English Premier League Football Picks Game Week 5 2026/27 (Friday 18th September 2026-Sunday 20th September 2026)

It has been a tough couple of weeks in the real world and that has meant something had to give on these pages.

With the US Open being played across that time, that tournament was the focus and did mean the Football Picks had to take a backseat for a couple of weeks.

Things are expected to be much clearer by the time the three week international break is completed and that should help in bringing some consistency to the threads being posted.

There are a number of Premier League clubs who will be looking for big results ahead of the upcoming international break- this has always been a time when teams will reassess managers, but a three week break could have some boardrooms feeling that much more tense than they would be in a usual two week gap between fixtures.

Managers like Roberto De Zerbi and Michael Carrick stand out as those needing big performances and both are going to be taking teams into standalone broadcast spots, which can add to the pressure.

Others will be simply looking to round out a positive start to the campaign with another good result as the season is broken up into pieces and it is another big weekend of top flight football coming up.

Brentford vs Chelsea: The opening fixture of the Premier League weekend is a West London derby and there has been a real drift in the Chelsea pricing after news that Joao Pedro is expected to miss out.

He has been a part of a very strong trio of attackers that have given Chelsea fans a lot of confidence, but the team have not defended well enough and that has proven to be costly in the last couple of Premier League games.

Brentford can expose that, although will respect the capabilities of Danny Welbeck coming in to lead the line for Chelsea, and Keith Andrews has to be very pleased with the opening month of the season produced by his team.

They have regularly made it difficult for Chelsea when hosting them and this has the makings of a fixture that could see both teams have plenty of shots on goal.

Fantasy: With the doubts around Joao Pedro, Danny Welbeck could be the player that benefits and has shown his Premier League qualities for many a season. Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers can still supply the passes and Welbeck could be benefit, while Kevin Schade can keep a strong start to his own season moving through to the September international break.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa: The opening set of results produced by Tottenham Hotspur makes it very difficult to accept them as a strong favourite to win any football match.

They have really been struggling at home for a long time, where the pressure is that much more intense, and Roberto De Zerbi's men have not found the right solutions in the final third.

Despite injuries at the back, Spurs have actually been pretty resolute in the last couple of Premier League games, which gives them a platform from which to build.

However, they are facing an Aston Villa team who have had a lot of success at this ground and who have scored six goals in winning consecutive away games in the Champions League and League Cup. Unai Emery will accept this will be a much tougher test for his team, who have also made a slow start to the campaign, but Aston Villa are capable of avoiding a defeat.

Fantasy: The expectation is that Aston Villa can get a result, but this does not look a great game for those looking for big fantasy points.

Brighton vs Arsenal: There was no love lost between the managers around a controversial League fixture played at the Amex Stadium last season, but both Fabian Hurzeler and Mikel Arteta insist they have moved forward.

Both managers have to be really happy with the early performances produced by Brighton and Arsenal and the results have also been there for both teams.

Arsenal look a short price to win, but that is a testament to how well they have been playing.

However, Brighton have shown they have goals in the team and they may have enough here to force something against the Champions and ultimately the home team can be backed with a full goal start on the Asian Handicap. That should be a push in the worst case scenario, but Brighton are more than capable of busting a few coupons this weekend.

Fantasy: Pascal Gross has had a big week for Brighton and is likely to be influential in any success the home team have in this fixture.

Everton vs Ipswich Town: A small squad is likely going to hit the wall at some point, but Everton have opened this season in confident mood and that may see them edge past Ipswich Town on Saturday.

Gary O'Neil's men will be extra motivated to perform for the manager after hearing the sad personal news O'Neil received, and Ipswich Town have found a way to goal regularly in the early part of this season.

They can play a part in this fixture, but Everton have started the season sharply in the final third and that may be the key to edging to a win at Hill Dickinson Stadium for the third time in four outings here in the 2026/27 season.

Fantasy: Thierno Barry will receive the majority of focus, but both Jack Grealish and/or Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall look capable of having a big impact in the outcome of this match.

Newcastle United vs Hull City: Like for many, Hull City have to be the surprise package through four games in the Premier League season and they have picked up points in different ways.

Initially it was through the stubborn defensive work, but Hull City showed a different side to their football in the 2-2 draw at Chelsea last weekend and this is a team that has to be respected.

At some point Hull City will hit a tough stretch and that is when they will really be able to show the character and whether they have what it takes to survive in the top flight, but a confident group can make things very tense in this part of the North East.

Newcastle United have been picking up better results than the performances have deserved, but that was not sustainable and they were punished 4-1 at Leeds United on Monday.

Matthias Jaissle will expect a reaction, but Newcastle United could be vulnerable to the counter attack in this one and Hull City can make a full goal start on the Asian Handicap look very valuable when all is said and done.

