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 1 2026/27 (Friday 21st August-Monday 24th August 2026)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

English Premier League Game Week 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Everton @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit) early payout price

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

Nottingham Forest-Leeds United Over 2.5 Goals @ 

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

Brighton @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit) early payout price

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

Liverpool @ 1.90 Bet365 (1 Unit) early payout price

Chelsea @ 1.95 Coral (1 Unit)

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

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

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

European Football gets underway on Tuesday and we have GameWeek 7 and GameWeek 8 to get through before teams can break away for the September international break.

October looks an incredibly busy month so it is so important to keep the points ticking over.

Premier League Picks GameWeek 6

August was a horrific month for the Premier League Picks with upsets seemingly around every corner.

You do have to hope that things will settle down, but it is a difficult run towards the World Cup and the rotations can make things harder to predict. However, I would love to see a bit more luck behind my selections here considering some of the truly strange things that have occurred on a regular basis.

But don't worry, I don't believe there is a 'witch in the building' or that the weather has been too dry... A Paul Pogba inspired curse is clearly the issue!

Everton v Liverpool Pick: Both of these teams had different outcomes from their midweek fixtures as Everton blew a lead in a draw at Leeds United, while Liverpool came from behind to beat Newcastle United at Anfield.

However, Frank Lampard will arguably be the more pleased with what he has seen of late from his Everton team compared with Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool team. Chances are being created by Liverpool, but they continue to concede the first goal in games and that puts them under immense pressure to get things right.

Falling behind in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park will be far from ideal for Liverpool, but this is always a challenging fixture for them. They may have won very comfortably here last December, but Liverpool had failed to secure the three points on 4 prior visits to Goodison Park and the home fans will certainly try and get on top of the visiting team making the short journey across Stanley Park.

Everton have scored first in both League games played this week, but have failed to hold on each time as they continue to show some defensive vulnerabilities. The chances being created is a positive for Everton, but those have come against Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Leeds United and you have to expect Liverpool to be harder to break down than those teams.

Recent results don't indicate that as Liverpool conceded first for the eighth time in nine games against Newcastle United, while Liverpool have also conceded the first goal in their last 5 away fixtures in all competitions. As much as Jurgen Klopp will be reminding his players of that fact, the return of Joel Matip cannot seem to come quickly enough.

He may be available for Saturday, but the bigger return for Liverpool could be Darwin Nunez for a team that has missed a focal point to their attacking play. The new signing has to be aware that defenders will have sensed a weakness in him after the way Darwin was hooked into a sending off against Crystal Palace, but I do think he will offer Liverpool a real threat going forward.

This is not going to be an easy game for Liverpool, but I do think they are the better team and will dominate the chances again. Everton may be a dangerous team on the counter-attack, but Liverpool's own attacking threat will be much stronger if Darwin and potentially Diogo Jota are back for them.

Avoiding going behind is the key for Liverpool and Everton have yet to lead at Goodison Park this season. If the visitors can edge in front, I think they have the quality to finally put in a much more rounded performance and secure a strong win on the day.

Brentford v Leeds United Pick: There isn't much love lost between Brentford and Leeds United, despite not being natural rivals, and the two teams will be heading into the weekend looking for a little better than recent results.

Over the last seven days, Brentford have earned two 1-1 draws against Everton and Crystal Palace, while Leeds United were beaten 1-0 at Brighton last Saturday before also drawing 1-1 with Everton.

An injury to Rodrigo will have dented the game-plan for Leeds United on Tuesday, but I do expect them to be a little more ready to play without their in-form striker. Patrick Bamford may not be ready to start, but he can give Leeds United a few more minutes than Tuesday, while the team are still producing strong attacking football that can create chances and hurt teams.

I think they will be able to do that against a Brentford team that have not defended as well as they would have liked, but Thomas Frank's team have been very good going forward. The manager has been a little disappointed with some of the lack of composure in the final third which has seen Brentford miss some glaring chances to win games over the last week, but The Bees can do more of the same on Saturday.

Ivan Toney is still a threat and Brentford will feel they can expose some of the vulnerabilities we have seen from Leeds United.

Both Premier League games between the teams ended with at least three goals shared out last season and both were games that featured some solid attacking football. An early goal could be key to the outcome of this one in West London and it could certainly spark the two teams to push forward in what could be an entertaining game for the fans in wet conditions.

Chelsea v West Ham United Pick: The Group Stages of their respective European competitions will begin during the week and both Chelsea and West Ham United are looking to find a bit more consistency in the Premier League.

The demands of the domestic and European calendar will be a huge test for every team ahead of the World Cup and this is a big game for the two clubs.

Thomas Tuchel and David Moyes will know what the other is likely going to want to do and they will have been trying to prepare their teams on a short week for this London derby. Chelsea have had an extra twenty-four hours to get ready, while they will also have Wesley Fofana available after finally getting his signing across the line.

I do think the extra time is going to be important for Chelsea and they have been playing pretty well in their two games at Stamford Bridge. The side have signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to offer a genuine threat down the middle, but Chelsea have scored two goals in each of their two home games and will be ready to integrate the ex-Arsenal striker into the line up later this month.

Chelsea should be able to create chances against a West Ham United team who have not completely convinced with their performances at the back. The Hammers looked much more threatening going forward against Tottenham Hotspur than we have seen for much of the season, but this is a fixture played away from home and West Ham United have lost 6 of their last 8 Premier League games on their travels.

The clean sheet at Villa Park is a positive, but West Ham United do not have the best recent record here and I think Chelsea's final third threat is hard to ignore.

With the goals being scored by The Blues, I think they can bounce back from the 2-1 loss at St Mary's by winning this home League game before the Champions League Group Stage gets underway.

Newcastle United v Crystal Palace Pick: After working as hard as they did on Wednesday, Newcastle United will have been disappointed to have returned home empty handed and Eddie Howe will be looking to pick the players up ahead of this game.

Playing at St James' Park has become a big help for the Newcastle United team with the fans firmly behind the style of football they are seeing under their current manager. They haven't just pleased the fans with the performances, but the results have also been impressive and Newcastle United have won 8 of their last 10 Premier League games here.

You do have to consider whether Newcastle United are now amongst the top teams in the Premier League, even without spending the kind of money that some expected under the new ownership. Eddie Howe's team play with confidence and they will feel they can compete with any team they face having given Manchester City and Liverpool a rough ride over the past month.

Not many will enjoy visiting St James' Park either, but this may be a good time for Crystal Palace even if they have struggled for consistency on their travels.

Injuries are limiting the options available to Eddie Howe and his team are playing with less time to prepare than Crystal Palace.

Patrick Vieira's team look healthier and they have shown how capable they can be in their 1-1 draw at Anfield followed by the 0-2 lead they had at the Etihad Stadium. Like their opponents in this fixture, Crystal Palace could not hold onto a two goal lead against Manchester City, although they were beaten 4-2 instead of earning the 3-3 draw that Newcastle United managed at home.

Crystal Palace will feel they can cause problems for Newcastle United and the home team do look a short price when you think of the players that are likely to be missing. The effort put into the narrow loss at Liverpool will have taken something from the legs and Crystal Palace's pace and quality in the final third may be enough for a positive result on Saturday afternoon.

Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth Pick: Both Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth were promoted to the Premier League last season, but they have taken vastly different approaches to how they feel they can consolidate their returns to the top flight.

While Bournemouth have been prudent spenders, Nottingham Forest have brought in a huge amount of players and spent over £200 million in getting the squad ready for the big time.

Steve Cooper cannot complain, but will be under pressure to deliver results, while Scott Parker's complaining at Bournemouth meant he became the earliest Sacking in Premier League history. The 9-0 hammering at Anfield cannot have helped, but Bournemouth bounced back for a point against Wolves during the week.

This time it is Nottingham Forest who will be looking to bounce back having been thumped 6-0 at Manchester City, but being at home will be a huge help. Nottingham Forest have hosted two tough opponents at the City Ground, but they have played really well in those games and now they face a much more winnable game.

That also brings additional pressure on players to perform, but there has been enough from Nottingham Forest to think they will have too much for Bournemouth. Steve Cooper's team will get forward and they will create chances and I do think it will be a challenge for Bournemouth to stay competitive considering the lack of goals in the squad.

Winning both League games against Nottingham Forest last season will give Bournemouth confidence, but this is a much stronger Forest team.

Defensively there are some questions about Nottingham Forest that will need to be answered, but I think they will have enough in the final third to secure an important three points.

Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham Pick: Merely looking at the results will suggest Tottenham Hotspur are in pretty good form, but there has been a slight lack of energy about them at times.

Some of that may have been down to the early start to the season, while a couple of key players are not in the best of form. Heung-Min Son is still searching for his first goal of the season having finished as joint leading scorer last season, while Tottenham Hotspur have just struggled to put an end product to some of the football being played.

In saying that, Spurs are still creating plenty of chances and they have been a much more confident team at home. Picking up four points from consecutive away games at Nottingham Forest and West Ham United will have pleased the manager, even if Antonio Conte felt his team were unbelievably denied a Penalty in the first half at the London Stadium following a long VAR check.

Being back at home should see a better all around performance from Tottenham Hotspur as they prepare to host this London derby.

Fulham are the visitors and Marco Silva's men have made a strong start to their return to the Premier League. An important home win over Brighton will have given the whole squad a boost, but the underlying numbers are a little troubling considering the amount of chances Fulham seem to be giving up.

They have impressed going forward though and in Aleksander Mitrovic they have a player in really good form, while Fulham led at Arsenal last weekend. A mistake helped them get in front and Arsenal were deserved winners in the end and I think Tottenham Hotspur will be able to follow their rivals in earning a home win over Fulham.

At some point the chances being allowed by Fulham will hurt them and the attacking approach could leave them open in this one at a tough away venue.

The last time these clubs met here it ended in a draw, but I think Tottenham Hotspur are stronger now and they can find the goals to secure a comfortable win on the day.

Aston Villa v Manchester City Pick: In recent years Aston Villa have given Manchester City one or two things to think about and Steven Gerrard has pointed out how close they came to upsetting the Champions at least once least season.

Both fixtures ended in narrow wins for Manchester City, but Aston Villa are a team playing with little confidence at the moment. It is a complete contrast at Manchester City where the goals have been flowing very easily and with a striker in absolutely stunning form in Erling Haaland leading the way.

That lack of confidence makes it very difficult to imagine Aston Villa are going to be as competitive as they were at the Etihad Stadium on the final day of last season. To be blunt, Aston Villa took their chances when they came that day, but this is a team who have not been producing the best attacking form this season and that is a major worry for their manager.

To make matters worse, Aston Villa have looked very vulnerable at the back and only poor finishing from Arsenal prevented them from being at the wrong end of a heavy loss. Set pieces will be key for Aston Villa to try and hurt Manchester City, but I am not sure how they can contain a team who have scored three or more goals in their last 4 Premier League games.

Better defences have struggled with the attacking threat Manchester City have produced and I think this is going to be a very tough day in the office for the hosts. There is a chance that Erling Haaland will not start the game, but even then Manchester City have plenty of attacking threats on the pitch and I think they will be a little too good all around for an Aston Villa team who have had a miserable August.

The last 3 Manchester City wins over Aston Villa have come by single goal margins and it is never easy to win by two or more away from home. However, Aston Villa look really poor at the back and I think Manchester City may manage at least three goals here which should be enough for a comfortable away win.

Brighton v Leicester City Pick: Both of these clubs were beaten in the midweek round of Premier League fixtures, but you have to favour Brighton as the more likely to bounce back on Sunday in front of the television cameras.

For starters, Brighton have started the season in much stronger form than Leicester City. Secondly they have had two extra days to prepare for this Premier League game having played at Fulham on Tuesday, while Leicester City lost to Manchester United on Thursday.

Add in home advantage and the fact that Brighton got the better of Leicester City here twelve months ago and most factors are pointing at the home team as the most likely winners.

Backing Brighton at odds on is not easy considering their sometimes wastefulness in front of goal and that is the major issue that has prevented Graham Potter's team from even more success than they have had. It was more of the same on Tuesday at Fulham, while the goalless draw at home against Newcastle United was down to Nick Pope and some poor finishing from the Brighton forwards.

They did beat Leeds United here last weekend, but Brighton are not going to overwhelm teams and that gives Leicester City a chance.

However, it is very difficult to know where Leicester City are heading at the moment with an unhappy manager and a squad that needed fresh faces. The goals being conceded is a real concern, while Leicester City have looked far too open and you have to expect the intelligent Brighton forwards to find spaces to exploit.

James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Jamie Vardy do give Leicester City some quality in the final third that has seen them score in their first 4 Premier League games before being shut out by Manchester United. I think they will pose problems for Brighton, but I cannot ignore the chances Leicester City are likely to give away and this feels like another home win, albeit in what is expected to be a tight game.

Manchester United v Arsenal Pick: These clubs met in April at the Emirates Stadium and you can get a feeling of the kind of turnover that has been made this summer from the starting line ups from that day.

Out of the eleven players that Arsenal selected, I would suggest only a maximum of six will be playing on Sunday.

From Manchester United, you could argue that seven of the eleven that began the game in April will be starting this one.

Both managers will be pleased with the form that Manchester United and Arsenal have been displaying ahead of this fixture, but injuries are beginning to crunch down on the visitors.

A strong start has been made to the season, but I do think we will learn a lot more about Arsenal following this fixture. The wins so far have been against teams Arsenal would be expected to beat following the investment made this summer and it is telling that four of the five Premier League wins have come against teams sitting in 13th or lower in the Division.

In fact three of those wins have been against teams in the bottom five, including against the current bottom two and so we do have to question how far Arsenal really have come. I won't deny they have been impressive winners in the games played so far, but a trip to Old Trafford is the litmus test and may give us a much better idea of what to expect from Arsenal over the next nine months.

Arsenal don't have a bad recent record at Manchester United, but were beaten 3-2 here last season.

They are also facing a Manchester United team playing with more confidence after 3 wins in a row and back to back clean sheets. The home win over Liverpool is easily the best result either of these teams have produced so far this season and Manchester United have lost 1 of their last 11 Premier League games at Old Trafford, despite the negative vibe around the club towards the end of last season.

Erik ten Hag will still feel there is an improvement to be made by his team, especially in the forward areas, but he will be happier with the partnerships at the back. Overall the defence has looked better without Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire, while Casemiro will be an upgrade on Scott McTominay when it comes to protecting the defence.

