Chelsea and West Ham face off on Friday nightplaceholder image
Chelsea and West Ham face off on Friday night | Getty Images
A look at the pundit predictions for the Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and West Ham fixtures.
Another big Premier League weekend is almost upon us, with two London clubs getting us underway on Friday night when Chelsea take on West Ham at the London Stadium. The rest of the weekend will see Tottenham face Manchester City in what will be an interesting early litmus test for both teams.
West Ham vs Chelsea
Paul Merson
“You know what? This is a huge, huge game now for both teams. I thought both of them looked very poor last weekend. If Chelsea lose or draw to West Ham, that would be a massive blow. I actually think this will be a hard game for Chelsea, unlike what most people think! West Ham will not come out and have a go at the visitors, they will sit behind the ball and be patient.
“If Chelsea had won against Crystal Palace in their opening game, I would have tipped them to secure a comfortable win here. But they lacked any sort of cohesion in that game. West Ham were battered by Sunderland last Saturday. I believe they were the most disappointing team to watch in gameweek 1 and let themselves down with that performance. West Ham have no legs in midfield and look like they're in danger already!
“I would play Liam Delap in this game. West Ham are quite physical at the back and that might not suit Joao Pedro. Delap is good with his back to goal and can hold the ball up well. Away from home, he's a better fit than Pedro in my opinion. Cole Palmer has not produced a goal contribution from open play since February in the Premier League. That is a massive blip. Chelsea should have gone for Eberechi Eze. If Palmer isn't breaking teams down for you, who else is going to do it? That's why Eze would have been the perfect fit at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are relying too much on Palmer now and I'm surprised they didn't make a move for Eze.
“West Ham will not want to open this game up. If that happens, there will only be one winner, and that's Chelsea! So I reckon they will sit back and try to keep Palmer quiet. This is a must-win game for Chelsea, especially since they are a club with huge ambition every year. I'm going to back the Blues to secure a narrow win. Prediction: West Ham United 0-1 Chelsea.”
Chris Sutton
“West Ham were as flat as anything at Sunderland. My colleague Ian Dennis on BBC Radio 5 Live called them anaemic. I'm a little bit worried for them this season. I was at Chelsea's last game against Crystal Palace and I thought they also lacked that spark.
“A lot has been made about Chelsea's new attack. Joao Pedro was quiet, Cole Palmer was quiet. There's a stat going around that Palmer hasn't scored a league goal from open play since January. West Ham might prove me wrong, it is a London derby after all, but I still think Chelsea will find a way to edge it. Prediction: 0-2.”
Tottenham vs Manchester City
Paul Merson
“This is the first real test of the new season for Manchester City and Tottenham. I remember Spurs went to the Etihad last season and destroyed City! A lot has changed at both clubs since then, and this game will be a good watch. I still think Tottenham are a work-in-progress. You can't get carried away by the win against Burnley. I don't see them getting well beaten by City though, that's not happening under Thomas Frank. Spurs will be disappointed about losing Eberechi Eze to Arsenal. Now they have to go put all their eggs in some other basket!
“Erling Haaland looked sharp in the win over Wolves and as long as he's fit, City will always be in the title race. But I don't fancy the wingers at Pep Guardiola's disposal. I'm not a big fan of Jeremy Doku. I just think he does not make things happen often enough. When Phil Foden is ready, I expect him to come back into the team and City's front-three will look a lot stronger. I'm not as bullish as I was with my predictions in the past about this fixture. Frank will go there with a plan to stop City. I'm still backing Manchester City to win, but Spurs could have their moments. Prediction: Manchester City 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur.”
Chris Sutton
“Manchester City really impressed me last week and everyone is rightly talking about Tijjani Reijnders. Statman Dave told me to get him into my Fantasy team, I didn't take that advice and I should've done. He was brilliant against Wolves. I do think Tottenham will be a level above under Thomas Frank. It'll be interesting how they set up. They played a back three in the Super Cup final against Paris St-Germain.
Cristian Romero has signed a new contract for Tottenham, that's a big deal. But how did they not get a deal for Eberechi Eze over the line? It had been going on for weeks and now Arsenal have come in and embarrassed them! Tottenham are still a few players short from properly challenging the really big teams and in this game I think City at home will be too strong for them. Prediction: 2-1.”
Arsenal vs Leeds United
Paul Merson
“Eze is an absolute massive signing for Arsenal, he has the X-factor they need! It looks like the Alexander Isak deal will eventually happen and with an injury to Kai Havertz, Arsenal had no choice but to go get him. But what it does is, it kind of helps them cover all bases. Mikel Arteta has all the players he wanted at his disposal now. I can't express how big a signing this is for Arsenal, unbelievable. I haven't been so excited about a signing in such a long time!
“This is a good game for Arsenal to begin their league campaign at home. It's even better because Leeds just won because they will feel more confident and may go have a free swing at this game. If Leeds come out and try to play their football at the Emirates, the game will really open up for Arsenal's quality to shine through. If Leeds had lost to Everton, they would have opted to sit back but now this game is more like a free-hit to them.
“I'm backing Viktor Gyokeres to score. He did not get any quality chances against Manchester United, but that won't be the case against Leeds. It's not easy coming to a club like Arsenal and making an impact straightaway. Even though Arsenal have now got everyone they wanted in the transfer window, only time will tell if they really did the best business. I say that because it's now up to the players to perform and prove their credentials. I don't think Eze's arrival will affect Martin Odegaard's role. I expect Eze to play off the left, with Saka on the right and Gyokeres up top. I liked Odegaard's performance against Manchester United, he was one of the few shining lights in that win. Nothing but another Arsenal win here. Prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Leeds United.”
Chris Sutton
“I didn't feel Arsenal's performance was there against Manchester United but still, at least they found a way to win. All the talk in this game is going to be about Viktor Gyokeres and whether he can get off the mark. There was such an overreaction after he didn't score against Man United.
“He's been written off as a dud in some quarters already! That's the modern game, you can get written off after your first hour of playing in the Premier League. Not me though, no, I think he'll come good. Leeds played with such intensity against Everton, although the penalty they won was slightly harsh. Will Daniel Farke's side show that same level of bravery at the Emirates? Probably, and if so it'll cost them. Prediction: 4-0.”
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