Premier League Picks and Fantasy Football GameWeek 4 2022/23 (August 27th-28th 2022)

The Premier League continues to move at a pace and we are very shortly going to add in European commitments for the top teams which means a huge amount of football will be played in a short space of time.

This is all down to the Winter World Cup in three months time and that is a problem for Fantasy players as much as the real life managers with rotation set to be pretty high.

It is the first test of the squads between GameWeek 4 and GameWeek 6 when three Premier League matches are played by each club in the space of eight or nine days. That will be a challenge for the deepest of squads and something that will mean needing a strong bench to negotiate the path through.

United Corner- Momentum, Momentum, Momentum

That was not a normal Monday night at Old Trafford.

It has been a long time since I've sat in such an inspired atmosphere and certainly the loudest the fans have been since the return to the stands following the Covid pandemic and I include the 5-1 mauling of Leeds United last season and the 4-1 win over Newcastle United as Cristiano Ronaldo made his second debut for the club.

I have to believe the that march to the ground that saw thousands of United fans come together certainly helped and the adrenaline was pumping at kick off. Anti-Glazer chants were shouted loud and proud before, during and after the game and Lisandro Martinez clearly captured the vibe around the Stadium by depositing Mo Salah to the turf within seconds of the start of the game.

I won't lie, I wasn't expecting much from United after their first couple of results, but it was a strong performance and a much deserved win, even if Jurgen Klopp was hesitant to admit that. Erik ten Hag got the big decisions right on the night and goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford will hopefully begin to spark their careers at the club.

As I've wrote in the headline, now it's all about momentum, momentum, momentum.

The win over Liverpool will quickly be forgotten if Manchester United are unable to take maximum points from the away games at Southampton and Leicester City before the visit of Arsenal next Sunday. Yes, the away form has been miserable over the last few months, but Southampton and Leicester City are very much winnable fixtures for any club that is hoping to chase a place in the top four and this is the time for the players to stand up and be counted.

Beating Liverpool in an intense atmosphere showed character, but United fans expect and demand more.

That word 'momentum' is also very important when it comes to the protests- the club are doing all they can to douse those, either by editing videos to remove chants they don't like, or taking down banners using weak excuses to do so.

The march down to the ground on Old Trafford was far bigger than the one that began against Norwich City on Easter Weekend and I do hope 'The 1958' can keep it going. The Glazers have been rocking, but United fans cannot allow one or two shiny new toys and a big win over those lot from down the road to cloud our judgement.

The real issue remains at the club, but I have faith that 'The 1958' will continue to swell in terms of support and the momentum is with them and us as we continue to remind the world how much the Glazer family have hurt the club over their seventeen year ownership.

Remember, Glazers Out.

Leaving Old Trafford on Monday night, you couldn't help but smell the change in the air with the fans pumped and the adrenaline coursing through each and every one of us.

I will admit that I have not been convinced with some of the early decisions made by Erik ten Hag, especially having Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire starting the first two League games, but I was feeling much better on Tuesday morning.

The manager has not only made some big decisions in his team selection, but his position to do so will have been strengthened after the 2-1 win over Liverpool and I was impressed with some of the football played. Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia were excellent on Monday, as was Raphael Varane, and I was enjoying the fact that all three were willing to make passes into players in front of them rather than always turning back or playing square as Shaw and Maguire have tended to do.

Some of that is down to shot confidence, but Manchester United need braver players and I think Martinez and Malacia have laid down a marker.

Now it is about backing it up.

I'd give them ample time to do that and not just remove either if they have a game short of what we saw on Monday- too many like Shaw and Maguire have had multiple chances and need to be reminded that form and performance levels, not reputation, gets you selected at a big club.

The manager is likely going to pick the same eleven that started on Monday night with the only question being which Anthony to go for- Elanga or Martial?

Regardless, I do think Erik ten Hag will feel much more settled as the manager of this club after the last game and stamping his authority on the squad is key.

Premier League Picks GameWeek 4

There is no hiding place- I've had an absolutely miserable start to the season.

Not much has broken my way, but there have also been some bad Picks.

It's not all going to come back at once, but a winning week is important with the fixtures coming round thick and fast and I am expecting much better than the production so far.

Another poor week may mean a reset is needed before going again, but these are my thoughts for the fixtures scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

Southampton v Manchester United Pick: A win over Liverpool will always be appreciated by those who follow Manchester United, but for most this cannot paper over the cracks at the club and there will be a continued protest against the Glazer family who have been so damaging in their time in charge.

This is something that is likely going to drag on, but the fans still made sure they were firmly behind the team and the club rather than the owners on Monday night. A pumped atmosphere at Old Trafford was added to by the intensity of the Manchester United players and they deservedly came away with a first win of the season and of the Erik ten Hag era.

The manager made some big decisions in his starting line up having left out the likes of Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo, but those were justified in the 2-1 win. It is unlikely that there will be wholesale changes after that performance, but Casemiro is ready to make his debut and could come in for Scott McTominay, while the main question for ten Hag is which Anthony to start- Elanga or Martial?

Regardless, Erik ten Hag has to be spending the time between Monday night and Saturday lunchtime to remind his players that the win over Liverpool will mean nothing if they don't back it up at St Mary's. The effort and intensity shown has to be produced in every game and Manchester United will also be tested having lost their last 7 away Premier League games going back to last season.

Avoiding the early mistakes that proved devastating at Brentford will be important, but Manchester United will also have to match the intensity that Southampton will be playing with.

Rumours that the players were no longer behind Ralph Hasenhuttl were rampant and there would have been some real discontent in the stands as Southampton trailed Leeds United 0-2 in their first home game. However, the players showed considerable character to come back and earn a deserved draw and then backed that up with a strong performance and win at Leicester City.

Confidence won't be a problem in the home team and I do think Southampton have shown they can at least give Manchester United plenty to think about in recent years. Yes, they have taken a 9-0 thumping at Old Trafford in that time, but Southampton have drawn 3 of their last 4 at home against Manchester United and will feel there are still some vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

In saying that, Manchester United will be encouraged by the chances that both Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United have created against Southampton and this could be a fairly entertaining game on the south coast to open the fourth round of Premier League fixtures.

