Sports Blog 18/09/2015: Match Preview – Premier League, Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th September 2015

After a mid-week Champions and Europa League soiree the Premier League is back in action this weekend, with the top sides battling European fatigue.

Easily the biggest game of the weekend also happens to be the first, as Chelsea host Arsenal at 12.4p5m on BT Sport 1. Chelsea’s dismal start to the season might be overstated by this point, but that is largely due to just how surprising it has been to see last season’s indomitable champions stumble out of the gate in the way they have. Yet the Blues finally got their second win of the season mid-week, breezing past Maccabi Tel-Aviv (as, to be honest, they should) 4-0 with goals from Willian (out of Saturday’s fixture due to a hamstring injury sustained in that game), Oscar, Diego Costa (at a Super Mega PHM of 25-30 going into the weekend) and Fabregas. It could be the confidence restorer Chelsea (and Mourinho) desperately need to get their season back on track; for whilst we are only 5 games in, another loss will quickly leave the defending champions with an up-mountain struggle to deal with.



Despite having a much better (if still not great) start than Chelsea, with 1 loss, 1 draw and 3 wins, Arsenal underwhelmed in Europe during the week, deservedly losing to Dinamo Zagreb 2-1. Wenger paid the price for resting Petr Cech and Francis Coquelin, both who should return on Saturday alongside the 4-game absentee Per Mertesacker, with a disappointing Olivier Giroud ignominiously sent off. This should mean Wenger makes Walcott first choice on Saturday; good news, perhaps, for Arsenal since the England striker has scored 11 g oals in his last 11 Premier League starts, and has 7/1 fixed odds to score first.

Wenger may have got his first ever victory over Mourinho before the season began, with Arsenal winning the Community Shield 1-0, but our Spreadex traders don’t think he will be able to repeat that feat, offering a Chelsea/Arsenal Goal Supremacy spread of 0.1-0.3 with a Total Goals spread of 2.65-2.85.

Saturday’s second televised game should be no slouch either, as West Ham travel to Manchester City at 5.30pm on Sky Sports 1. Though the mid-week game against Juventus proved City are indeed fallible, capitulating against the Italian side in the final 20 minutes after a Chiellini own goal had given them the lead early in the second half, the Manchester side still are unbeaten in the league, scoring 11 and conceding none. There is also the chance that Pellegrini will start Silva, Sterling, De Bruyne and Aguero together for the first time, with the Argentinian striker at a super-strong Super Mega PGM spread of 69-79.



Yet West Ham have also had an impressive start to the season, at least in relative terms. 3 wins and 2 losses is a decent return from West Ham’s first 5 games, even if the victories have come in arguably unexpected forms (away at Arsenal and Liverpool and home against Steve McClaren’s Newcastle) and the losses have come against teams the Hammers should be beating (Leicester and Bournemouth). It is unclear, therefore, what West Ham will turn up on Saturday; the one with the game-threatening discipline record or the one that has seen new signing Dimitri Payet (at 16/1 to score first) blossom.

It is likely that City will be too much for West Ham to handle this weekend, with Arsenal and Liverpool currently paling in comparison to Pellegrini’s side; our Spreadex traders think so at least, offering a Manchester City/West Ham Goal Supremacy spread of 1.8-2 alongside a high-score promising Total Goals spread of 3.3-3.5.

Sunday then sees Tottenham have to deal with their punishing post-Europa League Thursday’s schedule for the first time this season, as they take on Crystal Palace at 1.30pm on Sky Sports 1. Spurs finally got their first league win last weekend, with a late goal from Ryan Mason giving them an uninspiring 1-0 victory over the already-in-trouble Sunderland. They were much better against Oarabag on Thursday, their 3-1 victory notable due to the impact of late-August signing Son Heung-Min, who scored twice within 2 minutes to put Spurs 2-1 up after a de Oliveira own goal had put them on the back foot. Still, however, no goal for Harry Kane…



Crystal Palace, on the other hand, have gotten off to a sturdy start in the Premier League, beating Norwich, Aston Villa and, most impressively, Chelsea, whilst losing (if only just) to Arsenal and Man Cit, leaving them 6th in the league to Tottenham’s 12th. Team-wise Palace will still be without Joel Ward, but should see the return of Connor Wickham and, potentially, Damien Delaney. Yet whilst Palace may have been the better side so far this season, a mixture of home advantage and a confidence boosting 2 wins on the trot gives Spurs the edge, at a Tottenham/Crystal Palace Goal Supremacy spread of 0.45-0.65 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.55-2.75.

Finally, Sunday’s afternoon game sees Southampton host Manchester United at 4pm on Sky Sports 1. Manchester United have been quietly impressive, if not completely convincing, so far this season. Last weekend’s 3-1 victory over Liverpool, with a scintillating debut goal for the incredibly expensive Anthony Martial was arguably United’s season highlight so far, especially given the fact that they slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven mid-week. That game was perhaps most notable for the news that Luke Shaw will be out for 6 months following a two-footed challenge from PSV’s Hector Moreno, a heart-breaking set-back for a player who was just starting to make his mark on the team. With that former-Southampton player out, the focus for this weekend’s game will likely be on former Saint Morgan Schneiderlin, aiming to reclaim a starting spot after being on the bench for the past 2 games.



In comparison the Saints haven’t gotten off to the same rip-roaring start as they did last season, instead managing draws against Newcastle, Watford and West Brom, a defeat against the increasingly impressive Everton, and a solitary win over Norwich. Graziano Pelle has arguably been the start of Southampton’s nascent season, whilst Man United’s summer target Sadio Mane has only shone in fits and starts. And whilst they do have the quality to trouble the Manchester side it is likely Van Gaal’s team will best the Saints, with Spreadex offering a Manchester United/Southampton Goal Supremacy spread of 0.05-0.25 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.25-2.45.