Free tips & multi selections for Premier League Matchweek 2

THE first matchweek of the 2017-18 English Premier League campaign was a rough one for tipsters.

Burnley sprung the upset of the round, holding off nine-man Chelsea to kick-start their survival bid with an incredible 3-2 result at Stamford Bridge.

Leicester City came close to toppling Arsenal on the opening night, while Watford capitalised on some signature defensive lapses from Liverpool to snatch a 3-3 draw in the early Saturday fixture.

That outcome at Vicarage Road put paid to week one’s multi selections well before Tottenham Hotspur rubbished the most speculative leg on the ticket with a comfortable win over Newcastle United.

The undeniable story of the week was Huddersfield Town, who celebrated their EPL debut in style with a 3-0 away win at Crystal Palace.

The Terriers are top dogs so far in the #PremierLeague. pic.twitter.com/hAtgdXW9Uk

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 13, 2017

That shock result put the relegation favourites top of the table until Manchester United jumped ahead with four unanswered goals against West Ham.

Online bookmaker Sportsbet.com.au still has the Terriers as +100 favourites for the drop, but the Yorkshire club’s title odds have tumbled from the thousands into +50000.

A home clash against the Toon – also promoted this season – presents an excellent opportunity for Huddersfield to double their tally.

As per round one, most of the big boys will expect to walk away with three points this week.

United are away to Swansea City, Manchester City have Everton at home and Jurgen Klopp’s Reds will host Palace.

The exceptions are Chelsea and Spurs, who will clash at Wembley on Sunday evening.

Who will take the early advantage in the title race?

Swansea City vs. Manchester United

Saturday, August 19, 2017 – 9:30pm AEST – Liberty Stadium

• Swansea – +760
• Draw – +380
• Man United – -285.71

Swansea made a solid, if unspectacular start to their Premier League 2017-18 campaign.

It ended goalless at Southampton, but new recruit Tammy Abraham showed plenty of promise up forward and could easily have broken the deadlock.

United were without doubt the most impressive of the title contenders as Romelu Lukaku bagged a brace on his club debut and Nemanja Matic showed exactly what was missing in midfield last term.

The Swans have made a habit of upsetting the Red Devils in recent years, but Jose Mourinho’s men should be too strong on this occasion.

Burnley vs. West Bromwich Albion

Sunday, August 20, 2017 – 12am AEST – Turf Moor

• Burnley – +150
• Draw – +205
• West Brom – +194

One week in and Burnley have already won as many games away from home as they did all last season.

Sam Vokes took full advantage of an early red card to Chelsea defender Gary Cahill, striking either of Stephen Ward’s 39th-minute goal to give the Clarets a match-winning lead at half-time.

The Welsh forward might not have quite so much freedom against a robust West Brom outfit that has designs on a top-10 finish.

Burnley were excellent at Turf Moor last season, which is why we are backing them to add some value to our multi.

Leicester City vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

Sunday, August 20, 2017 – 12am AEST – King Power Stadium

• Leicester – -142.86
• Draw – +265
• Brighton – +390

Leicester came agonisingly close to ending their 23-year winless run against Arsenal, but late goals from Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud saw the Gunners come from behind to snatch the spoils.

Defensive lapses aside, there was plenty to like about the Foxes as Jamie Vardy struck twice and new boy Harry Maguire showed off his playmaking skills with an early assist for Shinji Okazaki.

Brighton were far from disgraced on their top-flight return, showing great spirit in a 2-0 defeat to Man City.

While the Seagulls are not without hope, this is the kind of game Leicester must win if they are serious about pushing the big six.

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea

Monday, August 21, 2017 – 1am AEST – Wembley Stadium

• Tottenham – +107
• Draw – +240
• Chelsea – +245

Dele Alli and Ben Davies were the heroes as Spurs opened their campaign with a 2-0 win at Newcastle.

There was no first-up goal for back-to-back Premier League Golden Boot winner Harry Kane, who had a few good chances blocked.

Meanwhile, a sharp display from new signing Alvaro Morata was scant consolation for Chelsea as their title defence got off to the worst imaginable start.

With Cahill and Cesc Fabregas both suspended, Tottenham have a wonderful opportunity to begin their Wembley tenure with a bang.