The Premier League’s Gameweek 5 fixtures offer plenty of betting tips and angles before an extended three-week international window brings the leagues across Europe to a halt.
Every team will be itching to head into that break on a positive note, especially Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Michael Carrick’s team suffered one of their most disappointing defeats this past weekend.
They were at home against their neighbours, Manchester City, and played more than three-quarters of the match with a man advantage. Yet, the 20-time champions still lost the game 0-1.
For Liverpool and Chelsea, it was a familiar story of disappointment.
Liverpool failed to break down a stubborn Fulham side and were held to a 0-0 draw, while Chelsea conceded two goals and had to settle for a 2-2 home draw against Hull City.
So, there’s plenty to look forward to in this weekend’s Premier League games.
Here, Sport Just Sport writer Anurag Tyagi scours the markets for the televised top-flight tussles from Gameweek 5 of the Premier League and provides some suggested predictions and bets for them.
Brentford vs Chelsea, Friday, 18th September at 20:00 (BST)
All the talk of Chelsea being genuine title challengers alongside Arsenal and Manchester City feels premature, especially after Xabi Alonso’s side lost and drew their last two games.
Though a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal is hardly the end of the world, the 2-2 home draw against Hull City was particularly underwhelming, both in terms of the performance and the result.
Those two results have left the Blues already five points adrift of top spot, and with City and Arsenal showing no sign of weakness, Chelsea must win this game to stay relevant in the title race.
But this won’t be an easy game, considering Brentford are a formidable side at home.
However, there are signs that The Bees are beginning to lose some momentum after drawing their last three games.
Their impressive 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the opening match now feels like a distant memory.
So, if Chelsea are to get maximum points from their trip to the Gtech Community Stadium, this could be the right time to face them.
Head-to-head
Chelsea are unbeaten in their last five matches against Brentford. However, three of those games ended in draws, and all three came away from home. So Brentford will fancy their chances here.
Overall, Chelsea have won 12 of their 25 head-to-head meetings with Brentford, while suffering seven defeats. Six matches have ended in draws.
Match odds
It will be a tough trip for Chelsea, but Xabi Alonso’s men are still favourites at 126/100 to win the game, while Brentford are priced at 194/100. The odds of a draw stand at 14/5.
Suggested bet
Both teams to score but Chelsea to clinch a narrow 2-1 win.
Bournemouth vs Liverpool, Sunday, 20th September at 14:00 (BST)
Andoni Iraola has managed enough games as Liverpool manager to know that his job could come under serious threat if the results in the league don’t improve.
Regardless of Liverpool being in transition, one win from their first four league games warrants serious concern. That simply isn’t an acceptable return for a club of Liverpool’s stature.
Now, Iraola returns to the place where he made his name, with Liverpool’s next opponents being Bournemouth — a team that are also without a win in four matches.
So, it’s a good opportunity for Iraola and his struggling side to earn some much-needed three points.
Head-to-head
Bournemouth’s 3-2 win over Liverpool was their first victory in seven games across all competitions. Iraola was in charge of Bournemouth at the time, while Liverpool were managed by Arne Slot.
However, Liverpool have largely dominated this fixture, winning 20 of their 26 meetings across all competitions.
Bournemouth have won just three, while the other three matches ended in draws.
Match odds
Both teams come into this game searching for a much-needed win. Bournemouth are yet to win in the league this season, while Liverpool have managed just one win from their first four matches.
The Reds are still favourites to win at 10/11, while Bournemouth are priced at 11/5 for a home victory. The odds of a draw stand at 14/5.
Suggested bet
Considering Liverpool’s issues at the back, Bournemouth are a good bet to score anytime, but Liverpool should still clinch the win, with Isak likely to get on the scoresheet.
Manchester City vs Sunderland, Sunday, 20th September at 14:00 (BST)
If there were any doubts about whether Manchester City would be in the title race, they should have been put to bed after Enzo Maresca’s team orchestrated a 1-0 win over neighbours Manchester United, and did so with 10 men.
These are the kind of wins that can change the course of a season.
City are fresh off a vital victory that has kept them on pace with Arsenal, so expect them to put in another professional performance in this game.
With no disrespect to Sunderland, who were largely ineffective in their 0-2 home defeat against Arsenal last weekend, City should be able to secure a comfortable win here at the Etihad Stadium.
With Arsenal playing on Saturday, City could find themselves three points off the top when they line up against Sunderland on Sunday.
Head-to-head
This will be the 150th meeting between Manchester City and Sunderland across all competitions.
The Cityzens have won 73 of those encounters, with Sunderland winning 50, while 26 matches have ended in draws.
More importantly, City are unbeaten against the Black Cats since 2014 in all competitions.
However, Sunderland can take some heart from the fact that they took a point off City in their last encounter, ending an eight-game losing streak in the process.
Match odds
Manchester City are odds-on favourites to win the game at 3/10, while Sunderland are clear underdogs at 11/1. The odds of a draw stand at a distant 24/5.
Suggested bet
Man City to win by at least a two-goal margin. Erling Haaland to score anytime.
Fulham vs Manchester United, Sunday, 20th September at 16:30 (BST)
Manchester United will be eyeing an immediate return to winning ways when they take on Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon.
Michael Carrick’s team missed a few tricks and let go of a golden chance to lay down a marker last weekend.
Everything seemed to be going their way: a home game against their arch-rivals, vociferous home support, a good start and, most importantly, Manchester City going down to 10 men in the 23rd minute.
Despite all this, Man Utd failed to get anything out of the match and lost 0-1 with Erling Haaland scoring the decisive goal.
These kinds of results can leave an indelible mark on a team’s confidence, but there is an opportunity here for Carrick’s team to get back to winning ways.
The reason being Fulham’s own winless start. Some pundits see them as one of the teams destined for relegation for a variety of reasons.
But judging by the way the Cottagers played at Anfield last weekend, that shouldn’t be the case.
Head-to-head
In 96 head-to-head meetings, Manchester United hold the advantage with 59 wins.
Fulham have managed to win just 16 times across those 96 games in all competitions, while 21 matches have ended in draws.
It’s worth highlighting that United have lost just once against Fulham in the Premier League since 2010, and that defeat came during the 2023-24 Premier League season.
Match odds
Fulham will be upbeat following a commanding defensive display at Anfield last weekend. United, on the other hand, failed to get anything against a 10-man Manchester City side.
That said, because of United’s stature, they are evenly placed at 1/1 ahead of this game. Fulham, on the other hand, are priced at 12/5, while the draw stands at 14/5.
Suggested bet
We think the draw is the most likely outcome, with both teams to score.
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