Intro
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are one of the best teams in Europe currently leading the Premier League table by 7 points. This week they will face a stiff test against Manchester United and interim manager Michael Carrick at the Emirates. Aston Villa are 3rd place surprising everyone with their quality and they’ll need more of the same against Newcastle who are fresh off a 3-0 win over PSV in the UCL. Chelsea have struggled as of late drawing twice and losing twice in their last 4 league fixtures and will take a short trip to Crystal Palace for a London Derby. With all these storylines this week, I’ll break down each matchup using statistical analysis and historical trends so that you can make the best bets this weekend!
Manchester United @ Arsenal
Undeniably the marquee matchup of this matchweek, as mentioned above the Gunners are flying high at the top of the table. Meanwhile, Manchester United have sacked Ruben Amorim and have had mixed results since, drawing to Burnley before upsetting Manchester City last week. United have scored significantly less than Arsenal this season and conceded nearly double Arsenal’s total. Add that with the fact that they’ll be playing in the Emirates. Arsenal need this game to stay ahead in the league and this is a don’t overthink it kind of matchup. I’ll take Arsenal to win by 2 goals as they have dominated recently head to head winning 5 of their last 6 against the Red Devils.
Best Bet: Arsenal -1.5 (+140)
Aston Villa @ Newcastle United
3rd place Aston Villa are having a dream season so far, but will face a major test against Newcastle at St. James’ Park. Newcastle are holding the 8th spot in the table and have avoided defeat in 5 of their last 6 matches in all competitions. At the beginning of the season these two teams ended in a goalless draw and both have shown to be strong defensively this year. Villa typically travel well going unbeaten in 7 of their last 8 away matches in all competitions, while Newcastle have performed well at home avoiding defeat in 5 of their last 6 matches. The result is hard to call in this fixture, but I think the most likely outcome is a defensive battle so I’ll take the total to go under 2.5 goals.
Best Bet: Under 2.5 (+120)
Chelsea @ Crystal Palace
Chelsea has a new manager in charge once again after sacking Enzo Maresca and appointing Liam Rosenior. Crystal Palace enter this match placed 13th after 22 games, while Chelsea are currently 6th. The last time these sides met back in August the result was a 0-0 goalless draw. Chelsea’s away form has been inconsistent winning 7 out 14 in all competitions a disappointing mark for a club that wants to compete for a Premier League title. Crystal Palace are undefeated in 12 of their last 15 League matches, showing resilience on their home soil all season. Chelsea have the talent to stomp Palace, but as has been the case all year I expect the Blues to struggle against a lesser opponent on the road.
The Bookie of Eli 
Leave a comment