Both teams scoring would not be a surprise, but I do think Manchester United will be able to play with much more swagger in this away game than we have seen in recent months. The win over Liverpool coupled with the players knowing that their manager is capable of making big decisions in terms of team selection should help and I do think Manchester United can snap their really poor recent away record.

From a confidence stand point, it is important for Manchester United to score first and I do think they can create enough chances to do that. As long as they don't give away goals like they did at Brentford, Manchester United can win this game that should produce two or more goals.

Brentford v Everton Pick: Thomas Frank will not have been happy with the early attitude and then some of the defending in Brentford's 3-2 loss at Fulham last weekend, but the attacking side of the game does give The Bees a real sting.

They have now scored at least twice in all 4 games played in all competitions this season and more impressive is the fact that 3 of those have been away from home. The manager won't ignore some of the help that Manchester United gave his Brentford team here in a 4-0 win two weeks ago, but Thomas Frank has to be pleased with what he has seen from his team when they do go forward.

Finding a balance between attack and defence is not going to be easy, while I do think Frank is someone that wants his team to get forward and express themselves. I certainly think they can do that against an Everton team who have lost 9 of their last 11 away Premier League games and who have not had a clean sheet in the top flight so far this season.

Some credit has to be given to Frank Lampard and his team about the way they have defended and Everton have not conceded a lot of goals. However, both Chelsea and Aston Villa created plenty and I do think that offers Brentford encouragement.

A bigger question for Everton is whether they can pose much of a threat when they have the ball- while the team have played some good football into the final third, the lack of a clinical and composed finisher has hurt Everton. It would be surprising if they were not able to cause problems for Brentford, but in the absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the departure of Richarlison, the lack of a goalscorer has been a problem.

Demarai Gray has scored two in two, which will give him confidence, but the more consistent threat in this fixture is likely to come from Brentford.

With the goals being scored by Thomas Frank's men, I do think Brentford can do enough to secure a vital three points as they look to avoid second season syndrome in the top flight. Ivan Toney is showing he can produce at this level and he is the player that could make the difference and the feeling is that Brentford can make it three Premier League victories in a row against an Everton team still looking for consistent answers in the final third.

Brighton v Leeds United Pick: Both Brighton and Leeds United have made very strong starts to the Premier League and they have shown off a little of the squad depth as much changed starting elevens won League Cup ties against lower League opponents.

With unbeaten records to protect, the two meet on the south coast on Saturday and I think this will be a confident and entertaining match to watch. The two sides have both earned 7 points from a possible 9 in the Premier League, although something has to give on Saturday.

Brighton have won 3 times this season and all of those victories have been away from the Amex Stadium, while Leeds United have won 3 times and all at Elland Road. Both teams have settled for a draw in their sole home/away game respectively, although I do think both Graham Potter and Jesse Marsch will feel their teams could have won the game where they had to settle for a point.

The chances being created by both teams have to be respected, although I do think the early form has slightly favoured Brighton over Leeds United. While the two teams have been confident in the final third, Brighton have been a bit more convincing with their defending and have limited the chances that opponents have been able to create against them.

Last season both Premier League games between these teams ended in draws, but that was largely down to Brighton's wastefulness in front of goal. Previously they had found a finishing touch to their football when hosting Leeds United, and Brighton had won 5 in a row at home against them before the goalless draw between them here in November 2021.

Brighton's wastefulness and the Nick Pope performance means they failed to score in their first home game, but they have scored at least twice in the other fixtures played this season. As solid as the Leeds United results and performances have been, they have perhaps been a touch more fortunate than their hosts and I think that may show up here.

I expect Brighton to dominate the chances in front of goal and I think they can win this one, although this Leeds United team have to be respected. They are dangerous and have scored plenty of goals, but Brighton have looked pretty solid in the defensive third and I feel they can edge to the three points in this match between unbeaten opponents.

Chelsea v Leicester City Pick: You can sense there is a growing feeling that the Leicester City board and Brendan Rodgers could decide to part way, unless there is something significant that changes ahead of the final week of the transfer window.

Brendan Rodgers felt his squad needed some new blood at the end of last season, but Leicester City have not had the finances to support him and the potential sale of Wesley Fofana will be a blow. Teams have been circling James Maddison and Jamie Vardy too, while Youri Tielemens is another being linked with a move away and you do have to wonder if Rodgers may feel he can't take the squad any further.

The poor results and performances will not help.

Leicester City blew the 2-0 lead over Brentford on the opening day in an eventual draw, but they have deservedly lost at Arsenal and to Southampton last weekend. The latter defeat is really worrying as Leicester City were leading in that one too, but the departure of Kasper Schmeichel has left them vulnerable at the back and perhaps lacking some inspiration in attacking areas.

James Maddison is doing his best and has been a key player for Leicester City from an attacking sense, but the chances being given up are really worrying.

I think Chelsea will have their opportunities to take advantage, even if they have been lacking a Number Nine in their early fixtures. Creativity has not been a problem, but Chelsea need someone who can consistently provide the end product and that does not seem to be any player currently on their books.

Things are likely to change before September, but this current Chelsea squad should be able to manage against Leicester City. In recent seasons they have not enjoyed hosting The Foxes, but Leicester City look really vulnerable and short of confidence and a first goal for Chelsea could see them largely dominate the match.

Thomas Tuchel will be demanding a reaction from the 3-0 loss at Leeds United last Sunday and you have to believe a similar level to that produced against Tottenham Hotspur will be more than good enough for Chelsea against Leicester City.

The Foxes could play their part, but the goals being conceded makes it hard to believe they can earn a positive result for the fifth time in six visits to Stamford Bridge. Instead I expect Chelsea to have enough chances and eventually quality to convert and cover the Asian Handicap on their way to a first home three points of the season.

