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Norwich v West Ham

The early kick-off this weekend sees a clash between two of the favourites for relegation this year (Norwich 11/10 & West Ham 3/1).

Norwich haven’t started the season quite as well as they would have hoped and are still yet to win. After a 5-0 drubbing against Fulham on the opening day, they do seem to have picked themselves up though. Both league matches since the opening day have finished 1-1: against QPR where they probably deserved more, and Tottenham where they showed spirit to get a late equaliser. The early signs for Norwich are that they need Grant Holt to find his goal scoring form of last season if they are to do as well this year, with goals being a bit of a worry.

West Ham started the season with a win over other relegation rivals, Aston Villa. Big Sam’s style of play, whilst not being the most attractive, proved efficient with a 1-0 win. Any high spirits soon came crashing down to earth when they made the trip across to Swansea. Defensive errors and a lack of attacking options cost The Hammers with a 3-0 defeat. A comfortable cup win over Crewe later and they were back on track.

Big Sam finally got the man he wanted to complete his squad on transfer deadline day, Andy Carroll. He was put straight into the first team and after an impressive debut performance finished with two assists and a 3-0 win for his team against Fulham.

Norwich haven’t beaten West Ham since 1994 but we think in this game they have a good chance of at least getting something. It should be a close game but with the work ethic Norwich have shown recently, they may be rewarded with their first win of the season.

Match PredictionsAfter ‘over-extending’ in the match against Swansea, Andy Carroll is expected to be out for quite a while. Even though this is only one player, he did seem to make all the difference in West Ham’s last match. After loaning out Nicky Maynard, West Ham will be looking towards Carlton Cole and possibly Vaz Te to step in with the goals, neither of which have ever been prolific in the Premier League. Norwich are improving game by game so this one won’t be easy for West Ham and, with the home advantage, we could see Norwich winning this one. If Grant Holt opens his account for the season, the confidence in the side will grow.

Norwich to win is currently at 13/10, a price that we think represents real value. With the lack of goal scorers at both clubs, we also expect a low scoring game, so evens for under 2.5 goals looks good value.

www.flickr.com/photos/cliche

Arsenal v Southampton

After a much improved performance against Liverpool, Arsenal look as if their season is now up and running. Prior to the Liverpool match, both of Arsenal’s league matches had ended 0-0 which only increased the criticism against Arsene Wenger for selling star striker Robin Van Persie. A goal each for new signings Cazorla and Podolski later, and the criticism was silenced. A convincing 2-0 win over an uninspiring Liverpool side.

Southampton, on the other hand, are yet to register a single point this season. Losses to both Manchester sides and Wigan leave Nigel Adkins’ side at the bottom of the league. This doesn’t tell the full story though as they provided strong performances against Man United and Man City and were leading both matches, only to be outclassed in the end.

The injury list looks no different for Arsenal who still have Wilshere, Rosicky, Frimpong and Sagna out, although good news for Arsenal fans is that Wenger thinks Wilshere is only a month away from fitness now. We would expect the line up for Arsenal to be very similar to the one that played against Liverpool, although Oxlade-Chamberlain may be rotated. Szczesney is also expected to be fit for the match against Southampton but after solid performances from Mannone in the matches he has played, there remains a doubt whether Wenger will take Mannone out.

Southampton have exciting new signing Gaston Ramirez available for the game against Arsenal and he will be expected to start. Apart from this, there are no injury worries for Southampton, so a debut for the young Uruguayan may be the only change.

Match Predictions

The last time the two sides met, back in 2005, the game ended in a draw. Arsenal will be expecting to have it much easier this time around, against the side now favourite for relegation (evens).

After a comfortable win over Liverpool, the odds on an Arsenal win are as short at 2/7, but with Southampton shipping 8 goals so far in three matches, Arsenal to score 3 or more at 11/10 looks a good price. Southampton did score 2 in each of the games against the Manchester clubs, so Both Teams To Score at 4/5 is also a good price even though Arsenal are yet to concede.


Aston Villa v Swansea

I think we can all forgive Aston Villa fans for feeling a bit pessimistic about the team’s chances this season. After a slow start to the season, to say the least, Villa find themselves in 17th place with just one point from their opening three matches.

Swansea, on the other hand, have made a somewhat miraculous start to the season and remain unbeaten with two wins and a draw. Not only are they unbeaten, goals seem to be coming with ease, with ten goals in three games.

Despite their differing form, both sides finished with a draw in their last match and would both have had different views on the international break. Villa managed to stop the rot with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle, only to be denied the win by an unbelievable Ben Arfa strike. Swansea came from behind twice to secure a 2-2 draw against a Sunderland side with big money signings; Fletcher and Johnson making their debuts for Sunderland. Swansea undoubtedly will have wanted to just carry on going with their amazing start to the season and the international break may disrupt this run of form. Aston Villa on the other hand went into the break with an improved performance and an improved result. This might just give them the confidence to kick start the season when they return.

