EPL 2017/18 - Week 17 (Wednesday matches)

Newcastle v/s Everton - Draw
Southampton v/s Leicester - Home win
Swansea v/s Man City - Away win
Liverpool v/s West Brom - Home win
Man Utd v/s Bournemouth - Home win
Tottenham v/s Brighton - Home win
West Ham v/s Arsenal - Home win

EPL 2017/18 - Week 16

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

A huge 6-point match decider is on the cards at the Theatre of Dreams on Sunday for the Manchester Derby. Most people think that this season's champion will come out of Manchester and I could not agree more; if there is any team that will stop the Guardiola juggernaut of Man City, it will be the Red Devils. I disagree with the markets on this one, though; Man City's odds are way too short in my opinion. For all their dominance since the start of the season, their last 3 league matches have resulted in 3 tight wins of 2-1, all won in the closing stages. That means that the Citizens have laboured whenever teams have shut the door. Against Man Utd, they will go against a manager known for parking the bus extremely well. That is Mourinho's forte when he is playing more talented teams. Man Utd have recently proven lethal when soaking up the pressure to deliver the knockout blow; ask Watford and Arsenal. Sure, they will be missing suspended Pogba in midfield but they have played without the Frenchman to good effect before his return from injury. Man City's defence is there for the taking, particularly on the counter-attacks and I believe the crowd will roar the home side to victory on Sunday. If they don't win, a draw-no-bet on the home side looks very enticing as well.

Sam Allardyce will right the ship at Everton but they are travelling to Anfield in the worst possible moment as Klopp's team are the hottest in the league. Goals can come anywhere from the quartet of Mane, Salah, Coutinho and Firminho. No doubt Sturridge needs to go elsewhere to find playing time. The most the visitors can look for is a hopeful draw but I think the Kops are just too strong at Anfield. Home win.

Finally, I see Crystal Palace getting another rare win against visiting Bournemouth. Their form has sharpened considerably in recent weeks with the arrival of Hodgson and the return of Zaha. Their unfortunate problem is that they have the most profligate striker in the league in Benteke. The Belgian international can score beauties when on fire but he has a record of spurning good goal scoring opportunities as well. Bournemouth look like a team on the wane and it is a massive opportunity for the Eagles to ramp up some much-needed points.

Win: Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Man Utd

EPL 2017/18 - Week 15

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

If Man City were unable to extend their lead after the midweek matches, they have another great crack at this over the week-end. They have the easiest task on paper given that they host the Hammers that are quite simply a team in disarray right now. It seems the only hope for Moyes' team is to maximize points at home because they are simply atrocious on the road. Although the Citizens' have won their last 2 matches at the death, they should find Sunday's match an easy offering on paper and should come out on top even in first gear.

The value of the week-end looks to be Leicester who will look for consecutive home wins after dispatching Spurs in midweek. Visitors Burnley are in good form and are sure to keep the match close. Many expect the match to be close, explaining the juicy odds on offer for a straight Foxes win or a draw-no-bet on them. I believe either one will pay at the end of ninety minutes.

Finally, Southampton could finally be getting an away win consolation after coming close to causing an upset at the Etihad. Not only did they succumb with the last kick of the match, they also hit the crossbar and had excellent chances to score against the Citizens. Bournemouth should prove a somewhat easier affair for Pellegrino's men and a draw-no-bet looks decent value at current prices.


Win: Leicester, Man City, Southampton

EPL 2017/18 - Week 14

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

I think Man City will extend their lead at the top after this set of mid-week matches. They are almost a banker to handily beat the visiting Saints as there seems nothing stopping them at the moment. Sterling cannot secure a a place in the first team, yet he delivered them victory in their tough last encounter at Huddersfield Town. Their squad is so deep that the winner can come from anyone from the bench. Although they managed to tire off Everton in their last match, the Saints are still finding their feet under new manager Pellegrino and I cannot see them causing an upset here.

