There were a lot of talking points from last week in the Premier League, with the heated Man City Arsenal game dominating football headlines this week.
It looks as though both of the teams who went at it for 100 minutes at the Etihad will once again form the top two in the league this year, as a new rivalry gathers pace. We also saw Liverpool bounce back and problems mount for West Ham. Let’s dive into game week six.
Newcastle vs Man City – City Win
Details: Saturday, September 28th, 12.30 pm
Although Newcastle have had a decent start points wise, sitting on 10 points from five games, their performances, even in victories, haven’t been great. Last week, it finally caught up with them as another average performance saw this lose 3-1 at Fulham, a result Newcastle fans have said had been coming. Another Harvey Barnes goal was one positive, and he surely must be knocking on the door for a start now. There has been some unrest behind the scenes at Newcastle between Eddie Howe and sporting director Paul Mitchell, all doesn’t feel right in the Toon at the moment.
With all the talk from the City game last week being about time wasting, Haaland throwing the ball at Gabriel’s head and other forms of the ‘dark arts’, it is easy to forget City scored a last minute equaliser. They probed and probed all second half against 10 men, but didn’t look like they would find a way through until John Stones scrambled it home. It is hard to judge the quality of the City performance given the circumstances, they would like an easier game in the early kick off.
I think this will be a very close game but can just see City edging it.
Chelsea vs Brighton – Draw
Saturday, September 28th, 3.00 pm
Chelsea had a surprisingly comfortable London derby victory at West Ham last week. Yes, the Hammers were terrible, but take nothing away from Chelsea who were clinical. Nicolas Jackson took both of his goals very well and Cole Palmer added a third with a breakaway goal to kill the game early in the second half. With all of the chaos at Chelsea over the last few years, it is easy to forget they have a lot of quality in attacking areas, with Christopher Nkunku, who scored a hattrick in the league cup in midweek, struggling to get into the side.
Brighton have an enjoyed an excellent start to the season under new manager Fabian Hürzeler and look once again to be challenging for Europe. They once gain look to have found some gems in Carlos Baleba and Jack Hinshelwood and are now a fully established quality Premier League team. They will be disappointed they couldn’t beat Forest at home last week but and will be looking for more here.
Even though they look to be slightly better I still don’t trust Chelsea. They seem to be better away from home and I can see a draw here.
Arsenal vs Leicester – Arsenal Win
Saturday, September 28th, 3.00 pm
Arsenal were so close to an incredible win last week, showing once again how resolute they have become under Mikel Arteta. Despite having 10 men for the whole second half, they stood firm and largely restricted City to shots from distance. Despite the late heartbreak, there are plenty of positives to take for the Gunners. Their forwards need to contribute more in terms of goals and assists, but they are an extremely tough team to beat.
There is some unrest among Leicester supporters towards boss Steve Cooper. They scraped past league 2 Walsall on penalties in the league cup in midweek after drawing 0-0, with home fans not happy. Last week in the league, a home draw against Everton was something to build on after a positive second half, but this team has yet to win yet and it looks like a season of struggle awaits.
Arsenal to take this one comfortably.
Wolves vs Liverpool – Liverpool Win
Saturday, September 28th, 5.30 pm
Wolves have played well in fits and starts this season, but have yet to put together a complete 90 minute performance. They currently sit bottom of the league which feels harsh, but it’s a results business and Gary O’Neil will certainly be under pressure to turn results around quickly. It is not ideal to be facing Liverpool this week, coming off the back of a 3-1 defeat at Villa where they led for much of the game.
Liverpool bounced back from their shock defeat to Forest with a comfortable home win over Bournemouth. Darwin Nunez got a start and was back amongst the goals, scoring a stunner to put the Reds 3-0 to the good before half time. It seems as though that Forest game was a mere blip as Liverpool followed up an impressive win at AC Milan with a commanding win in the league.
I think Liverpool will be too strong for Wolves in this one.
Man Utd vs Tottenham – Utd Win
Sunday, September 29th, 5.30 pm
Utd actually played well at Palace last week and had enough chances to win two games. The fact it ended 0-0 and they could have ended up losing it sort of sums up how it has gone for Erik Ten Hag over the last year or so. But, if the performances are good results will follow and Utd have enough quality to score goals, with Rasmus Højlund nearing a return to action and Marcus Rashford rediscovering some form. They will feel one win could spark a run.
Spurs got back to winning ways with a comfortable victory over Brentford after a difficult few weeks. Lots of people have criticised Ange Postecoglou for not being adaptable and changing the way his team plays, but he insists he won’t change. James Maddison looked back to his best last week, and they will need him in that kind of form if they want to achieve a top four finish.
I can see both teams scoring in this one but Utd just edging it.
Premier League Week 6 Acca