After fracturing his ankle against Sunderland, Neil Taylor will miss this rest of the season, the first defensive blow for Swansea. To pile on the defensive misery, Chico Flores got himself sent off so will miss this game. No new injury news for Villa, although Marc Albrighton and Richard Dunne are expected to be back by the end of this month.

Match Predictions

In our opinion, Aston Villa are the deserved favourites in this game (7/5) and we wouldn’t be surprised to see them scrape their first win of the season here.

In order to get the win they so badly need, Villa will be looking towards their talismanic striker Darren Bent to get back to the form he showed at Sunderland. To score anytime, he is priced at 13/10.

Swansea striker, Michu, has already hit his form of the season and has 4 goals already. To add another to this tally, he is priced at 9/4.


Fulham v West Brom

Fulham’s 5-0 opening day win now seems an awfully long time ago. After three defeats on the bounce in all competitions, and the sale of arguably their two best players, Dempsey and Dembele, their season has taken a turn for the worse.

West Brom, on the other hand, are having their best start to a premier league season ever and are still unbeaten, with wins over Everton and Liverpool and a draw with Tottenham. On paper, I’m sure a lot of us, would have looked at these three opening games and maybe seen them scrape a point or two, but they are playing with confidence that not many other teams are showing at the moment.

Another impressive feat in the West Brom side is the number of goal scoring options they have with all six of their league goals this season coming from different players. Lukaku has come in on loan from Chelsea and even after a goal on his debut, is being told that he must earn his place in the squad.Fulham, although losing a couple of key players, have strengthened with seven players, including Manchester United striker, Dimitar Berbatov. The international break could have come at an ideal time for Fulham, giving their players a chance to gel and get to know each other, the ones that aren’t away playing for their country that is.

With no knew injury worries for either side, it will be interesting to see whether Steve Clarke sticks with his winning formula and if Martin Jol gives his team a shake up. Berbatov made his debut against West Ham, coming on at half time so may start against West Brom. Bryan Ruiz is also available again after a slight injury and could make the world of difference as an attacking option.

Match Predictions

On current form this may look like a walk in the park for West Brom but Fulham are usually strong at home and have won their last three at Craven Cottage. That being said, we still think West Brom have enough quality to at least get something out of this one, so our prediction would be ‘Draw or West Brom’ priced at 8/11.

In terms of goalscorers, with both teams rotation options, it’s tough to predict before the team sheet is released. For Fulham, if Berbatov starts we will take him to score anytime at 7/5 and for West Brom, if Odemwingie starts, we will choose him anytime at 9/4


Man Utd v Wigan

After a shaky start to the season, Man Utd will be hoping the game against Wigan is a much easier test for the side. In their opening three matches, they have been behind four times, managing to turn the result round in two of the three games, losing to Everton and beating Fulham and Southampton. Manchester United are famed for starting slowly so expect them to pick up sooner or later!

Wigan, fourth favourites to go down at 9/4, have had a fairly bright start to the season despite losing 2-0 on the opening day. A comfortable 2-0 away win against relegation rivals Southampton, and a 2-2 draw with Stoke, puts The Latics in 9th position. One of the main turning points for Wigan seems to be that striker Franco Di Santo has found his shooting boots. Prior to this season, he had only managed eight goals in 61 appearances since moving from Chelsea, but this season has 2 goals in 3 games. His goals could prove to be vital in keeping Wigan up this year.

Man Utd’s last game saw Robin Van Persie hitting form with a hat-trick despite missing a penalty. Many people, us included, thought it would take him longer to settle in but it seems that the injury to Rooney has come at the right time, giving RVP the chance to show what he can do in a similar role to the one he played at Arsenal. The previously mentioned Di Santo, got one of the goals in a 2-2 draw with Stoke in Wigan’s last game leaving them in a good position going into the international break.

Kagawa dropped out of the Japan national team this week after feeling a back strain but there is no news yet about whether he will miss this match. Apart from this, there is no injury news for either side, Rooney and Smalling remain sidelined.

Match Predictions

Although we think Wigan have improved since the opening day, this is still Man Utd’s game to lose. With Van Persie on fine form, we think a good bet for this game is Man Utd to score over 2.5 goals at 10/11.

After the start he has had, we’ve got to give Van Persie a go to score anytime at 4/7, although the odds are short, they are like that for a reason. If Man Utd win comfortably, we think he will score.

An outside bet as well is for Di Santo to add to his tally. Man Utd have seemed a bit uncomfortable at the back so far so with odds of 7/2, he is worth giving a chance.


