EPL 21/22 - Week 31

 Everton v Man Utd - Away

Arsenal v Brighton - Home

Southampton v Chelsea - Home

Watford v Leeds - Home

Aston Villa v Tottenham - Draw

Brentford v West Ham - Away

Leicester v Crystal Palace - Away

Norwich v Burnley - Away

Man City v Liverpool - Home

This might not be the title decider but it is definitely a 6-pointer that will give a massive boost to the winner of the Man City v Liverpool match. The Citizens will have home advantage although that might be a double-edged sword as that might actually put a greater chip on their shoulders. Form-wise, there is no contest that Liverpool have the edge although I really think that the time has come to hit the skids. I was mentioning previously that the Kops have forged out recent wins out of sheer will and luck and I don't think they will be able to maintain such cadence until the end. City have shown to be consistently good although they haven't been racking wins at the same rate, so they look the likelier to eke out a win here. 

Tomorrow's match at Goodison Park will be a good litmus test to know whether Man Utd are able to sustain the winning run needed to secure the 4th UCL spot that is seeming more and more elusive. It will also show whether I have been wrong in my assessment that they are too good to miss out on that final spot. Everton have been out-of-sorts with or without Lampard and if the Red Devils cannot capitalize on the home side's shortcomings, they will struggle against other teams until the rest of the season. I still think value to side one more time with the visitors here.

Win: Man Utd, Man City

EPL 21/22 - Week 17

Norwich v Aston Villa - Away

Man City v Leeds - Home

Brighton v Wolves - Draw

Burnley v Watford - Away

Crystal Palace v Southampton - Home

Arsenal v West Ham - Draw

Leicester v Tottenham - Home

Chelsea v Everton - Home

Liverpool v Newcastle - Home

David Moyes did a fantastic job at West Ham last season and if anyone thought that was a fluke or a on-off, think again because the Hammers are doing even better this year sitting in 4th spot ahead the likes of Man Utd and Arsenal. They have proven a tough team to break down even for the top teams. And they can score as well with Antonio and Bowen leading the charge up front. The Hammers are simply a delight to watch and although they have a difficult away match against the in-form Gunners, they cannot be dismissed in the slightest. The home team have enjoyed a good spell lately and Arteta is no longer the "next manager" to be fired as the papers had peppered for a while. They currently have au Auba issue on their hands but their newly-ex captain has not been as influential to their recent success as in previous years. It is the coming of keeper Ramsdale between the posts that have kicked off their season and provided them much-needed solidity at the back to build on. This match is going to be tight from the get-go and I see it ending into a hardly-fought draw.

Draw: Arsenal/West Ham

EPL 2021/22 - Week 10

Leicester v Arsenal - Home

Burnley v Brentford - Away

Liverpool v Brighton - Home

Man City v Crystal Palace - Home

Newcastle v Chelsea - Away

Watford v Southampton - Home

Tottenham v Man Utd - Away

Norwich v Leeds - Away

Aston Villa v West Ham - Home

Wolves v Everton - Away

I see value going for some away matches this week-end. Brentford have been edged out in their last 2 encounters but have the quality to snatch points at Burnley. Chelsea go as firm favourites against lowly Newcastle even without their strikeforce of Lukaku and Werner. Mason Mount picked up the pieces last week-end and Havertz shouldn't be too far off taking the goalscoring duties. Man Utd are due an urgent win and they can rebound from their debacle against Liverpool by gaining at least a share of points at Spurs. They certainly have the quality to win the 3 points. Leeds should batter Norwich, which are as bad a horror-show this league has seen. If Biesla cannot get his team to win this match, something is going on at Elland Road and the Argentinian could be on his way out of there. Finally, I see Everton rebounding from their astonishing last defeat against Watford. It was so uncharacteristic to see a Benitez team outscored in the waning minutes in that fashion. The Toffees can outscore a Wolves side that has yet to hit top gear this season.