I also see City rivals Man Utd struggling as they visit in-form Watford. The Hornets are my surprise team of the season so far and last week's dismantling of Newcastle at St James Park confirm them as outside contenders for a European spot at the end of the season. They are well managed under manager Silva and always have at least a goal in them. As he often does, Mourinho will be parking the bus and hope for effective counter-attacks and set-pieces. This means a paucity of goals and the odd goal making the difference in the end. This match could go either way but it would not be surprising that the Red Devils will be losing costly points at the end this encounter. A draw-no-bet on the Hornets looks value here.

Liverpool look a happier team away from Anfield. I think this has to do with the way their system works, relying on the speed of Salah, Mane and Firmino. Their dynamic play should play wonders against a team like Stoke that tend to impose themselves in slow tempo matches. At market prices, going for a straight Kop win looks the best value.

Win: Liverpool, Man City
Draw-no-bet: Watford

EPL 2017/18 - Week 13

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

Everton is the team to focus on again. Even their staunchest supporter would agree that they were let go out of jail against Crystal Palace last week-end. Not counting a dubious penalty and the numerous occasions the Eagles wasted to secure the win, David Unsworth would be reeling on yet another defeat as caretaker manager. That they got thrashed in their next game in the Europa League 5-1 against visiting Atalanta only reinforced the sentiment that this club is in big trouble. So their trip to Southampton comes at a good time for the hosts who themselves are in a spot of bother. Manager Pellegrino is under fire having won only 3 out of the first 12 EPL matches. The manager probably needs more time to get his team to perform and it does not come easier than to start with the Toffees. Got to go for the straight home win here as they have enough quality to overcome a team on the verge of meltdown.

I also like Leicester's chances against West Ham. I think Claude Puel is a decent manager who will somewhat get the Foxes back on track towards the middle of the table. They visit the Hammers who arguably were unlucky not to score on a few chances against Watford last week. Moyes has to score an early win in his Hammers managerial career but I am not sure it can come against the resilient visitors. At current odds, I would go for a visitors' draw-no-bet.

I see wins for both Manchester teams. Man Utd were pretty awful in mid-week but it was expected that Mourinho would field a defensive team to secure the draw. What they did not expect was Basle to score in the waning minutes of the match. The Red Devils are still in control of qualifying and I doubt Mourinho would still be sleeping on this match. At home, their record is strong and I cannot see Brighton winning one at Old Trafford. With Pogba and Zlatan now back, the ammunition is aplenty in the Red Devils' camp and they should have enough to secure the win. Same for Man City, who were pretty poor in the UCL win against Feyenood. That match almost put me to sleep. But with their first team restored, Guardiola's men should have too much firepower against the hosts.

Finally, Spurs should see off a manager-less West Brom easily in a match where Harry Kane could be having a field day. An accumulator involving Man Utd, Man City and Tottenham should reap dividends.


Accumulator: Man Utd/Man City/Tottenham
Win: Southampton
Draw-no-bet: Leicester

EPL 2017/18 - Week 12

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

Call it Everton-bashing or whatever but unless the evidence shows otherwise, it seems rewarding to go against the Toffees these days. In the last weekday, we opted for Watford to pull a good result at Goodison Park and they came oh-so-close, letting go of a 2-goal lead and missing a penalty on top of that. Whether that win has rejuvenated David Unsworth's team remains to be seen but for that, they will have to show more than their 3-goal spurt and lucky win against the Hornets. They visit a Crystal Palace team on the upside, a club which I believe Roy Hodgson will improve as the season progresses. At this juncture of the season and based on form, the home team appears to have all the favors here and at current market prices, look a value win punt.

Man Utd welcome back Ibra and Pogba and should have too much firepower against the visiting Magpies. It's Mourinho against Benitez yet again but this time the Spaniard does not have much in his arsenal to realistically oppose the deep Red Devils. The home team must win this to keep tabs with their cross-town rivals Man City and should bag the 3 points.

Can David Moyes turn things around at West Ham? Maybe, but he is in with a tough baptism for his first match at Watford. It is not uncommon that players will give 110% to make a first good impression for their boss' first game but the Hammers are a talented pool of players with no chemistry. I see Moyes turning on a defensive display here but in the end Watford have enough in them to pull away with full points.

