Chelsea vs Leicester
Saturday 15th October 2016, 12.30
This should be a really entertaining game to kick off the weekend's action. Claudio Ranieri visits his former side with his current champions sat in 12th place, whilst Antonio Conte's team are in 7th position, ending a run of two defeats in a row last time out.
That victory for Chelsea came at Hull, goals from Willian and Diego Costa in the second half giving the Blues all three points. This will be a victory welcomed by Chelsea fans following defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal in the league going into the game against Hull, and it was a change in formation that helped changed fortunes for Conte. The Italian chose to play three at the back, the formation that allowed him to be so successful as manager of both Juventus and Italy, and it certainly benefited his current side. Victor Moses was deployed as a right wing-back in his first start for Chelsea since 2013, and his performance had Conte singing his praises in what he felt was an 'incredible' performance.
Leicester come into this match on the back of a 0-0 defeat with Southampton, a game in which they struggled to gain a foothold and could have easily lost on another day. The Foxes now have just two wins from their first seven league games, and they're not finding it as easy to supply Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy, who lit up the league last season. Indeed, Vardy had just one touch in Southampton's penalty area before being withdrawn on 66 minutes by Ranieri.
It will be really interesting to see how N'Golo Kante plays against his former side on Saturday. He's settled well into Chelsea's midfield, but left a gaping hole in Leicester's. I think that the change to three in defence for Chelsea will benefit them greatly in the weeks to come, and I think they'll defeat the champions comfortably in Saturday's early kick-off.
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| Leicester received a guard of honour at the Bridge last season (Getty Images) |
Prediction: 2-0
Arsenal vs Swansea
Saturday 15th October 2016, 15.00
Francesco Guidolin became the first manager to get the sack this season, following a 2-1 defeat at home to Liverpool two weeks ago. That defeat left Swansea winless since the opening day and sat in 17th position in the table. Guidolin was sacked on his 61st birthday, and replaced by former USA manager Bob Bradley, who left French second division side Le Havre to take over at the Liberty.
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| Bob Bradley takes charge of his first Swansea game (Getty Images) |
Bradley's first game in charge of the Swans couldn't be much tougher. Arsenal have won five games on the spin following a 1-0 win at Burnley a fortnight ago, courtesy of a controversial 93rd minute winner from Laurent Koscielny. The ball appeared to go in off his arm, but that won't bother Arsene Wenger in the slightest, as he celebrated his 20th anniversary at the helm of the Gunners with all three points. They now sit 3rd in the table, and have a kind run of fixtures before the North London derby on November 6th. Wenger will be hoping his side can keep up their good form and momentum as that rivalry approaches.
I think the appointment of Bradley is a risk by Huw Jenkins and Swansea. Although an experienced manager, we've seen struggling teams appoint men without Premier League experience before, and it often ends badly for them; Remi Garde at Aston Villa last season springs to mind.
Hopefully Bob Bradley can have a positive effect on a decent group of players at Swansea, and get points on the board quickly. This is such a tough place to start though - Arsenal are flying, and I can see them making the American's first match in charge one to forget.
Prediction: 3-0
Bournemouth vs Hull
Saturday 15th October 2016, 15.00
Bournemouth are in decent form going into this game, unbeaten in two following a good win at home to Everton and an entertaining 2-2 draw at Watford in their last match. In contrast, Mike Phelan's Hull City have lost three games in a row following a 2-0 defeat at home to Chelsea a fortnight ago, and face another tricky test at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
Eddie Howe will be pleased with how his side attacked Watford two weeks ago. They were twice in front at Vicarage Road thanks to goals from Callum Wilson and Josh King, and managed to score two goals in a league game for the first time this season. However, they were pegged back twice by the Hornets, and allowed the home side to make it 2-2 just three minutes after taking the league, so Howe will have been working on his side's defensive organisation during the international period.
Hull haven't won in five since taking six points from their opening two games, losing four and drawing one since. They were second best against Chelsea, which is to be expected, and the positive for the Tigers is that they've already faced Leicester, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea in their opening seven, and given all but Liverpool a reasonably good game. Phelan will be optimistic that a change in fortunes could be on the horizon on his visit to the south coast this weekend.
On their day Bournemouth are a very good football team, and we're starting to see the quality of summer signings Jordon Ibe and Jack Wilshere. The Cherries hit the woodwork three times in the second half in their last match at Watford, showing that they're creating the chances needed to win football matches in this division. Hull have shown that they are capable of giving any team a test, but I just fancy Bournemouth to edge this one, with home advantage being a key factor.
Prediction: 2-1
Manchester City vs Everton
Saturday 15th October 2016, 15.00
Manchester City's winning run came to an end at White Hart Lane last Gameweek, Tottenham taking all three points in a hard fought 2-0 victory. This ended a run of six straight league victories for City, who also suffered their first defeat under Pep Guardiola. Everton visit the Etihad Stadium on the back of a 1-1 at home to Crystal Palace, meaning they sit 5th in the table.
