I have written a few thoughts from the football last weekend which can be read here.
As I have said, it is too early to make long-term judgements on what we have seen on the opening weekend, but a few things did catch my eye. Now we move on to another new weekend with plenty of football taking place throughout Europe and I have a few picks after what proved to be a difficult midweek.
Fulham v Arsenal Pick: The first live game of the weekend comes from Craven Cottage and it seems people can't get enough of Arsenal to win this game after an impressive win in Turkey on Wednesday night.
I'll be the first to admit that I expected a lot more from Fenerbache, but the home side were disappointing and I expect Arsenal to be given a much tougher test by this Fulham team. There are goals in the home side with Dimitar Berbatov, Darren Bent and Bryan Ruiz to call upon and Arsenal will be using Bacary Sagna as a makeshift centre half in this one so I do expect the home side to create chance.
Fulham have also proven time after time that they are more than capable of giving the 'big' teams all they can handle at Craven Cottage, even if they were disappointing last season when being beaten here by all the sides that finished in the top five. However, the game against Arsenal was changed with an early sending off for Steve Sidwell and I think Fulham are definitely capable of avoiding defeat here.
Without reinforcements, Arsenal are not quite as bad as they were against Aston Villa nor as good as Fenerbache made them look on Wednesday- while I think they will be a threat going forward and recognise their performances from last season on their travels, I am looking for Fulham to bring all they can handle and I do think the home side can escape with at least a point with the striking options they have in the side.
I am not convinced Fulham can win the game, but backing them to avoid defeat is the call for me.
Everton v West Brom Pick: Roberto Martinez has sometimes been criticised for favouring style over substance during his time as manager of Wigan Athletic, but Everton fans could certainly be in for an entertaining season if the 2-2 draw at Norwich City is anything to go by from last weekend.
Much like his Wigan teams, Everton poured forward and looked threatening with the ball, but their defensive frailties has to be a concern. although a record of 1 defeat in 23 home games in the Premier League will be expected to be defended by the new manager.
Much like his Wigan teams, Everton poured forward and looked threatening with the ball, but their defensive frailties has to be a concern. although a record of 1 defeat in 23 home games in the Premier League will be expected to be defended by the new manager.
West Brom do look short of striking options without Romelu Lukaku and their new signings will need time to get used to the Premier League, while the unfortunate news for Nicolas Anelka means he misses out. However, Everton look like a side that will present chances to the opposition with the way they approach the game under Roberto Martinez.
With a strong home record against West Brom, I am expecting them to win this game and I think it would make sense to back Everton to win a game with either least 3 or 4 goals scored.
Stoke City v Crystal Palace Pick: Mark Hughes has been tainted badly by his performance as manager of Queens Park Rangers last season, but I still think the Welshman is capable at this level as his spells at Blackburn Rovers and Fulham suggest.
Therefore, I am also not of the belief that Stoke City are in big trouble solely because of Hughes, but they could face some problems after a poor second half of last season. They could have got off to a great start this season when Jon Walters missed a penalty that would have secured an unlikely point at Liverpool last weekend but it is games like this where Stoke need to win.
Facing a newly promoted team in Crystal Palace looks right up Stoke's street and I expect they will have a little too much Premier League know-how for the new boys who still want to strengthen a squad that is weaker than the one that was promoted- Glenn Murray and Wilfried Zaha are big players that are missing this time around.
Palace can at least match the physical side of things that Stoke will bring to the table, but I also think the home side have a touch more quality and that will prove to be the difference in this one.
Aston Villa v Liverpool Pick: It took around six months for Aston Villa to finally get on board with what Paul Lambert wanted from his young side, but they were much improved by the end of last season and have opened this campaign in tremendous form.
Whether playing an extra game this week will have taken it out of Aston Villa will only be clear once this game kicks off, while there will be a different onus on the side to attack in front of their own fans rather than the predominantly counter-attacking performances at Arsenal and Chelsea in the last seven days.
