We’ve finally got through those first couple of months with all the rain and the dark morning and early dark evenings and we’re now into March. Over the last couple of weeks we’ve seen Arsenal re-take the lead at the top of the table and we’ve seen a scrap at the bottom. With a few teams getting out of the mire and a few getting sucked into it. Here is my weekend accy tip for your Saturday afternoon.
ARSENAL vs Bournemouth (3PM, GMT, Saturday)
I suppose it wouldn’t take a genius to tip up Arsenal to beat struggling Bournemouth at home and in a way we can use this as our weekend banker (although is there ever really a true banker?) but it’s as close as possible to one, this weekend. Arsenal are now back at the top of the league. They got a solid revenge win over Everton 4-0 last night (of the time of press) and they’re sitting 5pts clear of Manchester City. They’ve won 3 in a row now and haven’t conceded for 2 matches.
Bournemouth sit 2nd bottom and went back to losing ways with a 4-1 beating from Manchester City. The 1-0 away win to Wolves was almost “random” sandwiched between a winless spell since November. Arsenal sit 2nd in the Home form table, whilst Bournemouth are 16th on the away form table. If we look at the last 8 matches though, they sit bottom along with Crystal Palace.
Last time they played Arsenal won 3-0 and it wouldn’t surprise me to see something similar this weekend.
ASTON VILLA vs Crystal Palace (3PM, GMT, Saturday)
Next up, I’m taking Aston Villa to win at home to Crystal Palace. Palace, the “draw specialists” with 5 draws in their last 8. They haven’t scored more than 1 in the last 8 and I think Villa will score more than 1. They’ve done so in their last 3 home matches and in 5 out of their last 8 matches. Palace concede in nearly three thirds of the matches they’ve played away this season. With all this in mind I think siding with Villa looks the play. Perhaps it’s a match in which we’ll look also look at the BTTS market. That’s for a separate post though.
Wolves vs TOTTENHAM (3pm, GMT, Saturday)
My third pick is Spurs to get back to winning ways after their shock FA Cup exit, to the hands of Sheffield United. Spurs actually have a good away record this season. They’ve managed 18pts this season away, which puts them joint 4th with Newcastle and Brighton. Meanwhile Wolves sit at a lowly 17th in their home form stats. Spurs have lost 2 from their last 4 away but those two defeats have been against Manchester City and Leicester. The Leicester result was quite freakish and Conte made changes after that one. Changes that have seen them win their next 2 matches 2-0 and 2-0.
Wolves last 3 matches have been pretty poor. They’ve won 3 in their last 8 which isn’t horrible for a team like Wolves but they would have expected more than 1pt against Bournemouth and Fulham. The defeat to Bournemouth was really poor for them. I think Spurs win this one.
BRIGHTON vs West Ham (3pm, GMT, Saturday)
We finish off with Brighton taking on West Ham. West Ham have just gone out the FA Cup to Manchester United. They actually played pretty well in that match and had their chances to win. Eventually, after holding a 1-0 lead, they scored an own goal and then just let their belly be ticked. I think there might be a little bit of a hangover in that match and they now face a team very much labelled “A Bogey team” for the Hammers.
Brighton’s last match was a pretty poor performance and losing 1-0 at home to Fulham is just not good enough for them. Only a few weeks ago, Brighton were scoring plenty of goals and winning matches but in their last 3, it’s gone 1-0, 1-1 and losing 0-1 and so goals do seem to have dried up. West Ham looked much better in their 4-0 home win to Forest but away from home they are woefully short and have sit joint bottom with Forest and Leeds for away form.
Bizarrely West Ham haven’t beaten Brighton for 9 matches. They went through a period of 6 draws in a row but have since lost the last 2 matches (both last year) 3-1 and 2-0. I think West Ham may score, although the stats say they will not. Either way, I think Brighton look the pick.
4-fold 9/1 bet365
