October 15, (THEWILL) – The English Premier League returns after a long break for international football.
Before the latest international fixtures got in the way, there were a lot of intriguing stories bubbling away, with plenty of exciting games in store for EPL fans this weekend.
Below are the exciting matchups:
Watford Versus Liverpool
The Claudio Ranieri era at Vicarage Road could not be off to a tougher start than this, with Liverpool visiting Hertfordshire on Saturday at 12.30 p.m.
Despite the absence of Fabinho and Alisson due to international duty conflicts, as well as Diogo Jota and Thiago Alcantara due to injury, the Reds should be able to secure the three points without too much difficulty.
The wise warning is that Ranieri’s antecedents should not be taken for granted. If the manager can harness the talents of Nigerian forward Emmanuel Dennis to form a double-pronged attack force with Ismaila Sarr to brin bang in the goals the team requires, they will give teams against them a lot to think about.
Plus, there is always the new manager bounce to look forward to.
Leeds vs. Southampton
When Southampton and Leeds meet at St Mary’s this weekend at 3 p.m., both teams will be desperate for three points.
The two sides have had a mixed start to the season, and despite the fact that it is early in the season, neither will want to be dragged into a relegation battle.
This should be an open match between Marcelo Bielsa and Ralph Hasenhuttl, two of the most intriguing tacticians in the Premier League. However, there is much to support the outlook that it could be a win for the Whites.
Norwich City Versus Brighton and Hove Albion
Norwich City, who have only one point from seven Premier League games so far, are already facing the threat of relegation. The club only recently returned to the EPL from the Championship.
On Saturday, when high-flying Brighton visit town at 3 pm, things are not going to get any easier.
The Seagulls have only lost once this season and are only two points behind league leaders Chelsea. As much as it will be consoling for Daniel Farke and his charges to iron out their first win of the season, it is difficult to see how they can find a way to do that against Brighton in their current form.
Aston Villa Versus Wolverhampton Wanderers
At 3 p.m. on Saturday, Villa Park will be rocking as Midlands rivals Wolves make the short trip to face Dean Smith’s side.
The two teams are separated by a single point heading into this match, with Bruno Lage’s charges having recovered admirably from a shaky start in recent weeks.
On this occasion, Villa should have just enough to win in front of a raucous home crowd, with Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez still in superb form before and during the international break.
Leicester Versus Manchester United
The pressure is on Manchester United’s fortified squad to get a result at the King Power Stadium after a string of poor results that saw them win just once in their previous four games.
They have a mixed bag of ins and outs in the team, with French defender Raphael Varane out injured, but pacy forward Marcus Rashford is expected to play in some part of the match upon his return from injury.
Despite the fact that Brendan Rodgers’ side has looked far from their usual selves this season, particularly at the back, United’s recent record against Leicester is not the best.
There could be a lot of goals in this one because United is not the best defensively either and a Jamie Vardy-Kelechi Iheanacho combination could spell trouble for the United backline without the injured Harry McGuire and Varane.
Manchester City Versus Burnley
A clash between the defending champions City and Burnley at the Etihad can only end in one way: a resounding home victory with a goal fest.
Sean Dyche and his charges were roundly beaten 5-0 by City the last two times they have visited the Premiership champions with Burnley finding it tough to crack through their defenses.
This time around, not much is expected to change. In fact, having scored six goals in one Carabao Cup tie, six in one UEFA Champions League match and five back-to-back against Norwich and Arsenal in the EPL this season alone, Burnley will be lucky to concede less.
Brentford Versus Chelsea
The final Saturday match is a historically significant 5.30 p.m. game. Brentford has not played Chelsea in a league match since 1947, a game the Blues won 2-0 thanks to goals from Alex Machin and Johnny Paton.
Football has evolved significantly since then. Today, Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku makes more money per week than the entire Brentford playing squad.
With that in mind, it is clear that the visitors are unquestionably the favourites, yet it will be foolhardy to completely write off Thomas Frank’s highly effective side, thinking that they will accept defeat without a fight. They showed it when Liverpool visited and can spring a surprise.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
