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)

2026 World Cup Final Pick- Spain vs Argentina (Sunday 19th July)

The two teams that had been set as the underdog in the 2026 World Cup Semi Final ties were both able to win in normal time to progress to the showpiece event on Sunday.

Spain vs Argentina will also be the first time that the European Champions and Copa America Champions are meeting in a World Cup Final and it should be a big occasion for all tuning in to see who will be next to get their hands on the famous trophy.

Before that, the Third Place Playoff will be played on Saturday evening in Miami in what is largely described as the fixture that nobody wants to play.

It will be France and England who compete for third place in 2026 after very disappointing exits on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively and both will have questions to answer as the 2026 tournament is completed over the weekend.

World Cup Final Pick

Sunday 19th July

Spain vs Argentina Pick: These two nations have worked their way through to the World Cup Final in very different ways and there is little doubt that Spain have been the more convincing overall.

However, Argentina have shown off the huge amount of experience that has been built up over several years and this is a team that have scored so many goals during the run to the Final.

There is some pressure on the shoulder as they look to emulate great rivals Brazil by winning back to back World Cup titles, but Argentina have coped very well with all that has been thrown at them.

Breaking down Spain is likely going to be the biggest challenge faced in North America this summer and it will be much more difficult to fight back against this team compared with the likes of Egypt and England. Unlike those two teams, Spain will keep the ball much better and they are unlikely to drop off to contain Argentina, but instead offer a threat on the counter throughout this one.

Spain will take a huge amount of confidence from the manner in which they beat France in the Semi Final and they are the European Champions, which means having plenty of experience of their own to call upon.

Players are unlikely to panic like it felt previous Argentina opponents have done and Spain will take plenty out of the way Switzerland played against the World Champions in the Quarter Final before a sending off changed the momentum again.

The balance of Spain has impressed for some time and they are performing like the 2010 squad did when they won the World Cup for the first time.

With the options from the bench, Spain should have too much for an Argentina team who were rumoured to have wanted to avoid playing the Finalissima against the Spanish last year, despite beating Italy a couple of years earlier.

You can never dismiss an Argentina team that have found a way to earn their successes, but Spain should be too good all around and that can play out over the course of ninety minutes.

Saturday 18th July

France vs England Pick: The Third Place tie is one that neither team will really want to play, but it has produced some open football down the years.

England's disappointment from Wednesday night has yet to have dissipated and Thomas Tuchel has faced plenty of criticism for the subs he made when the team were leading Argentina 1-0.

Players looked out of energy by the end of that Semi Final and so changes have to be expected, although the same can be said for France.

So many believed they were going to cruise to a third straight World Cup Final under Didier Deschamps, but France were terrible in the loss to Spain on Tuesday and the manager is going to be signing off at the end of this weekend.

You have to believe the French players have one more big effort in them for Deschamps and especially against a rival like England, while the depth in the squad should mean changes are less impactful than they may be for the English.

Keep an eye out on the team news ahead of kick off, but this should be a fixture played with some freedom and that could allow the attacking players to shine the most.

With that in mind, and with the poor defensive performances that these teams have produced at times, the edge here is with France to score at least twice and leaving England with another loss in this Third Place Playoff.

MY PICKS: Spain @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

France to Win & Over 1 Total Goal @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Cup Final/Third Place: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Semi Final: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Quarter Final: 2-2, - 0.12 Units (4 Units Staked, - 3% Yield)

Last 16: 6-2, + 2.52 Units (8 Units Staked, + 31.5o% Yield)

Last 32: 10-6, + 4.38 Units (16 Units Staked, + 27.38% Yield)

Group Stage MD 3: 11-11-1, - 1.29 Units (23 Units Staked, - 5.61% Yield)

Group Stage MD 2: 16-8, + 7.44 Units (24 Units Staked, + 31% Yield)

Group Stage MD 1: 12-12, - 0.30 Units (24 Units Staked, - 1.25% Yield)

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

2026 World Cup- Semi Final Picks (Tuesday 14th July-Wednesday 15th July)

There was some controversy around the FIFA decision to Seed the top four World Ranked teams when the draw was made, although they made it clear that it would only be the case if France, Spain, Argentina and England all won the Groups in which they had been placed.

All four did and have made it through to the final four, albeit with some bumps to negotiate along the way.

France are the favourites having cruised through the tournament behind a fearsome front four, but Spain stand in the way in a third Semi Final meeting in a third different competition from 2024 to 2026. Both previous matches have been won by Spain, but they have needed very late goals to beat Portugal and Belgium and the only real positive is avoiding having to go through Extra Time.

