Weekend Football and Fantasy Football GameWeek 8 Picks 2021 (October 16-18)

The second international break of the 2021/22 season is in the books and that means we have a month of domestic and European Football coming up before the final two week break until March.

Fans will be glad to have the Premier League back, but I am hoping it is going to be a much more productive week for my Fantasy Football team than the last couple of weeks have been. Missing out on my Captain has hurt, but I will get into that further down this thread.

This round of Premier League games will be played from Saturday through to Monday before the Match Day 3 fixtures of the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League are played during the week. The deadline for the Fantasy Premier League game will be Saturday this week, but it will be a Friday night deadline in GameWeek 9.

It hasn't been six months since we heard from broadcasters and the Premier League about how their opposition to the European Super League was all about backing the fans and making sure they did not lose their game.

Anyone with a semblance of reality would not have taken that at face value, but if you didn't, the actions from the League and their broadcast partners have made it clear how little they truly care about match going fans. The product was going to be harmed by the Super League and that would have impacted the money the League have been earning and it is clear that remains the main motivation factor for all involved.

The fans were missed in a season where the Premier League was largely played behind closed doors, but for the second time in four months the fixture announcement date has been missed. At the time of writing the December and January fixture list, which was supposed to be announced on Monday has still not been handed out to fans who will need to make travel arrangements at a traditionally very busy time of the year.

To miss the deadline by a day or two is forgivable to some extent, but it has been almost a week since the date they are supposed to let us all know when games are going to be played. The broadcasters and the League should be absolutely ashamed of themselves and the lack of respect for fans truly does grate on me.

But of course, the Super League is the evil and the Premier League are there for the fans right?

Watford v Liverpool Pick: The October international break is behind us and there are now four rounds of Premier League fixtures to be played before the November internationals.

The opening Premier League game of this weekend sees Watford take on Liverpool.

Unsurprisingly Watford have become the first Premier League club to part with their manager as Xisco Munoz has been replaced by Claudio Ranieri. This feels like a risky move from Watford after the way Ranieri's time with Leicester City ended and the veteran manager will be under pressure to deliver despite a really tough stretch of fixtures to come.

Watford's owners have shown they have little time for patience so Claudio Ranieri could go into the November internationals feeling nervous if his team have not produced results against Liverpool, Everton, Southampton and Arsenal who have to be played before that two week break.

The opening fixture looks the most difficult for a Watford team that have been struggling at both ends of the field. They were fortunate to avoid a third straight defeat at Vicarage Road when fighting back for a point against Newcastle United, but it will be very difficult to contain a Liverpool team that have been scoring goals for fun away from home.

Diogo Jota would be a miss for the visitors, but Roberto Firmino has been training back in Liverpool and is a ready-made replacement.

They are unlikely to miss a beat and Liverpool have scored at least three times in all 5 away games played this season in all competitions. Liverpool have scored at least twice in 8 away games in succession and it is going to be a big ask for Watford to keep their visitors at bay in this one.

Two seasons ago Watford did beat Liverpool 3-0 here and ended the latter's unbeaten start to the Premier League season. Fans will be hoping for a repeat of that situation, but I am not sure Claudio Ranieri will be able to work with the first team for as long as he would like to earn a result in this one.

The first goal will be huge, but if Liverpool are able to score that, I can see them being far too strong for Watford and having too many goals within their squad to avoid any upset.

Watford may be looking to impress their new manager, but the defensive performances of the last couple of games before the international break have to be concerning. Their opponents should be able to expose any uncertainty at the back and I expect Liverpool put a strong win on the board before a big week in which they visit La Liga Champions Atletico Madrid ahead of a trip to Old Trafford.

Aston Villa v Wolves Pick: This is a big derby game in the Midlands as Aston Villa host Wolves with both teams showing improved form and results between the September and October international breaks.

The momentum may have been lost through the break, but both managers won't be looking for excuses ahead of this fixture. Aston Villa may be without a couple of key players that would have been involved in the South American World Cup Qualifiers that were completed on Thursday, but this is something beyond their control.

There is still enough quality in the squad to believe they can win this game, but it will be a tough task for Aston Villa. Good performances at Old Trafford and the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be encouraging, but Aston Villa have struggled to create big chances at home in the League this season.

It might be surprising to read that considering they have scored 6 goals at Villa Park in three Premier League games, but Aston Villa will want to be a little more consistent in the kind of chances they are creating. Doing that against Wolves will not be easy considering the defensive performances the visitors have produced in the top flight.

Bruno Lage has been struggling to find the balance between attack and defence though and 3 wins from 4 Premier League games have come behind solid defensive performances at the expense of the attacking displays we saw in August. The new manager will still believe he has work to do to really get this Wolves playing in the way he wants, but they don't give up many chances and remain tough to beat.

Recent games between Aston Villa and Wolves have been very competitive and there has not been a lot between them. They shared a single goal in the two Premier League games played last season, while at least one of the teams have failed to score in each of the last 3 between the local(ish) rivals.

An early goal could change the entire complexion of the game, but I do think both Aston Villa and Wolves have shown enough defensively to believe a single goal may be enough to win this. Aston Villa have only conceded once at home and Wolves have only conceded once on their travels in the top flight this season and the feeling is that one of these teams will fail to hit the back of the net on Saturday.

Picking a winner is not that easy, but I will look for this one to be very tight and very competitive until the end and goals may not be on the agenda as the layers tend to believe.

Leicester City v Manchester United Pick: Brendan Rodgers and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are not likely to be on any hot seat as managers of Leicester City and Manchester United respectively, but the next month could see things change if results do not go the way they would like.

There is some pressure on both to earn better results and so this fixture out of the international break has plenty riding on it.

Some Manchester United fans may feel it is harsh to question the manager- the team are only 2 points behind leaders Chelsea after all!

However, you have to take an honest look at the results and say Manchester United earning 14 points from a possible 21 is an underachievement. They have only played one team that is currently higher than 9th in the Premier League table and Manchester United have been struggling to create chances and score goals in recent games which has to be a real worry.

Huge games are coming up with a double header against Atalanta in the Champions League to come before the November international break. Around that, Manchester United have the likes of Leicester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City to come in the Premier League too and a run of negative results will have more questions for the manager.

Brendan Rodgers should have more time considering his successes with Leicester City, but he is also going to know that his team has underachieved to this point. The fixtures coming up look kinder than those faced by Manchester United, but Leicester City have been struggling defensively and you do have to wonder if they are going to be vulnerable to the Manchester United counter attack.

Getting on the front foot may still be most appealing for Leicester City who could be facing an opponent missing their two first choice centre halves. Raphael Varane is almost certainly out, while Harry Maguire is a big doubt, and Manchester United have looked vulnerable when teams come at them with the speed that Leicester City are likely to employ too.

All 3 games between these teams last season finished with at least three goals shared out and it is hard to believe either of these will be able to contain the other. My lean is that Manchester United will find a way to earn a big result to just get them back on track, but Leicester City are likely to play their part too and I would not be surprised if there are at least three goals shared out again.

Manchester City v Burnley Pick: A goalless draw with Southampton was the outcome of the last Manchester City Premier League game at the Etihad Stadium, but it would be a huge surprise if they drop more points on Saturday.

A team that is creating plenty of chances should be motivated to return to Premier League action with a big win after showing resiliency to come away from Anfield with a 2-2 draw two weeks ago. Under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City have regularly taken teams to the sword at the Etihad Stadium and Manchester City have scored at least five goals in 5 of their last 6 here in all competitions.

Usually you would say that is unsustainable, but Burnley fans will be the first to point out that Manchester City are capable of doing that on a regular basis.

You couldn't blame them for thinking that way as Burnley look to avoid a 5th consecutive 5-0 defeat in this Stadium- Burnley fans may be worried when noting that the two Manchester City home wins in the Premier League have both been 5-0 wins too.

Burnley have not made the best start to the season, but they are unbeaten in their last couple of Premier League games. However, they are struggling for balance and this has routinely been a very difficult opponent for them to face.

Any point will be a bonus, but you can't ignore how often Burnley have ended up being blown away by Manchester City. Considering that history and the big wins and host of goals Manchester City are scoring, you have to believe the home team will record another comfortable win over this opponent.

Norwich City v Brighton Pick: For much of last season, Brighton were underachieving in terms of the kind of points they could have earned if finishing off their top performances with the results they deserved. This season they are flying, but the feeling is that Brighton have perhaps been a little more fortunate at times and they look plenty short to win here.

A late goal saw them beat Brentford in West London, while they came from behind to beat Burnley at Turf Moor, but the underlying numbers suggest Brighton were fortunate to do so in both cases. Add in the late, late goal to salvage a draw with Crystal Palace and you do have to wonder if the price for an away win would have been much higher if Brighton had 2 points from a possible 9 away from home rather than 7.

In saying all that, Norwich City are about as poor a team that we have seen in the Premier League on their early performances. They don't score enough goals and they concede far too many which suggests it is going to be another season in which the fans have to suffer before returning to the Championship.

A point at Burnley two weeks ago will have raised hopes, but Norwich City have lost 8 home Premier League games in a row and they are a team that needs to score the first goal to build some confidence. To be fair to Daniel Farke, Norwich City have had three tough home games this season and they have played pretty well at times, but been undone by defensive mistakes.

Brighton are capable of exposing those mistakes themselves, but this is a team that can struggle for goals at times and I still feel that is going to hold them back. They can create chances, but Brighton have also given up some big opportunities away from home which may offer Norwich City some encouragement and potentially see them earn another positive result.

There is plenty to like about Brighton and they are more than capable of winning here, but they are short and you do have to feel that one Norwich City goal would be enough to earn a result. They have shown enough creativity at home to think they can do that and it might be a rare time to back Norwich City to at least avoid a defeat, although there are likely going to be some dicey moments throughout the ninety minutes before getting to that outcome.

Southampton v Leeds United Pick: There are always going to be stretches when the fixture list looks tough to manage, but the key for teams is to make sure they get themselves through those matches and then be ready to pick up points when the games being played are more manageable.

Both Southampton and Leeds United will feel they have had some difficult fixtures early in the 2021/22 season, but it is the latter who have gotten off the winless mark. An important victory over Watford two weeks ago could give Leeds United a spark and I do think they can make a serious move up the League table over the next month.

Marcelo Bielsa will be hoping that Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford are soon going to be available, but Leeds United could be without Raphinha this weekend which is a blow.

Even then, they may be heading to the south coast to face Southampton at the right time even if Ralph Hasenhuttl's men are playing much better than their 17th place position may suggest. However, James Ward-Prowse and Che Adams could both be missing for the home team and that is serious impact on Southampton's ability to get the better of a Leeds United team that can create plenty of chances.

There are questions for Leeds United to answer defensively, but I am not sure Southampton will ask them in the manner they would have done with those two players in the line up. Southampton have been lacking a little consistency in the final third in recent games and I do think this Leeds United team will play with a forward thinking approach that produced rewards in their wins over Southampton last season.

Goals always change games and the first one is going to be very important in this one, but Leeds United have shown enough in the final third to think they can build on the win over Watford. The fans will hope their attacking players can return soon, but this is a team with decent depth in forward areas and I think Leeds United can be backed on the Asian Handicap as the unexpected underdog.

Brentford v Chelsea Pick: One West London derby is being played earlier in the day in the Championship, but the main focus in this part of the country will be on Brentford's Premier League fixture hosting European Champions Chelsea.

There is plenty to like about the approach Brentford have taken to their first season the top flight since the late 1940s and they are well on their way to securing another Premier League season. Wins over West Ham United and Wolves and the epic draw with Liverpool shows that Brentford are more than capable of competing at this level and they will be particularly encouraged by the improvement in the final third.

Personally I was concerned by the lack of chances and thus the lack of goals being scored by Brentford, but they have looked much better in the last month. They fully deserved their results in their last 3 Premier League games and Brentford scoring 7 goals in that time will only make the entire squad feel very confident about their ability.

This is a big test for Brentford and I have no doubt that they will appreciate that, but I do think a lot of the key players have been home preparing for this fixture. It is a direct contrast to Chelsea who have had a number of players away for international duty and travel and injury can be picked up.

Romelu Lukaku's muscle issue has to be a concern for Chelsea fans considering he missed Belgium's second Nations League fixture, while Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger could both be missing too. It would leave Chelsea perhaps a little exposed, but I don't think Thomas Tuchel will approach this game in the same way as Liverpool and so I do think it will be more difficult for Brentford to break them down.

However, Brentford can be competitive as they will not offer up a lot of spaces of their own and they have been pretty good defensively this season. Liverpool exposed some of the vulnerabilities, but that is a team that have been attacking every team they have played with considerable success and Chelsea are not going to be as comfortable taking the risks that Jurgen Klopp's men did.

The performances prior to the October international break will be really encouraging for Brentford and it is a level that will give Chelsea some problems. Chelsea will also feel they are playing well enough to win here and I think this is going to be a fascinating fixture.

Brentford look a little under-rated and I would be surprised if Chelsea are able to blow past them. The Bees will be very difficult to beat in front of their own fans and I do think the full goal start on the Asian Handicap is hard to ignore for a team that has picked up 7 points from a possible 9 in the Premier League.

I have to respect the performance levels of this Chelsea team, but they have been a little inconsistent in the final third as they are still looking to find the right balance with Romelu Lukaku leading the line. With that in mind, Chelsea may not score the goals to cover and Brentford could have every chance of earning a positive result to keep the fans believing in a special season developing.

Everton v West Ham United Pick: After a hugely successful time with Everton, David Moyes is going to be afforded plenty of respect by the home fans when bringing his West Ham United team to town.

This is a big game for two clubs that will feel they can push into the top six and overtake the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in joining the top clubs in the Premier League. West Ham United showed that is possible with a strong 2020/21 season, while Everton have made a really good start under Rafael Benitez and have some key players returning shortly.

Even with injury issues, Everton have been picking up important points and a win on Sunday would set them up for a good run before the November international break. The fixture list looks pretty kind for Rafael Benitez and his players, but they can't afford to overlook a West Ham United team who are unbeaten in 8 away games.

The Hammers have a healthy team and they have won 6 of those 8 games on their travels with an attacking approach reaping plenty of rewards. They should challenge Everton, but the home team have been producing strong results at Goodison Park the season after the form here let them down.

Everton have been scoring goals for fun at home, but they have not always convinced at the back and the feeling is that these two teams are going to provide fireworks. Both Premier League games were tightly contested affairs last season, but Everton and West Ham United have started off brightly and the attacking threat of both starting elevens should see more goals shared out here.

The match could get bogged down into a tactical battle if we don't see an early spark, but the form of both of these teams suggest they will want to get on the front foot as early as possible. That should produce an entertaining game where at least three goals are scored on the day.

Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: There is going to be a party atmosphere at St James' Park on Sunday as the fans will be able to attend a fixture for the first time since the Saudi-backed takeover has been completed.

Of course there are moral questions about this takeover, but fans of the club are just glad to see the back of Mike Ashley. It doesn't hurt that Newcastle United will soon be challenging for silverware, but there are going to be plenty of changes in the coming years at the club.

The first of those is expected to be confirmed before kick off- Steve Bruce is not the fan's favourite and the new board will want to appoint a manager of their own choosing and most are expecting Bruce to be Sacked before this fixture is played.

The excitement of what is to come should inspire the home team who will be well backed by the fans. Injuries are clearing up at the right time and Newcastle United can take advantage of an inconsistent Tottenham Hotspur team that have been struggling at both ends of the field.

A 2-1 win over Aston Villa will have been very welcomed by the Tottenham Hotspur management team and the fans, but Nuno Espirito Santo knows this is still a work in progress. The victory came at home, but Spurs have been more vulnerable on their travels and have conceded at least twice in 4 away games in succession.

Back to back away Premier League losses will not help the confidence and I do think Newcastle United can avoid defeat. In recent games they have had the better of opponents and been unfortunate not to have more points on the board, while Newcastle United have drawn their last 2 games here which is the least I would expect out of this game.

Tottenham Hotspur have been giving up some big chances and I think the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin and a potentially returning Callum Wilson can expose those issues. The Magpies don't have the best recent record at home against Spurs, but I think the momentum of the takeover helps the squad push forward for a positive result in this Sunday afternoon kick off.

Arsenal v Crystal Palace Pick: The final game in the Premier League this weekend will be played on Monday Night Football as Arsenal host the London derby against Crystal Palace.

The headlines will be all about Patrick Vieira managing against the team he Captained for so long in the peak of the Arsene Wenger era.

It will be difficult to speak about much else for those reporting on the game, but Patrick Vieira will be looking for his Crystal Palace team to build on some positive performances before the October international break. Heavy losses at Chelsea and Liverpool won't be overly concerning, especially as Crystal Palace have posed plenty of problems for the likes of West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.

Those three clubs are of a similar stature to Arsenal, although some could easily argue that two of those are better than this current edition of The Gunners. Mikel Arteta will be pleased with some of the Arsenal results between the September and October internationals, but they have not always convinced and I do think they are a vulnerable favourite.

Arsenal did blow away Tottenham Hotspur, but Norwich City were only beaten 1-0 here and both Burnley and Brighton will feel they deserved a lot more than they got against this opponent.

The Eagles will be able to use their pace in the final third to try and counter their hosts and they showed against West Ham United how dangerous they can be. The underlying numbers of recent games have suggested that Crystal Palace have been unfortunate not to have more points and I do think they can cause plenty of problems for Arsenal.

Add in the fact that Crystal Palace are unbeaten in 3 visits to the Emirates Stadium and I would be a little surprised if Arsenal are able to blow past them. Backing The Eagles with the start looks the play here and I think Crystal Palace may upset a few with a surprise result.

MY PICKS: Liverpool - 1.5 Asian Handicap

Aston Villa-Wolves Both Teams to Score- NO

Leicester City-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals

Manchester City - 2.25 Asian Handicap

Norwich City + 0.5 Asian Handicap

Leeds United 0 Asian Handicap

Brentford + 1 Asian Handicap

Everton-West Ham United Over 2.5 Goals

Newcastle United + 0.5 Asian Handicap

Crystal Palace + 1 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 8

I am pretty ashamed of my Fantasy Premier League team.

39 points in GameWeek 6 looked like being a low water mark, but apparently that is not the case. In GameWeek 7 I managed to go one worse with 38 points secured and my Captain beginning on the bench and earning a single point underlined the horrible couple of weeks I have had.

I think many had a difficult GW7 with the top names failing to fire outside of Mohamed Salah, but the last couple of weeks have been incredibly frustrating and I have to say I have enjoyed the international break just to have a reset from the game.

Well I would have enjoyed it, but injury and international games being scheduled as late as Thursday before this GW8 means there are plenty of doubts about the kind of team I am going to be able to field.

Antonio Rudiger has been ruled out, but that will mean Andreas Christensen is able to come in. Raphinha played and scored twice for Brazil on Thursday, but an overnight flight back to the United Kingdom means he is a big doubt to play for Leeds United at Southampton and his absence would mean Conor Gallagher will be in my starting eleven if the Brazilian is not able to go.

I have only recently brought in both of those players with the knowledge that they have a good looking fixture list coming up, but the best laid plans can go wrong. I wouldn't panic about the availability of either of those two players going forward just yet, but it would be a touch frustrating if both Rudiger and Raphinha are missing this weekend.

Has any of this changed my mind about how I am going to handle my team in GW8? No, not really.

After Cristiano Ronaldo was surprisingly dropped to the bench by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (a move that still baffles me two weeks later), I think a decision was made that I would be looking to use that premium asset money elsewhere. However, I do think Ronaldo has a good looking game this weekend and I am looking for the superstar to remind the manager how important he is going to be for Manchester United with a big performance.

However, that decision by Solskjaer means the money I had set aside to have Romelu Lukaku playing alongside Ronaldo in my Fantasy team is no longer my priority. Instead I am going to look to strengthen another one of my defensive options and the team I am targeting is one of United's main rivals.

Manchester City.

Once again this is a team that looks like they are going to be very hard to break down and the matches between now and the November international break look difficult to ignore. Ruben Dias is perhaps the strongest player to target with little rotation risk, but I think Joao Cancelo has made a hugely positive start for the team and he looks like he might be worth the extra rotation risk with the kind of returns he can offer.

Kyle Walker and Aymeric Laporte are a bit cheaper than Cancelo and Dias, and I do think both will be playing more often than not too, but it is the Portuguese full back that appeals the most.

A home game with Burnley could see Joao Cancelo bring in a really big return (if he starts) and I think he is worth the investment. Manchester City have shown they can bring in clean sheets against any team they face and I think it is the right player to target for my team.

Going without Lukaku this week is not going to be easy, especially if Brentford defend as they did against Liverpool, but I am fairly happy with the way the squad is set up for not only GW8, but for the remainder of the month.

I have yet to take a hit and I would like to get through this month without doing so, but I need to have a much better week than the last two GWs to avoid feeling the pressure to make multiple changes.

The Captaincy will be given to a player in the 12:30pm kick off, a policy that has backfired in the last couple of weeks. It is something that players of the game like to avoid doing with the 12:30pm proving to be a letdown spot more often than not, but Mohamed Salah is in great form and his previous record against Watford just makes it easy to back the Liverpool forward in GW8.

I will have a screenshot of my team on Twitter just after the deadline tomorrow, but most of the decisions look pretty easy. The plan for the remainder of the month is also one that I feel comfortable with, but the issue is always out of our hands and it is never a good thing to be set in stone with moves that you want to make.

You have to remain fluid at all times, but I am also hoping that my expectations for certain players will be reached this week having seen many underperform over the last two GameWeeks.

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2020 (November 6-8)

Can you believe it has really been a month since the last international fixtures?

It means another break in play domestically, but players will not benefit ahead of two more extremely busy months especially for those playing in England. The season may be played in a narrower timeframe than usual, but that only means the festive period is even more busy for the teams who will try and remain on track with games set to be played every few days through to mid-January.

After the November internationals the teams involved with European Football will continue to play every week as the Group Stage is concluded, although some of those are already in a very strong position to make it out of their sections. It will be important for managers to rest players and also allow those of us who play the Fantasy Football games a chance to at least make the right selections for our teams.

