The Premier League is starting to take shape, with more than half of the games played. In this blog, we are going to look ahead to the weekend fixtures and highlight games that you should definitely keep an eye out for.
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Merseyside Derby
The mood for either club is not great, although the Blue half has renewed hope with the appointment of Sean Dyche, especially after getting their fourth win of the season against league leaders Arsenal last time out. With contrasting favours, Liverpool were put to the sword by Wolves, who sensed blood as soon as Jurgen Klopp’s men stepped onto the pitch. Another damaging defeat sees the Reds remain in 10th place.
Since the return of the Premier League, after the World Cup, Liverpool struggled to get things going again. A big contributing factor to their downfall is the many injuries suffered to key personnel, such as Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk and Firmino. The biggest thing that Jurgen Klopp is struggling to get hold of is the midfield, they are being overrun and outplayed by teams who you wouldn’t classify as having a better squad than Liverpool. The only reinforcement bought in the January transfer window was Cody Gakpo, who is yet to score a goal for Liverpool. The players look void of the confidence that they had last year, which goes to show that in football, things can change quickly. Despite all the negativity surrounding the club at the moment, we are pricing Liverpool to win 1-0 at 11/2 (6.50).
Everton looked great against Arsenal, for a team that only had a couple of days to prepare under the new manager. For the Toffees, this could be a very good fixture to play, facing your rivals at a time when they aren’t at their best, giving them the invitation to pounce on the opportunity of another three points. Dyche has already made a difference in the way that Everton defend, they looked compact and capable to absorb all the pressure faced. We are pricing a goalless draw at 11/1 (10.00).
Liverpool will be the dominant side in the opening stages, with long spells of possession trying to find space behind the full backs. Runners in behind in the form of Mo Salah and Cody Gakp will be key to the home side. On the other hand, Everton look to frustrate Liverpool and catch them on the break with Dominic Calvert-Lewin playing a pivotal role in pushing his team forward. It looks like both sides are capable of winning it, but Liverpool edge it based on quality and home advantage. A half-time draw and a win for Liverpool in the second half is priced at 14/5 (3.80).
Manchester City V Aston Villa
Manchester City suffered yet another defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – the fourth defeat with no goals scored for Pep Guardiola. Whilst Aston Villa fell on the wrong side of a six-goal thriller against Leicester City. Manchester City are suffering from an inconsistent patch of form, and the defeat against Spurs was an opportunity missed as Arsenal lost to Everton in their respective game. Another aspect that will play on Pep’s mind is the news that broke out earlier today that the Premier League has charged the club with breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.
Despite not playing particularly up to the standards that we are accustomed to, City are odds on favourite to win at the Etihad this weekend. We are pricing a Manchester City win at 1/5 (1.20), with City scoring first in the game at 1/5 (1.20), following the trend that Aston Villa conceded first in three of their last five meetings against City. Another element of the game that City are yet to improve on is finding the runs made by Erling Haaland, especially when Kevin de Bruyne is not in the starting 11.
For Aston Villa, the situation has stabilised under Unai Emery, and they are playing good football whilst ranking up a good amount of points that steer them clear of the relegation scrap. Ollie Watkins has been putting in some brilliant performances, especially linking up with Emi Buendia and Leon Bailey, who has come alive ever since Emery was appointed. A tough-earned clean sheet for Aston Villa is priced at 27/2 (14.50), whilst a draw and under 2.50 goals scored is priced at 7/1 (8.00)
West Ham V Chelsea
Yet another London Derby to contend with for Graham Potter and the robust squad assembled by Chelsea. The pressure is on to get the points needed to play European football, as with heavy investment by Todd Boehly, he expects a return on that investment, and winning matches is a great start for that. West Ham and manager David Moyes are lingering just one point above the relegation zone after a spectacular season last year, which led them to an Europa League semi-final.
Away form has been poor for Chelsea, their latest win coming on the 16th of October against Aston Villa – seven away games without a win. Now with the likes of Myhailo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez, and the again available for selection, Joao Felix, will bring plenty of options in the attacking front to overcome the challenge of their London rivals. In their latest game against Fulham, we were able to see a glimpse of what Enzo Fernandes brings to the table, an assured passer and a ball-winner when needed. We are pricing a comfortable Chelsea win of 3-0 at 18/1 (19.00).
After a poor start against Newcastle, going a goal behind in the opening minutes of the game, the Hammers fought back without conceding too much space at the back. Lucas Paqueta stubbed home a well-worked corner against the run of play, and that was pretty much all of the action from the game. Scoring against one of the best defences in the Premier League will give great confidence to David Moyes, who in recent times has come under fire. A halftime draw is priced at 9/8 (2.12), with under 2.50 goals in the match at 3/4 (1.75).
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*Odds subject to change. Odds correct at time of publishing