Luis Suarez could be the key factor for Liverpool at Arsenal this weekend
© Getty Images
Enlarge
Well after an opening weekend that saw more surprises than a magic show, the second weekend of the Premier League should hopefully see things back to normal and give us more chances of getting into the black.
Click here to bet on the Premier League at bet365
The big question this weekend, from a betting perspective, is how much do you read into the opening set of fixtures. On paper, it looks as if Manchester United and Manchester City are going to be scrapping it out at the top, perhaps with Chelsea, while Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham battle it out for fourth.
That may well prove to be true but you can't base any thoughts on the first set of fixtures when players may be working their way towards full fitness and when the new boys at various teams are being bedded into the starting XI. Managers will take a few weeks to discover their best starting line-ups and probably in a month or so we will have a better idea of what to expect over the rest of the season.
But two of the teams who could be battling for fourth, Arsenal and Liverpool, meet on Saturday at the Emirates and I have to say, there is probably no better time Liverpool could be playing Arsenal. Cesc Fabregas is gone, Samir Nasri appears to be going and new signing Gervinho and Alexander Song are both suspended.
Liverpool, by contrast, have only Steven Gerrard ruled out through injury and while their captain is a vital player, they have the depth now to succeed even when he is not playing every match. This time last year, Liverpool almost pulled off a remarkable win in Javier Mascherano's last match before leaving for Barcelona.
Betting bullets
- Bet of the weekend: Liverpool to win at Arsenal - 7/4
- The weekend punt: Wigan Athletic to win at Swansea City - 14/5 bet365
- The weekend treble: Man Utd, Aston Villa and Sunderland to win: 5/1 bet365
This time it's Fabregas who has gone to Catalonia and I can see Liverpool pinching all three points. They will have learnt a lot from last weekend's draw with Sunderland and if Luis Suarez is firing, they will take some stopping. Take them to be the bet of the weekend at 7/4 with bet365.
If it was not for the fact that Wigan had drawn with new boys Norwich last weekend, they would be far, far shorter to win at another of the relegated sides, Swansea City, this time round. Swansea were turned over at a rampant Manchester City and though they try to play a nice style of football, they will need to show steel.
Their home ground is an initimidating place to go but they will still be adjusting to life in the Premier League. Wigan may be the most inconsistent side in the division but when they get it right they can be really quite good. At 13/5 they are a big price, and big enough to warrant being the weekend punt.
The weekend treble should hopefully be a lot closer to a success than on weekend one. Let's start with Manchester United, at 4/6, to beat Tottenham. United's record against Spurs is one of the strongest in the league and though they have defensive concerns, they always seem to find a way to score one more than their opponents, especially at Old Trafford.
Aston Villa may have lost Stewart Downing and Ashley Young but the best team they can put out is better than the equivalent at Blackburn, their opponents this weekend. Throw in home advantage and 8/11 looks quite generous.
Finally, let's take Sunderland, who battled hard in winning a point at Liverpool last weekend, to edge out bitter rivals Newcastle United in the north-east derby. Again, home advantage can be the key factor and Sunderland can win it at 6/5.
Throw Manchester United, Aston Villa and Sunderland together and you get a treble that works out at just over 5/1, which would more than wipe out the deficits from last weekend.
Running total after weekend one = -3pts (1 pt per suggestion).
Please note that odds are correct at time of publication and are subject to change.
Simon Cambers is ESPN.co.uk's betting correspondent
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Simon Cambers
Simon Cambers is ESPN.co.uk's betting correspondant Simon Cambers is ESPN.co.uk's betting correspondant
