The Footy Forecast: Arsenal v Man City plus full Premier League predictions
Lee Sobot and Michael Plant look ahead to the Premier League games this weekend. Brought to you by National World Gaming (https://games.nationalworld.com)
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00:00 Hello, welcome to this week's The Footy Forecast with myself, Lee Sobot, brought to you by
00:05 our sponsors, National World Gaming. And this week, I am joined by the very busy Chris Wheatley,
00:11 Football Editor for National World, who has got a huge weekend ahead of him and a huge
00:15 weekend of Premier League football. Thanks for joining us, Chris.
00:19 Thanks for having me, Lee.
00:20 You are very welcome. Well, we'll see how we get on this weekend with our predictions
00:23 as to whether me and you are wanted back or not. But hopefully we can do all right this
00:27 week in looking at the games. And there's only one place to start this weekend, which
00:31 is an enormous game on Sunday afternoon. It's obviously the last game before the international
00:36 break. It's last weekend before the international break and what a game to finish with as Arsenal
00:40 host Manchester City. And for so long, obviously, last season, Arsenal might take that crown.
00:44 They didn't get there in the end, but obviously back for another crack this season. I mean,
00:49 how do you see this one going first and foremost, Chris, in terms of team news? And who do you
00:53 think ultimately should be seen as favourites going into it?
00:56 Yeah, I think it's obviously going to be a really tight game. We know from last season
01:01 that there's not too much between the two sides. Both teams were vying for the title
01:07 last season. Manchester City in the end got there. But I think Arsenal look like a different
01:14 force this season. They've spent over £200 million on new players, the likes of Declan
01:19 Rice, Uri and Timba and many others came in. But in terms of this game itself, I think
01:25 the biggest blow for Arsenal is that they're going to be missing Akai Osaka through injury.
01:31 And I think that is something that could perhaps make the difference in terms of getting the
01:36 three points or getting a positive result because he's been such a key player for Arsenal,
01:41 not just this season, but last season as well with goals, assists, his running in between
01:47 the final third as well, in between the lines. I think he's one of these players who really
01:52 makes a difference for Arsenal. So I think that's the biggest blow in terms of Arsenal's
01:56 kind of team news. They will be hoping to get a few players back, but we're going to
02:02 have to wait and see exactly who's going to be coming back.
02:05 Nicolai Teta has his press conference today. We're recording this just before he has his
02:10 press conference, so we don't quite know what the status is in terms of team news as of
02:15 yet. But yeah, it will be a big blow to see Sakon not on the pitch for Arsenal.
02:20 That's for sure. 100 per cent. Very, very good player, obviously. Really, really talented,
02:24 very, very skilful player and someone you always want in your XI and can make the difference.
02:28 Obviously, I suppose, is it fair to say from Arsenal's point of view that they could be
02:31 facing a Manchester City side in slightly better form? I know they had the win in Europe
02:35 this week, but people almost look at City now, don't they, and think, well, they're
02:38 almost going to win every game. And obviously, they had that back-to-back defeat, obviously,
02:42 heading into that European game. Is that fair to say? Or do you sort of write them off at
02:46 your peril, I suppose, especially with someone like Erling Haaland up front, who by his own
02:49 standards is probably a bit of a barren spell at the moment?
02:51 Yeah, I think it's a good point you make, Lee. I think with the momentum that City probably
02:57 have in Europe now, Arsenal, of course, lost midweek in France. A really disappointing
03:01 defeat. I think defensively, they were all over the place. They just didn't look really
03:07 up for it, especially in the second half of that match. City, on the other hand, really
03:11 good, convincing win against Leipzig. And I do think that they will probably be favourites
03:16 heading into the game. And as you mentioned, Erling Haaland, you'd expect him to be the
03:20 difference maker for City, as he was last season. So, yeah, a really difficult game
03:26 to predict, but you would imagine that City would be favourites for this one.
03:29 I think that's probably fair enough to say that. Probably not much in it, but I would
03:32 think you'd probably say City would just about be the market leaders for it. I mean, obviously,
03:36 one thing people always look at is the goal scorers in games like this. I mean, who do
03:39 you see as the key goal threats? I mean, I guess in terms of first goal scorer, everybody's
03:43 automatically going to jump for Erling Haaland, even if he hasn't scored for a few games.