Win: Crystal Palace, Man Utd, Watford

EPL 2017/18 - Week 11

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

Man City served up another terrific display in mid-week by dominating a highly-talented Napoli team in the UCL. The 4-2 score might be a little flattering given that Napoli had chances to make the difference during a tight match but the win reflected nonetheless that the Citizens are for real in both domestic and European league this season. I cannot see Arsenal beating them this week-end for many reasons and I'll just name 3: better squad, Guardiola, and fitness.

City have the deepest and most talented squad in the EPL and they are on form. Arsenal have in-out players like Ozil and Ramsey that can drift out of matches when the going gets tough. The home team will have the non-negligible advantage of an extra day rest from their mid-week exertions. But the balance mainly tilts to the Citizens at the managerial level. Guardiola is more tactically astute than Wenger and will know how to exploit whatever team Arsenal have to offer. At the end, this could end in a drubbing. Arsenal will feel great coming away with a hard-earned point in this one but I think City will prove too strong and secure another full points.

It's Mourinho back to Chelsea again. The champions are reeling at the moment and injuries haven't helped their cause. The return of Kante last week was a big plus though, as the Frenchman protects his defence like no other in the league. It's hard to see Red Devils winning this though as Mourinho's tactical approach to those big games has traditionally been to park the bus unless scored upon. Maybe if they get a lucky opening goal, they can hold on for the win. But chances are that Chelsea will do most of the heavy lifting and create the goalscoring chances. This could very well end up in a drub draw but I see value going for a draw-no-bet with Conte's men.

Finally, how about taking Watford to pile more misery on Everton? The Toffees played to another loss in the Europa league and Watford have proven to be no easy fodder since the start of the season. The visitors will relish playing an out-of-sorts Everton team that seems devoid of direction under caretaker manager David Unsworth. Watford for the win or draw-no-bet look good value.


Win: Man City, Watford
Draw-no-bet: Chelsea

EPL 2017/18 - Week 10

Man Utd v/s Tottenham - Draw

Arsenal v/s Swansea - Home win

Crystal Palace v/s West Ham - Home win

Liverpool v/s Huddersfield - Home win

Watford v/s Stoke - Home win

WBA v/s Man City - Away win

Bournemouth v/s Chelsea - Away win

Brighton v/s Southampton - Home win

Leicester v/s Everton - Draw

Burnley v/s Newcastle - Home win

Through the Ferguson times, Man Utd were hand and heels above Spurs. How times have changed since the Scot has left asTottenham have bettered the Red Devils in the final standings of the past seasons. This year, they look on a dead-even keel as far as squad strength is concerned, as both are considered the likeliest to catch Man City, should the latter falter, that is. It looks like Saturday's match at Old Trafford will have consequences not just in table standings but also on the mental well-being of both squads as they chase Guardiola's men. A Man Utd win will appease the possible un-rest that has seeped through the club after their defeat at Huddersfield. Mourinho's post-match comments could be seen as throwing the players under the bus and it seems another negative display in his eyes will send the Portugese in unravel mode, with the all too familiar destructive consequences as seen during his Chelsea days. Once Mourinho loses it, the team falters as well. A convincing win however will put the Red Devils back on the strong march they have forged since the start of the season. For Tottenham, losing Kane for this match is a big blow. The England star has been the best striker on earth for the late while and in the form of his life. Without him, Spurs are not the same team. However, they have come close in their recent visits at Old Trafford and there is the best Spurs squad coming to Manchester in years. Pochettino has the tactical acumen to happily get a draw out of this match. I don't think Man Utd will lose this and on all accounts, a draw-no-bet on them sounds value. Even better value could be going for the straight draw match.

