Plenty of intriguing battles await in Premier League Gameweek 7 on the weekend of October 17-19.
Liverpool need to bounce back after suffering a heavy 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Manchester City last week, while Arsenal must keep winning to stay in touch with the early pace-setters.
Manchester United face a tough away trip to Leeds to take on their historical rivals, Leeds United, in a game Michael Carrick can’t afford to lose.
Newcastle United, meanwhile, will be looking to put their ghosts to rest after suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat away to Coventry City in their last match.
With so much at stake, this weekend promises to be another crucial round in the Premier League, especially for Michael Carrick, who is under increasing pressure at Manchester United, and Roberto De Zerbi, who needs a win to ease the pressure at Tottenham.
Here, Sport Just Sport writer Anurag Tyagi scours the markets for the televised top-flight tussles from Gameweek 7 of the Premier League and provides some suggested predictions and bets for them.
Newcastle United vs Aston Villa – Saturday, October 17, 17:30 BST
Newcastle United host Aston Villa in a crucial Premier League clash, with both teams looking to get their seasons back on track.
The Magpies made an impressive start under their young manager, Matthias Jaissle, which included a convincing 2-0 away win over Tottenham.
However, back-to-back 4-1 away defeats against Leeds United and Coventry City have taken the wind out of their sails.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, are also going through a rough patch. They are closer to the relegation zone than they would have expected to be at the start of the season.
Those familiar with the Premier League will remember that Villa endured a similar start last season, collecting just six points from their opening six games. This time, they are one point worse off.
With both teams struggling to find their footing, neither can afford another setback. Both will be desperate for a win, making this a crucial encounter for two sides eager to turn their seasons around.
Form guide
The Magpies have failed to win three of their last four matches, with two ending in defeat, including a chastening 4-1 loss to Frank Lampard’s team in their last outing.
Defensive frailties have been a major concern for Newcastle, who have conceded 13 goals in their first six games, making them the joint-worst defensive side in the league.
Yet, their struggles at the back have not stopped them from finding the net, with only four teams scoring more goals than them in the league this season.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, sit just two points above the relegation zone. Unai Emery’s biggest concern, though, has been in attack, with Villa failing to score in three of their first six league games.
Only Coventry City, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur have scored fewer than Villa’s six goals in their opening six matches.
Villa did offer a glimpse of their attacking potential by putting six past Fenerbahce during midweek’s Champions League round two matches.
Emery will hope his forwards can carry that clinical edge into the Premier League for this match at St James’ Park.
Head-to-head
This will be the 179th meeting between Newcastle United and Aston Villa in all competitions.
The Magpies hold the better head-to-head record, with 77 wins to Villa’s 61, while 40 encounters have ended in draws.
Villa had been unbeaten in their previous three meetings with Newcastle before suffering a 3-1 defeat at Villa Park in the fourth round of the FA Cup last season.
Newcastle team news
Bazoumana Touré is a major doubt after suffering an ankle injury in stoppage time against Coventry City.
Tino Livramento is nearing full fitness, but Jaissle is likely to leave out the England international as he continues to recover from the thigh issue that forced him to withdraw from the England squad.
Former Villa midfielderJacob Ramsey is also a major doubt to face his former club, while Anthony Elanga is out until December with a hamstring injury.
Joelinton, Dan Burn, Amar Dedić and William Osula all featured off the bench against Coventry and are likely to be involved against Villa.
Aston Villa team news
Leon Goretzka is in line to make his first Premier League start for Villa since joining on a free transfer from Bayern Munich in the summer.
Matteo Ruggeri joins Amadou Onana on the sidelines as a long-term absentee after suffering a hamstring injury during last week’s 2-2 draw against Brentford.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is likely to deputise at left-back, with Ian Maatsen still out with an ankle injury.
George Hemmings and Brian Madjo are also doubts for Villa.
Match odds
Newcastle are priced at 27/20 to claim all three points, while a draw is available at 14/5. Aston Villa are valued at 21/10 to come away with a win.
Suggested bet
Newcastle are unbeaten at home and have some key players returning from injury, but Villa showcased their attacking instincts in midweek and will be confident of causing problems.
