Fear not, club soccer fans, for the wretched international break is almost over and will mercifully make way for the return of the beloved English Premier League this week.
And to catch up on all the week’s – and every week’s – big games, we are excited to introduce this, our new weekly EPL picks and predictions column. Each week, I will select the top EPL games and toss up a few key stats as well as a quick prediction, with one or two other surprises along the way. Please let us know what you think of this new piece in the comments below!
The biggest game of the week – Manchester City vs. Tottenham – headlines what should be a great week of soccer. Our comprehensive preview of that game will be up here on Friday. With all that said, let’s get to the picks!
[sc:Soccer ]Top EPL Picks of the Week
Arsenal vs. Hull
There must really be something in the water at Arsenal. Midfielder Mesut Ozil and defender Laurent Koscielny are the latest Gunners to suffer significant injuries, joining an ever-growing list of sidelined players. Ozil will miss the next three months with a knee injury, while Koscielny is out with an Achilles problem.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Ozil won’t be too big a miss; he hasn’t been playing all that well and Arsenal have sufficient cover at his position. However, Koscielny’s absence could push the Gunners into a full-blown crisis at the back ahead of their meeting with Hull.
Young Calum Chambers, who had been deputizing for long-term injury casualty Mathieu Debuchy at right back, is suspended, which could see Arsenal turn to players with little to no first-team experience to fill half of their back four.
This is splendid news for Hull, who have been quite the adventurous team, almost to a fault. They have not been afraid to venture forward, but haven’t quite been good enough to shut the door at the back. They won’t suddenly get bashful with Arsenal’s defense there for the taking, but the Gunners have the quality upfront to catch Hull out as well.
Writer’s Prediction: This game is a high-scoring affair that sees over three goals.
Everton vs. Aston Villa
With the season a fifth of the way over, it’s quickly getting closer to panic time for Everton. Last year’s fifth-place finishers are just one spot above the relegation zone, no thanks to their league-worst defensive record. That already-suspect defense suffered another big blow with the injury to promising young central defender John Stones.
Thankfully for the Toffees, Aston Villa doesn’t pose much of an offensive threat. The Villans have scored just four league goals so far this season, the fewest outside the bottom two. However, they used one of those goals, as well as their resolute defense, to knock out Liverpool at Anfield last month.
That defense took something of a beating in the next three games to Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, losing by a total of 8-0, but most teams wouldn’t have fared any better after undergoing such a tough run. Make no mistake though, this is still a solid defense capable of grinding out results, especially away from home.
Writer’s Prediction: This has a 1-1 draw written all over it.
West Bromwich Albion vs. Manchester United
*UPSET ALERT!*
Uh oh. Did anyone hear that? Why yes, it’s the upset alert, which will sound each week when I think a big club is in danger of suffering an upset. And this week, the red flags are flying as West Brom vs. Manchester United.
Despite the Louis van Gaal era in Manchester finally picking up steam after back-to-back wins against West Ham and Everton, both wins came at home and neither looked particularly comfortable. United needed some world class stops from keeper David de Gea to hold their slim lead against Everton.
There are still question marks with the Red Devils both at the back and away from home. And much like United’s last away game at Leicester – wherein they surrendered a 3-1 lead to lose 5-3 – West Brom won’t be an easy test.
The Baggies have been playing positive football under manager Alan Irvine and have shown they’ll take games to their opponents. They’ve already claimed a decent away win at Tottenham, and played well against Liverpool before falling 2-1.
21-year old Saido Berahino has been on fire, with four goals in his last three appearances, and he should be on the prowl for more against a United defense that may have yet another new configuration after the return of their first-choice defenders from injury.
Writer’s Prediction: West Brom takes down Man United at home.
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Lock of the Week – Queens Park Rangers vs. Liverpool
It’s time for the first of what will be a recurring portion of these weekly EPL previews: the weekly Lock of the Week, which goes to the most can’t miss, sure-win game on the schedule. This week, the honor goes to Liverpool, who face bottom side Queens Park Rangers.
Liverpool finally ended their four-game winless streak with a hard-fought 2-1 home win over West Brom. It was still a far from impressive performance from Liverpool, who had Rickie Lambert starting for the ineffectual Mario Balotelli.
But even a work-in-progress Liverpool team is more than capable of scoring goals against Queens Park Rangers, who are in shambles right now. The Rangers have conceded 15 goals this season, the second-worst defensive record in the league, and are rooted at the bottom of the table.
QPR have already lost 4-0 to Tottenham and Manchester United. Granted, those losses were on the road, but they haven’t shown they’re capable of competing with the very big clubs this season. Lock this one in for Liverpool.
Writer’s Prediction: Liverpool wins by at least a two-goal margin.
Must Watch Game of the Week – Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur
By far the most high-profile game of the week is Manchester City vs. Tottenham. The defending champions have reeled off two-straight wins to climb back up to second in the table. Meanwhile, up-and-down Tottenham continue to find their identity under new manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Spurs haven’t been all too convincing in past weeks, but two very good results – an away draw at Arsenal and a win over high-flying Southampton – are reminders of how good this team can be.
No one needs reminding how good City can be, but the defending champs haven’t quite shown it yet. Yaya Toure has not been in the best of form, while the defense can still be shaky at times.
But seeing as how City have beaten Spurs in six out of their last seven meetings, including a resounding 11-1 aggregate score in two blowout wins last season, the signs point to another City home win.
Writer’s Prediction: City takes care of business at home and beat the Spurs.
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