Premier League Picks and Fantasy Football GameWeek 6 2022/23 (September 3-4)

The short turnaround between GameWeek 5 and GameWeek 6 is tough for Fantasy Football players as much as it is for the real life managers as they hope to keep some momentum going in what is a very tough opening to the new season.

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.

Premier League Picks and Fantasy Football GameWeek 3 2022/23 (August 20-22)

The World Cup Finals have been placed in November and that means we already into GameWeek 3 of the Fantasy Football game with the Premier League likely have to taken shape by the time the month ends.

The transfer window is open right up until then so squads are going to be moulded in that time, although it could mean some of the teams are already below par in terms of points and expectations.

A little tangent- the saying 'life is short' is one that most will use in every day life, but I really don't know if anyone really thinks too deeply about it unless something tragic happens.

It certainly feels that way for me as a good friend sadly passed away on Wednesday evening.

He was a truly top bloke and someone who could be relied upon through good times and bad.

A good life that has impacted so many others and the outpouring of messages just shows the value of the person.

I just hope he is somewhere where he can see how much people admired, respected and loved him, even if it feels the world has been robbed at a young age.

RIP mate, I'm sure we will see you down the road.

United Corner- Is this Rock Bottom?

Most Manchester United fans would have expected it would take Erik ten Hag some time to get his methods across to the players and really start to build momentum, but even in the worst nightmare scenario, not many would have predicted United would lose both opening Premier League games.

The defeat to Brighton saw Manchester United try and fight back after giving up a 0-2 half time lead, but the capitulation at Brentford was embarrassing with the team trailing 4-0 after just thirty-five minutes.

In the cold light of day, you could argue that mistakes have proved to be the difference for Manchester United, but this is far from an ideal start and the side are sitting bottom of the Premier League table. With Liverpool to come on Monday, things may get worse before they get better and a really poor summer of recruitment is being shown up.

Everything that was stated by the club and the suggestion of acting in a new and improved way has turned out like most things under the current ownership- a mixture of bluff and bullshit!

The bottom line is that very little has changed at the top, even with the change in CEO, and Manchester United are clearly lacking direction. The recruitment has been a massive problem over the last decade and the blame can be laid squarely at the feet of the Glazer Family who have left incompetent people in charge of the club for far too long.

As long as the dividends were being paid, the Glazers could not care less about the on-field performances and that is clearly based on their experiences in the NFL. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have recently won the Super Bowl, but struggled for almost two decades as poor ownership decisions left the team floundering and a similar approach has hurt Manchester United.

One major difference is that the NFL has much of their financial success earned as a collective so all franchises will make money and work under a salary cap regardless of whether turning out successful or not.

Not in European Football.

Failure to play in the Champions League is a major dent to the Glazer approach and the failure to push through the European Super League and the guaranteed place in the top European competition has hurt the financial power of the club. With an ownership all about how much they can take, it is no surprise the pursestrings have been tightened and now reports suggest the Glazers are looking for an investor.

This is a critical time for a fanbase that have opposed this takeover since 2005 and I do think we are as close to seeing them finally take their money and leave as we have ever been.

There is only so much the Glazers can do to maximise the commercial appeal of Manchester United and Dick 'Ed Woodward has proven to be off the mark when he suggested that on-field performance will not affect the commercial power of the club. Sponsors are getting nervous, the big contracts are on the verge of running out and it feels like the club is running on fumes in terms of cash.

With a Stadium and training facilities that need a lot of work, and with the team struggling massively on the pitch, the Glazers have to be considering all options.

Further protests on Monday should continue to highlight the issue for the media and I am hopeful that this is the beginning of the end of this crappy ownership.

Even the potential signing of Casemiro stinks of desperation and a last ditch effort to appease the fans.

I don't doubt his quality, but this is yet another thirty year old who is leaving a huge club to come to Manchester United and the club have signed so many of those in recent years that have failed to pan out. Ultimately the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich do not sell players they don't wish to sell and Casemiro has won it all in his career, so motivation has to be questioned.

He will be playing in an unfamiliar League, and it does smack of a last throw of the dice from the club to cool the growing tensions between the owners and the fans.

I always hope United are successful, but defeats may not be a bad thing if it means the Glazers decide its best to cash in- they are simply not going to ever do what is needed to make United successful as a Football Club again and that has been proven ever since Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill left in 2013.

Instead of appointing the very best players to fill football roles at the club, the owners have been happy as long as they can pick up dividends and build their own bank balance, but it feels there isn't much more room to operate in that manner. They are now reaping what they sow with a mess of a playing squad and I can only imagine how toxic Old Trafford is going to be if the old rivals rock up and secure another big win on Monday evening.

With the television cameras around for the big fixture, I expect the sentiment against the Glazers to be broadcasted around the world for all to see.

The players don't get a pass from me, especially after they dropped their heads in the loss at Brentford. The poor performances have been dragging on for months and I don't blame Cristiano Ronaldo for wanting to leave considering the lack of effort or desire shown by his team-mates.

It may be best for the club in the long-term anyway, but I am not sure Ronaldo deserves some of the abuse that parts of the fanbase feel he does. Standards have slipped massively at the club since he left in 2009 and Ronaldo's frustration could be on display for all to see if he does take part in an interview he has suggested he will be releasing after the transfer window closes.

On Monday I just want to see the eleven starters show they know what it means to play for Manchester United, but even that basic request seems to have been beyond the players over the last six months so I won't be holding my breath.

