England’s top-flight returns after a brief hiatus for the international break, with no less than eight games taking place across Saturday for what is bound to be an entertaining day of action.
Five of the eight scheduled fixtures kick off at 3pm, with the pick of the afternoon ties coming in North London as Champions League hopefuls Tottenham host Luton, who are looking to pull away from the relegation zone.
Elsewhere there are exciting encounters in north and south London, while the 5.30 kick-off is a West Midlands derby as Aston Villa host Wolves, with both sides chasing spots in Europe next season.
Recommended four-fold: Tottenham to win and over 3.5 goals v Luton, Bournemouth and Everton to draw, Chelsea and BTTS v Burnley, Both Teams to score in Aston Villa v Wolves.
- Tottenham to win and over 3.5 goals v Luton
- Bournemouth and Everton to Draw
- Chelsea and BTTS v Burnley
- Both Teams to Score in Aston Villa v Wolves
Tottenham vs Luton
Matches involving either Spurs or Luton have usually been thoroughly entertaining, goal-laden affairs and their meeting at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday should be no different.
The Lilywhites have failed to score in just two games under Ange Postecoglou - with one of these coming in a 3-0 defeat to Fulham prior to the international break - while four of their six games prior to this defeat featured a minimum of four goals scored, with Spurs keeping just one clean sheet.
This will be both good and bad news for Rob Edwards’ Hatters side, with Luton having real difficulties in keeping the ball out of their own net on their travels in recent weeks.
Luton have conceded at least four goals in three of their last four away days in the league - coming in the form of an enthralling 4-4 draw at Newcastle, a 4-1 dressing down at Anfield and, most recently, a 4-3 defeat to Bournemouth in which the Hatters squandered a 3-0 lead.
No side has conceded more goals on the road in the Premier than Luton this season (34), while Spurs have looked strong in front of goal in recent weeks, scoring 12 across their last five home matches.
Postecoglou’s men will be expected to have the required quality to take all three points and, with Luton’s defence in disarray, another goalfest could be in store.
TOTTENHAM TO WIN AND OVER 3.5 GOALS
Bournemouth vs Everton
Bournemouth are not expected to be dragged into the relegation battle, with Andoni Iraola’s side currently 14 points above the drop zone, but they could find it difficult to take all three points against Sean Dyche’s Everton, who are just four points clear of the bottom three.
The Vitality Stadium saw a lot of action prior to the recent cluster of internationals - with four of the Cherries’ last five fixtures in all competitions being played at home - and the south coast saw varying levels of success, ranging from an unbelievable comeback victory over Luton to exiting the FA Cup via an extra-time defeat to Championship outfit Leicester.
The Toffees have had a torrid 2024, with their sole victory this calendar year coming in the FA Cup against Crystal Palace in January, but they have proved to be a difficult side to overcome on their travels, registering three draws across their last five away days in all competitions.
The Cherries have also drawn three of their last five home fixtures - within 90 minutes - while only Brighton and West Ham have registered more draws on home soil in the Premier League than Bournemouth’s five, so another all-square result would not be a surprise to many.
BOURNEMOUTH AND EVERTON TO DRAW
Chelsea vs Burnley
Chelsea are five points away from a coveted European spot and so a win will be of vital importance to Mauricio Pochettino’s men when they host a Burnley side who have picked up four points from a possible six over their last two games.
The Blues have turned Stamford Bridge into a fortress after a shaky start to the campaign, with the Londoners winning 10 of their last 13 fixtures here - with five of these coming in cup competitions, including a penalties victory over Newcastle.
However, one cause for concern for the Chelseas boss will be his side’s recent defensive performances. Both teams have scored in four of their last five home fixtures, while nine of their last ten have also seen winners in this market.
This may offer some hope for Burnley - who picked up a 2-2 draw at West Ham in their last visit to the capital - in getting on the scoresheet on Saturday.
However, with just two victories and nine points accrued on the road all season, it is hard to see the Clarets coming away with anything but a consolation goal.
CHELSEA TO WIN AND BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
Aston Villa vs Wolves
The early evening kick-off is expected to be a fiercely-contested derby between Asyon Villa and Wolves and the result may be difficult to call with both sides more than capable of claiming victory.
The Villans were a force to be reckoned with at Villa Park for the majority of this season. However, four defeats from their last six games at home in all competitions has begun to show frailties that can be exploited by well-drilled opposition.
Wolves have shown that they are capable of producing big performances on the road - having picked up impressive victories at Chelsea and Tottenham in 2024 - but two defeats across their last three across league and cup encounters could hamper their recent good progress.
Four of the last five head-to-heads between these two rivals have seen goals at both ends, while five of the last six games at Villa Park have seen winners in the Both Teams to Score market and an extension to this record looks like a good choice.