03:46 But I mean, in terms of Arsenal, I suppose the picture changes a lot if Saka's not available,
03:50 doesn't it, really? I mean, Gabriel Jesus, are we thinking maybe somebody like him? Obviously,
03:53 Adil Enketia, who would you sort of, what would your gut instinct be in terms of who
03:57 might get the game's first goal? I think I'll be boring and go with Erling Haaland. But
04:01 I mean, do you sort of like see, you know, anybody else from either side having a big
04:04 threat, really?
04:05 Yeah, you mentioned him. I think Gabriel Jesus is going to be absolutely determined to get
04:10 a goal against his former club. I think he'll be revved up for this game. And yeah, I wouldn't
04:16 bet against him getting the first goal. I think he's definitely a player who can make
04:20 the difference in terms of goals. And as I said, you know, he likes a game against Manchester
04:27 City, I'm sure, because he still has a lot to prove, I think, in an Arsenal shirt. He
04:32 hasn't scored as many goals as he would have liked. He hasn't played as many games as he
04:36 would have liked due to injuries. So yeah, I would say Gabriel Jesus maybe for that first
04:40 goal.
04:41 Yeah, definitely think he's a leading contender, 100%. So, I mean, if we're putting us next
04:45 on the line, how do you see it going then, Chris? If you're going to sort of put a scorecast
04:48 out there, like a sort of prediction for this one? I mean, I sort of think City are probably
04:53 seen as favourites in this and I think it'd be a tight game. But I can see City winning
04:56 it maybe something like 2-1 or something along those lines. I think I'll go 2-1 City. I don't
05:00 know about what you're thinking from your end?
05:04 You've got me on for predictions and I hate giving predictions. But I will go for a one-all
05:10 draw.
05:11 We're not far off then, not far off. One goal difference. If you think you can do better
05:14 in terms of watching this and you need one other go, then go on to our National World
05:18 Gaming site, nationalworld.com, where they've got a host of social gaming things you can
05:23 do there. It's a single game survivor game where it's a five-pound entry, a prize pool
05:27 of £1,000 and basically you get asked various questions there, including things about like
05:31 first goal scorer, first card, things like that. And obviously there'll be a whole host
05:34 of issues to tackle in a game of this magnitude. But obviously there's a lot more games this
05:39 weekend. That is the final one, but it all starts, we'll just run through the others
05:41 this weekend, on Saturday lunchtime. We're at Tottenham side, who have been a revelation
05:46 under Andrzej Postakoglou so far, who go top of the table and will probably be fancy to
05:50 do so. We're getting three points at Luton, who obviously now have their first win of
05:54 the season too. But how do you see Luton Spurs going? I mean, you can have your upsets, can't
05:58 you? But I can't see Spurs relinquishing this opportunity and I think they might go there
06:02 and win, I might even say as far as 3-0, we'll wait and see what happens.
06:07 If we're talking numbers, there's 15 places and 13 points between these two teams. So
06:11 I think when you look at the form of Spurs in recent weeks, Andrzej Postakoglou, as you
06:16 said, Lee, he's really got the team going, hasn't he? He looks like a coach that's going
06:22 to be there for a long time. Doesn't look like the kind of Conte, Mourinho, short-term
06:26 managers that they've appointed in the past. And I think Daniel Levy has said as much in
06:31 recent interviews. So I would say that Tottenham, yeah, they're clearly favourites for the game.
06:36 I think it will probably be a convincing win for them. But you never know. You never know
06:41 Luton. I think the stadium is the biggest factor, isn't it? It's a small, kind of hostile
06:46 stadium. It really depends on what kind of Tottenham team turn up, I guess, in the game.
06:53 But yeah, I would expect Spurs to win convincingly.
06:56 I think there'll be many people's bankers this weekend, but it doesn't always work out
07:00 that way, as we know. You know, they can get a lot of surprises at times. Burnley, Chelsea
07:04 might have a sort of similar sort of feel to it. Do you see the same sort of vein? Obviously,
07:08 Chelsea sort of finally got up and running in midweek and obviously going to turf more.
07:12 Yeah, a difficult game, I think. I think Vincent Kompany is a manager who has really shown
07:19 his badges in recent months, in recent seasons, since he took over, got them promoted from
07:27 the Championship, of course. And I think he's going to maybe surprise a few people in this
07:32 game. Chelsea, they got the win against Fulham that they needed because they were very close
07:37 to the relegation zone. They really do need to start winning games. And I think that was
07:42 a crucial match. And someone like Mikaelo Mudryk getting his first goal, I think that's
07:47 really important for him and also for the team because he's such an expensive player.
