Believe it or not, but matchday 9 of the English Premier League is already here. It’s already been a season of highs and lows, with some expected wins and a handful of upsets. The unpredictability of results and the high tempo of the games are exactly what make this the best league in the world.
Matchday 9 brings three big matches to the screen, with West Ham taking on Tottenham, Brighton welcoming Manchester City, and then, of course, the blockbuster of all games: Manchester United vs. Liverpool.
Let’s take a closer look at this weekend’s big games and the soccer betting odds for all the matches taking place this weekend:
West Ham vs. Tottenham
West Ham started the season in fine form, with their 4-1 win over Leicester City being the definite highlight. They are coming into this London derby on the back of excellent wins over Leeds, Brentford and Everton. Michail Antonio is having a cracker of a season, with 5 goals in the league to date and he is showing no signs of slowing down.
He isn’t the only good thing about this team though and there are plenty of others on the field that are equally as capable of scoring goals. The Hammers’ midfield, in particular, has been outstanding, with sublime displays from Jarrod Bowen, Saïd Benrahma, Pablo Fornals, and Declan Rice.
Tottenham have had an incredibly inconsistent season under new manager Nuno Espírito Santo. The Harry Kane saga at the start of the season seems to be plaguing the player, and he’s only scored one goal in the league for Spurs this season. Son Heung-min has tried to replicate the goal-scoring exploits of Kane and he’s done moderately well with 4 goals so far.
The problem for Spurs seems to be their defensive communication, with Eric Dier and Cristian Romero often in a shambles at the back. At the moment, Tottenham are still putting pressure on the top four, but they will need to find consistent form if they hope to continue to do so.
This is going to be a battle won and lost in the midfield and I see West Ham’s attacking formation causing Spurs a few problems.
Prediction: West Ham 2 – 1 Tottenham
Betting Odds: West Ham: +140 Tie: +250 Tottenham: +180
Brighton vs. Manchester City
If anyone had told me that Brighton would be sitting in the fourth spot on the table in October, I would have had a hard time believing it. But here we are. We are a long way from the end of the season, but the Seagulls are sitting in the Champions League places.
Graham Potter has got the best out of his team this season, with Danny Welbeck, Neal Maupay, and Leandro Trossard proving lethal up front. The Seagulls have seen a dip of late however, and come up against Manchester City on the back of three draws in the league.
Manchester City simply seem to have clicked in recent weeks and have put their first-day defeat to Tottenham behind them. Pep Guardiola’s team has already put five in the back of the net on two occasions in the EPL so far and it seems almost impossible to stop their devastating attack.
Of course, having defenders like Ruben Dias and John Stones at center back certainly helps, but it’s the unending wealth of talent further up the pitch that makes Manchester City so terrifying. Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Kevin de Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, and Ferran Torres are just some of the big players that Guardiola has to choose from and let’s be honest, no one wants to defend against any of them.
Brighton have had a positive start to the season and I fully expect them to finish in the top half of the table, but the embarrassment of attacking riches at Man City is going to overwhelm the Seagulls.
Prediction: Brighton 1 – 3 Man City
Betting odds: Brighton: +550 Tie: +400 Man City: -225
Manchester United vs. Liverpool
Man United were flying high just a few weeks ago. A great transfer window, the return of a legend and an all-around more balanced team, surely the 2021/22 season is going to bring them silverware?
Probably not, in my estimation.
After the Red Devil’s tepid display against Leicester, it’s clear to see there is something that is not going to plan. The urgency and intensity needed in the Premier League are lacking and United’s midfield has been absolutely dismal. The Red Devils are already 5 points behind Chelsea at the top of the table and I don’t think that is going to improve this weekend.
If United don’t get some sort of silverware this season, then Ole Gunnar Solskjær is unlikely to be managing the team next season.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are a force to be reckoned with once again. Jürgen Klopp’s team have put last season behind them and they are undoubtedly fighting for the title. The return of Virgil van Dijk has shored up the defense, but it’s the rediscovery of lethal form at the top of the pitch that has put the Reds just one point off first place. Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota, and Mo Salah can’t stop scoring and they are a force that will strike fear into even the most robust Premier League defenders.
Unless United somehow change their game completely in one week, I don’t see how they will get anything out of this game. The strength in Liverpool’s forwards and midfield is simply too strong for Solskjær’s men.
Prediction: Man United 0 – 2 Liverpool
Betting Odds: Man United: +200 Tie: +250 Liverpool: +125
Premier League betting odds
These are the online sports betting odds for the rest of this weekend’s games:
- Arsenal vs. Aston Villa: Arsenal: -110 Tie: +250 Aston Villa: +300
- Chelsea vs. Norwich: Chelsea: -650 Tie: +650 Norwich: +1900
- Southampton vs. Burnley: Southampton: -105 Tie: +250 Burnley +280
- Crystal Palace vs. Newcastle: Crystal Palace: -105 Tie: +260 Newcastle +270
- Leeds vs. Wolves: Leeds: +135 Tie: +240 Wolves: +185
- Everton vs. Watford: Everton: -165 Tie: +310 Watford: +425
- Brentford vs. Leicester: Brentford: +180 Tie: +220 Leicester: +160
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