Another day, another Premier League fixture!
Game Week 23 gets underway on Saturday night (AEST) when Aston Villa attempts to secure their third straight league win against an understaffed Gunners unit.
Elsewhere, Man U look to repeat their 9-0 heroics against the Toffees, Leicester attempt to consolidate their top four position with a victory over the Wolves and Liverpool stare down the barrel of three straight home defeats when they welcome Man City to Anfield.
As always our VAR Virtuoso has previewed all 10 Game Week 23 fixtures, providing his best betting plays along the way.
Arsenal travel to Villa Park with a depleted squad following send offs to both Luiz and Leno during their 2-1 defeat to the Wolves.
That result represented the Gunners first league defeat since GW15 (5W,2D), an unbeaten run built off the back of resolute defence, of which Leno has played a huge role in.
The Villans will be licking their lips at the prospect of facing Arsenal’s 3rd string keeper and an unfamiliar centre half pairing of Holding and Gabriel.
Much like the Gunners, Southampton are severely hampered with injuries and suspensions, missing a total of 11 first graders here.
The Saints will be looking to put a record equalling defeat behind them, going down to Man U 9-0 at Old Trafford mid-week!
The Toons also enter this clash off the back of a defeat, though their 2-1 loss to Crystal pales in comparison.
The Saints bounced back strongly following their last 9-0 defeat to Leicester in 2019, though this time around will prove a far tougher task with the limited players on hand.
The Seagulls fly into this matchup off the back of a dominant performance against the reigning Premier League Champs.
Graham Potters’ side created multiple chances against an uninspired Reds outfit and thoroughly deserved taking home all three points.
Alternatively, Burnley suffered yet another defeated against the Sky Blues, failing to score in their second straight game.
Brighton are on a four game unbeaten run (3W,1D), keeping four clean sheets over the trip.
Fulham’s winless run has now reached 11 league fixtures and look an almost certainty for relegation.
Meanwhile, the Hammers have won five of their last six and are pushing towards a top four birth.
Man U outcast Jesse Lingard scored a brace on his West Ham debut against the Villans midweek, proving a worthy addition to David Moyes already swollen offensive stocks!
West Ham are flying at the moment and are clears overs at the current H2H price.
Manchester United bounced back to winning ways in emphatic fashion, humiliating the Saints 9-0 in GW22!
Everton claimed all three points in a less than convincing performance against Leeds, with fill-in shot stopper Robin Olsen playing a pivotal role in goal.
United have travelled to Goodison Park twice since November 2020, comfortably taking home the ‘W’ on both occasions.
Unless Olsen has a career best game, I can’t see the Red Devils dropping points here.
No Kane, no Spurs.
Since Harry Kane was forced off at half-time against Liverpool in GW20, the Spurs have gone onto lose their next three straight league fixtures, with Jose Mourinho suffering back-to-back home defeats for the first time in his managerial career (979 games)!
As bad as the Spurs are, the Baggies are worse!
Winless across their last four league fixtures, taking just six points from a possible 33 on the road this season!
Tottenham are currently playing with less confidence than a fat kid at a swimming carnival and although they a playing against bottom feeders West Brom, there’s just not enough value on offer for me to go near this one.
The Wolves were gifted their first win in nine league fixtures last round, be it against a nine man Gunners outfit.
Meanwhile, Leicester were comfortable in victory over the Cottagers, Iheanacho lead the line in the absence of Jamies Vardy and didn’t disappoint, netting his first goal of the season.
Nuno is still trying to find the right formation and game style to compliment Jose and Silva in the final third, until that happens I can’t see them posing much threat to top six sides.
At the beginning of the season every pundit and Premier League fan would’ve marked this fixture down as a pivotal moment in the title race, unfortunately it hasn’t panned out that way.
After going four years without a home defeat in the league, the Reds have now lost back-to-back fixtures at Anfield, both to bottom 6 sides!
Klopp’s side have clearly failed to adapt in the absence of Virgil Van Dijk, winning just two of their last eight league outings.
Alternatively, the Citizens are on an absolute tear at the moment, winning nine straight league matches, astonishingly conceding just one goal across the trip!
A win here will push Pep’s side 10 points clear of the regaining champs with a game in hand, taking a massive leap towards the 2020/21 title.
It’s not often you can take City at above evens in the H2H market, it’s an opportunity I won’t be missing.
Thomas Tuchel remains undefeated in the Premier League (2W,1D), with the Blues claiming claiming a 1-0 victory at the expense of their former manager Jose Mourinho.
This result also represents Chelsea’s third straight clean sheet under their new manager, with Tuchel prioritising a possession based approach, in contrast to Lampard’s gung ho style.
Sheffield are playing much improved football of late, claiming their third win of the season in GW22 against fellow strugglers West Brom.
Despite a surge in form, I can’t see the Blades generating multiple scoring opportunities against a reinvigorated Blues outfit.
Palace are out to claim three straight victories for the first time this season, while the Whites are looking to avoid three straight defeats at Ellen Rd.
Leeds have been unpredictable in the H2H market this season, such is a result of their attack at all cost approach.
What you can bank on in Leeds matches is goals, games involving the Whites have averaged over 3.5 goals a game (highest in the league), including the last fixture between this pair which finished 4-1 to the Eagles.
I’ll be staying away from the H2H market in this one, instead backing in a bagful of goals.