An accumulator with Winx winning the Cox Plate will bring in 20% extra. The superstar mare from Down Under looks a banker to notch her 3rd straight Cox Plate. I just cannot see anything in the field at Mooney Valley getting close to her. Only my opinion, but I rate her higher than Enable or Cracksman or anything the turf world has to offer over middle distances. I just can't wait for her possible Royal Ascot visit next year.


Accumulator :(Win: Winx Draw: Man Utd/Spurs

EPL 2017/18 - Week 9

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

It is not far-fetched to think that, the way that Man City are playing, it will not be a matter whether they will beat Burnley but rather by how many goals will win. They have been on a tear and although their goal spree will come to an end sooner than later, it is hard to fathom anything other than another dominant display from Guardiola's men here. A City win has to be in any accumulator.

Newcastle look to be a team on the upside and will be looking for full points as they welcome Crystal Palace. Roy Hodgson's men shocked champions Chelsea last week-end and the return of their talisman Zaha was more than ominous as the former Man Utd player bagged in the winning goal. Sure, the Eagles are better than their current standing and Zaha will play a big part in their resurgence as the season progresses. However, Newcastle are in good vein of form and Benitez has his players playing with such confidence that it will be a negative outcome for them not to bag the 3 points here. I certainly cannot see them lose this match and it looks best value to go for the all-out win with the hosts.

Win Double: Man City/Newcastle

EPL 2017/18 - Week 8

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

Liverpool against Man Utd is always high up there among the biggest matches of the season, no matter that the Kops haven't tasted titled glory in decades and managers have come and gone over the years. The hosts have had their ups and downs since the start of the season but this will be the first real test for the rampant Red Devils. The big thing for Liverpool these days is that Coutinho has been back with a bang since the "Barcelona" episode. Even though rumors of his departure for Catalonia for the January deadline are persisting, the Brazilian has been banging in goals lately, which would have brushed off any misgivings the Red fans might have held towards him. The unfortunate thing for the Kops is that they are without Mane due to injury. When the Senegalese is back, Liverpool will truly be kicking from all corners. Man Utd are unbeaten so far but it is no secret that that their opponents so far have been of lesser quality. Still, getting the points and goals as they have been doing, should help in their quest for another title. Mourinho will most probably park the bus at Anfield and rely on counter-attacking forays with the likes of Rashford, Martial and Lukaku to sneak one or more goals at the other end. I very much see a scenario where the hosts find it hard to break down the Utd defensive wall and the Red Devils chancing their luck on rapid counters. The Liverpool defense has yet to show any kind of stability or robustness and the Red Devils have ample quality at the front end to score. I think the value punt here is to go for either a Utd win or a draw-no-bet.

For accumulators, I see easy wins for top guns such as Man City, Spurs and Chelsea. I see the Blues prolonging Palace's woes even further although the bright light for Roy Hodgson's men is the return of Zaha. It will help them in later games but not against Chelsea.

Win: Man City, Tottenham, Chelsea
Draw-no-bet: Man Utd

Arc de Triomphe 2017 - Enable a cut above

Sunday's Arc de Triomphe looks vintage with some proven top-class performers challenging to win Flat racing's most prestigious prize. Towering over the field will be Enable, Europe's new racing queen and carrying the same colours as the likes of Dancing Brave, Frankel and Arrogate. Of the 18-runner field, I will retain 5 names: Cloth of Stars, Brametot, Dschingis Secret, Winter and Enable. That is not to say that some of the others don't have live chances; the likes of Zarak, Ulysses and Order of St George could spring an upset if all conditions turn right for them.

Enable is the best middle-distance filly of the Classic generation by far. She has crushed all on her way from 10 to 12 furlongs. She even trounced males in the King George. She is proven on easy and hard surfaces and only an accident in running would be able to stop her winning, in my opinion. She has drawn stall 2 and as long as her rider Dettori does not get her boxed in, she should be very hard to beat.

Brametot is the dark horse of the race. This son of Rajsaman has an electric turn of foot that has put some top-quality milers to submission. There are 2 issues with him. First, he can lose the race at the start as he is prone to lose several lengths leaving the stalls. In a 12-furlong race, that might not matter as much as a mile race. Second, he is unproven at the distance and his pedigree suggests that he will be stretched stamina-wise. If both issues are no impediment whatsover on race day, this top-proven miler could let his class speak and be a contender at the finish.

