Everton fans hope the support from the stadium will help the Toffees stop Tottenham. Leicester are looking for revenge against Chelsea, a team that thrashed them 3:0 in both games in the last season. We will also witness the clash between Southampton and Watford, two very unpredictable Premier League teams.
EVERTON vs. TOTTENHAM
3-Way: 1: Everton +290; X: +252 Draw; 2: Tottenham +121
Spread +0.5: Everton -119; Tottenham +114
Total +2.5: Over +112; Under -111
EVERTON
Everton is in the middle of a rather tough Premier League schedule, which is why it’s not a surprise they have only 4 points. After beating Stoke in the first round, the Toffees played Manchester City (1:1 draw) and Chelsea (2:0 defeat). This week they face another giant, Tottenham. They’re hoping that the home turf will give them advantage.
Everton has every right to hope for a good result, given the fact that Tottenham only defeated them once in the last 10 matches at the Goodison Park. Furthermore, Everton’s home form clearly shows that they’re amazing when playing in their home city, Liverpool.
Last season, for example, Everton won 13 out of 19 Premier League games at their stadium, which makes them the fourth best home side in the 2016/2017 Premier League season. Still, a lot of things have changed since the last season. Lukaku is gone, but a number of new players have arrived – Gilfy Sigurðsson, Sandro Ramírez, Michael Keane, Jordan Pickford, Davy Klaassen, Wayne Rooney and so on.
Unfortunately, not all of them will be available for this match. In fact, Everton’s manager, Ronald Koeman, won’t be able to count on several key players. Coleman, McCarthy, Yannick Bolasie, and Ramiro Funes Mori are not coming back on the pitch anytime soon, while Ross Barkley is not yet fit to feature after a facial injury.
TOTTENHAM
Last season’s runner-up, Tottenham, is a team with a lot of potential, although they haven’t been showing it so far in 2017/2018. Still, despite fairly poor results, this side is still considered one of the major Premier League title contenders.
Tottenham players need to get in a proper form as soon as possible, as apart from the Premier League, they also compete in the Champions League. In fact, just four days after the clash with Everton, they will travel to Germany to take on Borussia Dortmund.
The good news for the Spurs is that they don’t have any serious problems with injuries. Lamela, Rose, and N’Koudou are out, but they have been injured for a while, so their absence should not ruin the plans of Tottenham’s coach, Mauricio Pochetino.
Everton vs. Tottenham – Match Prediction
If you compare the quality of the two sides, you will realize that Tottenham has an advantage. Still, this game is played in Liverpool, at the Goodison Park, where Everton always has massive support. On top of that, Tottenham can’t be too proud with their current form, not to mention that they have a lot of pressure hanging around, both in the Premier League and the Champions League. Because of all this, a draw seems like the most probable outcome.
MY PICK: Draw (+252)
LEICESTER vs. CHELSEA
3-Way: 1: Leicester +400; X: ++295 Draw; 2: Chelsea -115
Spread +0.5: Leicester +118; Chelsea -120
Total +2.5: Over -110; Under +110
LEICESTER
Despite losing two games in the first 3 rounds of the Premier League, no one can say that Leicester has been disappointing. They showed a lot of courage against Arsenal in the opening round, in a match, they lost 4:3 in the closing moments of the game. Leicester then beat Brighton on the home turf, while in the previous round, Manchester United defeated them 2:0 at the Old Trafford.
Although Leicester’s chances of winning the title this season seem very slim, they surely look to compete for spots in Europe. In order to achieve that dream, beating weaker sides like Brighton might not be enough. They will also have to mess up the plans of heavyweights, like Chelsea, for example.
Leicester has always been tough not to crack when playing against strong sides. Unfortunately, this was not the case against Chelsea, at least not in the previous season. Chelsea beat them 3:0 in both games in 2017/2018.
There is a thing that gives Leicester fans confidence – they don’t have too many worries with injuries. In fact, Robert Huth is the only player who will surely miss this game. What this means is that Kevin Iheanacho might be ready to play a big role in this match. The €27.7M-worth signing is one of the most promising players in Leicester squad but is yet to show his talent.
CHELSEA
Not many believe that Chelsea has what it takes to challenge the Premier League title again, but so far, they’ve been doing very well. They did lose to Burnley in the first round, but after that, the Blues made two impressive wins, against two very tough sides – Tottenham and Everton.
Last season, Chelsea’s top scorer was Diego Costa, but he has left the club, which raised a few eyebrows about the competence of the manager, Antonio Conte. The Italian was heavily criticized for falling apart with such a talented striker, but it seems that Conte has managed to find a solution. He brought Álvaro Morata as Costa’s replacement, which proved to be the right choice!
Morata has been impressive so far and is one of the best Chelsea’s players this season. Other players that have also been doing great include Kante, Willian, Marcos Alonso, and Fabregas. What might worry Chelsea fans is that their defense hasn’t been too convincing, at least not in the first two rounds of the Premier League. Another bad news is that Cahill will have to miss this match because of the red card he got in the clash with Burnley.
But, there’s very good news in Chelsea’s locker room! Eden Hazard is back! The Belgian has been away for more than two months after an ankle injury but is ready to make a comeback. Still, he probably won’t play the match from the very start, but it’s fair to expect him to feature at least 10-15 minutes.
Leicester vs. Chelsea – Match Prediction
Leicester has scored a goal in every match at their stadium since February. I believe the same will happen on Saturday. I also believe, they won’t be able to beat Chelsea, who are also very powerful in the attack. Goals on both ends seem as a certainty.
MY PICK: Both teams to Score YES (-115)
SOUTHAMPTON vs. WATFORD
3-Way: 1: Southampton -133; X: +305 Draw; 2: Watford +500
Spread -1: Southampton +127; Watford -130
Total +2.5: Over +104; Under -108
SOUTHAMPTON
Both Southampton and Watford have 5 points after 3 rounds of the Premier League. Still, because of the better goal difference, Watford is closer to the top of the table than Southampton. Of course, this doesn’t mean anything, as it can change easily on Saturday.
This match will take place at the Southampton’s home ground, the St. Mary’s Stadium. Still, judging by their last season’s performance at home, this should not be a big advantage to Southampton. In fact, in 2016/2017, they won only 6 games at their stadium, out of possible 19!
What gives Southampton fans a lot of confidence is that their squad is injury-free. The only player who might miss this clash is Virgil Van Dijk, who’s in conflict with the club’s management. Other key players seem fit and very motivated.
WATFORD
After an impressive performance on an opening day, against Liverpool, Watford hasn’t shown too much. They did beat AFC Bournemouth, but they lost a League Cup game and played draw with Brighton in the previous round of the Premier League, which they played on their turf.
Watford has always been dangerous at home, but in away matches, they have been far from impressive. In fact, last season, they won only 3 away games, while losing 13! They allowed 35 goals that season, which was better only than Hull City, who got relegated.
Another bad news for Watford is that their injury list is massive. Pereyra, Kaboul, Janmaat, and a few more are out because of injuries, while Britos will have to miss this game because of the red card he received in the match with Brighton.
Southampton vs. Watford – Match Prediction
Southampton seems destined to take all three points in this game. It might not be an easy job, but I believe they will come out as the winner. That said, I also don’t think we’ll see too many goals in this duel because both sides are very good when it comes to defending.
MY PICK: Southampton to win (-133)
