Good day everyone,
I hope you are all well and having a great weekend, welcome to CryptoGod-1's blog on all things sports. Today we will be looking at the upcoming games in the Premier League as we continue into the third round of the season. The biggest clash of the weekend will see Liverpool head to old Trafford to take on Ten Hags side on Monday night while there is also a big test for Newcastle who come up against Man City. Spurs host Wolves in the early Saturday kick off while West Ham have a big test against Brighton after their midweek Europa Conference League clash.
Fixtures - Times are shown as U.K. Time
This weekends round of fixtures will see all games kicking off on Saturday lunchtime and finishing on Monday evening.
Saturday 20th August 2022
Tottenham - Wolves 12.30pm KO (Kick Off)
Crystal Palace - Aston Villa 3pm KO
Everton - Nottingham Forest 3pm KO
Fulham - Brentford 3pm KO
Leicester - Southampton 3pm KO
Bournemouth - Arsenal 5.30pm KO
Sunday 21st August 2022
Leeds - Chelsea 2pm KO
West Ham - Brighton 2pm KO
Newcastle - Manchester City 4.30pm KO
Monday 22nd August 2022
Manchester United - Liverpool 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.
Tottenham - Wolves
Fourth place and unbeaten Spurs welcome fourteenth placed Wolves on Saturday lunchtime for the early kickoff this weekend. Conte wont be in the dugout after himself and Tuchel got red cards after the Chelsea Spurs match last weekend, meaning the Italian will have to entrust his coaching staff to get his team over the line here. Spurs had some luck on their side in their comeback and be looking for a much stronger start here. Wolves meanwhile have been slow to start this season under Lage, but have confirmed new club record signing Matheus Nunes during the week from Sporting Lisbon, along with Goncalo Guedes. The Brazilian will certainly add additional bite to their midfield, as they look to improve on the one point from their opening two fixtures, while the Portuguese winger will give them more threat down the left wing or up front. Neither will likely feature here but will reassure Wolves fans the club are serious in their aim to once again challenge for European places. Spurs will be missing Romero for this one, while it is likely too soon for Skipp to return. Wolves will be without Raul Jimenez, while Moutinho, Semedo, and Traore will all likely sit this one out. Wolves can take confidence from their performances so far but it is Spurs who have to be favourites here. They are at home and will want to keep pace with league leaders Man City, meaning I can only see one winner. The final score will be 2-1 to Spurs.
Crystal Palace - Aston Villa
Sixteenth placed Palace will head into this game with one point but full of confidence after their draw at Anfield last Monday night, but welcome ninth placed Villa who will be elevated after their win over Everton. The manner of the draw with Liverpool was overshadowed by the red card for Nunez after his headbutt on Andersen, but it was the level of Palace's defending along with their counter attacking play which will have Vieira delighted. Palace will need to improve when it comes to taking their chances, and will view Villa as the perfect opponent to secure their first three points of the season. Gerrard got the better of Lampard last time out and will be looking to do the same to Vieira this time. They lost Carlos to a long term injury but the West Midlands outfit have shown they can handle the pressure and rely on their attacking output. Mings performed well when brought back into the side and may have saved his Villa career, for now anyway. Palace will be without Tomkins, Butland, and McArthur for the match at Selhurst Park, while Villa will travel without Hause and Carlos while Coutinho and Cash need to be assessed. In what is likely to be another fierce and tight managerial battle between the two former midfielder, it is difficult to see who will win this one. I feel that Villa might just have enough attacking threat to steal the points here and therefore I will back them for a 1-2 away win.
Everton - Nottingham Forest
Lampard will need to get his side firing soon, as they sit eighteenth with no points from their opening two games. They welcome a thriving Forest side who are tenth with three points after their win against West Ham last weekend. After getting Coady and Onana over the line, now Lampard has to contend with Gordon leaving the club for Chelsea, along with Alli heading to Turkey. Everton have lacked any real threat so far in their opening two games and will need to find rhythm and focus to ensure they don't end up in an early relegation battle, especially with them facing one of the new boys in the league. Forest have spent heavily so far this summer, and it does not seem to be finished yet. Cooper has brought in Dennis, Kouyate, and Freuler since last weekend, really giving him an array of talent to choose from. Awoniyi was the star of the game last week, and the club will be looking for more of the same from their record signing. Henderson has been soild in goal, something Man United fans wont be too happy about given their own circumstances. These two sides will meet for the first time since 1999 in what is certain to be an exciting encounter. Everton will be missing Andre Gomes, Calvert-Lewin, Mina, Godfrey, and Townsend, while Gordon may be left out. Forest meanwhile will be without Colback and Richards, while Yates will need to be assessed ahead of the match. Not surprisingly, Forest are the favourites going into this one, but it is impossible to rule out Everton at home under Lampard. It should be a tense early season game, with Everton finding themselves under growing pressure and Forest finding their feet in the league. Due to this, I will back a 1-1 draw at Goodison.
