Another Premier League weekend begins on Saturday when we have six matches on a schedule which has been slightly reduced due to the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, but for the 12 sides on show it is an important day for many.
It is a typical Saturday in that we have a couple of TV games to enjoy in the UK but the difference is that they come along at the end of the day rather than at the beginning of it and the back end. There are four 3pm matches which have updates in the usual places.
3pm Matches
Aston Villa are the highest placed team on show in the four 3pm matches on Saturday afternoon. They will be looking to preserve their top four position when they welcome lowly Nottingham Forest to Villa Park. Forest will hope to pull further away from the bottom three with some sort of result in this game. Manchester United are the other team battling for the Champions League spots who are in action in the traditional kick off slot and they play host to Fulham at Old Trafford but will have no Rasmus Hojlund to fire them to victory.
The other two matches over the course of the afternoon will have a big impact on proceedings at the bottom end of the table. Everton sit outside the bottom three on goal difference so they can put a bit of distance between them and Luton if they get a result away to Brighton. The other match sees two sides involved in the relegation picture battling it out when the Oliver Glasner era at Crystal Palace begins at Selhurst Park when they host a Burnley side whose need for points grows greater by the game.
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Late Games
We have a couple of late games to enjoy and they will both have an impact on the title race. Liverpool have skipped four points clear of Manchester City with the huge clash between the two looming on the horizon in a couple of weeks but the Citizens have the chance to move back to within a point of the Reds when they head to the Vitality Stadium to take on a Bournemouth side who have shown plenty of encouraging signs this season but were on the wrong end of a hiding in the reverse fixture and won’t want a repeat of that.
When they are done the attention will turn to the Emirates Stadium where Arsenal will be looking to move to within a couple of points of the leaders Liverpool when they welcome Newcastle United to the capital. Newcastle have shown improved form in 2024 but their defence has gone AWOL completely and a suddenly rampant Arsenal side might well be licking their lips at the prospect of taking that defence on. Newcastle are struggling with injuries again which might well allow Arsenal an ideal bounce back from their European disappointment in midweek.
Betting
There isn’t a huge amount that I like on the Saturday card but I can’t be having Brighton and Hove Albion at 17/20 to beat Everton. I know Everton won this fixture 5-1 towards the back end of last season but Roberto de Zerbi will be well aware of the test that his side face here now and Everton don’t look like they have five goals in them in a month let along 90 minutes at present. Admittedly, we might have to cover our eyes should Everton get a set play in this game but when the ball is in open play I fully expect Brighton to dominate here. They have just had a good preparation for what they are in for in this match with Sheffield United having camped on the edge of their box last week. Brighton put five past them and while they might not score as many here I do think they’ll have too much for a goal shy Everton let alone win shy Toffees side.
The other bet I like is for there to be goals in the match between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. I always like an over where styles blend nicely and here you have the ultimate attacking home side against the extreme counterattack merchants so both should be comfortable in the style that they play. The Villa defence has suddenly started creaking at the seams and it is without a couple of key cogs and the shield in front of it. I’ve never been that high on the Forest defence and I just don’t see them keeping Villa at bay at Villa Park even allowing for the fact that the home form of the Villans has collapsed in recent weeks. Villa had a good win over Fulham last week to restore a bit of confidence so I think goals are very much on the agenda in this one. I like over 3 of them.
Tips
Back Brighton to beat Everton for a 3/10 stake at 1.85 with Coral
Back Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest – Over 3 goals for a 3/10 stake at 2.00 with Bet365
