Arsenal vs Burnley
17th August, 7.30pm WST
Two teams coming off Week 1 victories. Arsenal started their Premier League campaign with a hard fought 1-0 away win against Newcastle. Their opponent Burnley destroyed Southampton 3-0, with two coming from the boot of forward Ashley Barnes.
The Clarets haven’t beaten Arsenal in their last 10 attempts, failing to score in five of them. In fact, the last time Burnley beat Arsenal was way back in 1974. Their efforts wont be help either with the home side likely to welcome back Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac.
Emirates Stadium was a Premier League fortress for the Gunners last season, with only two losses from their 19 matches, while scoring an average of two goals.
Arsenal have scored three or more goals in the last three meetings between the two sides, and with Ozil back to orchestrate the offense, we should see plenty of chances for the home side.
Last season’s Golden Boot winner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, found the back of the net last week and could be in for a day out in front of the big home crowd.
Suggested Bet: Match Result Arsenal & Over 2.5 Goals @ $1.80*
Everton vs Watford
17th August, 10pm WST
There was plenty of buzz around Everton coming into the season, so their 0-0 opener with Crystal Palace wasn’t what many had expected. It is just one week however, and the Toffees are now presented with the perfect opportunity to kick-start their season here at home.
Watford were impressive through their pre-season games, but their opening match was an utter disaster, going down 3-0 at home to Brighton.
Everton were the better side for most of the day against Crystal Palace, with a 76th minute Morgan Schneidlerlin red card effectively ending their chances of winning. They were also superb last season at Goodison Park, losing just five of their 19 Premier League matches.
Conversely, Watford were pretty ordinary on the road last season, winning just six from 19, while conceding 31 times.
Watford have shown their defensive vulnerability, conceding three goals from just five attempts against a side favoured for relegation. Everton have an array of offensive weapons including Sigurdsson, Richarlison and newly signed striker Moise Kean – they will all be looking to bounce back after last week’s performance.
Suggested Bet: Match Result Everton & Over 1.5 Goals @ $2*
Aston Villa vs Bournemouth
17th August, 10pm WST
A John McGinn goal after nine minutes had Aston Villa staring down the barrel of an unlikely win against Tottenham in Week 1. Three Spurs’ goals in the final 20 minutes put and end to the fairytale, but nonetheless, the showing was very positive for the newly promoted side.
Bournemouth’s home opener against Sheffield United didn’t go to plan. A slow and sloppy start set the tone, with the Cherries scoring at 60 minutes before conceding an equalizer in the dying stages.
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has his side playing with flair and confidence, something rarely seen from a new side to the Premier League. This brand of football is what saw Villa earn promotion last season, and what had them on top against powerhouse’s Tottenham.
This style has consequences however, and that includes a weakened defense prone to counter attacks. Villa appear to have brought across some bad defensive habits from the Championship, where they kept clean sheets in just 26% of their matches. They gave up a massive 31 attempts on goal to the Spurs which is a major worry.
Much like their opponents, Bournemouth also play high-octane, aggressive football. They love to attack but leave themselves up vulnerable down back. They conceded 70 goals last season, good for third worst in the Premier League.
I’m not confident in a winner here, but what I do expect is relentless attack and plenty of goals.
Suggested Bet: Total Goals Over 2.5 Goals @ $1.78*
*Odds correct as at 1.50pm, 16th August 2019.
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