Fantasy: If The Magpies are going to be able to avoid a defeat, Harvey Barnes could be the player with the most to do with that. Lewis Hall is another shout for those who think Newcastle United will be too strong, while the Hull City defenders stand out for those who believe in The Tigers.

Nottingham Forest vs Coventry City: Frank Lampard is unlikely to be under any pressure from the board or from the stands, but it will be interesting to see how long he is willing to carry on as manager of Coventry City if results do not take a sharp upturn pretty soon.

This has been a really tough week for Coventry City who have conceded eight goals in losing consecutive home games and Lampard will want to take them back to basics.

Making life difficult for Nottingham Forest has to be the approach, but Oliver Glasner's men won for the first time under the new manager last weekend. Recent performances have been very encouraging and The Tricky Trees have the quality in the final third to eventually wear down Coventry City in this late afternoon kick off.

You would really begin to worry for Coventry City if they were to concede early again.

Fantasy: Morgan Gibbs-White continues to shine for Nottingham Forest, but the potential for points at both ends of the pitch makes Daniel Munoz the standout here.

Bournemouth vs Liverpool: Andoni Iraola will get a big response from all corners of the Vitality Stadium and there is every chance that this fixture between his former and current club ends in a draw.

Bournemouth under Iraola were something of a draw specialist last season and both club and manager have continued with that trend in the new season.

The only concern for Bournemouth fans is that the team have just travelled back from Spain on Thursday evening after winning the first every European tie. This is a learning curve for the club in dealing with Thursday-Sunday football and also having to cope with the travelling and this fixture is played in a week when the Champions League was on a break.

Liverpool have had that much more additional time to prepare having played in the League Cup on Tuesday and under Andoni Iraola they have been a team showing more threat in away games than at Anfield.

This could be the case on Sunday and Liverpool can rack up at least six shots on target as they have managed at Newcastle United and Ipswich Town already this season.

Fantasy: Alexander Isak scored twice in his last away game for Liverpool and is likely going to be needed to get on the end of some of the football they play here.

Cody Gakpo should also be back in the starting lineup as he looks to continue his fine start to the season.

Leeds United vs Crystal Palace: The opening fixtures under Pierre Sage has seen Crystal Palace create a lot of attacking opportunities, but the defence is a real work in progress.

With that said, this is a game in which Crystal Palace look very likely to score and concede and that has been a feature of the season so far. They have had a clean sheet in a couple of Cup competitions, but the Premier League has been much more punishing, while Crystal Palace have scored plenty of goals.

Leeds United are coming off a 4-1 win over Newcastle United and will certainly feel they can exploit the defensive issues shown by the visiting team, but keeping Crystal Palace out looks challenging and goals are expected.

Fantasy: After his big performance on Monday, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the obvious choice, but someone like Yeremy Pino may be ready to steal some of the headlines as a key player in the Crystal Palace attack.

Manchester City vs Sunderland: Picking up points is very important at this stage of the season, but Manchester City still look a work in progress under Enzo Maresca.

That can be speeded up by players winning games and buying into the manager's philosophies and Manchester City have shown enough in defensive areas to believe that can give them every chance of winning football matches.

Like Arsenal, Manchester City will note clean sheets can be the foundation on which they can build with the attacking players likely to score at least once.

Manchester City have been looking more confident away from home, but Sunderland may feel there are going to be opportunities when playing at the Etihad Stadium.

However, the players are facing the first fixture after a Europa League outing and that can take time for things to settle, which may lead to a Manchester City win with another clean sheet attached to it.

Fantasy: Everyone will look at Erling Haaland as the standout Manchester City fantasy option and rightly so... However, Enzo Fernandez has begun the season in some very promising positions (even offside ones that officials look to ignore) and he can perhaps be the key player to help with the breakthrough.

Fulham vs Manchester United: Poor officiating put Michael Carrick in a tough spot after four Premier League games, but Manchester United's collapse against Brighton in the League Cup Third Round has intensified the pressure.

He needs his team to have a positive reaction and give him some breathing room into the international break, but Manchester United are likely going to feel the heat on the banks of the River Thames.

Fulham earned a first Premier League point under Alvaro Arbeloa last weekend as they battled for a draw at Anfield, but this is a team that has attacked with some real confidence in both games played at Craven Cottage. They have been punished for poor defensive efforts, but Fulham have scored twice against both Chelsea and Crystal Palace and this Manchester United defence will hold no fear for them.

Whether they can keep out what is a good looking attack on paper is another matter, but Fulham are likely going to test Senne Lammens throughout the ninety minutes and they will force the Belgian keeper into some kind of action at least four times.

Fantasy: You have to like the chances of all of the Manchester United attackers to have some kind of impact here, but Josh King is going to be a key for Fulham and has been piling up the points at Craven Cottage.

