Good day everyone,
I hope you are all well and had a great week, welcome to CryptoGod-1's blog on all things sports. This weekend round of fixtures sees the big game between United and Chelsea, City welcome Brighton, Newcastle head to Spurs, and Arsenal visit Southampton.
Fixtures - Times are shown as U.K. Time
This weeks round of fixtures will see the games kicking off on Saturday lunchtime and finishing on Monday evening.
Saturday 22nd October 2022
Nottingham - Liverpool 12.30pm KO (Kick Off)
Everton - Crystal Palace 3pm KO
Manchester City - Brighton 3pm KO
Chelsea - Manchester United 5.30pm KO
Sunday 23rd October 2022
Aston Villa - Brentford 2pm KO
Leeds - Fulham 2pm KO
Southampton - Arsenal 2pm KO
Wolves - Leicester - 2pm KO
Tottenham - Newcastle 4.30pm KO
Monday 24th October 2022
West Ham - Bournemouth 8pm KO
Predictions
Now for the most exciting part, as I go through the latest info regarding each team to make an attempt at predicting the results for this weekends matches. Remember this is just my fun analysis and should not be taken as advice or a guarantee.
Nottingham - Liverpool
Forest sit bottom of the table despite their defensive resilience at the Amex during the week, and they welcome a Liverpool side putting together a run of wins which has seen them climb into 7th place. Cooper has overseen his side go eight games in the top flight without a win, but they are still only three points off safety. They are the division's joint second-worst goal scorers with just seven goals to their name so far, with only Wolves doing worse in that regards. They have scored six of those seven goals at home, although they have only managed to gain four points from their five home games, which is the worst return for a team at home so far this campaign. Liverpool meanwhile are starting to show the potential threat they were expected to have before the season started, as Nunez got his first Anfield goal for Liverpool during the week against West Ham. He was also clocked running at 38km/hr, making him the fastest player in Premier League history. For the first time this season Liverpool have three successive wins in all competitions, and they will hope to make it four. However, they have only one win from six away games so far this season, so will be weary heading to the City Ground. Forest will be missing Richards, Colback, Niakhate, and O'Brien, while Toffolo and Lodi does Santos need to be assessed. Liverpool meanwhile have an injury list of Diaz, Keita, Matip, Jota, and Arthur, while Nunez and Konate will be assessed for fitness. While Forest have been better for scoring at home, and Liverpool have struggled so far away from home, it is difficult to see any sort of positive result for the home side. Liverpool seemed to have turned the corner and this will be a great way to confirm that, and I expect them to get a 0-3 away win here.
Everton - Crystal Palace
The Toffees sit in 15th position and welcome 11th placed Crystal Palace to Goodison this weekend. Lampard managed to string together a seven-game unbeaten run across all competitions between the end of August and the beginning of October for Everton, although they have lost three on the bounce since. They have struggled for goals at home this season also, with Everton having the fewest goals scored on home soil with a tally of three goals from five games. They will need a big improvement from their last game, which saw only one shot against Newcastle in the entire match. Palace have managed to win their last two, as Vieira has overseen his side climb the table and will have real hopes of pushing into the top half. Three of their upcoming four games are away from home, and it has not gone well so far from them away from Selhurst. They have drawn their last two away games 0-0 and only Fulham in 2008 have played out three 0-0's in a row in the Premier League. Everton will be missing Mina, Patterson, Townsend, and Godfrey for this one. Palace meanwhile will be travelling to Merseyside without Clyne, Richards, Butland, and McArthur. Ferguson and Hughes are minor doubts. With both these sides in contrasting form it should make for an interesting contest. While Palace have struggled away from home, Everton have been on poor form of late. Therefore I expect these sides to share the spoils and end with a 1-1 draw.
Manchester City - Brighton
Having not played during the week, second placed Man City will be looking to get back to winning ways as they welcome 8th placed Brighton to the Etihad. Pep saw his side lose their first game this season last time out, and fail to score for the first time also, when they faced Liverpool. It was their first away defeat in the league since the opening day of last season. They have won each of their last 12 games at home and will be looking to close that four point gap on leaders Arsenal, while they have managed to score 51 goals in those games. De Zebri's Brighton have become goal shy since their 3-3 draw at Anfield in the managers first game in charge, failing to score in their last three. The Italian is still searching for his first win after overseeing them dominate against Forest during the week without scoring, but having 71% possession and 19 shots on goal. They have fallen away from the Champions League places they occupied earlier in the season, but will be pleased to maintain their top half status. Man City will be missing Phillips, Stones, and Walker for this one, while Brighton will be without Mwepu, Mitoma, and Moder. This wont be an easy game for the Seagulls. Man City will want to show it was only a slight blip at Anfield and get back to winning ways. Haaland, who was kept relatively quiet last time out, will be determined to get back amongst the goals. If Brighton can learn from how Liverpool beat City they may have a chance here, but overall I can only see it being a 3-0 home win.
