It's a bumper Super Sunday of action with four of the so-called 'big six' in action. Paul Higham has our preview and best bets with goals expected everywhere bar Newcastle.
2pts Arsenal to win & both teams to score at 7/5
1pt Man City to win & both teams to score at 19/10
1pt Chelsea to beat Southampton at 10/11
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It's the final game of the weekend but we'll start with this one as it's crucial one loaded with possible fall-out for any loser, given the situations Steve Bruce and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer find themselves in - getting hammered at Leicester and drawing at AZ Alkmaar will do that.
Bruce has never beaten United as manager but he'll never have a better chance with United without an away win in their last seven and with just four goals to their name in those contests. Things just aren't right at Old Trafford and, if Newcastle aren't going to get a response after their Leicester humiliation then they never will under Bruce. If, and it's a big if these days, their fans fill out St James' Park and produce a decent atmosphere then they'll have a real chance.
Both of these two have five points from the last five games and nothing about watching either of them that would give you any confidence in backing them to actually go on and win a game of football - between them they've scored 13 goals in 14 games and that tells you all you need to know.
United still have more quality, and surely they have to improve at some stage, but at odds-on there's no interest in backing them here, while the lack of attacking potency means even backing what should be nailed-on under 2.5 goals is pegged at prohibitive prices.
The 7/2 for Newcastle to edge it will tempt a few, but personally the 2/1 on them 'draw no bet' would be the recommendation, but you'd not want to entrust your hard-earned to either of those, so we're heading into the cards market. One thing these teams should both be is fired up so we can expect a few tackles - and no team has been fouled more than Man Utd this season - so in a game of so little quality but so many variables, having five bookings at least should be the one thing we can count on.
Prediction: Newcastle 1-1 Man United (Sky Bet odds: 11/2)
Best bet: Over 4.5 cards at 11/10
Key stats
The much-maligned Europa League does have it's good points - and Arsenal's mid-week stroll against Standard Liege will give all involved a timely confidence boost ahead of another friendly fixture against a Bournemouth side who they've beaten at the Emirates five times out of five.
The problem for the Cherries here is that they like to play football, they just can't play it as well as Arsenal can - they also can't stop leaking goals, especially in London where they've let in five goals in each of their last three. While I don't think they'll ship another five, there should be goals here.
👋 Loses his marker in the box
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) September 15, 2019
🥅 Back to goal
🔄 Touch and swivel
🎯 Dispatch
Superb take from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 🔥👏 #WatArs #AFCpic.twitter.com/J1NPBT24U1
For all of Arsenal's obvious problems, it's rather overlooked that they're dominant at home with just one defeat in their last 21 in the league at the Emirates, and they should at least make that 22 unbeaten and more than likely will bag the three points.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang needs a goal to match Dennis Bergkamp's 21-year record for goals in the first eight games of a season, while he loves scoring on a Sunday with two-third of his 39 league goals coming on this day. Callum WIlson loves a goal against Arsenal (three in four) and is on a four-game scoring run so the 9/2 on both of them to bag will be popular.
Defensive deficiencies in both rearguards also make the both teams to score market jump off the page at you - BTTS has come in all but one league game played by these two teams so wrap that up with Arsenal to win and there's no need to look any further in this one.
Prediction: Arsenal 3-2 Bournemouth (Sky Bet odds: 18/1)
Best bet: Arsenal to win & both teams to score at 7/5
Key stats
"The much-maligned Europa League does have it's good points" someone once wrote, but for Wolves it's quote the opposite who've only managed to beat Watford this season as Thursday night football has taken its toll - they could really do without a trip to the champions after playing out in Turkey this week.
It takes so much effort, so much concentration and focus on the gameplan to get anything from the Etihad. Wolves definitely have the players but surely won't have the reserves to dig out a result. There's not doubt that attack will be their best form of defence here as City's patched-up back line is a weak point.
🐺🙌 Sensational scenes in the away end as Willy Boly sends 1,000 travelling Wolves fans wild in stoppage-time! #WWFC pic.twitter.com/U2nSv0He32
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) October 3, 2019
Everton caused plenty of problems but couldn't capitalise on them, Nuno Espirito Santo strikes me as a bit more of a canny operator than compatriot Marco Silva and if he concentrates on getting the ball forward quickly and getting to the heart of that City defence, they can have some success.
City are odds-on to win to nil, but I fancy Wolves can at least find the target at some point.
Prediction: Man City 3-1 Wolves (Sky Bet odds: 10/1)
Best bet: Man City to win & both teams to score at 19/10
Key stats
Still not sure what to make of Saints this season, both of their wins this season have come away from home but their two best performances have been at St Mary's in a draw against Man Utd and defeat to Liverpool, and it's that blueprint that I think they'll follow against Chelsea.
Frank Lampard is getting his feet under the table and there's no doubt performances, as well as results, are improving - the display against Liverpool could well have been the moment when his young stars realised they could mix it with the very best at this level.
3⃣0⃣0⃣ Chelsea games
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) October 2, 2019
5⃣4⃣ Goals
👏⚽️ Willian marked his landmark appearance with his 10th #UCL goal - that's two more than any other #CFC player has managed since he joined in August 2013! pic.twitter.com/dxBgzSSmoB
Winning late on in Lille was impressive and the up-turn in form of Willian in particular is a huge boost - even if it means that big signing Christian Pulisic can't get a sniff of the first team right now. If you had to imagine how this will go it's an energetic, scrappy performance from the hosts with just the extra qualify in Chelsea pinching it in the end for a fifth straight win at St Mary's.
There's a slight disparity in prices for an away win but the best price of 10/11 for me is worth investment - sometimes it pays to keep it simple.
Prediction: Southampton 1-2 Chelsea (Sky Bet odds: 15/2)
Best bet: Chelsea to beat Southampton at 10/11
Key stats
Odds correct as of 1500 BST on 04/10/19
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