In real terms, both France and Spain have made pretty comfortable passage, but Argentina and England have been forced to dig deep.

The defending World Champions have twice needed to win games in Extra Time and came from 0-2 behind to beat Egypt with an injury time winner to avoid all three matches needing the additional thirty minutes. This accumulation can wear teams down and Argentina have looked fragile and heavily reliant on Lionel Messi, which is a disappointment considering the bid to develop since winning in Qatar.

Where Argentina have one superstar stepping up, England have had both Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham provide big moments and stopping both is the challenge.

However, nothing has come easy for England after battling from behind to beat both DR Congo and Norway, the latter in Extra Time, while they also came through an epic battle in Mexico City to beat one of the co-hosts 2-3 in a memorable World Cup fixture.

All four teams at this stage of the competition will be confident, but you have to believe the winner of the France-Spain Semi Final will be going on to lift the trophy on Sunday, regardless of who they face in the Final.

Things could look very different at the end of the Semi Final Round, but it would be a surprise from here as the 2026 World Cup Finals wind down.

World Cup Semi Final Picks

Tuesday 14th July

France vs Spain Pick: The Euro 2024 Semi Final and the 2025 Nations League Semi Final matches were both won by Spain, but there has been a feeling in this tournament that the French team are playing at a superior level.

Strong attacking play will always make the headlines more than strong defensive work and Spain will still be feeling confident about their chances.

They will certainly believe they have come through a tougher pathway in the Knock Out Rounds and that can mean being more battle-tested. Wins over Austria, Portugal and Belgium means Spain are used to that rhythm and tempo provided by European opponents and those opponents make for better reading than France seeing off Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco.

It is not the fault of the French that they have not had to play Germany or a full strength Morocco, but Spain may take something from the fact that France did struggle to break down the last two of those opponents. We have certainly not seen a full performance from France in the tournament, which does make them dangerous, but Spain may feel they can contain the attacks to some extent, whilst also giving France so much more to think about on the defensive side of the field compared with the last three Knock Out opponents.

Spain should take heart from the chances Senegal and Sweden created before they fell behind and France have yet to had to battle back from adversity.

The same can be said for Spain, who have also not been behind in the tournament, but they have had to dig in to beat Portugal and Belgium and that will give the team confidence. Having Nico Williams back is also a big confidence builder for Spain, even if he cannot start, and the European Champions have shown they can hurt a vulnerable France defence over the last couple of years.

France have tended to be the superior World Cup team compared with Spain, who have been much stronger in the continental tournaments, but this has the makings of a classic World Cup Semi Final.

Whoever scores first will be confident, but it should be noted that recent games between these European neighbours have tended to be very competitive and with the attacking players usually coming out on top.

So while World Cup Semi Final matches can become tight and tense, this may be one where both teams feel they can hurt the other and it may be another fixture between France and Spain that ends with at least three goals shared out.

Wednesday 15th July

England vs Argentina Pick: There is little love lost between these nations and they are meeting in the biggest game between the rivals in the history of this sport.

Making a World Cup Final is obviously the motivation, but there will be a huge amount of pain for the loser to absorb if going down to the other in this Semi Final.

Both England and Argentina will know that they need to improve to beat the other and the squad that has dealt best with the Extra Time needed to win Quarter Final matches will have the edge.

Superstar names have stepped up for both nations during what have been inconsistent performances in the Knock Out Rounds and the defences have really had problems. That could be the case in this Semi Final with both England and Argentina going to be feeling like the attacking players can hurt the other and it may be a game in which one of the teams will make one too many errors to hand the game to other.

Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham will receive the attention, but it could be a player at the back taking an unnecessary risk that proves costly.

Both teams will have their moments, but both are likely going to be relying on Emiliano Martinez and Jordan Pickford to step up when they are asked questions.

Out of the two, Martinez may just give Argentina the edge, but England have to know the defending World Champions are not looking nearly as good as they did in Qatar.

This has all of the makings of a tense night in both nations in a fixture that neither England nor Argentina dare to lose, but it could be one where the goalkeepers are forced into action more than some of the layers may think.

Extra Time and Penalties would not surprise anyone, but big saves are likely going to be needed before that and the defensive numbers have shown two teams that will give up shots on goal during this Knock Out run.