QPR v Chelsea

After a slow start to the season, the international break couldn’t have come at a better time for QPR. With a mighty 12 players brought in, and 13 players let go, it is understandable that the players are yet to gel. Some big name signings have left people wondering whether some of those are past their best but with the calibre of players they have signed, the fans certainly have something to shout about.

Chelsea have also had a summer of spending, with a further £70 million spent on new players, with former Lille playmaker Eden Hazard being the pick of the bunch so far, starting with 4 assists and a goal. A perfect start to the Premier League season sees the European champions now at 7/2 to win the title. The start had the shine taken off it last week when Chelsea met Athletico Madrid in the Super cup and were smashed 4-1. They looked uninterested and didn’t seem to be able to match the energy Madrid were showing so it will be their first test of the season with how they pick themselves up in the match against QPR.

The last time the two sides met was last season where the game finished 6-1, QPR didn’t appear to have any answer for Chelsea’s dominance and this game will be a test of how far they have come along especially after the number of players they have signed.

With no reported injuries reported for either side, I would expect to see a very similar Chelsea side to the one that has played all season with Mata, Torres, Hazard and either Bertrand or Ramires as the front four. As for QPR, a number of their new signings could start including star signings Granero, from Real Madrid, and Julio Cesar, from Inter Milan.

Match PredictionsWe don’t think this game will be anywhere near as easy for Chelsea as the 6-1 rout last season but we do think Chelsea will win this one at 5/6. Away to QPR will be a tough game for Chelsea and if they can continue their winning streak, they will be happy with even the scrappiest of wins.

Another nice statistic is that Chelsea have scored at least 2 goals in their last 4 matches so we fancy Chelsea to score over 1.5 goals at 5/6. Torres has really hit form this season after finishing top scorer at Euro 2012 and we wouldn’t begrudge him a goal in this game and 11/10 to score anytime is a great price.

We also spoke about Zamora earlier who, if he plays, has a good chance of getting another goal but we will definitely wait for the team sheet on this one. The odds are currently 12/5 so this would be our outside bet.


Stoke v Man City

Stoke come into this game after the international break, still in search of their first win this season. Tony Pulis’ men have drawn three from three so far and will not find a win any easier to come by against the reigning Premier League champions Manchester City. Stoke fans will be buoyed at the prospect of Michael Owen making his début for the side; a début not guaranteed though with both Peter Crouch and Jon Walters having begun the season netting two goals each. Charlie Adam will also hope to start a first game for The Potters, although he did get a full hour in the recent 2-2 draw with Wigan at the DW.

As for Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City team, they’ve had an indifferent beginning to season by their own high standards. After a less than convincing start at home to Southampton they followed up with a draw at Anfield and a win against QPR. All those good results will seem a waste however, if three points aren’t taken from the Britannia on Saturday. Sergio Aguero’s expected absence from the side due to injury is a massive blow to Mancini’s plans, but the depth through the squad will no doubt see an able deputy fill the void for him.

We should be in for a thrilling game on Saturday, and come Full-Time; a high scoring affair wouldn’t surprise me. With City not quite settled at the back and still adapting to a new formation, Stoke’s direct style of play could hurt them. However, the sheer quality that oozes throughout the entire City squad will no doubt cause the Stoke defence just as many problems.

Prediction – Stoke City 1-3 Manchester City

@_ArmchairPundit

Match PredictionsFollowing on from the match prediction of 3-1 to Man City, we fancy Both Teams to score in this match, priced at 5/6. Although we do expect City to win this one, they haven’t exactly looked solid this season as has already been mentioned so a Stoke goal wouldn’t be a surprise.

A Man City win looks good value at 8/11 so we will also be backing this. The odds on the score prediction are 14/1 if you fancy an outside bet.

Another outside bet for this game for us is for Michael Owen to score anytime at 10/3 but this does depend on whether he starts or not. He seems keen to play football now and it looks as though Pulis is ready to play him from the start.


Sunderland v Liverpool

I know what you’re thinking when you see this fixture, straight away it reminds you of the famous ‘beachball goal’ when Darren Bent gave Sunderland a famous win, scoring the winner via a deflection off a beach ball ironically thrown on by the oppositions fans.

Both sides go into this game in awful form, with Sunderland not winning any of their last 10 PL games (D7, L3) and Liverpool winning just 4 of their last 16 PL games (W4, D1, L11).

Sunderland will be the slightly happier side though after clinching the signings of Adam Johnson and Steven Fletcher before the dreaded transfer deadline. Fletcher enjoyed instant success bagging 2 crucial goals in what turned out to be a good point for Sunderland away at high flying Swansea.

Liverpool on the other hand were left very frustrated at the way the transfer deadline day unfolded especially as they let Andy Carroll go out on loan without signing the striker they were after themselves. This has left them very light up front and relying on Luis Suarez to get goals is providing a big problem. The talented but controversial striker had the worst shots to goals ratio out of strikers in the top 8 teams last season and has started this season in similar fashion.