Premier League Picks GameWeek 3

Tottenham Hotspur v Wolves Pick: It might not have been a direct sequel to 'Battle of the Bridge' in 2016, but Tottenham Hotspur's draw at Chelsea was a feisty affair all the way past the final whistle.

Antonio Conte was sent off alongside Thomas Tuchel and that means he could be facing a potential touchline ban for this Premier League fixture. The Italian has had a major impact on the Tottenham Hotspur squad as well as the boardroom, but he should have his team well prepared even if he is forced to watch from the stands/outside of the Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur cannot afford to use that as an excuse as they prepare to face bogey club Wolves, a team who have won 3 of the 4 Premier League fixtures hosted by Spurs since 2018. Last season Wolves left with a 0-2 win and they have been a team who have been able to create plenty of chances against Tottenham Hotspur.

However, it is hard to expect the same when you think of how toothless Wolves have looked in their first two League fixtures. There is creativity within the squad, but Raul Jimenez has been a big miss and finding someone to put a finishing touch on the football being played is a major problem for Bruno Lage.

Wolves are likely to be active in the transfer market right up until the deadline, but they may be a little short this weekend.

This has been a tough match for Tottenham Hotspur, but they have scored six goals to open the Premier League season and have plenty of quality in the final third. There does feel like a few more options off the bench too and I do think Spurs are going to have enough to secure the three points on Saturday, even if they have to overcome a couple of mental obstacles to do so.

Under Antonio Conte, the players have looked much more hardened though and I do think they will have the better of the play if not spotting Wolves a two goal lead within 18 minutes as they did in February. Conditions should be much more comfortable for the players compared with last weekend and Spurs will feel this transitioning Wolves team are still looking a little vulnerable at the back.

Add in the strong home form in the Premier League that Tottenham Hotspur have produced and the fact that Wolves have lost 4 of their last 5 away games and I have to believe Spurs will be too good.

I have to credit Wolves for being a stubborn team that are rarely blown away, especially away from home, but Tottenham Hotspur may have enough goals in the team to cover this Asian Handicap line.

Crystal Palace v Aston Villa Pick: Patrick Vieira and Steven Gerrard were combative midfield generals in their playing days in the Premier League and both are pretty big personalities now their main roles are giving instructions from the dugouts.

Both will be expected to push Crystal Palace and Aston Villa further along after their first season (or number of months in Gerrard's case) as managers of their respective clubs.

Crystal Palace certainly drew the short end of the stick when it came to the opening fixtures, but Patrick Vieira has to feel his side have deserved even more than the solitary point earned against Arsenal and Liverpool. They have played pretty well in both games, but there is also an improvement needed in defence as well as better composure in the final third if Crystal Palace are going to kick on up the League table.

Their visitors Aston Villa were perhaps a little unfortunate to lose at Bournemouth a couple of weeks ago, but just about held on for the three points against Everton last weekend. Steven Gerrard is looking for more consistency from his players, but the injury to Diego Carlos is a big blow.

While Aston Villa took four points from Crystal Palace in the Premier League last season, the underlying numbers suggest The Eagles were very unfortunate in both games. Despite playing better opposition than Aston Villa, Crystal Palace have arguably looked the more dangerous this season too and I think they can get the better of this opponent this time around.

Lacking a clinical finisher is an issue for Crystal Palace, but I expect they can create the better chances on the day and may just nick the three points on offer.

Everton v Nottingham Forest Pick: Both of these teams were involved in pretty exciting football matches in the Premier League last weekend, but Everton paid for starting slowly at Villa Park as they were beaten 2-1 at Aston Villa.

They almost rallied from 2-0 down and had some late chances to equalise, but Frank Lampard was too late in changing tactics and a close match went against his team.

On the other hand Steve Cooper's attacking approach paid off for Nottingham Forest as they won their first Premier League game in twenty-three years when beating West Ham United. That attacking approach may have been pleasing on the eye, but Nottingham Forest were poor at the back and only a lack of composure and a couple of inches prevented The Hammers from taking a deserved point back to East London.

I do think Nottingham Forest will be involved in some high-scoring games this season with that approach in mind, but they will have to tighten up defensively if they want to avoid relegation. On another day, those inches would have gone against them and Nottingham Forest would have had to take the loss even though they created plenty of chances of their own.

Home form is going to be key for Nottingham Forest, but they will travel to Goodison Park feeling like there is a real opportunity to earn something.

Everton have been struggling for months under Frank Lampard, and injuries have perhaps blunted them in the final third. Goodison Park proved to be a big factor in Everton avoiding the drop last season though and I do think Frank Lampard will look for his team to get on the front foot much earlier than he allowed them to do against Chelsea and Aston Villa.

He will feel that Nottingham Forest's defence will offer up chances, but I do think Steve Cooper's team will be better than they were in a one-sided loss at Newcastle United on the opening weekend. Everton have signed the likes of Conor Coady to give them a better balance defensively, but big chances continue to be given away and it will take time for the organisation to really come together.

An early goal could really get this fixture going on Saturday and I do think the porous defences we have seen from the opening two weekends could be exposed. Everton's attack has question marks, but they created enough chances at Aston Villa to be confident and Nottingham Forest will be playing with real belief after their first win of the season too.

Backing at least three goals to be shared out looks to be the play.