They are also going against a recent history which has seen Aston Villa win just 1 of their last 16 home games against Liverpool, especially considering they have lost 10 of those games. Liverpool are a side that can create a lot of chances but the missing Luis Suarez could be a big loss, while I am not convinced they have the pace in the back four to deal with the three forwards that Villa are likely to start with.
Aston Villa were poor against the best sides in the Premier League last season, but they have shown they are going to be a much more difficult proposition this time around in early games and I think they can surprise Liverpool who look very short in the market. If Liverpool are as wasteful as they were at times last Saturday, Villa could certainly spring a second shock win of this young season, but I just think backing them to avoid defeat is the best option.
Cardiff City v Manchester City Pick: We should all expect to see a loud and boisterous Cardiff City crowd in their first game in the Premier League after coming so close to promotion on a number of occasions in recent years. After a poor performance on the opening weekend at West Ham United, I think there will be some improvement in the Cardiff game this week, although facing Manchester City is no easy task.
A lot of people have gone overboard with the way Manchester City played against Newcastle United- it was a top performance, but they were aided massively by their visitors who defended terribly and then saw Steven Taylor sent off before half time.
Manuel Pellegrini has been tasked with winning the Premier League title and that means improving an away record that saw Manchester City win just 9 of their 19 games in the Premier League. However, they have been successful for the most part against the weaker teams and their record against sides that have been relegated in the last three seasons reads at 7-2-0 away from home.
However, City haven't been great when visiting newly promoted teams so Cardiff will feel they can take advantage of the defensive injuries that have blighted the away side ahead of this one. To do so, they will have to do better than the one shot on target they managed last week and I think Manchester City will prove too strong if they can weather the inevitable early storm.
Dutching a couple of correct scores together for the away side could prove very profitable.
Tottenham Hotspur v Swansea Pick: Both Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea were involved in Europa League on Thursday and both scored 5 goals in wins that should make sure they are moving through to the Group Stage of that competition.
It had looked like being a very strong summer for Spurs, even though Gareth Bale is unlikely to still be at White Hart Lane after the international break, but Willian deciding to move to Chelsea late in the day has kind of stopped some of the momentum they had. Spurs still have a good team together, although a little short in defence, but some of the new faces will still need time to settle into life in England.
Roberto Soldado has certainly felt comfortable with three goals to his name already, but I suppose Swansea will pose many more problems than Crystal Palace or Dinamo Tblisi did in the first two games Spurs have played. Swansea are a team with goals in the side and they can be solid defensively, mainly thanks to keeping the ball away from their opponents for much of the game.
I believe Swansea will make it tough for Spurs to get ahead of steam here and it may take just the one goal to separate the teams. There were times at White Hart Lane last season when Spurs struggled and it took some magic from Gareth Bale to help earn the win- without him it could be tough, but I believe Soldado is capable of scoring a goal if a half chance comes his way and that may prove to be the difference between the teams.
Manchester United v Chelsea Pick: This is the biggest game of the early Premier League season between two teams that may see this as a 'can't lose' rather than a 'must win' kind of game.
I expect the pressure on David Moyes to try and succeed at Old Trafford means he will not want to lose to Chelsea and see Manchester United trail them by 6 points by the end of the first two weekends of action and with a game at Liverpool next on the horizon.
Jose Mourinho has insisted that he did not want to the Manchester United job in the wake of Sir Alex Ferguson's surprise retirement, but I do feel he doth protest too much- I think Mourinho would have jumped at the chance to take over at United, but he is clearly perturbed that he wasn't even called in for a chat and this game will mean a lot to him no matter what he may tell the press that laps up everything he does.
In his first stint as manager of Chelsea, Jose Mourinho was a cautious manager and I think he is still the same when it comes down to it. He will be desperate to avoid defeat here, which would be a very good result for Chelsea and I think that is what they will likely be coming for with the hope they can steal a win.
