Here is what we have learned after just two weeks of wild Premier League action;
1. Chelsea are title contenders and have more depth than the Mariana Trench.
2. Liverpool looks more like the side who claimed the UCL trophy back in 2019 thanks to the return of Van Dijk.
3. Man U still can’t break down deep-lying defenses.
4. Arsenal are still, well, Arsenal.
Game Week 3 of the EPL kicks off on Saturday night as City faces another cellar dweller in the form of the Gunners.
Elsewhere, West Ham looks to keep their place on top of the table when they take on Crystal Palace before the match of the round sees both Liverpool and Chelsea put their perfect records on the line at Anfield.
We’ve provided our best betting plays for those fixtures along with every other Premier League match in our Game Week 3 preview below.
Arsenal are out to avoid three straight league defeats when they head to Manchester to take on the current champs.
City are undefeated across their last 11 PL fixtures against the Gunners, winning the pair’s previous eight league meetings while conceding just once across the trip!!!
Pep can be credited with creating the myth that is Mikel Arteta, so it’s fitting that the Spaniard is one to pull back the curtain to reveal his countryman’s true managerial ability or lack thereof.
The Citizens saw off Norwich 5-0 last weekend and will no doubt be eyeing off a similar result here.
Speaking of Norwich, the newly promoted outfit has been absolutely stitched up by the league, playing both Liverpool and City across the opening two weeks and now welcoming the Foxes to Carrow Road.
The Canaries have lost their last 12 PL fixtures, managing to score just once across the trip, while conceding a whopping 32 times!
Leicester was outgunned by the heavy-hitting Hammers in a high-scoring affair last weekend, with the game marred by the sending off of Ayoze Perez for a dangerous challenge.
No need to overcomplicate things here, the Foxes are the far better side and should head back to King Power Stadium with all three points.
Both Brighton and Everton have impressed across the opening two weeks of the Premier League.
The Seagulls have made the most of a favourable draw, blowing by Burnley and Watford to secure their rightful place in the top four!
The Toffees have failed to win a game across their last for trips to Brighton, last taking home the chocolates way back in 1983.
Only Liverpool (17) and West Ham (16) have registered more shots on target than Everton’s 14 over Game Weeks 1 and 2.
I’m expecting the onion bag to bulge on multiple occasions with both sides chasing all three points on offer.
The fixtures are getting progressively tougher for Brentford, who enjoyed hosting the Gunners in GW1 followed by a trip to Selhurst Park last weekend.
The Bees are one of four sides who are yet to concede a goal this campaign and should they hold out the Villans this weekend, they will become just the third newly-promoted side to keep a clean sheet across their opening three PL matches (Charlton Atheltic 1998, Huddersfield 2017).
Villa bounced back from a poor showing in GW1 to record their first win of the season in convincing fashion against the Toons last week.
Emiliano Buendia has faced Brentford on three occasions in the Championship while wearing a Norwich strip, scoring two goals while creating another.
I’m backing Villa’s new signing to find at least one shot on target in what should be a low-scoring affair.
West Ham are on top of the league!
The Moyes boys have started the 2021/22 campaign with the attacking intent of a magpie during mating season, scoring eight goals across their opening two fixtures.
Alternatively, Crystal Palace has looked about as threatening as a sedated Slow Loris, and are still waiting to score their first goal after registering just three shots on target across GW1 & 2.
Benrahma and Antonio have become the first-ever teammates to both score, and assist a goal in both of the opening two games of the season!
I’m backing Benrahma to continue to trouble the opposition’s keeper in what should be a straightforward outing for the Hammers.
Both the Toons and the Saints enter this fixture chasing their first win of the season.
Southampton’s away form is nothing short of horrible, falling to defeat in 11 of their last 12 fixtures on the road (1W), including their last six.
Newcastle has enjoyed hosting the Saints in recent times, winning the last four fixtures at St James Park, all of which have seen over 2.5 goals scored.
The Toons have only managed to keep one clean sheet across their last 12 home fixtures, and they’ve shown no signs of turning the corner in D, conceding six goals across game weeks 1 and 2.
Neither team has shown enough to warrant backing in the H2H market, instead, I’ll be backing a poor defensive showing from both outfits.
The match of the season thus far is set to take place early Sunday morning (AEST), between Liverpool and Chelsea.
After two rounds, both sides are sitting on six competition points, with five goals for and zero goals against!
The return of Virgil Van Dijk has injected a huge dose of belief and confidence to a side that looked disinterested at times last campaign.
Astonishingly, Van Dijk has started 48 games at Anfield and is yet to taste defeat there (43W, 5D), the Dutch centre half will be looking to lead his side to the fifth straight PL victory to nil.
Lukaku was handed the dream fixture for his return to the PL last weekend, making the Gunners backline look like a bunch of malnuished children.
The Blues’ striker will find the going much tougher against the likes of Matip and VVD, who bullied the big Belgian almost to tears on several occasions in the past.
Klopp has an impressive H2H record against Tuchel, winning nine of the pairs 15 meetings (3D, 3L).
With the support of 50,000 odd Scousers in the stands, the stage is set for the Reds to make a huge statement to the rest of the league.
Leeds heads to Turf Moor looking to replicate the 4-0 demolition job they achieved here last season.
Burnley have lost their last five league matches at home, their worst run of results at Turf Moor since 1890!
The Whites put on an impressive display against the Toffees last time out and were unlucky to come away with just one point.
Under Bielsa, Leeds is yet to draw a Premier League game on the road (10W, 10L).
The visitors will look to unleash Brazilian winger Raphinha, who looked outstanding last weekend, and I’ll be backing him to force at least one save from Nick Pope as his side easily accounts for the Clarets.
Everything is coming up Tottenham!
The Spurs are one of five sides who remain undefeated, after seeing off both Man City and Wolverhampton.
Though their biggest result has come off the pitch, with Harry Kane announcing he will remain at the club for the foreseeable future after negotiations broke down between Tottenham and Manchester City.
The Spurs hold an incredible home record against newly-promoted sides, losing just once across their last 27 home fixtures against such sides (24W, 2D), the one defeat coming against a Nuno Santo managed Wolves.
Dele Alli scored for the first time in 19 league games last weekend, the young midfielder looks like a new man under the tutelage of Nuno and I’ll be backing him to cause the Hornets’ backline all sorts of trouble.
The Red Devils look to put last week’s disappointing draw behind them with a win away to the misfiring Wolves.
Ole’s side was once again found wanting while facing an outfit happy to sit back in defense, a tactic the Wolves will likely adopt here.
Wolverhampton is yet to register a league goal despite having 42 attempts on goal, second only to Liverpool.
United is searching for their third straight victory over the Wolves, after completing the double over them last season.
A result here will extend Man U’s undefeated record on the road to 28 games, surpassing Arsenal as the longest unbeaten away run in EFL history.
I’m backing the Wolves goal drought to continue, with United taking this one out in a low-scoring affair.