Predictions for the 3rd Round of the Premier League, August 30-31
Chelsea vs Fulham
The third round of the Premier League will kick off with a London derby. For Fulham, this is their first such experience this season, while Chelsea has been playing exclusively against neighbors so far. The match against Crystal Palace (0-0) didn't go very well, but the "Blues" left no trace of West Ham (5-1) – even the absence of Palmer didn't hinder them. As for Marco Silva's team, they have already proven to be a tough nut to crack, as demonstrated in the match against Manchester United (1-1), but at Stamford Bridge, this nut might be cracked. The "Blues" have defeated the "Whites" in 4 of the last 6 home encounters, all with clean sheets, and the defeat from last season will awaken their thirst for revenge.
Match Prediction for Chelsea vs Fulham: Home Win
Manchester United vs Burnley
Could it be that Manchester United will go into the international break without a win? They can't seem to manage even in the League Cup, let alone the championship. They lost to Arsenal (0-1) but showed quality play, whereas in the match against Fulham (1-1), it was only evident in short bursts. Their opponents, Burnley, have already picked up three points, but it was against a fellow newcomer, while they had no chance against Tottenham (0-3). This suggests that the newcomers in the "Red Devils" attack should finally show themselves not only in creating chances but also in converting them.
Match Prediction for Manchester United vs Burnley: Over 1.5 Goals by the Hosts
Sunderland vs Brentford
One of the most evenly matched pairs of the round. The teams have the same number of points, differing only in goal difference. However, it's important to note that the level of their opponents was different. Sunderland played against a barely alive West Ham (3-0) and another newcomer – Burnley (0-2), while Brentford faced European competition participants – Nottingham (1-3) and Aston Villa (1-0). Neither side inspires confidence at the moment, so we'll avoid betting on the outcome. We believe in an exchange of goals, which hasn't been recorded in the last 5 consecutive matches involving the "Black Cats". It's about time.
Match Prediction for Sunderland vs Brentford: Both Teams to Score
Tottenham vs Bournemouth
Could Tottenham be contenders for the championship? If the matches against PSG (2-2; 3-4 pens) and Burnley (3-0) didn't really indicate much, then after the "Spurs" victory over Man City (2-0) last weekend, such thoughts began to emerge. Bournemouth is another serious test for Thomas Frank's boys. The "Cherries" can beat any Premier League team, but only in their best form, not at the start of the season when Andoni Iraola still needs to rebuild a defense that has dispersed to top clubs. Tottenham looks very strong, and we believe that their winning streak will continue on August 30.
Match Prediction Tottenham vs Bournemouth: Home Win
Wolverhampton vs Everton
These teams, which have settled in the lower part of the table in recent seasons, will face each other, although not long ago they were competing in European tournaments. Both are currently, to put it mildly, in questionable form. However, Everton broke their losing streak in the last round with a victory over Brighton (2:0) at their new stadium, while Wolverhampton hasn't won since April – 10 matches in a row (with only two draws). Moreover, visiting "Molineux" is not particularly daunting for the "Toffees," as they have taken points from here in 3 of the last 5 encounters. No matter how you look at it, David Moyes' team appears more favorable in this matchup and, in our opinion, is certainly not the underdog.
Match Prediction Wolverhampton vs Everton: Visitors Will Not Lose
Leeds vs Newcastle
Newcastle, isn't it time to start winning? The "Magpies" have been winless since mid-May and were close to correcting this oversight in the last round. A comeback from 0:2 with a man down against Liverpool is something only a select few can achieve. However, Eddie Howe's men got carried away with attacking while down to ten men and ended up with nothing (2:3). Leeds, by the way, also faced a title contender, but there was no contest – the "Peacocks" received a 0:5 thrashing at the "Emirates." Additionally, they expended energy in the League Cup during the week. Yes, the main players were not fully utilized, yet they did appear on the field, which, however, did not help them progress to the third round. Considering this, we believe that the visitors should justify their status as favorites.
Match Prediction Leeds vs Newcastle: Away Win with Handicap (0)
Brighton vs Manchester City
Is City's fairy tale over? Has Guardiola run his course? Unlikely. Let's not jump to conclusions, but regardless, it's only the third round, and the "Citizens" have already lost. In terms of chances created, they were not worse than Tottenham, yet we didn't see the usual dominance at home from the former Premier League hegemon. Brighton, on the other hand, faltered away at Everton (0:2), so both teams are coming off losses. It's worth noting that Pep's squad often encounters problems in head-to-head matches with the "Seagulls" – they dropped points in 4 of the last 10 meetings (twice last season). Perhaps this time they will manage, but we think the home side will score, resulting in both teams finding the net, which has been recorded in 5 of the last 6 head-to-head encounters between the teams.
Match Prediction Brighton vs Manchester City: Both Teams to Score
Nottingham Forest vs West Ham
Will West Ham's rapid decline continue? The "Hammers" are struggling at the start of the season – neither in the league nor in the League Cup, so the future... Graham Potter's situation is very unclear. The same can be said for Nuno Espírito Santo, but in his case, the reasons are not related to the team's results – the Portuguese coach has disagreements either with the owner Marinakis, the sporting director Edu, or perhaps both. In general, both coaches have their share of problems, but the Englishman seems to have more. Considering that the "Foresters" have defeated the Londoners three times in a row, we lean towards the belief that Potter's situation will only worsen.
Match Prediction Nottingham Forest vs West Ham: Home Win
Liverpool vs Arsenal
The main highlight of the third round is the meeting of the top title contenders. Arsenal is facing significant personnel losses, making Liverpool the favorite, especially with the support of Anfield. However, the "Reds" are so vulnerable in defense that it's hard to believe in a clean sheet from Alisson, even with great effort. The doubts about the Brazilian goalkeeper's ability to keep a clean sheet are further reinforced by the head-to-head statistics in the Premier League – in each of the last 6 meetings, both teams have scored, and in 4 cases, they exchanged goals twice in a game. It's no coincidence that the most popular scoreline is 2-2. Considering the above, the choice of bet becomes clear.
Match Prediction Liverpool vs Arsenal: Both Teams to Score
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace
Aston Villa is one of the main disappointments at the start of the season, but this is unlikely to last long. Unai Emery should get the team going, and it's about time for the second home match. Crystal Palace will visit, who are not far ahead in points and also spent energy in the Conference League qualifiers on Thursday. But this is not the main problem for the "Eagles" – Eberechi Eze has moved to Arsenal, and Oliver Glasner still has to figure out how to replace the long-time leader. However, regardless of what we say here, we expect an exciting game from the opponents. In the current season, neither the "Lions" nor the "Eagles" have had a high-scoring match, but they have accustomed us to productive football in head-to-head encounters – the total over 2.5 goals has been surpassed in the last 6 meetings. We expect the trend to continue.
