Nottingham Forest vs. Sheffield United
H2H: W4 D6 L5
Fab: Both sides are still looking for their first win of the season. Forest managed to keep it respectable on their North London trip last Saturday, but probably it’s a case of what if Steve Cooper had been braver from the start. Indeed their late attacking subs brought a lot of discomfort to the Arsenal defence and for this game Anthony Elanga and Taiwo Awoniyi should start. The Blades on the other hand suffered a narrow loss to Crystal Palace on their return to the top flight and you get the feeling it’s only about to get tougher for them. Fully expect the home crowd to roar the hosts to the win.
Prediction: 2-0
Bobo: On the books, this seems a pretty balanced match. Both teams had difficult starts to the league and will be looking to gain a crucial three points. Nottingham seem the better of the teams here but Sheffield were quite alright against a really formidable opponent. I think MD2 will start with a draw.
Prediction: 1-1

Fulham vs. Brentford
H2H: W3 D2 L7
Fab: Fulham did well to grind out a win at Everton and even as they seek to sort out their forward line with the impending departure of Aleksandar Mitrovic should still be favourites for this encounter. Brentford didn’t seem to be doing badly without Ivan Toney. They still managed to get two goals against quality opposition in Spurs and will hope their direct counter attacking display will propel them to the win. Still, I’ve got to go with the Cottagers on this one.
Prediction: 2-1
Bobo: An exciting match for the neutral. Brentford showed that they can hold their own even without Ivan Toney. Fulham got the rather expected win against Everton last weekend and are also looking quite good. This is a tough one given how close the previous fixtures have been. I’ll keep it close and think Brentford have the quality to just edge it and win the away game.
Prediction: 2-3

Liverpool v. Bournemouth
H2H: W12 D1 L2
Fab: Liverpool should be good enough to get their first win at Anfield despite coming out of the Chelsea trip with a somewhat lucky point. They’re still taking hits in their quest to reinforce their midfield, but probably that underbelly won’t be too exposed by a Bournemouth side which might be ruing not getting maximum points in their more winnable fixture last weekend. Liverpool absolutely ran riot in this particular fixture last season and while it won’t be another 9-0 scoreline, the Reds should still win convincingly.
Prediction: 4-1
Bobo: Both teams shared the spoils in their respective matches. Liverpool were not as impressive as I imagined they would be. A small teething problem. They come up against an interesting Bournemouth side. Liverpool have won all the matches they have played against the Cherries at home and I expect this to continue.
Prediction: 3-1

Wolves vs. Brighton
H2H: W2 D7 L5
Fab: Wolves managed to hold their own against Man United at Old Trafford and will feel hard done by considering the penalty decision that wasn’t given in their favour which could have earned them a precious point. Brighton’s quality shone through against debutants Luton and will look to pick up from there. Just maybe though, Wolves should have a steely resolve to avoid the loss.
Prediction: 1-1
Bobo: The Wolves team had an impressive performance against Manchester United. They were hard done by by the poor officiating. They showed that they can hold their own regardless what was happening in the background. Brighton were their usual impressive selves and they have their present and past going for them. I think Brighton will be too good for this Wolves team as they can score the goals. The Wolves will have to improve on the goalscoring front if they want to stay up.
Prediction: 1-4

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester United
H2H: W10 D14 L44
Fab: Spurs adjusted to the loss of Harry Kane by throwing their defenders into the deep end of attack and it paid off with non-regular goalscorers Cristian Romero and Emerson Royal getting the goals. Their overall play was encouraging but the same cannot be said of Man United who were at best plucky and lucky in their win against Wolves. United’s attack (and midfield) will have to greatly improve if they are to get something from this match, which I don’t think they will.
Prediction: 2-1
Bobo: A cagey and feisty affair is how I would describe this. It is so difficult to judge both teams from their first match. The Red Devils were the worse team in their fixture and the same can be said of Spurs. You would also have to go back a while for a Tottenham win against the Red Devils. Manchester United have done traditionally well in this fixture. That said, I think it will end in a draw like the last one because United do not seem comfortable at the moment and neither do Spurs.
Prediction: 2-2

Manchester City vs. Newcastle United
H2H: W30 D10 L9
Fab: This blockbuster is actually the fixture of the weekend and it’s a pointer to how high Newcastle’s stock has risen. Indeed, the league leaders arrive at the Etihad on quite a high after that impressive demolition of Aston Villa and will be looking to cause the upset. The champions didn’t really get out of second gear in their opening fixture but still ran out comfortable winners. That’s the pedigree their opponents have to contend with. It will be interesting to see just how City cope with the absence of their creative hub Kevin de Bruyne who’s out injured for a lengthy spell and of course the Magpies will hope to capitalize on that. This match could go either way and just maybe a draw is a fair result?
Prediction: 2-2
Bobo: This is the pick of the week. An exciting match for all the right and wrong reasons. Newcastle were so impressive against Aston Villa and City were their usual selves. It will be interesting to see how Newcastle handle this challenge. Of the 5 recent meetings, 4 have ended with at least 4 goals. Only the last one ended 2-0. I think the two teams will go back to delivering a high scoring match ending in a draw.
Prediction: 3-3

Aston Villa vs. Everton
H2H: W24 D19 L14
Fab: The Villans are coming from the shock of their last weekend after being annihilated 5-1 by Newcastle and will want to immediately get their confidence back up. Everton look to struggle after failing to even score at home and represent the perfect punch bag for the home side. Villa though are encouraged by how well new signing Moussa Diaby has taken to life at the club and if he’s up for it, they should win.
Prediction: 3-0
Bobo: Villa will want to swiftly forget what happened against the Toons in their opening day. They were not too bad and the injury to Mings definitely played a part in this. The quality of the team is evident and they just need to find the right balance. They come up against the worst finishers in the league. Everton seem like they will continue their woes in front of goal and it will likely be a second loss from two.
Prediction: 3-0

West Ham United vs. Chelsea
H2H: W16 D10 L29
Fab: Chelsea’s new crop of signings showed tremendous courage to take the game to a tricky Liverpool side and it seems that will be the mantra for the Mauricio Pochettino era – no fear. West Ham did reasonably well at Bournemouth despite failing to hold on for the win and will need even more heart for this derby. Moises Caicedo could make his debut after his mega move, and I feel his presence might be the difference.
Prediction: 1-2
Bobo: A London derby that promises to be interesting. Chelsea’s new signings all have a point to prove and if their performance against Liverpool is anything to go by then I expect that they should get on the score sheet. The Hammers are relentless and they will give this Chelsea team a run for their money. I think the Blues will win it but only just.
Prediction: 3-2

Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal
H2H: W4 D8 L16
Fab: Arsenal won on opening weekend despite failing to fire on all cylinders and that could probably be a tad bit concerning. Palace did well to get off the block at Bramall Lane and now retreat to home comforts of Selhurst Park for this London derby. Could be close but the Gunners, even without the sidelined Jurrien Timber should have just enough quality to get it over the line.
Prediction: 0-2
Bobo: Another London Derby and two very exciting teams. Both teams won by the finest of margins on the weekend and both were expected to do a bit better. Their weaknesses were highlighted in that first game and I expect that both managers will address this. Arsenal have great quality at the moment and I think they have enough firepower to shoot down the Eagles. It all just depends on how they use it.
Prediction: 1-3