MY PICKS: Brentford-Chelsea Over 9.5 Shots on Target @ 1.83 William Hill (1 Unit)

Aston Villa + 0.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.82 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Brighton + 1 Asian Handicap @ 1.70 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Everton to Win & Over 1 Total Goals @ 2.00 Bet365 (early payout if two goals up)

Hull City + 1 Asian Handicap @ 1.82 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nottingham Forest to Win & Over 1 Total Goals @ 1.83 Bet365 (early payout if two goals up)

Liverpool Over 5.5 Shots on Target @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Leeds-Crystal Palace Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Manchester City Win to Nil @ 2.15 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Fulham Over 3.5 Shots on Target @ 1.66 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Premier League 26/27: 9-11, - 0.38 Units (18 Units Staked, - 2.11% Yield)

2026 World Cup: 57-45-1, + 8.63 Units (103 Units Staked, + 8.38% Yield)

English Premier League Football Picks Game Week 2 2026/27 (Friday 28th August-Monday 31st August 2026)

By the end of this weekend, fans of those clubs playing in Europe this season will be able to plot out the schedule until the end of January with only the League Cup creating extra games and with a single Round of the FA Cup to be played.

It is an exciting time, but things can change pretty quickly for all supporters if a poor opening weekend result turns into a longer slump as expectations remain pretty fluid at the end of August.

This season the calendar has changed so there are five Premier League games, the Third Round of the League Cup and one Match Day of the Champions League/Europa League to be completed before we get into the first international break of the season.

A decision was made to make that opening break a little longer than usual as the Nations League gets underway in the UEFA Confederation, but it does mean teams have an opportunity to build some early momentum and allow new signings to settle in before they head away with international teams.

There are a number of teams who will be looking to produce stronger results in the second week of the Premier League season, notably Manchester United and Aston Villa, and it is the opening home fixture of the campaign for ten of the twenty top flight clubs. Fans will arrive with huge smiles, but things can turn sour pretty quickly, even at this very early stage of the season, and so it is up to the players and management staff to make sure that is not the case.

It all adds up to another important week in the Premier League, which is once again 'blessed' with a Friday Night Football match (good news for supporters who have to work being forced to travel for a game where you are almost certainly not going to be able to get public transport back home).

Crystal Palace vs Manchester City: Late goals prevented the early Enzo Maresca era as manager of Manchester City beginning with a lot of critics asking questions of the tactics employed, but the Italian will be hoping for a much more comfortable experience in the weeks and months ahead.

Manchester City did not play badly, but they were wasteful early and the defensive issues were clear to see.

A response has been to spend another big fee on another midfielder and Manchester City continue to be linked with a move for Enzo Fernandez to bolster options further.

Enzo Maresca should have a more settled midfield for this fixture, but he will be aware that Crystal Palace will be looking to recover from a disappointing loss at Everton.

The Eagles deserved more than they got, but they need this transfer window to close if only to see squad players settle down and focus on the task at hand. Being without Ismaila Sarr is a blow, but Jean-Philippe Mateta will lead the line and they should have chances.

Games between the clubs have featured plenty of goals in recent times and this Friday night offering could be another.

Fantasy: Erling Haaland is not likely to miss the same chances he did last week, but the standout play for Manchester City may be Phil Foden, despite a quiet outing. He was getting into stronger positions in the second half after tactical shifts were made and Foden still has something to prove to keep Rayan Cherki out of the team.

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest: It has been a tough opening week for manager Oliver Glasner and things are not going to get easier when taking his Nottingham Forest team to Anfield.

The players may be reminding the manager that they have won here twice in a row in the top flight, but a new system is still go through teething issues and Nottingham Forest have struggled to create much in the final third in the first couple of games.

They will have seen the vulnerabilities Liverpool have in defensive areas, and Nottingham Forest can be dangerous on the counter, but a first home game of the season under a new manager should mean a decent atmosphere is created for the Liverpool players to perform.

A 2-2 draw at Newcastle United may not be a bad result in the long-term, but Liverpool will feel they created enough to earn the three points and they can get the better of this visitor on Saturday in the early kick off slot.

Fantasy: A new £100 million plus signing is set to arrive at Anfield, but the fans need to see more from the two who arrived last summer- Florian Wirtz had another 'nothing game' last week, but Alexander Isak can benefit from the chances the team should be able to create.

Bournemouth vs Everton: The key for Marco Rose is keeping hold of key players before the transfer window and he will be hoping Bournemouth may be able to bring in a couple of signings that could ease the burden on the squad.

The extra Europa League games are going to be challenging for the club, but Bournemouth fans will be very excited about the coming months.