Leicester City v Southampton Pick: Pressure has to be building on both Brendan Rodgers and Ralph Hasenhuttl as respective managers of Leicester City and Southampton.

Brendan Rodgers overachieved with Leicester City as they missed out on the Champions League places on the final day in back to back seasons, but last season the injury bug knocked them down to 8th place. Financial balancing of the books means Leicester City have not been as active in the transfer window as Rodgers would have wanted, while Wesley Fofana is unsettled and the likes of James Maddison and Jamie Vardy have been linked with moves away from the club.

That will make it even more difficult for Brendan Rodgers and Leicester City have not made the start to the season that they would have hoped.

Blowing the 2-0 lead over Brentford on the opening weekend would have hurt, but Leicester City have continued to show they can create chances and score goals. That will be encouraging as they prepare to face a Southampton team that have conceded at least two goals in 8 straight Premier League games.

Most of those have ended in defeat, unsurprisingly, and Ralph Hasenhuttl is feeling the pressure from the stands as well as reports that players are no longer convinced about the manager and his ability to get the best out of them. There is some character in the squad as shown in the 2-2 draw with Leeds United last weekend after Southampton recovered from 0-2 behind, but the defensive issues have yet to be resolved.

I expect Leicester City to take advantage of those with the obvious quality they have in the squad, but Brendan Rodgers will be hoping for better from his own defensive players. They have conceded six goals already this season, but Southampton have scored six goals in their last 8 away Premier League games and I think Leicester City can be backed to win a game that features at least two goals.

Bournemouth v Arsenal Pick: Go back a couple of weeks and there were not many people who would have expected big things from Bournemouth, especially not in light of the comments Scott Parker had been making about the lack of squad depth.

There won't have been many expecting Bournemouth to beat Aston Villa, but Scott Parker's men showed they are willing to fight for their manager. Those three points will give Bournemouth confidence, especially in their home games, but they were shown last Saturday that there is a big gap to bridge against the very best teams in the Division.

This is going to be a big test for Bournemouth, but Parker will be determined to see his players work as hard as possible to contain an opponent who will be feeling very good about themselves.

Arsenal have won both opening Premier League games and are one of just two teams to do that, while the summer signings have made strong impacts already. Gabriel Jesus in particular was in stunning form in the 4-2 win over Leicester City last Saturday and Arsenal will be travelling to the south coast looking to keep the momentum going before home games against Fulham and Aston Villa.

The away form was a little inconsistent last season and that proved to be costly for Arsenal in their bid to finish in the top four. An opening victory at Crystal Palace will be another boost, while Arsenal won away games at Burnley, Norwich City, Leeds United and Watford last season.

They scored at least three goals in 3 of those 4 away victories against some of the biggest strugglers in the Premier League and I do think Arsenal have the attacking players to secure a good win here.

Scoring first will be very important for both clubs- Arsenal have yet to come from behind in a match, but they will feel an opening goal will allow them to dictate the tempo of the match and wear down the newly promoted hosts.

I expect Bournemouth to play with some discipline and look to fill up spaces to try and contain Arsenal. It worked against Aston Villa, but Bournemouth have not really found the balance between attack and defence and I think Arsenal are plenty creative and can find the scoring chances to secure a strong win on their travels.

Leeds United v Chelsea Pick: The Romelu Lukaku experiment has to be seen as a failure at Stamford Bridge and the Belgian international has left to return to Inter Milan this summer.

Timo Werner is enough to depart for a former club where he had found his goal-scoring boots, but it does leave Chelsea with the same problem they have seemingly had for a couple of seasons.

Namely scoring enough goals.

It wasn't an issue in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, but there is still a feeling that a more composed number nine than Kai Havertz may have made the difference for them. Chelsea created some really good quality chances, but needed a centre back and a right wing back to score the goals and that is hard to expect every week.

A Penalty secured the win at Everton on the opening weekend in another game where Chelsea created some good openings, but could not find someone to take the chances created. It is a problem for Thomas Tuchel and may be the main reason Chelsea are not able to close the gap on the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool this season.

Creating chances should not be a problem against Leeds United who have allowed Wolves and Southampton to find good avenues towards their goal. Jesse Marsch will know that their relegation battle was largely down to the huge amount of goals Leeds United shipped last season and conceding to those first two opponents is a worry.

This weekend Leeds United will be facing a much stronger team than Wolves and Southampton, although the manager has to be happy with what he has seen from his team going forward. Losing Raphinha will have stung, but Leeds United have seen Rodrigo step up and this is a team that have been creating chances and will put opponents under pressure.

The win over Wolves will be a real boost for the players and the fans who had gotten used to seeing Leeds United being beaten in games at Elland Road towards the end of the last campaign. They actually lost 6 of their last 8 at Elland Road in the Premier League, but fighting back from a goal down to defeat Wolves will be confidence boosting.

However, this is a big step up and it was only in May that Chelsea left Elland Road with a deserved 0-3 win. On that day Mason Mount got things going early, but goalscorer Christian Pulisic and Lukaku will be unlikely to be involved (the former is being linked with a move away and Lukaku has moved back to Inter Milan as mentioned).

Chelsea did create decent openings in that win and managed to score three goals in the home win over Leeds United too. I do think they will have enough in the final third to break down a team giving up too many chances and the likes of Mount, Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz should have opportunities to get off the mark.

Leeds United will always be tough at home where the fans get right behind them, but they have lost plenty of games here over the calendar year and I think Chelsea will win a relatively high-scoring encounter.

