Back
There are two headline matches during the peculiarly-scheduled Gameweek 9 of Premier League action.
Manchester United’s trip to Chelsea kicks off a lesser-seen slate of eight games on Halloween this Saturday, with two under-fire managers desperately scrambling for three precious points.
One would anticipate a higher-quality affair when reigning champions Arsenal visit Liverpool in Sunday’s only match, with the in-form Reds providing a significant test of the Gunners’ title-winning credentials.
Elsewhere, there are plenty of other narratives to follow up and down the division, so here are Sports Illustrated’s predictions for Gameweek 9.
Prediction: Chelsea 2–1 Man Utd
Xabi Alonso is feeling the pressure after some disappointing performances form his Chelsea team this season, but all eyes are on his opposite number in the away dugout at Stamford Bridge this Saturday.
Michael Carrick has been retained for the trip to west London despite Manchester United’s disastrous start to the season, which hit dizzying new lows with back-to-back three-goal defeats to Como and Bournemouth. But the battle with Chelsea feels make-or-break for the 45-year-old.
Having held clear-the-air talks with the dissenting Bruno Fernandes and the rest of his roster, Carrick will hope for a reset against Chelsea. The Red Devils won both meetings last season, including an impressive 1–0 win at Stamford Bridge during Carrick’s interim stint, and can take solace from João Pedro’s continued absence.
The Brazilian is essential for the Blues, as evidenced by defeats to Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur while he’s been sidelined, but Chelsea do at least boast home advantage for a match of fine margins. That could prove the difference between two struggling giants.
Prediction: Bournemouth 2–1 Leeds
Bournemouth supporters must believe they’ve have been living in some kind of utopian simulation over the past over the past five matches. The Cherries have beaten Sturm Graz, AC Milan, Manchester United and Aston Villa 3–0 across three different competitions, while also managing another clean sheet in the 2–0 victory over Sunderland.
It’s a reminder of just how far Bournemouth have come over the past decade, and their winning run could be extended to six matches when Leeds United come to town on Saturday.
The Whites are without victory in four and might simply be overpowered by their in-form hosts, who are really beginning to purr under Marco Rose. A fearsome forward line containing the likes of Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson has just been bolstered by Eli Junior Kroupi’s return, too.
Prediction: Brentford 1–1 Nottingham Forest
Half of the Premier League matches involving Brentford and Nottingham Forest this season have ended in draws. To avoid overthinking their upcoming duel at the Gtech Community Stadium, this one has stalemate written all over it.
Forest certainly need the points more having collected just six from a possible 24 this term—a tally which leaves them in the relegation zone. The Oliver Glasner era is yet to ignite, with goalscoring a familiar issue for the Midlands side.
Brentford, by contrast, sit in sixth despite winning just twice in the league. The draw specialists have managed to steadily climb the standings by simply avoiding defeat, and they should notch at least another point this weekend.
Prediction: Coventry 0–0 Sunderland
The Premier League’s bottom two lock horns when Sunderland journey to Coventry City for an important encounter. Neither side has impressed early in the campaign, placing even more pressure on the outcome of this one.
Coventry have been brought back down to earth after successive wins, with defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and, more painfully, Fulham leaving them in 19th. They remain an inconsistent beast lacking the star quality to punish establish Premier League sides—for the most part, at least.
Sunderland overperformed last season and are now struggling to juggle European and domestic duties. One would expect them to sort themselves out eventually, but they will be desperate to avoid being cut adrift at the foot of the table.
Prediction: Hull 1–0 Ipswich
Unlike fellow promoted side Coventry, it’s been an encouraging start to the campaign for Hull City and Ipswich Town, who have been rewarded for the vast sums splashed over the summer transfer window.
They have both managed 10 points from their opening eight games, and at least one of them will boost their tally come the conclusion of Saturday’s undoubtedly tense affair at the MKM Stadium.
Despite their identical haul of points, Hull have arguably been superior to Ipswich thus far. Their defensive record has been incredibly impressive—conceding half as many goals as the Tractor Boys—and they could lean on that resilience this weekend.
Prediction: Man City 3–2 Brighton
Wednesday served up a dress rehearsal for the weekend’s meeting between Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion. The Carabao Cup fourth round tie was contested by two heavily rotated teams, with Enzo Maresca’s men eventually triumphing on penalties.
Neutrals will hope for similar excitement during their Premier League collision, especially as both teams enter the match off the back of setbacks last weekend.
The Cityzens surrendered their perfect record as they were deservedly beaten by Aston Villa, while profligacy proved costly for the Seagulls as they were beaten by Liverpool
City’s response is particularly important as they vie with Arsenal early in the Premier League title race, and the returning Erling Haaland could well be the difference at the Etihad Stadium in a potentially high-scoring affair.
