Previewing the Premier League Match Day 9 on Sportskeeda, Paul Merson has made his prediction for the top six clubs in the Premier.
Here are his Prediction:
Liverpool vs Everton
“I think this is the perfect time to play Liverpool – after the international break. There are a lot of South Americans on the team who are coming back during the week, and it will depend on how the likes of Jota and Diaz are feeling when they are back. Liverpool have a lot of forward this season, and they will have the firepower to get the better of Everton.
‘Everton are going to sit back and play on the counter, and they need to be at the top of their game. They are one of those teams that can surprise you, and they get results when you least expect it from them. They will keep it tight, but Liverpool will cause them problems.
‘The gulf between these two teams is too big, and I don’t see how Everton can hold out this weekend. It’s extraordinary how big the gap between these two teams has become over the years. This game can be a leveller on a few occasions, but you watch both teams this season and you can’t see anything but a Liverpool win. Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Everton.”
Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
“You never know what you’re going to get with Brighton – they’re a bag of rebels. Brighton are the one team that City didn’t want to play this weekend. A lot of the other teams go to the Etihad to lie down and get their stomachs tickled. Brighton won’t care about the occasion, however, and they’ll go out and play their own way.
“Erling Haaland is not getting a load of chances, but he’s still got eight goals in eight games. He’s set such a high bar for himself. Defenders are marking him well, and they know what he’s good at now. I think he’ll still be all right this season, and I won’t be surprised if he gets a hat-trick this weekend. This dip in form won’t affect him.
“This is a big game for Manchester City. They’ve lost three of their last four matches, and there will be doubt in their mind. They follow this up with matches against Man United, Liverpool, and Chelsea – this is an important juncture of the season for them.
“If Man City lose this game, they’ll drop to third place in the Premier League. They aren’t used to losing a lot of games. Brighton will play their own way, but I don’t see City dropping points in this match. Prediction: Manchester City 3-0 Brighton & Hove Albion.”
Chelsea vs Arsenal
“This is a huge day for both teams. Arsenal pulled off a massive result against Man City. Chelsea have won their last three matches in the Premier League, and I don’t they they would’ve wanted the international break this month.
“Chelsea haven’t been great at home, but they are dangerous when they click as a unit. Arsenal’s biggest strength is their midfield three. With Chelsea, you don’t know what the team is going to be, but I know what their midfield looks like – Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Conor Gallagher. I expect Sterling to play on the right because he can cause Zinchenko problems.
“The only problem for Chelsea is that Arsenal are a polished team. Chelsea are just starting out, and that’s a big disadvantage for them this weekend. Arsenal are a settled unit and they know exactly what they’re doing. Chelsea are a hard team to predict – against teams that come out and play, they can be a major threat. The best game Chelsea have played at home this season was against Liverpool.
“Chelsea had built up some good momentum before the international break, and a lot depends on how they come back from the break. I’m going to go with a draw here, but if you asked me to get off the fence, I’d pick Arsenal to have the upper hand. Prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal.”
Sheffield United vs Manchester United
“You’d like to think that Manchester United would surely win this game. You never know what you’re going to get with them, and their win against Brentford just papered over the cracks.
“If they had lost against Brentford, we’d be asking serious questions of Ten Hag. They won the game with two late goals, and they didn’t deserve their victory. People think that everything’s great again – it’s not, and they’re a million miles away.
“Something has got to change at Manchester United. You can’t keep blaming the Glazers – they aren’t the ones that are playing. McTominay has got to play this match after what he did against Brentford. If he doesn’t, he has to leave in January – the same goes for Harry Maguire.
“I don’t see how Sheffield can get a win – they haven’t got one all season. Sheffield are not good enough for the Premier League at the moment, and we see this a lot with newly-promoted teams. I’m not majorly confident about backing Man United, but I think they should be able to win this game. Prediction: Sheffield United 0-3 Manchester United.”
Tottenham Hotspur vs Fulham
“We keep expecting Tottenham to drop the ball, but they don’t. I thought they were very dogged against Luton the other day, and they did well with ten men. I thought Tottenham should’ve been out of sight within ten minutes. Luton did create a couple of half-chances, but Tottenham picked up a very solid victory.
“Manchester City and Arsenal have difficult matches this weekend, and if results go their way, things could shape up brilliantly for Tottenham. They’re playing with a lot of confidence and have a very good manager. I would call this a very Spursy game, like the Luton match – I wouldn’t be surprised if they lost. These are big games for Tottenham because they’ll define how competitive they’re going to be this season.
“I don’t consider Tottenham title contenders at the moment. I’m not just saying that because it’s Tottenham – their squad is too small and they have a long way to go. I do expect them to beat Luton comfortably this weekend. Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Fulham.”
