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Another big weekend awaits us in football as the league season approaches its final phase. Napoli host Juventus in the Serie A while, in England, the high-flying Gunners travel to bottom of table Sheffield United. Let’s discuss previews for some of these games while dishing out some bet predictions. We’ll start at the Etihad where Man Utd could be in for a long evening.  

 

**Manchester City vs. Manchester United** 

42% of the Manchester Derbies played in the Premier League have been won by the away team (22 of 53). This is, perhaps, the only glimmer of hope for Erik ten Hag and the Red Devils as they visit neighbours, Manchester City on Sunday evening.  

The Red Devils have struggled for form this season. Last weekend’s loss to Fulham was their 10th in the league, and they’re on course to suffer their highest number of losses in an EPL campaign, surpassing the record of 12 losses set by David Moyes in the 2013/14 season. Though not an excuse for their poor performances, the Red Devils have suffered a few key injuries in the past few weeks which has seen their momentum halted. Lisandro Martínez returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines only to suffer yet another injury that’ll see him miss up to 2 months. He’ll be joined by Luke Shaw who will be out till April, further weakening an already weak defense line. The latest was summer signing, Rasmus Højlund. Though he had scored an impressive 5 goals in the Champions League, the Danish striker had been on a 14-game goal drought in the Premier League. However, since opening his league account with a winning goal against Aston Villa on Boxing Day, the floodgates have opened for him. He scored in 6 consecutive league games, becoming the youngest player in the competition’s history to achieve this feat. Sadly, for the Red Devils, he will miss this match due to injury.  

Despite Erik ten Hag’s decent results in 2024, there has been a valid cause for concern. Their doughnut formation, which features a large hole in the middle, has been repeatedly exploited by opponents, giving way for many shot attempts against. In their last 5 league games, they’ve given up 16 shots to Wolves, 22 to West Ham, 23 to Aston Villa, 22 to Luton Town and 17 to Fulham. In fact, the 435 shots given up by Man Utd this season is second only to bottom of table Sheffield United. It is a problem that has plagued them all season, and one Erik ten Hag knows could haunt him as he prepares to face his former boss.  

Over in the Blue half, Pep Guardiola will be full of confidence ahead of this clash, though also cautious, having suffered a few shock defeats to the Red Devils over the years. Since losing to Aston Villa in early December, Manchester City has gone 18 games without a loss in all competitions, winning 16 and drawing two. Norwegian striker, Erling Haaland had been struggling for consistency ever since returning from the injury that kept him out for two months. However, any doubts about his abilities in front of goal were put to rest in their 6-2 win over Luton Town in the FA Cup. Haaland scored 5 of those 6 goals to take his season tally to 27 in 30 games. When these two teams met at the Etihad last season, Haaland scored a hat-trick as City ran out 6-3 winners, and when they met earlier this season at Old Trafford, he scored a brace. There’s also Kevin De Bruyne who has been in sublime form in 2024. Despite missing the first half of the season with an injury, he has 13 goal contributions in 11 matches, including 4 assists in the 6-2 win over Luton Town. This partnership seems to click at the right time and our bet of the day is for Haaland to find the back of the net while De Bruyne provides an assist.  

**Betting Tips:**  

● King’s Combo: Erling Haaland to Score & Kevin De Bruyne to Assist 

● Man City to Win 

● Boosted Odds: Man City to Score Over 2.5 Goals 

**Brentford vs. Chelsea** 

Following a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, the Bees will aim for a first league double over Chelsea since the 1938/39 season. Thomas Frank and his boys will have to switch things around to do this, seeing as their form is one of the worst in the league. They've suffered defeats in five of their last six league matches, plummeting to 16th in the table, just 5 points clear of the relegation zone. Injuries to their defensive line have contributed to this slump, with the Bees conceding 48 goals in 26 Premier League games this season, surpassing their tally from the entire 2022-23 campaign by two goals. They've also kept only one clean sheet in 13 Premier League home games this season. Their hopes rest heavily on the shoulders of their attacking duo, Ivan Toney - who has scored 4 goals in 7 since his return - and Neal Maupay, whose 6 league goals trails only Bryan Mbeumo (7). 

