Hope everyone used the International Break to spend time with family and friends and generally took time to recenter themselves.
As always (second time) we’ll take a brief trip down memory lane to see how bad my predictions were.
Game 1
Man United vs Burnley
Prediction: Burnley 2-0
Reality: Man U 3-2
Score aside I feel like I got the spirit of the outcome correct. Burnley will be a bottom half team which is perfectly fine for a newly promoted side but if Ruben can only squeak out a last minute penalty win at home in a much win game this will be a long long season for the Red Devils.
Game 2
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace
Prediction: 0-0
Reality: Palace 3-0
Perhaps Palace were giving their final hurrah before they seemingly part with all their players. They’ll always have their FA Cup win.
As for Villa I fear my inside contact is spot on. They shot their wad last year and Watkins is off puffing a cig rather than banging in goals.
Game 3
Liverpool vs Arsenal
Reality: Liverpool 1-0
So why did I skip listing my prediction? Simple, I forgot to copy the full text when I sent it to the editor to post. Cutting off my last line.
Liverpool 1 -0.
So even when I get it right I get it wrong.
Doesn’t bode well for Arsenal that Liverpool played an extremely mediocre game and the Gunners still couldn’t get past them.
That was a hell of a free kick though!
Onto this week!
Match 1
Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest
Look, I promise I won’t bash Arsenal every week. But this week isn’t it. More injury concerns and bizarre substitutions. Saliba gets a knock in warm up and you play him just to watch him go down immediately? Then the “not fit to start” Odegaard comes in before the wunderkind Nwaneri? Merino starting? Trust the process! 6 is years going by fast.
Even with all their problems they’ll have more than enough at home against a club that just fired the manager that got them to Europe. Feeling like a disaster incoming starting this week.
Arsenal 3-0
Match 2
West Ham vs Tottenham
Picking this game just because West Ham have without a doubt the worst home stadium in existence. You need binoculars from the front row. It’s ludicrous. Whatever caused it to happen, Spurs not ending up in this turd of a stadium is one of the rare W’s they’ve had recently…
Don’t let the last game fool you. West Ham is bad. Spurs are ok.
Spurs 2-1
Match 3
Manchester City v Manchester United
Clearly we’ll take the trip up North for the Manchester Derby. Outside of a great 70 minutes in game 1 City have looked like the same team as last year. Not taking chances and giving up way too many. Perhaps their new gigantic goalie will help.
As for the other Manchester team, as they’ve been known now for the better part of a decade, they too are playing up to last year's form which is bad bad news. Going to go with home field advantage and the coach who doesn’t hide under the bench for penalty kicks
City 4-2
Watch along everyone to see just how wrong I am!