Premier League Midweek – Football & Racing News

Star Sports Football ambassador ALEX CROOK previews the pick of the mid-week Premier League fixtures…

???? LEICESTER v WEST HAM ⚒️
Tuesday, 8.15pm

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Defensive purists may be advised to look away when Ruud van Nistelrooy takes charge of Leicester for the first time at home to West Ham on Tuesday.

Van Nistelrooy was watching from the stands as Leicester’s calamity back-line capitulated time and again during Saturday’s. 4-1 bashing at the hands of free-scoring Brentford.

I brushed shoulders with the new Foxes boss in the tunnel at full-time and he had the look of a man who knew the size of the task he has taken on by agreeing to succeed the sacked Steve Cooper.

Going forward the Dutchman will have been encouraged by the performance of veteran Striker. Jamie Vardy and the extremely talented Facundo Buonanotte in particular, but the other end of the pitch was a major cause for concern and it does not seem to matter who plays or in what formation Leicester just concede goals.

West Ham were also guilty of comedy defending as they conceded five goals in a single half against Arsenal, puncturing, any enthusiasm that had been built up by their surprise 2-0 victory at Newcastle the previous weekend.

It means visiting boss Julen Lopetegui is once again under pressure to save his job, and this is a dangerous game for the Spaniard given the new manager bounce effect van Nistelrooy enjoyed during his interim stint in charge at Manchester United.

Considering both teams are terrible at the back over 3.5 goals at 9/5 with starsports.bet looks like decent value to me.

Continuing the goals theme, you can back both Jarrod Bowen, who tends to save his shooting boots for away games, and Buonanotte both to score at any time as a build-a-bet at 11/1 with starsports.bet.

???? ARSENAL v MANCHESTER UNITED ????
8.15pm, Wednesday

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Ruben Amorim faces his fiercest test as Manchester United manager when the Red Devils travel to Arsenal on Wednesday.

Amorim marked his first home game as United boss with a resounding 4-0 win over Everton on Sunday while Arsenal rounded off an excellent week with a 5-2 demolition of West Ham.

With Manchester City seemingly unable to find a way out of their extended blip the Gunners look the main contenders to stop run-away leaders Liverpool coasting to the title, and there was a bullishness about Mikel Arteta After putting Nottingham Forest, Sporting and West Ham to the sword in the space of a few days.

The Gunners look back in the groove, particularly with the fit-again Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka pairing up to terrorise defences.

Arsenal are unbeaten at the Emirates this season and it has not been a happy hunting ground for United in recent seasons. Arteta’s men have also won six of their last seven home games so Amorim would bite your hand off for a point to maintain his unbeaten start in the Old Trafford hot-seat.

The Portuguese does have history of getting one over the Gunners after dumping them out of the Europa League with old club Sporting in March 2023 and I think his team will make this a competitive encounter.

Marcus Rashford has netted three goals in Amorim’s two Premier League games in charge so 4/1 with starsports.bet for Rashford to score at any time is worth a punt.

???? BOURNEMOUTH in TOTTENHAM ⚪️
Thursday, 8.15pm

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If there is one certainty in the Premier League this season, it is that you can always rely on Tottenham to be consistently inconsistent.

Sunday’s disappointing 1-1 draw at home to 10-man Fulham a week after going away from home and rushing champions Manchester City four nil. continued their trend this season of following a brilliant performance with an underwhelming ‘Spursy’ one.

In truth Ange Postecoglu’s side could count themselves fortunate to emerge from their London derby avoiding a repeat of the 2-1 loss at home to Ipswich.

Postecoglu can rightly bemoan key absentees, like goalkeeper Vicario and first choice centre-backs Mickey van de Ven and Christian Romero while Dominic Solanke will be hoping to return to face his former club after missing the Fulham game through illness.

But if they want to be taken seriously as top four contenders this season, Spurs need to discover the ability of stringing together back-to-back results.

Bournemouth, meanwhile made a mockery of my selection of a Wolves victory as Justin Kluivert became the first ever Premier League player to score a hat-trick of penalties in one game to run out 4-2 winners at Molineux.

The Cherries are better at home than away having already dispatched Manchester City and Arsenal at the Vitality Stadium and it is not too fanciful to envisage the south coast side completing a hat-trick of big scalps.

I think Bournemouth to win at 13/8 with starsports.bet is a terrific price.

Antione Semenyo will return to the starting line-up after missing the Wolves win through suspension, and is just the type of player who can cause Tottenham’s makes-shift back line problems, but Evanilson had a hand in all three of Kluivert’s spot-kicks and is starting to really look at home in the Premier League.

Evanilson and Solanke both to score as a build-a-bet pays 5.35/1 with starsports.bet.

RECOMMENDED BETS
BACK Leicester v West Ham over 3.5 goals 1.5pts at 9/5 (⭐️

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Build-a-bet: Jarrod Bowen and Facundo Buonanotte both to score 0.5pts at 11/1 with starsports.bet
BACK Marcus Rashford to score at any time 1pt at 4/1 (⭐️

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BACK Bournemouth to win 1pt at 13/8 (⭐️

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Build-a-bet: Evanilson and Dominic Solanke both to score 1pt at 5.35/1 with starsports.bet