Premier League Preview GW 4
It’s been an incredible season so far, with most teams completely forgetting how to defend. There are four clubs that still have a 100% record, with Leicester City topping the table via Goal Difference from the defending champions Liverpool and their local rivals Everton. Aston Villa have only played two games as opposed to the others’ three, but have won both and are yet to concede a single goal. Will these winning runs be able to continue this weekend? Here at LeoVegas, we take a look at all the latest Premier League tips and UK sports betting odds.
Now, here are some of our selected odds for the Premier League Gameweek 4.
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace - 12:30pm 3rd October
It’s fair to say that Chelsea got away with one last week, grabbing a draw after being 3-0 down at half time against West Brom. Frank Lampard’s strategy seemed to be ‘throw all the strikers on and see what happened’. It may have worked on this occasion, but they’ll need to play a lot better. Even with the introduction of their new goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, Chelsea are still likely to be shaky at the back for a few more weeks at least. We’re backing Palace to find the net at least once at Stamford Bridge. The Eagles were unlucky to lose to Everton last week and have started the season well. Counter attacking with pace will be their tactic here.
Everton vs Brighton & Hove Albion - 3:00pm 3rd October
Everton had the new handball rule to thank for their win last weekend, with Richarlison burying the resulting penalty. Dominic Calvert-Lewinzaghi has been praised by Carlo Ancelotti for his likeness to the manager’s old striker at AC Milan, and the Englishman has five goals in his first three league games. He also buried yet another hat-trick in the League Cup and just can’t stop scoring. Brighton are an attacking side too, so this should be a very open game. Trossard, Lamptey, March and Maupay were very impressive in defeat last week, with the former striking both posts and the crossbar. This could actually be the game of the weekend.
Leeds United vs Manchester City - 5:30pm 3rd October
We’re really not sure what to expect from this game, apart from goals. Both sides have given up a lot of chances to their opposition in the opening games, so we’re expecting some fireworks in this one. The dugout will also be one to watch, as Pep Guardiola is on record as saying Marcelo Bielsa is “at the top of the list” as a manager. On the pitch, Leeds have started well but Man City will be a wounded animal. They were embarrassed 5-2 at home to Leicester and looked a shambles at the back. Leeds will be looking to prod more holes into a leaky defence.
Newcastle United vs Burnley - 8:00pm 3rd October
Let’s just get this out of the way early: if you’re looking for entertainment on your Saturday evening, this might be a game to avoid. The two matches between the sides last season were a 1-0 Clarets win at Turf Moor and a drab 0-0 at St James’ Park. With the way both sides have started this season, we’re expecting something similar this time around. Newcastle have only had three shots on target all season and have somehow scored all three. Under 1.5 Goals looks like good value.
Leicester City vs West Ham United - 12:00pm 4th October
Leicester absolutely ran riot at the Etihad and looked back to their best. Although some bizarre derogatory comments came their way from Man City’s Rodri after the game, the Foxes fully deserved to win and could actually have scored more. Jamie Vardy doesn’t seem to age, with the 33 year-old bagging yet another hat-trick in the Premier League. Timothy Castagne has also been a fantastic signing, attacking from the wing-back areas. We mention it every week, but West Ham’s fixtures still aren’t getting any easier. They’re going under the radar a bit, but the Hammers are starting to look like a very effective side against all odds. I doubt anyone saw a 4-0 thrashing of Wolves coming. Tomas Soucek is hugely effective as a box-to-box midfielder, while Michail Antonio gives his all for the team leading the line. They could cause Leicester problems, but we think the Foxes will be too strong.
Southampton vs West Bromwich Albion - 2:00pm 4th October
Everything points to a Southampton win in this one apart from one metric: the Saints’ home form. The side from the south coast have struggled on home soil in the last few seasons and lost their only Premier League home game this season 5-2. That said, they should still be too good for the Baggies, who conceded a record 11 goals in their first three games. Defensively they look a bit of a mess, which is not what you need when coming up against Danny Ings. They do have threats of their own, but they’re simply conceding too many at the other end.
Arsenal vs Sheffield United - 2:00pm 4th October
It’s hard to know what to make of Arsenal. They won their first two, but were then beaten easily by Liverpool. It’s clear to see they are a way off challenging for the title but will look to finish in the top 4. Sheffield United have played three games and are still yet to score in the Premier League this season, which has to be a major worry for Chris Wilder. What may give him even more headaches is the lack of solidity at the back. The Blades were known for their clean sheets last year, but have none so far this season. It’s starting to look like they could be in trouble if things don’t level out for them.
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Fulham - 2:00pm 4th October
Wolves will definitely need to bounce back from that poor West Ham defeat and this is the perfect fixture to do so. Fulham have been a disaster so far, losing all their games and have now found themselves in the middle of a row between the ownership and the manager. Director of Football Operations Tony Khan’s tweets apologising for the poor performance did not sit well with Scott Parker, who described Khan’s tweets as “disappointing” and “not helpful”. All is not right with Fulham, and we expect they’ll lose again at Molineux.
Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur - 4:30pm 4th October
Man United fans are running out of patience with the board due to their lack of signings, both in defence and attack. The pursuit of Jadon Sancho looks like it will be an unfruitful one, meaning squad depth is likely to be an issue. It’s a similar story for Spurs, as Harry Kane is still the only striker on the books, so an injury to him would be an unmitigated disaster. It’s quite tough to predict the result of this one, so we’re going to go with a bit of a safer pick instead. Both teams scored in both clashes last season and both sides aren’t great defensively.
Aston Villa vs Liverpool - 7:15pm 4th October
Aston Villa and Liverpool are two of the most in-form teams in the country, with both winning all their matches in the Premier League so far. Things are definitely on the up for the Villans, who have made some brilliant moves in the transfer market. Emi Martinez has shored things up at the back, while Ollie Watkins and Ross Barkley can add some goals going forward. Liverpool have started like the machine that they were last season, and have now moved into the outright favourites to win the title again. With a settled side, they are extremely difficult to beat. Sadio Mane broke Villa hearts with a last minute winner at Villa Park last season, and we’re backing him to score again.
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*all odds correct at the time of writing and are subject to change