Premier League Preview Week 10
A mixed bag of Premier League results kick-started the run up to the busy festive period last weekend. The biggest result came as Tottenham comfortably beat Manchester City 2-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a Jose Mourinho masterclass that took them top of the Premier League. Southampton’s exceptional run was halted by a stubborn Wolves and Liverpool extended their mammoth unbeaten run at Anfield with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Leicester. There were important wins for Burnley and Brighton too at the opposite end of the table.
This weekend, Chelsea host Spurs in a potential table topper in the pick of game week 10’s fixtures whilst Aston Villa or West Ham could also move into contention for the Europe places as they face off on Monday night. A key clash at the bottom also sees winless West Brom and Sheffield United battle to break away from the bottom three.
All odds are from bet365 and subject to change.
Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets
18+ New Players only. For free bet wagering requirements and minimum odds read T&C’s. www.begambleaware.org
West Brom v Sheffield United
West Brom are without a win in nine matches following their narrow 1-0 loss to Manchester United last week. The Baggies may feel hard done by not have scored at Old Trafford after missing out on a controversial penalty decision, but this leaves Slaven Bilic’s side without scoring a goal in three consecutive games. They have also scored just one in their last five matches. Both of the Baggies two points have come from the Hawthorns this season.
Sheffield United’s 1-0 loss to West Ham was their fourth in as many games; they have not won in 13 games stretching back to last season. The Blades have only picked up one point this season and they are the lowest scorers in the league (4) and failed to score five times in their nine Premier League matches. But Chris Wilder’s side beat the Baggies in the last meeting between the two sides, a 1-0 win when both were in the Championship.
Sam Field is out for West Brom with a long-term knee injury. Jake Livermore and Kieran Gibbs are both self-isolating. Sheffield United will be without Jack O’Connell, who is out with a knee injury but Lys Mousset and Enda Stevens could return for the Blades.
Even at this early stage of the season, this fixture is severely important. A win for either side could provide a huge boost of confidence to lift them closer to safety and kick-start their season and West Brom may just edge it at home.
Southampton v Manchester United
Southampton extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to seven games following a 1-1 draw with Wolves on Monday night; their best run in the top-flight since 2013. The Saints have scored in all but one of their nine Premier League games this season and found the net in their last eight consecutive games. At St Mary’s, Southampton have won their last three games in a row and kept three consecutive clean sheets.
Following their patchy start to the season, United have recovered of late and won three straight games in all competitions, which included their first Premier League win at Old Trafford last weekend against West Brom. United have won all three of their away games in the league this season, scoring 10 goals in the process. They are yet to keep a clean sheet on the road though, shipping four goals on their travels.
Danny Ings (knee) and Nathan Redmond (thigh) will not feature for Southampton until December but William Smallbone and Mohammed Salisu could feature for the Saints. Luke Shaw (thigh), Phil Jones (knee), and Jesse Lingard (self-isolating) remain out for Manchester United but Paul Pogba and Eric Bailly could be back in contention.
Both sides come into this fixture in good form. United have improved of late, but Southampton remains one of the teams to beat in the Premier League and they may take advantage of United’s mid-week schedule to win all three points.
Chelsea v Tottenham
Despite dropping points early in the season with several draws, Chelsea have found their rhythm recently and won six straight matches in all competitions. The Blues have only lost one game this season in all competitions and are currently on a 13-match unbeaten run extending back to their second game of the season – a 2-0 loss to Liverpool. However, only seven of Chelsea’s 18 points have come from Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, where they have lost one, drawn one, and won two.
Tottenham reached the top of the Premier league after a convincing 2-0 win over Manchester City last weekend. It was Spurs’ fourth straight win in all competitions and the result extended their unbeaten league run to eight games. Jose Mourinho’s side are proving a tough proposition this season, they have the best defence in the Premier League (conceding nine) and are the joint second top scorers (21). The North London side have won all four of their away matches in the league this season.
Christian Pulisic could be fit again for Chelsea following his recent thigh injury. Spurs will be without Matt Doherty (coronavirus) and Toby Alderweireld (groin) but Eric Lamela is likely to return following a calf injury.
Chelsea and Spurs have an opportunity to claim top spot in this fixture. Chelsea look impressive, but Mourinho’s tactical intelligence shone through against City and this will help his Spurs side to win all three points and remain at the summit of the Premier League.
West Ham v Aston Villa
West Ham recorded their second win in as many games last weekend, comfortably beating Sheffield United 1-0. The Hammers have only lost once in their last seven, a narrow 2-1 defeat away to Liverpool. They have only failed to score in one match this season and have found the net in their last eight matches in a row. David Moyes has made West Ham a tough team to beat at the London Stadium; his side have conceded just three goals in four games, giving them the best home defence in the league.
Villa have struggled of late after a blistering start to the 2020/21 Premier League campaign and Dean Smith’s side have won just one game in their last four, losing the other three. But Villa are impressive away from home; they have won all three of their games on the road, scoring seven and keeping three consecutive clean sheets in the process.
Michail Antonio may be available for West Ham following his recent thigh injury and Andriy Yarmolenko could also return after self-isolating. Aston Villa will likely be without Wesley (knee), Frederic Guilbert (chest), Bjorn Engels (thigh), Ross Barkley (thigh), and Keinan Davis (muscular injury). However, Tom Heaton, Bertrand Traore, and Kortney Hause could be back in contention.
West Ham and Villa will want to build on their positive starts to the season in this fixture. However, the Hammers look more comfortable than Villa and they should pick up a narrow victory on Monday night.
Relevant news
21-22 Premier League Preview Week 38
The stage is set for an enthralling finale to the 2021/22 Premier League season. Lead…
21-22 Premier League Preview Week 37
Man City are on course to secure another Premier League title this season. The Citizens…
21-22 Premier League Preview Week 35
The 2021/22 Premier League season is coming to a head. With just five matches left,…
21-22 Premier League Preview Week 33
Fresh off the back of a breath-taking weekend of Premier League action last weekend, more…
2022 FA Cup Quarter Finals
The 2021/22 FA Cup has reached the quarter-finals with just eight teams left fighting for…
21-22 Premier League Preview Week 29
The Premier League fixtures have been coming thick and fast recently. There was a full…