PL Matchday 8

The international week is over and we are back to PL action. And what a weekend we have in store with some potentially cracking games ahead.

Saturday 19th October 3pms unless stated.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs WEST HAM UNITED - 12:30 TNT
Spurs fans will tells you this is the Hammers cup final, but both teams need to get a win to re-address average starts. Both managers have been, perhaps harshly, criticised by sections of their own fanbase with Spurs 9th on 10 points and West Ham 12th with 8 points.
Last time out Spurs let a 2 goal lead slip to lose 3-2 away to Brighton. It ended a 5 game winning run across all competitions.
West Ham won for only the second time, a 4-1 over Ipswich. They also won the last time these met at the THS, with Bowen and Ward-Prowse netting second half goals to overcome an early Romero goal.

This promises goals, although a 12:30 after internationals can result in slow games.

Prediction - Spurs 2-0 West Ham

FULHAM vs ASTON VILLA
Two teams who will be happy with their starts. Fulham sit 8th with 11 points while Villa are 5th on 14.
The home side lost a 5 goal battle with Man City last time out, only their second defeat of the season with the other also coming in Manchester.
Villa only have 1 defeat on their record, but will be disappointed in the 2 draws in their previous 2 PL games. They did sandwich a great win over Bayern.

Villa have won the last 3 meetings, including one at the Cottage last season where Watkins netted both in a 1-2 win.

Prediction - Fulham 1-2 Villa

IPSWICH TOWN vs EVERTON
Two strugglers meet at Portman Road with Everton on a 3 game unbeaten run.
Ipswich ended a 4 game draw streak with a heavy defeat to West Ham, while Everton got a good result against Newcastle with a 0-0. This followed the only win either of these sides have in the PL - a 2-1 Everton win over Palace.

They haven't any recent history, with Ipswich winning 3 of the 4 meetings this century with a draw in the 4th.

Prediction - Ipswich 0-1 Everton

MANCHESTER UNITED vs BRENTFORD
Ten Hag survived to continue as United boss, but has 0 wins in the last 5 (all comps). They sit in 14th on 8 points, 2 points behind 11th Brentford. With 5 goals they are the second worst attack in the league.
The Bees have scored in the first minute of the last 4 games, but only translated that into 4 points. They have scored as many as top of the table Liverpool (13) but conceded 13 too.

Brentford recorded a famous 4-0 win over United in 2022, but have not taken a point at Old Trafford in 3 games since their promotion to the top flight - you have to go back to the 30s for the last Brentford away win.

Prediction - Man Utd 2-1 Brentford

NEWCASTLE UNITED vs BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
The pick of the 3 o'clocks sees 6th and 7th meet. Newcastle come into the game on a 3 match winless run, but are likely to have Alexander Isak back in the team.
Brighton last 3 games have seen 15 goals scored, with a win, draw and loss in that period. If they continue with their attacking mentality this could be an exciting game for the neutral.

You have to go back to Covid era football for the only Brighton win at St James Park since 2017, a 3-0 victory. It was 1-1 here last time out, Veltman and Longstaff goals.

Prediction - Newcastle 3-1 Brighton

SOUTHAMPTON vs LEICESTER CITY
Leicester finally got their first win of the PL season last time out, a 1-0 over Bournemouth. For their hosts it is a miserable 1 point from 7 games. The Saints have conceded 3 goals in 4 of the last 5 games and have scored a league low of just 4 goals.

Southampton may see this as a winnable game, but last season the Foxes hammered them home and away. It was 4-1 at St Marys with Bardy, McAteer, Ndidi and Mavididi all netting, while Fatawu netted a hat-trick as Leicester won 5-0 in the reverse fixture which pretty much sealed their promotion and condemned Southampton to the play-offs.

Prediction - Southampton 1-1 Leicester.

BOURNEMOUTH vs ARSENAL - 5:30pm Sky Sports
13th vs 3rd in a fixture the away team has dominated. A 4-0 away win last season, with Saka, Odegaard, White and a first goal for Havertz.

Bournemouth have had a mixed start, picking up 8 points but will have regrets they couldn't net from their many chances last time out against Leicester. Arsenal have won 4 in a row (iac) since that 2-2 with City, scoring 14. They also have a magnificent away record and have won 10 of the 12 away PL games in 2024 with 2 draws at the Etihad.

Prediction - Bournemouth 1-3 Arsenal.


SUPER SUNDAY - both games on Sky Sports.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS vs MANCHESTER CITY - 2pm
On paper this is one of the most one-sided fixtures going. Wolves have picked up just 1 point and conceded a massive 21 goals in 7 games. City are second with 17 points and 17 goals scored.
On a positive note, Wolves have scored in every game since the opening day 2-0 defeat to Arsenal while City haven't kept a PL clean sheet since their 2-0 win over Chelsea in game week 1.

Wolves will take some encouragement from the fact they won this fixture 2-1 a year ago. A Dias own goal was cancelled out by Alvarez, but Hwang won it for the home team.

Prediction - Wolves 0-4 Man City

LIVERPOOL vs CHELSEA - 4:30pm
Top of the table meets 4th in the weekends big clash. Usually this is a tight fixture, but Liverpool absolutely hammered the Blues last time out. Jota, Bradley, Szoboszlai and Diaz all scored in a very one-sided 4-1 win. There have been 8 draws in the last 9 games in all competitions (in 90 minutes) with Liverpool taking the League Cup in extra time back in February. Back in 2021 Chelsea got their last Anfield win, during the spectatorless times of covid.

Both teams will want to put a real marker down here, with both having kind fixtures to start their new era's of manager.

Prediction - Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea

Monday
NOTTINGHAM FOREST vs CRYSTAL PALACE - 8pm Sky Sports
Palace were expected to start well this season, while Forest were predicted to struggle but the roles have been reversed.
The highlight of the Forest season so far was a 1-0 win at Anfield, but they have failed to win since with 2 draws and a defeat. Palace are still looking for a first win, and they lost the last 2 against the Merseyside clubs. With 3 draws coming after losing the opening 2 ties, Palace have just 3 points.
Neither team has found scoring easy, Forest netting 7 and Palace just 5 times, but it is the Forest defence that puts them clear (6 conceded to Palaces 10).

H2H doesn't bode well for Palace. 5 draws in the last 6 games, and no Palace win since 2011 in the Championship.

Prediction - Forest 0-0 Palace.



Should be a good weekend of games with a few goals hopefully.

Also got Leeds vs Sheffield United in the Championship and Ligue 1 leaders Monaco hosting 5th placed Lille tonight.
Tomorrow Bayern Munich host Stuttgart, who finished above Bayern last season. Juventus vs Lazio is a pick in Serie A on Saturday evening.
Top of La Liga Barcelona welcome Sevilla on Sunday night to conclude the weekends football.