We’re all set for another exciting weekend of action in the Barclays Premier League and that all begins with six matches on Saturday including the live lunchtime game which comes from Old Trafford.
That sees Manchester United hosting Newcastle in the 12.45pm kick off with the 3pm starts seeing Crystal Palace host Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, Leicester welcome Tottenham to the King Power Stadium, Stoke go to Carrow Road to take on Norwich, Sunderland face Swansea at the Stadium of Light and West Ham entertain Bournemouth at Upton Park.
Man Utd are warm favourites for the TV game and while it is hard to argue with that I’m not sure I want to be putting down too much hard earned on them. Louis van Gaal’s men haven’t really impressed yet and in order to get any kind of a decent return you’d need to take a hefty handicap. With a huge Champions League match in midweek I’m not confident running up a big win will be the priority and while Newcastle have started the season weakly they do have the odd danger in their side.
That isn’t the only match on Saturday that I haven’t got a betting feel for. I can’t get one for the Palace vs Villa match, the Leicester vs Tottenham match or the West Ham vs Bournemouth one although I must confess I would have been interested in over 2.5 at the Leicester game had I been able to get a better price. I can’t so I’ll look to the other two matches.
Norwich have begun their Premier League return season well with a harsh defeat to Crystal Palace and a comfortable win at Sunderland and I think we’ve seen in those two matches that they have no fear among them. I’m not totally convinced they are solid enough defensively at the minute but they’ve certainly lacked nothing in attack thus far.
Stoke showed plenty of attacking intent at Tottenham last week and on another day could have won the match but it has to be said they showed some deficiencies in defence too so I’m expecting this match to be quite an open game where both sides go at the other.
Stoke have Xherdan Shaqiri in their squad and he’ll be out to make an impression here while Cameron Jerome might feel he has a point to prove for Norwich. With that in mind both teams to score looks a decent bet at 10/11.
Sunderland have been really poor this season so far. Poor at both ends too which isn’t an ideal combination. They take on a Swansea side who by and large have been good defensively and offered more than I expected at the right end of the field too.
Sunderland’s performance against Norwich was very concerning. Nobody was putting pressure on the ball, nobody was showing any fight and there was no spirit in the performance. They’re not the sort of things you can find on the training field so I wonder how poor they might be here.
Swansea have no such worries. They’re always well organised and with Andre Ayew having hit the ground running in his Premier League career they have a double goal threat between him and Gomis.
You wouldn’t think Sunderland will be as bad as last week but whether they make the improvement they need to be competitive remains to be seen. I find it hard to believe they will because they were so far off it last week so I’m happy to take Swansea here.
Back Norwich vs Stoke – Both teams to score for a 4/10 stake at 1.91 with Coral
Back Swansea to beat Sunderland for a 4/10 stake at 2.10 with Bet365
