3 weeks ago
2 It’s all set to be a special weekend in the Premier League as football fans finally back in stadiums.
While only a limited number will be able to attend games, it will be a big boost for top-flight clubs to finally have their doors back open again.
But which supporters will be celebrating this weekend? Here’s our top betting tips and predictions for three standout matches, including a huge derby clash…
Jose Mourinho and Mikel Arteta will go head-to-head on SundayGETTYWest Ham vs Manchester United – Saturday, 5.30pm (live on talkSPORT)
This will be the first Premier League fixture to welcome back fans since March – and those lucky enough to get their hands on a ticket could be in for a cracker.
With London in tier 2, West Ham will have 2,000 spectators present at the London Stadium for the visit of Manchester United.
The Hammers head into this in great form – they won all three of their Premier League games in November and are sitting fifth in the table, just four points off the top.
However, we’re backing United to spoil the party and send David Moyes’ men – and the returning Hammers fans – home unhappy.
Forget their defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, United have been grinding out results in the Premier League in recent weeks.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have racked up three wins on the spin and have a fantastic away record.
Bruno Fernandes will look to score in his sixth successive away gameGETTYUnited have won eight in a row away from home in the Premier League – their longest winning away run in history – and have scored at least three goals in every game on the road this season.
We’re taking the 21/20 on offer for them to come out on top this weekend, while it’s 29/10 they score three or more again.
Solskjaer’s side never make it easy for themselves, though.
United have had to come from behind to win all of their four away games this season, while West Ham have scored the opening goal in five successive games.
You can get a massive 9/1 for United to win from behind again, while it’s 27/20 that West Ham open the scoring. Both are worth a punt at those prices.
Bruno Fernandes has scored in five successive away games and it’s 13/8 he does so again. A Fernandes goal and United win is 13/5.
Edinson Cavani, meanwhile, is averaging a goal or assist every 32 minutes in the Premier League so far this season (3 goals, 1 assist, 128 minutes) – it’s 6/4 for the Uruguayan to score anytime.
Match odds
West Ham win – 12/5 (BET HERE)
Draw – 5/2 (BET HERE)
Man United win – 21/20 (BET HERE)
talkSPORT’s best bets
Man United to win from behind – 9/1 (BET HERE)
West Ham to open the scoring – 27/20 (BET HERE)
Bruno Fernandes to net again – 13/8 (BET HERE)
Man United to score 3+ goals – 29/10 (BET HERE)
Chelsea vs Leeds – Saturday, 8pm (live on talkSPORT)
Kids these days probably don’t know that Chelsea and Leeds are rivals, which is fair enough because the two clubs have met just once in the last 16 years and come from opposite ends of the country.
But this fixture has a rich history, and recent events between managers Frank Lampard and Marcelo Bielsa give it an extra edge, too.
Back in 1970, Chelsea and Leeds played out the most-watched FA Cup final in history, and it was probably the dirtiest as well, despite just ONE yellow card being brandished as the Blues edged the replay at Wembley.
Things are a bit different these days, but we can still expect a tasty affair, especially with 2,000 fans behind Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this Saturday.
Lampard and Bielsa fell out during the 2018/19 Championship season, when the Leeds manager sent spies to Derby’s training ground.
And, for a while, it looked like Bielsa had Lampard’s number, beating his Derby side three times in a row, before the Rams finally got their revenge with a stunning 4-2 victory at Elland Road to dump Leeds out of the play-offs.
Bielsa and Lampard will renew their rivalry in the Premier LeagueGETTYWith Chelsea on fire at the moment, it’s difficult to see any result other than a Blues win on Saturday.
Lampard’s men are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League matches, no side has scored more than their 22 goals this season and no team has kept more than their five clean sheets.
So we reckon they might win to nil this weekend, that’s available at 2/1.
Olivier Giroud will be a hard man to drop after his four goals against Sevilla on Wednesday, and an equally tough man to stop for Leeds if he does play: he looks very tempting to score first at 4/1.
But you can certainly bet Leeds will have a go.
Their Premier League matches this season have seen more shots taken than any other side in the competition (289), with the Whites ranking second for most shots (153) and fifth for most shots faced (136).
No player in the league has had more shots than Patrick Bamford (40), so the 13/5 for the Leeds striker to have four or more shots is worth backing.
You can also get 3/1 on Leeds to have 10+ shots and fail to score.
Match betting
Chelsea – 8/15 (BET HERE)
Draw – 10/3 (BET HERE)
Leeds – 19/4 (BET HERE)
talkSPORT best bets
Olivier Giroud to score first – 4/1 (BET HERE)
Chelsea to win to nil – 2/1 (BET HERE)
Patrick Bamford to have four or more shots – 13/5 (BET HERE)
Leeds to have 10+ shots and fail to score – 3/1 (BET HERE)
Tottenham vs Arsenal – Sunday, 4.30pm (live on talkSPORT)
It’s a good time to play Arsenal from a Tottenham perspective.
The Gunners have failed to win any of their last three games and the pressure is on boss Mikel Arteta heading into this huge derby.
Ominously for Arsenal, Tottenham are unbeaten in their last six Premier League games against their north London rivals stretching back to March 2014.
Spurs boss Jose Mourinho loves playing against them too – he has never lost a home match against Arsenal in ten previous games.
And the hosts are the form team in the Premier League right now as they sit top, having not tasted defeat since the opening day of the season.
While the form book tends to go out the window in these big derby games, we can’t see past anything but a Tottenham win this weekend – with Mourinho’s men 19/20 to take all three points.
Harry Kane picked up a minor injury earlier this week but is expected to be fit enough to start and has a superb record against Arsenal.
Kane can make history this weekend – if declared fit enough to playGETTYThe England captain has ten goals in all competitions against Spurs’ rivals and if he scores here, he’ll be the top scoring player in competitive north London derby games.
Having not scored in his past two league games, Kane will be even more desperate to find the net and it’s 23/20 he nets anytime, or 16/5 he scores first or last.
And against a defence that has had its share of problems, he could well secure his place in history on Sunday.
Arsenal are struggling to score goals this season – they’ve netted only ten compared to Tottenham’s 21 – and have only netted once in their last three fixtures.
So Tottenham to win to nil at 12/5 is tempting to us too.
Match odds
Tottenham win – 19/20 (BET HERE)
Draw – 5/2 (BET HERE)
Arsenal win – 29/10 (BET HERE)
talkSPORT’s best bets
Harry Kane first/last goalscorer – 16/5 (BET HERE)
Tottenham to win and Kane to score – 9/5 (BET HERE)
Tottenham to win to nil – 12/5 (BET HERE)
*All odds from Ladbrokes and correct at time of publication
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