Antony is unlikely to be given a start this Sunday, but he is another that should be able to improve a problematic position for Manchester United on the right wing and there is much encouragement from what we have seen.

Injury issues in the Arsenal camp certainly give Manchester United the edge in my opinion and I do think the home team can keep the momentum going.

I respect what Arsenal have done so far this season, but Crystal Palace could have easily taken a point from them in the opening weekend fixture. They have won 4 of their last 6 away Premier League games, but ignoring the exceptions which were heavy defeats at Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United will be dangerous.

My lean is that Manchester United's stronger defensive performances of the last couple of weeks will show up here and they can be backed on the 'Draw No Bet' market to secure the three points.

MY PICKS: Liverpool - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.89 Bet365 (2 Units)

Brentford-Leeds United Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Chelsea to Win & Over 1 Total Goal @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Crystal Palace + 0.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.84 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Nottingham Forest @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Tottenham Hotspur - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.09 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Manchester City - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.92 Bet365 (2 Units)

Brighton @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Manchester United Draw No Bet @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

August 2022/23: 14-30, - 29.76 Units (88 Units Staked, - 33.82% Yield)

Fantasy Football GameWeek 6

I did say Pep Guardiola is a troll didn't I?

After previously mentioning that he will not be asking Erling Haaland to play every three days, the Manchester City manager has now stated that recovery is much easier at 22 years old than 32 years old and it sounds like rest and rotation is not a part of the future for Haaland after all.

Personally I couldn't trust Guardiola about anything he says in his press conferences and that statement actually has me thinking that he is more likely to have Erling Haaland on the bench at Villa Park instead of starting.

It's the go to move for Guardiola, but regardless I am unlikely to shift my Captain armband after another Erling Haaland super-show on Wednesday hurt me in GameWeek 5.

I can't really complain about a return of 79 points even noting that I got my Captain wrong, but the decision to bring in Rodrigo has backfired as he suffered a first half injury that will rule him out for the rest of the month.

Of course that means I am going to have to make a move in the market.

I did consider Leandro Trossard and Marcus Rashford, but I have Pascal Gross and did not want two Brighton players in attacking roles. I also think Rashford will soon be under pressure for his starting position in the Manchester United eleven after a couple of less than impressive outings and the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial, when he is fit, could be pushing to become the focal point for the club.

Marcus Rashford would be more appealing if he could put two or three quality games together, but it has been a long time since we saw him do that and I think the Arsenal game on Sunday may be his last hurrah with Antony coming in and United looking pretty good when Ronaldo came on against Leicester City.

Other options included the sideways move from Rodrigo to Jack Harrison, but ultimately I wanted a player I could use through to the September international break and the focus soon shifted to Nottingham Forest.

It came down to a straight decision between Morgan Gibbs-White and Jesse Lingard, but the latter was not involved in the 6-0 loss at Manchester City. Morgan Gibbs-White started and was withdrawn after 57 minutes, but I think that strengthens his chance of starting in GameWeek 6 and fixtures against Bournemouth and Fulham at home to sandwich a trip to Leeds United is an appealing run before the end of the month.

Steve Cooper has Nottingham Forest playing attacking football and they have been very impressive at the City Ground considering they have hosted West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur. The upcoming fixtures look much more manageable and the move to either Gibbs-White or Lingard at least leaves more money in the bank if I have to make more transfers in GameWeek 7.

Ideally I will then be able to move through that GameWeek without a transfer to have two to use in GameWeek 8.

The number of transfers made by Nottingham Forest makes it harder to trust them, but I do think they have done enough to suggest they can at least give Bournemouth, Leeds United and Fulham plenty to think about. That is all I can ask of them and I do think Morgan Gibbs-White/Jesse Lingard are differentials that can pay off here.

The Captain choice is tough for one reason only- I hate placing the armband on the first game of the weekend.

However, the return of Darwin Nunez is going to be a big plus for Liverpool and I do think it will benefit Mo Salah who has made a slower start than expected. He has scored three goals in his last two visits to Goodison Park and Everton are still defensively vulnerable, while I think Salah will win the minutes battle with Erling Haaland.

Going against the Norwegian has proven to be a big mistake over the last two GameWeeks, and it will be a tough day if Salah has not produced something in the early kick off.

A Merseyside derby is not an easy game to bring home a return, but I do think Liverpool are creating enough chances to believe they can break down their rivals and score at least two goals on the day.

Premier League Picks and Fantasy Football GameWeek 5 2022/23 (August 30-September 1)

The intense schedule for the top clubs in the top European Leagues will really begin this week with most of those teams playing twice a week through to mid-November when the break for the World Cup will begin.

Only a September international break cools things down a touch, but for most clubs that just means their players are on the field twice a week for their country rather than for their club.

It is going to mean a lot of rotation and that will impact the Fantasy Football selections, more of which is below.

Premier League Picks GameWeek 5

This has not been a very good start to the Premier League Picks as multiple moments that can change the entire feeling of a match have seemingly gone against my selections.

Penalty misses, early sendings off, or goals being conceded within five minutes of the start of a match have hurt.

World class finishing to erase winning selections with minutes remaining have also been a part of the deal and teams have also blown two goal leads.

It stings, but you have to believe some of those moments will naturally begin to turn back around.

Crystal Palace v Brentford Pick: It has been a difficult opening to the Premier League selections as late goals and Penalty misses sting, but the quick turnaround into a full midweek set of games will hopefully see a change in fortune.

A London derby will open the ten Premier League games to be played between Tuesday and Thursday and both Crystal Palace and Brentford will be feeling a little sore after the results on Saturday.

Patrick Vieira's team had travelled to Manchester and led the Champions 0-2, but capitulated in the last 37 minutes in an eventual 4-2 defeat. It will be tough to pick up the Crystal Palace squad after that result and they will be hoping that Wilfred Zaha can return to give them a boost in the build up to this one.

Thomas Frank's team came from behind to earn a point, but the manager believed wastefulness in the final third was costly for Brentford. The woodwork was hit multiple times in the 1-1 draw with Everton and Frank will be keen to see his strikers show a touch more composure when the big chances come their way.

Brentford have been creating plenty of chances in the first month of the season, but the defensive vulnerabilities on display at the end of last season continue to be an issue for the team. They have conceded at least twice in each of their last 4 away Premier League games, but scoring goals has not been a problem and Brentford have scored at least twice in each of their last 4 on their travels in all competitions.

I do think they can pose problems for a Crystal Palace team who have yet to earn a clean sheet this season and who have looked a little unsure of themselves at the back. However, Patrick Viera's team have scored in each of their last 3 Premier League games and have looked pretty good going forward in all of their fixtures played in August.

I can't ignore the fact that both League games between these teams finished goalless last season, but the underlying numbers of the defences early in this campaign has suggested there is some vulnerability about both Brentford and Crystal Palace. The 1-1 scoreline is perhaps the most dangerous against the selection, but I do think there will be at least three goals shared out between the teams on Tuesday.

Fulham v Brighton Pick: Both Marco Silva and Graham Potter have to be pleased with the Premier League performances from their respective teams in August, but there is still one more game to negotiate before moving in September.

They are heading into this fixture in slightly different form- Fulham have lost back to back away games in all competitions, while Brighton have won their last 3 in a row. However, Fulham's setbacks have been away from Craven Cottage and I do think they have been strong at home in their two Premier League games played here.

Defensively there are some questions, but Fulham have looked really good going forward and have been creating plenty of chances. Alexander Mitrovic has struggled at this level in previous years, but the Serbian striker has been in strong form to open this season including scoring the winning goal against Brentford.

In both games at Craven Cottage, Fulham have started really well and have scored the first goal which has been the key to picking up 4 points from a possible 6. However, there are some questions for a team who have conceded two goals in 4 of their 5 games played in all competitions this season and now have to face a Brighton team who finished last season in fine form.

Losing Marc Cucurella and Yves Bissouma will have hurt, but the squad have rallied behind Graham Potter and Brighton are playing with confidence. They have looked strong at both ends of the field over the first month of the season and Brighton are unbeaten in 10 in all competitions.

The away form has been particularly impressive and Brighton have won 5 of their last 7 away Premier League games. In 4 of those 7 away League games, Brighton have scored at least twice and I do think they can cause problems for Fulham as long as they can weather the expected early storm.

Both teams may hit the back of the net in this one, but I have to give the lean to Brighton with their long-term form away from home. The goals being conceded by Fulham is a concern, and Brighton have a pretty decent record at Craven Cottage in recent years which has seen them lose 1 of their last 5 visits.

Brighton have won 3 times in that stretch of games and I think on current form The Seagulls may have enough to leave West London with three more points on Tuesday evening.

Southampton v Chelsea Pick: Deep squads are going to be important for all Premier League clubs in the lead up to the World Cup, but it is especially the case for clubs competing in European competition who will have to become used to playing every three or four days until mid-November.

Thomas Tuchel has a couple of injuries in the squad which are making things difficult, but he will be frustrated by the sending offs that have led to suspensions. Conor Gallagher will be missing out on Tuesday, while Wesley Fofana may not be signed in time despite the fact that the transfer has moved forward.

At least Kalidou Koulibaly is back and Chelsea are coming in behind a victory over Leicester City.

However, you do have to question whether that win has sapped some of the energy in the Chelsea legs- they spent over 70 minutes playing with ten men on Saturday and a tough away game at St Mary's will present a real challenge for the visiting team.