Not much was expected of Dschingis Secret, Germany's best middle-distance performer, when he met Satono Diamond in an Arc trial, the Prix Foy. The way he easily bested the field on that day puts him under consideration. After all, he also beat Godolphin's Group 1 winner Hawkbill in Germany in his previous race. The ease in the ground will be Dschingis Secret's best asset on Sunday. The more the rain, the better the chances for the son of Soldier Hollow. He should be considered in any exotics.

Cloth of Stars surprised a few when second in the same Prix Foy that Dschingis Secret won. It was after all his seasonal return after taking the summer off. The way he finished indicated that more is to come for this son of Sea the Stars. It also showed he had lost none of this ability that saw him win 3 Group races in France in the spring. Trained by the master Andre Fabre, he should be in great condition to pounce race day and is a good contender to make the frame.

Finally, I have got to mention Winter, the best filly miler of the Classic generation. Like Brametot, the big question mark is the distance. After conquering all at the mile distance, she tasted defeat at her first foray at 10 furlongs. Ballydoyle came up with many reasons for the defeat and even if she had won on that day, there would still rightly have been doubts about her stamina for a race like the Arc. Although she is by Galileo, her damsire is Choisir, a pure sprinter. She is the chosen one by Ryan Moore from the Ballydoyle brigade and her class will bring her through but whether that is enough to be a major factor in the end remains to be seen. I don't think she can trouble Enable at this distance.

Win: Enable
Place: Cloth of Stars
Top 4 (if heavy ground): Dschingis Secret

EPL 2017/18 - Week 7

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

A big 6-pointer match is at play at Stamford Bridge and although this is too early to be a title-decider, it will give a mental edge to the winner going forward. Man City have been dealt a big blow as Aguero will miss this match due to injuries sustained in a road accident. Gabriel Jesus is more than an able deputy though and has a sparkling record since joining the Citizens last year. For all its spectacular football and offence, tough matches against teams like Chelsea are the ones that Man City need to win or draw in order to be genuine tile contenders. They blasted not least than 5 goals in their recent encounters against mediocre opponents but the real test of their mettle and mental aptitude is against top teams. Conte's men are riding a serious piece of form as demonstrated by the weekly win at Atletico Madrid in the UCL. Not many teams can boast dominating Simeone's men on their own turf and come away win the win on top of that. Really, Chelsea Italian's coach has shown again the top tactician he is. It's hard to see a visitor's win here; Conte will have an answer to Guardiola's possession football and I see Hazard hitting the visitors with dangerous counter-attacks. City are strong but an outright home win or a safer draw-no-bet on the home team look good value.

Man Utd and Arsenal should easily win their encounters against feeble opponents. Maybe coupling them with a West Ham win could pay dividends. Manager Bilic is on a tight rope and a loss could definitely signal an end to his Hammers career. I don't see them losing against Swansea and although a draw is a viable result, coupling a Hammers win with the two power-houses mentioned above looks a good value-risk proposition.

Win: Chelsea
Accumulator: Man Utd/ Arsenal/West Ham

EPL 2017/18 - Week 6

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


If there is a draw match in the offing, I would go for West Ham against Tottenham. The home team are finding their footing and I think it is a matter of matches until they hit close to top gear. It is not surprising that Bilic's big-money signings are taking some time to make their mark but the team will get better as the season progresses. Chicharito always has a goal in him and with the likes of Carroll and under-fire Arnatauvic up front, the Hammers have ample ammunition in the forward department. Spurs are in good form and were it not for their abysmal home record at Wembley, they should have been right near the top of the league. This should be an evenly contested match and going for the draw seems value here.

