PREMIER LEAGUE SUNDAY: We preview Sunday’s three Premier League games with a recommended BETDAQ bet and extended stats for each match. Including the weekend highlight MAN U v CHELSEA at 4.30pm.
LEICESTER V WOLVES
2pm It’s the first Super Sunday of the new Premier League season and although Manchester United v Chelsea will be the highlight, we have two early games to enjoy. We start with Leicester hosting Wolves in what should be a pretty even game between two evenly matched sides. It seems like a lifetime ago that Leicester were reigning Premier League Champions and now their aim will be to at least challenge for a Europa League spot. Wolves will have the same aim for this season after getting a Europa League spot last season; along with a domestic Cup run and it will be very interesting to see how they get on today.
The match odds at the time of writing currently trade; Leicester 2.3, Wolves 3.6 and the draw is 3.35. There’s no doubt that Leicester improved under Brendan Rodgers when he came in last season and they will surely be stronger this year after he’s had a whole pre-season to work with the side. Wolves have a very settled squad and have had a very good pre-season too. We can see this one being a lot closer than odds of 2.3 on Leicester suggest and from a value point of view, we’re happy to lay the home side.
BETDAQ BEST BET:
Lay Leicester at 2.3.
You can view all markets here -> http://bit.ly/BDQLcrWlv
MATCH STATS
- Leicester City’s first home game and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ first away game in the Premier League last season was in this fixture at the King Power Stadium on MD2. Leicester City prevailed 2-0.
- The last meeting between Leicester and Wolves was in January 2019, with Wolverhampton Wanderers winning 4-3 at Molineux thanks to a last-minute winner from Diogo Jota.
- The last time that Leicester and Wolves met on the opening matchday of a league season was in 1934-35 (1-1 draw at Leicester City) – that season, the Foxes were relegated from the top-flight.
- Leicester have lost their last three opening games to a league season. However, when kicking off the campaign at home the Foxes haven’t lost since 2007-08 against Blackpool in the Championship, winning four and drawing one since.
- This is the first time ever that Wolves are playing their first top-flight game of the season on a Sunday, while the only previous occasion Leicester kicked-off their top-flight campaign on Sunday was in 1994-95 in a 1-3 defeat to Newcastle.
- Leicester kept a clean sheet in each of their last two home games in 2018-19. They’ve not gone three league games without conceding at the King Power Stadium since May 2017.
- Wolves have won just one of their last seven away Premier League games (D2 L4), with that win coming at Watford in April.
- In their 4-3 victory over Leicester in January, Diogo Jota became the first Wolves player to score a top-flight hat-trick since John Richards in October 1977 (also against Leicester City). He also became the second Portuguese player to score a Premier League hat-trick after Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers has drawn both of his Premier League meetings with Wolves (as Swansea manager in 2011-12). Wolves are one of just three teams Rodgers has faced but failed to beat in the competition (also Chelsea and Watford).
- Leicester striker Jamie Vardy has scored four goals in his last four Premier League opening weekend matches. Vardy has also scored 53% of Leicester’s Premier League goals under Brendan Rodgers (9/17).
NEWCASTLE V ARSENAL
2pm As always, Arsenal have been a huge talking point in the Transfer Window! Who knows how the signing of David Luiz will turn out – the reality is he’s probably not what Arsenal needed at the back, but they have ended up with him and will hope he can keep things tight. One suspects we will see a host of goals in Arsenal games this season – both for and against and they are bound to be a very enjoyable side to watch from a neutral point of view. Newcastle will fancy their chances of collecting three points here given Arsenal’s poor away record in recent seasons!
The match odds at the time of writing currently trade; Newcastle 4.5, Arsenal 1.89 and the draw is 3.95. It may be a new season but that doesn’t mean that Arsenal recent away record goes away. We simply have to lay them at 1.89 which looks exceptionally short – indeed it looks the best lay of the first weekend in the Premier League. Newcastle have had a tough summer, but we simply can’t have Arsenal odds on away from home to beat them and we’re happy to lay the 1.89.
BETDAQ BEST BET:
Lay Arsenal at 1.89.
You can view all markets here -> http://bit.ly/BDQNwcArs
MATCH STATS
- Arsenal have won 12 of their last 13 competitive fixtures against Newcastle United, losing only once in this run: 1-2 at St James’ Park in April 2018.
- The last time Newcastle and Arsenal met on MD1 of a Premier League season was back in 2011-12, when they played out a 0-0 draw at St James’ Park.
