Premier League Gameweek 2: Predictions, best bets, and odds

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The opening weekend of Premier League fixtures gave fans plenty of enjoyment, with a few upsets, lots of goals, and even more talking points.

Brighton started round two in pole position, thanks to a stunning 4-0 win over Europa League champions Aston Villa at Falmer Stadium. 

Arsenal showed they're not defending the EPL crown, but attacking for two titles in a row. Mikel Arteta's side opened with a 3-0 win over newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in the relegation zone after a frustrating 3-0 defeat at the Brentford Community Stadium before the live TV cameras.

Round two has plenty to keep you interested, including Crystal Palace v Man City, Liverpool v Nottingham Forest, Chelsea v Brighton, and Aston Villa v Arsenal.

Experienced football betting writer Frank Monkhouse walks Flashscore readers through his Premier League Gameweek 2 predictions. You can follow his picks and claim a welcome bonus free bet at the top bookmakers featured on this page.

Crystal Palace v Man City, Friday, 20:00 BST

Crystal Palace enjoy home advantage on Friday evening at Selhurst Park, and followers of the Eagles want to see them make it count. The locals opened with an uninspiring 2-0 defeat at Everton last week, leaving them down in 16th place in the EPL after one round.

Man City opened with a hard-fought win over Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium. Enzo Maresca, who replaces Pep Guardiola in the dugout this season, saw his recruits go 1-0 down in the first half, but score two late goals to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Palace hope to get their first points on the board in front of a global audience, but the stats don't look good for Pierre Sage's team.

The Eagles have failed to win 20 of their last 22 meetings with Friday's opponents, with Man City claiming 15 wins. It's also worth knowing that the visitors haven't lost a match at this venue for over a decade. That's worth sticking with.

I kick off my Premier League gameweek 2 predictions with a bet on Man City to win. That's one for your weekend football accumulators.

Tip: Man City win @ 3/5 (bet365)

Bet explanation: If Man City beat Crystal Palace in London, you'll secure a profit.

Liverpool v Nottingham Forest, Saturday, 12:30 BST

Liverpool battled it out with Newcastle United at St James' Park last Sunday, and are back in front of the live TV cameras in Saturday's early afternoon start. The Reds stole a point from the Magpies with a last-gasp penalty, squaring the scores at 2-2. 

Liverpool finished with 60% possession at Newcastle and enjoyed 27 shots at goal, but put only 7 on target. The attacking players must improve, and fast.

I fancied Nottingham Forest to beat Leeds United at the City Ground last Saturday, but a goal from Anton Stach on 88 minutes wrecked our hopes of landing a profit. Despite the result, Forest had more of the ball and more shots on target than their opponents. The problem with that is, the only stat that really matters is the final score.

You may remember that the Tricky Trees won 3-0 at Anfield last November, thanks to goals from Murillo, Nicolo Savona, and Morgan Gibbs-White. Will they repeat the feat this year?

The betting traders make this a strong home win, but I'm avoiding the match result and chancing Cody Gakpo to score or assist in this renewal. The 27-year-old Dutch winger was the star performer last week, with more shots than any other player in gameweek one. He had six shots at goal and created three fantastic chances for his teammates. 

Take Gakpo to score or assist, and a wondergoal pays the same as him setting up another Liverpool player for a tap-in. Your bet is live for the entire time Gakpo is on the field, and he played the full match at St James' Park.

Tip: Gakpo to score or assist @ 4/5 (bet365)

Bet explanation: You need Cody Gakpo to score for Liverpool or assist in a goal.

Tottenham v Newcastle, Saturday, 17:30 BST

The Spurs board has backed new Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi, but the Italian didn't get off to the start he wanted. The team from North London started round two sitting second from the bottom of the pile after losing 3-0 at Brentford. 

The beaten team had the lion's share of possession, but created 9 shots to the Bees' 26 attempts. After spending an incredible £237m in the transfer window this summer, it was a worrying performance for all concerned.

Newcastle secured a point against Liverpool in a stunning opener, but manager Matthias Jaissle knew it could've been more. The Magpies played without fear, feeding off an incredible atmosphere to lead 1-0 at half-time, and 2-1 before the hour. Dominik Szoboszlai slotted home a spot-kick with 99 minutes on the clock in what was a cruel finish for Newcastle.

Members of the Toon Army can take encouragement from last week's efforts, as well as the head-to-head stats. Incredibly, Newcastle haven't lost to Tottenham in six matches, a run that stretches back to December 2023. But it gets worse for Spurs.

Tottenham have lost six of their previous eight meetings with Saturday evening's opponents. This venue is also a happy hunting ground for Newcastle, thanks to three wins from four visits. The numbers, and how both clubs started the season, make a bet on the visitors at fair odds hard to ignore.

Tip: Newcastle or draw @ 4/6 (bet365)

Bet explanation: The Magpies must build on last weekend's draw with Liverpool. If the visitors avoid defeat, you'll be counting your profits.

