Derek Bilton
Weekend tips: Chelsea v Spurs clash, Man City goalfest
There are some tasty matches coming up this weekend in the Premier League as well as PSG hosting Montpellier at the Parc des Princes.
The Nap
Game of the weekend in the Premier League could well be Sunday’s London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham. There is no love lost between the teams, and the first ‘big-six’ clash of the new season could be a spicy affair.
Recent history is against Spurs, who have won at Stamford Bridge just once since 1990. However, they could be getting the Blues at the right time. Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel are a team in transition. They have brought in Raheem Sterling from Man City and are rumoured to be close to signing Frankie de Jong and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona. However, they made a stuttering start and needed a Jorginho penalty to see off a poor Everton side last weekend.
Spurs meanwhile looked impressive as they hammered Southampton 4-1, with Dejan Kulusevski looking lively up top alongside Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son. They have an astute, prudent boss in Antonio Conte who will see a top four finish as a minimum requirement this season, and look worth a go at 11/5.
It may not be a thriller, with six of the last seven meetings between the teams featuring fewer than three goals. However, this Spurs team looks solid and settled and they can make a big statement on Sunday by winning at the Bridge.
The Nap – Tottenham to beat Chelsea at 11/5 (bet365/Hills)
Value Tip
Fulham made an impressive start to life back in the big time as they drew 2-2 with Liverpool on Saturday. The quality and courage that the Cottagers showed against the Reds was admirable, and they look a standout price at 11/5 to follow that up by beating Wolves.
Wolves have kept just one clean sheet in their last ten home matches in the league, and looked out of sorts in losing to Leeds in their opening game. Indeed, dating back to last season Wolves have not won any of their last eight Premier League matches, and for this reason Bruno Lage is among the betting favourites to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job.
Marco Silva meanwhile will be feeling bullish. Worries over centre-back signings and a lack of squad depth generally were quickly forgotten after that breathless draw against Liverpool. The Cottagers overwhelmed teams last season with their attacking output, and they have a genuine match-winner in Aleksandar Mitrovic. In short, they look too big at 11/5 to see off a struggling Wolves.
Value Tip – Fulham to beat Wolves at 11/5 (bet365/Betfair)
First Goal Flutter
Erling Haaland enjoyed a dazzling Premier League debut at West Ham, scoring two goals and sending out a clear message to the rest of the division. The electric turn of pace a man of Haaland's size can generate is truly frightening, and with the service he will enjoy many pundits fancy him to score north of 30 goals this season. From opening quotes of 4/1 in the summer, Haaland has already been smashed in to 5/4 to win the Golden Boot.
Perhaps unsurprisingly he is as short as 6/4 to score first against Bournemouth this weekend, but the value could actually lie with Kevin De Bruyne at 11/2.
The Belgian was City’s top scorer last season with 15 goals from just 25 starts, and De Bruyne looked sharp in that win over the Hammers last time out.
The Citizens are expected to dominate against the Cherries – they are 1/10 to win in the 1x2 market – and have won 13 of the 15 previous meetings between these teams (drawing the other two).
First Goal Flutter – De Bruyne to score first at 11/2 (bet365/Boylesports)
The Euro Banker
Paris Saint-Germain looked magnificent as they swatted aside Clermont Foot 5-0 to start their Ligue 1 title defence with a bang, and it will be interesting to see how they evolve under new boss Christophe Galtier. The new boss has changed formation to a 3-4-3, a system which provides more width to the wing back areas and demands less of the front three in terms of defensive duties.
PSG have just completed the signing of Renato Sanches from Lille on a five-year deal, and nobody can touch them in terms of squad depth in the French top flight currently. The Parisiens should also be boosted by the return of the brilliant Kylian Mbappe this weekend, and they look good things to make it two league wins out of two. That said, they should be tested by visitors Montpellier on Saturday, another side who like to get forward and play on the front foot.
La Paillade also opened their Ligue 1 campaign with a win, seeing off a game Troyes side 3-2. Montpellier didn’t have a great campaign last season, but did finish as second-highest scorers in the bottom half.
You can get 7/5 on a PSG win in a game where both teams find the net, and that could be the way to bet at the Parc des Princes.
The Euro Banker – PSG to win & both teams to score at 7/5 (betway)