Win or Draw-no-bet: Brentford, Chelsea, Man Utd, Leeds, Everton

EPL 2021/22 - Week 5

Wolves v Brentford - H

Burnley v Arsenal - H

Liverpool v Crystal Palace - H

Man City v Southampton - H

Norwich v Watford - A

Aston Villa v Everton - A

Brighton v Leicester - A

West Ham v Man Utd - D

Tottenham v Chelsea - A

Burnley have only 1 point to show for so far but their odds look prohibitively high against visiting Arsenal. I believe Dyche's men are a little unfortunate to be sitting next to the bottom of the table as they could easily have gathered a few more points from their opening matches. They are a tough team to beat on their best day and they should be hitting good form soon. Visiting Arsenal do not have much better form and I think Arteta's men are an out-of-sorts team at the moment. Forget that they are not the Arsenal team of old, they are much worse than even the worst Wenger teams. This does not look a team that is going anywhere and I wouldn't be surprised if Arteta is given the boot soon. I think it's worth siding with the home team here, either a straight win or a draw-no-bet; I just don't see Burnley losing this one.

EPL 21/22 - Week 2

Liverpool v Burnley - Home

Aston Villa v Newcastle - Home

Crystal Palace v Brentford - Home

Leeds v Everton - Home

Man City v Norwich - Home

Brighton v Watford - Away

Southampton v Man Utd - Away

Wolves v Spurs - Home

Arsenal v Chelsea - Away

West Ham v Leicester - Draw

Man City missed their entrance last week-end going down at White Hart Lane. The Citizens are clearly missing a No 9 but they should have no problem overcoming minnows Norwich on Saturday. Mahrez and Sterling are expected to shine and get Guardiola's team back on track. They better do because Liverpool and Man Utd have started their season brightly.

I expect Liverpool to overcome Burnley as they look very settled with Van Dyke at the back and Salah is already hitting on all cylinders. Man Utd have a more arduous road trip at Southampton and it's a match they almost lost last year until they mounted a memorable second-half comeback thanks to the likes of Cavani and Fernandes. Any poor showing like their first half of last season might doom them this time, but with the quality they have shown last week, and with a Pogba that seems very interested, they might have too much firepower again for the hosts.

Chelsea sees the return of Lukaku and the Belgian might make the difference against the Gunners. A defeat here will certainly heap the pressure on Arteta who will be missing a few key players due to Covid. Chelsea are already rocking and Lukaku definitely improves them mightily in the striker department. The Blues should get even better with matches but they have the capacity to shell-shock the Gunners in this early-season London clash.

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 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 21

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

Happy New Year 2020 everyone!!

Newly-appointed manager Moyes can start his second managerial Hammers career on a winning note as Bournemouth visit the London Stadium. It is always a case of making first impressions whenever a new manager takes over as the players get that extra urge to make their mark. The feeling watching them for the past weeks was that they were not responding to ousted manager Pellegrini. Bournemouth have a pretty mediocre away record and look vulnerable to the wrath of a home team in bad need of a win. At current prices, it looks rewarding to side win a straight home win.

Burnley got burned by Man Utd in their last home match and I've rarely seen them playing that bad at Turf Moor. They will find Aston Villa easier to deal with than the Red Devils. Their solid front duo of Wood and Barnes should present a menace for the wobbly Villa defence. This should end in a comfortable home win.

Win: Burnley, West Ham

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 1

Liverpool v Norwich - Home

West Ham v Man City - Away

Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd - Home

Burnley v Southampton - Home

Crystal Palace v Everton - Away

Watford v Brighton - Home

Tottenham v Aston Villa - Home

Leicester v Wolves - Away

Newcastle v Arsenal - Away

Man Utd v Chelsea - Home

Here we go again for another promising EPL season. It certainly looks that Man City and Liverpool will battle it out again for supremacy. They are the 2 best teams in the league by far and it would be far-reaching to look beyond these 2. You'd expect them to have improved over last year while there are big question marks regarding the other challengers. Man Utd are rebuilding, Chelsea are starting the Lampard era while both Spurs and Arsenal don't seem to have reinforced much. 

