Arsenal welcome Liverpool to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon in the headline fixture of Premier League matchweek nine and the Gunners’ issues with injuries and suspensions mean we’re taking them on.
Elsewhere Chelsea’s disciplinary problems and Brentford’s entertaining start to the season are expected to continue against Newcastle and Ipswich respectively.
Premier League matchweek nine tips best bets
Brentford to beat Ipswich & over 2.5 goals @ 11/8
Chelsea team with most bookings vs Newcastle @ 1/1
Liverpool to beat Arsenal (draw no bet) @ 21/20
Back another action-packed Gtech instalment for Bees value
Manchester City and Arsenal are the only other Premier League teams who can match Brentford’s 10 home points accumulated so far this season, so the 4/6 about the Bees beating winless Ipswich in west London looks more than fair.
The Tractor Boys have lost their last two matches in the division after a ship-steadying sequence of four draws, with stopping goals a particular issue – Kieran McKenna’s men have conceded two or more in each of their past three league games.
Brentford to win and over 2.5 goals has already clicked in three of their four EPL games at the Gtech Community Stadium this season. Ipswich’s inability to stymie the concessions of late gives it an excellent chance of landing again.
Tip: Brentford to beat Ipswich & over 2.5 goals @ 11/8
Blues well-priced to win card contest on recent caution count
Chelsea sit four cautions clear at the top of the EPL yellow cards table after eight games, which is some going given 13 sides average more fouls per game than Enzo Maresca’s men.
The Stamford Bridge side are trading at even money to be the team that gets the most yellow cards when Newcastle visit west London and their propensity to accumulate yellows via means other than fouling adds value to what is already a solid wager.
Chelsea have averaged 3.5 yellow cards a game at home in the league this season, while the Magpies averaged just 1.75 per road outing in the division.
Tip: Chelsea team with most bookings vs Newcastle
Visitors could sneak victory with the cards stacked against Arsenal
Liverpool’s visit to the Emirates couldn’t have been more ill-timed from an Arsenal perspective, with injuries and suspensions set to leave the Gunners some way short of full strength for a fixture which could seriously affect the pre-Christmas title race narrative.
Mikel Arteta could be without both his key creators, with skipper Martin Odegaard injured and Bukayo Saka considered unlikely to feature at the time of writing due to a thigh issue.
Absences also abound at the back with Riccardo Calafiori out and Jurrien Timber touch and go, but William Saliba’s suspension is arguably the biggest miss.
The Gunners remain 7/5 favourites but they’re begging to be taken on under the circumstances and the 21/20 about Arne Slot’s visitors with the draw no bet concession will do nicely. Slot’s men are top of the league and have won all four away games in the division this term.