Newcastle United v Manchester City Pick: Two unbeaten Premier League clubs that have links with the Middle East will meet on Sunday afternoon at St James' Park in the second live offering of the day.

It may take a little bit of time, but Newcastle United fans will be hoping their club follows the path set out by Manchester City who have used state-sponsored funds to move to the top of English Football.

At the moment it is a slow burner for Newcastle United who have to deal with different financial rules compared with those around when Chelsea and Manchester City were taken over. So instead of the vast sums of cash being splashed out this summer, Eddie Howe has been tasked with bringing quality to improve the squad and he looks to have done that.

Nick Pope, Kieran Tripper, Sven Botman and Bruno Guimaraes have been signed in the last couple of windows and definitely give Newcastle United a stronger look. The manager also should be given credit for extracting more out of the players he inherited when taking over from Steve Bruce and Newcastle United have responded to Eddie Howe which is most highlighted by the strong results earned since he moved into the manager's office.

Eddie Howe will know this is a tough test for his players though and it cannot be ignored that his Newcastle United team were beaten by all of the teams that finished in the top four in the second half of last season. Liverpool won here narrowly, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City thumped Newcastle United at home and this is a litmus test as to where the current group stands.

Being at home is a big help and there is no doubt the fans at St James' Park will come out and get behind their team.

However, they are facing a Manchester City team who look to be in mid-season form already having beaten West Ham United and Bournemouth without breaking much of a sweat. The numbers have been very strong at both ends of the pitch in those wins with Manchester City creating plenty of chances, but not giving too much away at all, and I think they will have the quality to wear down Newcastle United.

Eddie Howe's team have won 8 of their last 9 home Premier League games and should be respected, but Manchester City have been dominant at the top of the Division. They look a very big price to win this one with another clean sheet when you think of some of the issues Newcastle United had in creating chances at home last season (according to the underlying numbers), but I will move past that simply because of the threat posed by the home team from set pieces and the pacy counter-attack.

Containing Manchester City may be the approach, but this is a team that can beat you in multiple ways now they have Erling Haaland leading the line. I think Newcastle United have to try and play on the front foot at home, which could aid the Norwegian striker, while a more defensive approach could see the creative midfielders slowly wear down the defenders as they tend to do.

I very much doubt this game is won by four or five goal margins as Manchester City secured over Eddie Howe's Newcastle United last season, but I do think the visitors will prove to be too strong on the day.

The clean sheet may come, but even without it, Manchester City have shown enough in the attacking third to believe they can cover this Asian Handicap line that has been set.

MY PICKS: Tottenham Hotspur - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Bet365 (2 Units)

Crystal Palace Draw No Bet @ 1.80 William Hill (2 Units)

Everton-Nottingham Forest Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Leicester City & Over 1 Total Goal @ 2.15 Bet365 (2 Units)

Arsenal - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.99 Bet365 (2 Units)

Chelsea & Over 1 Total Goal @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Manchester City - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.84 Bet Victor (2 Units)

August 2022: 7-10, - 7.86 Units (34 Units Staked, - 23.12% Yield)

Fantasy Football GameWeek 3

There have been complaints about the pricing of players in the official fantasy football game this season and that has allowed teams to be created with only players from the big six clubs.

Underachieving results from Liverpool and Manchester United have dented the totals of those that have gone in that direction, but the main template looks to be one that is paying off for most.

Joao Cancelo, Reece James, Gabriel Martinelli, Erling Haaland and Gabriel Jesus have all had big hauls already this season and they are forming the spine for most.

The key is to get the best out of the 'others', but my team has been let down by Marcus Rashford and Leon Bailey. People seem to be moving players much more quickly than normal so I lost a touch of value on Rashford on Saturday night in the aftermath of Manchester United's thumping at Brentford, but I decided to move him out prior to losing another 100,000 in team value.

Pascal Gross was the choice in a bracket that is lacking some options, while I had to also settle for value being dropped in Leon Bailey.

Going into Friday my main choice is either upgrading Bailey or Nico Williams and go for five at the back- Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur look like they can produce some clean sheets and I do think my focus is on improving Williams ahead of Nottingham Forest's games against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

However, Ivan Perisic's doubt about minutes makes it easier to target an Arsenal player, even if I missed the price rise on Oleksandr Zinchenko. Their fixture list looks kinder than the Spurs games coming up and I do think Arsenal have been playing well enough to put some strong results together before the visit to Manchester United early next month.

I can then have a think about what to do with Andrew Robertson by giving him two more games to try and impress from a fantasy standpoint, while Leon Bailey won't be lasting much longer. However, my decision on what to do with Bailey could depend on Robertson and whether he needs a major downgrade to rebuild the midfield options in the squad.

Last week was a pretty solid one with 70 points on the board, but I was fed up with the lack of impact Marcus Rashford and Leon Bailey have had.

I'm giving the two Liverpool defenders two games to see how they respond to the poor start of the season, while my decision to move Rashford out for Pascal Gross was largely down to wanting to avoid another hit to the transfer budget. I do like how Pascal Gross has started the season for Brighton and there looks to be some solid fixtures coming up between now and the September international break, the most likely time I will be using my Wild Card.

As I have mentioned, I might not need Leon Bailey to start this week if I strengthen the final defensive position in my squad.

The Captain choice comes down to one of three players- Erling Haaland, Gabriel Jesus or Mohamed Salah.