City played their part in a thoroughly entertaining game against Tottenham last time out, but were deserved losers at the end of the 90 minutes. An own goal from Aleksander Kolarov 9 minutes in gave Spurs the momentum, and Dele Alli rounded off the win with a fine goal. City could have eventually lost by three goals, but Claudio Bravo made a good save to keep out Erik Lamela's penalty, and Pep will be disappointed at how his team was outrun, out-fought and out-thought in midfield.
Everton's draw with Palace was a fair result. After taking the league through Romelu Lukaku's free kick, his 65th Premier League goal and 5th already this season, Palace slowly edged their way back into the match, equalising through Lukaku's Belgium teammate Christian Benteke. Ronald Koeman was later relieved to see the linesman's flag up against Damien Delaney, an exceptionally close call, and will be content with the point that his side earned.
City's loss against Tottenham should act as a bit of a reality check, but Spurs are a very good team and I expect City to be back to their best on Saturday. Sergio Aguero picked up a knock whilst on international duty for Argentina, but he played later in the week and Pep will be relieved that his talisman is fit for a tough test at the weekend. Everton have made a really positive start to the campaign, but not many teams are going to take points from the Etihad this season, and Everton are one of those teams for me.
Prediction: 3-1
Stoke vs Sunderland
Saturday 15th October 2016, 15.00
The division's bottom two meet at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday afternoon, both looking for their first Premier League success of the season. They are the only two teams in the league not to have won a match in their opening seven, but Stoke will be feeling optimistic here after a brilliant 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in their last game. Sunderland also drew 1-1 in their previous match, at home to West Brom, but sit bottom of the table with a point less than Saturday's opponents.
Stoke did very well to stay in their match against Manchester United. Lee Grant was outstanding in goal, and although he could do nothing to keep out Anthony Martial's effort, he kept Stoke alive until the very end, with Joe Allen tapping home an equaliser on 82 minutes. Allen now has three goals in his last three games for club and country, but suffered a hamstring injury on Wales duty and could be a doubt for this game.
Sunderland dominated possession in their game against West Brom, but fell behind against the run of play to a Nacer Chadli goal. Like Stoke, however, the Black Cats were beneficiaries of a late goal themselves, substitute Patrick van Aanholt scuffing in an 83rd minute leveller for David Moyes' side. That draw ended a run of three straight defeats for Moyes, but he will know his side need to start turning draws into wins very quickly indeed.
Stoke suffered a run of four straight defeats before draws in their last two matches lifted them off of the foot of the table. A win against Sunderland will put them four points ahead of the visitors come the end of play, and I believe that they'll win this six-pointer.
Prediction: 2-1
West Brom vs Tottenham
Saturday 15th October 2016, 15.00
West Brom go into this game on the back of their 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light, whilst Spurs visit the Hawthorns buzzing off of their 2-0 win against league leaders Manchester City.
West Brom only had 44% of the ball against Sunderland, but managed 17 efforts on goal, with 7 of those on target. They only managed to convert one, Nacer Chadli's first half goal his third in four league games; he only managed the same amount in 30 matches for former side Tottenham, who he'll be looking to keep up his excellent form against on Saturday. That point means West Brom have now drawn their last two and are unbeaten in three, and sit in 9th in the table ahead of Saturday's action.
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| Chadli will be looking to net against his former side (Getty Images) |
Tottenham Hotspur ended Manchester City's winning streak in a match which really showed their title credentials. Kolarov's own goal was followed by a brilliant team move rounded off by Dele Alli, who was on form for England over the international break too, again scoring his team's second goal in a 2-0 win over Malta. The only negative for Spurs was that Erik Lamela and Son Heung-min appeared to argue over who was taking the penalty that Alli won at 2-0 up, Lamela eventually seeing his effort saved by Claudio Bravo. However, Tottenham thoroughly deserved their win, and are now on a four match winning run in the league, as well as the only remaining unbeaten side.
West Brom are a very difficult team to beat under Tony Pulis, and are in the top half on merit. Despite Tottenham's fantastic form, I can see Pulis' side defending well as usual, and I'm going to go for a risky draw here.
Prediction: 1-1
Crystal Palace vs West Ham
Saturday 15th October 2016, 17.30
Palace are in very good form going into this London derby, unbeaten in their last 5 matches, winning 3 and drawing 2 of those. Their most recent result was a solid 1-1 draw at Goodison Park, and they actually had enough chances to win that game. West Ham also drew 1-1, at home to Middlesbrough, which ended a run of four straight defeats for Slaven Bilic's men.