We predict both teams to score, with a draw looking the most likely outcome.
Leeds United vs Manchester United – Sunday, October 18, 14:00 BST
Leeds United host bitter rivals Manchester United in a huge Premier League clash at Elland Road on Sunday, October 18.
This is the kind of fixture that needs no extra motivation, but both teams coming off disappointing domestic results last week only raises the stakes.
The pressure is particularly intense on the travelling Man United side, who also suffered a 2-0 defeat in the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Carrick is now among the favourites to become the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season, and unless results improve, that possibility could soon become a reality.
Form guide
Leeds made a near-perfect start to their post-international break campaign, with James Justin’s 55th-minute strike putting them ahead against Arsenal at the Emirates.
The Gunners had been below par until then. Still, Mikel Arteta’s men eventually woke up, with goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Bruno Guimarães in eight minutes turning the game around and securing a 2-1 win for the reigning champions.
It was the first defeat of the season for Daniel Farke’s men, but given the way Leeds have been playing, they will fancy their chances this weekend.
Manchester United, on the other hand, have fallen a long way from the heights they reached last season.
For the Red Devils faithful, it is a familiar story: a team playing poor football with no clear identity.
With just two wins across three competitions and already out of the League Cup, the signs are not encouraging for Carrick.
Man United have also gone six games without a win since beating Sabah 4-0 in the Champions League home game on September 11, a run that includes three defeats.
Head-to-head
Across 115 head-to-head meetings, Manchester United hold a significantly better record, with 50 wins compared to Leeds United’s 27, while the remaining 38 matches ended in draws.
However, Leeds can take heart from their most recent encounter against Man Utd, a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. That win ended an eight-game winless run for The Whites against the Red Devils across all competitions.
Leeds Utd team news
Dan James missed last week’s match against Arsenal due to a back injury he suffered during the international break with Wales.
Defender Joe Rodon will also sit out this game after picking up a hamstring injury against Brentford early in the season.
Man Utd team news
Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo missed the Champions League defeat against Atletico Madrid and remain doubtful for this fixture.
Benjamin Sesko remains sidelined with a shin injury, with no timeframe set for his return, while Patrick Dorgu is also out until late November.
Noussair Mazraoui is a doubt with a back problem, but Matthijs de Ligt is in contention to start after remaining an unused substitute against Atletico.
Match odds
Leeds United are priced at 7/5 to claim all three points at Elland Road, while a draw is available at 27/10. Manchester United are valued at 192/100 to come away with a win.
Suggested bet
Leeds have been playing good football and will fancy their chances against a Manchester United side struggling to find its feet. This could prove to be Carrick’s last game in charge if the result goes south here.
Man United should still find a way onto the scoresheet, but Leeds look the more likely side to take maximum points.
Leeds United 2-1 Manchester United.
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal – Sunday, October 18, 16:30 BST
Defending Premier League champions Arsenal travel to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, looking to keep pace with early pace-setters Manchester City.
Arsenal came from behind to beat Leeds United in the league last weekend and remain three points behind second-placed Manchester City.
Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, have struggled to get going this season and have managed just one win in their opening six games.
Form guide
Arsenal had to wait three weeks to respond to their 3-0 hammering at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion just before the international break.
The Gunners appeared to be still reeling from that defeat, producing a dismal first-half display against Leeds United before falling behind in the second half.
However, goals from Riccardo Calafiori and substitute Bruno Guimarães were enough to secure a 2-1 win.
Mikel Arteta’s men then produced another strong performance in the Champions League, recording a convincing 3-0 win over French side Lille.
For Nottingham Forest, time seems to have stood still since the end of last season, when they finished just five points clear of the relegation zone.
The appointment of Oliver Glasner, following his trophy-laden spell at Crystal Palace, has done little to improve their fortunes so far. They are coming into this fixture on the back of two consecutive league defeats.
However, Forest have a squad capable of delivering far more than their current 15th-place standing suggests, so the onus is on the players to deliver and turn the season around for good.
