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 weekends round of fixtures kicks off with Leicester hosting City, Brighton welcome back Potter with Chelsea, Liverpool host Leeds in the late fixture, and United face off against former manager Moyes with West Ham.
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 Sunday evening.
Saturday 29th October 2022
Leicester - Manchester City 12.30pm KO (Kick Off)
Bournemouth - Tottenham 3pm KO
Brentford - Wolves 3pm KO
Brighton - Chelsea 3pm KO
Crystal Palace - Southampton 3pm KO
Newcastle - Aston Villa 3pm KO
Fulham - Everton 5.30pm KO
Liverpool - Leeds 7.30pm KO
Sunday 30th October 2022
Arsenal - Nottingham Forest 2pm KO
Manchester United - West Ham 2pm 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.
Leicester - Manchester City
With the Foxes in 17th position, they face a true test of their recent good form as they welcome 2nd place Man City to the King Power Stadium. Last time out Leicester put four past Wolves, as they rediscovered their best form having recorded back-to-back wins. They have now taken 10 points from their last five games, seeing a considerable improvement from one point in the previous seven. Keeping three successive clean sheets has also shown a remarkable improvement in their defence, with two goals all they have conceded in October so far, while remaining unbeaten at home this month. City meanwhile enter this game off the back of a 0-0 draw with Dortmund during the week. Mahrez missed another penalty for City in that clash, making it 10 misses from 32 career penalties taken. City are now on a run of just one win in their previous four games, and have also gone without a single victory or a single goal in their last three away from home. Leicester will be missing Ricardo Pereira and Bertrand, while Ndidi and Evans are doubts. City will be without Phillips and Walker, with Cancelo and Haaland needing fitness tests before this one. It should be an interesting game, as Man City have dropped in form of late and Leicester have found theirs. However the Foxes' resilient defensive streak is unlikely to count for much as they face this talented side, and I expect goals here. A 2-3 narrow away win for Man City.
Bournemouth - Tottenham
Both these sides suffered from controversial VAR calls of late, as 14th place Bournemouth welcome 3rd place Spurs to the Vitality Stadium. With four points between the Cherries and the relegation zone, Bournemouth have had as many as 10 VAR decisions go against them this season, according to manager O'Neil. They were aggrieved by both goals against them last time out against West Ham, and to make things worse their lack of goals at home is not helping them. So far they have only managed to score 4 of their 10 league goals this season at the Vitality Stadium. Spurs meanwhile thought they had secured a late winner via Kane against Sporting, only for VAR to rule it out and Conte to get a red card. Spurs have now gone three straight games without a win in all tournaments and Conte knows they need to perform better. They are five points adrift of leaders Arsenal having played a game more and both United and Chelsea are sneaking up behind them. They have also only managed one win in their last six away games in all competitions, so this will be a vital opportunity for Spurs to turn things around. Brooks, Kelly, and Murara Neto are out for Bournemouth, while Solanke will need to be assessed. As for Spurs, Kulusevski and Richarlison continue on the side-lines due to injuries. Tottenham's attacking deficiencies have come to the fore this season, and it is not helped with some of their key attackers out injured. They do however have plenty of talent left in Son and Kane, meaning Bournemouth will need to be at their best to keep them out. I think this could be another frustrating day for Spurs, with them eventually sneaking a 0-1 away win.
Brentford - Wolves
The Gtech Community Stadium will see 11th place Brentford take on 19th place Wolves this weekend. After their excellent first year in the Premier League, Brentford have continued in the same vein by taking 14 points so far. They have however won just one of their last six games and that form is worrying. At home they are solid, having collected 11 of their 14 points on home soil and will look to add to that this weekend. Frank's side have won just one of their last six encounters with Wolves however, although this could be considered an excellent time to face them. Wolves have been in disarray this season, with the sacking of Lage not producing any change to their form. Their only points since then have come against Forest, and they even gave Leicester their first away win on the season last weekend. Sitting two points from safety, Wolves will need to start turning things around quickly before they find themselves even further adrift. Brentford will be missing Jansson, Strakosha, and Hickey for this one, while Norgaard is also a doubt. As for Wolves, they will travel without Raul Jimenez, Kalajdzic, Pedro Neto, and Francisco Oliveira. Doubt also remain over the fitness of Costa and Gomes. After their recent bad results, Brentford will be looking to respond with a home win here. They are strong at home, while Wolves have been weak all over this season. The lack of a goal scorer has hampered Wolves further, and due to this I am backing Brentford to win this game comfortably by a score of 2-0.
