God, soccer’s relentless, however can there actually ever be an excessive amount of of it? Rodri actually thinks so.
Anyway, following an enormous midweek serving of Champions League and Carabao Cup motion, the Premier League returns this weekend. With one other busy midweek within the offing subsequent week, there is not any fancy Friday or Monday night time motion on Matchday 5 with eight video games being performed on Saturday and simply the 2 on Sunday.
And whereas we’re barely a month into the brand new season, the weekend’s motion already feels important at each ends of the desk, significantly on the backside. Whereas Manchester Metropolis’s conflict with Arsenal won’t essentially resolve the title, the shortage of factors in the direction of the underside means Southampton’s matchup with Ipswich City and Everton’s journey to Leicester Metropolis bear nice significance.
This is how 90min initiatives Gameweek 5 within the Premier League to unfold.
Saturday 22 September
Earlier than we get into the nitty gritty stuff that would have a say in how the highest and backside of the desk look come season’s finish, there is a London derby to take pleasure in within the Saturday lunchtime kick-off.
West Ham United are but to persuade underneath Julen Lopetegui, whereas Chelsea are providing glimmers of progress with new head coach Enzo Maresca. The Blues are three video games unbeaten within the Premier League since dropping to Man Metropolis on the opening weekend of the season. They battered the Hammers 5-0 of their most up-to-date assembly.
There is a monster blackout slate this weekend which is sure to spark a rise in Match of the Day viewership on Saturday night time. Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are among the many groups in motion as they face Bournemouth and Brentford respectively, whereas Aston Villa, recent off their Champions League overcome Younger Boys, host Wolves in a West Midlands derby.
The three pm strain factors arrive on the King Energy and St Mary’s, although. Everton’s woes continued within the week as they have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Southampton, they usually desperately have to safe their first league win of the season at Leicester. In any other case, it may very well be curtains for Sean Dyche on Merseyside.
The Saints, in the meantime, welcome fellow newly promoted aspect Ipswich all the way down to the south coast. With factors set to be laborious to return by for each groups this time period, each Russell Martin and Kieran McKenna will view this fixture as one every of their sides might win.
Fulham have been denied three factors by a late Danny Ings equaliser final weekend, they usually’re again at Craven Cottage on Saturday as they tackle Newcastle. The Magpies struggled mightily away from dwelling final season, however they received twice on Fulham’s dwelling patch.
The day’s motion concludes in south London with Crystal Palace, who’re but to seek out their groove underneath Oliver Glasner in the beginning of the Austrian’s first full season, taking up Manchester United. The Crimson Devils have proven indicators of life over the previous week, however the Eagles accomplished the double over Erik ten Hag’s crew in 2023/24.
Kick-off Time (BST) | Fixture | Prediction |
|---|---|---|
12:30 | West Ham vs Chelsea | 1-2 |
15:00 | Aston Villa vs Wolves | 3-0 |
15:00 | Fulham vs Newcastle | 1-2 |
15:00 | Leicester vs Everton | 1-0 |
15:00 | Liverpool vs Bournemouth | 2-0 |
15:00 | Southampton vs Ipswich | 2-2 |
15:00 | Tottenham vs Brentford | 2-1 |
17:30 | Crystal Palace vs Man Utd | 1-1 |
Sunday 23 September
We’re all trying ahead to the inevitable stalemate between seemingly title rivals Arsenal and Metropolis, however earlier than that, there needs to be a extra entertaining bout on the Amex as Brighton & Hove Albion tackle Nottingham Forest.
Forest, after all, head into the sport having secured an extremely uncommon victory at Anfield final weekend. Brighton have been held final day out by Ipswich within the Premier League, however they superior into the fourth spherical of the Carabao Cup by advantage of a 3-2 victory over Wolves in midweek.
The bulk are backing a reasonably uninteresting draw within the weekend’s standout fixture – one thing much like what we noticed on the Etihad in March. Mikel Arteta will certainly undertake a sport plan which revolves round stout deep defending and benefiting from your moments on the counter-attack or from set-pieces. He’ll be additional emboldened by Inter’s success in shunning the Cityzens on Wednesday night time.
Kick-off Time (BST) | Fixture | Prediction |
|---|---|---|
14:00 | Brighton vs Nottingham Forest | 2-0 |
16:30 | Man Metropolis vs Arsenal | 1-1 |
