England Round 4

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Southampton vs Manchester United Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Southampton:
Ramsdale; Stephens, Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis; Sugawara, Fernandes, Downes, Walker-Peters; Armstrong, Brereton Diaz, Archer

Manchester United:
Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot, Ugarte, Mainoo, Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford, Zirkzee

Southampton will welcome Manchester United at St Mary's on Saturday lunchtime. The Saints are newcomers in the Premier League, though nobody expect such a poor start. They suffered three defeats in the opening three rounds and now share the bottom of the table with Everton. What is worse, Southampton have failed to score a single goal on the first two matches, losing to Newcastle and Nottingham. The third match looked to be similar, but Yukinari Sugawara scored one irrelevant goal during the stoppage time to suffer a 3:1 loss at Brentford. The atmosphere in the squad is poor, while the players confidence is low. Last season, Adam Armstrong scored 24 goals in the Championship Division but he struggle to find the form. The second-highest scorer Che Adams joined Torino and it is clear manager Russell Martin has huge issues in the attack. In addition, he has three injury worries - Gavin Bazunu remain sidelined with an Achilles injury, while Kamaldeen Sulemana and Ross Stewart are rated as doubtful.

Manchester United opened the season with a narrow 1:0 win over Fulham, but then suffered two painful defeats. They lost 1:0 to Brighton in the second round, but the humiliation came in the third round when they lost 3:0 to arch-enemy Liverpool. Manager Erik ten Hag is under big pressure, but so far has survived. Losing to Liverpool is always very frustrating for the fans. Another poor result could lead to his change. The Dutch coach has some injury worries too. Six players are definitely sidelined - Mason Mount, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Rasmus Hojlund, Tyrell Malacia and Leny Yoro. Captain Bruno Fernandes is doubtful after picking up a knock on international duty. Ten Hag has to choose between out-of-form Casemiro and new signing Manuel Ugarte, who came from Paris St-Germain. Considering his big mistakes against Liverpool, Ugarte could make his first start for the club here. Man United paid 50m Euros in a deal also includes a potential 10m Euros in additional payments.

Southampton vs Manchester United Prediction:

Southampton and Manchester United are already under a lot of early pressure. Three games in, the Saints are without a single point. The Red Devills are on the 14th place with a win and two defeats. It has been a poor showing from both sides, meaning this is an early must-win encounter. Man United have scored just two goals this season, while Southampton only one. In the last four mutual games, there have been a lack of goals, all of them finishing with Under 2.5 goals. The most recent meeting was a goalless draw. Both managers are under huge pressure, so I expect a low scoring match again.

Southampton vs Manchester United Pick: Under 2.5 goals @ 2.37 with Pinnacle

 

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Liverpool vs Nottingham Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Liverpool:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; MacAllister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Luis Diaz; Diogo Jota

Nottingham:
Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Aina; Ward-Prowse, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood

Liverpool will welcome Nottingham Forest to Anfield on Saturday afternoon. The Reds started the season in excellent way - three matches, three wins and nine points. The new manager Arne Slot is definitely a good choice. Like Jurgen Klopp, he is insisting on high pressing, but strong defense is also a priority. Maybe it is a surprise, but Liverpool are yet to concede a goal in the Premier League. The Reds first beat newly-promoted Ipswich and then Brentford, both with 2:0. The best performance was produced in the third round when Liverpool conquered Old Trafford. The Reds outplayed Manchester United winning 3:0 before the international break. The atmosphere in the squad is excellent, while the players confidence is high. Slot is looking to become the first manager to keep four clean sheets in their first four league games at the helm, with the Reds the only side in the division yet to concede this season. Most probably the Dutch coach will start with the same eleven like against United. Harvey Elliott remains out at least six weeks with a broken foot.

Nottingham are between the pleasant surprises in the new season. Nobody was expecting the Tricky Trees to be unbeaten after three rounds. The opponents were not teams from the Top-6, though we must respect the results. Nottingham managed to beat Southampton at St Marry's, while shared the points with Bournemouth and Wolverhampton. Counting their narrow victory against relegated Burnley on the final day of last season, Forest are now unbeaten in four straight Premier League matches which is their best-ever run under Nuno Espirito Santo. Furthermore, Nottingham have won each of their last three away matches. Of course, visiting Anfield is the toughest challenge for the Portuguese coach. However, nothing is impossible at the moment and it is clear Santo and his men won't give up easily. Most of them are ready, but Danilo and Willy Boly are sidelined. The first has sustained an ankle injury on the opening weekend, while the later suffered a calf injury on international duty. James Ward-Prowse and Morato are pushing for their first minutes in Forest shirt.

Liverpool vs Nottingham Prediction:

Liverpool are strong favorites in this match, however I see lot of problems for Slot. Nottingham are solid side with good players and excellent coach. It is not a coincidence they are yet to lose a match this season. Almost all Liverpool players were on international duties and this fact should not be underestimated. I don't expect a high victory for Liverpool. The pick is Void if Liverpool win with two goals.

