Chelsea and Liverpool to come unstuck but Manchester United, City and Arsenal all to continue winning ways: Our Premier League predictions this weekend
Both Manchester clubs are joint top of the league with nothing to separate them after five games. Pep Guardiola's side host win-less Crystal Palace as United face a potentially tricky clash at Southampton
BOTH Manchester clubs head into the weekend round of fixtures with nothing to separate them.
Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho's sides are both on 13 points with the same goals scored and conceded after five matches.
But how will the table change come Monday night? Here are SunSport's predictions.
West Ham v Spurs
After a challenging start to the season, the Hammers will be looking to win back-to-back league matches at the London Stadium for only the second time since they moved into their spacious and largely unsuitable new ground.
And they’ve got a chance. Not only are Spurs not really hitting the heights of recent years but West Ham have beaten them 14 times in the Premier League and that’s their highest tally of wins against a single opponent in the division.
But it’s Spurs’ away form that’s keeping them in touch at the top. A victory here and it’ll be the first time they’ve ever won their opening three away games of a Premier League season. And with Harry Kane in their side, a striker that’s already scored 19 times in 28 Premier League London derbies for Spurs, they’ve always got a sniff.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: AWAY WIN
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Burnley v Huddersfield
The last time these two sides met in the top flight Edwarth Heath was Prime Minister and even Gareth Barry hadn’t been born. Yes, that long. But, 46 years on, both clubs are now in rude health.
Huddersfield have lost just one of their five games to date while Burnley, fresh from another smash and grab raid against Liverpool, sit just one place below their opponents in eighth place.
And here’s a head-scratching fact to make you think. Since August 2016, only Manchester City have won more home league games (12) than Sean Dyche’s side (11).
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
Everton v Bournemouth
If the previous four league games are anything to go by then we should be in for a bucketload of goals here as these two sides have conjured up 19 of them between them in their top-flight meetings. That’s an average of nearly five a game.
Bournemouth arrive at Goodison having finally got off the mark against Brighton last Friday while Everton are aiming to avoid losing four PL matches in a row for the first time since January 2015.
And after a week when he’s been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons again, Wayne Rooney will be looking to put it all behind him against a team he always seems to do well against. The king of community service has two goals and an assist in his last three league games against the Cherries.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
Manchester City v Crystal Palace
So, City are top of the table, scoring goals for fun and in a jaw-dropping vein of form while Palace are bottom, without so much as a single goal and absolutely pointless. Landslide on the cards? Quite possibly.
City’s form speaks for itself at the moment and there seems little to suggest that they won’t continue a run of form against Palace that’s seen them unbeatean in their last 10 meetings (W9, D1).
Quite how Roy Hodgson is going to turn around Palace’s fortunes is anyone’s guess. Having lost their first five in the campaign, they’re just one defeat away from joining Portsmouth as the only teams in Premier League history to lose their first six matches of a season. And it could get worse.
After City, Palace travel to Manchester United and then host Chelsea at Selhurst Park. It’s hard to see where the points are going to come from.
The last time these two sides played in the league was also at the Etihad at the tail-end of last season. City ran out 5-0 winners that day. Don’t be surprised if there’s a similar scoreline again.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
Southampton v Manchester United
As United and neighbours City slug it out at the top of the table, Southampton have made the kind of steady start we’ve come to expect of them in recent seasons. This might just be where they come unstuck though as Mourinho’s men are Saints’ bogey team.
Southampton have played United 32 times in the Premier League and they’ve lost 24 of those games – that’s four more defeats than they’ve suffered against any other opponent in the division.
It doesn’t help that United are rattling the goals in too. Strangely, however, they have been leaving it late, scoring more goals in the 80th minute or later (9) than 17 of the other 19 clubs have managed combined.
Their Belgian scoring genius Romelu Lukaku needs one more goal to equal Louis Saha’s record for most goals scored after six PL appearances for United (6), although, like you, we never even new this was a ‘record’ as such.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: AWAY WIN
Stoke v Chelsea
We fancy Stoke to get something out of this. Expect them to set up as they did in the draw they got against Manchester United and rely on the burgeoning partnership between the Alpine Messi, Xherdan Shaqiri, and summer signing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
The duo have combined to create nine goalscoring chances this season and that’s just one less than Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen.
Chelsea, meanwhile, go in search of their 1,800th goal in the Premier League and their eighth victory in their last nine away league games.
The bad news for Stoke – and the challenge facing their defence – is that the Blues have scored at least twice in six of those wins.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: DRAW
Swansea v Watford
If Goodison is the place to be if you’re in search of goals this weekend then maybe give the Liberty Stadium a wide berth. Why? Because the last four league meetings between these two side have produced just three goals and this despite there being 96 shots attempted.
That said, it will be close. Take your pick between Swansea, who’ve lost one of their last 10 home league games against Watford (W5, D4) or the Hornets who are looking to win their third top-flight away game on the spin for the first time in their history.
Our tip? Go and watch Everton instead.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: GOALLESS DRAW
Leicester v Liverpool
A repeat of the Carabao Cup game in midweek, Leicester will be looking to replicate the performance and result at the King Power where the Foxes ran out 2-0 winners.
As ever, though, all the talk is of Liverpool’s dreadfully defective defence. Reds’ boss Jurgen Klopp admitted that he was “really sick” of the way Liverpool were conceding goals this week and he’s got a point. Something needs to change or Liverpool’s title ambitions could be derailed before they know it.
The corresponding fixture last season, of course, was Craig Shakespeare’s first in charge after the sudden sacking of Claudio Ranieri and he delivered a 3-1 win to move the Foxes out of the relegation zone.
They had Jamie Vardy’s brace to thank that day and you can’t help but think that he’s going to have a field day again against the Reds’ back line. In fact, he’s bagged five goals in his last three games against Liverpool.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: SCORE DRAW
Brighton v Newcastle
Who’d be a Newcastle fan? You spend all summer bemoaning the board and the lack of any significant transfer dealings only for the team to win three on the spin and sit fourth in the table. Last season in the Championship, Newcastle did the double over Brighton – the only team to do so – and they’ll start as favourites again here.
Life for Brighton, meanwhile, continues to be a mixed bag. As you’d expect of any Chris Hughton side, they’re organised and resilient at the back – will Lewis Dunk get an England call-up soon? – but their lack of firepower is being exposed all too often at the moment.
Still, the Amex remains something of a fortress for them and that’s where their quest for Premier League survival will stand or fall this season.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: SCORE DRAW
Arsenal v West Brom
You might remember the last time these two played. It was back at the Hawthorns in March when the Baggies’ massive aerial assault flattened the Gunners and put a huge dent in their hopes of a top four finish. And if they win here it’ll be their first time they’ve won back-to-back league matches against Arsenal since 1977.
Luckily for Arsenal it’s a different story at the Emirates where Arsene Wenger’s side have won the last six league meetings, conceding just one goal.
Keep an eye out for Gareth Barry too. If he plays he’ll move on to 633 Premier League appearances, breaking Ryan Giggs’ record for the most Premier League matches played.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN