Premier League Weekend – Football & Racing News – Star Sports

Star Sports Football ambassador ALEX CROOK previews the pick of this weekend’s Premier League action..

???? NOTTINGHAM FOREST v ASTON VILLA ????
Saturday, 5.30pm

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The City Ground will be bouncing when Nottingham Forest welcome Aston Villa in a Midlands derby on Saturday teatime

Forest are still riding the crest of the wave after last weekend’s 3-2 triumph over Manchester United brought up a rare double of winning at OId Trafford and Anfield in the same season.

It means Nuno Espirito Santo’s side head into the weekend sitting one place above their visitors in the Premier League table, knowing a victory would take them into the top 4 for 24 hours at least.

This could be a good time to play Villa, who ground out a hard-fought win in Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday and have dropped points in the league game after their last four European matches.

The Tricky Trees have won three of their last four home games and came out on top in this fixture last season while Villa’s recent Premier League away form is not good so a Forest win at 8/5 with starsports.bet looks over-priced to me.

Morgan Gibbs-White was among the goals against United and is playing well. Gibbs-White at 10/3 with starsports.bet to score at any time also catches my eye.

????  MANCHESTER CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED ????
Sunday, 4.30pm

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There have not been too many Manchester derbies in recent season where both the blue and red half of the city come into it in such a poor vein of form.

City’s mini blip now has to be considered a full-blown crisis with Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat at Juventus, which has left them facing the humiliating prospect of exiting the Champions League in the league phase, extending their woeful run to just ONE win in TEN matches.

Meanwhile, new United boss Ruben Amorim did not lose in the league for a whole year as Sporting manager, but has now been turned over in each of his last two Premier League games. ‘Welcome to Manchester,’ Ruben!

With both teams in dire need of the points, City to start to revive their fading hopes of a fifth successive league title and United just to stay within touching distance of the European places, there will be plenty of nervous tension around the Etihad Stadium so I can envisage a cagey first half. You can back the match to be a draw at half-time at 13/8 with starsports.bet.

United fans still have the bragging rights over their City counterparts after the Red Devils’ surprise victory in last season’s FA Cup final and can be forgiven for thinking this is a golden opportunity to claim an all too rare victory on enemy soil.

A lot of city’s recent woes have stemmed from them shipping goals, and with Rico Lewis suspended the out-of-sorts Josko Gvardiol is likely to be tasked with shackling an in-form Amad Diallo. United took the lead here last season, when Marcus Rashford delivered a 10/1 winner for this column, before City ran out relatively comfortable winners and Amad can be backed at 12/1 with starsports.bet to score the first goal.

????  BOURNEMOUTH v WEST HAM ⚒️
Monday, 8pm

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West Ham eased the pressure on manager Julen Lopetegui by beating Wolves 2-1 in the match dubbed ‘Elsackico’ on Monday night, but that rest-bite won’t last long if the Hammers succumb to defeat on the Dorset coast on Monday.

I still wasn’t wowed by the performance against a Wolves side with only two wins all season, and but for the brilliance of Jarrod Bowen and some controversial calls from the officials the outcome could have been very different for the embattled Lopetegui.

With Graham Potter still waiting in the wings to replace him, a trip to face fellow Spaniard Andoni Iraola’s high-flying Cherries is far from ideal for the ex-Wolves boss.

The Cherries were not at their best, but still found a way to beat Ipswich 2-1 at Portman Road on Sunday and have now won each of their last three games. They have also downed Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham and home already this season and their high-energy approach may be too much for the fragile Hammers to handle.

It is also a chance for Iraola’s troops to avenge their EFL Cup defeat at the London Stadium back in September, but while I am strong on the idea of a home win Bournemouth are just a little too short to back outright at 8/11 with starsports.bet.

There have been plenty of goals in recent games involving both these two while Antoine Semenyo, arguably the Cherries’ best player this season, feels overdue getting on the scoresheet. Bournemouth to win, over 2.5 goals in the game and Semenyo to score first returns 11.31/1 as a build-a-bet with starsports.bet.

RECOMMENDED BETS
BACK Nottingham Forest win 1pt at 8/5 (⭐️

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BACK Morgan Gibbs White to score any time 1pt at 10/3 (⭐️

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BACK Manchester City v Manchester United draw at half-time 1pt at 13/8 (⭐️

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BACK Amad Diallo to score the first goal 1pt at 12/1 (⭐️

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Build-a-bet: Bournemouth ton win, over 2.5 goals and Antoine Semenyo to score 0.5pts at 11.31/1 with starsports.bet

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