The first of a batch of the UEFA Champions League and Europa League have either been played or about to play by the time you’ve read our EPL Matchweek 5 Predictions, and we can safely predict a great weekend.
Interestingly, we will be keen to see if the extra football has pushed some very thin skins into anger and if coaches will use it as an excuse for a loss. Arsene Wenger probably will.
Plenty to look forward to this weekend for EPL Matchday 5. Here’s a few of our favourite things.
A FEW OUR OF FAVOURITE THINGS FOR THE EPL MATCHWEEK 5 AHEAD
FTA GAME in AUSTRALIA – Liverpool v Burnley – Midnight Saturday Night on SBS and Liverpool feature second week in a row. Surely can’t be as bad as last week for them.
ROY HODGSON at CRYSTAL PALACE – First new manager of the year, and can he turn things around, or at least get Palace to score a goal?
CHELSEA v ARSENAL – The big 6 clash of the weekend, and can Arsenal follow up last weekend’s 3-0 win against a top side? Probably not against Chelsea.
WATFORD v MANCHESTER CITY – The game promises lots of goals after Man City have found form and Watford’s surprising start to the season.
GURGLER’S EPL TIPPING COMPETITION
Each week we will put our tips up against an opponent, just like Lawro’s tips on the BBC Football website. But instead of having famous comedian and musicians we’ve never heard of, we put our tips up against a different type of opponent.
We determine tips based on some ridiculous premise or statistic, and we then see if arse truly beat class.
This week’s opponents is one of our most popular from last year and features tips based on the Brexit voting. More on that later, onto our tips first.
OUR EPL MATCHWEEK 5 PREDICTIONS
Onto our selections for the round ahead, with added scores to take on Lawro from the BBC. Our tips were awful last weekend with just the 3 correct again. We did nail two correct scores, who cares? You’re right. Surely we can do much better this week, and don’t call us Shirley.
BOURNEMOUTH to beat Brighton (1-0)
CRYSTAL PALACE to beat Southampton (2-0)
WEST BROM to beat West Ham (2-0)
MANCHESTER CITY to beat Watford (3-1)
NEWCASTLE to beat Stoke (2-0)
LIVERPOOL to beat Burnley (2-1)
DRAW – Huddersfield v Leicester (0-0)
SPURS to beat Swansea (3-0)
CHELSEA to beat Arsenal (2-0)
MANCHESTER UNITED to beat Everton (2-0)
EPL MATCHWEEK 5 PREDICTIONS – AVERAGE VALUE PER PLAYER
Now that the Summer Transfer Window is over, and next year it will close at the beginning of the season in the most common sense decision in any sport this year, it is time to see what the relevant teams have for the season ahead.
And what better use than to base our EPL MATCHWEEK 5 PREDICTIONS for this week’s opponent.
Some teams have spent many, many millions, but have they spent wisely in terms of the entire squad. We have have worked out the average value per player for each club, and as ever the club with the biggest value per player gets the tip. The figures are not very surprising.
So here are the opponent tips for this week. Average per player in brackets. All figures from the tremendous Transfer Markt website.
BOURNEMOUTH (4 Million) to beat Brighton (3 Million)
SOUTHAMPTON (9 Million) to beat Crystal Palace (7 Million)
WEST HAM (9 Million) to beat West Brom (7 Million)
MANCHESTER CITY (28 Million) to beat Watford (5 Million)
STOKE (6 Million) to beat Newcastle (5 Million)
LIVERPOOL (16 Million) to beat Burnley (3 Million)
LEICESTER (9 Million) to beat Huddersfield (2 Million)
SPURS (21 Million) to beat Swansea (6 Million)
CHELSEA (24 Million) to beat Arsenal (20 Million)
MANCHESTER UNITED (23 Million) to beat Everton (11 Million)
Next week we’ll do the same except work out the $ per points to see the value of each squad.
EPL TIPPING COMPETITION SEASON RESULTS
THE GURGLER – 43% – 17 / 40 (3 Correct Scores)
LAST WEEK 3/10 – 2 Correct Scores
ALL OPPONENTS – 43% – 17 / 40
MD1 v 2017-18 SEASON PREDICTIONS – 6 / 10
MD2 v BREXIT VOTING – 4 / 10
MD3 v HOME CROWD % – 3 / 10
MD4 v END OF SEASON IMPROVEMENT AFTER ROUND 3
THE GURGLER 5 O’ THE BEST MULTI FOR EPL MATCHWEEK 5
Since we’re unlikely to pick 10 out of ten, we’ve selected our finest 5 picks and multi them up for maximum payday.
CRYSTAL PALACE to beat Southampton
OVER 2.5 GOALS – Watford v Manchester City
NEWCASTLE to beat Stoke
SPURS to beat Swansea
CHELSEA to beat Arsenal
$1 pays $22
COMING SOON….THE FANTASY UNITED PODCAST
Want to know more about the EPL and EPL Fantasy, then stayed tuned for a weekly blab on what is happening from the FU team.
