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The Scout: EPL Week 2 Preview

Posted on | Posted by The Scout

Chelsea v Tottenham

The first real heavyweight contest of the season sees light-hitting Chelsea at home to heavy-handed Tottenham Hotspur. At least that’s one way of looking at it after just one round of Premier League fixtures.

Chelsea weren’t at their best and needed a Jorginho penalty to see off Everton last weekend. Thomas Tuchel gave starts to new signings Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly, while Marc Cucurella played the last 15 minutes, as the manager looks to build on last season’s third-place finish.

Tuchel won’t fear Spurs, who he got the better of four times last season, including two legs of the League Cup semi-final.

Sterling will get better and Chelsea can also rely on Mason Mount and Kai Havertz to chip in following Romelu Lukaku’s return to Inter Milan, and the departure of Timo Werner to RB Leipzig.

Scoring goals shouldn’t  be a problem for Spurs who came to life last weekend after Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse had given them a scare.  An avalanche followed – Spurs won 4-1 – with, surprisingly, neither Harry Kane nor Heung-min Son among the scorers.

History says that Tottenham, who have not beaten Chelsea since January 2019, have it all to do but the most recent evidence tips the scales in favour of Antonio Conte’s men.

Suggested Bet: Spurs to win @ $3.25*

Brighton v Newcastle

Brighton were better on the road than they were at home last season, although they did improve at the Amex late in the campaign. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since the final two games of last season, when they beat Manchester United 4-0 and West Ham 3-1.

But it’s hard to know what to make of their 2-1 win in last weekend’s season opener, which was inspired by a Pascal Gross double. It’s not like it was against Manchester City, Liverpool, or Chelsea. It was only Manchester United. And it was only at Old Trafford.

Brighton were excellent value for the win with Leandro Trossard and Danny Wellbeck among those to trouble United. Albion will continue to cause problems for Premier League opponents as long as Graham Potter can inspire this level of organisation and attacking threat.

Not that Newcastle manager Eddie Howe will fear a trip to England’s south coast having overseen his side’s 2-0 home win against newly promoted Nottingham Forest.

Newcastle dominated the game with Brazilian Bruno Guimaraes pulling the midfield strings. Even though it took defender Fabian Schar’s screamer to end Forest’s stubborn resistance there never seemed any doubt about the outcome. Callum Wilson completed the scoring with his 21st Newcastle goal in 45 appearances.

Five of the last nine encounters between these two sides have been drawn.

Suggested Bet: Draw @ $3.30*

Arsenal v Leicester

Arsenal gave their fans hope of a bright season ahead on the opening day of the season despite not always being in control during their 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Gabriel Martinelli, who scored the first goal, ex-Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus and England winger Bukayo Saka give Arsenal a potent-looking front three, while Oleksandr Zinchenko was another key contributor. Defensively, 21-year-old William Saliba, who waited three years for his Arsenal debut, made an impression when it finally arrived.

Saliba, who has had loan spells at St Etienne, Nice and Marseille since joining the Gunners in 2019, was calm, composed and effective in keeping Odsonne Edouard, Wilfried Zaha and company in check.

But the Premier League is no place for resting on laurels and he will face hungry Leicester City duo James Maddison and Jamie Vardy this weekend.

Leicester will be furious at their capitulation against Brentford – when they blew a 2-0 lead at the King Power Stadium – and a more disciplined performance is essential against Arsenal.

Arsenal have won the last three games against Leicester, and early indications are that the current model under Mikel Arteta is more than just a fancy paint job.

Scoring goals hasn’t been a problem for the Foxes in recent years and all eyes will again be on Vardy and Maddison, who has been the subject of a transfer bid from Newcastle. In the last four games of Leicester’s 2021-22 season, Vardy and Maddison scored nine of the club’s 13 goals.

Suggested Bet: Arsenal win and both teams to score @ $3.10*

*Odds correct as at 5pm, 10th August 2022.

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