The Premier League is back in full flow after the international break, and Grosvenor Sport ambassador Jamie O’Hara is on hand to break down three must-watch matchups, including Chelsea’s trip to Liverpool on Sunday.
Tottenham vs West Ham – Saturday 12:30
It may be a good thing that the international break came when it did for Tottenham after the disastrous loss to Brighton. The break can give players a chance to either rest or regain their form ahead of this big London derby against West Ham. You have to let results like that go, put them behind you, and say that can never happen again. It was a complete capitulation.
For 45 minutes of that Brighton game, Tottenham played really well, but those kinds of losses can’t happen. I’ve said it before: Tottenham need to have more adaptability. Ange Postecoglou needs to take a certain amount of blame for it, but the players need to take the majority of the responsibility; they need to be harder to beat.
I still expect Tottenham to beat West Ham. West Ham have put in some decent performances, and the manager needs to be given more time; you can’t judge him after seven games. They’ve played some good football. West Ham are just West Ham at the end of the day; they are never going to get to that next level.
If Lopetegui can bring in what David Moyes has but with better football, then the fans will be happy, but I can’t see West Ham doing what Aston Villa have done.
Prediction: Tottenham 2-1 West Ham (13/2)
Bournemouth vs Arsenal – Saturday 17:30
I always feel Bournemouth is a tough place to go and they are a good side, but let’s be honest, Arsenal are on another planet! Bournemouth need to try and make it more difficult for them. We’ve seen this season that Arsenal might not run away with the game, so Bournemouth need to make it as tight as possible. It’s a small ground, so get the South Coast rocking and you never know!
That being said, I don’t see anything other than an Arsenal win here. So there isn’t much point in going into too much detail. I think Bournemouth are good but not good enough to beat Arsenal!
Prediction: Bournemouth 1-3 Arsenal (21/2)
Liverpool vs Chelsea – Sunday 16:30
I would say that Arne Slot has made Liverpool tighter at the back, and they are less open now than they were under Jürgen Klopp. They’ve obviously worked hard on their defensive positions. A lot of the time in previous seasons, the full-backs—Trent Alexander-Arnold especially—got caught up high and left Virgil van Dijk exposed at the back.
However, I think Liverpool look a lot harder to beat now, and that is shown by the fact they have only conceded two goals this season so far. Arne Slot deserves a lot of credit, but at the end of the day, he did have an unbelievable squad at his disposal.
As for Chelsea, they have also been mightily impressive. Maresca has come in and set his stall out, saying these are the players I want to use, and they’ve been good under him. The defence is still an issue for them, but in attacking phases, they’ve played some really exciting football.
This is a massive game, as it is Liverpool’s first real test. They haven’t had a real test yet, and this will really decide for me whether they are real title contenders or not. Let’s see what they’re really about!
Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea (13/2)
O’Hara’s Hotspots: Liverpool vs Chelsea Bet Builder
- Liverpool to win
- Both teams to score
- Over 5.5 cards in the game
BOOSTED ODDS FROM 17/4 TO 5/1