England Midweek 18-20. January (Premier League and Carabao Cup)

[spkutano]

 

[spkutano]

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Brighton & Hove Albion:
Sanchez; Lamptey, Webster, Burn, Cucurella; Gross, Lallana, Moder, Mac Allister; Trossard, Maupay

Chelsea:
Kepa; Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Sarr; Azpilicueta, Kovacic, Kante, Alonso; Mount, Lukaku, Werner

Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Chelsea to the Amex Stadium on Tuesday. The Seagulls will enter the contest off the back of an 1:1 draw with Crystal Palace on Friday. They sit in the middle of the table with 28 points. I believe the fans are satisfied. The actual form could be evaluated as solid, they are unbeaten on the last four matches in the Premier League. The series started with a 2:0 win over Brentford, continued with an away 1:1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and a 3:2 win against Everton at Goodison Park, while in the last match Brighton shared the points with Palace. Joachim Andersen's own goal in the 87th minute helped Graham Potter's men to avoid the defeat after Conor Gallagher had put the visitors ahead in the 69th minute. It is clear Brighton have a problem when play at home - they have won just three of their 10 league matches in front of their own supporters. Potter has some additional issues ahead of this match. He will be without Yves Bissouma who's on international duty on Africa Cup of Nations. Jeremy Sarmiento and Enock Mwepu are both definitely out injured, while Adam Lallana is rated as doubtful after picking up a knock against Palace. Lewis Dunk is back from a knee injury, but most probably he will start from the bench. Tariq Lamptey was reserve against Palace but could start here.

Chelsea dropped to the third position after the weekend results - they lost 1:0 to Manchester City, while Liverpool won 3:0 against Brentford. The league form isn't at highest level in the last period. They managed to register just one victory on the last six matches in the Premier League. I will mention that Chelsea secured the League Cup final after winning 3:0 on aggregate against Tottenham. But I believe the players confidence isn't high at the moment. The reason is Saturday's defeat at the Etihad. Manchester City dominated the match in terms of possession and attempts, while Thomas Tuchel's men were limited to just one effort on goal throughout the 90 minutes. Even the corners are telling something - 9:1 for City. I believe this facts have frustrated the fans, but also the players. After all, they are the reigning European champions and such inferiority is not acceptable. Tuchel remain without injured trio Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah, but there is more. Defender Andreas Christensen is out after testing positive for coronavirus. First goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is with Senegalese national team at Africa Cup of Nations. Tuchel will probably make changes from the side that started against Man City, with Mason Mount,Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Jorginho pushing for spots in the team.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea Prediction:

Brighton will want to desperately break their jinx against Chelsea and get their first win against the Blues, though it won't be simple. On contrary, I think Chelsea are closer to the victory, despite the fact they are guests. Brighton have won just three of their 10 league matches in front of their own supporters, collecting only 13 from possible 30 points in the process. The quality is on Chelsea side and I believe Tuchel's men will win.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea Pick: Chelsea to win @ 1.81 with 1xBet

 

[spkutano]

Brentford vs Manchester United Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Brentford:
Fernandez; Ajer, Jansson, Pinnock; Rasmussen, Janelt, Norgaard, Jensen, Canos; Toney, Mbeumo

Manchester United:
De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Shaw; Fred, McTominay; Elanga, Fernandes, Greenwood; Ronaldo

Both Brentford and Manchester United will be looking to return to winning ways when they face in West London on Wednesday night. The Bees are currently 14th in the table, big 10 points clear of the relegation zone. However, there is no space for relaxation, few bad results could easily see them dropping on the table. But the actual form is poor, Brentford have suffered four defeats on the last five matches in the Premier League. They managed to beat Aston Villa with 2:1, but lost the matches against Brighton, Manchester City, Southampton and Liverpool. As You could see, they faced two best sides in the league, however this shouldn't be an excuse. Even worse, they conceded seven goals on the last two fixtures. The Bees lost 4:1 to Southampton and lost 3:0 to Liverpool in the last round. The defeat at Anfield was somehow expected, but at the same time very painful. Thomas Frank's men have several good opportunities, but were unlucky to score. At the same time they conceded after set-pieces and individual mistakes. Frank has some additional issues due to absence of some players. Frank Onyeka is on Africa Cup of Nations, while Josh Dasilva, David Raya, Charlie Goode and Julian Jeanvier are out injured, while Mathias Jorgensen is reted as doubtful. Rico Henry and Sergi Canos had returned from injury to feature against Liverpool.

Manchester United are seventh with 32 points, while the fourth-placed West Ham have 37. To be worse, Arsenal and Tottenham are also targeting the last Champions League spot. The Gunners have 35 points, while Tottenham 33 and two matches in hand. The situation is very complicated and new manager Ralf Rangnick is already feeling a pressure. The actual form could be evaluate as poor, they have one draw and one defeat on the last two matches in the Premier League. His start was very good, three wins and one draw, but failed to continue that way. The home defeat to Wolverhampton was simply unacceptable. United allowed 19 shots, six of them on target and deserved the defeat. It was the first defeat for Rangnick and, worst of all, came at Old Trafford. In the last round they suffered another disappointment. The Red Devils had two-goal advantage against Aston Villa until the 77th minute, thanks to Bruno Fernandes' brace. And just when everybody thought United will register a victory, Jacon Ramsey scored for 2:1 and then assisted the former Liverpool attacker Philippe Coutinho, who equalized in the 81st minute. Rangnick now has a difficult job to restore the players confidence. He remain without Eric Bailly who on the Africa Cup of Nations. Paul Pogba is out injured, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka is doubtful through illness. Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to recover from a hip injury to return to the starting eleven, while Marcus Rashford could be involved after missing out at the weekend due to a dead leg. On the positive note, Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay are both available following one-match ban.