Everton have been busy bees during the transfer season and I expect them to perform relatively well this year. They look good enough for a Europa league spot. It is incoming striker Moise Kean who will be the object of much scrutiny, the Italian coming from champions Juventus of Serie A. So the Toffees look good value to make a potent impact while visiting Crystal Palace on opening day. The Eagles have retained Zaha against his wishes and that looks definitely a negative move that will backfire.

Liverpool should start the season with a bang as they entertain newcomers Norwich. So should Spurs against the Villains. Man Utd against Chelsea is the match of the week-end and I favour the hosts to edge this one. Chelsea will be a diminished team this year without Hazard. 

Win: Liverpool, Everton, Man Utd

EPL 2018/19 - Week 36

Tottenham v West Ham - Home
Crystal Palace v Everton - Draw
Fulham v Cardiff - Home
Southampton v Bournemouth - Home
Watford v Wolves - Home
Brighton v Newcastle - Draw
Leicester v Arsenal - Home
Burnley v Man City - Away
Man Utd v Chelsea - Home

Hope you tagged on the Crystal Palace coup last week-end. Arsenal proved vulnerable as expected.
Man City removed a big hurdle in their championship quest by overcoming cross-rivals Man Utd at Old Trafford. Liverpool are racking on the wins but that massive Derby win should give the Citizens further impetus and confidence to close on the title. It's never easy to go to Burnley but it will a shocker if Guardiola's men don't get full points out of that trip.

Man Utd are reeling at the moment but I cannot see them lose to Chelsea at home. Through thick and thin, they should get at least a point out of this encounter although a win is much needed for them to aspire to the all-important 4th spot. At current odds, a draw-no-bet on the Red Devils looks fair.

I see more misery for Arsenal as they travel to Leicester. The Foxes are a totally different animal under Rodgers and will give the Gunners all they can handle. A win for the home team looks good value here.

Win: Man City, Leicester
Draw-no-bet: Man Utd

EPL 2018/19 - Week 35

Man City v Tottenham - Home
Bournemouth v Fulham - Home
Huddersfield v Watford - Away
West Ham v Leicester - Draw
Wolves v Brighton - Home
Newcastle v Southampton - Away
Everton v Man Utd - Home
Arsenal v Crystal Palace - Away
Cardiff v Liverpool - Away

Man City should rock Spurs and get their sort-of revenge on the Londoners who scuppered their hope for quadruple glory this past week. I see no problem of a Citizens win here.

Liverpool, I believe, will go on and win the title and they should have a relatively facile outing at Cardiff. If they cannot win the 3 points there, they won't win the Premier League, it is that simple.

For a shocker, how about Palace coming up trumps against Arsenal. Emery's men have been gathering the good results lately but they have had a hard European match at Napoli, and although they did win and qualify, I think they could come unstuck against giant killers Palace.

Win: Liverpool, Man City, Crystal Palace

EPL 2018/19 - Week 26

Fulham v Man Utd - Away

Crystal Palace v West Ham - Home

Huddersfield v Arsenal - Away

Liverpool v Bournemouth - Home

Southampton v Cardiff - Home

Watford v Everton - Home

Brighton v Burnley - Draw

Tottenham v Leicester - Away

Man City v Chelsea - Home

Wolves v Newcastle - Home

Tottenham owe it to Son to still fighting for the title. The South Korean has carried the team during Kane's absence by scoring crucial goals and keeping Spurs in the title fight. I think Leicester will pose them mighty problems this week-end and the exploits of Son might not be enough. At current prices, I see it feasible to opt for a straight Leicester win.