It will be easier to remain that way if Bournemouth can put some solid Premier League points on the board sooner than later and they will feel they should have earned a positive result at Manchester City last weekend.

Everton arrive after putting two wins and two clean sheets on the board, but they were not at their best in seeing off Crystal Palace.

Work is being done to try and give David Moyes more options, but this has regularly been a tough place for Everton to visit and they need to be much more solid defensively if they are going to pick up any points this week.

Fantasy: There may be better games to target, but if Bournemouth are going to have success, Marcus Tavernier may have to maintain the form he has been producing for some time.

Coventry City vs Hull City: Two promoted clubs earned opening three points in the Premier League, but it is the Champions of the second tier who missed out.

Coventry City clearly had the toughest assignment, but it is Hull City who head into the second weekend of the season with the biggest upset having beaten Manchester United at home.

Frank Lampard will know this is a very important game for his team, but losing at Arsenal is not going to define them like a fixture like this one and that is what the players will be reminded of all week.

Both fixtures between these clubs ended goalless last season and there may be little between them again- Coventry City had been the stronger team when they met at the CBS Arena and that may see them win a tight fixture.

Fantasy: If you have selected defenders from either of these teams, there is a real opportunity to play them this weekend... The lean would be with the Coventry City defenders and Ben Thomas should retain his place in the starting eleven even after Ethan Pinnock arrived from Brentford to give the squad some Premier League experience.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United: The fans of both of these clubs may be a little unsure what to expect after the opening weekend results, although Tottenham Hotspur entered the season with the greater expectations overall.

Any team that has spent like Spurs will have raised expectations, but Roberto De Zerbi may need some time to mould the starting eleven together and facing Newcastle United has regularly been challenging in recent seasons for the North London club.

Tottenham Hotspur will sense the visitors have vulnerabilities at the back, but the pace in the forward areas makes Newcastle United dangerous and this is a fixture that tends to produce plenty of goals.

Picking a winner is not easy, but Newcastle United have enjoyed recent games at this Stadium and ultimately a 2-1 scoreline either way would not be a surprise.

Fantasy: The signings of Savinho (or Savio as he is now known) and Omar Marmoush gives Tottenham Hotspur some solid options in the forward areas, while the likes of Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro should shore them up at the back. One of the key performers in the pre-season was Mathys Tel and he may be ready to have an impact in what is looking like a potentially high-scoring fixture.

Chelsea vs Brighton Pick: These two teams could not have asked for a better opening to the new season and that should mean a confident match is produced when Chelsea host Brighton.

The last 8 Premier League games between the teams have all ended with at least three goals shared out and this has every chance of following that trend considering some of the attacking players that will be on the pitch.

It also helps that Chelsea are still looking vulnerable at the back, while Brighton play a high-line that can be exploited by the front three that the home team are likely to employ.

An early goal could really spark the occasion, although it is a shame for Brighton that Jack Hinshelwood is unlikely to be available after picking up an injury in training.

Fantasy: You could pick any of the Chelsea front three and be pretty happy, but Maxim De Cuyper has made a strong start to the season for Brighton and may be able to exploit some of the early defensive issues that have been highlighted in the home side.

Leeds United vs Brentford: Games between Leeds United and Brentford have tended to be very competitive and with little between them and it would be a surprise if that changes on Sunday.

Opening wins with clean sheets will have done both squads very well and they have backed that up by progressing in the League Cup during the week.

Brentford have displayed some really strong firepower in the opening week, but they have yet to find the balance needed away from home under Keith Andrews and that is the challenge for the manager to meet.

We know Leeds United will be tough to beat at Elland Road, but it would not be a surprise if these two teams end up cancelling one another out.

Fantasy: In the weeks and months ahead, both Leeds United and Brentford could offer some very good Fantasy choices, but this is expected to be a tight fixture and it may be a week where a moment of magic is needed... Where that comes from is anyone's guess!

Sunderland vs Fulham: There is a real concern about whether Sunderland have enough to compete with the added commitments of the Europa League and the late goal to lose at Portman Road will feel like a bitter blow to open this season.

The record at the Stadium of Light was impressive last season, but the underlying data is a little more concerning and Sunderland have struggled to deal with Fulham in recent years.

Alvaro Arbeloa's men earned the first win of the season against Wimbledon in the League Cup, but they will need to be better defensively than they showed against Chelsea and this is yet another team that will be having to get through some growing pains.

Fulham still retain some real quality though and both of these teams may have to share the points to get off the mark in the top flight in 2026/27.

Fantasy: This is another fixture where there is little between the teams, but Gonzalo Garcia has made a strong start to the campaign and looks like he will do a very good job for Fulham. The West London club have a decent record in recent visits to Sunderland and it may be Garcia who helps them edge this one as well, if they are going to earn an edge.