Southampton are coming into the fixture off a home defeat and the team have struggled for performances at home going back to last season. They have lost 4 of their last 5 home Premier League games and Southampton are struggling for consistency under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

I do think Southampton showed enough on Saturday to be considered a threat and they will feel they can outwork Chelsea if there is any tiredness in the away dressing room. The Saints have created some decent openings in their fixtures played this month, but Southampton have yet to really convince defensively and I do think Chelsea are strong enough in the final third to find the goals to win this fixture.

Chelsea have won 6 of their last 7 games at St Mary's and they have scored at least twice in each of those victories. They are likely going to need to score at least two goals to win this Premier League game and I think Thomas Tuchel's men have shown they can find a way to scoring the goals to secure the victory.

Leeds United v Everton Pick: Two big clubs in English Football both flirted with relegation last season from the Premier League and Leeds United and Everton must be thinking about consolidation at this level over the next nine months.

The start made by Leeds United will have their fans believing they can achieve much more than that, but Jesse Marsch will want to keep his players focused on each match. The defeat at Brighton may be a reminder to the players and the fans that there is more work to do, but Leeds United have every chance of bouncing back in front of their own fans.

Last season was a challenging time for Leeds United at Elland Road, but they have won all three games played here this month and have scored at least twice in each victory. Jesse Marsch looks to have found a strong balance between attack and defence and that has shown up at home.

He will certainly feel his Leeds United team can do enough to beat Everton who have struggled for clean sheets and simply have not scored enough goals. Dominic Calvert-Lewin continues to be a big miss, while Neal Maupay will be making his debut having signed from Brighton knowing he has some big boots to fill.

I do think Maupay can make an impact for Everton who have been creating chances, but just lacked a finishing touch to some of the football played. However, Everton continue to look vulnerable at the back and I do think Leeds United are playing well enough to exploit that, especially at home.

Brentford should have beaten Everton on Saturday and I think this game will follow a similar path with the home team having the majority of the stronger chances. Frank Lampard's men have shown they can be pretty stubborn to beat, but Everton have not faced the toughest fixture list over the last two weeks and have still had to ride their luck at times.

The first goal will be important, but Leeds United can get that and that could lay the foundation for another three points at home.

Arsenal v Aston Villa Pick: Three wins from three relatively decent fixtures did not tell us too much about Arsenal, but the character shown in coming from behind to beat Fulham will have more people taking notice. There is no doubt that Mikel Arteta and the board have put together a strong squad and one that is young enough to grow together, but the manager will be the first to admit that bigger tests are yet to be faced.

At the start of the season some may have felt Aston Villa could provide that test, but Steven Gerrard's team have been underachieving all season. There are suggestions that Gerrard is not very happy and that the players are also not on the same page as the manager and these are the kind of stories that usually prelude a change in direction at a club.

I don't think the fans will be too disappointed if Steven Gerrard does leave the club as many are complaining that the football is as turgid as you will ever get to see. Some have even pointed out that the team looks to have gone backwards since the Sacking of Dean Smith and that despite the huge investment that has been made in the last two transfer windows.

The defeats to Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and West Ham United are made all the worse when you think those teams are a combined 0-1-8 when not playing Aston Villa this season.

There is quality in the squad that has to be respected, but if the players have fallen out with the manager, it can be difficult to imagine Aston Villa causing too many problems for Arsenal. Defensively they have been struggling and could be without Tyrone Mings and Diego Carlos for this one, while Arsenal are a team who are flying at home and playing with a swagger we have not seen for a long time.

Last season Arsenal beat Aston Villa 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium and I would not be surprised if The Gunners are able to match that margin of victory if they can score the first goal this weekend. The chances being created at home and Aston Villa's poor recent away record in the Premier League suggests Arsenal are going to be on the front foot for much of the fixture and they can win well.

Bournemouth v Wolves Pick: A month ago you would have seen plenty of predictions of how the Premier League will shake up over the course of the next few months and many would have tipped up Bournemouth for an immediate return to the Championship.

Plenty of others would have suggested that Wolves could slip into trouble too, especially as they had a miserable end to the last campaign.

Bruno Lage has to be a little worried considering the early season form, but the Wolves board have backed their manager with some signings made to strengthen the team. Holding onto Ruben Neves will be a huge achievement, but Wolves are still struggling for goals and they have now failed to win any of their last 11 Premier League games.

They have created some chances, but Wolves have not defended as well as they would have liked even if it took a world class strike to secure point against them on Sunday. Newcastle United did enough to deserve that result and Wolves will be under pressure in what should be a tough away game.

Bournemouth are another who are trying to recover from a disappointing result this past weekend and the 9-0 defeat at Anfield will have embarrassed all associated with the club. Scott Parker continues to let all know that he needs more help, but Bournemouth are unlikely to have new faces involved in this one on Wednesday.

The Cherries have beaten Aston Villa at home this season so have to be respected, but they are not a team that have looked as good going forward as they would have liked. Some of that may be down to the fact that Bournemouth have faced some of the toughest teams in the Division after the opening game against Aston Villa, but this is a much more winnable fixture.

