With the international break preoccupying majority of their star players, most of the big English clubs struggled to put up convincing performances during last weekend’s action. Manchester United, in particular, will be eager to bounce back from another road setback at home, but their visitors just so happen to be runaway leaders Chelsea. Check out our comprehensive preview of that match here.
That blockbuster match headlines this week’s EPL picks and predictions, because what better place to start than at Old Trafford. As we do every week, we’ll work through the biggest matches on the schedule and pick up the key points on each game to get you set for the aciton.
[sc:Soccer ]Top EPL Picks for Week 9
Game of the Week: Manchester United vs. Chelsea (Sun, Oct. 26, 12:00 PM ET)
Line: Chelsea +120 at Manchester United +183, tie +230; total 2.5 – view all EPL lines
Manchester United avoided another big upset on the road at West Brom on Monday night, with their lingering defensive instability once again rearing its ugly head. United simply haven’t been afforded the ability to field a consistent lineup because of all their injuries, especially in the center of their defense.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]That would concern me on so many levels if I were a United backer because Chelsea have been oh-so-clinical this season. Even with top scorer Diego Costa out of the lineup, they blasted six goals past hapless Maribor in the Champions League.
Costa will be well-rested after missing Chelsea’s last two games, all the more reason to believe he’ll add to his league-leading nine goals against a disjointed United defense.
I can see this match going the way so many Jose Mourinho-managed away games go. Chelsea happily concedes possession to the home team and soaks up the pressure with their organized defensive structure, and suddenly pounce for a clinical counterattack when the opportunity presents itself.
Writer’s Prediction: Chelsea wins comfortably, 3-1.
Lock of the Week: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Newcastle United (Sun, Oct. 26, 9:30 AM ET)
Line: Newcastle United +400 at Tottenham Hotspur -178, tie +270; total 2.5 – view all EPL lines
Don’t let the 4-1 scoreline fool you; Tottenham were going toe-to-toe with champions Manchester City for most of their match, only for a whopping three penalty decisions to go against them. While they still can’t find a striker who can score them any goals after Roberto Soldado missed a penalty, Christian Eriksen and Nacer Chadli have been in excellent goalscoring form, with seven already between them.
That’s why I’m hitching my wagon this week on Tottenham to bounce back at home against relegation-threatened Newcastle. Despite Newcastle’s mini-achievement of going undefeated in the past two weeks, there’s very little to suggest that this team is really any good.
They’re down at 18th in the table and have been especially poor away from home, where they’ve managed just two goals and allowed seven in four matches. I find it hard to see them outplaying a Tottenham team that, you know, plays an actual system, which is something that might seem alien to most of the Newcastle players given how they’ve been playing this season.
Manager Alan Pardew is a dead man walking, and another loss at White Hart lane would put another nail in his coffin.
Writer’s Prediction: Tottenham wins it, 2-1.
West Ham United vs. Manchester City (Sat, Oct. 25, 7:45 AM ET)
Line: Manchester City -240 at West Ham United +500, tie +320; total 3.0 – view all EPL lines
This West Ham team hasn’t at all been the archetypical Sam Allardyce-led club I grew up watching. Instead of the pragmatic, grind-it-out style of football which has become synonymous with Big Sam, West Ham is, um, what’s the word? Entertaining! The Hammers have won their last two games in a row, and have done it with some style.
Granted, a 2-0 home win over QPR and a 3-1 away win at Burnley, the two bottom teams in the league, is more or less expected of a team with ambitions to finish at the top half of the table, but don’t take anything away from West Ham. They’re now up to the dizzying heights of fourth after those wins, and should be feeling mighty confident as they host the champions, Manchester City.
As good as Sergio Aguero is, he’s not scoring four goals (with three penalty attempts) again. City also didn’t look all too convincing at the back, which should be a little worrying given West Ham have already scored 15 goals this season.
Writer’s Prediction: West Ham holds the champs to a 1-1 draw.
Southampton vs. Stoke City (Sat, Oct. 25, 10:00 AM ET)
Line: Stoke +500 at Southampton -210, tie +275; total 2.5 – view all EPL lines
*Best League in the World Alert!*
(One of the most annoying things about EPL broadcasts is how the commentators love to shove the propaganda of the Premier League being the “best league in the world” down everyone’s throats, especially when there are big upsets. So in honor of that obnoxious habit, big upsets will henceforth be sounded out with a “Premier League, Best League in the World! Alert”)
Cinderella story Southampton is riding high in 3rd place after an unexpected 8-0 shellacking of Sunderland last week. Despite getting gutted like a fish and selling all their big stars last summer, manager Ronald Koeman has done wonders in his debut season, molding this squad into a potential top-six team.
But while the Saints’ steady rise has been great, I sense they could be brought back down to earth this week by Stoke. Koeman’s side has yet to face a team with the physical style of Stoke, a team has already produced one of the shocks of the season by going into the Etihad and beating champs Man City.
Stoke’s specialty is to muck the game up, and grind out results. Their eight games so far have produced just 17 total goals, second-least in the league. I can see the Potters putting a halt to the Saints’ smooth passing game and luring them into a dogfight.
Writer’s Prediction: Stoke scrap out a shock away win at Southampton.
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