Predictions for Matchday 7 of the Premier League, October 3-5
Bournemouth vs Fulham
The 7th round of the English Premier League will kick off on October 3 at the "Vitality" stadium, where Bournemouth will host Fulham. A clash between two solid mid-table teams aiming for something greater. The hosts have only gained two points in the last couple of rounds, while the visitors suffered their first autumn defeat last weekend, losing to Aston Villa (1-3). It is important to note that the "Cherries" have been defeating their opponents at home for three consecutive seasons, and in 4 out of the last 6 head-to-head meetings, they have scored more than 1.5 goals. We believe that Andoni Iraola's team is the favorite for a reason, and we expect a high-scoring match.
Match Prediction for Bournemouth vs Fulham: Bournemouth's individual total over 1.5 goals
Leeds vs Tottenham
We move to "Elland Road" in Leeds, where the local team will host the Champions League participant – Tottenham. The "Spurs" have been looking unconvincing lately – winning only 1 of their last 4 matches, and that was in the League Cup against a third-tier team. On Tuesday, Thomas Frank's squad had a tough match in Norway, where they were outplayed by Bodo/Glimt but managed to take a point (2-2). Leeds, on the other hand, prepared for the 7th round of the EPL in a weekly cycle and is in good form, consistently collecting points. We believe that the hosts are quite capable of challenging the favorite or at least scoring, so we are betting on both teams to score, which has been recorded in 4 of the last 5 head-to-head encounters between the opponents.
Match Prediction for Leeds vs Tottenham: both teams to score (yes)
Arsenal vs West Ham
The only London derby in this round will take place at the "Emirates." Undefeated since the start of autumn, Arsenal will host West Ham, who, on the contrary, have not won a single match in September. In the last couple of seasons, the opponents have made it a habit to beat each other away, but it is hard to believe that this trend will continue. Yes, Nuno Espírito Santo has started well at the helm of the "Hammers," taking points from Everton (1-1), but now his team faces a different level of challenge. However, the visitors can close down effectively, so the "Gunners" will surely besiege the penalty area and earn a large number of their favorite corners. Arsenal consistently outperforms West Ham in this aspect when playing with a full squad.
Match Prediction for Arsenal vs West Ham: Arsenal's individual total over 6.5 corners
Manchester United vs Sunderland
The media is talking about the full confidence of Ruben Amorim from the management of Manchester United. But how long will this trust last if the Red Devils continue to give points to everyone? Sunderland, who rose in the Premier League by the time of the face-to-face meeting with Manchester United, scored four points more and is in the top 5. However, this is a clear overperfomance: the “black cats” put three points more in the piggy bank than the xPTS metric expected, while Manchester, on the contrary, missed almost the same amount. Our editors believe that the hosts of Old Trafford will break Sunderland's unbeaten streak simply by being superior in class. Still, United looks pretty good in front of their home stands.
Match Prediction for Manchester United vs Sunderland: Manchester United to win
Chelsea vs Liverpool
After a brief departure from the capital, we return to discuss the main fixture of the round! Liverpool, currently on a two-match losing streak, will visit Stamford Bridge. Is this a temporary setback or a full-blown crisis that will result in another slip-up for Arne Slot's team? We lean towards the latter. The Reds have been scraping points in the final minutes from match to match, significantly exceeding their xPoints, but luck was bound to turn against them eventually, which happened in the game against Crystal Palace (1-2), followed by a defeat to Galatasaray (0-1). Chelsea, albeit not in a very convincing manner, secured a victory over Benfica (1-0) and is now ready to challenge the English champions. The Blues have not lost to Liverpool in any of their last four home Premier League matches and are quite capable of extending this streak.
Match Prediction for Chelsea vs Liverpool: Chelsea will not lose
Aston Villa vs Burnley
This is one of those cases where delving into statistics isn't particularly necessary. Here, we believe the mental state of the teams is crucial. Burnley is suffering failure after failure, while Aston Villa has secured two consecutive victories, which have allowed them to gain confidence in their abilities. This is the third consecutive home match for the Lions, and we believe they will win this one too, thereby distancing themselves from the relegation zone to a comfortable margin. A team participating in European competitions shouldn't be lingering near the bottom of the table.
Match Prediction for Aston Villa vs Burnley: Aston Villa to win
Everton vs Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace is experiencing the best times in its recent history. It is the only Premier League team that remains unbeaten since the start of the season. Liverpool was the same, but Oliver Glasner's men stripped them of that status last week. Now they face a trip to the second Merseyside club – Everton. The Toffees have stalled, not winning in four matches. Their last home games were against troubled Aston Villa and West Ham, where they only managed to collect two points, so expecting a victory against a team from the top three will be challenging.
Match Prediction for Everton vs Crystal Palace: Crystal Palace will not lose
Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest
Not much is going right for Nottingham under Ange Postecoglou – the results are frankly disappointing.disappointing. However, Newcastle is gradually gaining momentum. In the fall, the "Magpies" suffered two defeats, but both were against European giants – Barcelona (1:2) and Arsenal (1:2). Recently, they thrashed Union Saint-Gilloise (4:0) in the Champions League and will be aiming for a home victory in the Premier League. Considering Eddie Howe's team's extremely successful record against the "Foresters," we have no particular doubts about the hosts' success.
Match prediction for Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest: Newcastle to win
Wolverhampton vs Brighton
Wolverhampton awaited a suitable opponent in the form of Tottenham and earned their first point in the current Premier League campaign. But compared to Brighton's achievements, this is not very impressive. The "Seagulls" have lost only 1 of their last 6 matches, and during this period, they have taken points from recognized top teams, including Chelsea (3:1) in the last round. However, Fabian Hurzeler's team is known for distributing points to those in need, so we won't delve into outcomes here; instead, we'll play the over total. Not only does Brighton deliver one high-scoring match after another, but the teams have also frequently put on goal-scoring fireworks in their head-to-head encounters in recent years.
Match prediction for Wolverhampton vs Brighton: total over 2.5 goals
Brentford vs Manchester City
In the final game of the round, Brentford will try to become the rightful host of Manchester. In the last round, the "Bees" stung Man United (3:1), and now they set an even more ambitious goal – to beat Man City. And there are chances, as Pep's protégés have only won half of their away matches this season, and that too against the relatively weak Wolverhampton (4:0) and Huddersfield (2:0), which plays in League 1. Defense has become a weak spot for the "Citizens," so the hosts will have every chance to score. Based on this, we will play both teams to score, which has hit in 3 of the last 4 head-to-head meetings between the teams.
