EPL 23/24 - Week 4

 Sheffield Utd v Everton - Home

Brentford v Bournemouth - Home

Burnley v Tottenham - Draw

Chelsea v Nott Forest - Away

Man City v Fulham - Home

Brighton v Newcastle - Draw

Crystal Palace v Wolves - Away

Liverpool v Aston Villa - Draw

Arsenal v Man Utd - Home

The current clashes between Arsenal v Man Utd will never match the intensity or heights of the Ferguson and Wenger era but the motivation is still well and alive for both teams as they try to usurp the title from Man City's grasp this year. Both have started the season rather tepidly while one would have thought they would be off the starting blocks with pomp. While they boast 2 wins out of 3 outings, the Gunners seem to lack the fluency and gusto that made them appealing as a team last season. They would then be going all guns blazing to overwhelm their adversaries. Struggling to beat so-called minows such as Nott Forest and Crystal Palace and not being able to overcome 10-men Fulham at home seem to indicate that something is amiss with the Gunners at the moment. Maybe the return of striker Jesus will help in the attacking department. Man Utd have been equally disappointing as they struggled to beat Nott Forest and Wolves at home and suffering a deserved defeat against Tottenham. While they overly counted on Rashford last season to bail them out, the England striker has started very quietly this time. Given the Red Devils' poor current form, I see it worthwhile going for a home win here; if the Gunners score early, the visitors could be in for a long day.

Win: Arsenal 

EPL 2020/21 - Week 17

Everton v West Ham - Draw

Man Utd v Aston Villa - Home

Tottenham v Leeds - Draw

Crystal Palace v Sheffield Utd - Away

Brighton v Wolves - Home

WBA v Arsenal - Away

Burnley v Fulham - Draw

Newcastle v Leicester - Away

Chelsea v Man City - Home

Southampton v Liverpool - Home

Wishing all readers a very Happy New Year 2021! 

Sheffield Utd have had a rotten start of season and will be hoping to turn over a new leaf over the new year. A visit to Crystal Palace might be the best place for them to get that all-elusive first win. The Blades have gone close over the past matches and you feel that they need that extra bit of luck to win something out of a match. The good news for them is that Palace have gotten in a rotten form as well and could be easier pickings than most. When Zaha is not firing, the Eagles don't seem to have enough in them to cause major problems in the attacking end. Lately, they've been shipping goals like crazy and it is worth looking at a visitor win at current market odds.

Win: Sheffield Utd

EPL 2020/21 - Week 9

Newcastle v Chelsea - Away

Aston Villa v Brighton - Home

Tottenham v Man City - Home

Man Utd v West Brom - Home

Fulham v Everton - Away

Sheffield Utd v West Ham - Home

Leeds v Arsenal - Draw

Liverpool v Leicester - Draw

Burnley v Crystal Palace - Away

Wolves v Southampton - Home

Everton is the team I have high hopes this week-end as they visit Fulham. After an electric start when they won their first 4 matches, the Toffees have now lost their last 3. I think they are due a win and a visit to strugglers Fulham is one of the best avenues to get back on track. During their losing streak, striker Calvert-Lewin has been on fire and I expect him to lead the charge big-time on Sunday. Cunning manager Ancelotti should have the right strategy to overcome any resistance from the home team.

Liverpool are in a spot of bother at the moment with injuries to defensive stalwarts Van Dijk, Gomez and Alexander-Arnold and star man Salah to mention a few. Dangerous Leicester are coming for a visit at Anfield and will really be looking to take the spoils here. Vardy will be relishing this clash and it won't be a surprise if the Foxes striker bags a few against the Kop's diminished defence. Manager Rodgers will be up against his old team and it will no surprise if the visitors edge this encounter or come away with a point. A draw-no-bet or outright win on Leicester can be rewarding.