Chelsea - Manchester United
The big game of the weekend sees Man United, currently in 5th, travel to Stamford bridge to face Chelsea in fourth. Only a single point separates the two sides heading into this one, and Potter will see this as his biggest test as Chelsea manager so far. They were held to a goalless draw last time out, but have seen a resurgent Kepa in goal. They have kept a clean sheet in each of their last five Premier League games while only conceding two goals in all competitions since Potter took over. Chelsea are yet to taste defeat at Stamford Bridge this term and have won each of their last three Premier League games at their home. United meanwhile will try put the drama of Ronaldo to one side and build on their impressive win over Spurs during the week. Ten Hag has seen his side win at home against Liverpool, Arsenal, and Spurs so far this season, but this away trip will be a real test for them. They have managed four wins from their last five in all tournaments and have impressively won nine out of 12 since that 4-0 defeat to Brentford. United also have three clean sheets from their last three games. Both sides will be up for this, as a winner will be sitting pretty in fourth afterwards. Chelsea will be missing Kante, Fofana, and James, while Gallagher will need to be assessed. As for United, Ronaldo will not be a part of the squad, while van de Beek, Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, and Greenwood will be unavailable. Martial and Maguire will need to be assessed. United will be confident of scoring here against Chelsea, but their humbling against City away from home will be fresh in their minds. They will not want to be torn apart again, and will need to be assured at the back. Chelsea meanwhile has made his mark on his side, and will be looking to gain a big scalp here. All in all its difficult to split these sides, therefore I am going for a 2-2 draw.
Aston Villa - Brentford
The news out of Villa following their loss to Leicester was that manager Steven Gerrard had been relieved of his duties, with the club sitting in 17th place in the table. They welcome high flying 10th place Brentford to Villa Park on Sunday as they look to climb away from the relegation places. The pressure was already mounting on Gerrard before the Fulham loss, and with the fans turning on him, it seems there was little choice but to let him go. Villa have just nine points after recording two wins, three draws and six defeats from 11 matches. They are the joint-second lowest goalscorers in the league with seven goals, but have only lost one of their last three league fixtures at Villa Park. Brentford meanwhile head into this after a strong performance and 0-0 draw with Chelsea. They have 14 points from 11 matches, five points above Villa. After their 13th place finish last season, they will be aiming for an even better finish this time around. Villa will be missing Douglas Luiz after his red card, along with Kamara, Digne, Augustinsson, and Diego Carlos. Brentford will be without Hickey, Norgaard, Strakosha, and Jansson. With draws in three of their five away league games for Brentford so far this season, and Villa having won just twice in front of their own fans in the league, this game has a closeness written all over it. It could go either way with a single goal, therefore I will back Brentford to secure an away win with 1-2.
Leeds - Fulham
With Leeds sitting in 16th place in the table there will be nervous feelings amongst the management team when they welcome surprise package Fulham to Elland road, with the visitors sitting in 9th. The Elland Road outfit are looking for their first win since August 21st in the league. Marsch says he has the backing of the board, but sine that 3-0 win over Chelsea they have five and drawn twice. They have stuttered after that bright start but have the better record heading into this one against Fulham, having been victorious in each of their last four games against Fulham. The Cottagers meanwhile have made an impressive start to the season by winning four and drawing three of their eleven games. They are six points ahead of the relegation places, and look capable of staying in the league this term assuming Mitrovic stays fit. Their big win over Villa will have boosted confidence further, as they bid to make it back-to-back seasons at this level of football for the first time since 2014. Leeds will be without Dallas, Forshaw, and Fuhr Hjelde. Gray and Struijk are also doubts. Fulham meanwhile will be missing James, Solomon, and Kurzawa. Chalobah and Tete are also doubts. Leeds are in a dire straight and need a win here, while Fulham will want to build on what they have so far. This could easily go either way, but I have a feeling that this close match will end with the points being shared, finishing 2-2.
Southampton - Arsenal
With Southampton sitting in 14th position they face the tough task of welcoming table toppers Arsenal to Saint Mary's Stadium on Sunday. The Saints have been poor, but Hasenhuttl oversaw a win at Bournemouth last time out to end a five game winless run. He is still a manager under pressure but they are now two points above the drop zone. They have only managed to score three goals in their last 540 minutes of top-flight football, meaning the fans have not been satisfied. Hasenhuttl's side have now gone seven top-flight games at home without a clean sheet but did manage to beat Chelsea at home earlier in the season. Arsenal meanwhile are leading the pack and secured victory over PSV during the week in their rearranged Europa League fixture, meaning they have won their last six in all competitions. They have a four point lead at the top of the Premier League and are on an eight-game winning streak overall, although a lot of them have been narrow 1-0 victories. St. Mary's has never been easy for Arsenal though, having lost there last season. Southampton will be without Walker-Peters, Maitland-Niles, Bella-Kotchap, and Livramento. Lavia is also a doubt. Elneny and Smith Rowe are out for Arsenal, while Zinchenko and Saka are doubts. While Southampton are in a bit of a rut, Arteta has his side flying. They will be looking to cement their place at the top even further and I expect a 0-2 win here.