More on that later with an extremely early deadline on GameWeek 8 of the Official Fantasy game.

Brighton v Burnley Pick: This is an important Premier League fixture for both Brighton and Burnley on Friday afternoon, although I am not anticipating the PPV sales to go through the roof for the game.

That is perhaps slightly disrespectful to two clubs who have become solid Premier League mainstays and Brighton in particular do have a pleasing style of football for the neutral to enjoy.

It was on full display as they took the game to Tottenham Hotspur last week, but Brighton once again fell narrowly to one of the 'Big Six' clubs and it leaves Graham Potter looking for answers. While his team have played really well at times, they have made some silly mistakes which have proven to be costly as Brighton have struggled to score enough goals to make up for it.

The lack of consistency in the final third does make it hard to trust Brighton to win any game at odds on let alone a Premier League fixture.

Brighton will also be facing a Burnley team who earned a goalless draw in their last away game and who restricted Tottenham Hotspur to very little in the final third in a narrow home loss to them. Sean Dyche won't be overly concerned about the current League position, but he will be looking for his team to show a little more going forward having not scored in any of their last 3 League games.

Goals have tended to be produced when these teams have met and you can't ignore the fact that all of Burnley's League goals have been scored away from home. They had chances at West Brom in the goalless draw, but Brighton have tended to be a little more effective going forward at the Amex Stadium too.

It is a tight game to call, but one in which I do believe the defences can be on top for the majority of the ninety minutes. 2 of the 3 games between these clubs at this Stadium since Brighton returned to the top flight have ended with fewer than three goals scored and I think that may be the case here.

A single strike may be enough to secure the points for either team, but the 1-1 can't be ruled out either and so I won't be looking for a really high-scoring fixture to be played out here.

Southampton v Newcastle United Pick: On paper this looks like a fixture that should be a pretty decent watch on Friday Night Football, but in the last couple of years goals have tended to dry up when Southampton have hosted Newcastle United.

Both teams look to be heading into this meeting in confidence though with some big results earned over the last month. That has seen both Southampton and Newcastle United moving up the League standings and I think the two managers will believe this is a winnable fixture for them.

The loss of Danny Ings is a blow for Southampton who have relied on his goal output over the last twelve months. However, Ralph Hasenhuttl will be pleased that Ings has 'only' score 3 of the last 11 goals managed by his team.

You can't downplay his overall influence on the team and replicating that won't be easy for Shane Long who is the most likely replacement. Even then Southampton will feel they can create chances against this Newcastle United team who are fortunate to still be unbeaten away from home in the League.

In their last 2 Premier League away games Newcastle United have hit their hosts with a late sucker punch to steal the points and so there is going to be some concern for Southampton if this is fixture is tight with time running down. The Saints have played some very good football, but they have not created a lot of strong chances and will need clinical finishing again to give themselves the opportunity of securing the full points.

At the same time Southampton have improved defensively and they are not offering out a lot of encouragement for teams since the 2-5 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. Steve Bruce's team have not really been racking up the shots away from home and I think we should see another tight fixture between these two teams.

For me it would not be a huge surprise if one of these teams fails to hit the back of the net. Newcastle United were poor defensively against Tottenham Hotspur, but they have shown spirit at the back to stick around in matches, especially away from home. That should be the case again with no Danny Ings to trouble them, but Newcastle United are also unlikely to create a whole host of chances here.

An early goal would change the dynamics of the fixture considerably, but I can see this being a well fought game with the defences largely being on top. The last two games between these clubs at St Mary's have had a combined single strike trouble the scoreboard and I think this will be a relatively low-scoring fixture too.

Everton v Manchester United Pick: The recent results of both Everton and Manchester United have been disappointing and that means there is pressure on both squads in what looks to be a huge Premier League game on Saturday.

Both teams have lost their last 2 games heading into the fixture, although there is a lot more pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rather than Carlo Ancelotti.

While the veteran Italian manager is overachieving at the moment, his counterpart is under tremendous pressure as once again the cloud of a sacking looms over him.

Everton can at least point to the last two defeats coming through injuries and suspensions which have reduced the options Carlo Ancelotti has. However some of those players are returning this week and it makes Everton a real threat to Manchester United with the amount of chances they have been creating at Goodison Park.

The side have scored at least twice in all 5 home games played in all competitions, but Everton have also conceded twice in all of their League games played. Manchester United may have lost in Turkey on Wednesday, but they have won 6 away Premier League games in a row and have managed to score at least twice in each.

This is a team that can create chances and I do think Manchester United will benefit from the fact that Everton will be looking to get on the front foot. That should leave spaces for the visitors to exploit, but much is going to depend on how much the players are still keen on playing for their beleaguered manager.

Both teams hit the back of the net in both League games against each other last season and I do think that is a distinct possibility again. Manchester United have tended to find a big result when it feels Solskjaer needs one the most, but this is a tough place to play and I can see the fixture ending 2-1 either way.

Everton and Manchester United have been scoring plenty of goals in home/away games respectively and I think that will be the outcome of this one with the defensive mistakes the teams have been making.

Crystal Palace v Leeds United Pick: The second Premier League game to be played on Saturday comes from South London and both Crystal Palace and Leeds United are looking to bounce back from disappointing defeats last weekend.

Being back at home may be an advantage for many clubs, but that has not always been the case for Crystal Palace. In recent seasons under Roy Hodgson this team have been much happier playing away from Selhurst Park where they have the opportunity to counter attack as home teams are under pressure to get forward.

They should feel they can play this game in a similar manner because Leeds United are a team who will want to play attacking football and will commit men forward. It has worked for Leeds United in the Premier League with back to back wins at Sheffield United and Aston Villa and they have managed to somehow keep clean sheets in both.

That is despite the chances being created against them, but in this fixture you do have to wonder if Crystal Palace are capable of exposing any defensive issues Leeds United are continuing to have. In their last two home games Crystal Palace have struggled to create good opportunities, but their own defensive injuries have meant it has been hard to earn too many points.

Leeds United are capable of hurting Crystal Palace here and they have been creating opportunities for themselves. You do have to worry about their defensive responsibilities, but I can see Leeds United bouncing back with a victory after their 1-4 hammering to Leicester City.

It will be close and competitive as any Roy Hodgson team will make it, but Leeds United may edge to the victory in this one.

Chelsea v Sheffield United Pick: The struggles in the final third did not really cost Sheffield United last season, but this time around they have not been nearly as effective defensively and that has exposed the side.

Chris Wilder will be looking to get things turned around quickly as a long run of poor form in the Premier League continues to see Sheffield United slide down the League standings. Including last season, Sheffield United have lost 9 of their last 10 Premier League games and they have also been beaten in their last 5 on their travels in the Division.

Now they have to face a Chelsea team in fine form and who have looked to have discovered the balance in attack and defence in recent games. After back to back goalless draws, Chelsea have scored 10 goals in their last 3 games which have resulted in three big wins.

Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic may both miss out, but it didn't stop Chelsea hammering Rennes in the Champions League. They have looked much more secure at the back with Edouard Mendy giving the entire back four confidence and this is a team that looks to be rounding into strong form with winnable games to come.

Frank Lampard will be determined to see his team go into the November international break with another three points, but Chelsea have to show more consistency at home. They do look capable of producing that and on current form this looks like a game that should be a relatively comfortable home win.