Liverpool v Bournemouth Pick: They travelled to Old Trafford as very, very strong favourites to beat rivals Manchester United again, but Liverpool were clearly second best on Monday night.

Now all the attention is on Liverpool who have surprisingly yet to have won a Premier League game this season and that despite facing Fulham, Crystal Palace and Manchester United. Jurgen Klopp's team have been favourites in all three games, strong favourites, but they have continued a bad habit from last season in conceding the first goal.

Jadon Sancho's strike on Monday means Liverpool have fallen behind in each of their last 7 Premier League games and injuries are not helping the cause. However, that would be a pretty poor excuse to use when you think of the quality still available and Klopp and the players will be demanding a much more focused effort all around.

Going forward Liverpool are still creating plenty of chances, but they do look to be missing Sadio Mane. Both Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez being on the sidelines hasn't helped as it has meant an over-reliance on Roberto Firmino who looks to have seen his best days in a Liverpool shirt.

I don't think the absences should be a factor on Saturday as Liverpool prepare to host a Bournemouth team who have conceded seven goals in losses to Manchester City and Arsenal combined. Scott Parker's team were well beaten in both games and he will be concerned with the early goals that his team have conceded in those defeats, especially as the approach has to be to frustrate Liverpool and see if defensive vulnerability remains in the home camp.

The Bournemouth players should certainly listen to Parker... I mean he was the last Premier League manager to earn a victory at Anfield from his time with Fulham.

After containing Liverpool early, Fulham broke to score on the stroke of half time and Scott Parker got his tactics spot on that day. That victory was against an injury hit Liverpool team too so there are similarities ahead of this fixture, although I do think Anfield will help the home players produce a big performance.

You ultimately cannot expect Liverpool to continue to be as wasteful in front of goal as they have been nor as sloppy as they have been in defensive situations. Bournemouth have not really shown much as a threat in the final third in any of their Premier League games this season in terms of number of chances created, and the defensive issues that were highlighted before the season have reared up in the defeats to Manchester City and Arsenal.

The same could potentially happen here if Liverpool can score the first goal and just play with a bit more confidence and I do think Jurgen Klopp's team will win their first League fixture on Saturday in some style.

Manchester City v Crystal Palace Pick: The dominance of Manchester City in recent seasons means they are going off plenty short in almost every Premier League fixture they will be playing and that is the case again on Saturday.

It fails to account for the fact that Crystal Palace took four points from Manchester City last season and Patrick Vieira's team did not concede a goal against one of his former clubs. Of course you will have to ride out some rough moments in being able to do that, but Crystal Palace were really solid in their game on this ground.

The 0-2 win at the Etihad Stadium means Crystal Palace have lost 1 of their last 4 visits to Manchester City and have to be considered something of a bogey team. That is especially the case considering The Eagles have won twice in that time and they have managed to score at least two goals in 3 of their last 4 games here.

After seeing Newcastle United hurt Manchester City last weekend, Crystal Palace have a further blueprint in how to attack the Champions and I do think they have quality in the final third. They showed that in the 1-1 draw at Anfield two weeks ago when only better finishing from Wilfried Zaha was needed to add to the goal he scored and perhaps earn Crystal Palace the win.

Pep Guardiola will be well aware how dangerous Crystal Palace can be and he will be looking for his Manchester City team to be much more resilient than they showed in the 3-3 draw at Newcastle United. There are clearly plenty of goals in the squad so you have to expect Manchester City to score in every game they play, even if they didn't against Crystal Palace last season, and the addition of Erling Haaland should help.

The injury to Nathan Ake to add to Aymeric Laporte is a blow, but Manchester City have looked very controlled in the games before the trip to St James' Park. I expect them to try and get back to basics in this one and avoid leaving Crystal Palace's wingers in one on one situations as they allowed Allan Saint-Maximin to dominate in the first half last Sunday.

This time Manchester City should be more settled without a first half injury to deal with and I do think they will be better for it.

Crystal Palace did score at Liverpool two weeks ago, but they did struggle for goals at the big six last season. They lost at Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur without scoring last season and even this very good looking attacking side produced by Patrick Vieira may struggle for the chances at the home of the Champions looking to show much better in their own final third than last week.

I do think Crystal Palace need to be respected when you think of the amount of goals they have plundered at the Etihad Stadium in recent years, but their sole defeat in their last 4 visits came in a game where they failed to score. I think that could be the outcome of this one with a much more focused Manchester City likely to be playing after the two fixtures between the clubs last season.

In fact Manchester City have earned 4 clean sheets in the last 6 between these clubs and a home win to nil looks a decent price.

Arsenal v Fulham Pick: A strong pre-season raised expectations, but the win at Crystal Palace on the opening weekend of the campaign has really gotten people to sit up and take notice.

After only just missing out on a top four place last season, Arsenal look to have done the business in the transfer market to not only close that gap, but to feel anything less than a Champions League spot is a failure. That does place some pressure on Mikel Arteta's shoulders as manager of the club, but he looks happy and the players look very comfortable as the last remaining team with a perfect record in the Premier League.

The win at Palace was very impressive, even if Arsenal had to ride their luck at times, but backing that up against Leicester City and Bournemouth was important. I am still not sure what I truly think of Arsenal because it has been a relatively kind start to the campaign, but momentum can be very important and back to back home games gives them a chance to build on the foundation already laid down.

You would expect Arsenal to beat Fulham and Aston Villa, but expectations are not always met.

They will have to respect a Fulham team that took a point from Liverpool already, although I do think Arsenal will be excited to attack a Fulham defence that has looked plenty leaky. Both Liverpool and Brentford scored twice at Craven Cottage and this Arsenal team have been creating plenty of chances in their first three wins in the League.

Fulham may feel the best approach is to fight fire with fire and that has worked in their opening games as they remain unbeaten on their return to the top flight. Defensively there may be questions, but Fulham did create plenty of their own attacking chances in the games played in the Premier League and they may feel they can play a part in this fixture.