Alan Pardew's Palace are currently 8th in the table, and just two points off of both Chelsea and Manchester United. After losing their first two matches the Eagles are unbeaten since, helped largely by the goals of Christian Benteke. The former Aston Villa and Liverpool striker now has three goals for Palace, and he equalised for them against Everton in the last match. Benteke was also on red-hot form for Belgium, scoring a hat-trick against Gibraltar, as well as the fastest-ever World Cup qualifying goal, after just seven seconds.
A draw for West Ham was probably fair against Middlesbrough last time out. Boro took the lead through Cristhian Stuani, but the Hammers responded well, equalising through an unbelievable solo goal from Dimitri Payet just six minutes later. Payet has continued from where he left off last season and in the Euro's, and the only other man who can say that for West Ham is Michail Antonio. It's now time for the rest of the team to step up and try and shift themselves out of the bottom three.
There is a lot of creativity in both of these sides, and Palace will again look to utilise the aerial prowess of Benteke. Although they've had a miserable start to the season, I really do think the tables will turn for West Ham soon, but Selhurst Park is a tough place to win at at the moment, so I think it'll be honours even in Saturday's late kick-off.
Prediction: 2-2
Middlesbrough vs Watford
Sunday 16th October 2016, 13.30
Super Sunday kicks off at the Riverside, with both sides entering this fixture on the back of draws in their last matches. Boro earned a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium which ended a run of three defeats in a row for Aitor Karanka's side, and Watford drew 2-2 at home to Bournemouth.
Middlesbrough's biggest problem at the moment is conceding goals. They have the ability to score them, with both Alvaro Negredo and Stuani enjoying good starts to the season, but they conceded just 6 minutes after taking the lead at West Ham, and if they don't start becoming harder to break down defensively, they will find it very difficult to win matches in this division.
Watford are scoring a lot of goals themselves, and are the top scorers of all ten teams currently in the bottom half of the table. A 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth is a decent result when you consider the fact that they were behind twice in that match, Troy Deeney and Isaac Success netting the equalisers for the Hornets. That was Deeney's 99th goal for the club, and the skipper will be looking for his century on Sunday afternoon.
Both of these sides are capable of scoring goals, but both are leaking them far too easily at the moment. Middlesbrough have some very talented players on their day, so I think that Walter Mazzarri would be happy with a point here.
Prediction: 1-1
Southampton vs Burnley
Sunday 16th October 2016, 16.00
Southampton are unbeaten in three following their 0-0 draw at Leicester, and they were the better side in terms of chances created, Charlie Austin hitting the post with their best effort on goal. Burnley were defeated 1-0 at home to Arsenal, conceding in the 93rd minute at Turf Moor.
There's not really much to say about the Saints' 0-0 at Leicester, except that any point against the Premier League champions is a very good one. They're a hard team to beat, unbeaten in six in all competitions, and will be looking to get another 3 points on the board before facing Inter Milan at the San Siro on Thursday in the Europa League.
Burnley were desperately unlucky to gain nothing from their match with Arsenal. They deserved a point from that game, but were a little naive to concede so late to Laurent Koscielny. Shaun Dyche will be pleased with how his side played, though, Michael Keane hitting the bar for Burnley with their best opportunity. Keane was called up to the England squad after Glen Johnson withdrew due to injury, and has been heavily linked with a January transfer to Chelsea.
Burnley are a well drilled outfit, and they will be organised and disciplined at St Mary's. However, I think Southampton posses enough attacking quality to break them down, and I see this being a home victory on Sunday.
Prediction: 2-0
Liverpool vs Manchester United
Monday 17th October 2016, 20.00
What a game to close Gameweek 8. Manchester United visiting Anfield is one of the highlights of the season for any fan, and this promises to be one of the more exciting fixtures of recent years.
Liverpool go into this game of the back of four victories in a row following a 2-1 victory at Swansea before the international break. The Reds responded well to going a goal down, Roberto Firmino equalising before winning a penalty, converted by James Milner in the 84th minute. Adam Lallana limped out of that game and is a doubt for the visit of United, as is Gini Wijnaldum, injured on international duty for the Netherlands. Jurgen Klopp might therefore be tempted to put in Daniel Sturridge, who scored in England's 2-0 victory over Malta.
Jose Mourinho will have endured a frustrating fortnight waiting for this match, following a 1-1 draw at home to lowly Stoke in their last game. The Red Devils were the better team and had plenty of chances to win the match, but only managed to beat Lee Grant once on what was a frustrating afternoon for United and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in particular. United now sit 6th in the table on 13 points, 3 fewer than Monday's opponents, and 3 fewer than they themselves had at this stage last season under Louis van Gaal.
I'm expecting fireworks in this game. The crowd at Anfield will be right up for it, and the travelling United fans will do their bit in what promises to be a fantastic atmosphere. The football should be just as good, and although United will be tough opposition, I fancy a Liverpool side on their own turf who have already beaten Arsenal, Leicester and Chelsea this season.
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| Rooney scored the only goal at Anfield last season (Getty Images) |
Prediction: 2-1
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