MY PICKS: France-Spain Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.95 William Hill (1 Unit)

England-Argentina Over 7.5 Match Shots on Target @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Semi Final: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Quarter Final: 2-2, - 0.12 Units (4 Units Staked, - 3% Yield)

Last 16: 6-2, + 2.52 Units (8 Units Staked, + 31.5o% Yield)

Last 32: 10-6, + 4.38 Units (16 Units Staked, + 27.38% Yield)

Group Stage MD 3: 11-11-1, - 1.29 Units (23 Units Staked, - 5.61% Yield)

Group Stage MD 2: 16-8, + 7.44 Units (24 Units Staked, + 31% Yield)

Group Stage MD 1: 12-12, - 0.30 Units (24 Units Staked, - 1.25% Yield)

2026 World Cup- Quarter Final Picks (Thursday 9th July-Saturday 11th July)

There has always been a sense that the World Cup should be the pinnacle of football and that means it should be a tournament that shows off the very best of the sport.

While there have been some very good matches, the controversial moments are making the bigger headlines and that is not a good thing.

FIFA made a decision to reprieve the United States striker of a suspension, which has broken all protocols, and it was clearly a decision that was made to appease the President. This comes in the same tournament where a FIFA appointed official was not allowed into the United States and where Iran were forced to travel in and out of the country, which ultimately affected the levels of performances they could produce.

And just when the Round of 16 may have been concluding without too many more moments of negativity, the Argentina-Egypt game was filled with some strange officiating that will only fuel conspiracy theories.

The only hope is that the Quarter Final matches are won by the quality on the field and not the lack of quality in the officiating, which has been a real feature of this tournament.

For the first time, FIFA decided to 'Seed' the top four Ranked teams in the Rankings and that meant they would avoid one another until the Semi Final as long as they won their Groups and then three Knock Out Rounds.

France, Spain, England and Argentina have all done their part in different ways and they are all going to be favourites to Qualify from the Quarter Final matches against Morocco, Belgium, Norway and Switzerland respectively.

You have to anticipate some resistance, but the top four teams should be favoured and that could potentially set up some huge football matches next week as the 2026 Finals come to a conclusion.

World Cup- Quarter Final Picks

Thursday 9th July

France vs Morocco Pick: These nations met at the 2022 World Cup in a Semi Final that was won by France, but Morocco had come through some very tough matches prior to that and perhaps ran out of steam.

The squad has changed significantly since that World Cup Semi Final and Morocco arrived in North America with a lot more belief and expectation of themselves.

Morocco have played well, but there is still a feeling that this team has lacked the kind of bite in the final third that could see them potentially become the first African team to win the World Cup. They showed a clinical touch to beat Canada 3-0 in the Last 16, but late goals put a gloss on the final scoreline and the underdog had given as good as they got for much of the fixture before Morocco took over.

They were the better team against the Netherlands, but it should be noted that Morocco have scored more than one goal against the two CONCACAF opponents faced, but not against Brazil, Scotland or Netherlands.

Ismael Saibari scored in those two Group matches against Brazil and Scotland, but picked up an injury in the Last 16 and is set to miss out, which is a huge blow for Morocco. It is likely going to mean the approach is to be organised and try and make things very difficult for the favourite and Morocco may lean on the blueprint set out by Paraguay in the last Round, albeit without the kind of challenges and dark arts that Paraguay were able to get away with.

France will take great confidence from the fact they were able to overcome Paraguay, despite all of the issues they had to deal with on the day, and they are a team that will always feel they have a difference maker in the final third to edge matches in their favour. The defence has not really been tested in the last couple of matches, but France will expect this match to be played in a very similar way as the the last Round with Morocco looking to close spaces and make things as difficult as possible.

The defensive numbers have been strong enough in this tournament to believe Morocco can make things tough, but France have shown there is a depth to the attacking talent that may ultimately give them the edge.

The expectation is that this could be another tight fixture with Morocco trying to find the right balance between attack and defence and it would not be a great surprise if one of the teams fail to find the back of the net. An early goal could change everything, but this feels like it could be competitive for a long time and that may see risks lessened the longer it is closely contested.

Friday 10th July

Spain vs Belgium Pick: A motivated Belgium team came out with a point to prove against the United States in the Last 16 and the 4-1 victory over the co-hosts will have given this squad a lot of enjoyment.

Off the field decisions made by FIFA infuriated the Belgians and they used that to fuel them as they came out with plenty of attacking intent.