However, keeping Arsenal out is going to be very difficult with the approach set out by Marco Silva and I don't think the manager is going to be changing his principles too far from what he likes to see. That worked against Liverpool, but at the Emirates Stadium it could leave Fulham open to the Arsenal final third threat and I do think the home team will win again and by two or more goals for the fourth time in August.

Aston Villa v West Ham United Pick: Both Steven Gerrard and David Moyes have some big expectations to meet this season, although the latter's recent successes means he has a bit more goodwill in the bank.

The rumours are that the Aston Villa board are getting a little worried about Steven Gerrard and the direction of the club. The fans are not happy with the style of football being produced, while the huge investment made in the last two transfer windows have yet to turn into much improved results on the field.

A falling out with Tyrone Mings had threatened to split the dressing room in two and Gerrard is under pressure after another capitulation from his team in the 3-1 defeat at Crystal Palace.

At least Aston Villa have won their sole home Premier League game and they are facing a West Ham United team who played on Thursday night and who have struggled for form in the Premier League. The 3 losses in the League without scoring a goal is a worry, although David Moyes will feel his team have shown enough in the final third to change that as quickly as this weekend.

West Ham United were unfortunate to lose at the City Ground earlier this month, but you cannot ignore the fact that they have lost 6 of their last 7 away Premier League games. The poor end to last season has seeped into this one and I do think that West Ham United have looked vulnerable at the back, which should be very encouraging for Aston Villa.

The Hammers have won on their last 2 visits to Villa Park and scored at least three goals in both of those wins.

I do think David Moyes will be encouraging his team to get on the front foot and they can cause problems for Aston Villa, but the home team should also be able to have their successes when getting the ball into the final third.

The last 4 Premier League games between the clubs have all seen both teams score and all have also ended with at least three goals shared out. With some of the defensive issues that have been clear to see in both the home and away performances, I think this is another that should see goals flowing.

Wolves v Newcastle United Pick: The first live game on Sunday involves Newcastle United, but it would be a real surprise if this matches the intensity and attacking output we saw when they hosted Manchester City.

The fixture ended 3-3 with so much quality on display in the final third, but Newcastle United may not find it so easy to find the energy to bring that intensity to the field again.

Eddie Howe has clearly got a tune out of the squad, but Callum Wilson could be a big miss for Newcastle United. They did not create very much in their goalless draw at Brighton a couple of weeks ago and only Nick Pope's brilliance ensured Newcastle United were able to leave with a point.

Defending may be a little more comfortable against a Wolves team who have been struggling for goals and who have been in poor form towards the back end of last season which has seeped into the new campaign.

Alexander Mitrovic missed a Penalty in the last Premier League fixture at Molineux and that is the only reason Wolves have earned a point so far this season. If Mitrovic scores, there is every chance Wolves would have been heading into this fixture with 3 losses from their last 4 Premier League games.

I expect Wolves to have some chances if Newcastle United defend as poorly as they did at Brighton, but I also don't think Wolves are as effective going forward.

They do have some talented attackers and I think they will be dangerous when they click together, but Wolves and Newcastle United should feel they can largely contain the other. Set pieces are going to be key, but no Callum Wilson is a blow for Newcastle United and Wolves are still struggling for goals.

Games between these clubs have seen both teams regularly find the net against one another and the layers feel that may be the case again. However, their most recent game ended with a clean sheet produced by Newcastle United and I do think we will see one of these teams fail to find the net with the defences expected to be on top.

Nottingham Forest v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: If the first game at the City Ground with Nottingham Forest back in the Premier League is anything to go by, this is going to be an incredibly difficult ground to visit.

The fans made it a raucous atmosphere and Nottingham Forest played some very strong attacking football which will make them dangerous regardless of who they host.

However, it would be a mistake to forget some of the fortune that seemed to favour Nottingham Forest in the 1-0 win over West Ham United. The visitors hit the woodwork twice, missed a Penalty and also had at least one effort cleared off the line, while the Nottingham Forest goal was scrappy to say the least.

Steve Cooper won't care too much about that and neither will the fans, but the former will be aware that it may not be a sustainable approach. He will be looking for his Nottingham Forest team to be a threat going forward, but Cooper will want a better balance defensively if Nottingham Forest are going to earn another big result.

They are facing a Tottenham Hotspur team who have started slowly in all three Premier League games played before turning the screw. Antonio Conte will be demanding his players begin much more confidently as they are likely going to have to deal with the early Nottingham Forest pressure, but I do think the quality can tell in favour of the visiting team.

If they create anything like West Ham United, I would expect the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son to produce better composure in front of goal. Scoring first will be important for Tottenham Hotspur and I do think it will be a tough time for Nottingham Forest if they do fall behind, even with the home fans behind them.

All three of their Premier League opponents have been much stronger when it comes to the chance creation numbers in matches played by Nottingham Forest this season. They were well beaten at Newcastle United, and I do think Tottenham Hotspur can just remind their hosts about the level they have to find in every Premier League fixture they play.

Nottingham Forest will never roll over at home, not with the fans giving the players a lift, but I do think the big six clubs will cause plenty of problems for them barring a big improvement defensively. We have yet to see that and Tottenham Hotspur may be able to cover the Asian Handicap in a win in the second of the two live games being played on Sunday.

MY PICKS: Manchester United & Over 1 Total Goal @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Brentford @ 2.05 Bet365 (2 Units)

Brighton @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Chelsea - 1.25 Asian Handicap @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Liverpool - 2.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.90 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Manchester City Win to Nil @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Arsenal - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.92 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Aston Villa-West Ham United Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Wolves-Newcastle United Both Teams to Score- NO  @ 2.05 Bet Victor (2 Units)

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

August 2022/23: 9-15, - 13.28 Units (48 Units Staked, - 27.67% Yield)

Fantasy Football GameWeek 4

Go big at the back... Go big at the back, you can't go wrong.

Well things went wrong, they went massively wrong last weekend.

That's right, my 'big at the back' team produced nine points between the six of them!

With that in mind, I am just glad to get out of GameWeek 3 with 47 points and look for much better in GameWeek 4.

