European Football gets underway on Tuesday and we have GameWeek 7 and GameWeek 8 to get through before teams can break away for the September international break.
October looks an incredibly busy month so it is so important to keep the points ticking over.
Premier League Picks GameWeek 6
August was a horrific month for the Premier League Picks with upsets seemingly around every corner.
You do have to hope that things will settle down, but it is a difficult run towards the World Cup and the rotations can make things harder to predict. However, I would love to see a bit more luck behind my selections here considering some of the truly strange things that have occurred on a regular basis.
But don't worry, I don't believe there is a 'witch in the building' or that the weather has been too dry... A Paul Pogba inspired curse is clearly the issue!
Everton v Liverpool Pick: Both of these teams had different outcomes from their midweek fixtures as Everton blew a lead in a draw at Leeds United, while Liverpool came from behind to beat Newcastle United at Anfield.
However, Frank Lampard will arguably be the more pleased with what he has seen of late from his Everton team compared with Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool team. Chances are being created by Liverpool, but they continue to concede the first goal in games and that puts them under immense pressure to get things right.
Falling behind in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park will be far from ideal for Liverpool, but this is always a challenging fixture for them. They may have won very comfortably here last December, but Liverpool had failed to secure the three points on 4 prior visits to Goodison Park and the home fans will certainly try and get on top of the visiting team making the short journey across Stanley Park.
Everton have scored first in both League games played this week, but have failed to hold on each time as they continue to show some defensive vulnerabilities. The chances being created is a positive for Everton, but those have come against Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Leeds United and you have to expect Liverpool to be harder to break down than those teams.
Recent results don't indicate that as Liverpool conceded first for the eighth time in nine games against Newcastle United, while Liverpool have also conceded the first goal in their last 5 away fixtures in all competitions. As much as Jurgen Klopp will be reminding his players of that fact, the return of Joel Matip cannot seem to come quickly enough.
He may be available for Saturday, but the bigger return for Liverpool could be Darwin Nunez for a team that has missed a focal point to their attacking play. The new signing has to be aware that defenders will have sensed a weakness in him after the way Darwin was hooked into a sending off against Crystal Palace, but I do think he will offer Liverpool a real threat going forward.
This is not going to be an easy game for Liverpool, but I do think they are the better team and will dominate the chances again. Everton may be a dangerous team on the counter-attack, but Liverpool's own attacking threat will be much stronger if Darwin and potentially Diogo Jota are back for them.
Avoiding going behind is the key for Liverpool and Everton have yet to lead at Goodison Park this season. If the visitors can edge in front, I think they have the quality to finally put in a much more rounded performance and secure a strong win on the day.
Brentford v Leeds United Pick: There isn't much love lost between Brentford and Leeds United, despite not being natural rivals, and the two teams will be heading into the weekend looking for a little better than recent results.
Over the last seven days, Brentford have earned two 1-1 draws against Everton and Crystal Palace, while Leeds United were beaten 1-0 at Brighton last Saturday before also drawing 1-1 with Everton.
An injury to Rodrigo will have dented the game-plan for Leeds United on Tuesday, but I do expect them to be a little more ready to play without their in-form striker. Patrick Bamford may not be ready to start, but he can give Leeds United a few more minutes than Tuesday, while the team are still producing strong attacking football that can create chances and hurt teams.
I think they will be able to do that against a Brentford team that have not defended as well as they would have liked, but Thomas Frank's team have been very good going forward. The manager has been a little disappointed with some of the lack of composure in the final third which has seen Brentford miss some glaring chances to win games over the last week, but The Bees can do more of the same on Saturday.
Ivan Toney is still a threat and Brentford will feel they can expose some of the vulnerabilities we have seen from Leeds United.
Both Premier League games between the teams ended with at least three goals shared out last season and both were games that featured some solid attacking football. An early goal could be key to the outcome of this one in West London and it could certainly spark the two teams to push forward in what could be an entertaining game for the fans in wet conditions.
Chelsea v West Ham United Pick: The Group Stages of their respective European competitions will begin during the week and both Chelsea and West Ham United are looking to find a bit more consistency in the Premier League.
The demands of the domestic and European calendar will be a huge test for every team ahead of the World Cup and this is a big game for the two clubs.
Thomas Tuchel and David Moyes will know what the other is likely going to want to do and they will have been trying to prepare their teams on a short week for this London derby. Chelsea have had an extra twenty-four hours to get ready, while they will also have Wesley Fofana available after finally getting his signing across the line.
I do think the extra time is going to be important for Chelsea and they have been playing pretty well in their two games at Stamford Bridge. The side have signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to offer a genuine threat down the middle, but Chelsea have scored two goals in each of their two home games and will be ready to integrate the ex-Arsenal striker into the line up later this month.
