November 24th 2023.
After a seemingly never-ending international break, the Premier League is back with a bang this weekend with some heavyweight fixtures. Dimitar Berbatov, Betfair Ambassador and former Premier League star, previews the action for The Agency.
The top two, Man City and Liverpool, go head-to-head at the Etihad Stadium in Saturday’s early kick-off. The outcome will give us a real idea of Liverpool’s title credentials and with Man City sweating on the fitness of Erling Haaland, I get the feeling City will beat Liverpool this weekend because their quality is just too much. Liverpool has more cracks in their defence than City, so because of this, City will win. On Liverpool though, I’m not surprised by their start to the season, because it’s Jurgen Klopp and Salah. At the moment, they are getting points and going under the radar. I’m tempted to say a draw, but I think City will edge it. Prediction: 3-1.
Burnley vs West Ham is another fixture this weekend and I have sympathy for Vincent Kompany because he did a great job in the Championship but now in the Premier League it’s very difficult for the whole team to fight to get the points they need. I hope they will not give up and they claw their way until they have a chance to survive. It’ll be very difficult. I’ll go for Burnley this week to kick-start their season. Prediction: 2-1.
Luton vs Crystal Palace is another match and I want to say some of the lower teams are going to surprise people this weekend because the teams near the bottom, they don’t have as many international players playing, so they would have had more time to train together. I’ll go for a surprise, so Luton will beat Crystal Palace. Prediction: 2-1.
Newcastle vs Chelsea is the next one and Newcastle will be looking to bounce back after successive defeats. The Champions League games have taken a toll on Newcastle. All these games can produce injuries and Newcastle need to be smart now. On the other hand, Chelsea needs to do better, and showed what they can do against Man City last time out. I think I’ll go for another draw. Prediction: 1-1.
Nottingham Forest vs Brighton is another interesting one and I like Nottingham Forest’s manager Steve Cooper. His club are a big name in English football, and they’re going to fight for survival. The more points they can pick up early the less pressure later in the season, so they always need points. I have a soft spot for Brighton because of the way they play football. I’m tempted to say Brighton will win, but I’ll go for a draw. Prediction: 1-1.
Sheffield United vs Bournemouth is the next match and Sheffield United need to close the gap. They can produce that type of football, some people will call it ‘ugly’, but they need that direct football. They need to use their home advantage. They need to get the ugly goals because they need the points. I’ll go for Sheffield United. Prediction: 1-0.
Brentford vs Arsenal is the next one and I like the underdog stories, but I’ll back Arsenal to win. If they’re smart enough to pass and play, find the space, and not be bullied by Brentford players, then Arsenal will win this game. With City and Liverpool playing, this is a big chance for Mikel Arteta. Prediction: 0-2.
Tottenham vs Aston Villa is the next one and Oh my god! Tottenham lost against Chelsea and then they lost to Wolves despite leading in the 90th minute. Now they have two defeats in a row, so it doesn’t matter what’s happened, they can’t let it become three in a row. They need to be on top of their game, it doesn’t matter how, just get the points if you want to stay close to the top. When you expect Villa to get the points sometimes, they lose, just like they did against Nottingham Forest. They’re not as good as they are at home, so, we’ll go for Tottenham. Prediction: 3-1.
Everton vs Man United is the next one and it’s going to be an interesting game. With Everton being deducted 10 points, they’re suddenly in the relegation zone. If they win, it’ll be good for their belief. United have all these injuries, so it’s going to be tough for them going to Everton. You need to know how to make the smart choices as a club, when you don’t, the consequences are severe. The players will be devastated. Now, the players will need to do the hard work of getting the club back out of the relegation zone. They’ll be angry, for sure, with that decision. The hard work now starts against United. I get the feeling Everton have the chance to win this one based on so many injuries for United, especially if the fans are on board with the team. We all know the stadium can be crazy when backs are against the wall - I’ve experienced it. United do have a good record against Everton, though, so I’ll go for the draw. Prediction: 1-1.
Fulham vs Wolves is another match and Fulham lost against Villa, and they need their mojo back. You can say the teams are even in a way by how they play. I’d go for the draw as they are close in the table, but I will use my bias here and say Fulham need to win. They have the quality to win, just don’t make any stupid mistakes when you’re playing from the back. I’ll go with Fulham. Prediction: 2-1.
Finally, with Betfair, you can build your football accumulators this season with their new 90 minute payout, all winning selections will be paid out at 90 minutes on their Match Odds 90 markets, regardless of what happens in added time. So, get ready for an exciting weekend of Premier League action!
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