The United States were a big disappointment in the Last 16, but Belgium cannot expect the same generosity from a Spanish team that have reached the World Cup Quarter Final for the first time since winning this title in 2010.

The European Champions have maintained the run of clean sheets and continue to create enough in the final third to do what is needed to earn progression. There still feels like there is more to come from Spain, but the absence of Nico Williams is a blow and that has perhaps meant Spain have lacked the kind of quality that took them to the European Championship title two years ago.

In saying that, Spain are still a threat going forward and they should find spaces to exploit against this Belgium defence that were put under the cosh by Senegal.

Belgium's Rudi Garcia has to be credited for some of the big decisions he has made to help the team reach the Quarter Final, but he will have to make more in this one. His team can create problems for Spain, but it is all about finding the balance between attack and defence and losing Amadou Onana is a big blow.

Spain do look the team most likely to have possession and the best chances and they can win this game, while also looking for Mikel Oyarzabal to have another shot on target.

Saturday 11th July

Norway vs England Pick: You can expect to hear the famous commentary out of Norway when beating England in 1981 and the statement of 'your boys took a hell of a beating' to be played over and over again in the build up to this World Cup Quarter Final.

The players will only be focusing on the task at hand and both Norway and England have to feel this is a massive opportunity to reach a World Cup Semi Final in front of them.

England have the greater expectation to burden on their shoulders and that can be a factor, but the 2-3 win over Mexico in the Azteca Stadium will have given the players a huge lift in confidence. It was arguably the best performance the national team have produced in a World Cup Finals tournament since the 1966 World Cup Final, and clearly the best under Thomas Tuchel, and that should give the squad some real momentum to take into this match.

Moving from the altitude of Mexico City to the heat and humidity of Miami is going to be a big test, but England have the qualities to beat this Norway team.

Erling Haaland is the threat that everyone will know about and his goals have been crucial in helping Norway beat Iraq, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Brazil in this famous run. He knows how to score against English opponents and Norway will take a huge amount of encouragement from some of the defending produced by the opponent.

At the same time, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have to be confident they can create some opportunities against a Norway team that have yet to keep a clean sheet and who conceded at least twice against Senegal and France. The chances that Brazil fashioned will be a concern for Norwegian fans, even if Haaland has shown he can get this team out of a difficult situation, and England have the capabilities of winning this match and beating another Scandinavian opponent in a World Cup Quarter Final as they did when seeing off Sweden in 2018.

Argentina vs Switzerland Pick: When the Knock Out Bracket was finalised, Argentina looked like they could not have asked for a better way to really build from the Group Stage successes.

However, the World Champions have made heavy weather of Cape Verde and Egypt and the latter of those opponents have been furious with some of the decisions made by the officials that turned the match against them.

Egypt were leading 0-2, but Argentina showed some real grit and character to score three times in the final eleven minutes and move through without the need for another fixture involving Extra Time. That should mean having some energy kept in reserve and Argentina will take encouragement from the way Colombia performed against Switzerland in the last Round.

The Swiss still got through on Penalties and they are a team that will look to make things difficult, but a more consistent threat on the other side of the pitch is important. There are vulnerabilities in this Argentina defence, which has been exploited by the last two opponents, but Switzerland have to find a balance with the way they approach this fixture.

It could be easy to sit in and look to counter, but Argentina have shown there is enough quality in the final third to create chances, even when not at their very best.

If they get into the same kind of positions as Colombia, Argentina have shown they can provide the clinical touch and they also have players who will display plenty of composure in that final third.

This should be the difference and Argentina can win this game, while scoring at least twice in the process of reaching a third World Cup Semi Final in four runnings of the tournament.

MY PICKS: France-Morocco Both Teams to Score- NO @ 1.83 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Spain to Win & Mikel Oyarzabal Over 0.5 Shots on Target @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

England to Win @ 1.85 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Argentina to Win & Over 1 Total Goals @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Quarter Final: 2-2, - 0.12 Units (4 Units Staked, - 3% Yield)

Last 16: 6-2, + 2.52 Units (8 Units Staked, + 31.5o% Yield)

Last 32: 10-6, + 4.38 Units (16 Units Staked, + 27.38% Yield)

Group Stage MD 3: 11-11-1, - 1.29 Units (23 Units Staked, - 5.61% Yield)

Group Stage MD 2: 16-8, + 7.44 Units (24 Units Staked, + 31% Yield)

Group Stage MD 1: 12-12, - 0.30 Units (24 Units Staked, - 1.25% Yield)