Win: Everton

Draw-no-bet: Leicester

EP 2020/21 - Week 5

Everton v Liverpool - Home

Chelsea v Southampton - Draw

Man City v Arsenal - Home

Newcastle v Man Utd - Draw

Sheffield Utd v Fulham - Home

Crystal Palace v Brighton - Away

Tottenham v West Ham - Home

Leicester v Aston Villa - Home

West Brom v Burnley - Home

Leeds v Wolves - Home

If there is one team that I think will do terrible in the coming weeks, at least before the January transfer window, is Burnley. The Clarets are 0-3 so far and things don't look to be improving soon following a rash of injuries and more importantly because of their ineptitude in the last transfer window. This is a seriously banged up team at the moment and other teams will relish to play them as they stand. West Brom have just garnered a point so far, albeit in a rather sensational match where they were leading 3-nil against Chelsea at half-time. Clearly the Baggies can score but they also have one of the most porous defences in the league. It's a big opportunity for them to bag up 3 full points against Sam Dyche's ailing team and I think they will take it.

Liverpool have crushed the life out of their Merseyside rivals Everton in recent years but tomorrow's derby might prove a different storyline. The Toffees are leading at the top of the table thanks to an unbeaten 4-game run. The turnaround in Everton's fortunes can be boiled down to 2 main factors; the arrival of Ancelloti and the renewed confidence up-front of Calvert-Lewin. The hosts won't be fazed by all the usual razzmatazz from rivals Liverpool who have been used to rolling over all lately. I can see an Everton win here, considering that the Kops are not in full gear yet.

Win: Everton, WBA

EPL 2020/21 - Week 1

An exciting new season of EPL beckons with many questions on the line:

- Will Liverpool still be as dominant? I think it will be very hard to wrestle the title from them.

- Will Man City be able to regain their lost crown? I think they will focus rather on the Champions League.

- Is Man Utd finally ready to challenge again? Sancho or not, I don't think they are on a par with the top 2. But Ole's job is on the line and he needs a trophy and a top 4 finish to hold on to it.

- Is Chelsea a threat after their summer spending? The Blues have been overly impressive in the transfer market but it will take time for them to gel. Lampard's job depends on the Blues being at the forefront from the start.

- How will Spurs do under Mourinho? Much will depend on the goalscoring prowess of Kane. He will need to keep banging the goals for Spurs to keep pace with the aforementioned.

- Have Arsenal's fortune finally turned under Arteta? The Spaniard is doing fantastic work for the Gunners but they will need a more talented squad to aspire a top 4 finish. 

- Finally, how will Biesla fare for newly-promoted Leeds? The Argentinian maestro is considered a coaching genius and Leeds will certainly cause trouble to some of the top teams above. Expect them to nick a win or two from them and I very well see Leeds being a mid-table team at season end.

Have a great season everyone!

Fulham v Arsenal - Draw

Crystal Palace v Southampton - Away

Liverpool v Leeds - Home

West Ham v Newcastle - Home

WBA v Leicester - Draw

Tottenham v Everton - Home

Sheffield Utd v Wolves - Home

Brighton v Chelsea - Away

Win: Tottenham/Chelsea/Liverpool

EPL 2019/2020 - Week 30

Welcome back!

The EPL gets back to normality after a 3-month break that rightly put football to its status of non-necessity compared to the difficulties everyone was facing during the pandemic. Hope every one is safe and staying safe. If the EPL season had folded, it would have been an ok decision to leave with but playing behind closed doors looks a right decision as well. The motive may have been political with broadcast rights and potential penalties at the forefront of the reasoning, but I'm sure that the majority of fans will appreciate the resumption of matches, however hollow it looks like watching empty stadiums.

From a punter's perspective, home advantage might be of less significance with the withdrawal of the supporters, a team's 12th man. This has to be factored in the predictions for sure. What also will factor are the dynamics facing the teams for the remainder of the season. Liverpool will have won the league in the coming weeks and will surely put off their foot from the pedal gas. Clubs vying for a Champions League spot will tbe the ones with most to play for. At the bottom end of the spectrum, the specter of relegation will motivate the ones fighting for survival. Happy rest of the season!