Chelsea should be able to create chances against a West Ham United team who have not completely convinced with their performances at the back. The Hammers looked much more threatening going forward against Tottenham Hotspur than we have seen for much of the season, but this is a fixture played away from home and West Ham United have lost 6 of their last 8 Premier League games on their travels.
The clean sheet at Villa Park is a positive, but West Ham United do not have the best recent record here and I think Chelsea's final third threat is hard to ignore.
With the goals being scored by The Blues, I think they can bounce back from the 2-1 loss at St Mary's by winning this home League game before the Champions League Group Stage gets underway.
Newcastle United v Crystal Palace Pick: After working as hard as they did on Wednesday, Newcastle United will have been disappointed to have returned home empty handed and Eddie Howe will be looking to pick the players up ahead of this game.
Playing at St James' Park has become a big help for the Newcastle United team with the fans firmly behind the style of football they are seeing under their current manager. They haven't just pleased the fans with the performances, but the results have also been impressive and Newcastle United have won 8 of their last 10 Premier League games here.
You do have to consider whether Newcastle United are now amongst the top teams in the Premier League, even without spending the kind of money that some expected under the new ownership. Eddie Howe's team play with confidence and they will feel they can compete with any team they face having given Manchester City and Liverpool a rough ride over the past month.
Not many will enjoy visiting St James' Park either, but this may be a good time for Crystal Palace even if they have struggled for consistency on their travels.
Injuries are limiting the options available to Eddie Howe and his team are playing with less time to prepare than Crystal Palace.
Patrick Vieira's team look healthier and they have shown how capable they can be in their 1-1 draw at Anfield followed by the 0-2 lead they had at the Etihad Stadium. Like their opponents in this fixture, Crystal Palace could not hold onto a two goal lead against Manchester City, although they were beaten 4-2 instead of earning the 3-3 draw that Newcastle United managed at home.
Crystal Palace will feel they can cause problems for Newcastle United and the home team do look a short price when you think of the players that are likely to be missing. The effort put into the narrow loss at Liverpool will have taken something from the legs and Crystal Palace's pace and quality in the final third may be enough for a positive result on Saturday afternoon.
Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth Pick: Both Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth were promoted to the Premier League last season, but they have taken vastly different approaches to how they feel they can consolidate their returns to the top flight.
While Bournemouth have been prudent spenders, Nottingham Forest have brought in a huge amount of players and spent over £200 million in getting the squad ready for the big time.
Steve Cooper cannot complain, but will be under pressure to deliver results, while Scott Parker's complaining at Bournemouth meant he became the earliest Sacking in Premier League history. The 9-0 hammering at Anfield cannot have helped, but Bournemouth bounced back for a point against Wolves during the week.
This time it is Nottingham Forest who will be looking to bounce back having been thumped 6-0 at Manchester City, but being at home will be a huge help. Nottingham Forest have hosted two tough opponents at the City Ground, but they have played really well in those games and now they face a much more winnable game.
That also brings additional pressure on players to perform, but there has been enough from Nottingham Forest to think they will have too much for Bournemouth. Steve Cooper's team will get forward and they will create chances and I do think it will be a challenge for Bournemouth to stay competitive considering the lack of goals in the squad.
Winning both League games against Nottingham Forest last season will give Bournemouth confidence, but this is a much stronger Forest team.
Defensively there are some questions about Nottingham Forest that will need to be answered, but I think they will have enough in the final third to secure an important three points.
Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham Pick: Merely looking at the results will suggest Tottenham Hotspur are in pretty good form, but there has been a slight lack of energy about them at times.
Some of that may have been down to the early start to the season, while a couple of key players are not in the best of form. Heung-Min Son is still searching for his first goal of the season having finished as joint leading scorer last season, while Tottenham Hotspur have just struggled to put an end product to some of the football being played.
In saying that, Spurs are still creating plenty of chances and they have been a much more confident team at home. Picking up four points from consecutive away games at Nottingham Forest and West Ham United will have pleased the manager, even if Antonio Conte felt his team were unbelievably denied a Penalty in the first half at the London Stadium following a long VAR check.
Being back at home should see a better all around performance from Tottenham Hotspur as they prepare to host this London derby.
Fulham are the visitors and Marco Silva's men have made a strong start to their return to the Premier League. An important home win over Brighton will have given the whole squad a boost, but the underlying numbers are a little troubling considering the amount of chances Fulham seem to be giving up.
They have impressed going forward though and in Aleksander Mitrovic they have a player in really good form, while Fulham led at Arsenal last weekend. A mistake helped them get in front and Arsenal were deserved winners in the end and I think Tottenham Hotspur will be able to follow their rivals in earning a home win over Fulham.