Recent games between these teams have produced a lot of goals for the most part, but this looks like it will be an exception- 7 of the 10 games between Manchester United and Chelsea while Mourinho in charge of the latter ended with fewer than three goals and 2 of his 3 matches at David Moyes' Everton was the same and this has the makings of a tense, tight Monday night game.
Championship Picks: The Championship is one of the strangest Divisions in all of Europe with so many surprise results, but this is the small section where I put down a few reasons as to why I am picking any teams from this Division to win this weekend.
The first one I am picking is Reading who are playing at Blackpool this week- Blackpool have got 7 points so far this season, but they have ridden their luck in their last couple of games and they may find the relegated Premier League outfit. Reading played well at Bolton Wanderers and can certainly find the goals to give Blackpool some problem, although the home side are boosted by the return of Tom Ince from suspension.
Even then, at the prices, Reading look good for a win this weekend and to extend their unbeaten run to the new season.
The second team I will back is Ipswich Town as they host Leeds United at Portman Road- Ipswich haven't had a great start to the new season, but they have played at Reading and Queens Park Rangers and could have certainly picked up a result at both of those grounds, although they lost twice.
Ipswich have a strong home record against Leeds and have also been playing well here under Mick McCarthy and I like them to make it two out two at home this season.
Whether playing an extra game this week will have taken it out of Aston Villa will only be clear once this game kicks off, while there will be a different onus on the side to attack in front of their own fans rather than the predominantly counter-attacking performances at Arsenal and Chelsea in the last seven days.
They are also going against a recent history which has seen Aston Villa win just 1 of their last 16 home games against Liverpool, especially considering they have lost 10 of those games. Liverpool are a side that can create a lot of chances but the missing Luis Suarez could be a big loss, while I am not convinced they have the pace in the back four to deal with the three forwards that Villa are likely to start with.
Aston Villa were poor against the best sides in the Premier League last season, but they have shown they are going to be a much more difficult proposition this time around in early games and I think they can surprise Liverpool who look very short in the market. If Liverpool are as wasteful as they were at times last Saturday, Villa could certainly spring a second shock win of this young season, but I just think backing them to avoid defeat is the best option.
Cardiff City v Manchester City Pick: We should all expect to see a loud and boisterous Cardiff City crowd in their first game in the Premier League after coming so close to promotion on a number of occasions in recent years. After a poor performance on the opening weekend at West Ham United, I think there will be some improvement in the Cardiff game this week, although facing Manchester City is no easy task.
A lot of people have gone overboard with the way Manchester City played against Newcastle United- it was a top performance, but they were aided massively by their visitors who defended terribly and then saw Steven Taylor sent off before half time.
Manuel Pellegrini has been tasked with winning the Premier League title and that means improving an away record that saw Manchester City win just 9 of their 19 games in the Premier League. However, they have been successful for the most part against the weaker teams and their record against sides that have been relegated in the last three seasons reads at 7-2-0 away from home.
However, City haven't been great when visiting newly promoted teams so Cardiff will feel they can take advantage of the defensive injuries that have blighted the away side ahead of this one. To do so, they will have to do better than the one shot on target they managed last week and I think Manchester City will prove too strong if they can weather the inevitable early storm.
Dutching a couple of correct scores together for the away side could prove very profitable.
Tottenham Hotspur v Swansea Pick: Both Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea were involved in Europa League on Thursday and both scored 5 goals in wins that should make sure they are moving through to the Group Stage of that competition.
It had looked like being a very strong summer for Spurs, even though Gareth Bale is unlikely to still be at White Hart Lane after the international break, but Willian deciding to move to Chelsea late in the day has kind of stopped some of the momentum they had. Spurs still have a good team together, although a little short in defence, but some of the new faces will still need time to settle into life in England.