Wolves - Leicester
Both these sides sit in the relegation zone heading into this match, with Wolves in 18th and a single point and position above Leicester. Wolves have announced that Davies will remain in charge until 2023 after the recent sacking of Lage, as the club look for stability in their push towards getting away from the relegation spots. He has led them to their only win in their previous five, but having lost the other four, Wolves are in a dismal position. They are the lowest scoring side in the Premier League, with just five goals in eleven games. Injuries have been hampering the side so far this term but Traore could provide the spark they have been missing. Leicester meanwhile have conceded 19 goals in their five away games, which is a big reason they are stuck so low in the standings. They have however scored more goals than any other side in the bottom half of the table, and the problem has been defensively for much of the season. Faes has looked solid at the back and it has led to them keeping two shutouts in their previous two games, but just one clean sheet in their last 31 away Premier League games is a big worry for Rodgers side. Wolves will be missing Kalajdzic, Pedro Neto, Raul Jimenez, Gomes, and Tavares Oliveira. Leicester will be missing Pereira, Ndidi, Maddison, and Bertrand. Albrighton and Evans are also doubts. They previous six games between these sides have produced a total of five goals, meaning we should not be expecting a goal fest. Given the recent improvement of Leicester I am inclined to back the Foxes to sneak an away win their their impressive finishing in front of goal. They will want to work hard to keep another clean sheet and this is the perfect opposition for that, therefore I am expecting a 0-1 away win.
Tottenham - Newcastle
Spurs have had an excellent start to the campaign and sit in 3rd place as they welcome 6th place Newcastle to the Hotspur Stadium. A difficult night against United brought Spurs back down to earth somewhat, as they missed the opportunity to overtake City in the table. Conte's side remain four points off the top of the table, having played a game more than the two sides above them. They have however won all seven of their games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season, scoring 20 goals in the process. Newcastle meanwhile are looking strong this season, with Almiorn and Bruno showing impressive form of late. The Magpies also arrive in North London with a six-game unbeaten run to try to preserve but they have only won once away from home this season. They are two points off fourth spot, albeit having played a game extra. Spurs will be without Richarlison and Kulusevski while Emerson will return from his suspension. Newcastle will be without Krafth, Ritchie, Saint-Maximin, Darlow, and Isak. Joelinton is also a major doubt having come off injured against Everton. Conte's side have always put on a performance in front of their own fans this term and I expect no less here, and this should be no different. It will be a close and tightly fought match, but Spurs should just about win it with a 2-1 home win.
West Ham - Bournemouth
Moyes side lost narrowly to Liverpool during the week and currently occupy 13th in the standings, while the Cherries have done impressively under O'Neil and sit two points ahead in 12th. With the Hammers doing so well in Europe last season and investing over the summer, much was expected of them this campaign. A slow start has been put behind them, but they were brought back to the harsh reality of the league in their 1-0 loss to Liverpool during the week. Bowen missed a penalty and Rice looked strong in the middle, so they will take they positives from it. Two wins and a draw in their last six league games in not the form Moyes had anticipated for this season, but they will have hopes of pushing towards the top half before the World Cup break with United their only other top six opponent between now and then. The Cherries have been a surprise since O'Neil replaced Parker, having only lost once since the change. That was last time out, against Southampton. Their change in form has seen them climb the table and suddenly there will be real hop that this club can maintain itself within the division come the end of the season. Ten points in their previous seven games could be the requirement to stay up so if they can get back to avoiding defeat, they will have a real chance. Tolentino and Aguerd will miss out for West Ham, while Cornet and Dawson will need fitness tests. As for Bournemouth, Kelly and Brooks will be missing this clash. It should be an entertaining Monday night match, as both sides look to bounce back from recent defeats. I cannot see much between these teams, especially as West Ham will be playing again on Thursday, although they are already qualified. Therefore I will back an even contest and a 2-2 final score.
Check out my 2022/23 Season Preview and Predictions here: Premier League 2022/23 Prediction
Also check out my review of the group draw and prediction of the Champions League for this season here: Champions League 2022/23 Prediction
Have a great day, I hope you enjoyed the preview of the matches and get to see the games over the weekend.
Peace. CryptoGod-1.
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