their own in four of those games. That includes a 5-2 win against Malaga in La Liga, and a 6-0 victory over Lillestrom in the Europa League.

Athletic Club haven’t been as expansive, but they came away with a 4-0 win last weekend over Getafe. That result will certainly boost their confidence heading into this clash, so they should be front-footed on home turf.

If the hosts are to get anything out of this match, and reverse their recent run of poor results in the Basque derby, they will need Alex Berenguer to be on top form. He has scored in his last two successive matches coming into this clash, so is one to keep an eye on.

Berenguer is averaging 2.03 shots per 90 in the league this season, but 38% of his efforts have hit the target. The 31-year-old tends to be efficient when chances come his way, and he is likely to be the designated penalty taker for Athletic Club this weekend, as well as being on free-kicks.

Sociedad enjoyed plenty of success in the Basque derby last season, and they remained unbeaten in all four matches against their rivals. It finished 1-1 at the San Mames in the league, and 3-2 in the reverse fixture. Sociedad then got past Athletic Club in the Copa Del Rey, winning 1-0 in both fixtures. La Reale racked up 24 corners across those four matches, averaging 6.0 corners per game.

This season, they are averaging 6.5 corners per game in the league, which shows how effective they have been at getting to the byline and creating chances. Sociedad have cleared this line in nine of their ten league matches this campaign.

On the opposite side, Orri Oskarsson is the danger man for Real Sociedad. The Iceland international found the back of the net against Levante last time out, finishing that game with seven shots. Prior to that, he managed four shots against Malaga, and his one shot on target found the back of the net. Oskarsson is averaging 3.59 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, which is one of the highest figures in the Sociedad squad.

Last season, Oskarsson made 20 league appearances, but just eight of those were starts. He recorded a total of 27 shots, and 19 of those hit the target - an impressive 70% accuracy.

Last season, head-to-head matchups between these sides were competitive. There were a total of 22 yellow cards and one red awarded in the four fixtures. Once again, another feisty affair is expected.

Yuri Berchiche started two of those matches, and he was booked in both of those. The 36-year-old is playing his ninth season at the San Mames, so he will be fired up for this derby. Berchiche has already picked up three yellow cards and one red in his seven league starts this season - he tends to be aggressive in his duels, and there should be plenty of defensive work for him to get through at the weekend.

Marseille are in good form, winning each of their last three League games with BTTS landing in the last two, and I expect this to continue today. They’ve been very impressive in front of goal, recording the highest goals scored per game averaged (2.3) across the whole league.

However, they’re susceptible at the back, which is why I think both teams will score here. They conceded an average of 1.6 goals per game and actually have the worst xG conceded in the whole league (18.5), despite only conceding 13 goals.

Toulouse are also strong in front of goal, averaging 1.5 goals scored per game, and actually have a higher xG than Marseille this season (15.0).

Toulouse have struggled against Marseille in recent meetings, failing to beat them since 2016, and I don’t expect this to change here.

Blackpool have struggled away from home, not winning on the road since August, so this should be a comfortable win for Wednesday.

Blackpool have seen BTTS in nine of their 13 games this season, and have the second worst xG conceded in the league, with 23.49 whilst conceding 20 goals. Despite this, their scoring record isn’t bad, scoring 16 goals from an xG of 14.63, and I think they can cause Wednesday some problems here.

Managerless Wednesday have conceded 13 goals from an xG of 18.88, which suggests they’re overperforming defensively, and this may come to catch them out. They are very strong in attack though, averaging 1.8 goals scored per game.

They saw BTTS in their last game against Cambridge, and caretaker manager Hamshaw's intense, attacking playstyle could see them with defensive gaps for Blackpool to exploit.