Insights
Tackling The £1,300,000+ FreePlay6
Now that the international break is out of the way, it’s back to business in the various leagues.
This week’s Pick 6 Millionaire has four Premier League fixtures for you to predict, one from the Championship and one from La Liga.
Remember if you want a shot at the lottery-sized £2m+ jackpot, you must stake at least £2 – cheap as chips!
Stoke v Tottenham
When the north Londoners visited the Potteries last season, they were closing in on Leicester at the top and had genuine championship aspirations.
Unbeaten thus far this season, they’ve yet to sparkle, but winning by four or five at this stage of the campaign won’t be of too much interest to Mauricio Pochettino who’ll be working towards getting his side to peak just at the right time again.
Harry Kane remains the talisman and he’ll be looking to give a static back line a run for their money at the Britannia Stadium.
Stoke, it’s fair to say, aspire to be like their visitors in footballing terms, and Mark Hughes has worked wonders, turning them from a team of physical hoofers into something resembling a continental outfit.
Both teams like to get the ball down and play and we can be assured of an attractive game for the most part.
The Potters are desperate for the points given that they’re propping up the division at present, but they won’t have enough on this occasion.
Not quite as emphatic as the last time Spurs were here but a 0-3 win at a canter will please the travelling army of supporters.
West Ham v Watford
Moving to the Olympic Stadium, or London Stadium as stakeholders prefer the venue to now be known, West Ham were always going to sink or swim in the new surroundings.
One of Upton Park’s most celebrated features was its closeness to the playing surface, something that was quite intimidating for opposition players.
That’s now disappeared as even the front row in the new venue is at least 10 metres from the sidelines.
The doubled capacity hasn’t quite found their voices either as yet. Pockets of noise are dotted around but not a concentrated wall of sound that would help the Hammers and hinder their visitors.
£60m spent in the summer wasn’t as much as Watford who are looking to enjoy a renaissance.
Something approaching their 80’s heyday may be asking too much but the Hornets have already shown they’ll be a tough team to beat.
New signings on show should make this more of a spectacle than it would otherwise be.
Cancelling each other out in east London in a 1-1 draw for me.
Middlesbrough v Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace have had a shocking 2016 so far. There’s no escaping that Alan Pardew has been one of the most underperforming managers throughout the year.
Just two wins in the league – against Norwich in April and Stoke in May – is a slide of epic proportions, and had last season been a few weeks longer, there’s every reason to think that the Eagles would’ve been relegated to the Championship.
A few additions will hopefully change the status quo, but they’ll find the going tough against a Middlesbrough side whose year has been the exact opposite of the south Londoners.
Aitor Karanka is feeling his way into the English top flight but has a decent, young squad of players who all buy into his way of doing things.
Top six after three games is a good way to open the campaign and if they can contain Christian Benteke, the likelihood is they’ll go on and win this one.
Palace can offer no surprises, it’s clear why the Belgian was bought and he’s a huge upgrade on Emanuel Adebayor who was purchased for much the same reason. Hold the ball, bring others into play, get on the end of any crosses. Standard striker fare.
Boro have power and pace of their own, and a packed Riverside will help them home 2-1.
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Liverpool v Leicester
Only West Brom separates these two in mid-table, neither having the greatest start to the new campaign.
Burnley showed Liverpool that however ‘heavy metal’ your football, good old grit and determination will always win the day.
It was a real kick in the teeth for Jurgen Klopp and his players but was a nice, early and timely reminder that the Reds still have a long, long way to go before they are the finished article.
Last season, Leicester were that finished article but they’ll struggle to maintain the same form throughout this campaign.
Their success could ultimately be their downfall with the Champions League stretching the Foxes resources to the limit.
With Islam Slimani signed, Claudio Ranieri has had a decent summer transfer window and his side will again surprise a few people. Starting at Anfield where they’ll walk away with a 1-2 win.
Aston Villa v Nottm Forest
Of all of the managers in the Championship, aside from Rafael Benitez, Roberto di Matteo arguably has the most difficult job.
The mood around Villa Park has been toxic for some while, and Gabby Agbonlahor’s deadline day refusal to move is another example of the culture that still exists at the Midlands club.
The Italian, along with new owner Tony Xia, will at least try and bring Villa back to the promised land at the first attempt and it won’t be for the want of trying If they don’t make it.
One win from five isn’t what the doctor ordered and that needs to change, starting with this epic Midlands derby.
Forest are the second top scorers in the division but have also conceded the second most – 11 goals for and against.
Another club that have undergone big changes in the recent past, Philippe Montanier will be hoping his young side can settle down and build on a topsy-turvy start to the season.
Goals galore here with an ANY OTHER DRAW that suits neither side.
Deportivo v Athletic Bilbao
The loss of Lucas Perez to Arsenal could hit Depor hard, the striker scoring the bulk of their goals in 2015/16.
However, the Riazor is still a tough place to go and get a win and Athletic Bilbao remain winless at this point. The trip to Galicia doesn’t necessarily come at the right time for Ernesto Valverde’s men.
Only twice in the last 13 years have Los Leones come away with all three points, both games within a six month period in 2006.
During that time there hasn’t been a goalless draw, and on only seven of those 24 occasions have one team or the other failed to score.
So, unless fate should intervene, then at least goals for both sides should be on the cards.
Inaki Williams has played his way into contention for the Spanish national side and will be a thorn in the side of the hosts.
Aritz Aduriz is also due a goal and will go hunting throughout.
However, their bogey ground will haunt them again and 2-1 is my final prediction of the week.
