THE Premier League resumes with a lunchtime cracker as Liverpool visit Manchester City.
Most players have been involved in the international double headers with some far travelled.
Tiredness could be a factor but I still expect a helter-skelter showdown full of goals as big rivals Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp aim for bragging rights.
Klopp knows how to win the big games and last season Liverpool took 1.89 points against top-seven teams.
In fact going back to 2003 he has the best record of any boss against the big guns, averaging 2.05 a game in 22 outings. That’s better than Sir Alex Ferguson, Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho and everyone else.
City are 20-23 favourites and even though they’ve lost this fixture just once in six that’s incredibly short.
Liverpool are better value at 3-1 with William Hill and while they could win I’m keeping the stalemate onside and backing draw no bet at 2-1 (McBookie).
Both teams have scored in the last five meetings at the Etihad with four going over 3.5 goals.
The Reds have looked the better side this season – at Anfield anyway – with thrilling 4-0 and 4-2 wins against Arsenal and Hoffenheim.
Both sides will attack and I like the look of goals at either end combined with over 2.5 goals at 4-5 with Coral.
Elsewhere in the Premier League there are two more big matches – Everton v Spurs and Leicester v Chelsea.
Spurs’ only win this season was at Newcastle and they’ll be looking to pick up as many points as possible on the road while struggling at their Wembley home. Everton are a work in progress but I can see this being a scoring draw.
Chelsea are boosted by the return of Eden Hazard and the deadline-day capture of Danny Drinkwater from Leicester.
The home men have lost one of their last 11 at the King Power but I don’t think Chelsea will leave empty-handed and best bet is both to score at 4-5 with bet365.
Later Man United try to maintain their 100 per cent record at Stoke and they should do so but they are 1-2 across the board and it's a little short.
In the Championship Leeds look good at home to Burton but they are no bigger than 4-7 at Ladbrokes.
Charlton and Fleetwood stand out in League One. Charlton have won three in a row, scoring eight goals, and are 13-10 with Ladbrokes at home to a Southend side with one victory.
Fleetwood, 3-4 at McBookie, have clocked three wins in four and entertain a pointless Oldham.
Wycombe’s record of being the only British league team to score and concede at least two was ended last week with a 3-1 win.
Gareth Ainsworth’s side head to Newport and I can again see both teams to score and over 2.5 goals at 6-5.
Recommended Bets
- Liverpool dnb
- Leicester v Chelsea btts
- Charlton
- Fleetwood
- Newport v Wycombe btts & over 2.5 goals
Resident football tipster at Scotland's most read newspaper, the Daily Record, for over 20 years and proud host of one the best betting communities on the web with daily betting tips.