Roberto Soldado has certainly felt comfortable with three goals to his name already, but I suppose Swansea will pose many more problems than Crystal Palace or Dinamo Tblisi did in the first two games Spurs have played. Swansea are a team with goals in the side and they can be solid defensively, mainly thanks to keeping the ball away from their opponents for much of the game.
I believe Swansea will make it tough for Spurs to get ahead of steam here and it may take just the one goal to separate the teams. There were times at White Hart Lane last season when Spurs struggled and it took some magic from Gareth Bale to help earn the win- without him it could be tough, but I believe Soldado is capable of scoring a goal if a half chance comes his way and that may prove to be the difference between the teams.
Manchester United v Chelsea Pick: This is the biggest game of the early Premier League season between two teams that may see this as a 'can't lose' rather than a 'must win' kind of game.
I expect the pressure on David Moyes to try and succeed at Old Trafford means he will not want to lose to Chelsea and see Manchester United trail them by 6 points by the end of the first two weekends of action and with a game at Liverpool next on the horizon.
Jose Mourinho has insisted that he did not want to the Manchester United job in the wake of Sir Alex Ferguson's surprise retirement, but I do feel he doth protest too much- I think Mourinho would have jumped at the chance to take over at United, but he is clearly perturbed that he wasn't even called in for a chat and this game will mean a lot to him no matter what he may tell the press that laps up everything he does.
In his first stint as manager of Chelsea, Jose Mourinho was a cautious manager and I think he is still the same when it comes down to it. He will be desperate to avoid defeat here, which would be a very good result for Chelsea and I think that is what they will likely be coming for with the hope they can steal a win.
Recent games between these teams have produced a lot of goals for the most part, but this looks like it will be an exception- 7 of the 10 games between Manchester United and Chelsea while Mourinho in charge of the latter ended with fewer than three goals and 2 of his 3 matches at David Moyes' Everton was the same and this has the makings of a tense, tight Monday night game.
Championship Picks: The Championship is one of the strangest Divisions in all of Europe with so many surprise results, but this is the small section where I put down a few reasons as to why I am picking any teams from this Division to win this weekend.
The first one I am picking is Reading who are playing at Blackpool this week- Blackpool have got 7 points so far this season, but they have ridden their luck in their last couple of games and they may find the relegated Premier League outfit. Reading played well at Bolton Wanderers and can certainly find the goals to give Blackpool some problem, although the home side are boosted by the return of Tom Ince from suspension.
Even then, at the prices, Reading look good for a win this weekend and to extend their unbeaten run to the new season.
The second team I will back is Ipswich Town as they host Leeds United at Portman Road- Ipswich haven't had a great start to the new season, but they have played at Reading and Queens Park Rangers and could have certainly picked up a result at both of those grounds, although they lost twice.
Ipswich have a strong home record against Leeds and have also been playing well here under Mick McCarthy and I like them to make it two out two at home this season.
MY PICKS: Fulham + 0.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.90 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Everton to Win and 3 or 4 Total Goals scored @ 3.30 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
Stoke City @ 1.85 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Aston Villa + 0.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Manchester City to win 0-2 or 0-3 @ 4.98 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Tottenham Hotspur to win by one goal @ 3.80 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Manchester United-Chelsea Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Reading @ 2.50 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Ipswich Town @ 2.50 William Hill (1 Unit)
August Update: 7-9, + 1.52 Units (22 Units Staked, + 6..91% Yield)
Season 2012/13: + 4.42 Units (415 Units Staked, + 1.07% Yield)
Aston Villa + 0.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Pinnacle (2 Units)
Manchester City to win 0-2 or 0-3 @ 4.98 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Tottenham Hotspur to win by one goal @ 3.80 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Manchester United-Chelsea Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Reading @ 2.50 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Ipswich Town @ 2.50 William Hill (1 Unit)
August Update: 7-9, + 1.52 Units (22 Units Staked, + 6..91% Yield)
Season 2012/13: + 4.42 Units (415 Units Staked, + 1.07% Yield)
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