This is a very tough game to call with both sides in such disappointing form. It would take a bold prediction to pick a winner between these sides and the most likely outcome would have to be a draw. Liverpool are expected to pick up sooner rather than later but Sunderland, with their exciting new signings, will be looking to put a little run together themselves.

Match Predictions As the match preview says, this is a really tough came to call and we will probably stear clear from putting any money on this game but to keep up appearances we will give a few predictions. The draw at 23/10 looks a good bet but who likes betting on draws?

This is another game where Both Teams to Score also looks a good bet at 4/6. Sunderland seem capable of goals, especially with their new signings and I guess you just never know with Liverpool but they certainly have the quality.

Luis Suarez, also mentioned in the preview, tends to have so many opportunities during each match and it won’t be long before he finds the back of the net again. To score anytime at 11/8 looks good. As an outsider, we also quite fancy Adam Johnson to score at some point so we will give him a go at 9/2 anytime


Reading v Tottenham

After a waterlogged pitch at the Stadium of Light last time out, Reading have had a longer break than most from the Premier League with three and a half weeks passing since their last game. A good point against Stoke on the opening day, and a loss against Chelsea after taking the lead, leaves Reading with one point from two matches and in 16th place.

Andre Villas Boas has had a slow start to his career at Tottenham Hotspur, who find themselves just two places above Reading having played an extra game. After this fairly poor start, there’s a minority of Spurs fans who are already questioning the appointment. With an estimated £57 million spent on new players, Spurs are another side who may have benefited from the extra time together as a team over the international break, with the chance to get to know each other, which will be clear to see on the pitch.

On recent form, this game looks a tough one to call with neither side winning so far this season. The last time the two sides met was in the 07/08 season when Reading last appeared in the Premier League. That season Tottenham did the double over Reading in the league and also knocked them out the cup, so Spurs have the edge on head to head form between the two.

In team news, Tottenham have competition for the goalkeeper position now with Hugo Lloris signing from Lyon over the summer. Jermaine Defoe will probably drop to the bench now that Adebayor is fully fit. Dembele also should make his first start and other new signing Clint Dempsey will be competing with Sigurdsson for a place in the starting lineup. Reading have striker Jason Roberts back from his ban but he is expected to miss this game through injury. Jimmy Kebe is back from his injury but may only feature from the bench due to fitness issues.

Match PredictionsApologies to Reading fans, but we think the price of evens for Spurs to win looks really good for this game. We don’t expect it to be easy for them, but having the break can only have helped the squad and AVB really has a point to prove here.

That being said, we also fancy a lot of goals in this game, after all they had a 6-4 last time Reading were in the Premier League! So we will be taking Over 2.5 goals in this game at evens.

Dembele had a cracking start to his Tottenham career, and with his first start in this match, we fancy him to add another to his tally at 12/5. We also wouldn’t be suprised to see Pogrebnyak to add to his tally as well and he can be backed to score anytime at 2/1.


Everton v Newcastle

Monday night football this week, sees Everton take on Newcastle at Goodison Park. Everton played their first match of the season on a Monday night and will be hoping they can play as well as that night when they beat Man Utd 1-0. Since that night, Everton have beaten Aston Villa 3-1, Leyton Orient 5-0 but then went into the international break with a loss away to West Brom. Newcastle have had a packed start to the season with five matches in fifteen days and have won, lost and drawn in the Premier League already. Injuries have proven to be a big problem for Newcastle already this season but they have coped fairly well with the squad they have had available.

The form between these two sites in recent times has been fairly equal with neither side having much of an advantage. One statistic to look out for though is that the away side in this fixture has only won three times in the last twenty matches between the sides, backing up the favourites tag that Everton carry going into this match.

As mentioned earlier, Newcastle have had real injury problems so far this season but Everton have a couple of problems of their own coming into this game. Darren Gibson and Stephen Pienaar both had to skip international duty this week through injury and are serious doubts for this game. This is a real blow for Everton with both of these players being key so far this season for different reasons.

Newcastle could be without as many as eight players this week, still missing arguably their best player Cheik Tiote who Pardew is unulikely to risk until he reaches full fitness. Also on the injury list are; Coloccini, Simpson, Krul, Taylor, Perch and both Shola and Sammy Ameobi.

Match PredictionsWith Newcastle’s injury problems and the home advantage, we are going to be backing Everton to win this one at 8/11. Newcastle will be struggling to put a defensive back four together and may have to play Gutierrez at left back which isn’t ideal.

A tight game is expected here, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see not many goals in this one. This is why we will be backing Under 2.5 goals, priced at 4/5.

A couple of players we fancy to score in this game are Mirallas for Everton at 13/8 and Ben Arfa for Newcastle at 4/1. Both have already scored for their respective clubs this season, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see either on the score sheet again on Monday night.


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