What a Super Sunday we enjoyed last time around to kick the season off: two games, eleven goals, more incompetence from Arsene Wenger and eye-catching competitive debuts for Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alex Iwobi.
We’ll have more of the same this week please, and let’s hope we can go one better than the 3/4 our Premier League betting tips delivered last Sunday:
1:30pm – Sunderland vs Middlesbrough
There’s a feisty North East derby to look forward to first up at lunchtime as Sunderland welcome Middlesbrough to the Stadium of Light.
It has been four years since these two last met, and with Newcastle United relegated last season this is the closest they will come to a local rival for the next 12 months at least.
The Black Cats enjoyed a superb run of form under Sam Allardyce at the tail-end of last season, and they would have been hoping to kept that momentum going against Pep Guardiola’s experimental Manchester City side. They may have fancied themselves as well after seeing Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy deployed as inverted full backs – surely the two most unlikely candidates for the role on planet football – but a heartbreaking 87th minute own goal from Paddy McNair cost them a point.
City enjoyed 77% possession compared to Sunderland’s 23%, and yet the shots on target count was only 4-3 in their favour. Pep’s experimentation can take some of the blame for that, but so can the Mackems’ defensive organisation and positioning too. Middlesbrough will find them a tough nut to crack.
The Boro were the better side against Stoke in their opening Premier League fixture, and were perhaps unlucky not to take all three points. In Alvaro Negredo they have a robust attacking outlet, while Aitor Karanka has got Gaston Ramirez playing some of the best football of his career. They looked very strong down their left hand side – with George Friend overlapping Stewart Downing to great effect, and that could provide a problem for Sunderland’s inexperienced right back Donald Love. Negredo won six of his aerial duels last week and could well get on the end of a pinpoint Downing cross here; we’re happy to have him on board as an Anytime Goalscorer at 12/5 with bet365.
The Boro did just fine on the road last season, and while we appreciate that Sunderland were unlucky last week at the City of Manchester Stadium they do look to be a weaker side without Big Sam’s overarching influence. The draw, available at 23/10 with Betfred, looks the most likely outcome in this one.
Recommended Bets
The Draw (23/10 with Betfred)
Alvaro Negredo Anytime Goalscorer (12/5 with bet365)
4pm – West Ham vs Bournemouth
This match will mark the competitive debut of the Olympic Stadium as West Ham’s new home, and they will be hoping to get a better foothold in this match than they did at Stamford Bridge on Monday, where Andy Carroll ploughed the loneliest of furrows in a 1-2 loss.
At home though the Hammers should be a different animal, and they will certainly enjoy more composed possession in their opponents’ final third. That will benefit Carroll in particular, and having witnessed Zlatan Ibrahimovic outmuscle the Bournemouth defence on countless occasions last Sunday, he will fancy his chances of getting in amongst the goals; we’re happy to take the 6/4 on offer at Betfair about him doing just that.
Slavan Bilic’s men have been hurt by injuries though, with Sofiane Feghouli, Aaron Cresswell and now Andre Ayew on the treatment table, so perhaps Dimitri Payet will be forced back into action. With a Europa League tie on Thursday to consider too, Bilic must be bemoaning his rather thin squad.
That opens the door to a Bournemouth outfit who were hopelessly outclassed by Manchester United on Sunday, although there were bright sparks for the Cherries. Their front three of Callum Wilson, Jordan Ibe and Josh King looks strong and full of pace, and that will worry makeshift full back Michail Antonio and new boy Arthur Masuaku in particular. Consequently, we can see both sides netting here; available at a best price of 3/4 with bet365.
Defensively though Bournemouth are in a pickle – that’s no clean sheet in 11 – and they conceded at a rate of nearly two per game in 2015/16. As such, we have to go with a home win here.
Recommended Bets
West Ham to win (9/10 with Stan James)
Andy Carroll Anytime Scorer (6/4 with Betfair)
Both Teams to Score (3/4 with BetVictor)