I hate placing the armband on someone who is playing Manchester United, but if they don't want to be a serious club, the head has to rule the heart. Liverpool have scored at least four goals in each of their last two Premier League visits to Old Trafford, while they also hit four against their old rivals at Anfield.

With Manchester United giving up plenty of chances, Mo Salah could have a very big game and he has scored eight goals in the last four games between United and Liverpool.

Gabriel Jesus is going to have his backers after a two goal, two assist performance last week against Leicester City. He can be inconsistent and I would only use him as Captain if I am planning to stick with him across the next three games, which all look strong for Arsenal on paper.

Finally Erling Haaland who only touched the ball eight times last week, but who had an assist with one of those. I think he may actually be more effective away from home when Manchester City are likely to have more spaces to exploit, although Haaland would have scored last week if Phil Foden was less selfish when shooting instead of giving the Norwegian an easy tap-in.

He is a solid choice if Newcastle United defend as they did at Brighton last weekend. However, Eddie Howe's team have been stronger at St James' Park and it does feel like Mohamed Salah is the best selection, even if the heart is doing its best to overrule the head.

Premier League Picks and Fantasy Football GameWeek 2 (August 13-15)

That truly was a disappointing Sunday at Old Trafford.

Losing is one thing, but seeing nine of the eleven starters from last season underlined the terrible transfer window that Manchester United have sleepwalked through and I do think Erik ten Hag may be regretting ever taking over and not listening to Louis Van Gaal who was prepared to warn him about the state of the club.

I will have more on Manchester United ahead of GameWeek 3 and the big fixture against the old rivals from down the M62.

Premier League Picks GameWeek 2

Aston Villa v Everton Pick: Two former England international midfield team-mates will be managing against one another for the first time when Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa host Frank Lampard's Everton.

While both have been given early chances with big name English clubs, there is a pressure building on both.

Steven Gerrard has spent quite a lot of money as manager of Aston Villa, but his win-loss-draw record is pretty poor and the 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth last weekend has to be concerning. Losing is one thing, but Aston Villa looked really poor on the day and it is imperative they bounce back and earn a victory this weekend.

Tougher games are going to be coming up for Aston Villa and so another setback could really see things begin to spiral. The fallout of removing Tyrone Mings as Captain and then leaving the English World Cup hopeful on the bench will be felt by Gerrard if his team keep failing to produce consistent winning efforts, while Aston Villa's poor home record last season will also add to the pressure.

Frank Lampard is not going to have it any easier- he is in charge of an Everton team that barely avoided relegation and who look to have serious questions to answer in the final third. Bringing in Conor Coady and Amadou Onana look like shrewd bits of business, but the injury prone Dominic Calvert-Lewin means Everton are short in the final third and may have to go with a 'false nine' system again.

It didn't really work against Chelsea and Lampard will be feeling the pressure if Everton make a poor start to the season.

The television cameras will arrive at Villa Park looking for some drama and I do think this has the makings of a tense clash.

However, I have to still believe that Aston Villa will be improved this season with the signings they have made and I expect a much better performance all around than the one produced in the defeat at Bournemouth. The home team have attacking talent that should be able to cause problems for injury-hit Everton and I do think Aston Villa were secure enough defensively to be able to contain their visitors.

Most believed Chelsea were not quite at their best last week, but they still managed to create plenty of chances against Everton and that has to be a concern. Conor Coady will give the team a solid partner for James Tarkowski at the heart of the defence, but there are still some problems in the squad and Aston Villa may have just enough to secure the three points behind their own attacking threats.

Aston Villa do look slightly short in the market, but I think that is much more down to the problems Everton are having and I do expect The Villains to be able to expose some of the softness associated with this current group of players in the Everton squad.

Arsenal v Leicester City Pick: A couple of seasons ago you would have likely seen many predict that Leicester City would finish above Arsenal at the beginning of a campaign, but those times have changed.

A strong summer of recruitment to back up their 5th place finish in the Premier League was followed by a good 0-2 win at Crystal Palace last week and that will have given Arsenal fans plenty of positive vibes to take into the first home game of the campaign. Mikel Arteta is getting a tune out of his young players and the fixture list is one that could see Arsenal build momentum into the campaign.

With their two main London rivals facing one another this weekend, Arsenal can get an early leg up on either Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur. And after winning 13 home Premier League games last season, Arsenal will certainly feel they have the quality and the attacking output to hurt a Leicester City squad that has missed being able to add fresh faces.

Brendan Rodgers implied they needed to do that at the end of a disappointing season, but it sounds like Leicester City are balancing the books and even keeping the current players will be a challenge. Both Wesley Fofana and James Maddison have been linked with big money moves away from the King Power Stadium and these rumours will hurt all the more after the 2-2 draw with Brentford last Sunday.

Leicester City were 2-0 up that day, but conceded twice in the second half and the defensive vulnerabilities remain. They conceded the most goals in the top half last season and only six teams conceded more than Leicester City in the entire Premier League, which adds to the concerns of blowing the lead in the manner they did in their opening fixture.

Poor away performances hurt Leicester City throughout the 2021/22 campaign and Arsenal have really gotten the better of them in their most recent League fixtures.

You don't want to make sweeping statements from one League fixture played, but I do think Arsenal are the stronger of the two teams going into this season. While the transfer window is open, Leicester City fans may remain a little worried about the potential make up of the squad, but this would be a tough game anyway considering how well Arsenal have played at home over the last twelve months.

