Liverpool vs Chelsea
Wednesday 14th August 2019
UEFA Super Cup Final, Vodafone Park, Istanbul, Turkey
Live on BT Sport 2 – Kick-Off: 20:00 BST
European Champions Liverpool take on Premier League rivals Chelsea in the Super Cup with both sides looking for their first piece of silverware of the season.
The Reds kicked off their campaign with the perfect opening day result. Their 4-1 win over Norwich City sent a statement to the rest of the league that they are desperate go win their first Premier League title. Mohamad Salah got his season off to a strong start and looked menacing against the Canaries’ powderpuff defence.
Sadio Mane was left out the starting XI, replaced by Divock Origi who got Liverpool’s third. The Malian international had only trained for one week prior to the game so it wasn’t a surprise to see him on the bench. However, after Origi’s strong display, Jurgen Klopp has a decision on his hands for his match. With another tough game at Southampton this weekend, I think Klopp might stick with the Belgian down the left.
Joe Gomez seems to have established himself as Virgil van Dijk’s first-choice partner, edging out Joel Matip. Dejan Lovren look to be on the verge of a move to AS Roma, so the Englishman will be next to the big Dutchman at the heart of the backline.
Chelsea will be hoping for a swift response to their 4-0 drubbing from Manchester United. Frank Lampard has welcomed back Willian and Antonio Rudiger to his squad but N’Golo Kante has a minor knock and is unlikely to play.
The Frenchman was a substitute in the Old Trafford defeat but has aggravated his injury, which is a blow to their hopes. Mason Mount, who was one of the Blues’ best performers on Sunday and is in line for another start against a top Premier League side.
Lampard’s biggest call is at the top end of the field. He has to decide whether to start the dynamic Christian Pulisic against Liverpool, or opt for Ross Barkley as a wide midfielder. Similarly, it will be interesting to see if he sticks with Tammy Abraham upfront, or offers a chance to Olivier Giroud or Michy Batshuayi
Stéphanie Frappart will make history on Wednesday as she becomes the first female referee to take charge of a major UEFA men’s match in Istanbul. She officiated only two Ligue 1 matches last season, brandishing nine yellow cards. With that in mind, I’d recommend a maximum of 60+ booking points for this fixture.
Liverpool and Chelsea couldn’t have had more opposite results at the weekend. Chelsea will be licking their wounds, whilst Liverpool are full of confidence. As a result, I’m going for the Reds, who are the slicker and better all-round side.
Liverpool vs Chelsea will play in the European Super Cup final which will be televised live in the UK on BT Sport 2 with kick off at 20:00 BST.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Chelsea
Suggested Tips – Liverpool vs Chelsea – (SKYBET)
- Correct Score – Liverpool to win 3-1 – 12/1.
- Price Boost – Mohamed Salah to score first – 9/2.
- Player Stats RequestABets – Van Dijk & Giroud to score a header – 100/1.
- Penalty Specials – A penalty to be scored – 11/4.
- RequestABet Specials Up to 10/1 – Salah to score and Kante to be carded – 7/1.
- RequestABet Specials Up to 10/1 – Liverpool to win by 2+ Goals and BTTS (YES) – 9/2.
- RequestABet Specials 80/1 and above – Firmino & Wijnaldum to score, Liverpool 3-0 and 8+ match corners – 125/1.
- Player Stat RequestABet – Van Dijk & Giroud to score a header – 100/1.
- Popular RequestABet – Chelsea to win, BTTS, 4+ corners each team and 20+ booking points each team – 50/1. (Outsider/Cover Bet).
- Cross Sport RequestABet – Farzeen (Kempton 19:10) & Liverpool Both to Win – 5/2. (Found in Horse Racing > Specials > RequestABet Cross Sport Specials). Markets updated at 17:35 PM on Wednesday 14th August 2019. Keep checking back to closer to kick off for any updates to picks.
Manchester United vs Chelsea – Match Preview
Manchester United vs Chelsea
Sunday 11th August 2019
FA Premier League, Old Trafford
Live on Sky Sports Premier League – Kick-Off: 16:30 BST
Frank Lampard will make his Chelsea managerial debut at Old Trafford as they look to get off to the perfect start against Manchester United.
The Red Devils will be hoping to build on last season’s sixth-place finish but will be without the services of Romelu Lukaku after he moved to Inter Milan. Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial will lead the line this season in the Belgian’s absence.
Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire should all make their debut for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side on Sunday. United’s world-record defender needs to hit the ground running at Old Trafford after the club splashed out £80m to bring him to Manchester. The Englishman will line-up alongside Victor Lindelof and hope to make a strong partnership for years to come with the Swedish defender.
James has made quite the impression during pre-season and has featured in every single one of their games. His link-up with Wan-Bissaka down the right has been impressive, with his raw pace and natural width offering United a different threat to the likes of Jesse Lingard, Martial and Alexis Sanchez.
Solskjaer struggled at the back end of last season after being appointed as the permanent manager and he will need a quick start to prove any doubters wrong. He’s had a full summer to implement his style and philosophy on the group, so expect them to try and press high and attack at pace.
Chelsea have a very new look about them under Lampard. David Luiz and Eden Hazard have both left. Christian Pulisic and Matteo Kovacic are their only additions, due to their transfer ban. Lampard will give youth a chance this season, so expect to see Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christiansen and Tammy Abraham all start at Old Trafford.
Upfront is the Blues’ weakest area, with Olivier Giroud and Michy Batshuayi the only competition for Abraham. The future is looking bright, though, with Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi expected to play major roles in their team this time around. The question will be who will step up to the plate to fill Hazard’s shoes.