Brighton - Chelsea
New manager De Zebri will welcome the man he replaced to the Amex this weekend, as 9th place Brighton welcome 5th place Chelsea. De Zerbi has yet to win in his first five games in charge, although to be fair they did include trips to Anfield and the Etihad. Interestingly, its at home where they have struggled the most. They have underperformed their xG by over two goals so far this season and with just four goals in five games it is clear that De Zebri is taking time to apply his methods to his new side. The positive is that at Sassuolo his side scored 186 league goals in just three seasons, so if the Brighton fans are patient they could be in store for a lot of good times ahead. They have also never beaten Chelsea in the league in ten attempts so far. Potter will be relishing testing himself against his old side, and he remains unbeaten after nine games as Chelsea boss in all competitions. They just about got past RB Salzburg during the week to qualify from their Champions League group, but their draw with United last weekend saw them drop out of the top four. Their lack of firepower upfront is the biggest issue so far for Chelsea, while summer signing Sterling has failed to reach his dazzling heights so far, although he is their top scorer with 3 goals. Brighton will be without Moder and Mwepu, while doubts remain over the fitness of Mitoma, Lallana, Veltman, and Lamptey. Chelsea meanwhile will be without Kante, Fofana, and James, while Kovacic and Koulibaly will need fitness tests. These sides will know each other well, and therefore it is likely to end similar to four of their previous encounters, which ended as draws. With neither side having much luck in front of goal, I expect a low scoring game with a final result of 1-1.
Crystal Palace - Southampton
With just a single point between these sides in the league, 13th place Palace welcome 16th place Southampton to Selhurst Park this weekend. Palace had a slow start to the season, and while they are yet to win away from home so far, they have managed two wins in their last two home games. They have what would be considered kind fixtures in the lead up to the World Cup, and will look to make it three wins at home in a row for the first time since May 2018. Having beaten the Saints back in April, Palace have never managed to beat Southampton twice in a row in league fixtures in the Premier League and will be looking to erase that record here. The Saint meanwhile have lost just three of their 13 Premier League visits to Crystal Palace in the past but are winless in their last two at Selhurst Park. Their upturn in form, having draw twice and won once after a run of four straight defeats in the league will give Southampton confidence going into this one. Hassenhuttl's men have only managed to score four away goals so far this campaign and wont be expected to change that anytime soon. Palace will be without Clyne, Butland, McArthur, and Richards, while Ferguson is also a doubt. The Saints meanwhile will be missing Livramento, Walker-Peters, and Maitland-Niles, while Lavia and Bella-Kotchap are also doubts. When considering the form of Palace at home and the struggles of Southampton on the road, it would seem likely the home team will prevail here. Their fans will spur them on as always and while Southampton will put up a good fight, I can see Palace managing to secure a 2-1 home win here.
Newcastle - Aston Villa
Eddie Howe has overseen quite the transformation of Newcastle in the last 12 months, with the Geordies sitting 4th and welcoming 15th place Villa for Unai Emery's first match in charge. The Toon Army are dreaming after such an excellent start to the season and have their eyes set on Champions League qualification, having beaten Spurs last weekend. They have only lost once all season, to Liverpool, and it was also Liverpool who were the only side to win at St. James' Park this calendar year. The scary thing is they still have plenty in the bank to invest further into this side, and being unbeaten at St. James' Park after six matches is a big factor in their strong start. Villa meanwhile have had a chaotic week, after Gerrard was sacked and Villa went on to secure a 4-0 win last time out, they have appointed an astute manager in Emery. He will want to show he has improved since his days at Arsenal, and although Villa are winless on the road in their six away games this season and scoring just three goals, there is a lot of optimism. Emery will have to wait to make his managerial bow however, thanks to work permit issues. Newcastle will be missing Isak, Darlow, Ritchie, Krafth, and Dummett for this encounter, while Saint-Maximin and Anderson are doubts. Villa meanwhile will be missing Kamara, Augustinsson, and Diego Carlos. It would be difficult to expect Villa to pull off another win here after their heroics last time out, as Newcastle seem too strong at home. The Magpies will be looking to cement themselves into the top four and should achieve that with a 2-0 home win.
Fulham - Everton
High flying Fulham, currently 7th in the league, welcome a resurgent 12th place Everton this weekend. Silva's side have been the biggest overachievers by far in the Premier League so far this season, powered on by Mitrovic. With five wins already and 18 point to their name, there is little doubt over their possibility to remain up barring a complete collapse. They have managed a total of 22 league goals so far, which have been nicely shared around the team. The last time they were in the Premier League, in 2020-21 season, they managed 27 goals in the entire season. Amazingly, their attacking style has left them vulnerable at the back, and their goal difference sits at 0 due to their potent attacking play. Everton meanwhile are finally looking like a side with a plan under Lampard, as they have managed a superb display in their 3-0 success over Crystal Palace last Saturday. Their defence is looking strong and the attacking is coming together, meaning their worries of relegation last season seem, for now at least, to be long behind them. Three wins in their previous six league games will have done Lampard's side the world of good, as they look to ensure they are in a comfortable position before the World Cup break. Fulham will be missing Kurzawa and Solomon, while James will be back after missing the last game. Tete could also be back depending on a fitness test. Everton meanwhile will be without Godfrey, Townsend, and Mina. Everton have one of the worst away records around, and even though on paper they would be expected to be the stronger team, I can see Fulham continuing their excellent run here with a 3-1 win.