I am going to hold a transfer in what is a very busy time of the season as teams choose to rotate players in a bid to keep everyone as fresh as possible.

Pep Guardiola has made it clear that he will not be expecting Erling Haaland to play every three days and so the premium striker becomes a question mark for me. Yes, Manchester City create enough chances to think that Haaland could get twenty minutes in any game and likely bring in significant points, but he becomes an uncertain Captaincy choice.

This week that comes down to Mo Salah or Gabriel Jesus, but my lean is towards the former. I expect Jesus to have a very strong game, but Bournemouth have looked slightly weaker than Fulham and the extra point for a midfielder scoring cannot be dismissed.

I've also moved Andy Robertson to my watch list- he has not played well this season and I would not be surprised if he is given a rest at some point. Unfortunately for my team, that looks most likely to happen this weekend against Bournemouth, although Liverpool's poor start should mean Jurgen Klopp picks a very strong team.

Joao Cancelo is another- he is not playing nearly as far up the field as last season and at the prices it feels that money can be spread around to improve the whole squad.

My really big decision this week comes down to who should be the first player I bench- Leon Bailey scored during the week and assisted Ollie Watkins last weekend and has a good looking home game against West Ham United, but Pascal Gross continues to return and plays a vulnerable Leeds United team.

It is not an easy choice, but the lean at this time is with Gross, but only just.

I will have two transfers to use before the Tuesday deadline, although at this stage I think it is good to have a few more games to add to the data before needing to make any decision as to who to bring in. It is a big weekend for some of the players in my squad and I am expecting a lot more points than GameWeek 3 brought home.

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

That truly was a disappointing Sunday at Old Trafford.

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

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

Premier League Picks GameWeek 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

West Ham United @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

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

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

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

Fantasy Football GameWeek 2

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

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

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

This was my team after GameWeek 1 was concluded:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football GameWeek 22 2022 (January 14-19)

It has been a few GameWeeks since I posted about the Fantasy Football and Premier League and that is largely down to the incredible uncertainty that we have been dealing with.

I know some people are managing to work their way through the difficulties, but it has been a really poor season for me and one in which I can't really imagine turning around to the level I would want.

There is a long way to go and things can change, but decisions have backfired on a regular basis and the crash ahead of the New Year Day fixtures has been an absolute killer.

More on that below as we get into what was supposed to be a pretty big Double GameWeek, but what looks like could become another in which postponements end any hopes of making use of the planned transfers.

Brighton v Crystal Palace Pick: There is no love lost between rivals Brighton and Crystal Palace as they meet in the latest M23 derby fixture on Friday evening in front of the television cameras.

Both of these clubs will be feeling pretty good about the first half of the Premier League season and Brighton and Crystal Palace will be targeting memorable campaigns. That will likely mean a top half Premier League finish and a real go at winning the FA Cup and the two clubs have had recent successes in the Cup to suggest those are realistic ambitions.

The African Cup of Nations is being played this month and that does remove some key players on both sides, although the squads are looking largely pretty healthy for this time of the season.

It should mean a good fixture between two teams that have liked to get the ball down and play attacking football this season. They create chances and both Brighton and Crystal Palace have to be pleased with their defensive efforts which has helped them into the top twelve in the standings and well clear of relegation issues.

Brighton did the Premier League double over Crystal Palace in 2018/19, but in recent meetings it is The Eagles who have gotten the better of things. Late goals have won the last two derby games played at the Amex Stadium and both in favour of Crystal Palace and I do think they are being underestimated here.

They haven't scored in 3 away Premier League games, but Crystal Palace could have earned positive results at Leeds United and Manchester United in that time. The lack of goals is a concern without Wilfred Zaha, but Crystal Palace have young, talented players in the forward areas that can make it tough for Brighton.

Graham Potter's team are very difficult to play, but they will offer some chances to opponents and Brighton don't overwhelm opponents as they have some inconsistency in the final third. That could leave them vulnerable as the short priced favourites and I will back Crystal Palace with the start to earn some kind of positive result.

Manchester City v Chelsea Pick: At the end of last season, Chelsea and Manchester City met three times in three different competitions and it was Thomas Tuchel's men who won all three times.

It meant Chelsea came into the season with a lot of momentum as European Champions, but the consistency needed to challenge for the Premier League title looks to be beyond them. A poor run has seen Chelsea draw 4 of their last 5 Premier League games and that has seen them drop to 10 points behind Manchester City.

The pressure is on Chelsea to win here and any feeling of confidence from those wins at the end of last season may have been erased when they were completely outclassed in a 0-1 home loss to Manchester City in September.

Now they have to face a Manchester City team who have won 11 Premier League games in a row and who look to have a squad that is healthy. Unlike recent seasons, Manchester City have not had to play a League Cup Semi Final in January and that means they should be fresh and ready to compete when hosting this big Premier League game.

Chelsea were in the League Cup Semi Final and wins over Tottenham Hotspur in both Legs will have them feeling positive about themselves. Covid issues and injuries look largely behind Chelsea now, but containing Manchester City will be a huge challenge and I can understand why the home team are such short favourites to win.

I doubt it will be easy for Manchester City after Chelsea have shown better defensive composure this month, but I do think the most likely result is a narrow home win.

Manchester City have looked really strong in defensive positions and I think Chelsea will find it tough to find significant gaps in the backline for the home team. They have scored 13 goals in their last two Premier League games here, but Chelsea are expected to set themselves up to be hard to beat and try and counter their hosts.

Barring a late Marcos Alonso strike, all four games between Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea would have ended with two or fewer goals shared out. I think that is likely to be the outcome of this one too and the layers may be taking a chances with odds against quotes on there being fewer than three goals in the early kick off.

Newcastle United v Watford Pick: Relegation six pointers don't come much bigger than Newcastle United versus Watford and these two clubs will head into this weekend knowing how important this game is to both.