Man City is a banker to beat the visiting Eagles. Roy Hodgson will improve Palace but I don't see how they can get a result at rampant City. The visitors will do well to keep the score reasonable in this one. Probably the better value is to couple both of Manchester sides to win. Man Utd are in for what seems a tough assignment at Southampton. The Saints are always a strong side to contend with at the St Mary's but the Red Devils are playing out of their skin at the moment that they can very well find a way to win this encounter. Mourinho's men have tended to wear down their opponents in the last third of their matches and will be heavily favored even though the score might be tight for much of the match. Mentally it will do wonders to the Red Devils if they can keep up with rivals City on points at the end of this week-end.

Draw: West Ham v/s Tottenham
Win Accumulator: Man City/Man Utd

EPL 2017/18 - Week 5

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


Arsenal's and Arsene's problems will compound this week-end as they visit Stamford Bridge. After a false start, Conte's men have quickly racked up the wins and seem to be gaining momentum even without its best player in Hazard. After 2 consecutive defeats, including a severe drubbing at Liverpool, the knives were out on Wenger. The Gunners somewhat righted the ship by winning against modest opposition like Bournemouth and Cologne, but Chelsea will be an entirely different beast. The good news for Arsenal is the recent return to match fitness of Sanchez and the Chilean will get better as the matches go by. But that should not be enough to get a win at Stamford Bridge and Conte's men are fancied for the outright win.

Spurs are also showing good form as they have trounced Everton and Dortmund in their last matches. As I mentioned before, Wembley will never be the fortress White Hart Lane has been to them in the past years. However, their new temporary stadium will give them a better home feel as the season progresses. Against a Swansea team still looking for some direction, Harry Kane and co should ride their form and bag another 3 points.

Everton are a shambles at the moment and coincidence or not, it seems to have started with the off-field problems of captain Rooney. The former United legend returns to Old Trafford and it will be interesting to see the kind of welcome he receives. Pogba will be out for the Red Devils and while it is always a worry for Man Utd fans whenever Fellaini gets the call-up as a starter, they should have too much for the struggling visitors. In fact, ex-Toffee man Lukaku could prolong the misery of Koeman's team.

Throw in Liverpool in an accumulator and this could be rewarding. The Kops dominated Sevilla from top to bottom in their European encounter but failed to take their chances for the win. Coutinho will probably return for the Reds and I reckon he will be short of match fitness after a forgetful summer. In the end, Klopp's team should have too much firepower and I cannot see Burnley escape Anfield with a point.


Accumulator: Chelsea, Man Utd, Tottenham, Liverpool.

EPL 2017/18 - Week 4

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

It's been only 4 weeks of matches and already managerial changes could very well be under way in some clubs. Frank de Boer is definitely among the ones in the firing line this week-end as his struggling Crystal Palace side visit Burnley. The Eagles are 0 for 3 under his stewardship and with the way they have been performing, it would take a serious gamble to think that things will be improving drastically in the immediate future. The future under de Boer does not look good and going to a place like Turf Moor on Sunday does not look good either. Although they lost their home opener to WBA, the Clarets have been sporting good form at home since last year, which was the main reason they kept up in the standings. Burnley should be keeping that solid home record on track this week-end. Home win.

Man Utd have been flying from the start but Stoke represent a first real test for them. Not many teams come out of the Brittania happy and most are made to work to get anything out of there. Typical of Mark Hughes' sides, the Potters will focus on physical football to disrupt their superior opponent. However, the visitors are playing with such confidence at the moment and if the international break has not dampened their enthusiasm or dominance, they should find a way to break the home side in the end. Away win.

I've been giving positive vibes on West Ham since the start. Ok, they lost all their first 3 matches, albeit all on them were away matches. Manager Bilic is rightly on the hot seat and he could be the one booted next. I think he will be unless they get a positive result against Huddersfield. The Hammers have strengthened their squad with some big-name signings and they need at least a point over the week-end. Nothing else will do for Bilic. Allthough Huddersfield have yet to concede, with Chicharito up front, there is every confidence the home side will score. At current odds, it might be worth going with a draw-no-bet selection on the Hammers.

Win: Burnley, Man Utd
Draw-no-bet: West Ham