Manchester United vs Ipswich Town: The big concern for Manchester United in the aftermath of the loss to Hull City is that the performances during Michael Carrick's time at the club suggested a result like that one was not too far away.

Once again Manchester United have not been able to exert their strength on a team they should beat, but the results and performances away from home have now become a serious concern with little sign that the former will be sustainable without the latter.

Manchester United are back at home this weekend and it should be said that they have generally been a lot better at Old Trafford compared with playing away from home. The numbers back that up and a reaction is expected from a squad that has enough talent to win a game like this one.

Ipswich Town have nothing to lose and an early Premier League win will have done the squad the world of good, but they are going to do well to contain Manchester United on Sunday.

Set pieces looks the best avenue for Ipswich Town after seeing fellow promoted club Hull City exploit those last week, but Manchester United have tended to be pretty comfortable at Old Trafford and that can be underlined by the final score.

Fantasy: Any time Manchester United play at home, Bruno Fernandes will stand out for fantasy purposes, but it was Bryan Mbeumo who produced the biggest threatening moments last week and he is likely going to be a focal point of the attack again.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal: Opening weekend results can lead to grand statements being made about prospects of teams going forward and you will likely hear everyone suggesting Arsenal will win comfortably at Villa Park on Monday night.

Aston Villa lost 4-0 at Brighton forty-eight hours after Arsenal opened the new season with a 3-0 home win over Coventry City and those contrasting fortunes have meant the Champions go into this fixture as big favourites.

It has been feast or famine for Arsenal when visiting Villa Park since Unai Emery took charge of Aston Villa and this is a manager who will have been working his players to extract a big reaction from them.

The gut feeling is that we will see a big reaction from Aston Villa, but Arsenal still have a lot of quality and new signing Christos Tzolis has made an early impact.

He does not shy away from getting into shooting positions and Aston Villa were hurt on the right side of the defence in the heavy defeat at the Amex Stadium. Instead of backing a winner, backing Tzolis to hit the target with what is likely to be at least two or three efforts on goal looks the best way to be involved this Bank Holiday Monday.

Fantasy: The name has already been mentioned and it is Christos Tzolis who can continue to make an early impact for Arsenal having already been involved in creating goals against Manchester City and Coventry City.

MY PICKS: Crystal Palace-Manchester City Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.65 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Liverpool - 1 Asian Handicap @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Bournemouth @ 2.10 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Coventry City-Hull City Under 2.5 Goals @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Tottenham Hotspur-Newcastle United Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.65 William Hill (1 Unit)

Chelsea-Brighton Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.61 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Leeds-Brentford Draw @ 3.50 Bet Fred (0.5 Units)

Sunderland-Fulham Draw @ 3.40 Bet Fred (0.5 Units)

Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.88 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Christos Tzolis Over 0.5 Shots on Target @ 1.61 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Premier League 26/27: 4-6, - 0.18 Units (9 Units Staked, - 2% Yield)

2026 World Cup: 57-45-1, + 8.63 Units (103 Units Staked, + 8.38% Yield)

English Premier League Football Picks Game Week 1 2026/27 (Friday 21st August-Monday 24th August 2026)

The World Cup Picks ended with a couple of losing selections, but a strong number after six weeks of action and this season there will be a return for the domestic Football Picks from the English top flight as well as the European competitions.

It feels like an incredibly wide open Division, at least behind Champions Arsenal who look the standout team and strong favourites to retain the title.

Much of the uncertainty behind them is the number of new managers joining the Premier League, while the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle United have lost a host of key players in the transfer window. Those teams will only be judged on September 2nd once the summer transfer window is closed, although the same can be said for any number of clubs in the top flight.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are all expected to be fighting for top four spots as they begin new eras under Xabi Alonso, Andoni Iraola and Enzo Maresca respectively.

The latter two have Premier League experience, but Maresca is taking over from Pep Guardiola and there is almost an expectation that Manchester City will have to go through a bit of a transition with that in mind. Erling Haaland will always score a lot of goals when he is on the pitch, and that can make that transition easier, but Manchester City showed the work that may need to be done in the 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield.

Andoni Iraola is taking a big step up from Bournemouth to Liverpool and Chelsea may end up being the beneficiary of not playing in Europe much like Manchester United were last season.

The absence of the midweek fixtures will give Xabi Alonso plenty of time to get his methods across to his players and the front three of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro could push Chelsea into a strong position as long as they stay healthy.

Tottenham Hotspur are another club that look to have done some decent business to improve the squad and they have to believe they will have a much clearer year when it comes to injuries that decimated the options in the 2025/26 season.

Roberto De Zerbi has got his feet under the table at Tottenham Hotspur after guiding them to safety from a precarious position at the end of last season and he has proven to be a Coach that can get the best out of his players very quickly.