Last season Chelsea looked on the way to that against Sheffield United when leading 2-0 at half time before an eventual 2-2 draw. This time around I do think Chelsea look more secure to look after a lead and perhaps even keep The Blades under more pressure and the home team should be able to win this fixture and keep the momentum behind them through the November internationals.

West Ham United v Fulham Pick: Neither West Ham United nor Fulham have produced as many points as some would think when seven games have been played, but the former have been in better shape for the most part.

David Moyes will not have ignored how difficult the early fixture list was going to be for his team, but West Ham United have been in fine form. They have been competitive against some of the best teams in the Premier League and it took a late goal last weekend for Liverpool to get the better of them.

They have already dismissed Wolves 4-0 here and drawn with Manchester City and that is a level that will be difficult for Fulham to deal with. However, you can't ignore the absence of Michail Antonio who has been a talisman for West Ham United since the resumption of play in June and that does lessen some of the threat of the home team.

Fulham have to take advantage and they have been a little more effective in their last couple of games. They were recently well beaten by Crystal Palace, but Fulham could have gotten more than a point from their visit to Sheffield United and they were deserved winners over West Brom last Monday which will have given the squad a shot in the arm.

There are likely going to be chances created against this West Ham United defence, but I do think David Moyes is getting plenty out of his squad at the moment. Despite the slightly improved results, Fulham are still not defending as well as they would like and I do think West Ham United have pace and quality in the final third which will give them the edge in this derby game.

The Hammers have beaten Fulham 3 times in a row at home and they have scored plenty of goals in those games. You do have to think their attacking play is dented without Michail Antonio, but I still think West Ham United will edge to the points.

West Brom v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: Some of the results have been better than the performances from Tottenham Hotspur and Jose Mourinho indicated that was his feeling after the 1-3 win over Ludogorets on Thursday in the Europa League. I think that would be a harsh assessment of the team in a game they largely dominated, but Tottenham Hotspur have not been winning fixtures as easily as they would like in the Premier League.

Last weekend Spurs beat Brighton and Mourinho stated that teams in the Premier League are much more competitive these days than they have been for a couple of years. Instead of a big divide between the best and the lesser teams, Jose Mourinho thinks things are much closer and that means this is going to be anything but an easy game for Tottenham Hotspur.

No away game is ever easy anyway, but despite the manager's thoughts I do think Tottenham Hotspur should be too good for West Brom.

All doesn't seem to be going smoothly at The Hawthorns where Slaven Bilic has been critical of some of the transfer policy which seems to be leaving his squad short of the quality the manager wants. The 2-0 defeat at Fulham on Monday afternoon would not have given the squad a lot of confidence and West Brom have struggled for League wins going back to the end of their time in the Championship.

The Baggies can get forward and look to cause problems, but they have struggled for goals- their 3 home goals have all come in the game with Chelsea and West Brom needed some huge defensive mistakes to get into a 3-0 lead before settling for a 3-3 draw.

Those goals being conceded has to be a concern against a free-scoring Tottenham Hotspur team and I do think the visitors can snap a poor run in this part of the Midlands. Some of the key players managed to get some rest on Thursday and Tottenham Hotspur are playing with some momentum, especially away from home.

I am not fully convinced about Tottenham Hotspur and they are about to enter a really testing period of the season. However that comes in two weeks time and this is not really a fixture that should be of huge trouble to them on current form of both clubs.

You can never take a fixture for granted, but I do feel Tottenham Hotspur will have the goals in the squad to win this game and by a comfortable margin when all is said and done.

Leicester City v Wolves Pick: The first of the Super Sunday live offerings in the United Kingdom features two clubs who will be hoping they can take advantage of any inconsistencies the traditional 'Big Six' display over the course of the campaign.

Both Leicester City and Wolves have been operating towards the top of the Premier League over the last eighteen months, but the target will now be to push on towards the Champions League spots.

Over the last month the two clubs have been producing plenty of wins without perhaps playing at their best. Leicester City have looked like they are turning a corner with their wins over Leeds United and Sporting Braga coming behind big performances, but Wolves are unlikely to be as porous defensively as those two clubs.

This is a well organised team that will not be giving Jamie Vardy the space behind the defence he loves to exploit the most and I do think they will challenge Leicester City.

A bigger concern may be whether Wolves have enough going forward to get after a makeshift back four Leicester City have been forced to play. The players being relied on have done well, but Wolves have pace and quality in the final third which makes them dangerous even if they have been struggling for consistency when it comes to chance creation in the final third.

They were much better against Crystal Palace, but Wolves have not been firing on all cylinders away from home. In the draw with Newcastle Unite and the win over Leeds United, Wolves did not create a lot going forward despite the possession and this fixture has the makings of a tight one that could be decided by a single goal.

Last season both games between Leicester City and Wolves finished goalless. That is actually the third time in four that the scoreline has ended that way between the clubs, while in 4 of the last 5 one or both teams have failed to find the back of the net.

My feeling is that there won't be much between these two on Sunday and the chance of one of the teams picking up a clean sheet is relatively high. An early goal changes everything, but I would not be surprised to see a close, competitive fixture throughout between two in form teams who are hoping to keep tabs on the leading clubs in the Premier League.

Manchester City v Liverpool Pick: The biggest game of the Premier League weekend comes from the Etihad Stadium as the two favourites to win the title meet for the first time in the 2020/21 season.

Manchester City and Liverpool have not really put their foot down in the League in the same manner as we have become used to, but both are in relatively decent positions after seven games. The more obvious positive is for Liverpool who lead the Division, but Manchester City would only be 2 points behind them if they win their game in hand and Pep Guardiola might be happy enough with that.

Injuries have not really helped the Manchester City cause early in the season, but they have looked pretty good defensively in recent games. It has taken away from some of the strong attacking displays we have become used to, but I also think that is down to the fact that their two strikers have both been injured and playing with a 'false nine' has been troublesome at times.

Gabriel Jesus is in line to start for the home team and Sergio Aguero is close to returning which is a huge boost for Manchester City. It will certainly mean they are in a stronger place to challenge this makeshift Liverpool centre back pairing as Joel Matip and Joe Gomez look to play alongside one another.

These two have not really played together too many times before and Manchester City are playing well enough to expose them.

However, I also think Liverpool will feel in confident mood after winning 5 games in a row in all competitions. Their 0-5 win in Atalanta was very impressive, although the home team missed some key chances to get back into the game.

From an attacking point of view Liverpool will look to get after Manchester City and their new-look centre half pairing. With Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in strong form Liverpool will believe they are going to have their opportunities, but Diogo Jota is a doubt and that will be a blow for the visitors considering his start to his career at Anfield.

Goals should be on display when these teams meet on Sunday, but my lean is that Manchester City may get the better of the fixture. They have beaten Liverpool 3 times in a row at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League and I think the home team are showing a bit more defensively than their visitors which may give them the edge here too.

It won't be easy but Manchester City did hammer Liverpool here in June and I think they will have just enough to earn the points again.

Arsenal v Aston Villa Pick: The final game in the Premier League weekend looks like it could be a decent fixture when Arsenal host Aston Villa.

Over the last week it is Arsenal who have picked up some momentum with 3 wins in a row in all competitions, while Aston Villa have lost back to back home games in the League. Losing is one thing, but Aston Villa's early defensive performances have been replaced by conceding seven times in a couple of fixtures at Villa Park.

To be fair to Aston Villa, Southampton punished them every chance they got last week and I do think they will be more competitive in this fixture. The fightback from 0-4 down to eventually lose 3-4 shows there is a determination in the squad that can't be underestimated and I do think Aston Villa have enough quality in the final third to create chances against this Arsenal team.

