By Jamie O’Hara, PricedUp Brand Ambassador
Seven weeks in and the manager talk has already started. Carrick’s United can’t beat ten men, Marco Rose’s Bournemouth can’t win at all, Oliver Glasner can’t win at the City Ground, and Álvaro Arbeloa’s Fulham are rooted to the bottom. Somebody’s going first.
Right, let’s get into it.
Bournemouth v Sunderland – Sunday, 2pm
My prediction: Bournemouth win
Bournemouth haven’t got off to a good start in the League, they’re sitting in eighteenth with no wins, but I don’t think the results reflect their performances.
What should worry them is that all three promoted sides are above them. Hull and Ipswich are on nine, and Coventry now on six after battering Newcastle. The sides everyone assumed would fill up the bottom three are doing fine, and Bournemouth are the ones in trouble.
But this is their chance against a Sunderland side who haven’t been great with four points from six, and they must take it. Both clubs are in Europa League action on Thursday, but the difference is Bournemouth are at home to Sturm Graz, while Sunderland have to get to Torreense in Portugal and back, then make the trip from the North East down to the South Coast. That’s about as awkward a turnaround as this league produces. It’s a Bournemouth win for me.
Brighton v Crystal Palace – Sunday, 2pm
My prediction: Brighton win
Brighton are flying. Third in the table, thirteen points from a possible eighteen, and the best goal difference in the division, even better than City’s. They won 2-0 at Sunderland last week and they’ve been putting teams away comfortably so far this season. Fabian Hürzeler has got them playing with real conviction, and at the Amex they’re a handful for anybody.
Palace did get a good result last week, beating Nottingham Forest 3-1 at Selhurst, though I’d say the scoreline flattered them a bit. They will be up for this. It’s that odd sort of derby where the fans care a lot more than the geography suggests they should, and they’ve got the players to cause problems.
But right now, these are two different calibres of side. Brighton will win at home, and I don’t think it’s especially close.
Leeds United v Manchester United – Sunday, 2pm
My prediction: Leeds win
Man United are a shambles right now. There’s no other way to put it.
Look at last weekend. At home to us, bottom of the league, hadn’t won all season, went down to ten men when Bentancur was sent off, and they still couldn’t win. And we were bossing the game before the sending off. Six points from six games, thirteenth, and the performances are even worse than the position.
They look slow, they look flat, they aren’t taking chances, and even the players you’d back to drag them out of it aren’t playing well. Michael Carrick is under enormous pressure and the noise around that club gets louder every week.
Elland Road is the last place you want to go in that state. Leeds were very good at the Emirates last weekend. James Justin put them ahead, and they were thirty-five minutes from a result before a sloppy equaliser from Calafiori turned it. Guimarães finished it off, but Leeds were well in that game and will take a lot from it.
Daniel Farke’s side are seventh, organised, and they will hound United for ninety minutes. If United score first they might just have a chance. If they don’t, I think Leeds get a couple, and things get very uncomfortable at Old Trafford.
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal – Sunday, 4.30pm
My prediction: Arsenal win
Forest haven’t got going at all. Oliver Glasner has yet to stamp his mark on this side, and six games in they’ve only got five points.
They’re better than their results in places. The 2-2 at Anfield at the end of August was a proper performance, and I didn’t think they deserved to lose by two at Palace last week. But the home form is the thing that jumps out. One point from three at the City Ground. For a club whose identity is built on that ground being a nightmare to visit, that’s a problem, and it doesn’t bode well for this one.
Arsenal are second, three behind City, and they found a way past Leeds last week without being at their best. The interesting bit is the schedule. They had Lille on Tuesday, and they’ve got Bayern Munich away on Wednesday. Back-to-back Champions League weeks with this sandwiched in between. If there was ever a game where the eye wanders, it’s this one.
So, I’m not expecting a procession. But I still think they’ve got enough. Arsenal to nick it, 1-0.
Tottenham Hotspur v Coventry City – Monday, 8pm
My prediction: Tottenham win
Right. This is it.
I’m not going to sit here and pretend everything’s fine. We’re nineteenth. Six games, no wins, three goals scored. It’s not been great, but we’re actually playing some good football!
Something shifted at Old Trafford. Down to ten men, away from home, and we still found a way to get something. That’s the first bit of proper character we’ve shown all season. The performances have been better than the results for a few weeks now, and at some point, that turns.
Monday night is the turning point. Home, under the lights, against a side we have to beat.
Now, I’ll be straight about Coventry, because they’re not the pushover the table suggested a month ago. They put four past Newcastle on Monday and they’re three points and five places above us. Frank Lampard has got them believing, and the pressure is off them after that result on Monday. But that cuts both ways. They’ll come to our place with the handbrake off, and that suits us, we need a game where someone comes out and plays.
And look at what’s sitting there afterwards. Chelsea away, then Palace at home, Leeds away, Ipswich, Sunderland, Fulham, all before Arsenal come to us on the fifth of December. That is the run. Win on Monday, get something at the Bridge, and we can string a few together and climb this table quickly.
Our season properly starts on Monday night.
The Weekend in Five
- Bournemouth to win
- Brighton to win
- Leeds to win
- Arsenal to win
- Tottenham to win
Accumulator price – 15/1
As always, these are opinions and nothing else. Have a look, make your own mind up, and only ever stake what you’re happy to lose.
Enjoy the weekend.
Jamie
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