Welcome to weekend three, this is where I pick three Barclays Premier League games from each weekend and predict scores and explain my reasoning behind them. This week I will be predicting Newcastle vs Crystal Palace, Tottenham vs Liverpool and Everton vs Chelsea.
My first game of the weekend that I would like to talk about is Newcastle vs Crystal Palace. Newcastle still yet to get a goal this campaign but I really think they can finally get it this weekend. Newcastle, one of many clubs in the premier league this season who have made a lot of recruitments this transfer period and the most impressive of all for me has been the young French talent of Remy Cabella, actually Im surprised Newcastle snapped him up and I think its good to see a player of his quality and potential go to a club that isn't in 'the top six.'
Alan Pardew has new tactics for Cabella this campaign, in a post match interview after his side battled out a disappointing 0-0 draw he said 'I felt he was trying too hard,(Cabella) I was just trying to get him to smile.' I've never really seen this from Pardew and he has certainly taken a different route to Cabella than he has with any other player, but if Cabella's smiling and playing well I think he could really be key in picking the ball up and beating defender's and it is something the Magpies lacked last season.
Onto a Crystal Palace team that are falling into chaos no manager and no points. In contrast to Newcastle, Palace haven't brought in many new recruits but I think they have bought well when they did make a signing, my pick of the bunch so far would have to Martin Kelly from Liverpool, being a Liverpool fan and watching him progress at the club for many years I think Palace have got a really good young centre back, with a lot of potential, and the way I see it the only reason he didn't properly break through into the Liverpool squad was injuries, the Achilles heel of this player. He is very injury prone.
I can't really see Palace having any attacking threat this saturday and I think they need a new manager and fast, the main threat for Palace this weekend will be Yannick Bolasie, simply because of his blistering pace, I think he will give the Newcastle full-backs something to think about. Other than that I don't see much.
After talking about both clubs I'm going for a 2-0 victory for a Cabella inspired Newcastle, I just think they will overrun Palace completely in midfield.
The next game takes us to White Hart Lane as Tottenham take on a battered and bruised Liverpool following there monday night defeat to Manchester City and Tottenham on the other hand fresh from a superb win on the weekend against QPR. And as some people in my household support Tottenham I have to watch them very reguarly and I don't like to admit it but against QPR was probably the best i've seen them play since Gareth Bale. The most impressive thing about there result was the first goal from Nacer Chadli that had forty eight passes behind it.
Although all is not well with Tottenham, I still think they need a big name striker as Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor aren't the most reliable and don't show up in big games, I think if they do find that key talisman in this transfer window they will be a formidable force...that is if the Argentinean Erik Lamela keeps up his form from this weekend, he was skillful, fast and clever whenever he received the ball on the weekend and if you mix him with a twenty five plus goal a season striker then hey look a good candidate for a top four finish. With rumors of Andros Townesend on his way out of White hart lane, I think another winger is in need for Tottenham as well as possibly a replacement for the experienced Aaron Lennon.
The second thing that really impressed me about Tottenham on the weekend was how defensively sound they looked for most of the match as the main problem last season was conceding goals. The impressive signing of Erik Dier really makes me think Mauricio Pochettino really knows what Tottenham need and is due for a successful reign at White Hart Lane.
Now onto Liverpool, there has only been little glimpses of the beautiful fluent football that they were renowned for playing last season. And after the critical blow by Sergio Agüero on monday they received three injuries, Glen Johnson, Alberto Moreno and Martin Skrtel. Moreno was said to be leaving the Eithad with his ankle heavily strapped, this is bad news for Liverpool as they are left with little choice on the full-back positions. But you can't rule out this Liverpool side with Mario Balotelli incoming and set to make his debut for the mersey siders and I can really see him making an impact and I think he will mark his return to the premier league with a goal, that is if he starts though. After Monday nights game, Liverpool's first ever Belgian player Simon Mignolet came under a lot of criticism for his performance, but I will only start to question his talent if this poor run of form continues.
My prediction is a 2-1 win for the home side, Tottenham. I think it will be a good game and very important in both sides seasons.
My final prediction for this weekend is heading to Goodison Park as Everton take on Chelsea. This is Chelsea's first real test against a top half team, they looked very convincing in their first game against Burnley and decent against Leicester, the new Spaniards Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas look to have settled in perfectly with Cesc reprising his form his Arsenal days.
But this match is bound to have some drama as Romelu Lukaku, Everton's record signing has arrived on merseyside after a successful loan spell and has left Chelsea to start a new chapter in his career and it doesn't stop there, Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o has also made the trip from Stamford Bridge to Goodison Park signing on a free two year deal. Wether Eto'o will start or not is unsure with Steven Naismith starting this campaign strongly for the Blues although Everton themselves haven't had the best of starts drawing both of their first two games 2-2. At times they look tired going into the last twenty or ten minutes in both games, this really showed as Arsenal seized on their wariness by pegging Everton back from 2-0 to 2-2 in the last seven. Chelsea's front three are very skillful and tricky and they have even more pace and firepower on the bench so this is where Chelsea could really go up a gear.
I wouldn't be surprised if we see Chelsea scoring early on and keeping that lead until late on where they will overrun Everton and extend there lead later on. But you can't rule Everton as they have a strong attack themselves with Aidan Mcgeady in good form after impressive display's in his opening games this season and the new firepower from Chelsea in Lukaku and Eto'o and as I said earlier an in form Naismith.
I think it will be a tight contest for most of it but i'm going to say a 0-2 win for Mourinho's team.
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