At some point the chances being allowed by Fulham will hurt them and the attacking approach could leave them open in this one at a tough away venue.
The last time these clubs met here it ended in a draw, but I think Tottenham Hotspur are stronger now and they can find the goals to secure a comfortable win on the day.
Aston Villa v Manchester City Pick: In recent years Aston Villa have given Manchester City one or two things to think about and Steven Gerrard has pointed out how close they came to upsetting the Champions at least once least season.
Both fixtures ended in narrow wins for Manchester City, but Aston Villa are a team playing with little confidence at the moment. It is a complete contrast at Manchester City where the goals have been flowing very easily and with a striker in absolutely stunning form in Erling Haaland leading the way.
That lack of confidence makes it very difficult to imagine Aston Villa are going to be as competitive as they were at the Etihad Stadium on the final day of last season. To be blunt, Aston Villa took their chances when they came that day, but this is a team who have not been producing the best attacking form this season and that is a major worry for their manager.
To make matters worse, Aston Villa have looked very vulnerable at the back and only poor finishing from Arsenal prevented them from being at the wrong end of a heavy loss. Set pieces will be key for Aston Villa to try and hurt Manchester City, but I am not sure how they can contain a team who have scored three or more goals in their last 4 Premier League games.
Better defences have struggled with the attacking threat Manchester City have produced and I think this is going to be a very tough day in the office for the hosts. There is a chance that Erling Haaland will not start the game, but even then Manchester City have plenty of attacking threats on the pitch and I think they will be a little too good all around for an Aston Villa team who have had a miserable August.
The last 3 Manchester City wins over Aston Villa have come by single goal margins and it is never easy to win by two or more away from home. However, Aston Villa look really poor at the back and I think Manchester City may manage at least three goals here which should be enough for a comfortable away win.
Brighton v Leicester City Pick: Both of these clubs were beaten in the midweek round of Premier League fixtures, but you have to favour Brighton as the more likely to bounce back on Sunday in front of the television cameras.
For starters, Brighton have started the season in much stronger form than Leicester City. Secondly they have had two extra days to prepare for this Premier League game having played at Fulham on Tuesday, while Leicester City lost to Manchester United on Thursday.
Add in home advantage and the fact that Brighton got the better of Leicester City here twelve months ago and most factors are pointing at the home team as the most likely winners.
Backing Brighton at odds on is not easy considering their sometimes wastefulness in front of goal and that is the major issue that has prevented Graham Potter's team from even more success than they have had. It was more of the same on Tuesday at Fulham, while the goalless draw at home against Newcastle United was down to Nick Pope and some poor finishing from the Brighton forwards.
They did beat Leeds United here last weekend, but Brighton are not going to overwhelm teams and that gives Leicester City a chance.
However, it is very difficult to know where Leicester City are heading at the moment with an unhappy manager and a squad that needed fresh faces. The goals being conceded is a real concern, while Leicester City have looked far too open and you have to expect the intelligent Brighton forwards to find spaces to exploit.
James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Jamie Vardy do give Leicester City some quality in the final third that has seen them score in their first 4 Premier League games before being shut out by Manchester United. I think they will pose problems for Brighton, but I cannot ignore the chances Leicester City are likely to give away and this feels like another home win, albeit in what is expected to be a tight game.
Manchester United v Arsenal Pick: These clubs met in April at the Emirates Stadium and you can get a feeling of the kind of turnover that has been made this summer from the starting line ups from that day.
Out of the eleven players that Arsenal selected, I would suggest only a maximum of six will be playing on Sunday.
From Manchester United, you could argue that seven of the eleven that began the game in April will be starting this one.
Both managers will be pleased with the form that Manchester United and Arsenal have been displaying ahead of this fixture, but injuries are beginning to crunch down on the visitors.
A strong start has been made to the season, but I do think we will learn a lot more about Arsenal following this fixture. The wins so far have been against teams Arsenal would be expected to beat following the investment made this summer and it is telling that four of the five Premier League wins have come against teams sitting in 13th or lower in the Division.
In fact three of those wins have been against teams in the bottom five, including against the current bottom two and so we do have to question how far Arsenal really have come. I won't deny they have been impressive winners in the games played so far, but a trip to Old Trafford is the litmus test and may give us a much better idea of what to expect from Arsenal over the next nine months.
Arsenal don't have a bad recent record at Manchester United, but were beaten 3-2 here last season.
They are also facing a Manchester United team playing with more confidence after 3 wins in a row and back to back clean sheets. The home win over Liverpool is easily the best result either of these teams have produced so far this season and Manchester United have lost 1 of their last 11 Premier League games at Old Trafford, despite the negative vibe around the club towards the end of last season.
