
Manchester City’s perfect on-pitch start to the Premier League season came to an end last Saturday lunchtime as Aston Villa beat them 2-1.
Arsenal joined City on 21 points after easing past Everton at the Emirates, but with sanctions looming over Pep Guardiola’s side, Liverpool could emerge as the Gunners’ biggest challengers.
The Reds beat third-placed Brighton 2-0 on Sunday before knocking Chelsea out of the Carabao Cup in midweek. This weekend should tell us more about their title credentials as Arsenal visit Anfield on Super Sunday.
Victory would move Liverpool within three points of Mikel Arteta’s side, who have injury concerns ahead of a trip to a ground where they have not won since 2012. It is an opportunity for the hosts to strengthen their own position while denying Arsenal the chance to open up a nine-point gap between the teams.
Manchester United continue to struggle at the opposite end of the table. Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth left them with seven points and just one win from their opening eight league games.
Next comes a trip to Chelsea, who are enduring a difficult spell themselves after losing at home to Tottenham last Saturday. Both sides badly need a response when they meet at Stamford Bridge.
Spurs have recorded successive victories and are starting to justify their billing as contenders for the European places. They are tipped to make it three straight wins against Crystal Palace.
City’s meeting with Brighton also carries plenty of intrigue after their midweek Carabao Cup tie went to penalties. City prevailed, but Brighton have another opportunity to test them this weekend as they look to respond to defeat themselves.
Premier League tipster Ben Smith has picked out five selections across the weekend’s Premier League odds, combining them into a 35/1 accumulator with BetMGM.
Cole Palmer’s return from suspension gives Chelsea a boost against a Manchester United side who have been far too easy to play against.
His attacking numbers have improved under Xabi Alonso. Palmer is creating 2.59 shots per 90 minutes this season, more than double last term’s 1.25, while his own shot average has risen from 2.8 to 4.1 per 90.
Those increases make him an appealing option to score or assist against visitors who conceded three at home to Bournemouth last weekend. With Palmer threatening goal himself and creating more opportunities for teammates, there are two routes to this selection.
Brighton look capable of troubling Manchester City again after dominating large parts of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup meeting.
Both sides rotated, particularly City, but the Seagulls deserved to win on the balance of play. Their underlying numbers at Anfield also suggested they merited more than a 2-0 defeat, giving further substance to their impressive early results.
Brighton play on the front foot and should create opportunities here, having already scored ten goals across four league away games. City remain formidable at home, but there is enough in Brighton’s performances to suggest the visitors can pose a serious attacking threat again.
Spurs are starting to look more convincing under Roberto De Zerbi, and Palace’s poor away scoring record makes a home win with under 4.5 goals appealing.
Palace have lost five of their opening eight matches and conceded a league-high 19 goals. The visitors have scored in just one of four away league games, and that was against fellow bottom six side Fulham.
James Maddison’s muscle problem is a concern, although Pedro Porro’s potential return to the starting XI would be welcome. Spurs must also overturn a poor recent record against Palace, having lost their last four meetings.
Under 2.5 goals appeals at Anfield, where a draw could suit both sides. Arsenal would preserve their six-point advantage over Liverpool, while the hosts would avoid losing further ground in the title race.
Arteta is generally content to take a point from these fixtures, and Bukayo Saka’s absence could further encourage a cautious approach.Liverpool have struggled to score early, drawing a first-half blank in eight of their last ten league matches.
Last season’s two meetings produced just one goal, a Dominik Szoboszlai screamer.
Newcastle and Everton both sit among the Premier League’s bottom seven for expected goals this season.
Everton have scored just four times in six games across all competitions, prompting growing frustration among supporters.
However, the Toffees should remain organised and difficult to break down, pointing towards a tight contest here.
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