The Premier League MD 25 is action-packed. The round will begin with Leaders Liverpool’s tricky away trip to GTECH Community Stadium to face Brentford in an early kickoff.
All eyes will be on the Etihad as Manchester City welcomes Chelsea. The match is expected to be exciting as the first round ended in a 4-4 draw. Other fixtures that fun will be keeping tabs on will be Burnley vs Arsenal, Tottenham vs Wolves, and Manchester United vs Luton Town/
Here are Dimitar Berbatov’s predictions for the round of games as an ambassador for Betfair:
Brentford vs Liverpool
“I want to go for a surprise here. Brentford haven’t been doing great, but they won last time out and will want to follow that up. Liverpool are a bit shaky at the back and it could cost them dearly. Early kick off can be strange too. I’ll go for a draw. Prediction 1-1.”
Burnley vs Arsenal
“This is an important game for Arsenal. On the other hand, Burnley will have a slim chance of survival if they beat Arsenal, but are they going to win? Arsenal are experienced now and the maturity is there. Arsenal need to stay concentrated. Games like this are important for Arsenal because if you drop points then you’re not mature enough to win the title. I’ll go for Arsenal to win. Prediction 1-3.”
Newcastle vs Bournemouth
“I like Eddie Howe. There have been ups and downs for Newcastle this season, but I think they’ll have enough power to beat Bournemouth. Prediction 2-0.”
Fulham vs Aston Villa
I want Aston Villa to stay close to the top four, but sometimes you need experience to know when not to make mistakes. Fulham play good football and like to pass it around. I’ll go for the draw. Prediction 1-1.
Nottingham Forest vs West Ham
“With some teams in the Premier League like West Ham, you don’t know which team is going to show up on the pitch. If Nottingham Forest are clever enough then they can take advantage of West Ham’s form. But sometimes after a thrashing, you pick yourself up and you go and win the next game. I’ll go for a draw. Prediction 2-2.”
Tottenham vs Wolves
“Tottenham will remember losing to Wolves earlier in the season. The manager and players will want to get revenge. Son is back, so Spurs have even more firepower up front. So I can see a win for Spurs if they stay concentrated throughout the game. Prediction 2-1.”
Manchester City v Chelsea
“On their day, City are a beast and they know exactly what to do. Even if a team scores first, City don’t change, they’re strong mentally and they know how to score goals. I don’t think City will underestimate Chelsea because they’re not that stupid because they’re fighting and chasing Liverpool. City are at home so I think it’ll be a win for them. Prediction 3-1.”
Sheffield United vs Brighton
“I’ll go for a surprise. Brighton have been a little inconsistent this season, we know what they’re all about and Sheffield United will try to bully them, and playing at home I think they’ll get the win. Prediction 2-1.”
Luton vs Man United
“Luton can be a tough place to go. United are going there in good form with youth and experience. The youth is scoring goals and attacking. As long as United don’t let themselves be bullied by Luton, especially on set-pieces, then United have enough quality to outsmart them. So I’ll go for United to win. United need to win to move closer to the top four. Prediction 1-3.”
Everton vs Crystal Palace
“Everton deserve respect that they’re still fighting to stay up, despite the points deduction. Crystal Palace, sometimes they are here and sometimes they are not. So I’ll go for an Everton win. Prediction 1-0″.
