Recommended Bets:
- ASTON VILLA TO WIN AND BTTS
- BRENTFORD TO WIN
- MANCHESTER CITY TO WIN TO NIL
- MANCHESTER UTD V NOTTINGHAM FOREST – OVER 3.5 GOALS
Bet On The Premier League
Aston Villa vs Southampton
Aston Villa fans will have been forgiven for getting a bit concerned by recent league results, after five games without a win ahead of their midweek clash with Brentford.
Unai Emery’s men had slipped into the bottom half, but they bounced back in style on Wednesday when they beat Brentford 3-1.
They are at home again on Saturday, when they play a Southampton team that are bottom of the table with just one win to their name.
Saints lost 5-1 at home to Chelsea on Wednesday and will be without defender Jack Stephens, who was sent off against the Blues.
It’s now 30 goals conceded in 14 matches for Russell Martin’s side and now face a Villa team that have scored nine goals in their last five home league games.
The one glimmer of hope for the visitors will be the fact that Villa have kept just one Premier League clean sheet this season.
Ollie Watkins though has now scored in their last two home games and he will see a clash with the bottom club as the perfect opportunity to add to his six league goals.
ASTON VILLA TO WIN AND BTTS
Brentford vs Newcastle
Brentford have a near perfect home record going into December, with six wins and a draw in their seven Premier League games at the Gtech Community Stadium.
That record is the main reason why the Bees are in the top half and currently ahead of Saturday’s opponents Newcastle.
Despite losing Ivan Toney in the summer, the goals have still been flowing for Brentford, with Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo both scoring eight league goals so far this term.
Thomas Frank will demand a response after Wednesday’s disappointment at Villa Park and they will be up for a test against Eddie Howe’s squad.
The Magpies have not won any of their last three league games, although they battled hard to claim a point in their 3-3 draw with leaders Liverpool in midweek.
But their form on the road will be a concern for Howe, with just two wins in their seven away league games this season – scoring nine goals during that run.
Brentford will also have a sense of revenge, having lost their last three home games against the Geordies. Newcastle were 3-0 up at half-time and eventually won 4-2 last season.
BRENTFORD TO WIN
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City
A run of seven games in all competitions without a win came to an end on Wednesday, when Manchester City beat Nottingham Forest 3-0.
Palace also picked up a big win in midweek, with a 1-0 victory at Ipswich seeing them open up a three-point gap from the teams in the relegation zone.
The Eagles have collected five points from their last three games, but this looks like a step too far to maintain that unbeaten run.
City have more than a point to prove having slipped off the title pace and Pep Guardiola will feel his team can now build an unbeaten run and get back in the race for top spot.
He made several changes from the side that lost at Liverpool and went with a very attacking formation against Forest, so it will be interesting to see if they will go down the same route at Palace.
With Kevin de Bruyne now back to full fitness, the defending champions will now head to the capital looking to make a statement.
City are unbeaten in their last 10 visits to Selhurst Park, including a 4-2 success in April when De Bruyne scored twice after Palace had taken the lead.
Palace are the second lowest scorers in the Premier League, with just 12 goals in their opening 14 games, with just four of those coming on home soil.
MANCHESTER CITY TO WIN TO NIL
Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest
Ruben Amorim suffered his first defeat as Manchester United manager on Wednesday, as his side slipped to a 2-0 loss at Arsenal.
There have been much better signs for the Red Devils under their new boss, but Amorim accepts that Arsenal are much further in their progression than United.
Saturday evening’s clash with Nottingham Forest looks like a more winnable game, with a victory taking them level on points with their opponents.
After a brilliant start to the season, Forest have suffered three defeats in their last four league games and conceded nine goals during that run.
Nuno Espirito Santos’ men are back in Manchester following a midweek defeat to City and they will hope to halt a poor recent run on the road.
It’s just one win in their last five away games for Forest, which has seen them slip to sixth in the table – five places above their opponents.
The visitors are arguably more suited to playing away from home though, with a counter-attacking style that can cause problems for United.
Forest took a 2-0 lead within the first five minutes of this fixture last season, before United fought back to eventually win 3-2.
There were also three goals in the reverse fixture last December, with Forest winning 2-1 at the City Ground thanks to a late strike from Morgan Gibbs-White.
More goals look to be on the agenda, as both teams look to bounce back from the midweek defeats and target a top-six spot come the turn of the year.
OVER 3.5 GOALS