Free football betting tips: Premier League Talking Points - Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool and Man City

I honestly don't know why I'm even bothering this piece, which as far as introductions go is a real pearler for getting you utterly enthralled, when Jurgen Klopp has basically already written it.

Habit, I suppose.

Nonetheless I'm going to give it a stab.

Klopp cuts loose

Where do you start with Brighton against Liverpool? It has to be at the end, or more accurately after.

Klopp's incredible rant on BT Sport, much of which he sought to repeat in a calmer fashion during subsequent interviews, was compulsive viewing. It quite literally left no time for post-match analysis on what had already been a dramatic set of events at the Amex (we'll eventually get to that).

The Reds boss may have chosen the wrong target in Des Kelly for what was initially an airing of anger about fixture scheduling, but ultimately it was the seasoned interviewer's skill and determination to go toe-to-toe that led Klopp to make comments that will take the headlines.

When asked about why clubs haven't brought back the possibility of making five substitutions, as was permissible during Project Restart, the German did not hold back.

"Because, that’s very interesting now. When we had a talk between managers, a week ago, it was 55, if not 60% for five subs," said Klopp.

"Since then nothing happened. Chris Wilder or whoever says constantly that I am selfish. I think all the things that shows is that he’s selfish. I was in a similar situation when I worked at Mainz and it was all about staying in the league, but they have three subs and one point if I am right."

Now, here is where we have to make assumptions. The Sheffield United manager's argument will be that the extra subs only suits the big teams who are playing in Europe, as up to now there have been no midweek Premier League games.

In that sense Klopp could be viewed as selfish for wanting the rules to revert back to the summer. But in equal measure, so could Wilder. Klopp believes it's selfish of his counterpart to essentially try and take advantage of this unprecedented congestion.

As Klopp points out, it's not helping the Blades anyway as they're bottom with one point. But the collateral damage is a Liverpool squad beset by injuries, with James Milner the latest player to head for the treatment room.

In pure numbers terms, since the top flight returned on September 12, Liverpool have played 17 matches - once every 4.5 days. Sheffield United have played 11 games - a simple, manageable once a week.

I'm too scared to pick a side if I'm honest, let's just agree they both a point...

Short-term punting wise, I would strongly back Liverpool to beat Ajax at home in the Champions League in midweek despite their injury troubles. Klopp may deny it, but he played a weakened team on the south coast, with that match clearly a priority.

Brighton v Liverpool (the actual game)

I'll start with VAR and promise to keep this as brief as possible. With the scores goalless in the first half, Mo Salah had an effort ruled out for offside, rightly. It was close, but it was the correct call.

With Liverpool 1-0 ahead in the closing stages, Sadio Mane had a header disallowed when replays showed he was clearly in an offside position.

Finally, Brighton were awarded a stoppage-time penalty for a foul by Andy Robertson on Danny Welbeck. The Liverpool defender made contact with the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker's foot, but it was far from a clear and obvious error to not award a spot-kick.

However, that is exactly what Stuart Attwell did after consulting the pitchside monitor. I despair.

After one weekend of sensibility, where only two penalties were given as an apparent effort was made to not point to the spot, the rush to award them has quickly returned.

Albion were given an ironclad penalty in the first half, which Neal Maupay put wide, and I am certainly not contesting that decision. What I am kicking up a fuss over is the overall number.

Since 2006, it has been a rarity for more than 100 penalties to be awarded in a top-flight season, with a maximum of 106. Not even halfway through matchday 10 of 38, and already there have been 45.

An incident packed day at the Amex means the match itself can quite easily be overlooked.

After a shaky start, Brighton were excellent. Graham Potter's side usually are, but it's become a trait of theirs to take less than they deserve from a match. Over the course of the 90 minutes, their performance warranted a point.

What will be interesting now is whether they are able to put together a run of results.

Brighton remain firmly at the wrong end of the table, but statistically really ought not to be. The fact they have had the fourth-most shots of any top-flight club this season, behind only Liverpool, Man City and Leeds, emphasises the regularity with which they dominate games.

On this showing, they're worth considering at a huge odds-against for their next game at home to Southampton.

Maupay had a day to forget by missing form 12 yards, and limping off with a hamstring injury moments later, but even up to that point it was strike partner Aaron Connolly who caught the eye.

