Dan’s EPL Predictions WK8 – Can Arsenal grind out another win?

I miss those days when you get to 3.00 o’clock on a Saturday and there was more than one Premiership game taking place. To make up for fans not being allowed in Stadiums, fixtures are spread over the whole weekend so they can all be televised, but you can have too much of a good thing!

There’s now two matches on Friday, so again I’m submitting this early, so you have that extra time to make your EPL predictions.

Brighton 1-1 Burnley
How can Sky morally, a day after England go into national lockdown, charge people 14.99 pounds to watch this?

Sean Dyche said a few weeks ago he would pay that price to watch his team. I guess you can’t tell your wife she looks fat in that dress, can you?

1-1 is me being optimistic.

Southampton 2-1 Newcastle
Newcastle are never going to be great to watch under Steve Bruce, but he does grind out results. To be fair when Rafa Benitez was doing the same, he was the messiah.

The Saints on the other hand are entertaining to watch, but will now need someone to step up now Danny Ings is injured for 6 weeks. Unless they keep relying on Prowse’s set pieces?

Everton 1-1 Man United
After my prediction that they win last Sunday, I realised Rodriguez joined Richarlison and Digne in being unavailable. Suddenly Everton looked like the Everton of last season.

Although he says he will recall him this weekend, Ancelotti was giving a warning to Pickford by benching him. You don’t just drop your keeper because ….

A good time to face Man United. If fans were inside Goodison I would probably being going for a home win.

Palace 1-3 Leeds
I think Palace will play into Leed’s hands. Defensively Leeds are not great, but instead of having the likes of Zaha run at them, Palace will let Leeds have the ball and try to hit them on the break. There are certain teams you can’t afford to allow to have possession as they will punish you.

Chelsea 3-0 Sheffield United
With Liverpool and Man City already having lost, some are suggesting someone from the chasing pack could take advantage. I even read a headline ‘Can Southampton do a Leicester?’

With respect to the Saints, if we are talking about anyone most likely to put that consistent run together – it’s Chelsea. And now they are keeping clean sheets!

West Ham 1-2 Fulham
I was so happy that Scott Parker got his first League win of the season. He’s almost too nice to be a football manager but was due some luck on Monday.
The Hammers have played very well in a tough set of fixtures, but it would be very like West Ham to lose a game they are favourites to win.

West Brom 1-3 Spurs
At the moment Spurs seem to have moments in games where they go ‘Spursy’ but have the attacking talent to get over the line. It’s arguably the (on form) League’s best attack vs the worse defence.

Man City 1-1 Liverpool
City’s injuries in attack and Liverpool’s in defence, means this might not be the spectacle it usually is.

I do feel Pep’s men could benefit mentally from winning this. Yet imagine mentally how big it would be if the Champions won even without VVD. Their best form of defence might be attack for both teams.

Leicester 1-2 Wolves
Just because Leicester have been playing their strongest 11 in Europe, I think beating Wolves a few days later might be asking too much.

Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa
A different test this weekend for different reasons. Arteta has shown he can organise a team and make them hard to beat, but now the spotlight is back on ‘do we have enough creativity to win these type of games’.

It’s not that Villa will park the bus, but more teams are aware that if you let Arsenal have the ball, they struggle to unlock the door.

LAST WEEKS RESULTS

That horrible moment when you really did mean 3-0 Chelsea but wrote 2 by accident. That would have put me joint top!

Anyways, top scorer last week was Quincy Okereke Samson Afaloyan and Khadii with 11 points. Me, Declan, Kstix and in his first try Gibson Power got 9. A few players with 8 points – Dan Kit, Admin Pat, Saint Emirates and Baron.

Top 24 qualify for Euros

Dan Kit 49
ME 47
Sue 40
Shakir 39
Highbury Hero 39
Khadii 37
Easy guys 37
MTG 34
Declan 34
Sid 33
KTSX 33
Iykmatt 31
Admin pat 31
Terrah 30
Dunchirado 30
Arsha 29
Dhoni 27
Anie 25
Baron 24
Davars 23
Samson 22
Buchi 22
SJ 20
Dotash 19
Fatorisa Festus Omoboboji 18
Edu 18
Sagie 18
Olushorlorlar 18
I 17
Em 16
Babasola 15
Saint Emirates 15
okobino 14
Joe Gunner 13
Jay 13
Quincy Okereke 13
Musa 12
Third Man jw 12
Gunner 4 life 11
Nuisance 10
Elvis 10
Herbz 10
Gibson power 9
Kenya 001 9
Sue P 9
Tom 9
Jimmy Bauer 8
Invader Zim 8
Rain 7
Gerylo – 7
Ba Thea 7
Gold 7
Omwabu Robinson 6
ICW 6
Rusty 6
Collins otanchi masea 6
Khgondroidx- 6
Sean Williams 6
Eastside Gooner 5
Durand 5
Deluded One 5
Frank Brady 5-
Kuhepson 4
Classy Gunner 4
Uzi Ozil 4
Nifty 4
One and Only Making Love OnCampus 4
Seroti 4
Kev 82. 3
Illiterate 3
Gunner Ray
Ash 2
Toney 2