Lampard will automatically command respect from his player but it will be interesting to see how they shape up. He favoured a 4-3-3 at Derby County or even a midfield diamond, but Chelsea have mainly operated in a 4-2-3-1 system in pre-season. That should give Ross Barkley license to create, with N’Golo Kante sat next to Jorginho behind him.
Anthony Taylor is the referee for this match. The Englishman racked up an average booking points total of 31.8, across 48 Premier League matches last season. With that in mind, I would recommend a maximum of 50+ booking points for this fixture.
Both teams are going through transitional periods but I’m not sold on Chelsea’s striking options. That could give United the edge, in my view.
Manchester United vs Chelsea will be televised live in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League with kick off at 16:30 BST.
Prediction: Manchester United 1-0 Chelsea
Suggested Tips – Manchester United vs Chelsea – (BET365)
- Correct Score – Manchester United 1-0 – (link no longer available).
- Anytime Goalscorer – Harry Maguire – (link no longer available).
- First Goalscorer – Anthony Martial – (link no longer available).
Suggested Tips – Manchester United vs Chelsea – (SKYBET)
-
RequestABet Specials 80/1 and above – Manchester Utd 1-0 and Zouma, Azpilicueta & Jorginho to be carded – 350/1.
- Winning Margin – Manchester United to win by exactly 1 goal – 11/4.
- Popular Player Stats RequestABets – Maguire to score a header and Chelsea to score a penalty – 100/1.
- Popular Player Stats RequestABets – Zouma to score a header and Pogba to score from outside the area – 150/1.
- RequestABet Specials 11/1 to 28/1 – Draw 0-0 and 30+ match booking pts – 11/1.
RequestABet Specials 80/1 and above – Lacazette to score, Arsenal 1-0, Xhaka to be carded and Under 50 match booking points – 150/1.- Popular Player Stats RequestABets – Pogba & Mount 1+ shots on target each – 13/8. Markets updated at 12:20 PM on Sunday 11th August 2019. Keep checking back to closer to kick off for any updates to picks.
Newcastle United vs Arsenal – Match Preview
Newcastle United vs Arsenal
Sunday 11th August 2019
FA Premier League, St James’ ParkLive on Sky Sports Premier League – Kick-Off: 14:00 BST
Arsenal will be hoping to get their Champions League push off to the perfect start when they take on relegation-tipped Newcastle United.
The Gunners could offer debuts to David Luiz and Kieran Tierney at St James’ Park, following their Deadline Day transfer from Chelsea and Celtic, respectively. The defensive duo have been brought in to bolster Unai Emery’s leaky defence. Tierney, a long-term target is a snip at £25m, whilst has bags of Premier League experience, although his defending can leave something to be desired.
Either way, they are recruits that will help Arsenal’s ongoing problems at the back. Nicolas Pepe and Dani Ceballos, meanwhile, will offer creativity in midfield and goals in attack. Pepe will join Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in attack to create a formidable front three. It was the latter two that almost single-handedly took Arsenal to the Champions League last season, but their defence, in the end, let them down.
Champions League football is once again the target for Emery and his squad and this time around there will be a much greater pressure on them to reach the top four. With the likes of Mesut Ozil, Pepe, Lacazette and Aubameyang, they could become restless if they aren’t playing in Europe’s elite competition.
Newcastle have had a summer of turmoil of the pitch, with Steve Bruce controversially elected as the man to replace Rafa Benitez. The former Sheffield Wednesday boss has brought in Joelinton for a club-record £40m fee, whilst Allan Saint-Maximin will offer good width down the right-hand side.
Much will depend on how quickly their new Brazilian striker can settle, after the Magpies let Ayoze Perez and Solomon Rondon depart. The club will be pleased to have hung on to youngster Sean Longstaff, who made his Premier League breakthrough last season. He could prove to be a big player for Bruce after they fended off interest from Manchester United throughout the summer.
Martin Atkinson is the referee for this match. The Englishman racked up an average booking points total of 32.8, across 43 Premier League matches last season. With that in mind, I would recommend a maximum of 50+ booking points for this fixture.
It will be interesting to see how Newcastle settle in under Bruce. Their signings on paper, are strong, but the turmoil off the pitch could prove to be a stumbling block. Arsenal, similarly, need to bed in their new additions. I’m going to plump for an away win, but it might be tighter than some would expect.
Newcastle United vs Arsenal will be televised live in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League with kick of at 14:00 BST.
Prediction: Newcastle United 1-3 Arsenal
Suggested Tips – Newcastle United vs Arsenal – (BET365)
- Correct Score – Arsenal 3-1 – (link no longer available).
- First Goalscorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – (link no longer available).
Suggested Tips – Newcastle United vs Arsenal – (SKYBET)
- Player Stat RequestABet – Over 1.5 goals, Joelinton & Aubameyang 1+ shots on target each, 3+ corners each team and 20+ match booking pts – 9/4.
- To Score and Win – Joe Willock – 13/2.
- Winning Margin – Arsenal by exactly 2 goals – 4/1.
- Popular Player Stats RequestABets – Lacazette to score a header and Newcastle to score a penalty – 125/1.
- RequestABet Specials 80/1 and above – Lacazette to score, Arsenal 1-0, Xhaka to be carded and Under 50 match booking points – 150/1.
Markets updated at 17:50 PM on Friday 9th August 2019. Keep checking back to closer to kick off for any updates to picks.