Sports

The Scout: EPL Week 1 Preview

Posted on | Posted by The Scout

Saturday, August 12 – 3am (WA time)

Burnley v Manchester City

Vincent Kompany’s first act as a Premier League manager will be to attempt to upset his old mates as Burnley host Manchester City. Beating the defending Premier League champions and UEFA Champions League holders is just about the toughest job in football.

Kompany, the Belgian defender who spent a decade at City, won’t care that his former club is chasing a record fourth successive Premier League title.

After orchestrating Burnley’s return to England’s top tier with success in the Championship at his first attempt, Kompany will have the Clarets fired up for an early upset against City. And by upset, we mean avoiding a heavy defeat, because even a draw would be a big surprise.

Pep Guardiola has tweaked his side since last season’s success with Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez among those who have left the club. The arrival of midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea and fellow Croatian Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig speaks more of defensive resilience than attacking flair.

But that’s not something City are short of.

The familiar face of Erling Haaland will again be the one to watch as City chase history. Haaland scored a record 36 Premier League goals last season and there is no reason to suggest he won’t continue to be the thorn in every side he faces.

Burnley know him well. The big Norwegian scored a hat-trick last season as City exposed the gap between divisions with a 6-0 thrashing of the Clarets in the FA Cup.

It’s always reasonable to expect Haaland to score but in last weekend’s Community Shield clash against Arsenal it was Cole Palmer, of City’s young brigade, who hit the target. The 21-year-old is a player to keep an eye on this season.

But it’s not all about City.

Burnley romped to success in the Championship, amassing 101 points in the process. There is an expectation that Kompany must be more pragmatic in the dizzy heights of the Premier League, especially against the competition’s true heavyweights.

Nathan Tella, who was Burnley’s top scorer with 17 goals last season, has returned to Southampton after the end of his loan spell, but there are high hopes for Swiss striker Zeki Amdouni, who has arrived from Basel.

Importantly for Kompany, goalkeeper James Trafford, a hero for England’s under-21 team in their Euro success, has signed from Manchester City.

Having been on loan at League One clubs Accrington and Bolton, he is yet to play a Premier League game.

Suggested Bet: City to win + Both teams to score @ $3*

Sunday, August 13 – 9pm (WA time)

Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur

Ange Postecoglou finds himself at the wheel of a shiny, new car but doesn’t yet know whether it will pack the punch of a Porsche or rumble along like an old Rover. Of course, we’re talking about the on-again, off-again saga of Harry Kane.

Kane’s importance to Tottenham Hotspur was underlined during a recent friendly against Shakhtar Donetsk in which he scored four times. But his time at Spurs could be running out with Bayern Munich lurking. Kane was not involved in Spurs’ friendly loss to Barcelona this week.

By the time you read this, he may already have departed if Bayern finally hit the right financial notes having had a recent AUD$156 million bid rejected.

So, back to Ange, the first Australian to take charge of a Premier League club. If that’s not worth celebrating, then what is?

There has been a little more caution from the British press, two years after Ange’s move to Celtic was met with more than a few jibes. A cabinet full of trophies, including last season’s treble, can have that affect.

Of course, the Premier League is a different kettle of fish but – with or without Kane – Postecoglou will revel in the opportunity.

Spurs have brought in James Maddison from relegated Leicester City, while Postecoglou’s restorative powers are likely to get more out of the likes of Richarlison, which will be necessary if Kane departs.

It’s true that Postecoglou might have had a tougher first-up fixture, just ask Vincent Kompany, but “Big” Ange won’t be underestimating Brentford.

The Bees lost just twice at home last season, although Spurs were among seven teams to have earned a point at the Gtech Community Stadium. A 2-2 draw on Boxing Day, in which Spurs trailed 2-0, was earned through goals from Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Ivan Toney, a goalscorer that day and Brentford’s top marksman last season, won’t see any action until January after a ban imposed for breaching betting guidelines.

Bees boss Thomas Frank, whose journey to the Premier League, like Postecoglou’s, has not been traditional, must find a way to cope without Toney.

Frank was relatively unknown as boss of Danish side Brondby before joining Brentford as an assistant coach when they were in the second-tier Championship. He has won 104 and drawn 57 of his 232 games in charge.

Bryan Mbeumo scored nine goals for the Bees last season and is likely to be fit for the Spurs clash after a recent injury, while Josh Dasilva and Yoane Wissa will be expected to contribute in the goalscoring stakes.

Suggested Bet: Draw @ $3.60*

Sunday, August 13 – 11.30pm (WA time)

Chelsea v Liverpool

Chelsea fell like a stone last season, stunning everyone with the speed of their decline from potential contender to a 12th-place finish.

The Blues ground through three managers in a single season – Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard all spinning through the Stamford Bridge turnstiles.

So, who to turn to in their darkest hour? Why not try the former boss of their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Mauricio Pochettino, whose most recent gig was at Paris St Germain, has seen Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta and Christian Pulisic all head off, while much is expected of Nicolas Jackson, who has signed from Villarreal, and the currently injured Christopher Nkunku, an attacking midfielder brought in from Leipzig.

The duos’ attacking threat should improve Chelsea’s goalscoring output, which reaped a club record low of just 38 goals last season, although neither player has Premier League experience.

Jackson scored 12 goals in 26 LaLiga matches and Nkunku bagged 16 in 25 Bundesliga games.

There is also room for improvement in both Ukraine winger Mykhaylo Mudryk and Argentine Enzo Fernandez, who joined during last season’s January transfer window.

Despite a poor 2022-23 season by their own lofty standards, Liverpool finished fifth after a goalless draw against Chelsea kick-started a run of 11 matches unbeaten.

But if they are to start the new campaign with victory, they will have to leave behind last season’s worrying away form, which saw them lose eight games on the road, compared to just one defeat at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp has added Argentina’s World Cup winner Alexis Mac Alister and exciting Hungarian Dominik Szoboszlai, partly to offset the departures of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.

Klopp also has a fit again Luis Diaz at his disposal after last season’s injury concerns (as is also the case with Diogo Jota), while Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo will have benefited from their 2022-23 experience.

Liverpool’s strong finish to last season calmed nerves at Anfield and allowed Klopp to reinforce that he is the man to take the Reds through another refresh. Victory in their opening game against Chelsea would be the best way to build on that.

Suggested Bet: Liverpool to win + Both teams to score (Same Game Multi) @ $4.20*

*Odds correct as at 9am, 10th August 2023.

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