Mikel Arteta has made Arsenal more organised, although that has come at the cost of reducing some of the attacking threat that fans will have become accustomed to seeing from The Gunners over the last two decades. The new system and approach means Arsenal are not producing as many shots and creating as many chances as the manager would hope and I do think that will always give teams a chance against them.

Aston Villa have won at Leicester City already this season and showed resiliency in that victory at the King Power Stadium. They have also largely been playing pretty well with only the defeat to Leeds United being a fixture where Dean Smith would have been severely disappointed with the performance.

Last season Aston Villa could easily have won here and I do think they are not going to make things easy for Arsenal. The win at Old Trafford may have just covered one or two issues Arsenal have been having and I think Aston Villa with the start could at least keep this competitive on Sunday evening with every chance of earning a positive result.

MY PICKS: Brighton-Burnley Under 2.5 Goals

Southampton-Newcastle United Under 2.5 Goals

Everton-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals

Leeds United 0 Asian Handicap

Chelsea - 1.25 Asian Handicap

West Ham United

Tottenham Hotspur - 1 Asian Handicap

Leicester City-Wolves Both Teams to Score NO

Manchester City - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Aston Villa + 1 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 8

There is no doubt that this is a very difficult season for Fantasy players as well as the teams in real life with the short turnaround between fixtures and that also means an increase in injuries.

When you add in the continued Covid-19 crisis that is affecting us all and there are going to be moments when your Fantasy teams see injuries pile up. Out of principle I have to be pretty desperate to want to take a hit on my team and that would be the case in GW8 despite the likelihood of potentially coming up short from the full eleven starting this round of games.

Christian Pulisic and Tyrick Mitchell have been ruled out, although only the former would have been starting in my time. I am happy enough to go with Jack Grealish in his stead, while the illness Sergio Reguilon is dealing with is expected to keep the Spurs defender out of action.

That is a touch more troublesome and means Ollie Watkins comes in- this is less ideal considering Aston Villa are playing at Arsenal and anything above four points from Grealish and Watkins would have to be seen as a bonus.

It would be an easy decision to replace Christian Pulisic, but I do think I am happy enough with the squad as it is and I would love to roll over a transfer to use in GW9 which comes at the end of the international break. With the virus continuing to cause havoc, I think it is ideal to have that extra transfer in the pocket in case I need to make changes to replace those who have picked up Covid-19 while being away.

The extra time to prepare the transfers is also important for me and I do have a few players who I think are on the brink of being needed to be moved out. Depending on the severity of the injury sustained by Pulisic my first hit of the season could be needed next time around, but I am going to go with what I have for now.

With Manchester City hosting Liverpool, the Captain choice is very easy again this week- I am going to go with Harry Kane who faces a West Brom team that is struggling for clean sheets and conceded three times in 2 of their 3 home Premier League games.

I may have gone with Christian Pulisic in a home game against another struggling opponent in Sheffield United if he had not picked up his knock last week, but in the current situation things are straight-forward for me here.

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2019 (October 5-6)

The final round of Premier League fixtures are going into the books before the next international break of the season.

This is an important time for managers who are perhaps beginning to feel the heat of a poor start to the campaign with clubs having two weeks to think about the direction the team is heading in.

Going into the break off a loss will make it a nervous fortnight for the likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Steve Bruce and Marco Silva, while Quique Sanchez Flores has to be a little concerned at impatient Watford.

It is a big weekend for all four of those managers and my thoughts about Solskjaer at Manchester United which were written before the Arsenal game can be read here.


The Champions League Picks during the week had very little luck attached to them when you think of the domination of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, but both settling for narrow wins, and Liverpool blowing a 3-0 lead against Salzburg.

Hopefully that is not indicative of the kind of month October is going to be as I look to get things moving in a positive direction with these selections from this weekend.


Brighton v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: The opening Premier League game of the weekend comes from the Amex Stadium and there is going to be a lot of eyes on this fixture to see how Tottenham Hotspur react to their 2-7 home defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

The final result was harsh on Tottenham Hotspur who conceded three times when chasing the game in the final few minutes. It was reminiscent of the way Manchester City scored late goals to put a gloss on a big win at Old Trafford a few years ago and I think Mauricio Pochettino is right to call for calm.

The problem for the manager is that this result has come during a poor run of form when there have been rumours that he is not happy and that the squad is not in sync with one another. It has left Tottenham Hotspur looking like a team short of confidence and when they concede you do see heads begin to drop.

A poor away run in the Premier League has seen Tottenham Hotspur lose 7 of their last 9 on their travels and they are a favourite that looks very short on the prices being offered.

Ultimately it is difficult to back Brighton considering they have not won a League game since the opening weekend and none of their last 9 at the Amex Stadium in the Premier League. Graham Potter does have Brighton playing more attacking football which has yet to be rewarded as it should be, but the absence of Shane Duffy leaves them looking short of quality at the back too and I would think Tottenham Hotspur have the kind of attacking players to take advantage.

Neither team has convinced at the back so this does feel like a game that will feature at least three goals shared out. Brighton games at home have been low-scoring this season, but both teams have scored in 2 of the 3 Brighton have played here and I am not sure Tottenham Hotspur would settle for that as they look to erase the memories of the last Champions League game.

The last two games between these clubs have seen both teams score too and I am going to look for a fun start to the weekend with chances and goals scored in this one. Backing at least three goals to be shared out is the play here.


Burnley v Everton Pick: Both Burnley and Everton will head into this weekend believing this is a fixture they can win and I do think the layers are underestimating the chance of seeing goals when these teams face each other.

For all of the headlines Everton were making defensively at the end of last season and early this, it has been clear that they are a work in progress at the back. Teams have been creating plenty of chances against them and Everton are short of confidence which is no surprise considering they have lost 3 in a row in the Premier League.

This is an area that Burnley will look to exploit, especially from set pieces, and the last few games played by Sean Dyche's men have seen them looking a little more confident going forward. They have scored at twice in the last couple of Premier League games against Norwich City and Aston Villa and Burnley are showing enough in the final third to believe they can give Everton problems.

Everton will also feel they can attack Burnley with success as the home team have not been as secure as they would like at the back. I expect that will improve with the work Sean Dyche does with his team, but Everton have shown they can create chances and it is very much about finding that consistent goalscorer to put away the opportunities that have been produced.

A lack of goals away from home is a concern for Everton, but they did create chances at Villa Park and the Vitality Stadium and I think we will see more of the same on Saturday at Turf Moor. 3 of the last 4 Premier League games that both Burnley and Everton have played in recent weeks have ended with at least three goals shared out.

The last 4 between these clubs at Turf Moor have also featured at least three goals shared out and I will back that to be the outcome on Saturday at odds against.


Liverpool v Leicester City Pick: This is a big game in the Premier League as we get to see Liverpool take on another test in their bid to maintain their 100% record and 5 point lead in the table. They would have loved to have come into this one having not needed to put in the energy they did in the 4-3 win over Salzburg on Wednesday, especially as Liverpool held a 3-0 lead with a few minutes to go before half time.

Jurgen Klopp will be using the game as a learning experience for his squad and ultimately they did win the game to keep the momentum behind them.

However there have been some red flags from Liverpool in defensive positions that have to be a worry. Teams have been creating big chances against them and this Leicester City team are playing with the belief that they can challenge for a top six berth and possibly even more in the Premier League this season.

