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After focusing on their midweek football duties in the Champions League and Carabao Cup, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United return to action in the Premier League this weekend. There's a lot riding on the fixtures from here until December. This is a period that can really make or break teams in the league.
The best teams always find a way to consistently secure results despite the fixture pile up and that will exactly be the challenge for the big guns in the division. If you're a professional football player, you are expected to go out there and deliver every single time irrespective of all the noise around the lack of rest. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's fair but that's just how people think.
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There are a lot of interesting match-ups in the Premier League this weekend, but none bigger than Manchester City vs Arsenal at the Etihad on Sunday. Without further ado, here are my predictions for Premier League gameweek 5.
West Ham United vs Chelsea
I have the same thing to say about Chelsea every week, we just don't know what we're going to get with them. They beat Bournemouth 1-0 in the last game, but goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was the man of the match in my opinion. And if you're Chelsea, that's actually worrying.
This is an important derby for Chelsea, West Ham away is a big game for their supporters. I have a strong feeling this could become a tough game for them. As the season progresses, I fully expect Chelsea to be above West Ham in the Premier League table. But at the moment, there's not much difference between the two sides. Barring the big win over Wolves, Chelsea have been quite poor for their standards.
The problem with West Ham is that they're still figuring out their best XI after making some important signings this summer. Funnily enough, it's a bit similar to Chelsea. I still don't know what Chelsea's best front three would look like because there's just too many players who blow hot and cold.
I won't be surprised if Jadon Sancho starts against West Ham though. He played very well against Bournemouth and made the right decisions with the ball at the right times, assisting the winning goal in his very first game. It's definitely a good start to life at Chelsea for him, but coming off the bench and making an impact is completely different to doing the same from the beginning of a game. I think this game will end in a draw.
Prediction: West Ham 1-1 Chelsea
Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
I don't see anything but a win for Aston Villa here. I've been really impressed by them. Of course, they wouldn't want to be going 2-0 down every week before they win, but what an incredible comeback in the last game against Everton. Villa followed that up with a comfortable 3-0 win in the Champions League against Young Boys.
There's not a million things wrong with Wolves at the moment, they are just unlucky. In the last game against Newcastle, they could've easily been 2-0 up after taking the lead. But unfortunately, they ended up losing that game 2-1.
Unai Emery is a good coach. What he does really well is improve the players. Just like Mikel Arteta, Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, he is good at that. Villa have two brilliant strikers to rely on in Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran. Despite Duran being in incredible form, I still want Watkins to start against Wolves.
Making an impact off the bench and starting a game are two different challenges and I feel Watkins is the better player suited for the latter. In this case, if things don't go their way, they still have Duran to rely on from the bench.
Prediction: Aston Villa 3-1 Wolves
Fulham vs Newcastle United
I can't believe Newcastle have got as many points as they've got so far this season. They aren't even playing well and they still have 10 points from four games. Tottenham should've beat them, Southampton could've beat them, same with Bournemouth and even Wolves. All these teams could've beat Newcastle and they could've been on no points - yet somehow they still have three wins a draw.
Sooner or later, these worrying performances will start affecting Newcastle. It wouldn't shock me if they lose to Fulham at Craven Cottage. The Magpies' luck could finally run out here.
Emile Smith Rowe has done really well since joining Fulham. He lost his way a bit at Arsenal with all the injuries and lack of playing time. If he keeps playing regularly, he will prove to be a brilliant signing for Fulham. He's someone who chases lost causes and has got a footballing brain. All he has to do now is stay fit and he'll soon be back in the England squad.
Prediction: Fulham 2-1 Newcastle
Southampton vs Ipswich Town
Wow, this is a proper cup final! It's lights out for whoever loses this game. If Southampton or Ipswich lose, they'll start to think 'when are we actually going to win a game?' We're moving towards the end of September and both teams have failed to register a win yet. This is their best opportunity to get the first three points of the season, a must-win clash if you ask me.
Southampton are getting a bit predictable and that could hurt them. Last week, if Cameron Archer scores that penalty, they beat Manchester United. But he missed the spot-kick and then they conceded two minutes later.
I just think Ipswich hold the edge here. They are a better side in transition and have the firepower to hurt Southampton. A draw wouldn't help anybody and Ipswich will know what must be done to get the win.
One would hope Kalvin Phillips can get back to his best at Ipswich, but getting back to the England squad would be tough. Gareth Southgate liked Phillips, so he didn't have to do too much to get into the team. But it's different now and his confidence is a bit low. There's definitely a player in there though, he just needs to work hard.
Prediction: Southampton 1-2 Ipswich Town
Tottenham Hotspur vs Brentford
I was very disappointed with Tottenham last week. They were also fortunate to go through to the next round of the Carabao Cup. I'd have really fancied Brentford to get the win here, but Yoane Wissa will be a massive miss for them. That injury to him is a huge loss for Brentford.
They troubled Manchester City early on in the last game, but ultimately they didn't do justice to the chances they created. Without Wissa in that team, I'd back Tottenham to beat Brentford. Bryan Mbeumo on his own won't be enough to beat Spurs.
Ange Postecoglou has to win this match to take some pressure off him. Spurs are in a little league of their own and how they perform against the teams in that group will define their season. This little league includes teams like Newcastle, Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa.
