This weekend sees the final Premier League Matchday before the dreaded September international break.
But while no football fans want to witness domestic fixtures take a short sabbatical, the third instalment of the 2024-25 season is at least shaping up to be an absolute corker.
There are some huge Premier League matches on both Saturday and Sunday. The weekend kicks off with Brighton’s trip to Arsenal, with West Ham hosting champions Manchester City in Saturday’s late kick-off.
And, of course, Super Sunday is certainly one to look forward to. Newcastle and Tottenham locks horns at St James’ Park, before Manchester United and Liverpool renew their fierce rivalry at Old Trafford.
With so many potential Premier League classics on the cards, it felt only right to ask NetBet ambassador Ray Parlour to give his predictions for the quartet of matches.
Read on to see what ex-Arsenal star Parlour had to say and remember, NetBet customers can test their own predictive skills by playing out Correct Score Predictor. Simply predict the score of the four selected Premier League fixtures to be in with a chance of winning up to £5,000!
Arsenal vs Brighton | Parlour Predicts: 2-0
Ray says: “I expect Arsenal to take advantage of being at home this weekend and also bring with them the confidence gained after beating Aston Villa last time out, who they failed to score against in the two games last season.
“Yes, Arsenal rode their luck with Ollie Watkins’ misses, but they scored two good goals and kept another clean sheet, with David Raya and William Saliba in excellent form. It was good to see.
“Bukayo Saka was also superb with two more assists, so he has been involved in all of Arsenal’s goals so far this season and it would not surprise me if he is at it again this weekend against Brighton.”
West Ham vs Manchester City | Parlour Predicts: 1-2
Ray says: “It simply has to be a Man City win here. They have looked very good in the Premier League so far and should be too much for West Ham.
“It was a good win for the Hammers last week at Crystal Palace, but City have too much class and quality. I can see West Ham scoring, but City will have the edge, with Erling Haaland coming off a hat-trick against Ipswich and thirsty for more goals.
“The London Stadium is a tough place to go at times, but with City’s experience and class, they should come away with all three points.”
Newcastle vs Tottenham | Parlour Predicts: 1-1
Ray says: “This could well be an entertaining draw, with two good sides battling it out for three precious points. Both teams will push for Champions League qualification this season and St James’ Park is always a tough place to go, but Spurs won well last week against Everton and will take confidence from that performance.
“I am going for a 1-1 draw here, as I do not see either team having quite enough to win the game. Newcastle defensively are strong and the return of goalkeeper Nick Pope from injury has been a big boost for them.
“Alexander Isak is, of course, a big danger up front for the Magpies and with regard to Spurs, captain Heung-Min Son has started the season well, so he will be looking to cause the Newcastle defence some problems with his pace.”
Manchester United vs Liverpool | Parlour Predicts: 1-2
Ray says: “This is undoubtedly the game of the weekend! United come into this on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Brighton and the opening day 1-0 win over Fulham was not exactly convincing.
“United will improve this season I think, but this is a massive test for them and manager Erik ten Hag. Goals could be an issue for the Red Devils in the long run, but I have been impressed with some of their attacking play and the performances from their young stars like Amad Diallo.
“For Liverpool, they have hit the ground running in 2024-25 with two wins, albeit against Ipswich away and Brentford at home, two sides set to be at the bottom end of the table. That being said, I think Liverpool will have too much for United and with better finishers like Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota, the Reds can win this massive game.”
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