Sport
GUIDE TO THE NEXT £1,000,000 1×2 PICK15
Guide to the next £1,000,000 1×2 Pick 15
Tottenham vs Manchester City
Head-to-Head: TOT 57-34-58 MCI
Tottenham have returned to form in fine style thanks to the addition of former Bayer Leverkusen striker Heung-Min Son. The South Korean has scored three goals in his first three appearances for Spurs and has become an instant hit with fans. The North London side have won their last three in all competitions and will host the league leaders this weekend full of confidence. Manchester City suffered a minor upset from West Ham on Saturday evening, who have now beat Arsenal, Liverpool and City on the road this season. It was the blues’ second home loss in the space of four days. However, they travel to London on Saturday with eight victories in nine encounters over Tottenham.
Selection: DRAW & AWAY
Leicester vs Arsenal
Head-to-Head: LEI 28-44-61 ARS
Leicester started their campaign in blistering fashion and are undefeated in their first seven games, in all competitions. The Foxes clawed back from the brink of defeat to beat Aston Villa and draw with Stoke recently. Manager Claudio Ranieri has his team playing with superb confidence and self-belief. However, they host an Arsenal who they have not beaten in 19 meetings – dating back to 1994. The Gunners may have been unfortunate against Chelsea last weekend but their away form prior to that loss was exceptional.
Selection: DRAW & AWAY
Southampton vs Swansea
Head-to-Head: SOT 31-15-20 SWA
Southampton started their recent game with Manchester United with a bang thanks to an early Pele goal. However, new signing Anthony Martial produced another fine display to help the Red Devils to a 2-3 win. It leaves the Saints fifth from bottom and in inconsistent form. They looked brilliant in beating Norwich last month but have struggled since. Swansea are in similar form themselves. A recent draw with Everton saw the Swans miss a number of key chances due to their lacklustre finishing. I’m expecting another highly entertaining encounter between two sides who boast serious counter-attacking strength.
Selection: DRAW
Stoke vs Bournemouth
Head-to-Head: STO 11-6-5 BOU
Stoke will be disappointed that they couldn’t see out their pending victory over Leicester last weekend after letting a two goal lead slip away. Mark Hughes’ men bossed possession but fell victim to plenty of defending errors. Bournemouth, on the other hand, enjoyed a comfortable victory over Sunderland at Dean Court. The Cherries are flying in confidence and will travel to Stoke full of momentum. Stoke, however, are difficult to break down at home and should give the Premier League new-boys plenty to deal with.
Selection: HOME & DRAW
West Ham vs Norwich
Head-to-Head: WHU 28-20-22 NOR
West Ham are on a run of three consecutive league victories which includes wins over Manchester City and Liverpool, respectively. The Hammers are flying away from home but will be trying to maintain their solidarity at Upton Park this weekend. Norwich will be buoyed by their recent 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield where they responded well from going behind. Alex Neil’s men fought well for the point after soaking up plenty of offensive work from the home side. They travel to London in fair form but may struggle to overcome the momentum of West Ham.
Selection: HOME
Bolton vs Brighton
Head-to-Head: BOL 6-5-7 BRI
Bolton have won just one game all season and sit in 21st place as a result. Manager Neil Lennon is prepared for the task ahead and is anticipating a lengthy season for the Wanderers. Their home record is solid with no defeats at the Reebok this campaign. Brighton, on the other hand, are in fantastic form. The Seagulls are atop of the Championship and extended their unbeaten run this season to eight following a draw against Wolves last weekend. They should be difficult to beat once again and will take full advantage of the lack in team moral at Bolton.
Selection: AWAY
Hull vs Blackburn
Head-to-Head: HUL 13-16-29 BLA
Hull are proving to be incredibly solid at home of late. The Tigers are unbeaten in five games at the KC Stadium this season and look difficult to break down on their own turf. They host Blackburn on Saturday who are winless on the road in their four away games this campaign. Rovers recently enjoyed a 3-0 victory over Charlton and will arrive with plenty of confidence, though Hull is a tricky side to topple – especially at home.