Prediction: Tottenham 2–0 Crystal Palace
It had been 14 months since Tottenham had won back-to-back Premier League matches, but victories over Coventry and, most impressively, Chelsea ended that barren run. Now, for the first time in a long while, Spurs are in confident mood.
There have been false dawns for Tottenham previously, but optimism is justified. There is evidence that summer signings are beginning to click after slow starts, while the club’s formerly misfiring attackers are starting to find a clinical edge.
Palace remain completely unpredictable under Pierre Sage, meaning it’s feasible they upset the odds in north London. However, a third successive Premier League win for Tottenham appears the likeliest outcome.
Prediction: Aston Villa 3–0 Fulham
Unai Emery’s tactical acumen and exceptional man-management ability have been on show following this summer’s enforced rebuild at Aston Villa. His side was decimated by outgoings, but, despite a slow start to the season, he’s been able to facilitate a return to form for the Europa League holders.
Villa’s mightily impressive win over Man City last weekend was followed by a less optimal 3–0 defeat at Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup, but Emery’s men should still be soaring with belief when Fulham visit the Midlands.
The Cottagers were far too open in Álvaro Arbeloa’s first few matches, but they have gone completely the other way now. They are seriously struggling to score, with their last three matches ending 1–0—albeit two of those were wins.
Prediction: Liverpool 1–2 Arsenal
Basque buddies go head-to-head when Andoni Iraola’s Reds host Mikel Arteta’s Gunners in an enticing heavyweight clash.
Including their penalty shootout triumph over Chelsea midweek, Liverpool have won seven of their last eight matches in all competitions as Iraola begins to get a more consistent tune out of his star-studded roster.
The 44-year-old’s high-intensity philosophy is reaping rewards and certainly offering greater excitement for supporters than Arne Slot’s comparatively sluggish approach.
Arsenal, meanwhile, arrive at Anfield having suffered humiliation at the hands of Fleetwood Town in the cup midweek, as they were inexplicably knocked out of the competition by the League Two side on penalties.
Arteta’s men have generally overcome such setbacks admirably in recent years, and they will need to raise their standards significantly when journeying to Merseyside. One would anticipate them doing exactly that as the likes of David Raya, Gabriel, Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard return to the starting XI.
Liverpool won this fixture courtesy of a stunning Dominik Szoboszlai free kick early last season, but it could be the Gunners who taste victory in the latest instalment of a consistently entertaining Premier League fixture.
Prediction: Newcastle 1–1 Everton
Man City vs. Brighton isn’t the only Carabao Cup fourth round tie which repeats itself in the Premier League during Gameweek 9.
For the second time in the space of four days, Newcastle United and Everton will face one another, albeit the cup clash was held on Merseyside rather than Tyneside.
Both clubs have endured fairly mediocre starts to the season littered with inconsistencies. They’re unpredictable from week to week, with only one point separating them in the standings at present, and it’s anyone’s guess who prospers at St. James’ Park.
This could prove an unspectacular offering on Monday night with no winner.
Date |
Kickoff Time |
Fixture |
Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, Oct. 31 |
12:30 p.m. GMT / 8:30 a.m. ET |
Chelsea vs. Man Utd |
2–1 |
Saturday, Oct. 31 |
3 p.m. GMT / 11 a.m. ET |
Bournemouth vs. Leeds |
2–1 |
Saturday, Oct. 31 |
3 p.m. GMT / 11 a.m. ET |
Brentford vs. Nott‘m Forest |
1–1 |
Saturday, Oct. 31 |
3 p.m. GMT / 11 a.m. ET |
Coventry vs. Sunderland |
0–0 |
Saturday, Oct. 31 |
3 p.m. GMT / 11 a.m. ET |
Hull vs. Ipswich |
1–0 |
Saturday, Oct. 31 |
3 p.m. GMT / 11 a.m. ET |
Man City vs. Brighton |
3–2 |
Saturday, Oct. 31 |
5:30 p.m. GMT / 1:30 p.m. ET |
Tottenham vs. Crystal Palace |
2–0 |
Saturday, Oct. 31 |
8 p.m. GMT / 4 p.m. ET |
Aston Villa vs. Fulham |
3–0 |
Sunday, Nov. 1 |
4:30 p.m. GMT / 11:30 a.m. ET |
Liverpool vs. Arsenal |
1–2 |
Monday, Nov. 2 |
8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET |
Newcastle vs. Everton |
Back
Top
| Privacy Statement Terms of Service Contact |
Refresh
|
All the best breaking news stories from Apex Scores Lite. Optimised for feature phones and low end Android devices, Apex Scores Lite helps users with legacy devices and poor network connectivity access the latest football news and live scores. Particularly relevant for breaking football news in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.