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GW-23 is headlined by the top-of-table blockbuster midweek clash between Arsenal and Man City. The Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool also promises to be a tasty affair despite both teams being below average this season. Leicester hosting Tottenham also promises to be an interesting one. Both sides’ attacking style and defensive laxity should treat fans to a goal-fest. Arsenal and Man City each also play over the weekend, which makes their midweek collision a tasty mini-double for fantasy managers willing to risk rotation and stalemate.
Saturday
West Ham is eager to reach three consecutive games without defeat when the Hammers welcome Chelsea in the GW-23 opener. A fiercely contested London derby should be on the cards with both sides coming into this match desperate for a win following draws last week. Joao “Joe-OW!” Felix’s return should give struggling Chelsea some extra attacking bite, while West Ham will take confidence from the away draw at high-flying Newcastle last week.
Prediction: 1-1
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Arsenal v Brentford
League leading Arsenal hopes for an immediate return to winning ways after last week’s shock defeat at the hands of lowly Everton. The defeat was just the Gunners’ second of the season. Man City’s stumble last week means status quo at the top, so the Gunners will increase the gap between them and Man City to eight points if they achieve victory. Bukayo Saka will be important for the Gunners going forward while keeping Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbuemo quiet at the other end of the pitch will be crucial to securing a shutout. The first leg ended four-nil in favor of the Gunners.
Prediction: 2-0
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Crystal Palace v Brighton
Crystal Palace will have their hands full when they host a Mitoma-inspired Brighton this weekend. The Eagles are on a rough patch that has seen them fail to win any of their last five fixtures. Their woes are further compounded by the absence of star man Wilfred Zaha due to injury.
Brighton comes into this game full of confidence. The Seagulls have won three of their last four and are currently sixth in the table, six points behind fourth-place Newcastle with a game in hand.
Prediction:1-1
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Fulham v Nottingham Forest
Fulham is favored versus fellow promoted-side Forest. While the Cottagers seem to have learned from previous years’ mistakes, free-spending Nottingham Forest has taken longer than expected (and critical injuries haven’t helped).
While Forest has gone on a run of three wins and a draw to climb out of the relegation zone to 13th, Fulham sits eighth despite failing to win any of the last three. Fulham’s recent struggle and Forest’s recent stength mean a draw might be on the cards.
Prediction: 2-2
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Leicester v Tottenham
Leicester looked like a different side blowing away Unai Emery’s Aston Villa at Villa Park last week. James Maddison’s return to midfield, including Kelechi Iheanacho, and adding new arrival Tete in attack all provided new impetus for the Foxes going forward. Tottenham also comes into this fixture in form, having bested Man City last week.
Both teams’ attacking styles should make this an entertaining fixture. Spurs’ slow starts to most of their games might hurt them if the Foxes’ quality going forward can exploit mistakes. Leicester’s leaky and error-prone defense should offer chances to Tottenham’s front of Son, Kane, and Kulusevski. A high-scoring encounter should be expected.
Prediction: 3-2
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Southampton v Wolves
Bottom place Saints know they need to start picking up points if they’re to escape the drop. They’ve failed to win any of their last five games, and adding lanky Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu had little effect in the three-nil loss to Brentford last week. Fellow relegation strugglers Wolves have fared better in recent weeks, having won two, drawn one, and lost one of their last four games. The recent upturn in form has seen Wolves rise to 15th.
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Bournemouth v Newcastle
Gary O’Neil will need to lift spirits following a late defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium last week. The Cherries stood firm for long periods but eventually succumbed to a late winner from in-form Mitoma. The loss was Bournemouth’s fourth in their last five fixtures.
Newcastle’s recent run of four draws in their last five matches has seen them fall into fourth place behind Man United. The Magpies have struggled for goals in recent weeks, so another low-scoring encounter is expected against Bournemouth.
Prediction: 1-2
Superbowl Sunday
A mysterious day when Americans disappear into man-caves to consume mass quantities of beer and guacamole while shouting at “football” players for using their hands... Well, at least the TV adverts are humorous!
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Leeds v Man United
Leeds must be disappointed after letting a two-goal lead slip to a two-all draw against the Red Devils on Wednesday. The Peacocks scored an early goal in each half to set themselves up for what would have been a famous win at Old Trafford, but their familiar defensive issues rose again to deny them victory. The Peacocks should be more confident of getting the job done in front of their own fans with United missing Casemiro and Ericksen in midfield once again.
Prediction: 1-2
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Man City v Aston Villa
Pep Guardiola’s Citizens know there’s very little room for error going forward if they are to stand a chance of defending their Premier League title. They failed to take advantage of the Gunners’ slip at Spurs last week. The defeat was made all the more damning by the Citizens’ failure to register even a single shot on target throughout the encounter. Kevin De Bruyne is expected to return to the Citizens’ starting lineup as Pep seeks to address his side’s issues going forward.
Unai Emery knows his side will need to play a perfect game to pick up any points against a wounded Manr City. The Villans will take confidence from having lost only once in their last five games.
Prediction: 3-0
Monday
Liverpool v Everton
It’s the Merseyside derby! Liverpool and Everton face off this week in unfamiliar positions. Klopp finds himself in tenth after losing three of four, the last a three-nil defeat to lowly Wolves. The Reds have struggled all season, and the recent addition of Gakpo seems to have done little to turn the tide.
Everton is still bubbling from last week’s impressive victory against league leading Arsenal. The Toffees looked all different under new manager Sean Dyche. They played with hunger and direction. Most importantly, they looked solid in defense. Dyche seems to have done an excellent job of deploying the team as a proper ‘Sean Dyche side’ within a short period. A similar display should be enough to get the better of a Liverpool side that has forgotten how to press.
Prediction: 0-1
Wednesday
Does it get any bigger? Arsenal welcomes Pep Guardiola’s Man City in what could be a potential title decider. A win for the Gunners will see them increase the points difference at the top, but a victory for the Citizens could see them cut the lead to just two.
Prediction: 2-2
How do you strategize your fantasy teams with all the new players and a mini-double game-week? Is anyone playing a chip this week? Please log in and join the live chat in the comments below!
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