Leicester City vs. Chelsea
Leicester City got torn to shreds by Manchester United last weekend. More worryingly, it was a Manchester United team in the middle of a coaching change and a potential squad upheaval. Chelsea will undoubtedly present an even tougher challenge for the Foxes as they look to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle. Manager Steve Cooper equally is battling to save his job.
Chelsea drew with Arsenal 1-1 last weekend, and Portuguese winger Pedro Neto caused problems for the Gunners, scoring a goal and causing havoc alongside Marc Cucurella behind him. Should Chelsea win — which they are predicted to — then Neto could play a big part yet again as he continues his fine form.
Result prediction: Leicester City 1-2 Chelsea
Bournemouth vs Brighton
Brighton Hove and Albion shocked many last weekend by defeating Manchester City 2-1, thanks to two goals scored in five minutes in the second half. If City had been just a little more lucky, they could have been 3-0 up by half-time. Interestingly, Bournemouth also defeated Manchester City 2-1 the weekend before Brighton did. If anything, this match will allow us to watch two up-and-coming and tactically dynamic managers Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth) and 31-year-old Fabian Hurzeler (Brighton).
Bournemouth followed up their Manchester City victory with a tepid 3-2 defeat against Brentford last weekend, and Brentford themselves looked off the pace against Fulham the weekend prior. Additionally, Brighton has a lot of injuries that are coming back such as loanee Yakuba Minteh, James Milner, Tariq Lamptey, and more. These players would have undoubtedly spent the international break getting back into shape in preparation for this match.
Result prediction: Bournemouth 1-2 Brighton
Arsenal vs. Nottingham Forest
Somehow, this fixture has become a battle for the top 4. Not many had expected Nottingham Forest to start this season so strongly, who currently find themselves in fifth place and equal on points with Arsenal, who are only in front thanks to a +1 goal differential. This is mostly thanks to New Zealand striker Chris Wood, who has 8 goals in the league this season which is only second to Erling Halaand.
It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for Arsenal this season. Many pundits had tipped them to win the Premier League this time, but they currently sit 9 points off first place and have one win in the past 5 games. Goalscoring has also become an issue, as striker Gabriel Jesus has failed to find his footing at the Emirates, and the club has only scored 1 goal in the past 3 games in all competitions. Shoehorning Kai Havertz as a striker appears to be a stop-gap solution, but it’s not enough to win the Premier League. This time, however, it may be enough to see off a surging Nottingham Forest as they play at the Emirates, especially as pressure begins mounting for Mikel Arteta.
Result prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace
Aston Villa may have the pressures of balancing the Premier League and Champions League finally catch up to them. They have lost four in a row in all competitions and have only scored 3 goals in 5 matches. To be fair to the Villains, they are in the hunt for a Champions League spot as they are only 1 point off 3rd — yet the gap between 3rd and 9th is only 1 point. They also look good to advance to the knockout round of the Champions League.
In other good news for Aston Villa, they have the luxury of a rest from an international break. When they are clicking, they are one of the most effective attacks in the league, and this 2-week period to recuperate may be just the thing they need to return to that past form.
Result prediction: Aston Villa 2-0 Crystal Palace
Everton vs. Brentford
It’s difficult to know what Thomas Franck’s Brentford will bring. Their impressive win over Bournemouth two weeks ago was capped with a beautiful Bryan Mbuemo goal, but they looked despondent against Fulham the weekend after. Their away form has been their Achilles heel all season, losing all four of their away games. Going away to a difficult ground in Goodison Park will hardly help their case.
For Everton, Sean Dyche has had an up-and-down season and questions have begun being asked amid poor showings in a loss vs. Southampton and a 0-0 draw against a struggling West Ham side. The owners may show little patience for bad results against teams outside of the ‘Top 6’. But Brentford has shown defensive frailties all season which is uncharacteristic for Franck’s Brentford.
Result prediction: Everton 1-1 Brentford
Fulham vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves finally got their first win of the season last weekend with a 2-0 win over Southampton. Center-backs Craig Dawson and Toti Gomez were the stars of the defensive show and were flying in tackles that propelled the team forward at crucial moments. Matheus Cunha recorded a goal and an assist in his Man of the Match performance, and Wolves will be grateful he is hitting form ahead of their visit to Craven Cottage.
Speaking of Craven Cottage, the fact that Fulham are at home may provide the edge to defeat Wolves. Fulham decisively beat Crystal Palace 2-0 last weekend and are typically strong at home. While Wolves are certainly on the ‘up’, it’s difficult to envision them getting more than a point here, if any.
Result prediction: Fulham 3-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur
The international break couldn’t have come at a better time for Manchester City. The players set to return during the break are Ruben Dias, Oscar Bobb, John Stones, Matheus Nunes, Manuel Akanji, Phil Foden, and Jack Grealish. Additionally, Kevin de Bryune is fully fit after just getting over an injury. After losing an unprecedented four games in a row under Pep Guardiola, they will be looking to get back to winning ways over an inconsistent Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs have looked leaky defensively, looking poor against Ipswich last weekend losing 2-1 and missing center-back Mickey van de Ven. While Spurs’ attack still looks as lethal as ever, their defensive issues have been their downfall this season. Manchester City at the Etihad with many of their players back will simply be too much for them to handle.
Result prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton vs. Liverpool
Southampton is 20th in the Premier League and also ranks some of the lowest in nearly every metric, having the worst goal differential and 2nd-worst xG per game (1.11). The Saints prefer to play a slow, possession-based game that has worked well in the Championship but has failed to translate to the Premier League. Manager Russell Martin is firmly on the hot seat, and hosting high-flying Liverpool will hardly help matters. Although Liverpool have typically struggled after international breaks, Southampton’s play style will play generously into Liverpool’s hands.
Result prediction: Southampton 0-3 Liverpool
Ipswich vs. Manchester United
All eyes will be on new coach Ruben Amorim, who officially took the reins for Manchester United over the international break. Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon played some impressive football, defeating Manchester City 4-1 in the Champions League just a few weeks ago. Whether or not he employs his favored 3-4-3 formation remains one of the intriguing questions surrounding this game, but United looked quite good under interim coach Ruud van Nistelrooy. They will be playing an Ipswich side that impressively beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 the weekend before, and are looking to scrap their way out of the relegation battle.
Result prediction Ipswich 1-3 Manchester United
Newcastle United vs. West Ham United
Newcastle United impressively defeated on-fire Nottingham Forest last weekend and stifled striker Chris Wood expertly. Alexander Isak has continued his fine form, scoring 4 goals in the last 4 games in all competitions. Scoring 3 goals against the league’s second-best defense will bode well for Newcastle United, as West Ham has looked poor under Julen Lopetegui despite significant investment during the offseason. Newcastle also won against Arsenal and Chelsea before Nottingham Forest, meaning that they’ve begun to build momentum as we head towards the halfway point in the season.
Result prediction: Newcastle United 2-0 West Ham United