- The last time that Arsenal played an away game on the opening matchday of a league season was against Newcastle in 2011-12. This will be the first time in eight seasons that Arsenal haven’t opened a league campaign with a match at the Emirates Stadium.
- Arsenal have lost four of their last six matches on the opening matchday of a Premier League season: 1-3 at home to Aston Villa in 2013-14, 0-2 at home to West Ham in 2015-16, 3-4 at home to Liverpool in 2016-17 and 0-2 at home to Manchester City in 2018-19.
- Newcastle haven’t won their opening league game of a season since 2012-13 (2-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur). Since then, they have lost five and drawn one of their MD1 matches in the last six seasons, including one game in the Championship.
- Just one of Newcastle’s last 25 Premier League home games has ended in a draw (W13 L11), 0-0 with Fulham in December 2018. The Magpies have won six of their last eight at St James’ Park (L2), though those two defeats have come in their last three games.
- Arsenal kept just one clean sheet in their 19 away league games last season (1-0 at Watford), with only 15th placed Burnley (36), 14th placed Bournemouth (45) and the bottom two clubs Fulham and Huddersfield (both 45) conceding more away goals than the Gunners last term (35).
- New Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce will become only the second person to manage both Newcastle and Sunderland in a league match, after Sam Allardyce.
- Newcastle manager Steve Bruce has lost more games in all competitions against Arsenal than he has against any other side in his managerial career (19), beating the Gunners just twice in 27 previous meetings (May 2005 with Birmingham and November 2009 with Sunderland).
- 13 of Arsenal’s last 17 goals in all competitions have been scored by either Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (9) or Alexandre Lacazette (4).
MANCHESTER UNITED V CHELSEA
4.30pm This is undoubtedly the highlight of the weekend and the Premier League fixtures have saved the best until last! Manchester United have had an odd summer; it started with Pogba wanting to leave and ended with high profile targets not wanting to come. Perhaps that is a sign of the times at Old Trafford. They have improved their back four with the signing of Harry Maguire and he could prove to be a massive success – United really need a solid base at the back and he could provide that. The main aim will be to break back into the Top Four, but Chelsea will really want to spoil the party!
The match odds at the time of writing currently trade; Manchester United 2.3, Chelsea 3.65 and the draw is trading 3.4 at the time of writing. United look a little short at 2.3 given that Chelsea looked like a better side than them last season. They will be desperate to get off to a good start after the poor start last season with Mourinho complaining about transfers and such. Laying United is tempting at 2.3; however we can’t see past a draw here at 3.4 and that looks great value. Untied aren’t the force of old but home advantage should make this a very close affair and Chelsea can leave Old Trafford with a point.
BETDAQ BEST BET:
Draw at 3.4.
You can view all markets here -> http://bit.ly/BDQMnuCls
MATCH STATS
- This will be the first meeting between Manchester United and Chelsea on MD1 of a league season since 2004-05, when Jose Mourinho took charge of his first-ever Premier League match and Chelsea prevailed 1-0 thanks to an Eiður Guðjohnsen goal. Chelsea went on to win the league title that season.
- Manchester United have won just two of their last 13 Premier League meetings with Chelsea (W2 D6 L5) but are unbeaten in six home games against them in the competition (W2 D4 L0).
- Manchester United won just seven points in 10 matches against the ‘big six’ in the Premier League last season; the joint-fewest of the ‘big six’ clubs alongside Tottenham Hotspur (also 7).
- Manchester United have lost more Premier League games (18) and conceded more Premier League goals (71) against Chelsea than they have against any other team.
- The last time that Manchester United played Chelsea at home on the opening matchday of a league season was in 1958-59. United won 5-2 with Bobby Charlton scoring a hat-trick.
- Manchester United (18) and Chelsea (17) have won more opening weekend fixtures than any other side in the Premier League.
- Chelsea have never lost when playing their first Premier League game of the season on a Sunday, with the Blues winning eight and drawing three of their 11 such games.
- When kicking off a top-flight campaign at home, Manchester United have lost just one of their last 26 matches (W19 D6), losing against Swansea in the 2014-15 campaign.
- Chelsea’s six Premier League wins at Old Trafford have come under six different managers – Glenn Hoddle, Ruud Gullit, Claudio Ranieri, José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benítez. Five of those six were in their first league visit to the stadium with the Blues, with Ranieri being the exception.
- This will be the first ever competitive meeting between Manchester United and Chelsea where both managers also previously played for their respective clubs.
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