Free football betting tips: Southampton v Man Utd, Arsenal v Wolves - Sunday's Premier League preview

Recommended bets

2pts Both teams to score in Southampton v Man Utd at 4/6

1pt Southampton double chance and BTTS at 15/8

1pt Theo Walcott to score anytime at 19/5

2pts Under 2.5 goals in Arsenal v Wolves at 4/6

0.5pt e.w. Bukayo Saka to score first at 12/1 (1/3 1-98)

For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record

Arsenal v Wolves

• 19:15 GMT kick-off on Sky Sports
• Match odds: Home 21/20 | Draw 23/10 | Away 11/4

Do not expect a thrill-a-minute ride in from this contest, which has low-scoring written all over it.

Wolves are a real favourite of our weekly Premier League: Punting Pointers column thanks to the consistency they offer when it comes to under 2.5 goals: they're now 20 from 23.

Only a fool would back that change against an Arsenal side who have forgotten how to create chances.

The seven goals Mike Arteta's side scored across their two meetings with Norwegian side Molde in the Europa League flew in the face of their top-flight struggles. Since beginning the campaign with a 3-0 win at Fulham and 2-1 victory over West Ham, the Gunners have found the net four times in seven league games.

Only Sheffield United, West Brom, Burnley and Newcastle - all in the bottom five - have managed fewer than Arsenal's 30 shots on target. Wolves aren't much better. They too have scored only nine league goals, and can hardly boast about testing the keeper four further times than Sunday's opponents.

Last season's meetings saw Arsenal impressively win 2-0 at Molineux during Project Restart, and the Old Gold strike late to snatch a point at the Emirates earlier in the campaign; 2018/19 was a 3-1 home win for Wolves and another 1-1 draw in north London.

Under 2.5 goals has paid out in four of the Gunners past five top-flight fixtures, with only their surprise 3-0 home defeat by Villa busting the coupon, and we know all about the visitors already. The 4/6 on offer still offers enough for me to take a firm interest.

I don't like the outright in the slightest, as rather than being able to make a case for all outcomes, I don't feel comfortable making one for any. Logic would suggest that Arsenal must eventually catch fire this season, but that is not something to lay your stake on, and certainly not against a team like Wolves.

That being said, this feels like the kind of game Arteta's team have the best chance of winning at the moment. Against an equally blunt attacking outfit, where it's likely to come down to a couple of moments.

Nuno Espirito Santo has himself spoken openly about his side's ropey start performance-wise, despite four wins helping them to ninth - a point and three places above the Gunners as things stand.

While I don't have enough confidence to back it, I think Arsenal will be emboldened by the spirit they showed in battling to a goalless draw at Leeds last weekend following Nicolas Pepe's 51st-minute red card; Thursday's 3-0 win in Molde can't have done any harm either.

Pepe's absence means it's highly likely Bukayo Saka will return to the starting XI after being rested at Elland Road following a busy international period with England. Bet365 have him at 12/1 to score first, which is excellent.

Whether playing in defence, midfield or attack, he has had at least two shots in all but one league game he's started this term. He pulled the trigger four times against Leicester before being substituted after an hour, and that contest is as close to a mirror image of Sunday's fixture as you're likely to find.

Saka also had four shots against Iceland when playing at left wing-back for England, so he is not afraid to have a go. His one goal this season is the reason for those inviting odds, but no-one has been scoring for Arsenal.

He can be taken anytime at 11/2 with Unibet, but in a tight match I prefer to back him each-way to score first. The 19-year-old did exactly that the last time these teams met in July, to score his first Premier League goal.

Score prediction: Arsenal 1-0 Wolves (Sky Bet odds: 5/1)

Best bets:

• Under 2.5 goals at 4/6
• Bukayo Saka to score first e.w at 12/1

Chelsea v Spurs: Super Sunday preview

• 16:30 GMT kick-off on Sky Sports
• Match Odds: Home 11/10 | Draw 5/2 | Away 12/5

Mark O'Haire

Hakim Ziyech has made an immediate impact on Chelsea’s offensive output and the Moroccan winger has found a home on the right-side of the Blues’ front-three. Two goals and three assists have arrived in five starts and his willingness to shoulder the creativity burden has seen plenty of action arriving down Ziyech’s side of the field.