Those teams mentioned look to be the main rivals to Manchester United and the ambitions of becoming a consistent Champions League performing club.

Michael Carrick did a good job in terms of the results produced after taking over from Ruben Amorim, but there is a feeling that the underlying numbers have to be better, especially away from home. Not much was wrong with the way Manchester United played at Old Trafford under the former midfielder, but they struggled for consistency away from home and that will need to be improved.

Manchester United fans will also note that they perhaps underachieved when facing the weaker teams in the Premier League last season- they dropped two points against Wolves (20th), two points against Burnley (19th), four points against West Ham United (18th), two points against Spurs (17th), two points against Nottingham Forest (16th).

The season ended with 14 points between Manchester United and Champions Arsenal so you can see the importance of those fixtures highlighted, while it should also be pointed out that the teams in 12th, 13th and 14th place all had wins over United too.

This is an area that the signings of Youri Tielemens are expected to help Manchester United improve with a midfielder that can help probe open spaces for the forward players.

He looks a smart piece of business and the hope is that Marcus Rashford will want to prove himself to the fans who have lost faith in the Academy graduate (and that is assuming Rashford will be staying).

More transfer business is needed to really give Manchester United a chance to put a solid first half of the season together before the January window opens, while there is also the pressure of facing a couple of promoted clubs in the first two weeks of the season where expectation will weigh heavily on the players.

All three promoted clubs will have a tough time surviving at this level, but Coventry City and Ipswich Town may have more hope than Hull City.

Play Off Winners have actually had relative success in recent Premier League years, but Hull City look short right now, although this can be reassessed at the end of the transfer window.

If one or more of those clubs are able to survive, it is the likes of Fulham, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Sunderland that may be most vulnerable, at least at the beginning of this weekend and before all transfer activity has been completed.

Sunderland's return to European Football is expected to see them take a step backwards and the same can be said for Bournemouth under a new manager and so perhaps Brentford will be the surprise representative in any UEFA competition next season.

The Bees have held onto the key players having sold in the last two summer windows and that consistency could be so important.

Unai Emery is always likely to get more out of his Aston Villa squad than some may think, but they have an important week coming up after the sales made in this window.

In the weeks and months ahead, the focus will also be on the Fantasy Premier League game and there will be some players identified who can produce solid returns.

Those will not be the big ownership players (Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes, etc, etc), but those who may be flying under the radar.

The plan from Gameweek 2 is to also offer one or two top Fantasy plays from each game of the week, while selections will not be made from every fixture, although the thoughts on how those fixtures could play out will be written out.

Remember it is a long season though and there will be twists and turns throughout the campaign- the hope is that we zig and zag when we should!

English Premier League Game Week 1

Arsenal vs Coventry City: The opening game of the Premier League season will feature the Champions hosting for a second year in a row and that is probably going to be the approach the Division takes in the coming years.

Arsenal have added with some quality and they look to be the team to beat over the next nine months.

Opening fixtures can be tough as players rebuild match fitness, while those returning from late action at the World Cup may still be finding their rhythm.

Jurrien Timber and William Saliba are missing, but Arsenal should still be able to largely contain the threat from Frank Lampard's second tier Champions and the home team are one that were able to do that against those in the bottom third of the table in the last campaign.

Arsenal made sure the three promoted clubs offered very little threat at the Emirates Stadium and Coventry City are without Haji Wright for the opener.

It has been a long time since Coventry City played in the top flight, but they have an experienced manager and big ambitions in the boardroom- they should be able to offer some real fight this season, but opening up at the Emirates Stadium may be as tough as it gets and Coventry City should be shown the gap they need to bridge from the Championship to the Premier League right out of the gate.

Hull City vs Manchester United: On paper this looks an ideal opener for Michael Carrick and Manchester United, although the manager was having none of that in his pre-match press conference.

He is right to be downplaying the media words and Michael Carrick will be reminding his players of their own struggles against those they should have beaten last season. That should mean urging for a professional performance and Manchester United will also need to weather what is likely to be an early storm in this part of Yorkshire.

Hull City surprisingly came through the Play Offs to return to the top flight, but it may have come a season too early and the summer transfer activity has been decent, if unspectacular.

All of the underlying numbers suggested Hull City should have been fighting to avoid relegation and not for promotion last season and this is a big step up.

Playing at home on the opening weekend will mean the fans are loud and the players have yet to have the confidence dented, but Manchester United's forward options should give them a significant edge and anything less than three points would be a huge disappointment.

Everton vs Crystal Palace: David Moyes has not been happy with the transfer business at Hill Dickinson Stadium and Everton need to find a way to be more comfortable in their new home if they are going to match the ambitions of the manager.

