The Premier League returns this weekend with a full ten-game slate!
The action gets underway at King Power Stadium on Saturday night when Leeds takes to the field for the first time under new manager Jesse Marsch.
Elsewhere, West Ham will be attempting to complete a league double over the Reds for the first time since 2015/16, Arsenal looks to jump into the top four with a win against neighbouring Watford, and the league leaders play host to the Red Devils in a highly anticipated Manchester Derby!
We’ve previewed all 10 Premier League fixtures across Game Week 28 and provided our best betting plays below!
Leeds begin life after Bielsa when they travel to King Power Stadium to take on the Foxes.
New manager Jesse Marsch’s first agenda will be to shore up his side’s defense after the Whites became the first-ever PL side to concede more the 20 goals in a calendar month!
They’ll be faced with a Leicester outfit looking to climb back into the top half of the league following an appalling start to the calendar year (1W, 2D,3L).
The return of Jamie Vardy from injury proved a godsend for Brendan Rodgers’ side, the veteran forward came off the bench at 0-0 against Burnley during the week, scoring the first goal of the match before providing an assist for the second in a 2-0 victory.
Despite a change at the wheel, Leeds are extremely vulnerable here and I’ll be backing them to fall closer to the drop zone this weekend.
The Saints are eyeing off a third straight league victory and sixth consecutive match without defeat when they travel to face Aston Villa this weekend.
Villa Park has been a happy hunting ground for the visitors, with the Saints remaining undefeated across their last six trips to the Birmingham ground (4W,2D).
The Villans are coming off a win themselves, seeing off Brighton 2-0 to end a run of two straight losses.
Five of Villa’s last six league games have seen over 2.5 goals scored with both sides finding the back of the net, the same can be said of five of the Saints’ last six away games across all comps!
Both sides are capable of putting away multi goals against any opposition, rather than taking on the head-to-head market I am going to back both keepers to have a long night out.
Newcastle will attempt to continue their meteoric rise up the PL table when they welcome Brighton to St James’ Park.
The Toons are undefeated across their last seven league fixtures (4W,3D), seeing them climb from 19th to 15th on the Prem table.
Alternatively, the Seagulls have lost three straight fixtures for the first time this season, and have failed to register a goal in over 280 minutes of football.
Newcastle trot into this fixture conceding a mere two goals across their last five fixtures, with ex-Seagull Dan Burn proving himself as Eddie Howes top singing over the January window.
I’m backing the form side here at what looks to be overs in the H2H market.
This fixture could have huge ramifications in the race for survival, with Norwich sitting dead last, six points below safety, while Brentford looks desperate to join them in the drop zone, collecting just one point across their last seven fixtures!
The only positive for the naturals to take from this match is the fact we’ll get to see Christian Erikson’s first PL start for the Bees, a real feel-good story for football fans around the world.
I suspect that will be the only positive Brentford fans will take away from this fixture, their side is undeniably the worst side in the comp on current form, with five straight defeats on the road soon to become six.
The Blues are out to claim three PL wins on the trot for the first time since October 2021 when they travel to Turf Moor this weekend.
Burnley’s dash towards safety came to a halt mid-week, dropping points late against the Foxes to remain a point behind Everton in 17th place.
Turf Moor has been a happy hunting ground for the Blues in the past, with the Londoners yet to lose at the ground from seven visits (6W,1D).
I’m backing Chelsea to bag their third straight victory along with a third straight clean sheet here.
The Wolves return home with their tails between their legs after suffering consecutive league defeats in the capital.
While Crystal Palace was forced to settle for a point against Burnley after spooning several clearcut opportunities to put the game beyond reach.
The Eagles are looking to claim their third straight victory over the Wolves, and I believe they will do so against a side whose confidence has been crushed by a few sour results.
A win for the Reds would see them leapfrog City into 1st spot on the league table for the first time since game week 6, be it only for 24 hours.
Standing in their way are the Hammers, who already have a win against Liverpool to their name this season, and are looking the complete the double for the first time in six years, a result that seems about as likely as me hitting a 10-leg multi this weekend!
The Reds have won their last six PL fixtures, outscoring their opponents 18-2 across the trip.
I’m backing Mo Salah to extend his lead in the race for the 2021/22 golden boot while lifting his side to the top of the league.
Arsenal are gunning for a spot in the top four this weekend when their take on their struggling neighbour Watford.
The Gunners have won their last three Premier League fixtures, and are clearly benefiting from a lack of European responsibilities this season, with fresh legs helping them secure a few results late in the game.
Watford holds the worst home record n the league (7 points) and has scored just twice across their last seven fixtures, I can’t see them bothering the scorekeeper in this one.
The match of the round is set to play out across the early hours of Monday morning (AEST) when the Cityzens host their underperforming neighbours in the 187th edition of the Manchester Derby.
With City’s success across the last few years, it comes as a huge surprise that Man U will be looking to claim their fourth straight win at the Emthyhad across all competitions!
This is building up to a be tense affair, City will be desperate to take all three points on offer with Liverpool currently breathing down their neck, while United’s top four aspirations are on the ropes following a series of disappointing draws against lowly placed sides.
The Red Devils have found success in playing deep against Pep’s side and hitting them on the counter, a tactic that has yielded very few goals for either side over the years, with the last four league meetings between the pair seeing less than 2.5 total goals while both sides have failed to score in the same fixture across the trip.
Anything can happen in a derby, though I’m expecting defense to outshine offense once again here.
Game Week 28 comes to a close on Tuesday morning, when two former Blues managers face off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
A loss for the Toffees could very well see them finish the round sitting inside the drop zone, a daunting prospect for a side who was last relegated in 1951!
While a defeat for the Spurs could spell the end of Conte’s short yet volatile reign at the club.
This match could be an absolute shitshow, rather than backing a result, I’m going to back Kane to build on his return to scoring form by bagging the first goal of the contest.