Accumulator: Man Utd/Liverpool/Man City/Leicester

EPL 2018/19 - Week 23

Wolves v Leicester - Home
Bournemouth v West Ham - Away
Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Home
Man Utd v Brighton - Home
Newcastle v Cardiff - Home
Southampton v Everton - Draw
Watford v Burnley - Home
Arsenal v Chelsea - Home
Huddersfield v Man City - Away
Fulham v Tottenham - Away

Another week and another great opportunity for most of the league pretenders to garner full points as they play modest opposition. Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd and Tottenham would consider it a setback if they fail to pick up 3 points from their matches. Spurs have the more delicate task of the four as they travel to Fulham without Harry Kane but I still expect them to notch the win.

Add Newcastle to the mix as Benitez's team have a golden opportunity to take all points as they host Cardiff. The Welsh outfit look prime for the drop at the moment and I see them stuttering until the end, particularly on their away matches.

Accumulator: Newcastle/Man City/Man Utd/Liverpool/Tottenham

EPL 2018/19 - Week 20

Brighton v/s Everton - Away
Fulham v/s Huddersfield - Home
Leicester v/s Cardiff - Home
Tottenham v/s Wolves - Home
Watford v/s Newcastle - Home
Liverpool v/s Arsenal - Home
Crystal Palace v/s Chelsea - Home
Burnley v/s West Ham - Away
Southampton v/s Man City - Away
Man Utd v/s Bournemouth - Home

Can Man City be rocked for the 3rd time in a row? Their late capitulation at Leicester was certainly shocking and the Citizens are no longer in that confident mode anymore. At current prices, it might be value to stick with them to overcome the Saints; they haven't become a bad team all of a sudden. But the past 2 losses have certainly dented their chances of keeping the title particularly that league leaders Liverpool are showing no sign of slowing down.

Liverpool look set to continue on their roll as they welcome Arsenal. The Gunners are puffing at the moment and as they are still a work in progress under new coach Emery, I don't expect them to be firing on all cylinders against the league favourites. With a win, Klopp's men will have taken care of a big obstacle.

Keeping the faith with the Red Devils as they entertain Bournemouth. They are also a team under revolution under manager Ole and while I don't expect them to be mesmerizing against strong teams, they should be able to overcome the poor form of the Cherries.

Leicester have struck against 2 leading teams in Chelsea and Man City and should have no trouble against visiting Cardiff.

Accumulator: Man City/Liverpool/Man Utd/Leicester

EPL 2018/19 - Week 17

Man City v/s Everton - Home
Crystal Palace v/s Leicester - Draw
Huddersfield v/s Newcastle - Home
Tottenham v/s Burnley - Home
Watford v/s Cardiff - Home
Wolves v/s Bournemouth - Away
Fulham v/s West Ham - Draw
Brighton v/s Chelsea - Away
Southampton v/s Arsenal - Away
Liverpool v/s Man Utd - Home

Liverpool against Man Utd used to be the biggest match of the season. With the rise of Man City, this is no longer the case. Since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, the fortunes of the 2 rivals have gone in opposite ways. Klopp has the Kops on the ascendancy and the future looks bright although they have yet to win any silverware yet. Mourinho has won trophies with the Red Devils although not the cherished Premier League or Champions League titles. Worse, his impact at the club has plateau-ed and the wave of discontent around the club seems to grow by the day. At Anfield, Mourinho will park the bus, such will be the fear of the Portuguese of losing the match. It is certain that the visitors will rely on the odd counter-attack to squeeze something out of the match. With Salah in grand form, it will be hard to keep him out of the score sheet and if last year's match is anything to go by, the Liverpool forwards will have live chances to make a difference. Hard to go against the Kops here.

Man City and Tottenham are banker winners to keep apace at the top.

