A rather tasty-looking Sunday menu features a South Coast derby, two title challengers going head-to-head and a side that has blasted eleven goals in their last three home matches welcome Burnley along for the ride.
Here is the pick of Sunday’s Premier League betting tips in what should be an outstanding day of action:
Bournemouth vs Southampton (1:30pm)
In the absence of Portsmouth this is the nearest these two sides are going to get to a local derby, and while the rivalry between Bournemouth and Southampton might not be the fiercest, the lure of three points and the bragging rights will generally create an atmosphere befitting such an occasion on Sunday.
The Cherries are now firmly established as a Premier League outfit thanks largely to the dynamism of Eddie Howe, and on the back of a home record this term (W5 D1 L2) that is better than both Manchester sides and their opponents here. Don’t be hasty to write this Bournemouth outfit off.
Yet, oddly, the last people we would expect to do so already have: the bookies, who have priced Howe’s men at a tantalising 2/1. At home. Against a team they are equal on 21 points with. Those crafty price-makers don’t often get it wrong, but they may just have dropped a clanger here.
The Saints’ form is rather misleading. Yes, they have only lost one of their last five, but then they have only scored two in those five; not aided by the injury to Charlie Austin, who will be missing here once again. Cynics are suggesting that the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Jose Fonte and Ryan Bertrand are performing so admirably in an attempt to secure a move to more salubrious pastures in January, too.
Either way, it is in defence where Southampton are at their best at the moment, and they will look to shut this game down too. It *could* be won by a goal either way, but a draw is certainly tempting.
Recommended Bets
Winning Margin – One Goal (5/4 with Betway)
Half Time – Draw (11/10 with bet365)
Manchester City vs Arsenal (4pm)
What a rip-roarer this should be for the main event of Super Sunday, and the shame is that City go into it without Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho.
The injury to Ilkay Gundogan will have done little to improve Pep Guardiola’s mood, although the Spaniard at least saw sense in midweek against Watford and opted to switch to a back four; leaving John Stones out entirely. That will help his team to achieve a more solid base – essential against free-scoring Arsenal.
Ordinarily we would suggest the Gunners deserve more respect from the bookmakers than their 5/2 billing: City are without their main goal threat and two midfield enforcers, and have taken fewer points at home than Arsenal have on the road. But Arsene Wenger’s men are likely to have been hit for six by Tuesday’s loss to a rather ordinary Everton side, and it will be interesting to see how they react here.
One thing is for sure: both attacks should enjoy themselves. If we combine City and Arsenal’s last ten outings, they boast just one clean sheet between them. The Citizens have notched four in two without Aguero, so no worries there – aided by the absence of injured Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi, while the Gunners themselves have only failed to net in 2/16.
As to who will win the match….your guess is as good as ours.
Recommended Bets
Manchester City to Win 2-1 (17/2 with bet365)
Arsenal to Win 2-1 (12/1 with BetVictor)
Tottenham vs Burnley (4pm)
Barring the turgid 0-1 defeat at Old Trafford, it has been a pretty good fortnight or so for Tottenham, who have racked up 3-1 (CSKA Moscow), 5-0 (Swansea) and 3-0 (Hull) wins on home soil – albeit the CSKA match was played at Wembley Stadium.
Mauricio Pochettino has tinkered with his tactics and came up with a 3-4-2-1 system against Hull; and they really took the Tigers to the cleaners. They could have scored five or six, and were rarely troubled at the back. Pochettino even had the luxury of giving little rests to Dele Alli and Harry Kane, such was his side’s dominance.
Burnley’s excellence at home rather masks their troubles on the road – they have taken a solitary point from the 21 available from their seven away games, and netted just one goal too. Sean Dyche needs to find a solution soon, because if their form at Turf Moor dips they are surely going to be in big trouble.
Recommended Bet
Tottenham Half Time/Full Time (8/11 with Coral)