Arsenal have scored at least twice in 6 of their last 8 Premier League games overall, while they managed to reach that total in 12 of 19 home League fixtures last season. Facing this vulnerable Leicester City defence should only help and I think the home team likely win in a fixture that should feature at least two goals.

Brighton v Newcastle United Pick: When the England international job is next available, you have to figure the likes of Graham Potter and Eddie Howe will be high on the shortlist put together by the Football Association.

Two English managers continue to produce teams that play very eye-pleasing football, but both Potter and Howe have also produced the results needed to put Brighton and Newcastle United in strong positions.

Graham Potter has been doing a fantastic job with Brighton for some time and you would hope that some of the 'boos' heard after a few of the home games last season will all but disappear. The manager wasn't happy about those, but the fans were well and truly behind Potter in the 1-2 win over Manchester United to open the season and the first home game of the season should produce a very positive atmosphere for Brighton.

They have not won three home Premier League games in a row since November 2019, but Brighton will feel it is entirely possible to do that here. However, they will have plenty of respect for a much improved Newcastle United team who were very comfortable winners last weekend when hosting Nottingham Forest.

Eddie Howe has really turned things around for this group of players by improving those who had been here under the previous manager, but also adding the right talent and character to the first eleven. Since he arrived, Newcastle United have produced top six form in the Premier League and they have won 5 of their last 10 away League games.

It makes them dangerous and deserving of plenty of respect and I do think Newcastle United will cause problems for Brighton. While the win at Old Trafford has to be given every credit in the world, you cannot ignore the fact that Manchester United did create some strong openings and Newcastle United have a player in Callum Wilson who can punish the home team.

Losing a couple of key performers from the defensive side of their football last season will hurt Brighton and Newcastle United have only failed to score in 3 of their last 11 away Premier League games. Two of those failures were at Stamford Bridge and the Etihad Stadium so Newcastle United will feel they can do enough to breach the Brighton defences, although 3 away clean sheets all season will offer the home team plenty of encouragement when getting forward too.

When these teams met at St James' Park in March, it was a really entertaining, attacking game of football and I do think this one can follow suit. The expected heat-wave about to hit Falmer this weekend is a concern when it comes to the attacking side of the game as energy is potentially sapped a little quicker than normal, but I do think the managers both approach their football with the same forward thinking ideas.

An early goal could spark the fixture and see at least three goals produced for the fourth time in five Premier League games between Brighton and Newcastle United.

Manchester City v Bournemouth Pick: For those that like to make predictions as to how the Premier League may shape up next May, most would likely have Manchester City inside the top two places and most would have placed Bournemouth inside the relegation zone.

Scott Parker's men will hope the 2-0 win over Aston Villa to open the season will have had some pundits revising those predictions, but this is a much tougher game than the first one. For starters it is being played away from home and the defending Champions looked every bit the title favourites in comfortably winning 0-2 at West Ham United last Sunday.

Erling Haaland is off the mark and Manchester City are a team that could make Bournemouth work very hard in extremely hot conditions expected on Saturday. Keeping the ball and forcing Bournemouth to chase will be the approach used by Manchester City, although an early goal will be the key to making things comfortable.

Otherwise you can imagine Scott Parker will ask his players to sit very deep and just look to close the door on the Manchester City attack. His Fulham team were beaten 2-0 here a couple of seasons ago, while Bournemouth have not rolled over on their last two visits to the Etihad Stadium, which may encourage the very defensive approach.

You cannot really blame Parker for that either, although I do think Bournemouth are short of numbers and could be exposed by a team with the quality of Manchester City. Last weekend they created plenty of chances against a deep-sitting West Ham United who have a higher quality of player compared with Bournemouth and I do think it will be very difficult to contain Manchester City following that victory.

This is a very wide handicap mark for Manchester City to cover- at their best they are more than capable of doing that, but it is also hard to ignore that only 15 of their last 38 home Premier League games have ended in wins by three or more goal margins. Last season they managed that in 9 of 19 home League games, although 4 of those wide victories came against the teams that finished in the bottom five places in the Premier League.

Manchester City scored 22 home goals in those games against the bottom five last season and they only conceded once. A narrow loss would likely be seen as a win for Bournemouth fans, but I think it will be very difficult for Scott Parker's players in the heat and eventually the pressure may tell for the home team.

Wolves v Fulham Pick: A disappointing result would have been an understatement as to how Wolves were feeling after the 2-1 loss at Leeds United, especially as they had led that game very early on. Some of the defending was not really good enough, while Wolves continue to lack the bite in the final third that is going to be crucial for their chances of avoiding the drop.

I have not really seen Wolves mentioned too many times as a potential relegation candidate, but you cannot ignore the miserable final three months of the 2021/22 season. Norwich City, Watford and Southampton were the only clubs with a worse record in that time and the lack of goals has to be a real worry for the Wolves fans.

Goncalo Guedes has been signed to help out and could make his debut, but Wolves will be hoping Raul Jimenez can return as soon as possible. The side created chances at Elland Road, which will be encouraging, and Wolves are going to feel they can do the same against a Fulham team who are likely going to bring in at least one new face in their defensive backline.

However, Marco Silva is also likely going to be encouraged by what he saw from his Fulham team in their 2-2 draw with Liverpool last Saturday. Seeing Aleksander Mitrovic score twice will be a huge boost after the Serbian international's previous struggles in the top flight compared with his prolific form in the Championship.