Brentford vs Manchester United Prediction:

Brentford have not beaten Manchester United since 1938, but this match will be their first clash in the league since 1947, when the two sides played out a goalless draw. I think the Bees could remain unbeaten. I saw them against Liverpool on Sunday, they were solid despite the high defeat. Manchester United are far from the desired form, they have one win and one draw on the last two matches in the Premier League. It seems the "New Coach Effect" came to its end.

Brentford vs Manchester United Pick: Brentford +0.5 AH @ 2.13 with SBOBet

 

[spkutano]

Brentford have not beaten Manchester United since 1938, but this match will be their first clash in the league since 1947, when the two sides played out a goalless draw. I think the Bees could remain unbeaten. I saw them against Liverpool on Sunday, they were solid despite the high defeat. Manchester United are far from the desired form, they have one win and one draw on the last two matches in the Premier League. It seems the "New Coach Effect" came to its end.

Brentford vs Manchester United Pick: Brentford +0.5 AH @ 2.13 with SBOBet

Correction - Manchester United are far from the desired form, they have one defeat and one draw on the last two matches in the Premier League. It seems the "New Coach Effect" came to its end.

 

[mayertom]

Correction - Manchester United are far from the desired form, they have one defeat and one draw on the last two matches in the Premier League. It seems the "New Coach Effect" came to its end.

I dont know, maybe this time they will win. Pogba and Cristiano will be fit to play. Mctommy and Shaw bans expired. They are fully prepare to play, and most important is, we may not see Big Head Maguire to play soon.

 

[BgFutbol]

I dont know, maybe this time they will win. Pogba and Cristiano will be fit to play. Mctommy and Shaw bans expired. They are fully prepare to play, and most important is, we may not see Big Head Maguire to play soon.

As a fan I would hope they win and Cristiano Ronaldo has scored so much goals for the team but he also poisoned the locker room with his behavior. I find the upcoming match to be unpredictable. So it's a "no touch" for me.

 

[spkutano]

Arsenal vs Liverpool Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Arsenal:
Ramsdale; Chambers, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Saka, White, Lokonga, Martinelli; Lacazette, Nketiah

Liverpool:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Jones; Minamino, Firmino, Jota

Arsenal welcome Liverpool to the Emirates Stadium for the second leg of their League Cup semi-final. The first match played at Anfield seven days ago ended with a goalless draw, so both sides are hoping for a place in the final against Chelsea. The Blues beat Tottenham 3:0 on aggregate and secured a ticket for Wembley. It looked like the Reds will easily win after Granit Xhaka's foul inside the opening half-hour reduced Arsenal to 10 men. Nevertheless, the Gunners successfully "killed the game" and did something extraordinary - reduced the opponents to just a single shot on target the entire match. Klopp's men looked completely lost without Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane as they are both on international duty at Africa Cup of Nations. What is worse, the midfield lacked creativity during the whole 90 minutes. Minamino's late miss was by far Liverpool's best chance, but he missed an empty goal.

In the last seven days Arteta COVID-19 problems have worsened. As a result, Sunday's derby with Tottenham was postponed at the Gunners' request. That's not all, the Spaniard has to deal with injuries, suspensions and AFCON absentees. However, Arsenal have good result from Anfield and they will try to secure the final. The history is with them, Arsenal have never lost a home fixture in the EFL Cup against Liverpool. But the last results are far from good as they have won just one of their last 17 mutual games across all competitions. Worst of all, the Gunners have failed to score a single goal in the last four matches against the Merseysiders. Granit Xhaka is suspended following his first-leg dismissal, while Nicolas Pepe, Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny are all away at the Africa Cup of Nations. The situation with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is very confusing. He was out of first team after broke the club protocol, while also travel to AFCON with Gabon. However, the striker returned to England after suffering heart lesions caused by Coronavirus and will undergo tests to assess his condition. Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Cedric Soares and Calum Chambers are all struggling with injury or fatigue, while Martin Odegaard is sidelined after tested positive on COVID-19. Bosnian international Sead Kolasinac left the club to join French side Marseille on a permanent deal.

Liverpool were certainly missing a cutting edge last week in the absence of Mane and Salah. The duo will continue their international duties, as well as Naby Keita. This is a huge handicap for the Reds. However, Liverpool managed to beat Brentford 3:0 on Sunday. It was a tough match, although the final result suggests different. It was the first time since May 2017 that Liverpool had played without either Salah or Mane for a Premier League match. Fabinho's far-post header in the 44th minute gave the Reds an advantage, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain doubled the lead after 69 minutes. Takumi Minamino came off the bench to set the final 3:0 eight minutes later. Alexander-Arnold, Robertson and Firmino should also be mentioned for their assists. Klopp continues to be without Salah, Mane and Keita, but five more are out through injuries. Nat Phillips, Thiago Alcantara and Divock Origi remained sidelined, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is the latest victim following his ankle injury against Brentford. Finally, a good news about Harvey Elliott as he returned to team training 128 days after his severe ankle injury. And after making fast progress, Elliott received a warm welcome by his teammates and coaching staff on Tuesday. Of course, this match comes too soon for him.

Arsenal vs Liverpool Prediction:

Liverpool are the most efficient side in this season’s Premier League with 55 goals. So, is it a surprise that I am suggesting a low scoring match at the Emirates? Not at all. Liverpool will be missing their two key striker Salah and Mane, both on international duties. Their absence, plus Origi's injury, is a huge handicap. Arsenal will also miss some important players. I don't expect more than two goals in London.

Arsenal vs Liverpool Pick: Under 2.5 goals @ 2.09 with SBOBet