Liverpool - Leeds
The Reds secured their last 16 place in the Champions League with a win over Ajax during the week, and although they are 8th in the table with 16 points, belief is slowly returning to the Anfield side. They welcome a Leeds side who are on a terrible run of form and occupy 18th in the table. Klopp has backed Nunez from the off and is getting his reward, as the striker scored his 4th goal in his last 4 starts for the club, when he netted against Ajax. Elliott also got a goal to continue his rapid development within the side. They did however look lost last weekend as they lost 1-0 away to Forest, and Klopp knows his side can ill afford to drop any more points to bottom three teams. A current record of four wins from their last five games is the best run of form the side have enjoyed all season, and conceding just twice in their last 450 minutes of football is a welcome sign. They have also won six of their last seven at Anfield and are yet to lose at home this season, with three straight clean sheets in their last three, and the potential of going 30 home league games unbeaten here. Leeds meanwhile seem a long way from the side which beat Chelsea in matchday 3, having drawn twice and losing on six occasions since then. Marsch is under pressure and this match wont make things any easier for him. Leeds are now winless in 12 against the Reds, not winner since 2001. Four league losses in a row and five in their last six has left a lot of fans questioning whether Marsch is the man to keep them in the league. Liverpool will be missing Diaz, Keita, Jota, and Arthur, while Thiago, Henderson, and Matip are doubts. Leeds meanwhile will be without Forshaw and Dallas, while Gray, Fuhr Hjelde, Adams, Rodrigo, Sinisterra, Cooper, and Gelhardt will need to be assessed. While Liverpool have somewhat struggled in the league this season, they have been solid at home and are beginning to look like a side ready to click into gear. A lot will rely on Nunez and Salah being on form, but I expect them to record a comfortable home win with a 3-0 result to pile more pressure on Marsch.
Arsenal - Nottingham Forest
This match sees top side Arsenal welcome bottom side Forest to the Emirates stadium in what should be an interesting encounter. Arsenal have stuttered of late, with a 2-0 loss to PSV in the Europa League on Thursday following on from failingto convince against Bodo/Glimt and Leeds. Arteta will need to get his side focused as their four point lead in the league has been cut to two. Their string of less-than-dominant performance will not stop the Gunners dreaming of success, but its a long season ahead. They could be in 2nd in the table by the time this kicks off and it will be a real test of their mental strength. They are on a 10-game winning streak at the Emirates in all competitions, including each of their last eight in the Premier League so confidence should not be an issue here. Nottingham Forest and their newfound defensive resilience should fear no team after putting Liverpool to the sword last weekend and conceding just two goals in their last four games. They will be confidence they can secure another scalp, as the Tricky Trees are proving a tricky team to break down currently. Cooper is getting his side playing well, albeit not amazing, but the fans wont mind if they can continue to secure results. Arsenal will be missing Smith Rowe and Elneny, while Zinchenko and Turner are doubts. Forest meanwhile will travel to London without Richards, Colback, Toffolo, and Niakhate, while O'Brien remains a doubt. A fatigued Gunners can take nothing for granted versus a Forest side who are growing in confidence every week, although Arteta will ensure his side do not let their heads drop. While I expect Forest to give Arsenal a tough test, the home side should prevail with a 3-1 win.
Manchester United - West Ham
Sixth place United host 10th place West Ham in this one, as Moyes visits his old club and Ten Hag tries to further stamp his authority on the side. United ran out 3-0 winners against Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday night in the Europa League and besides the drama of Anthony "showboating" there was also a goal for Ronaldo. The draw last weekend against Chelsea has shown a resilience to the side that was lacking in previous seasons, and United now look to be putting a run together. They are a single point off the top four having also played one game less than both Tottenham and Newcastle United who are ahead of them. United are undefeated in front of their own fans since their opening day 2-1 defeat against Brighton, meaning they will be confident of another home win here. West Ham meanwhile made a slow start in domestic action this season, but recent result have seen them climb the table. They have three wins and a draw in their last five, and have flourished in Europe by winning all five games of their Europa Conference League group games. If they can bring that form into the league then the Hammers can really look at pushing up the standings. United will be without Greenwood, Varane, Tuanzebe, and Williams, while Martial and Wan-Bissaka will need to be assessed. West Ham will travel to the North-West with doubts over Lucas Paqueta, Cornet, Dawson, and Bowen. While West Ham's performances have improved in recent matches it will still be a struggle here. They are the kind of side who can pull a result from nowhere and United will need to ensure they dont take anything for granted here. I will go for a 2-1 home win.
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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