Norwich v Southampton - Draw
Tottenham v Man Utd - Home
Watford v Leicester - Home
Brighton v Arsenal - Away
West Ham v Wolves - Away
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace - Home
Newcastle v Sheffield Utd - Away
Aston Villa v Chelsea - Away
Everton v Liverpool - Home
Man City v Burnley - Home

I think Tottenham have a nice hand to play against visiting Man Utd. The Red Devils have been one of the in-form teams before the break but I fear they will have to work over again to regain their momentum. The arrival of Bruno Fernandes has been a major boost to Solksjaer's team and I expect them to get even better as the weeks go by with the returns of Rashford and Pogba, but going to White Hart Lane for a first match is going to be tough. Mourinho will have Spurs ready with an air of revenge against his former employers. This match also marks the return of Harry Kane after a lengthy layoff although the England marksman is bound to be rusty. I believe Spurs will edge this, I just don't see the Red Devils snatching the full points.

Win: Tottenham

EPL 2019/20 - Week 27

Chelsea v Tottenham - Home
Burnley v Bournemouth - Home
Crystal Palace v Newcastle - Away
Sheffield Utd v Brighton - Home
Southampton v Aston Villa - Home
Leicester v Man City - Home
Man Utd v Watford - Home
Wolves v Norwich - Home
Arsenal v Everton - Home
Liverpool v West Ham - Home

I see a lot of home wins this week-end, make your pick really.  Leicester looks the best value of them all as they entertain Man City. The defending champions have clearly given up on the Premier League and will rely on the Champions League to salvage a somewhat disappointing season so far. Their battle off-field against a 2-year UCL suspension is proving to be a distraction they could do without. Leicester have nothing to lose going into this match and any point will be a bonus. With Vardy upfront and the shrewdness of manager Rogers, they are capable of landing all 3 points. A below-par Citizens team will have problems against a home side with a strong record at the King Power stadium. It might be worth going for a straight home win here.

Win: Leicester

EPL 2019/20 - Week 25

Leicester v Chelsea - Home
Bournemouth v Aston Villa - Away
Crystal Palace v Sheffield Utd - Away
Liverpool v Southampton - Home
Newcastle v Norwich - Home
Watford v Everton - Home
West Ham v Brighton - Draw
Man Utd v Wolves - Draw
Burnley v Arsenal - Away
Tottenham v Man City - Draw


Wow! Ighalo for Man Utd. I am not sure how that is going to work for the Red Devils. The coming of Bruno Fernandes looks, however, promising; the Portuguese looks really a great addition. That said, Man Utd have a tough match on Saturday against Wolves. The visitors are gunning for a European place and are in good form with the likes of Jimenez and Traore firing on all cylinders. I believe they can squeeze at least a point out of Old Trafford. The Red Devils are in much need of firepower in attack after the injury to Rashford and although Fernandes will eventually make his mark as an offensive weapon, the match will probably come too soon for him to make the impact needed. A draw-no-bet or outright win on Wolves could be rewarding.

Draw-no-bet or Win: Wolves

EPL 2019/20 - Week 19

Tottenham v Brighton - Home
Bournemouth v Arsenal - Home
Aston Villa v Norwich - Home
Chelsea v Southampton - Home
Crystal Palace v West Ham - Draw
Everton v Burnley - Draw
Sheffield Utd v Watford - Home
Man Utd v Newcastle - Home
Leicester v Liverpool - Home
Wolves v Man City - Away

Merry Christmas to you all!

I see a lot of upside going with many of the home teams on the Boxing Day match-ups. Spurs is a certainty to beat Brighton. I see Villa being great value to dispose of struggling Norwich. Chelsea should be able to edge its encounter against the Saints. Sheffield United have decent form at home and should overcome lowly Watford. Man Utd mis-cued against the latter last week mainly due to keeper De Gea's howler but they should have too much firepower against the Magpies.

