The English Premier League is now well and fully underway and fans of football from all over the world are better for it. The games through three first weeks were great, and more amazing football lies ahead of us. Gameweek 4 has some interesting matchups lying ahead, and we’re about to walk you through our tips and predictions, that could help you if you’re planning on betting on the upcoming round of EPL. Let’s get started.
Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest
Unlike previous weeks, there’s no Friday night duel due to Champions League fixtures, and gameweek 4 will kick off with five games starting on Saturday afternoon. The first duel on our list of tips and predictions is Aston Villa vs. Nottingham forest. This is an ideal duel for Villains to get back to winning ways. Forest is a team that’s all over the place, and while they managed to take home two points from duels against Liverpool and Tottenham, they still lost to Leeds, and have no team chemistry to show for it. Villa, on the other hand, took its first point last week vs. Hull City, and have shown that there’s a quality team still in Birmingham with their win against Club Brugge KV in the CL. Unai Emery will have this team rolling in no time, and Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest is a great game to make a moneyline bet on the home team if you’re into sport betting online while watching the EPL.
Bournemouth vs. Brentford
For us, this will be one of the most interesting EPL games of the weekend. Both teams play games with a lot of goals, and have shown that they bode better in attack than on the defensive side of the ball. Brentford had a better start to the season, and so far, they are yet to lose a game. Bournemouth is still trying to find their footing after replacing Andoni Iraola with Marco Rose. After the opening round against Manchester City, they drew vs. Newcastle and Everton, showing that they’re able to take any opponent on. It is hard to say who is going to win this bout, so we’re going with a bold assumption that you can play both teams to score & over 2.5 goals. The odds on this game are set at 2.21 on Stake.
Chelsea vs. Hull City
For years now, Chelsea is a team built to disappoint. The new owners are trying hard to change the team’s identity, and so far to no avail. Hiring Xabi Alonso as the manager is a bold move, and the one that will eventually pay off if they remain patient. The Spaniard has a fabulous team to work with, and the likes of Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer, and Morgan Rogers, are all players of the highest calibre. While Hull City is yet to lose a game, after winning their two opening matches, against Manchester United, Coventry, and drawing with Aston Villa, they stand no chances against Chelsea. Cole Palmer knows how to tear down teams such as Hull, and you can wager on Chelsea’s win, and Palmer to score. It’s a safe bet and it pays with 1.93 for Palmer anytime scorer.
Crystal Palace vs. Ipswich Town
The duel between the Eagles and the Tractor Boys promises a lot of fun. To start the season both teams have won one duel and lost two. They also have identical goal difference with both teams scoring 4 and conceding 8 goals. The only difference is that Ipswich won their opening fixture and then lost two, while CP lost the first two matches of the season, and won away at Fulham. Year in and year out, Palace sells their best players, and still manage to remain competitive. Yet, this time around, they were poor in replacing the outgoing lads, and also they’ve lost their trophy winning head coach in Oliver Glasner. At the same time, Ipswich reinforced their ranks, similarly to Sunderland last year, and with the likes of Lukic, Fatawu, Encisco, and Maeda, they can avoid relegation. We cannot be so sure about the Palace. Look for surprise at Selhurst Park, as we think that Ipswich is taking home all three points. The odds of this happening are set at 3.90. Ipswich might surprise many this season.
Liverpool vs. Fulham
Liverpool is a team in transition. It has been for a few years now. They’ve lost Jurgen Klopp first, and now Mo Salah has gone too. It is a new era at Enfield for sure. Yes, they’ve invested plenty, but a world class coach, and an ageing squad are hard to replace in one go. Yet, we believe that after last week’s away win at Ipswich, Iraola has finetuned his squad, and that Fulham will be no match for the Reds. Also, Alvaro Arbeloa is the coach with best odds to get the first sack of the season. It probably won’t happen after the Liverpool game, but Fulham is not playing well at the moment, and the inexperienced coach might not be the right person to turn the ship around. For this fixture we recommend betting on Liverpool, under Asian Handicap -1.5.
Tottenham vs. Everton
The Spurs are one of those teams whose matches are hardest to predict. This team has individual quality, but coaching and team chemistry are nonexistent for years now. From Champions League contenders to relegations fodder, all in a span of a few years. De Zerbi is the latest coach who will try to make Tottenham competitive once again. Unfortunately, Everton is a bad matchup to get back to winning ways. David Moyes has his team playing a sturdy game, and they know how to take a point from anyone. While we’re not too fond of making draw predictions this game has a goalless affair written all over it. The odds on a pure draw are set at 3.55 and the same odds go on betting on the exact number of goals to be 0-1.
