The final round of Premier League matches before the next international break takes place this weekend and Saturday sees seven games for us to enjoy over the three kick off times.
The lunchtime kick off takes us to Selhurst Park as Tony Pulis returns with his West Brom side to take on Crystal Palace. There are then five 3pm matches which sees Aston Villa hosting Stoke at Villa Park, Bournemouth face Watford, Newcastle travel to Man City, Norwich play Leicester and Sunderland host West Ham at the Stadium of Light. Chelsea vs Southampton rounds off the day in the evening game.
I can’t find a betting angle in the early game. How West Brom react to surrendering a 2-0 lead on Monday night remains to be seen. I like Palace and I’m not surprised with how well they’re doing this season but I’m not sure I’m in a position where I like them at odds on just yet so I’ll keep away from that game.
I’m no better off in the evening game really. Chelsea have had a style of play throughout the Mourinho years but that style has gone walkabout at the minute. Their play and success used to be based on a defensive solidity but defensively they look a shambles right now. I keep thinking that will change back soon but the signs aren’t there just yet.
Southampton are another side who blow hot and cold too much for me to be able to predict with any confidence so I’m going to give them and this game a miss in the hope of calling them better when the league returns.
Luckily the 3pm matches look better for a bet. I was very close to taking Man City to cover a big handicap but funnily enough although Newcastle have looked poor this season they’ve done alright against the big sides so that puts me off a touch. I was also close to backing West Ham but they’ve been poor against the lesser sides and Sunderland’s form can’t keep producing such ordinary results.
I was eyeing up a bet on Bournemouth when this fixture list came around but Callum Wilson’s injury is a huge dent in their hopes. I’m not convinced Watford are going as well as their results suggest and in truth they looked pretty ordinary against Palace last weekend so that game can play out its natural cause without me getting involved.
Norwich and Leicester are both sides I like watching because their games are always full of goals and I’m expecting no different when the two meet at Carrow Road on Saturday.
Five of Norwich’s last six in all competitions have gone over 2.5 goals and the one that didn’t was their game at Liverpool which had everything but a third goal. Five of Leicester’s last six have also gone over 2.5 and again their match that didn’t – against Bournemouth – finished 1-1 and had everything but a third goal.
Both sides like to place a real emphasis on attack which sometimes hurts them defensively but that is the way they play and I would be surprised if this one doesn’t have at least three goals in it.
Aston Villa made a good start to the season with a win at Bournemouth on the opening day but they have only picked up one point in six matches since then. Somehow they are favourites to beat Stoke on Saturday but I can’t be having that.
It took a while but Stoke finally picked up their first league win last week and the likes of Marko Arnautovic, Bojan and Xherdan Shaqiri look to have settled into a way of playing together while players like Ibrahim Afellay and Jon Walters compliment that trio nicely.
Stoke are very good at keeping the ball and their possession game can open the door to a leaky Villa defence enough for the Potters to make it back to back wins here.
Back Norwich vs Leicester – Over 2.5 goals for a 5/10 stake at 1.78 with BetVictor
Back Stoke (0AH) to beat Aston Villa for a 4/10 stake at 2.16 with BetVictor
Blog football YTD: -29.04pts