I believe Leicester are the value team to side with against league leaders Liverpool. The visitors are newly-crowned world cup champions but there is no doubt that they will be short of peak fitness after their trip from Doha. Those exertions and the upcoming busy schedule will have Klopp rotating the team and they look exposed going to dangerous Leicester City. Foxes manager Rodgers would certainly relish doing one to his old club and I believe they can at least extract a draw from the encounter. Leicester as a win looks plausible, a draw-no-bet on them presents less risk but good returns in the end.

Win: Leicester, Man Utd, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Sheffield Utd

EPL 2019/20 - Week 16

Everton v Chelsea - Away
Bournemouth v Liverpool - Away
Tottenham v Burnley - Home
Watford v Crystal Palace - Away
Man City v Man Utd - Home
Aston Villa v Leicester - Home
Newcastle v Southampton - Draw
Norwich v Sheffield Utd - Away
Brighton v Wolves - Home
West Ham v Arsenal - Home

Everton will be manager-less after the sacking of manager Silva and it could be an oh-so-lucky visit for Chelsea. Lampard's men are enjoying a good run and the return of striker Abraham in mid-week re-invigorates their attacking prowess. The Blues have an excellent shout at a UCL spot if they can continue their surprisingly positive display under Lampard. Goodison Park is never an easy place to garner full points but the Toffees are in such turmoil that the visitors will be strongly fancying a win. At market prices, Chelsea look good value to come out as outright winners.

If the Citizens are to retain their title, they will have to at least come out on top of the battle of Manchester. They have the better squad and are quite formidable at the Etihaad and everything points to a home win. Man Utd will be buoyed by their mid-week win against Spurs  but this Man City is an entirely different beast. Guardiola's men will need to keep an eye on Red Devil striker Rashford though as the England striker is in electric form and capable of intimidating the unsettled Citizens' backline. This should, however, end in a home win.

I like the chances of Villa against Leicester. The Foxes are the hottest team in the league having won their last 7 matches. Everything good thing has an end and it is not fathomable to see Rogers' men keeping the winning streak or Vardy continuing his goal-scoring. Villa are no push-overs at home and I can see them at least snatch a draw in this match. A draw-no-bet or outright win on the Villains could be very rewarding.

Win: Aston Villa, Chelsea, Man City

EPL 2019/20 - Week 11

Bournemouth v Man Utd - Away
Arsenal v Wolves - Home
Aston Villa v Liverpool - Away
Brighton v Norwich - Draw
Man City v Southampton - Home
Sheffield Utd v Burnley - Home
West Ham v Newcastle - Home
Watford v Chelsea - Away
Crystal Palace v Leicester - Away
Everton v Tottenham - Home

The return of Anthony Martial from injury seems to have given Man Utd the wind in their sails that they badly needed to recover from their horrendous start to the season. The French striker can score but is also a perfect foil for Marcus Rashford, who has regained his goal scoring touch since Martial's return. The renewed confidence in the squad in general gives the Red Devils a good opportunity to grab another full points as they visit a Bournemouth side that has fired blanks in four of their last 5 matches. Dean Court has been proven a tough ground for the Mancunians in recent years and they were just able to squeeze out a win in injury time in last year's visit. I expect them to do the same again on Saturday.

Sheffield Utd are proving very resilient at home as Arsenal will have witnessed a couple of weeks ago. It would not be surprising if they overcome visiting Burnley. The visitors are not overly strong on the road although they have managed to squeeze out a few draws. This is bound to be a low-score affair, and at market prices, it might be worth going with the home team for the outright win.