Accumulator: Liverpool/Man City/Tottenham

EPL 2018/19 - Week 10

Brighton v/s Wolves - Home
Fulham v/s Bournemouth - Away
Liverpool v/s Cardiff - Home
Southampton v/s Newcastle - Home
Watford v/s Huddersfield - Home
Leicester v/s West Ham - Home
Burnley v/s Chelsea - Draw
Crystal Palace v/s Arsenal - Away
Man Utd v/s Everton - Home
Tottenham v/s Man City - Away

Accumulator Win: Liverpool/Man City/Watford/Man Utd

EPL 2018/19 - Week 8

Brighton v/s West Ham - Away
Burnley v/s Huddersfield - Home
Crystal Palace v/s Wolves - Home
Leicester v/s Everton - Home
Tottenham v/s Cardiff - Home
Watford v/s Bournemouth - Home
Man Utd v/s Newcastle - Home
Fulham v/s Arsenal - Away
Southampton v/s Chelsea - Away
Liverpool v/s Man City - Away

West Ham seem to have turned a corner and I see them getting the full points on their away trip to Brighton. Much has been said after Man Utd's woes but the Hammers were convincing in their win against the Red Devils last week. Pellegrini has righted the ship and I expect them to steadily climb up the standings.

I see value in pouncing on the accumulator on the following home teams: Burnley, Leicester, Tottenham and Man Utd. The gap with the visiting teams are enough for those teams to warrant comprehensive wins.

I also see Crystal Palace as a value draw-no-bet option against visiting Wolves. The Eagles usually keep matches close and they will be hard to beat at home. Wolves have been overachieving since the start and will be expected to give a good account of themselves and I expect Palace's odds to be higher as a result. The home team should either win or draw this match.


Win: West Ham
Win accumulator: Burnley/Leicester/Tottenham/Man Utd
Draw-no-bet: Crystal Palace

EPL 2018/19 - Week 5

Tottenham v/s Liverpool - Away
Bournemouth v/s Leicester - Draw
Chelsea v/s Cardiff - Home
Huddersfield v/s Crystal Palace - Away
Man City v/s Fulham - Home
Newcastle v/s Arsenal - Draw
Watford v/s Man Utd - Home
Wolves v/s Burnley - Home
Everton v/s West Ham - Home
Southampton v/s Brighton - Home

The 4 teams that stand out this weekend are Chelsea, Man City, Crystal Palace and Southampton. The first 2 can be considered bankers. Chelsea have proven me wrong so far and while I still expect them to fade at some point, getting 3 points from weak Cardiff should prove no hassle. Man City should be their dominating self against visiting Fulham.

Zaha might be a doubt for this match but Crystal Palace should have more than enough to get more than a share of points at Huddersfield. The Eagles have been somewhat disappointing in their last 2 matches but should be able to bounce back on this travel.

Finally, I really like the way Mark Hughes has settled in Southampton and the Saints have been competitive in the opening matches. A win is well within their grasp in the encounter against visiting Brighton.

Win Accumulator: Man City/Chelsea/Crystal Palace/Southampton

EPL 2017/18 - Week 29

Burnley v/s Everton - Home win
Leicester v/s Bournemouth - Home win
Southampton v/s Stoke - Draw
Tottenham v/s Huddersfield - Home win
Swansea v/s West Ham - Draw
Watford v/s West Brom - Home win
Liverpool v/s Newcastle - Home win
Brighton v/s Arsenal - Away win
Man City v/s Chelsea - Home win
Crystal Palace v/s Man Utd - Draw

It seems there is no manager under more pressure than Arsene Wenger these days. Pundits, commentators and even ex-Arsenal players are calling for his head, tired of long barren years of failing to secure the Premiership. The Gunners are playing without much confidence but true to previous Wenger teams, they are bound to rise and go on a decent winning run sooner than later. I like their odds of getting the win at Brighton. The hosts are on a good run of undefeated matches and that makes Arsenal's favourable odds all the more enticing. An away win looks great value.

After Man City, it is getting crowded among the leading pursuers and I see comfortable wins for Liverpool and Tottenham. Spurs should have no trouble handling struggling Huddersfield while the Kops are currently on a rampage and should overcome visiting Newcastle and ensure a losing return for ex-Liverpool manager Benitez. Make it a double with Liverpool and Spurs.

Win: Arsenal
Double: Liverpool/Tottenham