He missed a fabulous one-on-one chance, won the penalty that Maupay put wide, and caused no end of problems for Liverpool's defence. The Irishman is one to watch in the goalscorer markets - it will be interesting to see who inherits penalty duties too as we try and snare some extra value.

Pascal Gross isn't a regular starter, so it's likely another Seagulls player will have to take that responsibility with Maupay set for a spell on the sidelines.

As for Liverpool, I really wouldn't be reading too much into things.

They were sluggish, but up until the last-gasp VAR decision it was another typical performance as they looked to try and find a way to get over the line.

Diogo Jota has to be worthy of mention though, as he made it nine goals for the club already with a brilliant finish.

Next week he faces old club Wolves for the first time since his £45m summer move to Anfield. If anyone will know how to get the better of what is usually a watertight defence, then it's surely him.

Look out for the price boosts, or even for Jota to bag a brace in that one. He is dynamite this season.

City finally fire, or Burnley just pushovers?

Manchester City's goal drought is over, at least for now.

Riyad Mahrez's first hat-trick for the club, Benjamin Mendy's goal and a Ferran Torres strike that rewarded Sporting Life followers, gave them an easy 5-0 win over Burnley at the Etihad

City had mustered the same number of goals across their previous six Premier League matches combined.

So is it problem solved for Pep Guardiola's men? A combination of not quite, and hang fire would be my answer.

It's now four successive 5-0 home wins over the Clarets for Man City, and 27 goals in six matches at Etihad Stadium since Guardiola took charge.

All it proves is that Sean Dyche's team have absolutely no idea how to stop them. It's impossible to know whether they'll carry this into their next league game against Fulham; they should though, with the Cottagers hardly bastions of defence.

What this resounding win will most certainly do is see people rush for the overs when backing Guardiola's side. That should provide opportunity to back City to remain at least a little goal-shy.

Having already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, their midweek away trip to a Porto team that has tightened up defensively in recent weeks looks like a fixture to test that theory in.

Toffees inevitably come unstuck

Ignore the 1-0 scoreline, this was not a typical 1-0.

It would be so easy for anyone who didn't watch this match to assume that Everton and Leeds played a more canny game in an effort to solve their glaring defensive issues - that couldn't be further from the truth.

Expected goals (xG) had the final score as Everton 1-3 Leeds, rather than 0-1. Personally, I think that undersells it by a goal each.

There were 38 shots in total, the second-highest in any Premier League fixture this season, with 15 of those hitting the target. For a short spell midway through the second half, the pace of the game dropped, but aside from that it was thrilling end-to-end stuff.

Everton is where I want to focus most, because I simply say no immediate solution to their defensive problems. Heading into this match they had conceded at least twice in seven of their past eight league fixtures - now they've gone 10 games without recording a clean sheet.

Carlo Ancelotti is trying every combination under the sun to stop his team leaking goals, but even this serial winner, one of the most decorated club managers in history, can't overcome the succession of injuries the Toffees are suffering in their backline.

Even considering the injury situation, with several full-backs missing, his team selection was bizarre.

Combative central midfielder Tom Davies played right-wing-back, and right-sided attacking midfielder Alex Iwobi played left-wing-back. Not until more than an hour had gone did Fabian Delph, title-winning left-back with Manchester City, come on in that position to try and offer some balance.

By that stage Leeds had already taken a grip of the game, and it was going to need a moment of attacking brilliance for Everton to somehow wrestle momentum and avoid what felt like an inevitable defeat.

They may have only conceded one this time, but defensively things are actually getting worse. Do not abandon the Toffees as a BTTS banker, and most certainly do not back them to keep a clean sheet.

As for Leeds, xGa (expected goals against) may have had them down as conceding 1.23 but on another day Everton could have scored two or even three times that if not for the lopsided line-up and generally disjointed attacking display.

Despite all of that, they still managed 15 attempts on goal with eight on target.

Yes Leeds played well in keeping a clean sheet against Arsenal last weekend too, but the Gunners' struggles in front of goal have been well documented this term - and they played the second half with 10 men.

The Whites' back-to-back 4-1 defeats by Leicester and Palace in the fixtures prior shouldn't be written-off just yet.

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