Brendan Rodgers has had a week to prepare for the game and will be hopeful that James Maddison is passed fit. That will offer Leicester City another attacking option and I expect them to pose problems for the hosts who might be missing Joel Matip again.

He might not get the headlines, but Matip's absence was highlighted in the win over Salzburg as the visitors took advantage of any rustiness Joe Gomez was feeling. I do expect the Liverpool defenders to be more focused when taking on Leicester City who sit 3rd in the Premier League, but it would not be a surprise if The Reds are waiting for their first clean sheet at Anfield for another game.

Both teams have scored in 6 of the last 7 games between Liverpool and Leicester City and in 5 of the last 6 at Anfield in this fixture. I can't see any way Liverpool do not score, but Leicester City can contribute and both teams should hit the net.


Norwich City v Aston Villa Pick: Two of the bottom four teams in the Premier League meet on Saturday and both Norwich City and Aston Villa will be looking for some positive momentum to take into the next international break.

Both clubs have to be happy enough with where they are at considering both were in the Championship a few months ago. They have shown enough to believe they can compete at this level, but the injuries in the Norwich City squad has perhaps influenced the prices on the day.

Aston Villa might have been even shorter if they had beaten ten man Arsenal when leading 1-2 at the Emirates Stadium or held on to two leads against Burnley in the draw at Villa Park last weekend. However there still feels like a real issue with the balance between attack and defence and Norwich City did have the better of Aston Villa in the League last season.

There are injuries that can't be ignored, but Norwich City have been very attacking and are creating chances. They have also felt much more comfortable in home surroundings and I do think the venue gives The Canaries the edge in this one.

I would not be surprised if we see another Premier League game with at least three goals shared out here. The layers are firmly on top of that market, but I do think they are underestimating the chances of Norwich City rallying together for one big effort before the two week break for many of these players following this fixture.

Norwich City seem to be highly motivated by the supporters at Carrow Road and the attacking threat they pose can't be ignored. If they can get the first goal on Saturday I do think they have enough to go on and win the fixture and I will back Norwich City to show some bite by backing them on the Asian Handicap which will return the stake in the event of a draw.


Watford v Sheffield United Pick: The owners of Watford Football Club have shown they are not afraid to rectify mistakes in the managerial office and so Quique Sanchez Flores has to know the importance of a positive result to take into the international break. He has already been sacked once by Watford so Flores will understand the expectations at this club.

The results have been tough to take since he took over from Javi Gracia, but away losses at Manchester City and Wolves can be forgiven if Watford win this game. They were a touch unfortunate last weekend, but there are signs that confidence is hard to build at the moment and the first goal is going to be very important at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

Watford have created chances, but defensively they have looked very poor and it would have been a tough week on the training ground to get things a little more secure. In normal circumstances you might consider Sheffield United the right opponent as they have struggled to convert chances, but The Blades have looked sharper away from home and any defensive mistakes will be seized upon here.

Chris Wilder was not happy with the result against Liverpool last week despite the praise his players got for the performance and he will be looking for a reaction. They have a 12 game unbeaten run away from home to protect and Sheffield United will look to sit in and make it a frustration afternoon for their hosts and look to capitalise on any nerves that begin to sit in.

They have shown some resilience away from home, but Sheffield United are going to have to show some more if they are going to get a result here. I expect Watford will begin to have some things breaking their way sooner rather than later with the way they have been playing and the work on the training field should show up here as Quique Sanchez Flores puts The Hornets in a position to win the game.

Sheffield United won at Everton last time out with only a single shot on target and I do think they are lacking a little bit in the final third. One goal might be enough for them to avoid defeat, but Watford should be encouraged by their last couple of performances at Vicarage Road and I think they can be backed on the Asian Handicap which will return half the stake in the event of a draw.


West Ham United v Crystal Palace Pick: The second live televised game from the Premier League on Saturday comes from the London Stadium as West Ham United look to continue a very strong start to the season at the expense of London rivals Crystal Palace.

Both clubs have been in seemingly solid enough form which should mean a decent game is produced. The onus is on West Ham United to get on the front foot, but that should play into the hands of a counter attacking Crystal Palace that have plenty of pace in the final third to cause problems for their hosts.

Defensively there remain some big concerns for West Ham United and that was highlighted again in the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth last weekend. However they remain a team that look like they have enough in the final third to cause problems for any side they face and I think that is going to contribute to a high-scoring game on Saturday.

Crystal Palace will be looking to exploit any holes left behind when West Ham United get forward and they certainly have shown enough in the final third to believe they can do that. Wilfried Zaha is yet to fire in the Premier League since not earning his move away from Selhurst Park, but he was an influence in the win over Norwich City last weekend and Crystal Palace are actually offering more attacking threat than you may expect from this team that have sometimes lacked goals.

They certainly are solid enough away from home to be respected and games between these two clubs have been decent watches in recent years. Both teams have scored in each of the last 4 between West Ham United and Crystal Palace, while 4 of the last 5 hosted by The Hammers have ended with three or more goals shared out.

Weather was a concern, but it looks to be a largely drier day in London which should aid two clubs that do want to get the ball down and play. I think that will also see at least three goals produced by them when they meet this weekend.


Arsenal v Bournemouth Pick: An early blitz of Standard Liege has given Arsenal a 100% start to their Europa League Group and Unai Emery will be looking to make sure his team can maintain their top four spot in the Premier League through the international break. A win over Bournemouth will be enough for Arsenal to secure that place and give the fans plenty to be encouraged about ahead of a run of fixtures that should see the team pick up a lot of momentum.

Arsenal have been very strong at home which has to be respected and they have also been scoring goals for fun. It is hard to see Bournemouth being able to contain their hosts considering the weaknesses shown in defence all season, but Eddie Howe won't be afraid to ask his team to get forward and at least challenge an Arsenal team who have not been impressive at the back themselves.

The Cherries have won 2 of their 3 away games in the Premier League this season which will give them belief they can earn an upset on Sunday. However, I do think it is hard to ignore the fact that Bournemouth have struggled to compete consistently with the top six teams in the Premier League ever since being promoted to the top flight.

Eddie Howe won't change the approach he wants from his team and that has largely been a hindrance for Bournemouth in these games against the better teams in the Premier League. They have struggled at Arsenal in recent years with some one-sided defeats in those fixtures and I do think the home team will have too much firepower for them even without Alexandre Lacazette.

I will look for The Gunners to score the goals which can give them every chance of covering the Asian Handicap and that is the selection here.


Manchester City v Wolves Pick: Balancing the Premier League and Europa League commitments has proved to be troublesome for clubs in England for a number of years and it is a real challenge for a Wolves team that is not the deepest in terms of the squad. A strong Wolves team did earn a big win in Istanbul on Thursday evening, but I do have to be concerned about what they are going to have in the tank for arguably the toughest test in European Football.

Manchester City hammered Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday despite the 2-0 nature of the scoreline and they are strong favourites to see off Wolves. I can't see anything but a home win here, especially considering the energy Wolves expended to win in Istanbul two days after Manchester City played in the Champions League.

The real question is what kind of margin of victory will we see here? I do have to respect the fact that Wolves have made life difficult for some of the top teams in England over the last fifteen months since returning to the top flight. A bigger factor may be the absence of Kevin De Bruyne which does take away a vital piece of Manchester City's attacking play.

The Belgian has been in stellar form to open the 2019/20 season after missing much of last season and I do think Manchester City have already proven they can win big titles even without the obvious quality De Bruyne brings to the team.