Chelsea bounced back from their EFL Cup final defeat to Liverpool with a 3-2 win over Leeds United, though they left it late. The Blues have won each of their last four Premier League London derby matches, as many as they had in their previous 16 (D5 L7), putting them in a good mood ahead of this short trip. They last won five in a row between January and May 2021, which is something Mauricio Pochettino will aim to match if he wishes to ease some of the pressure on himself.  

The Blues have notably underperformed their expected goals (xG) this season, scoring 42 goals from an expected total of 47.26 xG. Only two teams have had it worse: Everton (28 goals from 38.83 xG) and Brentford (37 goals from 42.57 xG). With this in mind, we expect a low-scoring game with lots of missed chances.  

**Betting Tips:**  

● Under 2.5 Goals 

● Chelsea to Score

**Nottingham Forest vs. Liverpool**  

Liverpool have navigated their injury crisis with little fuss and will aim to continue that run when they visit City Ground on Saturday. Despite players like Dominik Szoboszlai, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Alisson Becker, Darwin Núñez, Ryan Gravenberch, and Mo Salah all out injured over the past few games, they’ve maintained their lead at the top of the Premier League, lifted the EFL Cup and made it to the quarter-final of the FA Cup. Their young players have made the most of their chances with 18-year-old duo, Lewis Koumas, and Jayden Danns (2) getting on the scoresheet in their 3-0 win over Southampton in the FA Cup. However, this will be a bigger challenge than most people expect.  

Nottingham Forest boasts an impressive home record against Liverpool, remaining undefeated in 13 home league games against the Reds, with six victories and seven draws. Remarkably, six of these matches have come in the Premier League era, marking the longest stretch without an away win for Liverpool against a single league opponent.  

Under the management of Nuno Espirito Santo, Forest has maintained a strong attacking presence, scoring in all nine of their Premier League fixtures (17 goals in total), including seven games where they scored at least twice. Taiwo Awoniyi has been in fine form since returning from injury, while Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White have posed significant threats to opposing defences.  

However, much of Forest's success in this clash could hinge on the availability of Mo Salah. Despite Liverpool’s impressive performances in Salah's absence, his presence is crucial for challenging fixtures like this one. With memories of last season's 1-0 defeat when they visited fresh in their minds, Jurgen Klopp knows that his team must be at their very best to secure a positive result on Saturday. 


**Betting Tips:**  

● Both Teams to Score 

● Over 2.5 Total Goals 

**Tottenham Hotspur vs. Crystal Palace**  

Austrian manager, Oliver Glasner made a remarkable start to his tenure at Crystal Palace with a convincing 3-0 victory over Burnley. Despite a goalless first hour, Palace exploded into action with three goals in just 11 minutes, courtesy of Chris Richards, Jordan Ayew, and Jean-Philippe Mateta, effectively dismantling Burnley's defense. Now, Glasner sets his sights on a challenging fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, a team Palace has historically struggled against in the Premier League, managing just one win in their 17 encounters. Eager to build on his debut win and make a statement against a tough opponent, Glasner will need to show some of that magic that saw him lift the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt a couple of years ago.  

Tottenham Hotspur has had a rollercoaster of form in recent months, slipping to 5th place in the Premier League standings. Currently sitting 13 points off the top and five points adrift of 4th place Aston Villa, albeit with a game in hand, Spurs have struggled to maintain consistency. The one consistent part of their game has been their scoring. They've impressively scored in 37 consecutive Premier League matches, marking the second-longest streak in the league's history. However, their defensive frailties have been their undoing, with Ange Postecoglou's side managing just one clean sheet in their last 16 league outings. Additionally, they've conceded at least twice in five of their last seven games. Given Spurs' offensive potency combined with their defensive vulnerabilities, the Both Teams To Score and Over 2.5 Goals markets are heavily favored, leading to an expectation for an open and high-scoring encounter. 

**Betting Tips:**  

**Napoli vs. Juventus** 

Both teams secured crucial victories in their recent matches, setting the stage for an exciting clash this weekend. Juventus rallied from a 2-1 deficit to clinch a dramatic victory against Frosinone, with Daniele Rugani netting the winning goal deep into stoppage time. This triumph ended their four-game winless streak in the league, during which they had slipped 12 points behind league leaders Inter. Meanwhile, Napoli, under their third manager of the season, Francesco Calzona, grabbed the first win in his tenure. After a pair of 1-1 draws against Barcelona and Cagliari, Calzona guided the team to one of the shocking Serie A results of the season - a 6-1 victory at Sassuolo.  