Liverpool vs Nottingham Pick: Nottingham +2.0 AH @ 1.78 with Pinnacle

 

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Bournemouth vs Chelsea Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Bournemouth:
Travers; Araujo, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Scott, Cook; Semenyo, Kluivert, Sinisterra; Evanilson

Chelsea:
Sanchez; Disasi, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Felix; Jackson

Bournemouth will try to continue the unbeaten series when they welcome Chelsea on Saturday evening. The Cherries have one win and two draws after the first three rounds. They played an identical 1:1 in the opening two fixtures against Nottingham and Newcastle, while in the third round pulled off one of the greatest comebacks the competition has ever seen against Everton. The Toffees played at home and had a 2:0 lead given to them by Michael Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Until the 87th minute, it looked like Everton are controlling the match, but then a "miracle" happened. Antoine Semenyo's late effort would ostensibly be scant consolation, but the Cherries didn't stop and Lewis Cook scored an injury-time equalizer. Finally, Luis Sinisterra went from provider to goalscorer with an unbelievable back-post header to start celebration. Andoni Iraola is doing a great job and he will try to use momentum for another positive result. Enes Unal and Tyler Adams are still out injured, while Philip Billing is rated as doubtful. Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is ineligible to face his parent club on Saturday.

Chelsea started the Premier League campaign with a mixed results - one win, one draw and one defeat in the first three rounds. First they suffered a 2:0 home loss to Manchester City. The fans were disappointed, as well as the players, but there is a class difference between the reigning champions and other teams. It was quite different in the second round when Chelsea destroyed Wolverhampton, winning 6:2. Forward Noni Madueke was the most deserved for the victory scoring a hat-trick. The Blues also successfully started the European campaign, eliminating Servette in the Conference league qualifications. But they failed to continue that way in the third round when dropped another two points, playing an 1:1 draw with Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. Maresca has some additional issues as Reece James, Malo Gusto, Omari Kellyman and Filip Jorgensen are all struggling with injury. On the positive note, key player Cole Palmer, who didn't play for the national team due to a thigh injury, has recovered and should feature this weekend.

Bournemouth vs Chelsea Prediction:

A year ago Bournemouth remain unbeaten against Chelsea as the match finished with a goalless draw. They will try to repeat the success, but I think the Blues will win now. Credit to Bournemouth, they were fantastic at Goodison Park, but Chelsea are not Everton. The Blues scored six goals at Moulinex and showed their power. With Palmer and Madueke ready, I expect the guests to celebrate.

Bournemouth vs Chelsea Pick: Chelsea to win @ 2.05 with Pinnacle

 

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Tottenham vs Arsenal Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Tottenham:
Vicario; Pedro Porro, Romero, Van den Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son Heung-Min; Solanke

Arsenal:
Raya; White, Saliba, Magalhaes, Timber; Partey, Jorginho; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli; Trossar

Tottenham will host Arsenal in another North London derby. Fans of both clubs consider the other to be their main rivals, and the fixture is considered by many to be one of the fiercest derbies in the World. The Spurs have started the season in mixed way - one win, one draw and one defeat after three rounds. Ange Postecoglou's men trashed Everton, shared the points with Leicester City, but were beaten 2:1 at Newcastle United. Tottenham are three points behind their city rivals, but a victory here could see both teams level on points in the early-season standings. That is why this derby is extremely important for the Spurs, another defeat could affect the club ambitions and fans' expectations. Postecoglou has the majority of his players available, only Richarlison is definitely sidelined due to injury sustained in training. Micky van de Ven could be back in the squad after his absence against Newcastle United. The Dutchman has been pivotal for Spurs' defense and his return could provide much-needed stability. Dominic Solanke, who has also been dealing with injuries, is expected to return. Finally, Yves Bissouma will be assessed on Sunday having sustained a knock on international duty.

Arsenal have started the new season with two victories and one draw. The Gunners beat Wolverhampton and Aston Villa in the opening two rounds, but dropped two points when nobody expects. Arsenal were huge favorites against Brighton at the Emirats, but the final result was 1:1. I am sure the fans left the stadium largely disappointed, but that's not the only problem. Arteta has huge injury and suspension worries ahead of the derby. Key player Martin Odegaard suffered an ankle injury playing for Norway and was forced off in the second-following a challenge from Austria’s Baumgartner. He had to be helped from the pitch by Norway’s medical staff as he winced in pain. Norway’s team doctor Ola Sand suggested post-match Odegaard had suffered an 'ankle sprain’. Odegaard will undergo further scans on Saturday, but he seems certain to miss the derby. Arteta will also be without Declan Rice after the midfielder saw a red card against Brighton and now must serve a suspension. Summer signing Mikel Merino remain sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered in his first training session at the club. With Riccardo Calafiori also recovering from a knock and doubts over Gabriel Jesus’ availability after a recent groin issue, Arteta faces a major selection headache when naming a side on Sunday.

Tottenham vs Arsenal Prediction:

Arsenal fans have been left furious after Jarred Gillett was named as the referee for North London derby. The first reason is connect with the the Gunners’ opening Premier League match against Wolverhampton. Arteta's men won 2:0 at the Emirates last month, but the official angered Arsenal supporters in that match when he didn’t send off Yerson Mosquera after he grabbed Kai Havertz by the throat. The second reason was connect with the last season's defeat at Villa Park. He disallowed a last-minute Havertz goal against Aston Villa, which appear to be crucial at the end of season as Manchester City finished on the first position.

I don't think the referee will help Tottenham, however I do believe Arsenal won't win here. The reason is connect with the absentees. Arteta will be without two key players as Martin Odegaard suffered an ankle injury on international duty, while Declan Rice is suspended after saw a red card against Brighton.

Tottenham vs Arsenal Pick: Tottenham +0.5 AH @ 1.66 with Pinnacle