The first goal feels like it will be massive- Bournemouth's poor defensive performances are a worry against a Wolves team that do have pace and some quality in the final third. However, Wolves have lost the winning feeling and this could be a close match.

I don't think there will be much between them on the night, but Wolves may have just enough to steal the points and I think they can be backed on the Asian Handicap.

UPDATE: I wrote this before the news of Scott Parker's departure from Bournemouth was being confirmed. It could impact the players in a positive way- they will feel the previous manager has thrown them under the bus with some of his comments and it may produced a big reaction from them.

I still think Wolves will edge to the points on quality alone, but the dynamics are a little different now.

Manchester City v Nottingham Forest Pick: Wins are all that matters at the end of the day, but Manchester City will not want to continue having to fight back from two goals down as they have been in each of their last two Premier League fixtures. Some late misses prevented Manchester City coming back to beat Newcastle United, but that was not the case on Saturday as they fought back in a 4-2 win over Crystal Palace.

Pep Guardiola will be demanding more control from his players before the Champions League Group Stage begins next week and Manchester City also have some tougher games coming up.

The manager will be demanding that control begins on Wednesday when hosting Nottingham Forest, a team who have looked really open at the back and yet to show a consistency in the final third.

Nottingham Forest played attractive football against Tottenham Hotspur, but they were not able to create great openings and were perhaps a little fortunate to only lose by two goals on the day. Dean Henderson saved a Penalty for a second home game in succession, but the Manchester United player on loan at the City Ground is going to be a busy player on Wednesday.

The Tricky Trees will need Henderson at his best, but Nottingham Forest were well beaten at Newcastle United in their first away game. Everton created a lot of chances against Nottingham Forest too and that has to be a major concern for Steve Cooper ahead of a game against the Champions who have scored at least three goals in their last 3 Premier League games.

At home Manchester City have been very dominant and scored at least three goals in 4 of their last 5 at the Etihad Stadium, while banging in four in both home games against Bournemouth and Crystal Palace this month. I expect some changes to be made to the starting eleven, but Manchester City should have plenty of quality on the field and they are capable of covering this big Asian Handicap mark.

West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: An early London derby between two teams who will be chasing European places in the Premier League come the end of the season will be played on Wednesday as the first month of the campaign draws to a close.

It has been a more productive month for Tottenham Hotspur, although Antonio Conte will be looking for improved performances even if the results have been pretty good. The win at Nottingham Forest will have given Tottenham Hotspur some confidence, but Antonio Conte will be asking his players to just show a bit more composure all around.

He will be the first to remind the squad that this is going to be a much tougher test against a West Ham United team who have finally won a Premier League game for the first time this season. It was far from a vintage performance from David Moyes' team, but they did enough to beat Aston Villa and will be looking to back that up.

New signings are still bedding in though and West Ham United look short of defensive numbers with injury issues meaning there are vulnerabilities that can be exploited by the visiting team. The attacking side of their football has not really been firing as the manager would have hoped either and I do think Tottenham Hotspur can snap their run of consecutive losses at the London Stadium.

You have to believe Tottenham Hotspur can create the chances to do that as long as they can weather what could be an early West Ham United storm. David Moyes had set his team up to be very effective against the top teams last season, but West Ham United have been well beaten by Manchester City and Brighton at the London Stadium this month and I do think Tottenham Hotspur are playing well enough to secure another away victory in the space of less than a week.

Liverpool v Newcastle United Pick: Eddie Howe is doing a very strong job as manager of Newcastle United, but there will be a frustration with some key injuries that have been picked up.

They lost Callum Wilson last week, while Allan Saint-Maximin picked up an injury against Wolves that is likely going to keep him out of this one. Alexander Isak could be involved for the first time since being signed from Real Sociedad, but Newcastle United may not have the same bite going forward as they did when facing Manchester City a couple of weeks ago.

I expect Newcastle United to be a threat from set pieces and their counter attack could hurt a Liverpool team that have played a high line under Jurgen Klopp. They have been able to do that with confidence previously, but injuries have left Liverpool a little more vulnerable and I do think Newcastle United can have some success.

However, Liverpool are going to be a lot more confident having thumped Bournemouth on Saturday and I do expect the home team to get forward and create chances. They have done that all season and Newcastle United are a team that allowed Brighton and Manchester City to create plenty against them.

Only an inspired Nick Pope has prevented Newcastle United from falling to defeat already this season, but they are likely going to need him at his best again. The Liverpool squad will begin to look much stronger in the next couple of weeks, but they have shown there is still enough quality to win matches.

Things have just seemed to conspire against Liverpool early in this season, while Newcastle United have perhaps had fortune on their side. However, I think Liverpool kick on from the win over Bournemouth and the injuries in key attacking areas may leave Newcastle United short in this one as Liverpool perhaps win by a big enough margin to cover this Asian Handicap line.

