The Barclays Premier League returns from the international break on Saturday with seven matches as the league table begins to take shape.
Manchester City are the early pacesetters in the self-proclaimed ‘best league in the world’ and they are in action on Saturday but the headline clash comes from Old Trafford as Manchester United host Liverpool in the latest big clash of the campaign.
That is the late game on Saturday but before then Everton host Chelsea in the early kick off then Arsenal play Stoke at the Emirates, Crystal Palace host Man City at Selhurst Park and there is a clash of the promoted sides when Norwich host Bournemouth at Carrow Road. The other 3pm kickoffs come from Vicarage Road as Watford take on Swansea and The Hawthorns where West Brom go up against Southampton.
When Everton and Chelsea met at Goodison Park early on in the season 12 months ago Chelsea came away 6-3 winners in one of the most entertaining games of the season but they look nothing like the side there were then so this is a potential banana skin for them.
That said I’m not sure Everton are at their best at the minute so I wouldn’t really want to take them either so I will sit that game out. The games involving Man City and Arsenal don’t really grab me from a betting point of view either nor do the Watford vs Swansea and West Brom vs Southampton matches.
I do like the other two matches though. Norwich and Bournemouth both like to entertain and both are good at doing it. You wouldn’t say either are the best defensively which should go on to add to the excitement and attacking football on show at Carrow Road.
In the two matches between the sides last season neither kept a clean sheet in either which goes to show both how weak they are defensively and how much potential there is for goals to come in this match. At just a shade under evens I like over 2.5 goals in that one.
The main headlines may well be written at Old Trafford with all eyes on one of the historically great matches in England. Man Utd and Liverpool are the most successful sides in English football history but both are a pale shadow of the side they used to be and where this used to be a classic fixture I really believe it has the potential to be a damp squib this year.
United were going along ok results wise until they lost to Swansea but at no point in their four matches so far have they looked anything other than average. Liverpool conceded their first goals of the season in their last match which was a very ordinary 3-0 defeat at home to West Ham so neither are convincing just yet.
Both look an awful lot more solid defensively than they do offensively so I’m expecting a low scoring game. I’m sure if you asked Brendan Rodgers and most Liverpool fans now they would take a 0-0 and they may well try and frustrate United. However it plays out I don’t think there will be many goals and if the rumours that Wayne Rooney is out injured are true it could even end without a goal.
Back Norwich vs Bournemouth – Over 2.5 goals for a 4/10 stake at 1.95 with Bet365
Back Man Utd vs Liverpool – Under 2.5 goals for a 4/10 stake at 1.75 with BetVictor
Back Man Utd vs Liverpool – No goalscorer for a 1/10 stake at 10.00 with Betfred