This match will showcase two of Italy’s top and most in-form strikers, Victor Osimhen and Dušan Vlahović. Osimhen has been prolific since returning from AFCON 2023, scoring five goals in three games, including a hat-trick in the 6-1 win over Sassuolo. Vlahović, too, has been a constant threat to defences, notching nine goals in seven league appearances in 2024, including three braces. 

Also worth noting is that in the last 11 league meetings between these two sides, 10 have produced winners. Napoli have won 5, while Juventus have also won 5, and one of our betting tips today is for this game to follow the trend of seeing a team leave with all 3 points.  

**Betting Tips:**  

● Victor Osimhen Anytime Scorer  

● Dušan Vlahović Anytime Scorer 

● Double Chance (1-2): Napoli or Juventus to win 

**Sheffield Utd vs. Arsenal**  

Before we even begin, here are some stats for you: 

● In their last three home games in all competitions, Sheffield United have lost 2-5 to Brighton, 0-5 to Aston Villa and 0-5 to Brighton (again). No English team in history has ever conceded 5+ goals in 4 consecutive home games.  

● Arsenal’s last two away games have featured a 6-0 at West Ham and a 5-0 win at Burnley. No English team in history has won 3 consecutive away games by a 5+ goal margin.  

Thinking what I’m thinking?  

The Gunners have been in blistering form in 2024, with their only blip being their late loss at Porto. Key to this run has been 22-year-old Bukayo Saka who is having a standout season, and is one of the contenders for the PFA Player of the Season award. He has 13 goals and 8 assists in 25 league appearances, and has been dominating EPL matches for fun. We expect the Gunners to win big and for the young Englishman to be at the center of that.  

**Betting Tips:**  

● Over 4.5 Total Goals 

● Bukayo Saka Anytime Scorer 

● Arsenal To Score In Both Halves  

**Inter vs. Genoa** 

Inter is playing some of the best football in Europe, and they look scary while at it. Each of their last 4 league games has seen them score 4 goals: a 4-2 win over AS Roma and three 4-0 wins over Salernitana, Leece and Atalanta. The driving force behind Inter's success is their club captain, Lautaro Martínez, who has been nothing short of exceptional. With an outstanding tally of 23 goals in just 24 league appearances, he leads the Serie A goal-scoring charts by a significant margin, with Dušan Vlahović trailing behind at 15 goals. Barring a catastrophic collapse, Lautaro Martínez will lift the Scudetto and Capocannoniere in May.  

Monday night will see Inter host Genoa at the San Siro. The Nerazzurri haven’t lost to Genoa in 9 league games, having won seven and drawn two of those. However, the last two meetings between the teams, both at Genoa, ended in draws. What's truly remarkable is Inter's defensive resilience against Genoa, having conceded only one goal in those nine games. Given their dominant history against the visitors, it's widely expected that Inter will secure another commanding victory.  

**Betting Tips:**  

● Inter to win  

● Lautaro Martínez anytime scorer  

● Inter to Score Over 2.5 goals 

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Another weekend, another chance to win big! Check out the previews of this weekend's big games and boost your chances of winning BIG. ⬇⬇⬇

Betting Tips

Our experts preview the bet of the day & more: Weekend betting tips

● King’s Combo: Erling Haaland to Score & Kevin De Bruyne to Assist

● Man City to Win

● Boosted Odds: Man City to Score Over 2.5 Goals

● Under 2.5 Goals

● Chelsea to Score

● Both Teams to Score

● Over 2.5 Total Goals

● Both Teams to Score

● Over 2.5 Total Goals

● Victor Osimhen Anytime Scorer

● Dušan Vlahović Anytime Scorer

● Double Chance (1-2): Napoli or Juventus to win

● Over 4.5 Total Goals

● Bukayo Saka Anytime Scorer

● Arsenal To Score In Both Halves

● Inter to win

● Lautaro Martínez anytime scorer

● Inter to Score Over 2.5 goals