Win: Man Utd, Sheffield Utd

EPL 2019/20 - Week 9

Everton v West Ham - Draw
Bournemouth v Norwich - Home
Aston Villa v Brighton - Home
Chelsea v Newcastle - Home
Leicester v Burnley - Home
Tottenham v Watford - Home
Wolves v Southampton - Draw
Crystal Palace v Man City - Away
Man Utd v Liverpool - Draw
Sheffield Utd v Arsenal - Home

Bournemouth are giving a noble push for a top 10 place this year and they look to be a well-balanced team that will cause problems to any team they play. The arrival of lowly Norwich should provide Eddie Howe's another bagful of points to secure their place in the top half of the table. It seems to have been too much to expect from Norwich's striker Pukki after his explosive start to life in the EPL. He has been relatively quiet in the last few matches and unless he can pick pick up his form, the Canaries look well stuck in the relegation zone. The Cherries should have too much in attack for the visitors.

Leicester are in the top 4 and have strong form at home. They should prove too hot to handle for visiting Burnley. The only question mark on the home side will be Vardy's disposition as the striker will have been affected, under no doubt, by the on-going off-field antics involving Mrs Vardy and Mrs Rooney. Provided Vardy's head will be firmly on scoring in this match, the Foxes should bag the full points.

Finally, Spurs are due to pick up from their rotten form. Goalkeeper Lloris is gone injured for a long time but this team has enough quality in them to start picking up the pieces and find their way to the top 6 at least. Kane cannot stop scoring and if the likes of Ericksen can put away off-field distractions, Pochettino can get his squad back to winning ways. The urgency is there for them to beat Watford and I believe they will.

Win: Bournemouth, Leicester, Tottenham

EPL 2019/20 - Week 5

Brighton v Burnley - Home
Man Utd v Leicester - Home
Sheffield Utd - Southampton - Home
Tottenham v Crystal Palace - Home
Wolves v Chelsea - Draw
Norwich v Man City - Away
Bournemouth v Everton - Draw
Watford v Arsenal - Home
Aston Villa v West Ham - Home

Sheffield Utd are showing pretty decent form since the start of the season and the way that they succeeded a precious point at Stamford Bridge in their last match would have given them hope that they can be competitive , particularly on the road. For them to maintain their Premiership hopes, they will have to maximize points at home, and this week they have ample opportunity for full points as they host Southampton. I think the Saints will face relegation battle this year and unless things change dramatically for the better in their squad or management, they will be ripe to be taken on. The hosts here are fancied for the straight win.

Although they have had an average start to their season, Wolves are a tough nut to track at home and Lampard's men are in for a rough outing against Santo's team. The Chelsea manager is still in the process of imposing his style to the team and the new faces he's brought in will have to go through their baptism of fire. They look vulnerable on this trip and I believe getting Wolves on a straight win or on a draw-no-bet could very well be rewarding.

Win: Wolves, Sheffield Utd

EPL 2019/20 - Week 2

Arsenal v Burnley - Home
Aston Villa v Bournemouth - Away
Brighton v West Ham - Home
Everton v Watford - Home
Norwich v Newcastle - Home
Southampton v Liverpool - Away
Man City v Tottenham - Home
Sheffield Utd v Crystal Palace - Home
Chelsea v Leicester - Draw
Wolves v Man Utd - Draw

Liverpool might feel the tiredness out of their mid-week Super Cup win but they should have enough in the tank to overcome Southampton. If they are to beat Man City to the title, they cannot afford to lose any points to the likes of Soton and Jurgen Klopp will have instilled that into the players' heads.

Spurs were arguably lucky to bag full points against Villa on opening day and I cannot see them riding their luck against Man City. Sterling is truly becoming a superstar and the Citizens are firing on all cylinders at the moment. They should win this handily.

Everton had chances to beat Crystal Palace last week but were their profligacy in front of goal cost them the win. They are tipped to make amends as they host a Watford team that demonstrated many defensive weaknesses in their home drubbing at the hands of Brighton. Watch out for Richarlison to be on the scoresheet in this one.

Win: Man City, Liverpool, Everton