The bottom four look like they are being cut off from the rest of the Premier League and three of those will be playing in the Championship next season. Neither Newcastle United nor Watford are in the kind of form that makes it easy to trust them, although the expected financial muscle of Newcastle United is showing up with the signings of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood.

Even then, a strong Newcastle United team were beaten by Cambridge United in the FA Cup Third Round last weekend and they are struggling. Eddie Howe is hoping to bring in defensive reinforcements, but for now Newcastle United are going to have a tough challenge in picking up the points they need to avoid an embarrassing drop into the second tier of English Football.

Newcastle United are home this weekend, which gives them an edge, and they are facing a Watford team that have lost 7 in a row in all competitions. Claudio Ranieri has not had the kind of defensive impact expected and Watford have looked short of confidence, although the squad is getting healthier and have had recent signings bolster their options too.

The next week could tell us all we need to know about Watford- amazingly they are facing all three teams inside the relegation zone over the next seven days and you have to imagine the veteran manager is targeting at least five points from the fixtures against Newcastle United, Burnley and Norwich City.

It is hard to trust Watford considering the amount of goals they have been conceding, but they look to have some important players back for this game. The effort in the narrow loss to Tottenham Hotspur in their last Premier League game is encouraging and Watford do have some talented forward players that can expose the holes in the Newcastle United defence.

Watford also have a decent record at St James' Park in recent visits and I think they may have enough to at least take a point from this fixture. The first goal is going to be absolutely massive considering the lack of confidence that the teams are both playing with, but Watford have the players that could provide that in what is a massive game at the bottom of the table.

Norwich City v Everton Pick: You have to be aware that Norwich City look way short of the quality needed to avoid the drop back into the Championship and there wouldn't be many backing them to surpass the 21 points they earned a couple of seasons ago when finishing bottom of the top flight table.

They were well beaten at West Ham United on Wednesday which means 6 straight Premier League losses and all without scoring a goal and Norwich City will do well to double the 10 points earned so far.

However, I also can't help think Everton are massively over-rated for this trip to Carrow Road and there is nothing they have done to deserve being close to odds on to win here. Dean Smith has to be telling his players this is a big opportunity for them when you think Everton have won 1 of their last 13 games in all competitions in normal time.

Everton have been hit hard by injury and they are going to be without some key players, although the quality of Demarai Gray and Dominic Calvert-Lewin may give them the edge in this fixture. Even then, Everton look remarkably short in the market and they have vulnerabilities at the back that can be exposed by Norwich City, despite the horrific goal-scoring form of the home team.

I won't deny that Everton can create chances, but they have given up some big opportunities for opponents at the back and it may be enough for Norwich City to move into a position to earn a positive result. They were well beaten at Goodison Park, but Everton are not playing with the same confidence as earlier this season and it feels like the layers are just looking to oppose Norwich City regardless of opposition they are facing.

The recent form of Norwich City is not exactly encouraging, but they did push Manchester United at Carrow Road last month. With Covid issues now behind them, Norwich City may be in a better place to challenge Everton and I think Rafael Benitez' team have had enough difficulties away from Goodison Park to think it would be anything but a surprise if they were to drop points.

Wolves v Southampton Pick: Two teams in pretty strong form will meet at Molineux and both Wolves and Southampton will feel they are overachieving the expectations set out for them back in August.

Bruno Lage and Ralph Hasenhuttl have a clear idea of what they like to see from their teams and that should produce a good game of football.

Wolves deserve to be favourites when you think they have home advantage and the defensive strength they have displayed time after time this season. This is a team that will not give up a lot of big chances and Wolves will believe they can largely contain Southampton, despite the fact the visitors will be heading into the fixture having scored four times against Brentford on Tuesday.

The Saints have scored at least twice in 3 away games in a row too, so they are clearly dangerous at their best. However, they will find it tough to break down a well organised Wolves team and that despite having a pretty decent record at Molineux over the last couple of years.

Southampton will play their football and it should be an eye-pleasing game, but it feels like one in which there may not be as many goals as some may expect. While Southampton have been able to score goals away from home, they failed to do so at Manchester City and Liverpool who are some of the better defensive teams in the Premier League.

Wolves may not be as renowned as those two teams, but they are very tough to score against too and I think they can do enough to keep Southampton at arm's length in this match.

However, Wolves have also struggled for goals and the eye-catching football has missed an end product at times. They have not scored in their last 3 Premier League games here and the feeling is that one of these teams will fail to find the back of the net on Saturday.

That would have been a winning approach when the teams met earlier this season and also when they played at Molineux in the FA Cup last season. I think both Wolves and Southampton could have strong second halves of the season, but this is a game in which there could be some issues putting a finishing touch on the football being produced.

Aston Villa v Manchester United Pick: There will have been plenty of players and fans asking each other how Aston Villa managed to lose the FA Cup Third Round tie at Old Trafford on Monday. Redemption will be on the mind of the players when they take the field on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League, although this time Aston Villa will be the team hosting the game.

Playing Manchester United at Villa Park has been a really tough challenge for Aston Villa over the years and the fact they have won none of the last 22 against them here underlines the point. Since returning to the top flight, Aston Villa have lost both home games against Manchester United and conceded three goals in both defeats, but the visitors are not playing with much confidence at the moment.

The results continue to be churned out and Manchester United may feel they will have a much stronger team out on Saturday compared with the Cup tie. This time they should be able to call on Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo, but there is no doubt that the confidence looks to be shot right now.

Cristiano Ronaldo's interview suggesting younger players are not keen to learn and improve may not have gone down very well with his team-mates, despite the obvious standards the Portuguese star wants to set at Old Trafford.

It makes it very hard to see Manchester United as the favourite in this fixture and I am not convinced that they will be markedly improved on the performance on Monday. Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo is back, but the loss of Scott McTominay hurts in the middle of the pitch and better finishing from Aston Villa, as well as a little luck, would have seen Steven Gerrard's team earn the upset.

Aston Villa have not exactly been in good form themselves having lost 4 of their last 6 at Villa Park in the Premier League, but Manchester United's lack of goals away from home is a concern. The home team will also be boosted by the signings of Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho who will both be involved here, while the results have perhaps been more unfortunate than reflective of the Aston Villa level.

