⛅️ Friday Forecast: Potter vs Ten Hag, Spurs host NUFC, tricky for City? | OneFootball

After the midweek action, the Premier League fixtures keep coming thick and fast.

Here are our predictions for this weekend’s round of games.

💪 Game of the weekend

Chelsea v Manchester United

On Saturday evening Stamford Bridge plays host to what promises to be an intriguing clash between two of the league’s heavyweights.

While their 0-0 draw at Brentford on Wednesday wasn’t the ideal result, Chelsea are yet to lose in seven matches in all competitions under Graham Potter, and resurgent goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has now kept clean sheets in his last five.

The Blues rearguard will be put to the test this weekend by a Manchester United side who were superb in their victory over Tottenham on Wednesday night. It hasn’t been the perfect start to the season for Erik ten Hag’s side, but it seems as if the Dutchman’s ideas are now really beginning to take hold.

This promises to be a fascinating contest and like Cristiano Ronaldo, we’ll be enjoying it from our sofas.

📊 Fun fact: Chelsea are winless in their last nine Premier League games against United, but United have won just two of their last 20 Premier League away games against Chelsea.

🔮 Our prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Manchester United

😨 Potential upset

Manchester City v Brighton

It’s funny how one defeat in a big match can put a very different complexion on a club’s season, but that’s the position Manchester City find themselves in after losing at Liverpool last Sunday.

Everything was going swimmingly for the champions but Erling Haaland couldn’t get on the scoresheet at Anfield and points were dropped, leaving them four behind Arsenal in the title race.

With no mid-week fixture, Pep Guardiola will be hoping his side can bounce back quickly this weekend, but it won’t be easy against a Brighton side who are a match for anyone in the league on their day.

The Seagulls are yet to win under new manager Roberto De Zerbi and haven’t scored in their last two matches, but their trip to the Etihad is a free hit and if luck is on their side, it could play out similarly to their draw away at Liverpool at the start of the month.

📊 Fun fact: City’s defeat at Liverpool was their first in 22 Premier League games. The last time they lost consecutive league matches was December 2018.

🔮 Our prediction: Manchester City 1-1 Brighton

👍 Big favourites

Nottingham Forest v Liverpool

It hasn’t even been two weeks since Liverpool were in full blown crisis mode but a fortnight is a long time in football, and back-to-back victories over Manchester City and West Ham have suddenly filled the Anfield faithful with hope.

Mohamed Salah is looking like his old self again, Darwin Núñez is chipping in with the goals, the defence is looking much more robust and Alisson is coming to the rescue with some big saves, most notably his penalty save to deny Jarrod Bowen on Wednesday.

It’s difficult to imagine the Reds not winning again when they travel to face a Nottingham Forest side who have still only won once all season.

It was a 2-2 draw the last time these two sides met at the City Ground in the Premier League way back in 1999, with Pierre van Hooijdonk netting a late equaliser for the hosts. How they could do with his maverick brilliance this weekend.

📊 Fun fact: Liverpool have never won in five Premier League away games against Nottingham Forest. The City Ground is the only ground the Reds have played at more than once in the competition and never won.

🔮 Our prediction: Nottingham Forest 0-3 Liverpool

🤔 Too close to call

Tottenham v Newcastle

There’s no disgrace in losing at Old Trafford but the manner of Spurs’ defeat there on Wednesday was concerning, and Antonio Conte admitted afterwards that his side struggles when coming up against “high-level” opposition.

Whether Newcastle can be considered “high-level” just yet is a matter of opinion, but there’s no doubt that the Magpies are a tricky opponent. Another goal for Miguel Almirón in Wednesday’s win over Everton took his tally to five for the season, and the Paraguayan is looking more confident than ever.

Eddie Howe’s side have drawn with Manchester City and Manchester United this season but a victory over one of the so-called Big Six would really send out a statement.

Spurs’ players will no doubt be eager to avoid another Conte ear-bashing, however.

📊 Fun fact: Newcastle have won 10 away Premier League matches against Tottenham, their joint most against a single opponent (the other being West Ham).

🔮 Our prediction: Tottenham 1-1 Newcastle

🔥 Your Fantasy Football captain should be …

Bukayo Saka (Southampton v Arsenal)

There has never been any doubt about Saka’s quality but his goals and assists record has left room for improvement in recent seasons.

The 21-year-old has found the net four times in his last four games in all competitions, however, putting him on seven for the season. He only scored 12 in the entirety of last season and is well on course to beat that figure.

His finish against Leeds was brilliant last week, and we fancy another goal from him at Southampton this weekend.

📊 Fun fact: Southampton have kept just one clean sheet in their last 11 Premier League home games, and it was against Arsenal when they won 1-0 in April.

🔮 Our prediction:Southampton 0-2 Arsenal

Other predictions