Saturday’s EPL best bets & goalscorer tips – Matchweek 9

The Premier League is finally back with a full slate for Matchweek 9, and for some teams it will be their first match in nearly a month. The international break, combined with the postponement of games due to the Queen’s passing, has left Premier League fans itching for some games. All 20 teams will be in action this weekend, and these are our top betting picks for Saturday’s overnight games.

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur

This is far and away the game of the weekend. The North London Derby always produces fireworks, and there is extra heat this year because both squads are playing extremely well. Arsenal are still top of the table with 18 points through seven games, but Tottenham are close behind in third place with 17 points through their seven games. Neither of these teams have a loss on their record and both will expect to win this game.

All that being said, we are siding with the away team. These squads match up evenly; while Tottenham have an attacking advantage, Arsenal have a more stable defence. When there isn’t a lot to separate two teams, we like to take the underdog. Arsenal should be able to score, but they will have a tough time with Tottenham’s stars like Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. It’s going to be a hostile environment at the Emirates, but we like Spurs to block out the noise and get a result.

Liverpool vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Prior to the lengthy break, these two teams were the talk of the league. Liverpool have surprisingly struggled and are sitting eighth, some nine points off the pace. Brighton are off to a great start and sit in fourth place. We expect that to shift over the course of the season, and that should begin on Saturday. Brighton have a great defence, but Liverpool at home should be able to break them down. Mo Salah has struggled to this point with only two goals through six games, but we expect that to be nothing more than a small slump. It’s rare to get Salah so close to even odds in the anytime scorer markets, and when it happens, it’s hard to pass on. He is truly a generational talent and he should show that in this contest. Take Salah to score as Liverpool find their mojo.

Crystal Palace vs Chelsea

Chelsea have a new manager in Graham Potter and he will have a luxury most midseason appointees don’t get. He had nearly a month to institute his tactics with the new squad and had ample time to familiarise himself with the Chelsea side. Also, he will get a nice, winnable matchup against a relegation candidate in his first game. Chelsea have limped their way to a seventh-place start, and for all their struggles, they still have an elite team.

Palace are essentially being carried by one guy, Wilfried Zaha. While that has been the case in years past, it’s especially noticeable this year given Zaha has scored four of Palace’s seven Premier League goals. Chelsea have a strong defence and should be able to limit his impact. If that happens, Palace will struggle for chances and Chelsea should do enough going forward to grab an away win. The Blues have so much more talent and won’t falter too much with this 16th-placed Palace team.

Bournemouth vs Brentford

The process for this bet was simply picking the striker going against this porous Bournemouth defence. Bournemouth have conceded 19 goals through their seven league games and look hapless on the defensive side of the pitch. Brentford have scored 15 goals as a team and have flashed their attacking talent against strong defences. In this game, it should be easy for Brentford to break down Bournemouth, and Toney projects to be the main beneficiary. He already has five goals through seven games and is improving on his success from last season, when he had 12 Premier League goals. At +200 with most soccer betting sites, Toney to score at anytime is our favourite bet on the board this week.

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