After an action-packed European mid-week, we're diving straight back into the Premier League! Check out our top picks & best bets for the upcoming weekend!
After 2 consecutive Premier league defeats, the Villans are faced with yet another challenge on Saturday. Sitting 11th on the EPL table, Aston Villa are now pitted against an Arsenal side, who dropped their league-lead against Manchester City. Although Unai Emery has lit a spark within the squad, Aston Villa has still been a hit & miss side. Looking at the last 5 times these 2 sides have won, the Villans came out victories on 2 occassions, however, the last 3 meetings all went to Arsenal. 3 of the 5 games have also ended with over 2.5 goals, and we can expect the same considering Arsenal`s attacking abilities.
Arsenal has hit a rough-patch in their season as the club has now gone 4 games without a win in all competitions. Their last Premier League outing ended in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City, while simultaneously giving the Manchester side the top spot at the summit. Arsenal have surprisingly let a large lead slip in the title race and it will be difficult for them to recover to the same leading margin. However, a road trip on Aston Villa is a great opportunity to grab the 3 points and we expect Arsenal to win and over 2.5 goals.
Newcastle are faced with another challenge as they host Liverpool. Although the Magpies have dropped points in their last 2 games, they are still unbeaten in their last 7 games in all competitions and should not be written-off as “half-season wonder” just yet. Nevertheless, it is concerning on behalf of Newcastle that they have failed to secure victories over bottom-half table teams like West Ham & Bournemouth. Things are also looking gloomy on the historical front as the last 3 times they`ve met Liverpool, the Magpies walked away with nothing in all 3.
Liverpool finally found a victory in the Premier League after having gone 4 games without one. The Reds put on a dominant show in the Merseyside Derby with a 2-0 victory, which will give Klopp & Co. a needed confidence boost. Still, they are up against a dangerous Newcastle side and we certainly do not expect them to breeze through on Saturday night. Considering their current form with just 1 Premier League win in last 5 and Newcastle`s strong run of form this season, we`ve got a very exciting match-up of what looks like an evenly-matched side on paper and we expect this game to end in a draw and both teams to score.
Manchester United vs Leicester
Manchester United will have bags of confidence going into the weekend after holding Barcelona to a 2-2 draw at Camp Nou. Although going in as the underdogs, Erik ten Hag`s men put on a strong performance against the Spanish leaders, further supporting the transformation of this Manchester side. Now going back to the Premier League, the Red Devils have a 5-point lead on Newcastle United who are in 4th, as well as a number of key players that were unavailable against Barca now playing with full fitness. Overall, considering their flying form, it is difficult to bet against the Red Devils in games like these, although we do expect Leicester to give them a challenge.
Leicester City has shifted into higher gear in their recent Premier League matches, having scored 8 goals in just 2 recent games. 4 of those goals came against a Top 4 chasing Tottenham side, which was a real shocker to many fans. However, the Foxes have been very inconsistent this season, hence why they find themselves in 13th place & 6 points away from relegation. Considering that we don`t know what kind of Leicester side will show up to Manchester, we expect Manchester Untied to win & with the Foxes scoring run both sides to score.
We wish you all a great weekend!