Sergio Aguero-less Manchester City to exploit Chelsea’s continental hangover and goals galore in Newcastle vs Liverpool… ten things to look out for in this weekend’s Premier League fixtures
Crystal Palace also look set to have their misery compounded when they take on Manchester United on Saturday afternoon
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ANOTHER exciting Premier League weekend is now just on the horizon.
With ten matches to sink your teeth into this weekend, it's time to check out all the potential major talking points.
From Manchester City taking advantage of Chelsea's continental hangover to goals galore at St James' Park, there's plenty to look out for.
Check out the ten things we think will happen in this round of Premier League fixtures...
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1. Huddersfield vs Tottenham
THE big question for David Wagner and Huddersfield, of course, is just how do you stop Harry Kane?
The simple answer is, you can’t.
Huddersfield will be the 26th team that Kane has faced in the Premier League and he’s already scored against 24 of the previous 25.
Bonus points if you can name the only one he hasn’t scored against. Answer below.
The Terriers will be reliant on a defence that has seen them claim four clean sheets in their six Premier League games to date while Spurs are looking at winning their opening four away games in a campaign for the very first time.
Lump on Spurs again.
(Answer: Cardiff City)
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: AWAY WIN
2. Bournemouth vs Leicester
JUST one win and three points from their opening half a dozen fixtures represents the worst ever top-flight start for the Cherries.
Mind you, it’s not much better for Leicester whose return of four points is their joint-worst start to a Premier League campaign.
You get the feeling that this might be the season that Bournemouth’s "journey" in the Premier League could come to an end, primarily because they just aren’t scoring enough goals.
Yes, they’re unbeaten in all four PL games they’ve played against the Foxes (W1 D3) but they’ve only scored four goals in the division so far and that’s not good enough.
It’s less of a problem for Leicester who have shown glimpses of their old selves despite the poor start.
They’ll be looking to Jamie Vardy, injury permitting, to do the business again.
He’s netted three times in his six league games against the Cherries. Have a flutter on him doing it again.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: AWAY WIN
3. Manchester United vs Crystal Palace
SIX games. Six defeats. No goals. No points.
And now beleaguered Crystal Palace, without their crocked monsieur Christian Benteke, head to Old Trafford to face an undefeated United side that are scoring goals for fun.
It’s not looking good.
Can we offer Palace fans any crumbs of comfort? No, we can’t.
United have never lost a Premier League game in their previous 16 meetings (W13, D3) and they’ve won ten home league games on the spin against the Eagles, keeping clean sheets in nine of those.
Add a striker in Romelu Lukaku that’s banging them in from every angle, with six in six in the league this season, and it all adds up to another thoroughly miserable afternoon for the south Londoners.
And another hilarious one for Brighton fans.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
4. Stoke vs Southampton
YOU never really know which Stoke side is going to turn up.
Is it the one, like against Chelsea, that rolls over and has its’ belly tickled like a docile dog?
Or is it the one that can beat Arsenal or be the only side so far this season to take points off Manchester United?
Your guess is as good as ours.
Certainly, Southampton appear to be one Stoke’s bogey teams with the Potters having won just three of their last 15 home meetings with them (D5, L7).
It’s been a steady start for Saints too.
Not many goals to speak off (just four) but some solid showings and, if they keep one here, three clean sheets in their opening three away games for the first time in their history.
OK, so it’s hardly likely to get Fraser Forster the freedom of Southampton but it’s pretty good going.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: DRAW
5. West Brom vs Watford
FEEL the glamour. Yes, few Premier League fixtures capture the imagination quite like
West Brom vs Watford.
Oh, hang on. I meant Chelsea v Man. City.
Still, bunting at the ready as this is a game that could see the Baggies’ 200th defeat in the Premier League.
If that happens, it will also see the happy Hornets extend their club-record of consecutive away wins in the league to four matches.
Will that happen? Quite possibly.
