Another weekend, another set of empty Premier League stadiums, but hopefully for the last time.
talkSPORT brings you three more top-flight games this Saturday, with Liverpool, Everton and Leeds among the clubs in action..
And while we’ve tried to make it feel as normal as possible, there is hope you might be able to hear some real crowd noise very soon.
Until then, though, here are our top betting tips and predictions for three Premier League games taking place over the next 48 hours, including a monster clash on Sunday.
BRIGHTON VS LIVERPOOL – SATURDAY, 12.30pm (LIVE ON TALKSPORT)
Brighton and Liverpool are both able to allow fans back next weekend – and that will come as great news to the Seagulls.
Whether or not it’s due the absence of supporters, Graham Potter’s men haven’t won any of their last eight matches at The Amex.
And, if we’re honest, the odds are totally stacked in favour of the visiting champions.
Where do we start? Liverpool have won their last nine games against Brighton in all competitions, netting 27 goals in the process and conceding just seven.
Moreover, Brighton have never won in 14 previous attempts against reigning top-flight champions (D2 L12), losing all six such games in the Premier League by an aggregate score of 2-21.
Oh, and Mohamed Salah looks like he’ll be back to start – he’s been directly involved in eight goals in his six Premier League appearances against Brighton, scoring five and assisting three.
So, Salah to score two or more goals looks very tempting at 11/2, especially as he’s on penalty duty and there’s been a fair few of those this season.
Plus, Liverpool are the only side to score in every single Premier League game this term, although they have been letting them in too.
Their Premier League games have seen a league-high 23 goals in the first half so far this season, with the Reds scoring 12 and conceding 11 goals before half-time.
We like the look of both teams to score in the first-half at 16/5.
Brighton may be able to learn a thing or two from ex-Liverpool man Adam Lallana, who looks set to be fit for the match.
You can get him at 6/1 to create a goal against his former side on Saturday.
Remember Brighton’s terrible record against reigning champions? Well, the two draws they did get were against Liverpool (2-2 in February 1981, 2-2 in March 1983).
If omens are your thing, a correct score of 2-2 is available at 12/1, while you can punt on a draw at 3/1.
Match odds
- Brighton – 21/5 (BET HERE)
- Draw – 3/1 (BET HERE)
- Liverpool – 8/13 (BET HERE)
talkSPORT’s best bets
- Mohamed Salah to score two or more goals – 11/2 (BET HERE)
- Both teams to score in the first-half – 16/5 (BET HERE)
- Adam Lallana to get an assist – 6/1 (BET HERE)
- Final score to be 2-2 – 12/1 (BET HERE)
EVERTON VS LEEDS – SATURDAY, 5.30PM (LIVE ON TALKSPORT)
Two of the Premier League’s most in-form marksmen meet at Goodison Park on Saturday – and they’re both English!
Although points have dried up a bit, both Everton and Leeds got off to a fast start thanks to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Patrick Bamford.
Calvert-Lewin has started the season on fire, netting ten goals in his opening nine top-flight matches.
In the competition’s history, only Les Ferdinand (13 in 1995-96) has ever scored more than 10 goals in his side’s first 10 games in a single campaign.
Meanwhile, Patrick Bamford has scored in all four of Leeds’ Premier League away games this season.
Only Thierry Henry at Arsenal in 2001-02 scored in each of his side’s first five games on the road in a single season.
So we reckon Calvert-Lewin and Bamford both to score at 4/1 represents pretty good value.
If it’s Calvert-Lewin who will get the goals, it’s equally likely that James Rodriguez will be the man to create, with three assists already in an Everton shirt.
With Lucas Digne out, the Colombian will be on all set-pieces, and you can get him to have an assist at 9/4.
But who will win? Here’s a mad stat to help you out…
Everton lost their last Premier League home game against Man United, they’ve not lost consecutive home league games since September 2019, which involved defeats against a side from Manchester (Man City) and a Yorkshire club (Sheffield United).
Leeds returned to form during their 0-0 draw against Arsenal, which they really ought to have won, so the Whites to win at 13/5 could be a decent shout.
Match odds
- Everton – 19/20 (BET HERE)
- Draw – 27/10 (BET HERE)
- Leeds – 13/5 (BET HERE)
talkSPORT’s best bets
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Patrick Bamford to score – 4/1 (BET HERE)
- James Rodriguez to get an assist – 9/4 (BET HERE)
- Leeds to win – 13/5 (BET HERE)
CHELSEA VS TOTTENHAM – SUNDAY, 4.30pm
The return of fans comes just a little too late for this one, and that’s a shame because it’s an absolutely mammoth clash.
Chelsea vs Tottenham alone is usually enough to wet your appetite, but this one has so many more layers to it.
Jose Mourinho revisits the place where he won three Premier League titles, up against the player who helped him do it, but this time he’s in charge of Chelsea’s arch-rivals.
There’s no love lost between Mourinho and Lampard either, it seems.
Despite their special relationship as player and coach, things appear to have gotten a little frosty between the pair, from subtle digs at press conferences to touchline arguments.
Maybe that’s because Mourinho was the man who unceremoniously ended Lampard’s Chelsea career, or perhaps it’s because the Tottenham manager has lost both of his Premier League meetings with his former student.
Mourinho has never lost three consecutive league matches against the same manager or club before, but he’ll have some job making sure that doesn’t happen on Sunday.
Chelsea have won their last three Premier League games against Spurs, while the visitors have won just one of their last 34 away games against the Blues in all competitions (W1 D11 L22).
All the while, Spurs have kept just one clean sheet in their last 17 away matches against Chelsea in all competitions, a 0-0 draw in March 2012.
Everything points towards a Chelsea win, but things are different now at Tottenham under Jose Mourinho, and they travel with the Premier League’s most dangerous player – Harry Kane.
The England captain has been involved in 16 Premier League goals this season (7 goals, 9 assists), more than any other player.
In fact, he’s averaging a goal or assist every 50 minutes so far in the competition this term, so backing him to score first at 4/1 feels sensible.
But while Kane might be the most lethal player, Chelsea are the deadliest team in the league so far this season, with their 22-goal tally higher than anyone else’s.
So given all the history of the fixture, Chelsea to win with three or more goals in the match looks pretty good at 21/10.
Timo Werner has grabbed all the headlines for Chelsea, but Tammy Abraham is ticking along with four goals in all competitions for Chelsea, likewise Heung-min Son has been on fire alongside Kane for Tottenham, scoring nine times in the top-flight.
Abraham and Son both to score is available at 13/2, which looks tasty.
However, while a lot of the stats point towards a goal fest, these two sides also boast two of the tightest defences in the league.
No team has conceded less goals than Tottenham this season (9), although Chelsea aren’t far behind having let in just 10.
Will defence be victorious over attack? It’s likely to be a tactical battle which neither manager will want to lose, so you can get 0-0 at 12/1 if you agree.
Match odds
- Chelsea – 21/20 (BET HERE)
- Draw – 5/2 (BET HERE)
- Tottenham – 5/2 (BET HERE)
talkSPORT’s best bets
- Harry Kane to score first – 4/1 (BET HERE)
- Tammy Abraham and Heung-min Son both to score – 13/2 (BET HERE)
- Chelsea to win with more than 2.5 goals in the match – 21/10 (BET HERE)
- Match to end goalless – 12/1 (BET HERE)
*All odds from Ladbrokes and correct at time of publication
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