Head-to-head
Arsenal have a strong head-to-head record against Nottingham Forest. The two sides have met 109 times across all competitions, with Arsenal winning 56 of those encounters, compared to Forest’s 29. The remaining 24 matches ended in draws.
Arsenal are also unbeaten in their last six meetings with Forest, winning four of those matches, and will be hoping to extend that run this weekend.
Forest team news
Forest forward Igor Jesus missed the trip to Crystal Palace last weekend and will sit this one out as well due to a muscle injury.
Nicolò Savona and Nikola Milenković are also major doubts for the home side.
Arsenal team news
William Saliba remains a long-term absentee for Arsenal.
Meanwhile, with the exception of Christos Tzolis and Piero Hincapié, who are both set to miss the trip to Nottingham, Arsenal have a clean bill of health.
Match odds
Nottingham Forest are priced at 5/1 to pull off an upset, while a draw is available at 3/1. Arsenal are the favourites at 4/6 to take all three points.
Suggested bet
Nottingham Forest’s struggles in front of goal and their injury problems, coupled with Arsenal’s strength across the pitch, make the visitors firm favourites to take maximum points.
Arsenal to keep a clean sheet and win 2-0.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City – Monday, October 19, 20:00 BST
Tottenham Hotspur host a rejuvenated Coventry City in a crucial Premier League clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night.
Much of the goodwill Roberto De Zerbi earned by helping Spurs avoid relegation at the end of last season seems to have worn off, as his team remains without a win after six matches.
However, Spurs can take some encouragement from last weekend’s performance against Manchester United, where they managed to earn a point despite being reduced to 10 men.
After failing to score in their first four matches, Frank Lampard’s side have now beaten two established Premier League teams in a row, winning 1-0 away at Nottingham Forest before thrashing Newcastle United 4-1 at home.
If Coventry can maintain that form, they have every chance of avoiding the drop.
Form guide
Coventry’s win over Newcastle was particularly convincing. Jack Rudoni opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the sixth minute, before Sidiki Cherif doubled their lead shortly after half-time.
Sven Botman pulled one back for Newcastle in the 70th minute, but Ellis Simms and Stephen Mfuni struck within five minutes of each other to seal a comfortable 4-1 win for The Sky Blues.
It was Coventry’s second consecutive victory after failing to win or score in their first four matches.
For Tottenham, one defeat in their last four matches might offer some encouragement, but they remain without a win in their opening six league games.
They are one of only three teams yet to win this season, alongside Fulham and Bournemouth, with all three sitting in the bottom three.
Spurs did show signs of improvement at Old Trafford, where they were the better side for much of the game.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s red card, five minutes after Bryan Mbeumo’s goal, threatened another defeat, but Dominic Solanke salvaged a point with a goal deep into second-half stoppage time.
Head-to-head
Tottenham have the better head-to-head record against Coventry City in all competitions. In 92 meetings, Spurs have won 44 times and lost 26, while the remaining 22 matches ended in draws.
Tottenham are also on a five-game winning run against Coventry, whose last win over Spurs came on October 14, 2000, when they won 2-1 at home.
Tottenham team news
Rodrigo Bentancur’s straight red card last week means the Uruguayan is suspended for the next three matches.
Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons and Mykhailo Mudryk remain long-term absentees for the home side. Richarlison also remains out of the squad and will not feature.
Dejan Kulusevski is nearing a return after being sidelined for over 500 days with a severe right knee (patella) injury, but he is unlikely to feature in this game.
Pedro Porro and Andy Robertson will both hope to pass late fitness tests and make themselves available for the match.
Coventry City team news
Frank Lampard is likely to stick with the same starting XI that featured in the 4-1 win over Newcastle United.
However, the former Chelsea manager remains without Haji Wright, Josh Eccles, Luke Woolfenden and Aurèle Amenda.
Match odds
Tottenham Hotspur are the favourites at 1/2 to take all three points, while a draw is priced at 15/4. Coventry City are the underdogs at 31/5 to pull off an upset.
Suggested bet
Coventry may be on a two-game winning run, but Tottenham have too much quality, especially at home. Spurs should win by at least two goals, though Coventry could still get on the scoresheet.
Spurs to win 3-1.
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