I expect there will be plenty more service coming Mitrovic's way and Wolves will have to defend better than they did last week. On the other hand, I do think Wolves will feel they can get on the front foot and cause plenty of problems of their own and the feeling is that this is the kind of fixture that Bruno Lage and his players would have targeted for the full three points.

That does mean dealing with the additional pressure, but Wolves have a strong recent record against Fulham and can edge to the three points in this one.

Brentford v Manchester United Pick: There have been plenty of promises made by the new Manchester United board, but the proof is in the pudding and the failures of this summer's transfer window have once again reminded the fans how far the club have fallen.

Once again there are calls for the owners to sell up and allow someone with the love for the club to turn things back around. Protests have been organised before the defeat against Brighton, but the defeat followed by links with some seriously sub-par players in the aftermath have only increased the irritation within the fanbase.

Nine of the eleven starters last Sunday were a part of the squad that saw Manchester United end the season in miserable form. 5 losses in their last 7 Premier League games is a major concern for Manchester United, but they have embarrassingly been beaten in 6 away Premier League games in a row.

Losing is one thing, but Manchester United have conceded goals for fun in those games. Last Sunday the defending did not offer any encouragement that the new manager and coaching team have been able to have an impact like they would have wanted and this is a very difficult test for Manchester United in what are expected to be very hot conditions.

Brentford will miss Christian Eriksen, who could line up against them on Saturday, but they showed they can build on last season in their 2-2 draw at Leicester City last Sunday. The Bees came from 2-0 down that day, while they have won 3 of their last 5 Premier League games here and will be confident they can hurt their more illustrious visitors.

Last season Thomas Frank felt his Brentford team 'destroyed' Manchester United in the game played in West London, but the visiting team showed the composure to secure the 1-3 win. Confidence looks to be shot at Manchester United right now and Brentford may feel they can take advantage of that, although I do think the away team will create chances too considering some of the defensive injuries in the Brentford squad.

Manchester United look plenty short for a team that has lost 6 away Premier League games in a row.

Instead it may be best to back at least three goals being shared out by the two teams on Saturday in the second live televised offering from the Premier League. Last season both League games between the teams ended with at least three goals shared out, while both Brentford and Manchester United were involved in high-scoring games on the opening weekend.

I cannot ignore the fact that Manchester United have scored a single goal in their last 5 away Premier League games, but this feels like a game in which the attacking players can get on top. Brentford's style could lead to an open fixture with chances created at both ends and I do think we will see a relatively high-scoring game even in the heatwave that will be hitting London very hard on Saturday afternoon.

Nottingham Forest v West Ham United Pick: It would be a big mistake to judge a team on a single performance, but I have no doubt that Steve Cooper knows how much work it will take to keep Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. They have followed the Fulham route of two seasons ago by adding a lot of new faces to the dressing room, but that could mean it takes a bit of time for those players to buy into the culture and style that Cooper has put together.

Losing at Newcastle United will have stung, but the manner of the performance was most worrying for Nottingham Forest fans. They were well beaten on the day and the margin could have been much greater if Newcastle United had produced better finishing, but that fixture was played away from home.

The City Ground can be a tough venue for opponents to be able to express themselves and I do think the fans will be right behind their team in the hot weather expected on Sunday. Turning up the heat on The Hammers could see the visitors melt, and I do think Nottingham Forest's record here in the second half of the last season is encouraging.

Liverpool won here in the FA Cup last season, but Nottingham Forest had previously beaten both Arsenal and Leicester City and those results have to be respected.

The Tricky Trees are also facing a West Ham United team who had been well beaten on the opening weekend and one that has lost 6 of their last 8 away Premier League games. Most of those have been against top ten opponents though and I do think West Ham United's record against the bottom five away from home is more encouraging for David Moyes and his men as they look to get their Premier League campaign up and running.

West Ham United won't be the only team to be well beaten by Manchester City this season, but this is a squad with plenty of quality. The last two seasons have seen West Ham United improve under their current manager and I do think they have enough to secure a win here.

Playing at a newly promoted club in their home opener is always a big challenge to negotiate, and I do think West Ham United will have to weather some of the early storm. I cannot expect Nottingham Forest to be nearly as poor as they were last weekend, but this is a West Ham United team whose entire seven away League wins last season came against clubs that finished in the bottom half.

The Hammers drew 2 and lost at Brentford in the exceptions, but it shows that West Ham United are able to exert their quality at clubs they are expected to beat. This should be the mindset on Sunday in the first live game of the afternoon and I think West Ham United will edge to the three points.

Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: When these two teams met in January, the third straight win for Chelsea over Tottenham Hotspur in the space of eighteen days saw a frustrated Antonio Conte suggest there was a huge gap between the quality of the two squads.

The former Chelsea manager made it clear to his Tottenham Hotspur board that they needed better numbers and Antonio Conte cannot complain with how he has been backed. The winter deadline day signing of Dejan Kulusevski has been a huge boost for Tottenham Hotspur and more solid recruitment this summer means this is a team that is ready to compete on a much leveller playing field.

Chelsea have also spent plenty in the summer transfer window and yet more signings could be made before the close on September 1st.

Without a doubt there will be a real difference in the starting elevens compared with their last fixture in mid-January and I do think this is a big game for both Chelsea and Spurs. We should know a lot more about their capabilities for the next ten months at the end of this game, although Chelsea may be bolstering the squad further.