After struggles at Norwich City and Newcastle United, Manchester United look very short to win here and the feeling is that the layers are pricing them up on name rather than level being produced. That cannot be ignored and the value looks to be on the home team, as much as it pains me to say it.

Liverpool v Brentford Pick: If both of these squads were at full strength you would have to make Liverpool a significant favourite on current form and overall quality in this Premier League game at Anfield on Sunday.

However, the absence of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah was felt by the home team in their goalless draw with Arsenal in the League Cup Semi Final First Leg on Thursday. Even the fact that Arsenal had been reduced to ten men fairly early on did not change the narrative of the fixture as Liverpool struggled to create good chances without their two best forward players.

Making up for the absence of Mane and Salah is going to be a challenge for Liverpool through the remainder of the month and one that may be beyond them if the last game is anything to go by. You can forgive an off day, but Liverpool's impotence in the final third is a massive concern.

Liverpool may be facing the right opponent to change that feeling about them without their two star players and that is because Brentford have been conceding away goals in the Premier League at an alarming rate. Heavy losses at Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton are one thing, but Brentford have also conceded three times in a defeat at Burnley and the same amount at Newcastle United in a 3-3 draw at St James' Park.

It certainly makes it hard to believe Brentford can contain Liverpool, although this is a team that will get forward and cause one or two problems of their own. As porous as they have been defensively, Brentford have scored at least twice in half of their last 8 away Premier League games and they have also produced their best efforts against the top teams.

Just last month Brentford were narrowly beaten by Manchester City at home in the Premier League, while the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool have failed to win in West London. It has been a different story away from home, but Thomas Frank has to believe his team can do enough to be much more competitive than they were in the loss at Southampton on Tuesday.

I also expect much better from Liverpool after the lack of quality in the final third on Thursday, but the lack of time between games is not going to help them too much. The squad is stretched so rotation is not really something that Jurgen Klopp can do right now and it feels Brentford can do enough to at least avoid a big loss here.

The fans will be excited about this week with Liverpool and Manchester United the opponents in the space of a few days and I expect those matches to motivate the players to produce their best too. Earning a positive result at Anfield may be beyond Brentford in the first of those games and especially on current form, but Liverpool are without key striking options and it may mean having to settle for a close win on the day.

West Ham United v Leeds United Pick: The top three in the Premier League look on course to secure Champions League Football, but the race for the final place has the potential to go right down to the wire.

It feels like an open race and West Ham United should not be doubting their own abilities to scratch and claw their way into those positions. Momentum is a big part of Football and The Hammers have plenty of that after back to back wins over the last week at the London Stadium.

That means West Ham United have won 4 in a row in all competitions since the surprising 2-3 defeat to Southampton and they have forced their way back into the top four. A win on Sunday will see West Ham United cement that spot before the North London derby is played between the two teams immediately below them and West Ham United are a team that have been scoring goals for fun.

West Ham United pose an attacking threat that will cause plenty of problems for Leeds United and better finishing last weekend would have made the Cup tie much more comfortable.

Leeds United have struggled away from home this season and in recent weeks the stretched squad have had difficulties. They are struggling at both ends of the field and I think West Ham United will be too good for Leeds United for a second Sunday in a row.

I expect the visitors to cause a few more problems than last weekend with Raphinha and potentially Patrick Bamford back in the line up, but even that may not be enough to contain a West Ham United who are scoring plenty of goals.

Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal Pick: There are still some doubts that the North London derby will be played on Sunday with Arsenal facing a long injury list, Covid issues and players leaving for the African Cup of Nations. They put in a huge effort in the goalless draw at Liverpool on Thursday in the League Cup Semi Final Final First Leg, but that came at a cost with Granit Xhaka sent off and the likes of Cedric Soares and Bukayo Saka picking up knocks.

It would be really frustrating for the Tottenham Hotspur fans as they couldn't really ask for a better time to face their rivals.

Antonio Conte will have been disappointed with the effort made in the two defeats to Chelsea in the League Cup Semi Final First and Second Leg, but the manager has sparked positive form at home since arriving at the club. Tottenham Hotspur have won 4 of their 5 home Premier League games under Conte and they have scored at least twice in each of those games.

Spurs also have a very good recent home record against Arsenal with 5 wins in their last 7 North London derby games hosted by Tottenham Hotspur.

It can be difficult to get a good read on Arsenal who have been inconsistent away from home, but they do have back to back away wins in the Premier League. The loss at Nottingham Forest was an eye-opener, but Arsenal showed how resilient they can be in their draw at Anfield.

However, I do think they put in a huge effort in that game and now have twenty-four hours less than Tottenham Hotspur to prepare for this one. The players could be absolutely shattered during this fixture and I think Tottenham Hotspur would be able to take advantage if the game is played as scheduled.

With the goals Tottenham Hotspur have been scoring at home in the Premier League, I think they can be backed to earn revenge for the loss at the Emirates Stadium earlier this season.

Brighton v Chelsea Pick: It feels like the Premier League title race is run for Chelsea, but it would also take a real poor run of form for them to miss out on a top four place.

This could all mean that the focus for the manager and the playing staff is on the three Cup competitions they are going to be playing in over the next four months. Chelsea have already reached the League Cup Final and have FA Cup and Champions League commitments too, but Thomas Tuchel will know the Premier League is still important to build momentum.

He was not happy with the 1-0 defeat at Manchester City and was critical of forward players that day, but Chelsea largely contained their hosts too which is encouraging. Key players will soon bolster the squad and Chelsea can also add the World Club Cup to the trophy cabinet next month.

Heading to the Middle East means Chelsea have had this fixture brought forward to ensure there is not a major backlog of games to clear later this season. It provides the team an immediate chance to bounce back from the defeat at Manchester City, although no one associated with Chelsea will believe this is an easy fixture.