After all, the Baggies have failed to score in three of their last four league matches with Watford although they did win 3-1 at the Hawthorns last season.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: DRAW
6. West Ham vs Swansea
HOW about this for a stat? Swansea’s three clean sheets in six games this season is as many as they have managed in the last two seasons combined.
Another one at the London Stadium and they’ll become only the fourth team in Premier League history to not concede in their first four away games of a Premier League season.
They'd join Man United in 1997/98, Leicester in 2000/01 and Chelsea in 2004/05.
So the Swans are flying then? Well, no actually.
They’ve won just once and sit one point and a couple of places above the drop zone. Again.
Generally speaking, West Ham tend to do well against Swansea, losing just one of their last nine league games against them (W5 D3).
It’s about time Andy Carroll joined the party too. He may have five goals and three assists in his last six league games against Swansea but he’s been very, very average so far this season.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
7. Chelsea vs Manchester City
BLUES boss Antonio Conte has been pulling his hair out (it is his hair, isn’t it?) at the Saturday scheduling of this key game.
Not least because his team didn’t get back from the stunning Champions League win over Atletico Madrid until 4am on Thursday morning.
Will that lack of preparation and/or tiredness play a factor? Unlikely.
Chelsea, after all, are a side brimming with confidence and, in Alvaro Morata, have a forward (six goals in his first six Premier League games) who’s at the very top of his game.
Mind you, City aren’t exactly lacking up front, are they?
Despite Sergio Aguero's recent injury, Pep Guardiola still has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: AWAY WIN
8. Arsenal vs Brighton
ALL the evidence suggests a comfortable win for the Gunners. And we mean all of it.
Not only have Arsenal not lost a home league match in October since 2002 (W21, D5) but they’re unbeaten in their last 31 league games against newly-promoted sides.
They've amassed 83 points from a possible 93 since a 2-1 defeat to QPR in March 2012.
You have to go even further back, to November 2010, for the last time they lost to one at the Emirates when Newcastle managed to beat them.
But guess who was Magpies’ manager then? Yep, current Brighton boss Chris Hughton.
Will that make all the difference? Probably not.
Losing Tomer Hemed, the Seagulls’ one and only fit striker, to a three-match suspension is going to hurt.
With Glenn Murray still touch and go and Sam "sick note" Baldock no nearer a return, expect to see Jamie Murphy playing up top at the Emirates. Yes, it’s that bad.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
9. Everton vs Burnley
ARE the knives still out for Ronald Koeman?
Last week, he was spared further wrath when he brought on Oumar Niasse and the Senegalese’s late double snatched the points from Bournemouth.
That victory ended a run of three straight defeats and given that the Toffees have won all three Premier League games against Burnley, they’ll fancy their chances again here.
Better times away from home for Burnley this term. Last season they won just seven points on their travels and had to wait until the end of April for their first away win.
If they beat Everton on Sunday they’ll already have eight away points in this campaign.
That’s progress of sorts.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
10. Newcastle vs Liverpool
BOUND to be 4-3 to Liverpool, right?
Well, maybe not but this has been one of the more attractive fixtures over the years, averaging the most goals per match of any Premier League fixture that’s been played over 40 times (3.14).
In fact, there’s never been a goalless draw in all 44 PL meeting between these two.
Former Reds’ boss Rafa Benitez is bound to get a rousing reception from the visiting Liverpool fans (rather than the ’fat Spanish waiter’ jibes he got at Brighton last week).
Meanwhile his opposite number Jurgen Klopp will be looking for his first win against the Magpies.
If Klopp’s got any sense he’ll give Daniel Sturridge a start.
The sometime England striker has notched in each of his four league starts at St James’ Park.
If he bags another on Sunday he’ll join Alan Shearer (at Elland Road), Dion Dublin (at White Hart Lane) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (also at St James’) as just the fourth player to score in five consecutive games at a Premier League game.
Of course, he might just be on the bench again.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: AWAY WIN
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