Both teams won on the opening weekend against opponents they would have expected to beat, but this is a much tougher test.

Those 4 wins for Chelsea last season will give them a mental edge and they have won 4 of their last 5 at Stamford Bridge against Tottenham Hotspur. However, I do think Tottenham Hotspur are much improved in the last eight months and Antonio Conte's men have earned a win at Manchester City and a draw at Liverpool since their last fixture at Stamford Bridge.

Antonio Conte's approach has seen Tottenham Hotspur get on the front foot and create chances and you cannot ignore the amount of goals they have scored against fellow 'Big Six' rivals since the close of the January transfer window. Tottenham Hotspur have scored nine goals in 4 games against those rivals since February and I do think they will pose problems for Chelsea in this one.

However, it cannot be ignored that Tottenham Hotspur have only kept a single clean sheet in those 4 games too and I do think Chelsea showed enough in the final third last weekend to be a threat in this one. The fans will expect better from the likes of Mason Mount after a quiet opening weekend performance, but this is a Chelsea team with plenty of talent in the forward positions and will be expecting to score at least once in this game.

I did consider backing Tottenham Hotspur with a start on the handicap, but their poor record here is a little concerning. I do think Antonio Conte has already had a massive impact on the players at the club and Spurs have been one of the better performing teams of the last five months of the previous campaign and so I expect them to challenge Chelsea much more than they did last season.

Both teams should be able to hit the back of the net, while the attacking approach of the two teams may lead to this fixture producing at least three goals, even in the expected very hot conditions in West London on Sunday afternoon.

Liverpool v Crystal Palace Pick: The last Premier League game of the weekend will be played on Monday night and the conditions are expected to be much more favourable compared with the Saturday and Sunday heatwave across much of England.

Thundery outbursts in Liverpool could mean a wet playing field, but there will be no excuses for Jurgen Klopp who complained that the surface at Craven Cottage was 'too dry' last week.

Perhaps it will be too wet this time, but Liverpool fans will know the team need to bounce back and end this one with the three points in the bag. It does feel two points were dropped in the 2-2 draw with Fulham, but the second half display was much stronger than the first and so Liverpool may feel they have some momentum to take into this opening League fixture at Anfield.

The opponent could be a good one for Liverpool who have won 10 Premier League games in a row against Crystal Palace, including the last 5 at home. Liverpool have managed to keep Crystal Palace at arm's length in those home wins having produced 4 clean sheets and they will feel they can largely do the same in this one.

The side are one of the better defensive teams in the Premier League and Liverpool will be disappointed with the way both goals were conceded last week. I do think they will be much better in this one, while Liverpool were the only Premier League team who conceded fewer than 10 goals at home through the entirety of last season.

There was enough to see from Crystal Palace in their 0-2 defeat to Arsenal to think they will pose a threat in this one. However, the finishing is going to have to be a lot more decisive if they are going to break down Liverpool and Crystal Palace did fail to score in 7 of their 19 away League games.

Crystal Palace failed to get on the scoreboard against 4 of the top six last season and I do think they will struggle to do so on Monday evening. I am not that concerned about how the season will go for Palace under Patrick Vieira and these are the games in which any points earned will be considered a bonus.

Ultimately I think Crystal Palace will be on the back foot more often than not in this fixture and Liverpool are likely to beat them with a clean sheet for the fourth season in a row at home.

MY PICKS: Aston Villa @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Arsenal & Over 1 Total Goal @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Brighton-Newcastle United Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Manchester City - 2.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.66 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Wolves - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.03 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Brentford-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

West Ham United @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Chelsea-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.92 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Liverpool Win to Nil @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)

August 2022: 2-6, - 8.88 Units (16 Units Staked, - 55.50% Yield)

Fantasy Football GameWeek 2

The first GameWeek of the official fantasy game is in the books and I think it was a pretty good weekend for most players.

With some of the big hitters coming through with good returns, the only people who may have suffered were those that decided to pick Harry Kane ahead of Erling Haaland.

Surprising results are par for the course early in the season so my decision to double up on the Liverpool defence turned out to be a bad one, although Luis Diaz failed to sparkle and so ultimately it was not one to regret.

This was my team after GameWeek 1 was concluded:

A return of 68 points was slightly above average, but I did feel it was a squad that wouldn't need too many changes in GW2 and ultimately that was the reason I had selected Haaland ahead of Kane.

I did leave some points on the bench with Robert Sanchez outscoring Danny Ward, while Andreas over either Liverpool defender would have also produced one extra point, but I am happy with the choices made.

Marcus Rashford missed a couple of big opportunities to put up some points as a player that was not selected by so many, while I am not surprised to see some jump off the Gabriel Jesus bandwagon after a relatively quiet GW1.

I am not planning any transfers in GW2 and have likely decided to go with Erling Haaland over Mohamed Salah as the Captain this week.

My goalkeeper will be switched around with Sanchez facing Newcastle United at home and Ward travelling to Arsenal, while I will likely have Andreas as first sub after a promising debut for Fulham against Liverpool.

Holding a transfer feels important with the likes of Leon Bailey, Marcus Rashford having something to prove, while injuries cannot be accounted for and having an extra transfer in GW3 means having a bit more data to look into.

Unlike last week, the majority of my players will be playing at home in GW2 so I am looking for the team to top the 68 points produced last week.

It will be a fuller post in GW3 with transfer decisions on the mind, but good luck to all in GW2.