Fulham - Brentford
These two sides remain unbeaten after their first two games of the new season, with Fulham sitting thirteenth with two points and Brentford third with four points. Mitrovic, who started so well in the clash with Liverpool, missed his spot kick at Molineux last weekend and will hope for improvements this time around. The performance was not quite what it was against the Reds, but Fulham have shown they will battle to remain in the league this time. They face a tough task here with Brentford having torn United apart last weekend. Frank's side were majestic, with four first-half goals destroying Ten Hag's first home game at the club. This side need to remain grounded, but they are also capable of challenging for the top half of the table if they perform as they have. Fulham will be without Wilson and Solomon for this one, and will be sweating over the fitness of Pereira and Bobby De Cordova-Reid. The Bees meanwhile will be without Ajer, Canos, and Pinnock when they travel to Craven Cottage. Fulham will need to be prepared to face a side full of confidence, but will be brimming themselves after drawing their first two games of the season. Brentford will be determined to continue where they left off at Old Trafford, and therefore this should be a very close encounter. I am backing a draw here, with the final score being 2-2.
Leicester - Southampton
The Foxes sit in fifteenth and welcome a Southampton side in seventeenth to the King Power stadium on Saturday, with both sides only mustering one point so far. Its the departures as much as the lack of incomings which has Leicester fans talking at the moment, as Fofana, Tielemans, and Vardy are all being linked with moves away. Rodgers knows he needs to ensure his side is focused ahead of this game, and the regression at the club over the last few seasons needs to be amended. They have not shown much in terms of improvement in their defensive frailties shown last season, and will need a top replacement if they loose Fofana. The Saints were torn apart by Spurs in their opening game of the season but Hasenhuttl's side showed character to draw with Leeds last time out. The manager will have concerns over his defence but knows how to get the best from his attackers. They face a Leicester side who Southampton have not beaten in five games. The Foxes will be without Pereira and Bertrand while Barnes remains a doubt. The Saints will be missing Livramento, Adams, Perraud, and Walcott for this clash. Both these sides have leaky defences as shown so far this season, so expect there to be goals at this one. It will be a close game but expect Leicester to make the most of their home advantage and secure the three points with a 3-2 victory.
Bournemouth - Arsenal
Parker has his side sitting eleventh in the table with three points as they welcome second placed Arsenal, who have six points, on Saturday. The Cherries have been impressive despite their lack of spending, managing a win over Villa on the opening day but were shown the true level of the Premier League when they were well beaten by Man City last weekend. They face another top side this weekend and have to encounter Liverpool also before the end of the month, meaning they will have a sharp taste to life back in the top flight. The Gunners are flying high at the moment, having won both their games and seeing new boy Jesus excelling upfront. Arteta will not let his players get ahead of themselves but after narrowly missing out on Champions League last season that will be the minimum expectation for them this time around. Bournemouth will have to make a late call of the fitness of Solanke and Zemura, but Fredericks, Brooks, and Rothwell will all miss out. Arsenal will be missing Nelson while Vieira will need more time to build up his fitness after his recent injury worries. This match will be a real test for Arsenal, and whether or not they are true contenders for a title race. They cannot afford a slip up here, and Parkers side will not make it easy. While I expect Arsenal to come through this game with three points, they were never the most secure away from home. Due to this, I will go for a 2-2 draw with a share of the points for both sides.
Leeds - Chelsea
Seventh placed Chelsea on four points travel to sixth placed Leeds, who also have four points, on Sunday afternoon. Both sides ended up drawing from winning positions last time out, with Tuchel seeing red for his alteration with Conte after the Spurs clash. Marsch will be happy how his side have performed so far, but this will be a real test of their ability. After avoiding the drop last season, they will be aiming for a much higher placing in the table this time around and their fans will be expectant. Bamford is back to lead the lines and the new signings have bedded in well so far. Tuchel meanwhile will hope his side can hang onto a lead this time if they get ahead at Elland Road. He is not finished with his summer signings yet according to the rumours, so expect a busy end to the month for them. Leeds will be missing Junior Firpo, Ayling, and Dallas, while Bamford, Gelhardt, and Cooper face late fitness tests. Chelsea meanwhile will have to continue without the services of Kante, Kovacic, and Alonso, while Pulisic and Broja will need to be assessed. Dont expect this to be an easy game for Chelsea, they are facing a much improved Leeds side since last season. This will be tough for the Blues, especially without Tuchel in the dugout, therefore I expect this game to end as a 1-1 draw.
