A look at three of this weekend’s English Premier League’s fixtures with Liverpool hosting Arsenal, Bournemouth trying to stop Manchester City, and Manchester United welcoming Crystal Palace.
Liverpool v Arsenal
Liverpool 8/15
Arsenal 11/2
Draw 4/1
The only two teams left in the English Premier League (EPL) with a 100% record clash at Anfield in the tie of the weekend. Liverpool went all taxidermist when stuffing the Canaries 4-1 on opening night, before beating Southampton 2-1 at St Mary’s. Arsenal Beat Newcastle 1-0 at St James Park before following that up with a 2-1 win against Burnley.
You have to go back as far as 2015 to find Arsenal’s last success against Liverpool when Héctor Bellerin, Mesut Özil, Alexis Sánchez and Olivier Giroud slammed four past Simon Mignolet. You have to travel back to 2012, to find an Arsenal win at Anfield. Liverpool has won the last three home ties against the Gunners scoring 12 goals and only conceding two.
Arsenal has strengthened their backline with the addition of David Luiz, and they will need him with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino firing shots from all angles. At the other end, it will be interesting to see who Jürgen Klopp chooses to partner Virgil van Dijk now that Dejan Lovren has returned to training. Alisson is still absent through injury.
Liverpool played an extremely high line against Norwich and Southampton, and that decision, if it remains the same, will be tested by the speed and smarts of Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe.
Liverpool hasn’t lost a league game at Anfield since April 23, 2017, but you feel if anyone can break that record, given current circumstances it’s Arsenal.
Bournemouth v Manchester City
Bournemouth 16/1
Manchester City 2/9
Draw 33/5
Bournemouth and Manchester City have also enjoyed unbeaten starts to the season, and to continue in the same vein, every member of Eddie Howe’s team is going to have to be on top form, and hope that a few Man City players have howlers.
The Cherries, couldn’t have asked for a better fixture list leading into this tie, facing new boys Sheffield United and Aston Villa in weeks one and two. City will be an entirely different proposition.
The two teams have only faced each other 14 times in the games’ history, and Bournemouth has never won one of them losing 12 and drawing two. Most telling is City’s 100% EPL record against Bournemouth winning all eight of their ties home and away.
Spurs stopped City extending their winning EPL run to 16 wins after their dramatic 2-2 draw at the Etihad last weekend. However, City dominated the game, and Spurs were fortunate to score from two of the slim chances City allowed them.
Only Fulham(81) and Huddersfield (76) conceded more goals than Bournemouth (70) last season. Howe has strengthened the squad in the full-back positions with the addition of Lloyd Kelly and Jack Stacey, but City is a goal-scoring machine. Expect a glut of goals in this one, and few of them at the City end.
Manchester United v Crystal Palace
Man Utd 3/8
Crystal Palace 19/2
Draw 21/5
Manchester United are looking a different prospect this season. With Aaron Wan-Bissaka replacing Ashley Young, the side has finally begun crossing the halfway line down the right-hand side. Against Wolves on Monday night, Daniel James partnered Wan-Bissaka, and most of United’s best work came from that flank.
Against Chelsea, United was lightning on the counter-attack, and against Wolves, they showed they could command the football. Facing Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, you sense if United find the right blend of these two styles, Roy Hodgson’s side is in trouble.
Palace has had an indifferent start to the season, and Hodgson is the 4/1 second-favourite to be the first Premier League manager to leave his post behind Steve Bruce (7/2). The goalless draw at Everton was respectable, but the defeat away to Sheffield United, not conducive to a side hoping to end the season in mid-table.
Even more, worrying for Palace will be the big fat zero in the ‘goals for’ column. With United looking a far more robust outfit with Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw looking the best backline that United have had since the days of Rio Ferdinand, Palace won’t get much of a look-in.
Fixtures in full
Aston Villa v Everton (Fri)
Norwich v Chelsea
Brighton v Southampton
Manchester United v Crystal Palace
Watford v West Ham
Sheff Utd v Leicester City
Liverpool v Arsenal
Bournemouth v Manchester City (Sun)
Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle (Sun)
Wolves v Burnley (Sun)
* Saturday, unless stated otherwise.
Premier League table
1. Liverpool – 6 pts
2. Arsenal – 6
3. Man City – 4
4. Man Utd – 4
5. Brighton – 4
6. Spurs – 4
7. Bournemouth – 4
8. Sheff Utd – 4
9. Everton – 4
10. Burnley – 3
11. Norwich – 3
12. Leicester – 2
13. Wolves – 2
14. Crystal Palace – 1
15. Chelsea – 1
16. West Ham – 1
17. Aston Villa – 0
18. Newcastle – 0
19. Southampton – 0
20. Watford – 0
Odds
To win
Man City 1/2
Liverpool 5/2
Spurs 20/1
Man Utd 33/1
Arsenal 33/1
Chelsea 50/1
Relegation
Newcastle 6/5
Sheff Utd 6/5
Norwich 13/8
Aston Villa 15/8
Burnley 9/4
Crystal Palace 5/2
Southampton 4/1
Golden boot
Harry Kane 7/2
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 11/2
Mo Salah 11/2
Raheem Sterling 6/1
Sergio Aguero 8/1
First manager to leave
Steve Bruce 7/2
Roy Hodgson 4/1
Javia Garcia – 5/1
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 10/1
Ralph Hasenhuttl 10/1
Frank Lampard 10/1