Sunderland vs. Arsenal
Last season, Sunderland was the most positive surprise of the year. They played well, and managed to hold onto the spot that leads to Europe. Their approach to team building paid off, after spending millions on dozens of new players, to help remain in the EPL. This season, the plan is to become a steady EPL team, and to try and become a regular in European competitions. That’s the plan, but it’s not going to be an easy task, due to heavy competition present in the EPL. They lost the opening fixture vs. Ipswich, but got back with a win against Fulham, and a draw with Brentford. These are results that scream mid-table, and that can only mean one thing, an easy win for Arsenal. You saw it last week, the Gunners are still able to carve out wins against any opponent. Chelsea fell, and Mikel Arteta boys are showing clear signs that they’re aiming for a repeat of the title. They’re the main favourites to do so, and a safe bet to win against the Black Cats. We are sure that Sunderland doesn’t have the firepower to break Arsenal’s defence, so playing 2 with under 2.5 goals is the way to go for this fixture.
Coventry vs. Brighton
Frank Lampard performed a miracle when he took Coventry to the EPL. Can he do another one, and help them stay up? Now, that’s a hard task. Coventry are a team destined to go back to Championship. Former Blues legend, Lampard, has proven himself over and over in the Championship. Yet, he’s still unproven as a manager in the EPL. Coventry is his biggest test today. After three rounds they have 0points and 0 goals scored. Brighton is a great opportunity to open their account in the PL after a decade of absence, and we believe that Coventry can do that. As for the rest, we are not so sure. The Seagulls are a team that plays a free flowing style of football. So far they have 4 points from 3 games, but 8 goals scored. They’re almost scoring 3 per game, and that might be what they’ll show vs. Coventry. We are sure that Brighton have all the chances in the world to win this bout, but we are more sure that this will be the highest scoring game of the round. Betting on Brighton’s win is paid with 1.89 odds on Stake. What we’re suggesting is taking this game to the over/under section. Betting on the Seagulls going over 2.5 goals is paid with 3.50 odds. Remember, this is the team that put 4 past Villa, and 3 past Chelsea. Their 1:1 draw with Leeds is the exception to the rule here. The more the season goes, the more sure we get that Brighton is going to be the highest scoring team at the end of the season.
Manchester United vs. Manchester City
It is never easy to predict the result of a derby match. The Manchester derby is one of the biggest affairs in the world, despite two teams not sharing the biggest scene in the last few years. In the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, City was the dominant force in the EPL. United is trying to regain some of its old glory, but it’s an uphill battle. In addition to Arbeloa, Michael Carrick is the manager under the biggest pressure to succeed. The Red Devils are Back in the Champions League but that won’t mean too much if the team doesn’t start winning trophies, and be regular title contenders. A loss to Hull City and a draw with Everton are not good signs for the season ahead for United. Their sole win this season came vs. Ipswich. They’re not fooling us that we’re having title contenders on our hands.
Manchester City, on the other hand, is a team in transition. Pep Guardiola has left Manchester, and it is up to Enzo Maresca to usher a new era at Etihad. So far he has had a good start to his managerial career for the Citizens. He was appointed as a former Pep disciple, and a coach who will retain a similar playstyle. Three rounds, three wins, and a 7:2 goal difference. Note: Haaland is not yet in top form. City won vs. Bournemouth after a second half time comeback, vs. Palace in convincing fashion 4:1, and not so convincingly 1:0 vs. Coventry. Playing United away is their first major test of the year. City also took home from Porto (0:2) showing that they can take home points from tough away games. Haaland scored a brace, meaning that he will be geared up for the derby.
For United, Bruno Fernandes is playing at the top of his game and all eyes will be on him on Sunday evening. Can he lead United to a victory? It’s hard to say. At the end of the day, City has a deeper squad, and their attacking prowess cannot be matched by United shaky defence. When it’s all said and done, we think this is a clear City win. Odds on this event are 2.18, and they’re worth taking all things considered.
Leeds vs. Newcastle
Leeds and Newcastle are powerhouses of the late 90s and early 2000s who had their fair share of ups and downs in the past two decades. Newcastle has managed to stabilize itself as a part of the upper echelon of the EPL, while Leeds is still trying to do so and avoid the destiny of Norwich, WBA, and other Yo-yo teams. This is a good season to do so, by moving up the table and avoiding relegation battles as soon as possible. A home win against Newcastle is an imperative in doing so. The Magpies have lost more than a few starting calibre players, and Matthias Jaissle has a lot of work to do to get Newcastle back to European spots. They have two draws and a win, and despite the departures of Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes, they have a nice squad and a quality coach. They will not lose this match, but Leeds is a tough nut to crack. A draw is the most realistic outcome, and odds on happening are set at 3.45.