CHRIS Graham (@chrisgraham79) returns with three more Premier League picks this weekend.
Liverpool v Swansea | Sunday 16:15
After the last Europa League matchday I took on Liverpool in their match against Crystal Palace and was right to do so as they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat that day. I want to find an angle to oppose them here again but looking at the opponent it’s tough.
Jurgen Klopp has had a tremendous start to his Liverpool coaching job, The 4-1 win over Man City last Saturday seemed to encapsulate everything that he stands for and it was a real watershed moment for the club.
With all this physical and mental strain on the players adopting this kind of system there should be low moments and surprise defeats as well and I can see then conceding on Sunday,
Garry Monk looks in desperate danger at Swansea as he clings onto the managers role by his fingernails and another bad result here could push him out. That’s a real shame as he looks a guy with a promising future and a strong work ethic.
Liverpool for all their progress continue to concede goals and Klopp’s side have leaked in six of their last eight matches. In the Premier League it’s an astonishing eight from their last nine.
Swansea despite struggling are still scoring. Two last week against Bournemouth kept their tally up to 14 for the season and that’s level with Top 10 side Crystal Palace. I’ll take both teams to score.
Aston Villa v Watford | Saturday 15:00
Make no mistake about it, Aston Villa are in the shit. If a team are getting beat 4-0 just days into a new managers tenure then there are serious issues around the club.
The 4-0 loss at Goodison Park last Saturday was pathetic and it put an abrupt end to the small progress Remi Garde had made since he took over at the start of the month.
A 0-0 draw at home to Man City was a real feather in his cap but this collapse last Saturday looked deeply worrying and the possibility of Aston Villa being absent from the Premier League for the first time next season is a real one.
Saying all that though maybe Watford felt more awful last weekend? They lost to Manchester United on the last kick of the game last Saturday and it was an indicator of just how far the club have come that it was seen as such a sore defeat.
If Villa have been a shambles this season then Watford have been organised, disciplined and mature and have taken to the Premier League with great aplomb under the impressive tutelage of Quique Sanchez Flores.
The Hornets have lost just five of their 13 league matches this season and four of them have come against the current Top 4 in the table, Villa couldn’t handle to these kind of sides.
The sides are competing for favouritism but it’s the 19/10 on Watford that interests me a lot more. I’ll back them on the Draw No Bet market at Evens.
Leicester v Manchester United | Saturday 17:30 | Sky Sports 1
What a sensational season Leicester have had eh? I’m deeply embarrassed to admit I was one of the boo boys who thought Claudio Ranieri’s appointment may lead to relegation. Instead they enter the final fixtures of November at the top of the table.
You have to go back to the 1998/99 season to find a side who were top of the table after 13 games that didn’t finish Top 4 so it’s not absurd for Leicester to dream about such glories.
On Saturday they’re engaged in a top of the table clash with Manchester United and we should get a real feel of their credentials for the rest of the season here.
Manchester United flit from being called ‘solid if unspectacular’ to ‘dull as dishwater’ after each game just now but the fact is they’re second in the table with the meanest defence in the league. Domestically Louis Van Gaal’s methods are working, they’re just an absolute eye-sore to watch.
Despite their amazing defensive record I’m going to back Both Teams To Score here at 5/6 with Betfair. It’s paid out in 11 of Leicester’s 13 matches in the league this season and the Foxes have played their part in every fixture.
Yes, Manchester United could shut them out but Leicester seem like a force of nature at the moment and their whirlwind football can bring the best out of both sides.
TOPICS English Football Tips Football Premier League TipsBest Bets
Liverpool v Swansea – Both Teams To Score (Evens Bet365)
Aston Villa v Watford – Watford Draw No Bet (Evens Paddy Power)
Leicester v Manchester United – Both Teams To Score (5/6 Betfair)