07:52 He really needed to get going. So I think it's going to be a tough game for Chelsea.
07:57 I think they will just edge it, but I think Burnley will certainly give them a good game.
08:02 I think Chelsea, but maybe not quite as comfortable as Spurs, but I still think they'll have enough
08:06 there. Maybe something like 2-0, I'll go with that one.
08:08 Everton Bournemouth, I mean, they're two teams yet to really get up and running, I suppose.
08:11 I mean, I think with this one, I'll just sit on the fence and say 1-1 draw or something
08:14 for this one. But how do you see that one going? Two teams down the wrong end of the
08:17 table at the moment, Chris?
08:20 Yeah, I think a draw as well. I think these two teams are certainly favourites or close
08:25 to favourites for relegation this season. They really don't look like they have the
08:30 depth in their squads to even maintain their Premier League status. Could be wrong, but
08:36 I think from last season Everton just scraped it, didn't they, in the Premier League? And
08:39 Bournemouth, on the other hand, they have a really good coach tactically, but he's not
08:45 proven in the Premier League. I think he might get found out just because it's his first
08:50 season in the Premier League. So we'll have to see, but I think it will be a draw as well.
08:55 Yeah, I agree with that one. We're talking about favourites for going down. I think they
08:58 are literally Sheffield United, obviously, who are really struggling to get going. They
09:01 go to Fulham, another game they were looking at. How do you see that one? I think the thing
09:05 with Fulham, I suppose, obviously lost Aleksandar Mitrovic, a huge player, and I suppose the
09:09 big question mark for them this season is goals. I still think they might have too much
09:11 for Sheffield United, though. I think it'll just go a narrow 1-0 win there. Do you see
09:15 that or do you see maybe the Blades going there and finally getting up and running?
09:19 Well, we're just talking about favourites for relegation. I think Sheffield United are
09:23 probably the outright favourites at the moment. They've almost bought a squad which is kind
09:28 of ready for the Championship. I don't mean to disrespect their players, of course, but
09:34 I think a lot of the team there are probably Championship players. I think their performances
09:39 in recent games have shown that. They concede an average of 2.7 goals per game as well,
09:45 which is pretty high. I think if they didn't concede as many goals, they might have a better
09:52 chance, of course, of getting something from that game at Craven Cottage, but I think Fulham
09:57 will be too strong for them.
09:58 Definitely. We'll just have a last run through the last few. Manchester United beat Brentford.
10:02 That's the final one of the 3pmers on Saturday. I think most people will think a home win,
10:06 but maybe not straightforward against Brentford. Was Man Utd hardly firing on all cylinders
10:10 at the moment?
10:11 Yes, I watched Brentford against Forrest. I wasn't too impressed with them. I don't
10:16 think they fully deserve to get a point from that game. I think Forrest had the better
10:21 chances, but Man Utd, on the other hand, they're starting to look better. I think of Rasmus
10:28 Hoyland as well. He looks like the kind of player who might actually become their kind
10:33 of Erling Haaland. I know it's a bit of a lazy comparison to make because they're both
10:37 Scandinavian players, but he does seem to be that goal getter now and he's getting those
10:41 goals really at the perfect time at the start of the season for United. So I think United
10:47 are going to edge that. I think Hoyland will definitely score and expect them to win that
10:53 game.
10:54 It must be great man's think alike, Chris, because I'm thinking the same there as well.
10:56 I'm going like 2-1, something along those lines. I don't think they'll walk it, but
10:58 I think they might just about edge it. Palace-Forrest is the evening game, probably a hard one to
11:01 call. You mentioned Forrest just then. 1-1 I'm going in that one. Did you see that being
11:06 another draw or do you have a strong view on that one particularly?
11:09 A difficult one to predict, but I think when you look at the two squads, I think Forrest
11:14 will certainly have a stronger squad. They've impressed me this season, especially with
11:20 the new signings and also the signings from last season. They've got the likes of Morgan
11:24 Gibbs-White, who I think is, for me, one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
11:28 Really, really talented young player. A difficult one to predict. I'd like to see Forrest win
11:36 that, of course, with my Forrest connections in the past, but yeah, a difficult one to
11:42 predict.
11:43 Yeah, if it's a difficult one to predict, just sit on the fence and say draw. That's
11:45 what I always do. It tends to sound pretty good step out of time and you're not too far
11:48 wrong either way. Four games on Sunday, finishing with a big one, which you talked about, but
11:52 Brighton v Liverpool. And obviously, you had a very, very big Brighton story at the start
11:57 of this week.