Chelsea v Brighton, Sunday, 14:00 BST

Will Chelsea win the Premier League this season? They're certainly one of the early betting favourites, and the Blues did their chances no harm whatsoever when beating Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday. Strikes from Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers, and Man of the Match Cole Palmer gave Chelsea victory by the odd goal in five.

Manager Xabi Alonso knows his team needs to do better defensively, and more signings are in the pipeline. Still, the Spaniard will be delighted for his attackers, including Palmer, who set up Chelsea's first goal inside a minute, and scored his side's last.

The 2026/27 Premier League season couldn't have started any better for Brighton. The Seagulls scored a surprise 4-0 home win over Europa League champions Aston Villa, scoring all four in the opening 45 minutes. A sorry-looking Villa couldn't match Brighton.

Top of the Premier League with one game played, the Seagulls were one of nine teams to win last weekend. The four goals scored were also the highest return in the division.

The head-to-head stats at Flashscore show Brighton have won their last three league games at Chelsea, scoring three goals each time. That trend is too good to overlook.

A fixture known for producing big numbers, a bet on over 2.5 goals looks like the smart play. The same wager won in each of the last seven games involving the Blues and the Seagulls, going back to December 2023. The same bet also landed in last week's matches, with Chelsea beating Fulham 3-2 and Brighton thrashing Aston Villa 4-0.

I'm confident that this fixture will follow the flow and give us three or more goals from both teams combined. A 3-0 win is as good as a 2-2 draw or a 2-1 away win. You're focusing on the goals scored, meaning you can cheer every attack.

Tip: Over 2.5 goals @ 8/11 (bet365)

Bet explanation: The match-winner isn't important to football fans following this prediction. All you care about is that there are three or more goals scored at Stamford Bridge.

Man Utd v Ipswich, Sunday, 16:30 BST

The highlight of Sunday's four-match programme from the Premier League pairs Manchester United and Ipswich Town at Old Trafford, live on TV. Both teams had mixed results last weekend, with Man Utd losing to newly promoted Hull City and Ipswich Town using home advantage to beat Sunderland 2-1.

Man Utd know they must get it right at the second time of asking, but the stats show why betting apps have a home win as their hot favourite. United haven't lost when hosting Ipswich in their last eight games, winning six and drawing the rest.

Ipswich City made their long-awaited return to the top flight by finishing as runners-up in the Championship last season. The gulf in class between the Premier League and the Championship is well documented, but someone forgot to tell Gary O'Neil's team. 

Ipswich did what their hosts couldn't, and snagged an opening week win. Goals from Emersonn on 24 minutes and Jack Clarke on 90 sealed a dream outing at Portman Road. How's that for a timely confidence boost?

I expect Sunday's match to be a slog, so we're looking for experienced players at attractive odds who know what it takes to succeed in this division. With that in mind, I shine the spotlight on Man Utd's Marcus Rashford.

Rashford was introduced at half-time against the Tigers, with his side already two goals behind. He wasn't able to turn things in their favour, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Rashford created four goalscoring opportunities in the second 45. That's more than each of his teammates, and all but one player in the league. Chelsea's Rogers had five.

Rashford scored 16 goals in 65 appearances for club and country last season. He found the net for Barcelona against big names like Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in La Liga, and Newcastle in the Champions League. Rashford also scored in a 4-2 win for England over Croatia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Back him to score or assist.

Tip: Rashford to score or assist @ 4/5 (bet365)

Bet explanation: Followers of this bet will boost their balance if Marcus Rashford scores or is credited with an assist in a Man Utd goal.

Aston Villa v Arsenal, Monday, 20:00 BST

I round off my Premier League matchday two predictions with the second instalment of Monday night football. It's an exciting showdown in Birmingham, where Aston Villa welcome Premier League champions Arsenal.

Unai Emery's team finished fourth last season, securing a place in this term's Champions League. They performed well in the recent UEFA Super Cup final, losing 2-1 to PSG at the Red Bull Arena. But they made a poor start to the EPL campaign, losing 4-0 at Brighton just over a week ago. 

Conceding four goals inside 31 minutes and having a Joao Gomes sent off before the break made it a forgettable afternoon for all connected to the club.

On the other side of the hall, Arsenal take heart from a perfect showing on matchday one. The Gunners took aim at newly promoted Coventry City, scoring three goals, finishing with 64% possession, taking 20 shots, and recording 36 touches in their opponent's box.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, the coaching staff, players, and the fans couldn't have imagined a better start. They now hope to make it two wins from two by collecting three points on the road.

Opta Stats show Arsenal have collected 15 Premier League wins at Villa Park. That's more than they've managed at any other away ground. 

A slow start may concern Villa fans, but data followers know it's far too early to worry. Aston Villa are notoriously slow starters, failing to score in five of their last six league matches played in August. 

Looking for more? Arsenal have won their first away match in each of the last four EPL seasons. With Monday also marking Arteta's 250th league game, I'm more than happy to side with the champions in the match-winner market.

Tip: Arsenal win @ 8/15 (bet365)

Bet explanation: Your bet wins if Arsenal outscore Villa on Monday evening.