A poor end to last season meant Everton were not quite able to push into the European spots in the Premier League and it has been over thirty years since they last won silverware.

Both are situations that Moyes wants to reset and making a positive start to the season before bringing in new faces is the goal of the weekend.

Everton are facing a Crystal Palace team that have not enjoyed visiting the blue half of Merseyside in recent years and this is yet another top flight club under new management.

Pierre Sage has put a solid CV together in France, but a lack of experience of the Premier League is a factor and Oliver Glasner has set a high standard having guided The Eagles to the FA Cup in 2025 and Conference League in 2026.

The squad has been kept together, which is important, but Crystal Palace have a new voice to understand and perhaps a change in system, which may see them come up short at Everton yet again.

Ipswich Town vs Sunderland: Two years ago, Ipswich Town gave Liverpool all they could handle on the opening weekend at Portman Road, but they could not breakthrough and the season unravelled over the weeks and months ahead.

They cannot afford to wait until the last fixture of the calendar year for a League win in another campaign, but Ipswich Town will be going in without Kieran McKenna this time.

Gary O'Neil has overachieved in keeping Bournemouth and Wolves in the Premier League in recent roles, but he has not been able to sustain the progress- however, Ipswich Town would snap your hand off for a 17th place finish right now!

Fixtures like this have to be seen as those where Ipswich Town need to find a way to build the points together- two years ago they struggled at Portman Road and Sunderland showed last season that they can find plenty of big away results to back up the successes at the Stadium of Light.

A lack of incomings has some wondering if Sunderland will be worked out this season, but Regis Le Bris has surpassed all expectations in each of the last two seasons and The Black Cats have to be respected.

Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United: Oliver Glasner has left Crystal Palace and some may have expected him to rock up at a 'bigger' club than Nottingham Forest.

However, this is a club that has plenty of potential if they invest the Elliot Anderson funds wisely and the squad looks like one that could settle into the preferred Glasner formation pretty quickly.

Two years ago, Nottingham Forest came close to earning a spot in the Champions League, but four managers in nine months is never going to be a system for success. It meant a campaign of struggle, but Nottingham Forest did reach the Europa League Semi Final and Oliver Glasner has shown he can develop a team and get them to overachieve.

This looks a tough opener against Leeds United who had a really strong end to the second half of the season and who have added James Trafford to give them a stronger platform from which to build. Daniel Farke challenged the board to back him, which they have tried to do, and Leeds United will also benefit from the arrival of Harry Wilson to offer more creativity going forward.

A 1-1 draw is scoreline that will be popular with neutrals, but opening day football can see plenty of mistakes made as teams get up to speed and it would not be a surprise if a winner can be found.

Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur: Roberto De Zerbi changed the Tottenham Hotspur fortune just in time to keep them in the Premier League and he has been backed significantly in the market with the midfield upgraded and yet more players set to arrive.

A new centre half pairing gives Tottenham Hotspur a more solid look, although Micky van de Ven is not expected to play this weekend, but fans will likely believe another attacker or two could make the difference between a good and a great season.

Spurs have made things tough for Brentford when visiting the Gtech Community Stadium, but the home team are a stubborn nut to crack in this part of West London.

Keith Andrews did a fine job last season and he will be glad that the squad looks to have been kept together this season rather than losing the quality of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa as they did last year. Thiago has remained with the club and Brentford look like they could build on a successful campaign with the aim being a maiden campaign in European Football.

Games between these London rivals have tended to finish with the point shared in recent times and they may be the case on Saturday afternoon with the 1-1 scoreline looking a real runner.

Brighton vs Aston Villa: In recent years, Aston Villa have travelled to the South Coast and regularly returned with three points from the Amex Stadium. Last season they were 2-0 behind, but still won the game 3-4 and Unai Emery's management will be expected to get the best out of the squad as he has done in his time at Villa Park.

However, Aston Villa made a slow start to the Premier League season twelve months ago and there is a fear that something similar may happen over the next month.

A tricky opening two games is one issue, but the bigger one is the amount of turnover in the squad.

Emi Martinez and Ollie Watkins are rumoured to be the next players ready to depart and that would mean following Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemens and Morgan Rogers out of the door. All were involved in the Europa League success, while Aston Villa are dealing with an early injury crisis as the likes of Joao Gomes and Johan Manzambi are expected to miss out.

The Villans remain a threat with Emery showing he can still get plenty out of those remaining in the narrow 2-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.

They are also facing a Brighton team that have travelled back from Norway after playing in the Conference League Play Off Round First Leg, but Fabian Hurzeler was able to rest some key players and The Seagulls may be more ready to make a positive start to the Premier League campaign.

Manchester City vs Bournemouth: Enzo Maresca takes charge of Manchester City for the first Premier League game without Pep Guardiola since 2016 and he will be looking for a much better performance all around than what was shown in Cardiff in the Community Shield last Sunday.