Defensively Manchester City are much better at the Etihad Stadium where the players feel more comfortable and I think that will be key for them getting into a position to cover the Asian Handicap in this one. Wolves will dig in and I do think Kevin De Bruyne's absence will make it a touch harder to break them down, but they are on a short turnaround and playing the toughest opponent they could face at this moment.

Last season ten man Wolves were beaten 3-0 here and I feel fatigue is going to make them feel like they have a man less in the last half hour of this Premier League game. It should see Manchester City being able to turn the screw and win this by a good margin in the final game before the international break.


Southampton v Chelsea Pick: There is always going to be room for improvement with young players who are just settling into being Premier League footballers, but I have been impressed with this Chelsea team. Frank Lampard has also shown he is capable of managing at this level and is developing a good team that will believe a top four spot is the minimum they can earn this season.

The win in Lille in the Champions League during the week will be a huge boost for every player involved and those experiences of away European nights will significantly aid the development of the players involved. Tammy Abraham continues to show he can lead the line for Chelsea and his goal will be huge for the striker who has been called up for England for the next two Euro 2020 Qualifiers.

Chelsea will head to the south coast with some real confidence having won 3 in a row overall and also their last 3 away games in all competitions. Scoring goals has not been a problem for The Blues who have managed at least two in each of those away wins and they should be able to cause plenty of problems for their hosts who have struggled to defend cohesively.

On the other hand Chelsea do keep conceding goals and Southampton will have noted the issues the former had from set pieces in the win over Lille. The Saints are a big team who scored from a corner against Manchester United, while they continue to create hosts of chances without having Che Adams or Danny Ings really find their feet in front of goal.

Ings has at least scored three goals in his last two games for Southampton and I do think they can cause problems for Chelsea with the attacking play. The young Chelsea team have not looked that solid when being attacked and this feels like a game in which both teams will hit the back of the net, but also produce enough attacking football to see more goals scored.

The last 8 Premier League games at St Mary's have seen both teams score and everything points to that being 9 by the end of this one. 7 of the last 9 between these clubs hosted by Southampton have ended with at least three goals shared out too and I am going to back that to be the outcome on Sunday.


Newcastle United v Manchester United Pick: There are little sign that things are getting better at Old Trafford and another lacklustre performance in the Europa League on Thursday will not have given the fans much encouragement for big games coming up.

The mood could be improved if Manchester United are able to win at St James' Park in the Premier League on Sunday and at least improve the current position in the League table. For all those who say the manager needs time to put his stamp on the squad, I do think he has to be held to account for what has to be seen as an underachieving start to the season.

This squad may be some way away from challenging for the Premier League title, but they are far better than the 10th best team in the Division. A good looking set of fixtures has not been taken advantage of and Manchester United can't afford to head into the international break with another defeat knowing they are going to be short of confidence ahead of the big home game against Liverpool.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not the only manager under pressure in this fixture as Steve Bruce tries to rally the Newcastle United players following a 5-0 defeat at Leicester City. The home form has been a little better with Newcastle United being unbeaten in 3 games here in all competitions, but they have struggled for wins and that is the only thing that is going to appease the fans.

In recent seasons Newcastle United have had a hard time facing Manchester United with 3 losses from the last 5 when they have hosted them. However this is a Manchester United team that look very vulnerable and I can't have them at odds on to win any away game considering they have not won any of their last 10 on their travels.

Goals might be at a premium on Sunday, but the layers are beginning to get to grips with that in Manchester United games. A few weeks ago you might have been able to get a bigger price on there being two or fewer goals shared out in this one, but the headlines have been made by Manchester United's failures in front of goal.

Newcastle United are not exactly an attacking powerhouse either and 4 of the last 5 between these clubs at St James' Park have ended with one of them failing to score. Backing that to be the outcome of this game on Sunday is priced up at almost odds against and that looks far too big.

The Magpies have failed to score in 2 of their 3 home Premier League games and Manchester United have played 260 away minutes without scoring too. A 1-1 scoreline could be the one that is most dangerous to the selection, but I do believe it will be difficult for either side to respond if they fall behind and so looking for one to pick up a clean sheet is the play.

MY PICKS: Brighton-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Burnley-Everton Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Liverpool-Leicester City Both Teams to Score @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Norwich City 0 Asian Handicap @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Watford - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)
West Ham United-Crystal Palace Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Arsenal - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Bet365 (2 Units)
Manchester City - 2.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Southampton-Chelsea Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.70 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Newcastle United-Manchester United Both Teams to Score- No @ 1.90 Bet Victor (2 Units)

October 2019/20: 1-4-1, - 5.18 Units (12 Units Staked, - 43.17% Yield)
September 2019/20: 13-9-1, + 8.82 Units (46 Units Staked, + 19.17% Yield)

August 2019/20: 14-17-2, - 8.78 Units (64 Units Staked, - 13.72% Yield)

Fantasy Football GameWeek 8

This is going to be a fairly short part of the thread about the Fantasy Football from GW8 and that is largely down to the fact that I am planning to keep hold of two transfers that can be used right out of the international break.

Last week I ended up picking up 48 points which was below the average and that has to be a disappointment. To compound things one of the hits I took in the transfers to bring in Todd Cantwell might be a really short-term move if his hamstring injury is more of an issue than Norwich City have let on right now.

With the upcoming international break, I don't want to waste a transfer taking him out of the squad if his absence in GW8 is a precaution and I would likely do the same if I had Kevin De Bruyne in my squad.

Another miss in picking my Captain only increased the frustration from last week, but we go again in GW8 and this has largely been a much better start to the season than I usually enjoy.

Below you can see my team selection for the upcoming GW.

Ederson- home game with Wolves, although this might be the first week my backup goalkeeper is also in action thanks to injuries at Carrow Road.

Andrew Robertson- got a goal in the Champions League during the week and is a real attacking threat even during a time when Liverpool are struggling for clean sheets.

John Lundstram- Sheffield United defender in the FPL game, but plays higher up the pitch and may have chances at Watford.

James Tarkowski- I have predicted there being goals in the Burnley-Everton game, but I still need to play Tarkowski ahead of the two Leicester players I am leaving on the bench. Everton's poor away record might play a part here too.

Fabian Delph- another defender playing in midfield which may result in some attacking returns.

Sadio Mane- home game with Leicester City and been in amongst the goals for several months now.

Raheem Sterling (C)- I can't believe the amount of people who have lost faith in a player that seems to be scoring every time he is on the pitch. Might have a number of new owners with Kevin De Bruyne ruled out this week.

Bernardo Silva- I don't think Bernardo Silva is racist, but he was foolish in posting what he did to his social media page. Will likely start in the absence of De Bruyne and should be the key creative source to unlock a stubborn, but fatigued Wolves defence.

Todd Cantwell- an injury doubt, but if he plays he can be a big influence against Aston Villa at home.

Josh King- away game at a big six club is not ideal for Bournemouth, but one of the weakest defensively is Arsenal so King might have more opportunities than you might expect.

Tammy Abraham (VC)- had chances against Brighton as my Captain last week but could not convert. Still managed a Champions League goal in Lille during the week, was called up by England on Thursday and surely feeling confident to round off the week at Southampton.

Bench- Michael McGovern (plays this week with the injury hit Norwich City team, but hard to see them earning a clean sheet), Youri Tielemans (happy to have him come in for Cantwell if injury rules out the latter), Caglar Soyuncu (another Leicester City player I am happy to keep as a backup in their trip to Anfield), Xande Silva.