After a long summer, the Premier League returns at last. Can the new season live up to the highs of last year? Could we see another Leicester City miracle? There’s plenty of excitement as we gear up for the new campaign, with a massive title battle expected. Can Chelsea retain their crown, or are their rivals too strong? Obviously none of this will be decided on the opening day, but we’re still excited for the top flight coming back.
Ahead of the new season, we’ve put together a few both teams to score tips from across the Premier League weekend. You can see our selections below, as we’ve cast our eye through the stats and summer signings and picked out the matches in which we expect a goalfest. Can the big sides get off to a good start, or will they all suffer from defensive issues, as many did last term? In terms of our bets, we’re hoping that their problems don’t go away any time soon!
Friday, 11th August 2017
- Arsenal v Leicester (4/6 with Sky Bet) – Leicester managed to score away to five of the top seven last season, so we see them grabbing a goal here. With Arsenal spending big on a new striker, they should find the net.
Saturday 12th August 2017
- Watford v Liverpool (10/11 with Betfred) – Watford should fancy their chances against a Liverpool side who have won just four of their last 10 opening day games, however the Reds do have enough attacking talent to grab a goal at Vicarage Road.
- Chelsea v Burnley (6/5 with Coral) – Chelsea finished the season with a poor run in terms of clean sheets, and Burnley were in clinical form in the last six months away from home, so we see them grabbing a goal here.
- Crystal Palace v Huddersfield (evens with Ladbrokes) – Palace were awful at home last season, they were even conceding goals here under Big Sam, so we think Huddersfield will score on the opening day, but the Terriers defence isn’t cut out for this level.
- West Brom v Bournemouth (20/23 with Coral) – The Baggies kept six clean sheets last season, while Bournemouth were very open on the road. We think BTTS is incredibly well priced here.
- Brighton v Man City (evens with Betfair) – Man City have spent over £100m on full-backs without really improving their defence, they need some more solid players in their backline, and we see them struggling here against an attacking outfit with nothing to lose.
Sunday 13th August 2017
- Manchester United v West Ham (6/5 with Ladbrokes) – Seven of the last nine meetings between these two have seen both score, and now West Ham have bolstered their front line. We see them scoring at Old Trafford this weekend, especially with United travelling back from Macedonia in midweek, which is likely to hamper their season opener in our eyes.