Erik ten Hag will still feel there is an improvement to be made by his team, especially in the forward areas, but he will be happier with the partnerships at the back. Overall the defence has looked better without Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire, while Casemiro will be an upgrade on Scott McTominay when it comes to protecting the defence.
Antony is unlikely to be given a start this Sunday, but he is another that should be able to improve a problematic position for Manchester United on the right wing and there is much encouragement from what we have seen.
Injury issues in the Arsenal camp certainly give Manchester United the edge in my opinion and I do think the home team can keep the momentum going.
I respect what Arsenal have done so far this season, but Crystal Palace could have easily taken a point from them in the opening weekend fixture. They have won 4 of their last 6 away Premier League games, but ignoring the exceptions which were heavy defeats at Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United will be dangerous.
My lean is that Manchester United's stronger defensive performances of the last couple of weeks will show up here and they can be backed on the 'Draw No Bet' market to secure the three points.
MY PICKS: Liverpool - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.89 Bet365 (2 Units)
Brentford-Leeds United Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)
Chelsea to Win & Over 1 Total Goal @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)
Crystal Palace + 0.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.84 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Nottingham Forest @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)
Tottenham Hotspur - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.09 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Manchester City - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.92 Bet365 (2 Units)
Brighton @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Manchester United Draw No Bet @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
August 2022/23: 14-30, - 29.76 Units (88 Units Staked, - 33.82% Yield)
Fantasy Football GameWeek 6
I did say Pep Guardiola is a troll didn't I?
After previously mentioning that he will not be asking Erling Haaland to play every three days, the Manchester City manager has now stated that recovery is much easier at 22 years old than 32 years old and it sounds like rest and rotation is not a part of the future for Haaland after all.
Personally I couldn't trust Guardiola about anything he says in his press conferences and that statement actually has me thinking that he is more likely to have Erling Haaland on the bench at Villa Park instead of starting.
It's the go to move for Guardiola, but regardless I am unlikely to shift my Captain armband after another Erling Haaland super-show on Wednesday hurt me in GameWeek 5.
I can't really complain about a return of 79 points even noting that I got my Captain wrong, but the decision to bring in Rodrigo has backfired as he suffered a first half injury that will rule him out for the rest of the month.
Of course that means I am going to have to make a move in the market.
I did consider Leandro Trossard and Marcus Rashford, but I have Pascal Gross and did not want two Brighton players in attacking roles. I also think Rashford will soon be under pressure for his starting position in the Manchester United eleven after a couple of less than impressive outings and the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial, when he is fit, could be pushing to become the focal point for the club.
Marcus Rashford would be more appealing if he could put two or three quality games together, but it has been a long time since we saw him do that and I think the Arsenal game on Sunday may be his last hurrah with Antony coming in and United looking pretty good when Ronaldo came on against Leicester City.
Other options included the sideways move from Rodrigo to Jack Harrison, but ultimately I wanted a player I could use through to the September international break and the focus soon shifted to Nottingham Forest.
It came down to a straight decision between Morgan Gibbs-White and Jesse Lingard, but the latter was not involved in the 6-0 loss at Manchester City. Morgan Gibbs-White started and was withdrawn after 57 minutes, but I think that strengthens his chance of starting in GameWeek 6 and fixtures against Bournemouth and Fulham at home to sandwich a trip to Leeds United is an appealing run before the end of the month.
Steve Cooper has Nottingham Forest playing attacking football and they have been very impressive at the City Ground considering they have hosted West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur. The upcoming fixtures look much more manageable and the move to either Gibbs-White or Lingard at least leaves more money in the bank if I have to make more transfers in GameWeek 7.
Ideally I will then be able to move through that GameWeek without a transfer to have two to use in GameWeek 8.
The number of transfers made by Nottingham Forest makes it harder to trust them, but I do think they have done enough to suggest they can at least give Bournemouth, Leeds United and Fulham plenty to think about. That is all I can ask of them and I do think Morgan Gibbs-White/Jesse Lingard are differentials that can pay off here.
The Captain choice is tough for one reason only- I hate placing the armband on the first game of the weekend.
However, the return of Darwin Nunez is going to be a big plus for Liverpool and I do think it will benefit Mo Salah who has made a slower start than expected. He has scored three goals in his last two visits to Goodison Park and Everton are still defensively vulnerable, while I think Salah will win the minutes battle with Erling Haaland.
Going against the Norwegian has proven to be a big mistake over the last two GameWeeks, and it will be a tough day if Salah has not produced something in the early kick off.
A Merseyside derby is not an easy game to bring home a return, but I do think Liverpool are creating enough chances to believe they can break down their rivals and score at least two goals on the day.
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