We have had our first managerial casualty of the season as Erik Ten Hag has departed Old Trafford. It should come as no surprise, with Utd 14th in the league and losing yet again at West Ham last week.
It looks like Ruben Amorim will be the man to replace Ten Hag in the Red Devils dugout. The current Sporting CP boss has an excellent reputation, and surely the only way for Utd is up. Utd take on Chelsea in their first league game since Ten Hag was dismissed this Sunday, and it is another packed and exciting schedule.
Liverpool vs Brighton – Home Win
Details: Saturday, November 2nd, 3.00 pm
A lot of observers believed Liverpool had their first true test so far this season last week, traveling to the Emirates to take on Arsenal. I think it’s fair to say that they passed the test in a hard-fought 2-2 draw. Despite twice falling behind, goals from Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah ensured they remained unbeaten on the road so far this season. Arne Slot’s side are proving a tough nut to crack, and in Salah they have someone who is always dangerous. Last week proved the Anfield club have what it takes to fight at the top this season.
It was certainly two points dropped for Brighton last week. Leading 2-0 with four minutes to go at home to Wolves, they somehow managed to fall apart in the dying embers of the game as Wolves scored a dramatic9 93rd minute equaliser. It was a bitter pill to swallow, for sure, but there were positives for Brighton. Evan Ferguson scored a great goal and the club will be hoping he can get back to the form he showed a few years ago, and it has still been a good start to the season.
Brighton should prove to be a good test for Liverpool, but I expect the home side to edge them out.
Ipswich vs Leicester – Home Win
Details: Saturday, November 2nd, 3.00 pm
Ipswich have proven they can score goals in the Premier League, the major problem has been keeping them out at the other end. Last week, they scored three away from home at Brentford, but still left with nothing. That can’t happen, and they need to find a way to be far more solid at the back or their stay in the Premier League will only last a year. Liam Delap scored once again and is enjoying his time in an Ipswich shirt.
It was a very disappointing derby defeat for Leicester last Friday. Manager Steve Cooper saw his current side second best throughout against Nottingham Forest, a club where he had so much success. To add insult to injury, former Leicester striker Chris Wood did the damage, scoring two goals on his return to the King Power Stadium. It left Leicester in 15h, a place they would all take come the end of the season.
This is a tough one to call, but I think Ipswich can get their first win here, with both teams scoring.
Nottingham Forest vs West Ham – Home Win
Details: Saturday, November 2nd, 3.00 pm
Another excellent weekend for Nuno Espirito Santo and his team, travelling to close neighbours Leicester and coming away with a convincing 3-1 win. Chris Wood is in sparkling form, with his brace making it seven goals for the campaign so far. Since Forest returned to the big league in 2022 it has been a couple of years of struggle to stay up, but it looks like there will be no such worries this time. They have a talented squad and a striker in top form, it could be a great season on the river Trent.
What a massive win for West Ham and Julen Lopetegui it was last week. It is always a big result when you beat Manchester Utd, but this win came with the Hammers under massive pressure and Lopetegui already facing calls for the sack. It was controversial, with the late winner coming from a penalty which was given by VAR despite there not appearing to be much contact and a handball from Danny Ings in the build up. West Ham won’t care, and they will be hoping to have more of that type of luck going forward.
I still worry about West Ham’s performances, and I think with a strong home backing Forest will get the three points.
Wolves vs Crystal Palace – Home Win
Details: Saturday, November 2nd, 5.30 pm
Although it was only a draw last week for Wolves, it would have felt like a win. Coming back from two down with minutes to spare shows the players are still fighting for the manager, and it lifted them off the bottom of the table. They will be hoping that kind of result and how it happened can be a real momentum-shifter for them, and they have a great chance to build on that this weekend. There are talented players throughout the side and performances haven’t been bad, now they need points.
It was a fantastic result for Palace last week, getting their first win of the season against Spurs. Lots of people tipped Palace to do very well this season, so their slow start has caused some concern. Like Wolves, they will be hoping that result can now see them climb the table. They have had to overcome losing talisman Michael Olise, who joined Bayern in the Summer, but there is still enough talent there to be aiming for the top half.
This could go either way, but I am backing Wolves to get their first win of the season.
Premier League Acca
I have backed some teams who haven’t even won a game yet, hence the healthy payout on this acca. Ipswich have shown they can score, yes thy concede but this is a massive game for them. Home to Leicester is the type of game they must win if they want to stay up, same for Wolves. The nature of their 2-2 draw last week was a real injection of momentum. I was toying with West Ham getting a draw but think Forest at home will edge it while I think Liverpool can expose the Brighton high line.
If you want to check out the odds and payout of your own acca, you can use our free calculator.
