EPL Preview 8-22-21

Southampton v. Manchester United

Southampton kicked off their season with a woeful performance in a 3-1 loss to Everton. Their lack of punch at the attacking end shows the painful loss of former striker Danny Ings while their inability to defend says the same about the departed Jannik Vestergaard. Southampton was a team I picked to face a relegation battle this season and things don’t get any easier for them in this matchup. Manchester United wiped the floor with Leeds United to open their season as they had a bombardment of goals in a 5-1 thriller. The Red Devils finished 2nd last season and are labeled as title contenders after a strong summer transfer window that infused new talents Jadon Sancho in attack and Raphael Varane in central defense. I personally don’t think this game will be close.

The Bet: Manchester United to Win

Alternate Bet: Manchester United to Cover 1.5 Goals

Prediction: Southampton 0-3 Manchester United

Wolverhampton Wanderers v. Tottenham Hotspur

Wolverhampton began their season with a 1-0 loss to Leicester City last weekend. Wolves weren’t awful in the match but couldn’t find a breakthrough at the offensive end, something that has plagued them for many months now. Tottenham scored the surprise victory of the opening weekend when they knocked off reigning champions, Manchester City, with a 1-0 win. Spurs are unlikely to match that performance this week, however, as the comedown from a big win at home normally drags a team back to mediocrity when they play on the road the following weekend. As good as this match could be on paper, it will be boring live.

The Bet: Under 2.5 Total Goals

Alternate Bet: Draw

Prediction: Wolves 1-1 Spurs

Arsenal v. Chelsea

Boy oh boy do we have a special one here. A London Derby this early in the year is always a treat but even more so when it features two teams full of drama, for all the wrong and right reasons. First let's start with the wrong reasons and why Arsenal are an embarrassment to their supporters. The Gunners got handled by newly promoted Brentford in their first game of the season losing 2-0. Arsenal were shambolic in defense and pitiful in attack making for a dreadful performance all around. Arsenal is likely to remain without several key contributors which could lead to another poor showing from Mikel Arteta’s squad. Chelsea on the other hand is the pride of London and Europe. The reigning Champions League winners absolutely demolished Crystal Palace 3-0 to start their title charge. Now the Blues get to welcome elite striker Romelu Lukaku to the fold against a team with no identity in defense, this could get ugly.

The Bet: Chelsea to Win

Alternate Bet: Chelsea to Keep a Clean Sheet

Prediction: Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea

Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Transfer of the Day: Romelu Lukaku, F, Chelsea

It is a chalky pick but it is the right one regardless. Lukaku is a world class center forward and he will be introduced to an elite squad tomorrow when he debuts for Chelsea. Assuming he starts with the first team, the clinical target man will be getting service from all areas of the pitch and is a shoe-in to find the back of the net. He comes in at an expensive $11.5 price tag but he is $0.9 cheaper than Harry Kane so if you make this exact change, much like I did, you actually save money and can reinvest it in other areas of your squad.

Rest of World Round-Up:

Serie A:

Roma v. Fiorentina

The Bet: Draw

Ligue 1:

Nice v. Marseille

The Bet: Over 2.5 Total Goals