This Sunday’s Premier League football sees the last action from the English top flight for two weeks as there is an international break as every country around the world continues their battles to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Due to a set of Champions League and Europa League fixtures during the week the four final matches from the seventh round of the EPL season are filled with big names so every second of the day will be filled with exciting football.
We preview all four matches with online sportsbook Sportsinteraction.com and provide our best EPL picks on today’s top quality football.
Tottenham v Man City: 2.89 – 3.37 – 2.35
The biggest match of this Premier League Sunday comes from White Hart Lane where they sides sitting third and first in the league go head to head with the home side looking for a third successive win over the only team in the top flight to have won all of their EPL games so far this season. Last season saw Tottenham defeat City 4-1 on home soil before winning 2-1 at The Etihad on their way to third place in the table with them able to move within a point of the league leaders with victory this Sunday afternoon you can be sure that they’ll be desperate to take all three points.
Both sides were in action in the Champions League during the week as Tottenham triumphed 1-0 in Moscow to collect their first points while City were made to work hard for a point in Glasgow as they drew 3-3 with Celtic to see the first time they have failed to win under new manager Pep Guardiola. This will boost the home side in North London more than City, but with Guardiola certain to restore John Stones to the starting lineup and play a more standard defence they will feel that they can move to seven wins from seven in the EPL.
Both sides are suffering from injuries, although Eric Dier, Mousa Dembele and Danny Rose are all in contention to return for Tottenham leaving only Harry Kane certain to miss the match, while Kevin de Bruyne, Vincent Kompany and Fabian Delph are all injured for City and Nolito is suspended. We feel that these injuries will open this match up as the league’s best defence welcomes the highest scoring attack, and that this will see this match be filled with goals just like both of last season’s games and nine of the last ten meetings. This is especially true with Sergio Aguero for City and Heung-Min Son for Tottenham having netted five and four goals respectively this season.
Our best Tottenham v Man City bet is back Over 2.5 goals @ 1.68 with Sportsinteraction.
Leicester v Southampton: 2.11 – 3.24 – 3.45
The champions once again look to restart their title defence in the league having bounced back from the 4-1 loss to Manchester United last weekend with a 1-0 victory against Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday night. They face a Southampton team that they drew 2-2 with at St. Mary’s Stadium before triumphing 1-0 on this ground last season, but it is The Saints who lead the way in the league at this stage of the campaign. Southampton are unbeaten in five matches in all competitions before arriving at The King Power Stadium this weekend and they have kept clean sheets in each of these games, now will they be able to repeat the wins that Hull, Liverpool and Man United have recorded over Claudio Ranieri’s men this season?
All of these defeats for Leicester have come on their travels this season and in front of their home fans they have been much better with all seven points coming on this ground thanks to a 0-0 draw with Arsenal and wins over Swansea and Burnley, while they also pushed Chelsea to extra time in the cup and their win over 2003 Champions League winners Porto this week came on home soil too. Having rested since Tuesday for this match without having to travel compared to their guests who played in Israel on Thursday night will also be a massive boost as will the fact that Ranieri has a fully fit squad to choose from.
Southampton rested players for their Europa League game on Thursday, but Charlie Austin, Jose Fonte, Steven Davis and Ryan Bertrand are all likely to be recalled for this match where they are looking for third straight league win. Austin is the man in form right now for Southampton with five goals in his last four games in all competitions and with him rested for the midweek match we see him being the value bet on this match to find the net against a Leicester defence that has already conceded 11 goals in six matches.
Back Charlie Austin to score anytime versus Leicester at odds of 3.11 in the Sportsinteraction.com Sportsbook!
Man United v Stoke: 1.33 – 5.07 – 9.00
Stoke came within seconds of securing their first win of the season on home soil last weekend before Solomon Rondon netted to see West Brom grab a point at The Bet365 Stadium, but they are still bottom of the league and ravaged with injuries. Number one goalkeeper Jack Butland is still out, although is on the road to recovery, while Ibrahim Afellay and Joe Allen join the England man on the sidelines. Jonathan Walters faces a late fitness test and may make the team for this match and would be a welcome boost to a side that are showing signs of improving, but will be fearful of going to Old Trafford without a win this season.
Stoke have also lost 15 and drawn one of their last 16 matches in all competitions at Old Trafford, while with former United striker Mark Hughes in charge they have lost all three clashes with United on this ground. However, they have shown that they can score goals with them finding the net in six of eight games this season while they have also netted five times in their last four visits to the red half of Manchester. Can they find a goal, or perhaps more, and shock the formbook this Sunday?
United have just three clean sheets in ten matches this season in all competitions, but one of these did come on Thursday night as they defeated Ukrainian side Zorya 1-0 in the Europa League. After leading Leicester 4-0 at half time last weekend and effectively switching off for the second 45 minutes as Leicester pulled a goal back you can be sure that Jose Mourinho will have let his players know how they are expected to perform. They have bounced back from three losses with three wins in all competitions and, as the odds suggest, they’ll be far too good for a Stoke side without a win on this ground in the EPL era.
Our top Manchester United v Stoke tip is back United to win by at least two goals (Man United -1.5) @ 1.94 at Old Trafford.
Burnley v Arsenal: 8.09 – 4.84 – 1.35
The final game of the weekend sees 14th placed Burnley take an Arsenal side that has collected almost double the amount of points they have in six matches and is looking to move above Liverpool who start Sunday in second place in the league. Arsenal have won five and drawn one of the last six meetings between these sides in all competitions since losing 2-0 in the League Cup eight years ago and they have not lost a league match against The Clarets in more than four decades. They have won four matches in a row, including beating FC Basel 2-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday, and come into this match full of confidence despite a number of injuries.
Per Mertesacker, Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck all remain long term absentees for Arsenal, while Oliver Giroud is also out and Francis Coquelin is a doubt for the match as well. Despite this, especially the loss of Giroud, The Gunners do not appear to be suffering as Alexis Sanchez is performing well up front as a striker and a revitalised Theo Walcott is ably assisting him with four goals in his last three matches. Can this dynamic duo up front pull apart a solid Burnley defence?
Home is where Burnley have been picking up their points this season and they come into this match unbeaten in three at Turf Moor with a 2-0 smash and grab win over Liverpool, a 1-1 draw with Hull and Monday night’s 2-0 win over Watford following a1-0 loss to Swansea this season. They have almost a full squad to choose from with only attackers Ashley Barnes and Andre Gray injured and suspended respectively but, despite their good form – with the win over Liverpool the stand out result – we cannot see them getting anything from this match as Arsenal have too much pace and power for them. There is little value on the outright market so we’re backing main front man Alexis Sanchez to find the net during the game as our pick of the match.
Our money is on Alexis Sanchez to score anytime v Burnley at odds of 1.98 with Sportsinteraction.com.