The Premier League returns this weekend after taking a brief pause for the FA Cup. But, can Liverpool continue their excellent form when they travel to North London to take on Tottenham Hotspur? Meanwhile, Arsenal will also be hoping to lay down their hopes for a top-four finish when they travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool
The talk of Liverpool doing the unthinkable and going the whole season unbeaten is beginning to mount. The Reds have enjoyed a remarkable start to the new season as they have only dropped two points in the opening 20 league games this season. They are yet to lose a game, but they will face a stern test against the side that they beat in the Champions League final.
Tottenham’s form has been a bit up and down over recent weeks, and Jose Mourinho’s attitude has already begun to soar. After their recent defeat against Southampton, Mourinho took aim at Tanguy Ndombele and lamented how he was always injured. Spurs have won just once in their last four, with that victory coming against Brighton & Hove Albion. Tottenham will also be sweating on the fitness of Harry Kane, as the club’s talisman will likely miss the next month with a hamstring problem. How they manage to replace him will be crucial to their top-four hopes, but Heung Min-Son will likely be deployed up front.
Jurgen Klopp’s side holds a dominant record over Spurs, as they have won 84 games against them in the past. Tottenham have only recorded 48 victories, and there have been 42 draws. The last meeting between the sides ended in a 2-1 win for Liverpool. Kane had put Spurs ahead after a minute in that game, but Liverpool struck back through Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah. Punters won’t be betting against Liverpool getting the win again.
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal
Crystal Palace were widely expected to struggle this season, but Roy Hodgson’s side have defied all expectations as they are sitting comfortably in the top half of the table. The Eagles are currently a point and a place above the Gunners in the league standings and could open up a four-point gap if they can get the three points at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
However, Palace’s form has dropped off somewhat over their past five league games as they have only won once. That victory came at home against West Ham United, as Cheikhou Kouyate and Jordan Ayew scored the goals. They lost in their last fixture at Selhurst Park, as Derby County knocked them out of the cup with a 1-0 win. That was a much-changed Eagles side, and they will be back at full strength for this clash with the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta has enjoyed a fine start to his career at the Gunners. The performances have been much improved since the Unai Emery era, and they are just five points behind Manchester United and four points behind Tottenham Hotspur. If they can get on a good run of results, then they could easily pull themselves within contention of a top-four finish. They struggled in their last game, as they were just about able to get over the line against Leeds United with a 1-0 win. The Gunners rode their luck in the first half before Reiss Nelson eventually scored the match-clinching goal.
The Eagles have a dreadful record against the Gunners as they have only won on five occasions. Arsenal have reigned supreme on 28 occasions, and there have been 13 draws. This fixture tends to have goals, as there has been an average of 4.6 in the last five meetings. Punters could find a lucrative option by betting on over 2.5 goals in this clash.
