Premier League Saturday Tips: Back Saka, Haaland and an 8/1 Bournemouth bet | OneFootball

English Premier League

Havertz has started where he left off

Ste Tudor highlights where the goals and three points will likely be found to get this Premier League weekend started...

Betfair SuperBoost

Last week our Mitoma to be fouled SuperBoost landed within 16 minutes, and we are heading back to the foul markets once again for Brighton's trip to the Emirates.

Kai Havertz has either committed (6) or won (4) 10 fouls in the first two Premier League games this season, the fourth highest of any player so far.

Havertz has won 11 fouls in his last seven Premier League games - and at least one in six of those and has committed 14 across his last nine.

Last season, he averaged 1.7 fouls committed per 90 minutes played in the top-flight, and averaged 1.5 fouls won per 90.

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Arsenal v Brighton (12:30) - Late drama awaits

The last three meetings between these sides have all been won to nil - two for Arsenal, one for Brighton - and intriguingly all featured goals scored beyond the 85th minute.

With the Seagulls converting late-on against Everton, and very late-on against Manchester United last weekend, we cannot therefore rule out a sucker punch from a side that has a decent record at the Emirates, losing only two of their last six league visits.

As good as Brighton have been though under new boss Fabian Hurzeler, Arsenal have been that much better, with Kai Havertz starting this campaign as he ended the last.

Since mid-February the German has contributed a goal involvement every 81 minutes.

Bukayo Saka meanwhile loves taking on a shot from range at the Emirates, doing so twice on the opening day. The flying winger already has a goal and two assists to his name in 2024/25.

Brentford v Southampton (15:00) - Hardly saintly

The Saints have had more possession than any top-flight side this term and for all of it they have lost 1-0 consecutively. Against Newcastle they were wasteful, with 19 shots amounting to nothing. At home to Forest last week a solitary shot on target was rustled up from having two-thirds of the ball.

At least a brace by Cameron Archer mid-week in the League Cup suggests someone at St Marys knows where the goal is.

As for Brentford, as is often the case these days, so much depends on whether Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo are on it, the pair compensating for the absence of Ivan Toney. The former has six goal involvements in seven at the Gtech.

Considering they've had 70.6% of the possession in their two losses it amazes that Southampton have picked up the most cautions at this early juncture.

Everton v Bournemouth (15:00) - Contrasting fortunes

The Cherries have been something of a curate's egg to this point, back-to-back 1-1 draws reflecting this, but reasons for optimism outweigh any negatives.

They've had a goal disallowed in each of their games, for starters, additionally carving out five big chances. They were the best team in patches against Forest and for the whole first-half against Newcastle.The feeling is that if club record signing Evanilson settles then Andoni Iraola's men will be away and flying.

Whereas Everton are quite clearly in trouble. No goals scored. Hemorrhaging seven. We are only three games into the campaign and already this is a defining fixture.

The contrasting fortunes of each club are epitomized by their corner counts, Bournemouth racking up 14 to this point, the Toffees a meagre six. That's a consideration.

As too is the visitor's disciplinary issues. Since the start of last term no team have committed more fouls in the top-flight, with Marcus Senesi often one of their chief offenders.

Ipswich v Fulham (15:00) - Cottagers look the part

After being thrown into the deep-end twice-over we finally get to see how well - or otherwise - Ipswich can swim in the top-flight. Another busy week of transfer activity has strengthened them further but they remain an unknown proposition at this level still, for all that their hybrid pressing vs Liverpool and second-half defensive display at the Etihad impressed.

Fulham meanwhile have looked the part from the get-go, with Antonee Robinson outstanding, completing 13 tackles and five interceptions. Indeed, with Leif Davis on the other flank this fixture features two of the most under-appreciated, brilliant left-backs around.

Andreas Pereira has also stood out, creating a league-high of 13 chances, nine of which have come from set pieces. Then there's Rodrigo Muniz, yet to hit the mark but not for the lack of trying. Only three players have taken on more shots across the opening weekends.

Leicester v Aston Villa (15:00) - Could be worse

Wout Faes and Jannik Vestergaard are joint top for blocks and clearances in the league and we can only imagine how bad a shape Leicester would be in without the duo's commitment to the cause. The Foxes have faced 33 attempts on their goal with keeper Mads Hermansen called into making nine saves.

At the other end, only Ipswich have taken on fewer shots.

Villa on the other hand can consider themselves unfortunate not to get something from their clash with Arsenal last Saturday, squandering gilt-edge chances and then denied by a David Raya wonder-save.

Elsewhere, Unai Emery's men are in fine fettle but it does concern that they have now gone seven top-flight games without a clean sheet. Counter-balancing this is a sustained decent away record that is bettered only by Manchester City and Arsenal dating back to the Spaniard's appointment.

Villa scored early in both meetings last term and Leicester have conceded inside half-an-hour in both their contests so far.

Nottingham Forest v Wolves (15:00) - Home banker

A home win is strongly fancied here with Forest ramping up their attacking credentials this term and Wolves already in the doldrums. Their second half collapse against Chelsea and passive offering of very little at the Emirates smacks of a team fated to struggle in 2024/25.

The Tricky Trees have had 33 touches inside the opposition box to date, the highest number outside of the top six, and such adventure has resulted in 37 shots, 16 on target. Both are league highs.

Morgan Gibbs-White is responsible for six chances created in open play, the second highest in the league, while Callum Hudson-Odoi is averaging 3.9 chances per 90.

The latter was backed on these pages to start this season strongly and nothing seen so far has changed that opinion.

West Ham v Manchester City (17:30) - Erling the Inevitable

The Hammers last beat City in the league way back in 2015 and the score aggregate since reveals just how one-sided this contest has been. At the London Stadium alone it's 27-7. That's three goals per 90 for the visitors.

It's been a happy hunting ground, to say the least.

Will that remain the case on Saturday evening? More clinical finishing from the hosts to this point will have put even greater gloss on what has been an otherwise encouraging start to the Lopetegui era. Just 18.7% of their attempts have been on target and that suggests serial waywardness.

Even so, Jarrod Bowen boasts 10 goals in 12 while Mohammed Kudus has successfully completed nine dribbles this term, a league best. With Jeremy Doku second on that list our dads should be happy with the amount of old-fashioned wing-play on display this weekend.

The threat of Erling Haaland cannot be ignored of course, especially at this time of year. The Striking Viking has fired 16 goals in 10 appearances in the month of August. That includes two in this fixture two years ago, on his debut.

In the week when Oasis has reformed some might say it's inevitable he will come to the fore again.

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