11:58 Yes, Karo Matouma is signing a new five-year contract with the club. Really good news for
12:08 Brighton, good news for the player as well. I think a lot of teams were interested in
12:12 signing him this summer and also looking ahead towards January. The likes of Liverpool, Man
12:17 United and teams from abroad as well. So, the Japan international has agreed a new five-year
12:22 contract. We expect it to be announced this week. It will be finalised in the next days.
12:29 But yeah, it's really good news for Brighton, really good news for Matouma and one of the
12:33 best players in that, best wingers in the Premier League, undoubtedly, last season.
12:37 So, let's see how he does against Liverpool. But in terms of that game, I think it's going
12:42 to be a very tight game. Brighton, a decent result for them midweek in Europe. Liverpool,
12:49 on the other hand, I think they're probably going to be really aggressive in this game.
12:55 You'd imagine they've got a bit of aggression left from that decision against Tottenham,
13:00 haven't they? Hopefully no VAR controversies in this game because I don't think Jürgen
13:05 Klopp will be a happy man at full-time.
13:08 I think you're right. I think I'll go for Liverpool winning that, but Brighton, maybe
13:11 2-1 or something. Brighton, a very good side. West Ham, Newcastle. Newcastle on an absolute
13:15 crest of a wave. I mean, what a result for them in midweek. I mean, surely they're going
13:17 to carry the momentum into that one and be firing all cylinders to maybe get a win 2-0
13:21 or something at West Ham. How do you see that?
13:24 Possibly, yeah. I think West Ham have won four of their last five games in all competitions.
13:29 But Newcastle, as you said, Lee, coming off the back of a huge win against PSG. Perhaps
13:34 so they might have a bit of a European hangover. West Ham, though, of course, have had that.
13:39 Newcastle have an extra day's rest as well on West Ham. So who knows? It's a really difficult
13:44 one to predict. If I'm going to go for it, I would say probably a draw.
13:49 OK, so that would be a good result for West Ham if they can do that. And just to finish,
13:52 because we've already talked about the big one, Walsley, Villa and a striker in hot form,
13:56 Aston Villa and Ollie Watkins, who no surprise to me whatsoever that he made the England
14:00 squad and this player is still fairly young, really, and continuing to go from strength
14:04 to strength. I think he'll be the key in that game. And I could see him maybe getting one
14:07 or even two as maybe a 2-0 win for Villa or something like that. But Wolves, I mean,
14:11 they're no mugs themselves. Do you see that would be a difficult task for Villa?
14:13 It's a bit of a slight derby edge to it as well.
14:16 Well, I think Pep Guardiola said it was the Korean guy who was going to be a threat in
14:23 the game against Manchester City. And it was in the end. Hwang got that winner, didn't he?
14:27 And I think he's going to be certainly a goal threat for Wolves in this game. Certainly no
14:33 mugs. I think they're certainly a team who can pose a threat to Aston Villa. And I think they
14:36 might actually get a result here. But you know, with Unai Emery, for me, he's one of the best
14:41 tacticians in the Premier League, one of the best coaches in Europe. So, really, you can't
14:45 write either team off. Again, I'm going to sit on the fence. I'm going to go for a draw here.
14:50 A wise call, a wise call. All eyes on that one as well, and Ollie Watkins in particular.
14:53 And then we finish with the big one. And then it is the international break and the players,
14:57 well, they won't really be on the holidays because they'll all be off to represent the
14:59 teams internationally. But we'll hopefully all have a bit of a break. Will you be getting a
15:02 well-earned break yourself, Chris, heading off anywhere nice? Or will it be straight back to the
15:06 grindstone first thing Monday morning? Straight back to work. I've already had my break. And
15:11 yeah, I'm going to be working, of course, during the international break. Looking forward to it.
15:18 Good stuff. Good stuff. Well, it's been a pleasure having you on, Chris. We shall see
15:20 how we both get on. Like I say to all the viewers out there, get over to games.nationalworld.com,
15:25 where you can sort of like put these predictions into place. Or if you've got your own views,
15:29 obviously, there's lots of ways you can do that. There's the single game survivor.
15:33 There are other options there as well that you can do, such as the survivor, where you go through
15:37 various games and also the big five. There's lots of different things you can do on that site.
15:41 But a fantastic weekend of Premier League action to take us into the international break. Chris,
15:45 thank you for your time and enjoy the weekend and enjoy the big game on Sunday.