With Reece James bombing on in support of Ziyech, Spurs left-back Sergio Reguilon is bound to have his hands full and looks overpriced to make three or more successful tackles at 2/1. This play has already provided profit in Tottenham’s tussles against both Man City and Man Utd with the Spaniard relishing one-on-one duels.

Elsewhere, Kurt Zouma has established himself at the heart of Chelsea’s back-four alongside Thiago Silva and has given the Blues an aerial threat from set-pieces. The Frenchman has scored three times in eight league appearances in 2020/21, having at least one attempt at goal in six of those contests and hitting the target in five.

Considering Tottenham are missing one of their key aerial defenders in Alderweireld, Zouma should be capable of causing problems from dead-ball situations with the 11/10 on a single attempt at goal too good to turn down, as well as the appealing 18/5 that the Chelsea centre-half manages at least one shot on-target at Stamford Bridge.

Score prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Tottenham (Sky Bet odds: 6/1)

Best bets:

• Sergio Reguilon 3+ tackles at 2/1
• Kurt Zouma 1+ shot on target at 18/5

Click to read Mark O'Haire's preview in full

Southampton v Manchester United

• 14:00 GMT kick-off on Sky Sports
• Match odds: Home 11/4 | Draw 13/5 | Away 19/20

This meeting of two in-form sides has all the makings of being an absolute cracker - nailed on goalless draw then?

Thankfully that's highly unlikely when it comes to Southampton, who last drew 0-0 when they went to Chelsea in the Premier League on January 2, 2019 - that's a run of 73 games without one.

Saints started this season a little shakily but have been excellent in recent weeks, winning five and drawing two in a seven-match unbeaten run that's taken them within three points of the top ahead of this weekend.

Manchester United have bounced back well from disappointment too, winning three on the spin after suffering back-to-back losses against Arsenal and Istanbul Basaksehir. Defeat by the latter in the Champions League is the only occasion Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team have failed on the road this season, winning the other five.

That form stretches back almost a year, as since losing to Liverpool in January, United have lost one of 19 away.

Combine that with Southampton's excellent form - including three straight home wins - and United's impressive first-half display against Basaksehir on Tuesday and I cannot make a case for either team to lose.

But most bookies aren't having any trouble splitting them, as the visitors are a slight odds-on in most places, with Saints as big as 3/1. Quite obviously, the value is with Ralph Hasenhuttl's team.

They are tipped as such outsiders that the double chance offering is evens with several bookmakers.

I really like those odds, but I am prepared to go a step further and take Betway's 2/1 on Southampton double chance/both teams to score, given the likely attacking nature of this encounter. I'm surprised that both teams to score is available at 3/4 on its own with the same bookmaker, so I'll take it to a decent slice.

Saints may have won their past three home matches 2-0, but each of the three matches that followed saw goals for both teams. Only once in United's past four games has a team kept a clean sheet.

In terms of goalscorers, I really like Theo Walcott's 19/5 odds to score anytime with Unibet.

His poacher's effort at the back post against Wolves on Monday was an emotional moment, coming 15 years after he last netted for the club. It was also no fluke.

With Danny Ings injured, the on-loan Everton man has been chosen to play alongside Che Adams, and is getting plenty of opportunities on goal as a consequence. He has had three shots in each of his two starts as a striker, added to the two in each game when playing as one of the wide-men in a midfield diamond.

While it's tempting to take the 10/1 general price for him to break the deadlock, or 9/1 each-way with Sky Bet or bet365, in a match that I expect to have plenty of to-and-fro, a smidgen under 5s anytime is good enough.

Score prediction: Southampton 1-1 Manchester United (Sky Bet odds: 11/2)

Best bets:

• Both teams to score at 4/6
• Southampton double chance and BTTS at 15/8
• Theo Walcott to score anytime at 19/5

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