Premier League Preview: 1st & 2nd October 2022
We’re now seven rounds of Premier League games into the new season and while some top-flight clubs have a game-in-hand as we return from the international break, it’s becoming clearer who will be fighting it out for the title and who will be battling against the drop.
The international break has come and gone with Gareth Southgate’s men having succumbed to relegation from UEFA Nations League A. The prospect of a return to club action is therefore very welcome and with that in mind, we take a look at the four televised Premier League games this coming weekend with some great free bets uk available on each of these matches.
Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur
Live coverage on BT Sport 1 at 12:30pm, Saturday 1st October
Arsenal sit in pole position at the summit of the Premier League table as they prepare for the visit of North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday lunchtime. This is the opening top-flight match of the weekend and it promises to be a real thriller, these two sides having banged in 35 league goals between them since the start of the campaign.
Both sides head into this clash on the back of convincing wins, the Gunners having thumped city rivals Brentford to the tune of 3-0 at the Community Stadium last time out and Spurs thrashing bottom side Leicester City 6-2 at White Hart Lane.
Confidence will be high in both camps ahead of this clash although while Spurs ran out 3-0 winners when the sides last locked horns towards the end of 2021/22, we envisage this being an altogether more closely fought encounter. It would be no huge surprise were the spoils to be shared at the Emirates Stadium this weekend although the likelihood is that there will be no shortage of goals.
West Ham United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Live coverage on Sky Sports at 5:30pm, Saturday 1st October
With West Ham United challenging for a European berth throughout the 2021/22 campaign and narrowly missing out on a place in this season’s Europa League, hopes will have been high that David Moyes’ men could improve upon their final league position at the end of the current campaign.
Nevertheless, while they might still achieve this aim, recent results have suggested that a season of struggle could be in order. The Hammers currently sit third from bottom in the Premier League table with just a solitary win (against Aston Villa) from their opening seven league outings. Moyes’ men have lost five during this time although they will be next up against a Wolverhampton Wanderers side which are also struggling to get going.
Wolves make the trip to the capital on the back of a 3-0 defeat at home to defending champions Manchester City and as things stand, they sit just one position and two points above the Hammers in the league table. With each side having scored just three goals from their opening seven games, this has all the makings of a low-scoring encounter and a goal-less draw here would surprise no-one.
Manchester City v Manchester United
Live coverage on Sky Sports at 2:00pm, Sunday 2nd October
Manchester City have started the current season in a similar manner to that in which they ended the last, Pep Guardiola’s men impressing on all fronts with wins in all-but-two of their opening seven Premier League outings. The only dropped points for the Citizens have come against Newcastle United and Aston Villa while they have enjoyed some convincing wins against some of the weaker sides in the division.
Only a few weeks ago, Manchester United could have been included in that category, the Red Devils having lost their opening two games against Brighton and Brentford in thoroughly disappointing fashion. Nevertheless they found their feet soon into the season with a 2-1 win at home to Liverpool and have collected maximum points since then.
In fairness, we don’t envisage United managing anything from their weekend trip to the Etihad Stadium but similarly we don’t expect to see a one-sided match in the same manner to that which saw Man City run out 4-1 winners at this venue in March. Indeed this has the makings of a closely-fought encounter but it’s hard to see past a home win in this one.
Leeds United v Aston Villa
Live coverage on Sky Sports at 4:30pm, Sunday 2nd October
The latest football scores for Leeds United don’t make pleasant reading, the West Yorkshire side having collected just a single point from their last three league outings. Jesse Marsch’s men were thumped 5-2 by Brentford in their last outing prior to the International break and the American coach is one of the favourites to be the next managerial casualty in the top-flight. Inconsistency has been a big issue for the Whites so far this term with their six league games returning two wins, two draws and two defeats, however they have been hard to beat at Elland Road with three wins and one draw from their four competitive outings here.
Aston Villa have been similarly inconsistent since the start of the season, the West Midlands outfit having won just two of their seven league outings with four defeats during that time. They have lost each of their three Premier League games away from home this term and this certainly doesn’t bode well against a Leeds United outfit which are unbeaten across competitions on home soil thus far.
Given Villa’s apparent travel sickness, it’s hard to see past a home win in this one and this is reflected in the odds from the leading betting sites, some of whom go a little above Evens on the hosts. Neither side will dominate this match and we do envisage a closely-fought affair but Leeds United’s home form should continue with a narrow home win over the visitors on Sunday evening.