Leicester City v Manchester United Pick: Winning at St Mary's will have given the Manchester United players another shot of confidence, especially when you consider how poorly they have played away from Old Trafford for a number of months. 7 straight away losses underlines the point, but a gritty win at Southampton along with the clean sheet will keep the momentum going under Erik ten Hag.

Antony has been signed and that is a move endorsed by the manager, although he is unlikely to be playing on Thursday.

It will mean the starting eleven have to impress ten Hag with the likes of Casemiro and Cristiano Ronaldo others pushing for starts and I do think Manchester United have a few more options now. Regardless, Erik ten Hag has shown that reputations mean nothing and only form and doing what is expected on the field will be good enough to keep players in the starting line up.

Manchester United have not had the best of recent visits to the King Power Stadium, but they may not have a better chance to get the better of Leicester City.

Brendan Rodgers has seen his team look very vulnerable defensively and they have lost 3 Premier League games in a row. The last defeat came at Stamford Bridge despite the fact that Chelsea were reduced to ten men early on, while Leicester City have looked weak at both ends of the field in their opening three League games before the loss last Saturday.

Even in that one Chelsea created enough chances against Leicester City, which is going to be encouraging for Manchester United when noting that The Blues were down to ten men for 70 minutes.

James Maddison is a doubt and his absence would be a big blow for Leicester City, while Manchester United will feel they have the momentum behind them anyway. This is never an easy place to visit, but Leicester City have conceded two goals to both Brentford and Southampton here and Manchester United look a big price at odds against to win.

This won't be easy and I expect there will be tense moments to ride out for the visitors, but I am looking for the quality in the final third to just about give Manchester United the edge to earn the full points on offer.

MY PICKS: Crystal Palace-Brentford Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Brighton - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.01 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Chelsea to Win & Over 1 Total Goals @ 1.95 Bet365 (2 Units)

Leeds United - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.84 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Arsenal - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 2.06 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Wolves - 0.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.87 Bet365 (2 Units)

Manchester City - 2.75 Asian Handicap @ 1.76 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Tottenham Hotspur @ 2.05 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Liverpool - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.84 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Manchester United @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

August 2022/23: 12-22, - 20.48 Units (68 Units Staked, - 30.12% Yield)

Fantasy Football GameWeek 5

Patience is always the key in playing any type of Fantasy game and not making any rash decisions when things have not gone to plan early is the absolute state of mind you have to maintain.

That isn't easy when big priced players are underperforming, but GameWeek 4 was a much stronger one.

In saying that, I am still not sure how my Captain failed to return even a single assist in a game in which his team managed to score NINE goals. The only saving grace is that many would have selected Mo Salah as their Captain for the week and the rest of my team made up for the lack of production from the Liverpool forward.

The couple of players that are of real concern are Leon Bailey and Gabriel Martinelli.

The latter has at least returned early and his price point has moved up markedly, but a couple of games in which he has not been as effective is something I have noted.

Arsenal have a solid squad of players and the likes of Emile Smith Rowe will be pushing Martinelli, although for now he is a keeper with other issues to address.

I have already mentioned how intense the schedule is between now and November and that is likely going to mean rotations- that means a strong bench is needed to make up for any players that are surprisingly rested.

With that in mind, my transfers this week are pretty easy having held one on GameWeek 4 to use ahead of the midweek fixtures. Leon Bailey has to leave the squad with the upcoming games and being out of favour under Steven Gerrard, while Zinchenko could miss out on Wednesday and then has a difficult game at Old Trafford to come, assuming he is back by the weekend.

I am looking to bring back Nico Williams of Nottingham Forest who has a good set of fixtures coming up after the visit to Manchester City and who looks like he could offer plenty of attacking returns. The Leeds United fixtures also look pretty appealing before the trip to Manchester United next month and so downgrading Zinchenko into a £4.1 million Williams opens the door to move Bailey into Rodrigo or Jack Harrison.

Patrick Bamford continues to miss time so Rodrigo looks the superior short-term choice and also is a potential player that can help to rebuild the bank after the drop in prices for both Bailey and Marcus Rashford hurt me early.

The Captain choice is a tough one this week- Erling Haaland's performance against Crystal Palace is obviously catching the eye, while Nottingham Forest have looked really weak defensively in the system being played by Steve Cooper. However, Pep Guardiola has already begun to troll the Fantasy players around the world by suggesting he will be rotating Haaland as soon as Manchester City have to play twice a week and this would be the perfect game to give Julian Alvarez the start.

It is enough to put me off Erling Haaland and give Mo Salah another chance- as disappointing as his return was on Saturday, he had a couple of great chances to score and I think he will have more against Newcastle United. Eddie Howe's team is much improved, but Brighton and Manchester City have created plenty of chances against them already this season and only an inspired Nick Pope has prevented defeat.

He will need to be as inspired on Wednesday and I think Mo Salah edges out Gabriel Jesus for the armband.

Good luck to all over the coming three days before GameWeek 6's deadline hits on Saturday morning.