West Ham - Brighton
The Hammers currently occupy nineteenth in the table with no points so far, and will welcome high flying Brighton who sit eight with four points. Moyes will be disappointed with this sides opening to the season, but will be happy with their 3-1 victory over Viborg FF in the Europa Conference League. He will need time to bed in his new signings, as Scamacca scored in the midweek fixture, while they have also added new boy Kehrer to their defence. It should be a positive sign for the Hammers and they will hope to take that European form into this league encounter. They also have Ogbonna back who managed to play for 65 minutes on Thursday night, so the signs are positive. Brighton have been once again playing beautiful football under Potter, but they will need to be more consistent in taking their chances. This season will see them want to consolidate themselves as a top half side and even begin their push towards achieving European places. Caicedo is their latest player being linked with other clubs, but Potter is adamant he is going nowhere while Maupay looks set to follow Cucurella and Bissouma out the door. West Ham will be without Aguerd and will need to assess Dawson ahead of this game. The Seagulls meanwhile will have a full squad available bar Moder. This is a game where Moyes needs his players to react and get points on the table. They cannot suffer three defeats in a row to start the league campaign, and given the fact Brighton are specialists are getting a point from games, I can only see this ending as a draw. The final score will be 1-1.
Newcastle - Manchester City
The clash of the wealthy clubs, Newcastle who sit fifth on four points welcome Man City who are top with six points. Howe will be hoping to lead his side to a higher finish than they managed with eleventh last season, and in time this clubs wants to be challenging the likes of City for the title. They are stronger at the back with Pope and Botman, which should bode them well for the campaign. Rumours that they still want another midfielder and striker remain, but the team is in a much stronger position than this time twelve months ago. Pep meanwhile will be delighted how new signing Haaland has hit the ground running, linking nicely with De Bruyne and making the loss of Sterling and Jesus look like they were never there. A lot will rest on the players shoulders to secure a third title in a row, along with a real push for the Champions League. Staying injury free will be key for Pep and his team achieving that, but so far so good. Newcastle will be missing Federico Fernandez, Shelvey, and Lewis, while Krafth, Fraser, and Targett will need to be assessed. Man City meanwhile will travel without Laporte while Phillips and Palmer are doubts. While this could be the big game of the season in a few years time, at the moment it is still a very one sided game. Man City are the league leaders for a reason and expect that to continue here as they secure a 1-3 away win.
Manchester United - Liverpool
The biggest game of the weekend sees bottom side Manchester United with no points so far welcoming twelfth placed Liverpool with two points to Old Trafford. One of the biggest games of the season, it is not what Ten Hag would like so early into his tenure. United have been very poor so far, as Brentford showed last weekend. The club is desperately trying to get new faces in who can suit the system, but it has been a shambles of a window for the club so far, that is until the rumours of Casemiro surfaced. He could be the strength in midfield the club has been lacking. Ten Hag will need time to implement his style but if results do not improve he may not be afforded it. Klopp meanwhile will be disappointed with his sides start to the season, as they have drawn both their games so far. Many will claim they are missing Mane, while others will points to their injury crisis so early in the season. Nunez getting red against Palace has added to Klopp's issues but the German is used to finding solutions from within his squad. He will need his side to start hitting the back of the net sooner rather than later, as they have created plenty of chances so far without apply the final touch. This deflated United side could be the perfect opponent to kickstart the Reds season. Man United will be without Lindelof and Williams, while Martial is a doubt and Greenwood remains suspended. As for Liverpool, their injury list now consists of Thiago, Jota, Jones, Matip, Kelleher, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Konate, Ramsay, while Nunez is suspended and Firmino will need to be assessed. This clash could either be very tight or extremely open, as shown with the 0-5 win for Liverpool last season. While Klopp does not have his team firing yet and Thiago is a huge miss in midfield, I still think he will get his players up for this one. There will be no better way to make the fans happy than another big win against United to kickstart the season. Add to that the mess that United have found themselves in and really I can only see one winner, with Ten Hag suffering his third defeat from three here. Liverpool will win, and win big, with the final score being 1-4.
Check out my 2022/23 Season Preview and Predictions here: Premier 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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