Conceding within seconds of the opening kick off of the season will have always made it tough and you have to expect Manchester City will be more focused back at the Etihad Stadium.

The squad looks a little light, especially after Jeremy Doku was ruled out, but Manchester City have another week of training under the feet and Erling Haaland is available.

They are also facing a Bournemouth team who are under new management with Marco Rose coming in to replace Andoni Iraola, but the new manager is facing an early injury crisis. The fans will be hoping Rose is not going to rip up the tactics that had worked so well under the previous manager, but there will be new methods that need to be implemented so Marco Rose can stamp his own authority on the squad.

His first task is to make Bournemouth more competitive at the Etihad Stadium- the team have taken some very heavy defeats here as they have looked to play their football, which suits Manchester City who are used to having to break down low blocks.

Bournemouth have regularly scored here, but they concede too many and that may be the analysis of this fixture at full time on Sunday.

Newcastle United vs Liverpool: Kevin Keegan will be remembered in the build up to this Premier League fixture and rightly so.

Fans will also come together to pay their respects to the man who represented both of these clubs, but the rivalry will soon return.

Newcastle United fans will not have forgotten how Liverpool managed to turn Alexander Isak's head last year and they felt that impacted their season all year long. The Swedish striker is likely going to be booed relentlessly when he leads the line for Liverpool on Sunday, but the visitors can continue their strong run of results at St James' Park if they can quieten the noise.

The home team have not only lost manager Eddie Howe, but the midfield has been gutted ahead of the new season and the next week is going to be hugely important for Newcastle United.

A trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton had given Newcastle United a physical presence in the middle of the park and plenty of quality to get the ball out of the likes of Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes. They missed Alexander Isak last season as Nick Woltemade struggled to adapt and Yoane Wissa was injured for much of the campaign, but this year Newcastle United are also missing Guimaraes, Tonali and Gordon.

The former two names have headed to separate Premier League clubs in North London and Anthony Gordon has replaced Marcus Rashford at Barcelona, while new manager Matthias Jaissle is also going to be without Joelinton.

The Toon Army will be loud and really get behind the home team, but it is hard to see how they can contain Liverpool's attack as Andoni Iraola manages them for the first time in a competitive game. The new manager wants more attacking options, but both Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak have enjoyed a productive pre-season outings and Liverpool should be able to create a lot of opportunities.

Liverpool do have issues defensively that Newcastle United could exploit on the counter attack, but in a game that could be filled with goals, it is the away team that looks to have the edge. Five goals were shared out when the teams met here last August and something similar would not surprise with the visitors likely heading back to Merseyside with three points.

Fulham vs Chelsea: Two friends who both managed Real Madrid at different points last season will be heading to West London to take one another on in debuts with new clubs.

Xabi Alonso takes over at Chelsea and there is a lot of excitement that he can get the best out of an underachieving squad.

He has been backed by the board who have brought in a replacement for Marc Cucurella that will suit the Alonso favoured 3-4-3 tactic, while signings like Maxence Lacroix and Morgan Rogers means established Premier League quality has arrived. No European Football gives Chelsea every chance to bounce back into a top four battle, if not even better, and this is a team that have tended to enjoy the short trip to Craven Cottage.

Alvaro Arbeloa is the surprise Fulham appointment to replace Marco Silva having had little experience, although he would argue six months at Real Madrid is like managing a lifetime at most other clubs.

Fulham have lost some influential players in Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez, but there is some quality within the squad and much will depend on how quickly they respond to the new manager having spent five years under Marco Silva.

A West London derby under the lights should mean a decent atmosphere, but it will be far from hostile for Chelsea and that is perhaps why they have enjoyed this fixture more than visiting Brentford.

Scoring first on the opening weekend always feels that much more important with players perhaps not having the same energy to fight back as they would in two months time.

Chelsea's front three look more capable of helping the away team get in front first and they look like they have the quality to make an early statement about what they can achieve this season by winning at Craven Cottage.

MY PICKS: Arsenal Win to Nil @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.74 William Hill (1 Unit)

Everton @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit) early payout price

Ipswich Town-Sunderland Draw @ 3.40 Bet Fred (0.5 Units)

Nottingham Forest-Leeds United Over 2.5 Goals @ 

Brentford-Tottenham Hotspur Draw @ 3.75 Bet Fred (0.5 Units)

Brighton @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit) early payout price

Manchester City - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.97 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Liverpool @ 1.90 Bet365 (1 Unit) early payout price

Chelsea @ 1.95 Coral (1 Unit)

2026 World Cup: 57-45-1, + 8.63 Units (103 Units Staked, + 8.38% Yield)

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.