Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City maintained their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table by beating West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns last weekend. This Sunday, the league leaders welcome Arsenal to the Etihad Stadium. Also on Sunday, Chelsea host Manchester United in a blockbuster match at Stamford Bridge.
In the Football League Championship, Wolverhampton Wanderers will be looking to keep the pressure on the teams at the top when they host Fulham at Molineux on Friday night. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough and Sunderland square off in a Tees-Wear derby on Sunday with both in very different moods.
- Stoke City v Leicester City – Draw and Both Teams to Score (7/2 at Betfair)
- West Ham United v Liverpool – Liverpool to Win (3/4 at Betfair)
- Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace – Tottenham Hotspur to Win 3-0 (7/1 at Coral)
- Manchester City v Arsenal – Manchester City to Win -1 (5/4 at Ladbrokes)
- Chelsea v Manchester United – 1-1 Draw (11/2 at Bet365)
- Wolverhampton Wanderers v Fulham – Wolverhampton Wanderers to Win (11/10 at Betfair)
- Brentford v Leeds United – Brentford to Win 2-0 (10/1 at Betfred)
- Middlesbrough v Sunderland – Middlesbrough to Win -1 (21/10 at Betfair)
Premier League
Man City have looked unstoppable so far this season, cruising to nine wins and a draw from their opening 10 Premier League matches. Their rivals Man Utd are keeping them honest, though, as they beat Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford last Saturday. Meanwhile, Chelsea are above Arsenal in fourth only on goal difference. We’ve got a mouth-watering weekend of top-flight football before the international break with the top five all in action on what is a genuinely super, Super Sunday.
Stoke City v Leicester City – 4th November
Stoke City and Leicester City get the Premier League weekend underway with a game at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The home team are the slight favourites, but this is a tough match to call.
After five defeats in six league and cup matches, Mark Hughes’ men sealed a vital 1-0 win at Watford last weekend. That was a big result against a side that has started the campaign well. As for Leicester, they got up and running under new boss Claude Puel with a 2-0 home triumph over luckless, or some might say hapless, Everton.
We fancy these two evenly matched sides to play out an eventful stalemate on Saturday. Therefore, check out Betfair’s 7/2 for the draw and both teams to score, with 1-1 and 2-2 both real possibilities.
Draw and Both Teams to Score – 7/2 at Betfair
West Ham United v Liverpool – 4th November
Slaven Bilic’s West Ham United and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool go head-to-head at the London Stadium in Saturday’s late kick off. The Reds are fancied to leave the capital with all three points as the Hammers continue to struggle.
West Ham were beaten 3-0 at home by Brighton & Hove Albion before letting a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 with Palace last weekend. Meanwhile, Liverpool got back to winning ways with a routine 3-0 home triumph over Huddersfield Town.
Klopp’s side will be looking for all three points when they make the trip to the home of the Hammers this Saturday. We like the look of Betfair’s 3/4 for the Reds to come out on top in London.
Liverpool to Win – 3/4 at Betfair
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace – 5th November
Tottenham and Palace kick off a blockbuster Sunday with a meeting at Wembley Stadium. Spurs have found their feet in the national stadium of late, which could be an ominous sign for the Premier League’s bottom team this weekend.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Lilywhites will be eager to return to winning ways after falling to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford last Saturday. Palace, meanwhile, came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with London rivals West Ham at Selhurst Park.
Tottenham should win this one with ease. With that said, have a punt on the big odds of 7/1 (Coral) for the hosts to cruise to a 3-0 victory over the Eagles this Sunday.
Tottenham Hotspur to Win 3-0 – 7/1 at Coral
Manchester City v Arsenal – 5th November
Man City and Arsenal do battle in a heavyweight clash at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. The Citizens, who have dropped just two points all season, will back themselves to see off the fifth-placed Gunners in this one.
Guardiola’s men have won 14 and drawn one of their 15 games in all competitions up until now (prior to their midweek game with Napoli). You have to go all the way back to April for their last defeat, when they went down 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.
Arsenal head to Manchester in good shape, winning eight of their last nine, but we can’t see them stopping City’s relentless attack on Sunday. The Citizens to win -1 (5/4 at Ladbrokes) looks a tempting bet here given the failures of Arsene Wenger’s men in the big clashes.
Manchester City to Win -1 – 5/4 at Ladbrokes
Chelsea v Manchester United – 5th November
Arguably, the standout Premier League fixture of the weekend takes place at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as Antonio Conte’s Chelsea welcome Jose Mourinho’s Man Utd to west London. These two have played out some thrillers over the years, let’s hope for more of the same in this one.
Chelsea have hit back with back-to-back wins in the league after two successive losses. United also responded well after defeat at Huddersfield, winning 1-0 against Spurs last weekend. This one could go either way at the Bridge but United’s chances look better following the Blues’ 3-0 loss at Roma in midweek.
We feel that there’s a good chance these two English giants will cancel each other out in the capital. Because of that, put your money on the 1-1 draw, which you can get at the generous odds of 11/2 at Bet365.
1-1 Draw – 11/2 at Bet365
Championship
After beating Leeds United at Elland Road last Friday night, Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United claimed top spot in the Championship. Meanwhile, Wolves and Cardiff City both failed to win. With all 24 clubs in action in midweek, the lead could well change before this weekend’s matches. At the other end, Sunderland, who lost 2-1 at home to Bristol City last Saturday, are still awaiting their first win at the Stadium of Light in 2017.
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Fulham – 3rd November
Wolves and Fulham meet at Molineux on Friday night for a tasty-looking fixture in the Championship. With Wanderers at home, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are the bookies’ favourites.
Before midweek’s matches, only leaders Sheff Utd have a better home record than Wolves. Santo’s troops have won five, drawn one and lost one at Molineux so far. Despite being poor at home, Fulham have picked up 11 points from their seven Championship fixtures on the road.
This could be a close one, but Wolves should have enough to see off the Cottagers on home turf. The hosts to win is available at decent enough odds of 11/10 with Betfair.
Wolverhampton Wanderers to Win – 11/10 at Betfair
Brentford v Leeds United – 4th November
Dean Smith’s Brentford and Thomas Christiansen’s Leeds play at Griffin Park on Saturday night. It’s been a testing month for the Whites, who have lost six of their last seven in all competitions following Tuesday’s home loss against Derby County.
Brentford, meanwhile, are slowly but surely finding their feet in the second tier this term, having won three and drawn three of their last six. Back in April, Romaine Sawyers and Lasse Vibe were on the scoresheet for the Bees in a 2-0 win in this corresponding fixture last season.
We’re backing Brentford to pile even more misery on Leeds by securing another 2-0 win against them on Saturday. The 2-0 home victory is nicely priced at 10/1 with Betfred.
Brentford to Win 2-0 – 10/1 at Betfred
Middlesbrough v Sunderland – 5th November
Garry Monk’s Middlesbrough and Sunderland lock horns in a huge Tees-Wear derby at the Riverside Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
It’s been a difficult start for Monk at Middlesbrough, but Saturday’s 2-0 win at Reading was just what the doctor ordered after no wins in five. Sunderland, however, fell to their seventh league defeat of the season last weekend. An eighth in midweek at home to fellow strugglers Bolton was too much for the board and they dismissed Simon Grayson, leaving the Black Cats managerless ahead of this one.
We can only see one winner in this, and it’s not Sunderland! Boro will be looking to make home advantage count, and we believe that there’s real value in Betfair’s 21/10 for the hosts to win -1.
Middlesbrough to Win -1 – 21/10 at Betfair