Of course, the defeat to Arsenal would have hurt them bad considering the magnitude of the fixture. But they have to put that behind them and get the win against Brentford.
Prediction: Tottenham 2-1 Brentford
Leicester City vs Everton
I thought the Southampton vs Ipswich game was big, but how big is this one? Leicester and Everton could be alongside the likes of Southampton, Ipswich and Wolves in the battle to avoid relegation this term.
The defeat against Villa won't define Everton's season. But if they end up losing to Leicester, like they did against Bournemouth, that's a huge problem. A draw in football means nothing. Everton have to win this game. They have a few winnable fixtures coming up after this, so it's crucial to set the right tone.
Everton are also probably the only team in the bottom half of the table with an X-factor in them. No matter how much they struggle, they are always capable of pulling off an incredible result out of nowhere. They were unlucky against Villa in my opinion.
I just don't think Leicester will be able to prevent Everton from securing a win here. There's no two ways about it in my opinion, only one winner in this clash.
Prediction: Leicester City 1-2 Everton
Liverpool vs Bournemouth
I watched Liverpool in their loss against Nottingham Forest and I thought they should move the ball a lot quicker. But Liverpool are fortunate since Manchester City and Arsenal play each other this weekend. The Reds can gain on these two teams with a win over Bournemouth. In that regard, the loss to Nottingham Forest may not affect them as bad as we think.
Arne Slot has to play Cody Gakpo in this fixture. I thought he was brilliant in the win over Milan. He also performed so well at the Euros, but we haven't seen the same from him at Liverpool. Gakpo was going past people for fun and making the right decisions at Euro 2024. I'd be shocked if he doesn't start and as a Bournemouth player I wouldn't want to face him.
The rest of the front three don't have the same physical prowess as Gakpo in my opinion. This could be very useful against a team like Bournemouth. I would also play Darwin Nunez instead of Diogo Jota in this game. When teams sit back, which I think Bournemouth will do, Nunez is a good option. If Liverpool play Nunez, they can ping crosses into him and that could work in their favour.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Bournemouth
Crystal Palace vs Manchester United
We all know what happened in this fixture last year, don't we? But that's all in the past. Manchester United were really good the other day against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup. When Liverpool destroyed United, Barnsley players would've been excited thinking, 'they are really bad.' But the win showed the real gulf in class between the sides. It was a huge confidence boost for Manchester United.
Crystal Palace really need to start winning games now. I think this will be an entertaining game. There will definitely be goals in this one. If Manchester United win, they can pat themselves on the back because that would be a great result. I'm going for a high-scoring draw though.
I hope Marcus Rashford is back to his best now. He played well against Barnsley. Rashford will either score goals or he will be absolutely terrible, there's no in between for him. I have a feeling he'll score against Palace. Manchester United will definitely have a go at the Eagles and it will be a very open game. But I'm sticking to the draw because Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta will cause United some problems.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 2-2 Manchester United
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest were phenomenal against Liverpool at Anfield. But I just think this is a really tough game for them. Brighton would've been disappointed with their goalless draw against Ipswich Town last weekend. They did win 3-0 in the Carabao Cup, so that's a bit of a boost for the Seagulls.
I'm backing Forest to get another point here simply because of how they performed at Anfield. If they had lost that game, I'd be rooting for Brighton. Nuno Espirito Santo will stick to the same plan he deployed against Liverpool and it's alright since it worked so well the other day.
But Forest should be careful of not being one or two goals down quickly in this game because Brighton move the ball a lot quicker than Liverpool. A draw could be a really good result for Forest.
Prediction: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Manchester City vs Arsenal
If Arsenal had lost or dropped points against Tottenham last week, this could've been a must-win game for them. But now this is just a game they must not lose and there's a difference in that.
Arsenal defended well in the derby win over Spurs and it was similar to Inter in their draw in the Champions League opener against Manchester City. But even when Inter were so brilliant at the back, City still carved out chances throughout the game.
No matter how suffocated they get, City always end up creating chances. Tottenham don't have this quality and hence, Arsenal have a bigger challenge this weekend. They have to be switched on for more than 90 minutes to get a result. It's also important for Arsenal to try and trouble City on the counter. They just can't let their opponents come at them again and again, if that happens they'll get found out.
It won't be as comfortable as the game against Tottenham. I have a strong feeling Jorginho will play this game despite Declan Rice returning from his suspension. With Kai Havertz in midfield the other day, it really helped both Thomas Partey and Jorginho. One thing Jorginho does really well is, he keeps the ball. During the 1-0 win at Emirates last season, City could not touch him, he was just too good.
It's a real headache for Arteta now. He must decide whether he should play Jorginho or not. A quick word on William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes as well, they are the best centre-back pair in the league. But I feel sometimes the work that happens in front of them goes unnoticed. Partey and Rice are both very disciplined and provide a lot of cover to the centre-backs. I like John Stones and Ruben Dias together, but they don't play with each other consistently enough like the Arsenal duo.
Kevin De Bruyne is likely to miss this game, but City have incredible depth. Their squad is unreal. However, I feel that the Julian Alvarez transfer could be the one that hurts them in the end, even though they got a lot of money out of it. My head is saying Manchester City win, but my heart says 'don't get beat Arsenal.' But if I had to pick one team to win, that would be City. I'm still going for a draw here.
Prediction: Manchester City 1-1 Arsenal