Selection: HOME
Preston vs Wolves
Head-to-Head: PRE 48-24-44 WOL
Preston have found themselves on the end of four games without a win and in desperate need of a victory to lure them from their current league position in 22nd. Simon Grayson’s men have won just one home game this campaign and welcome a Wolves side on Saturday who possess similar results. The Wanderers have lost two of their three away games this season and are in desperate need of a confidence booster following a smart start to their season. I see this developing in to a tight encounter between two sides anxious of defeat.
Selection: DRAW
Villarreal vs Atletico Madrid
These two sides boast similar starts to their respective La Liga seasons. Villarreal are unbeaten in their opening four games and are just two points behind league leaders Barcelona. They have won three of their four matches and are playing with a real aura. Atletico, likewise, have built in confidence since their defeat to Barcelona earlier this month. Madrid have been electric away from home in winning their three games on the road this season without conceding a single goal. Fernando Torres has returned to the striker of old and will be eager to maintain his form this weekend.
Selection: DRAW & AWAY
Napoli vs Juventus
Both Napoli and Juventus have endured a lacklustre start to their Serie A campaigns. Napoli have just one victory in their opening four matches, whereas the champions Juventus have tasted defeat in two of their opening four games. The home side, however, have enjoyed back-to-back 5-0 victories against Lazio and Club Brugge respectively and will await the arrival of Juventus full of confidence following such performances. The away side, on the other hand, have won two consecutive away games including taking the scalp of Manchester City in the Champions League. It produces a fascinating encounter on Saturday evening between two teams in solid form. A hard-fought draw is anticipated.
Selection: DRAW
Sporting Gijon vs Real Betis
The banana-skin of this week’s pool and a game in which will be difficult to assess. Both sides boast identical records this season and are in very similar form. Gijon enter the game following a morale-boosting 2-3 victory away at Deportivo last weekend which can only boost their confidence. Betis have played effectively in their two most recent games, beating Sociedad and drawing with Valencia a week ago. It’s a tough encounter to gauge but I believe Gijon will carry on where they left off from last weekend.
Selection: HOME
Watford vs Crystal Palace
Head-to-Head: WAT 40-25-45 CRY
The last time these two sides met was in the Championship play-off final when Crystal Palace secured promotion to the Premier League following a closely fought 1-0 win. Since then both teams have improved dramatically. Watford have won two consecutive league games against Swansea and Newcastle, respectively, and are visibly playing with more confidence. Palace, on the other hand, have suffered back-to-back defeats after starting their campaign with real promise. Their form prior to the pair of losses was rock solid, especially away from home. I anticipate a lively encounter.
Selection: DRAW & AWAY
Inter Milan vs Fiorentina
Three points separate Inter Milan and Fiorentina in the Serie A standings after both started their campaign with real ruthlessness – in particularly Inter. The home side have won all four of their opening games and sit atop of the Italian standings, two points clear of second-placed Torino. Fiorentina may be in solid form themselves, but their recent away performances have not been convincing and they could come up short on Sunday evening against a rejuvenated Inter side.
Selection: HOME
West Brom vs Everton
Head-to-Head: WBA 58-37-66 EVE
The last four times these two sides have collided, three have finished in a draw. And based on recent evidence another stalemate will come as no surprise. Albion have won two of their last three Premier League games, but are still without a victory at home this season. Everton are unbeaten in their last four games, in all competitions, and should fancy their chances here. I fancy the Toffees to prevail, granted they take advantage of their chances.
Selection: AWAY
FC Porto vs Chelsea
Jose Mourinho takes his Chelsea side to former team FC Porto in the Champions League next week and victory is a must to ensure the blues rebuild from their poor start to the season. FC Porto are unbeaten in their last five games and are renowned for their solidarity at home and will look to pounce of the Premier League champions after their current form. Chelsea have lost two of their three away games this campaign though will arrive in Portugal with plenty of confidence following a 2-0 victory over rivals Arsenal last weekend.
Selection: DRAW
