The third round of the English Premier League campaign concludes on Sunday the 6th of September with two fixtures on the schedule. Everton welcome Manchester United before Arsenal and Chelsea meet in a blockbuster London derby at the Emirates Stadium. We cover both encounters from a betting angle below.
Let’s start with a look at the Outright Betting where heading into round 3, defending champions Arsenal are favourites to retain the Premier League title at 1.85, with Manchester City their closest challengers at 4.00. Chelsea trade at 7.00 while Liverpool and Manchester United are available at 15.00.
Click here for the latest EPL Outright Betting Markets.
SUNDAY:
EVERTON vs MANCHESTER UNITED
Everton remain unbeaten after collecting four points from their first two league fixtures. The side opened their campaign with a composed 2-0 home victory over Crystal Palace, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry finding the back of the net.
They then travelled to Bournemouth, where a late James Tarkowski goal rescued a 1-1 draw. Everton are 8th on the standings with three goals scored and only one conceded, giving them the joint best defensive record outside the early top four.
Manchester United experienced a difficult opening weekend as they suffered a surprising 2-0 defeat away to newly promoted Hull City. They produced a considerably stronger response when Ipswich Town visited Old Trafford in the following round.
The team registered an emphatic 5-2 victory, with Bruno Fernandes scoring a hat-trick as United repeatedly opened up the Ipswich defence. That result lifted them into 11th position with three points, five goals scored and four conceded.
Head-to-Head:
Manchester United have won three of the last six meetings between the clubs, while Everton have claimed one victory and two encounters have finished level.
The most recent clash ended in a narrow 1-0 victory for United on the road in February while the first league fixture last season saw Everton claim a 1-0 triumph at Old Trafford.
Betting – Click here to bet
Everton 3.40
Draw 3.65
Manchester United 2.20
Verdict:
Everton’s unbeaten start has been built on defensive organisation and a willingness to remain in matches until the final whistle. They have conceded only once and will be encouraged by Manchester United’s problems during their opening defeat at Hull.
The visitors looked far more dangerous against Ipswich and Fernandes remains capable of controlling the attacking contest, while United’s favourable recent record at this venue strengthens their case.
Everton should make the match competitive but United’s greater attacking depth could allow them to build on their improved second round performance and claim a second consecutive victory making them my pick.
BET: Manchester United to win at 2.20
ARSENAL vs CHELSEA
Arsenal have made a flawless start to their title defence, collecting all six available points without conceding a goal.
The Gunners began the campaign with a commanding 3-0 home victory over newly promoted Coventry City. Their second assignment was far tighter but they found a way past Aston Villa to earn a 1-0 victory at Villa Park.
Chelsea have also taken maximum points from their opening two league matches, although their victories have provided considerably more drama.
They kicked things off with an entertaining 3-2 triumph away to Fulham before edging Brighton 4-3 at Stamford Bridge. They have scored a seven goals but their five goals conceded represent the weakest defensive return among the teams currently occupying the top half of the standings.
Chelsea head into the weekend in 4th position, level with Arsenal on six points but trailing the defending champions on goal difference.
Head-to-Head:
Arsenal are unbeaten across the last six meetings between the London rivals, recording four victories and two draws in league and cup competition.
They won both encounters at the Emirates Stadium last season, beating Chelsea 1-0 in the EFL Cup before securing a 2-1 league victory in March. They also claimed a 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge during the first leg of their EFL Cup tie.
Chelsea have scored in four of those six clashes, although they have not kept a clean sheet in any of them. Four of the six meetings finished with fewer than 2.5 goals.
Betting – Click here to bet
Arsenal 1.77
Draw 4.00
Chelsea 4.75
Verdict:
This contest brings together two perfect records but the manner in which the teams have earned their points has been very different. Arsenal have controlled both ends of the pitch, while Chelsea have needed their attack to compensate for repeated defensive openings.
The visitors’ seven goal return shows that they carry a genuine threat and should provide Arsenal with their most demanding test of the season so far. Nevertheless, conceding five times across matches against Fulham and Brighton raises questions ahead of a visit to the defending champions.
Arsenal’s defensive stability, home advantage and dominant recent record in this fixture make them the more convincing selection. The side should exploit the spaces Chelsea have been leaving open and extend their winning start to the campaign in a low scoring clash.
BET: Result and Totals – Arsenal and Under 3.5 Goals at 2.60
Note: All prices were correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