Brighton have been enjoying a very good season and showed their worth by coming from behind to earn a point at Stamford Bridge last month. They were not lucky to do so either and Graham Potter's men will feel they have nothing to lose whenever they come up against the top teams in the Premier League.

Defensive injuries are a concern for the home team, but Chelsea have only won 1 of their last 4 away Premier League games and they feel short in this one. Brighton have been very tough to beat at home and they are very rarely brushed aside, while they have also had a few more hours to prepare for this fixture having played on Friday night against rivals Crystal Palace.

Being able to back Brighton with a start looks hard to ignore and especially after Chelsea took the knock they did on Saturday. Some of the players may just have lost some focus after effectively seeing the Premier League title drift away and this is a tough place to try and steal a result.

The first goal is going to be important, but Brighton should be competitive and have shown Liverpool and Chelsea that they don't lose faith even when they fall behind. Chelsea do have a very good recent record here, but a couple of seasons ago Brighton held them to a draw and I think there is every chance they can do the same on Tuesday evening.

Brentford v Manchester United Pick: When a club with the resources of Brentford are able to make the right decisions to move up into the top flight of any of the top European Leagues, the matches against the biggest names are the ones that leap off the page.

Brentford fans have already seen their team host Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City in the Premier League this season, but there is a different feeling knowing Manchester United are coming to town. The Stadium is already one with an intense atmosphere and I think the Wednesday night setting for the game will only make that atmosphere even better.

The home team have lost heavily at Southampton and Liverpool, but they are going to be inspired and motivated by the crowd behind them. It has clearly made a difference for Brentford who have won 3 of their last 4 Premier League games at the Brentford Community Stadium, while they have beaten Arsenal here.

Liverpool escaped with a 3-3 draw, while both Chelsea and Manchester City may feel they were fortunate in their 0-1 League wins here.

All of that points to a huge test for a Manchester United team that have been lacking confidence in recent games and who have just blown a 0-2 lead in an eventual 2-2 draw at Villa Park. Manchester United were also looking vulnerable at Norwich City and Newcastle United and I do think the players are going to be tested by a Brentford team that will look to get on the front foot and put them under pressure.

The absence of David Raya is a big blow for Brentford as the understudy has not performed as well as they would have liked. Alvaro Fernandez made some big saves at Anfield, but the defence does not look as confident with him behind them as when David Raya played and I do think Manchester United can cause problems.

However, I think they will also struggle to contain Brentford and this is another fixture that may feature at least three goals on the night.

Brentford have been strong at home and you can make a case for them being the side to back on the Asian Handicap when you think of their performances at home. However, I do think The Bees have had some issues defensively which could be exposed by Manchester United and a narrow victory for the visitors in a high scoring contest could be the outcome of this game.

Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: This was a fixture that was supposed to be played a few weeks ago and both Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur are still having some issues with injuries.

It is Leicester City who are suffering more out of the two teams, but both had fixtures postponed this weekend and should be fresh and ready to compete. A few players have returned, but it has been a difficult season for Brendan Rodgers as he manages the squad, although there is every chance this could finish up being a successful campaign.

Cup competitions offer Leicester City a chance to win more silverware, but the side are still very much in the race for the top four places. If they win their games in hand, Leicester City would be level on points with West Ham United, but Tottenham Hotspur may be the team with the edge as far as the final Champions League place is concerned.

Home form has been important for Tottenham Hotspur, but Antonio Conte needs more from his squad if they are going to improve their inconsistent away form. They scored a late winner at Watford on New Year's Day, but Tottenham Hotspur have been a touch wasteful in recent away games in the Premier League and being without Heung-Min Son is a blow to their chances.

A strong recent record at the King Power Stadium will offer some encouragement, while Leicester City have been vulnerable defensively.

At the moment the tactics seem to be to try and out-score teams and Leicester City have been successful doing that at home which could make this a really good game. They will concede goals, but Leicester City should be able to hurt Tottenham Hotspur and 4 of the last 5 between these clubs here have ended with at least three goals shared out.

Tottenham Hotspur have struggled to put a finishing touch to their football away from home, but they should be able to create chances here and both teams are likely to hit the net in a high-scoring game.

MY PICKS: Crystal Palace + 0.5 Asian Handicap

Manchester City-Chelsea Under 2.5 Goals

Watford + 0.5 Asian Handicap

Norwich City + 0.5 Asian Handicap

Wolves-Southampton Both Teams to Score- NO

Aston Villa + 0.25 Asian Handicap

Brentford + 1.5 Asian Handicap

West Ham United & Over 1.5 Goals

Tottenham Hotspur - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Brighton + 0.75 Asian Handicap

Leicester City-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals

Brentford-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals

Fantasy Football GameWeek 22

I've not had much luck, but decisions have not been good enough with my Fantasy Football team and now I look at my squad and have very few reasons to be happy with it.

There are plenty of people having successful seasons so clearly my decision making has not been good enough, but this is way below par and being outside the top million is embarrassing to be perfectly honest with you.

Postponements have clearly not helped- I've been on the wrong end of a number of them- but I've also had to look in the mirror in some of the selections made. Players have also let me down by suddenly losing the confidence of their manager and I have to find a way to get the better of this team, even if it means moving away from traditional approaches to the second half of the season.

In saying that the added Free Transfer Chip given by the game is a bit of a joke and it covers those people who have not been hit hard by postponements which means those games are hitting those of us with the players missing out double than those who have avoided postponements. That doesn't seem very fair and the FPL should be questioning their decision making, especially after the site went down ten minutes before the deadline on Boxing Day.

I think my decisions are going to be a little more risky over the coming weeks and months to try and get things turned around, but I have a number of players that need to be removed.

Andreas Christensen, Diogo Dalot, Christian Benteke and Josh King are high on my removal list- the likes of Christensen and Benteke have really bothered me to my core- but it is just one of those years and I am going to need some luck to avoid my worst ever finish!

As you can imagine, it is pointless me thinking about weeks ahead with postponements continuing to hit hard and all transfers will be made as late as possible with the hope that the site doesn't decide to crash again!