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It’s matchday two of the English Premier League 2025/26 season, and followers have some fascinating fixtures on the programme.
Chelsea find themselves in another London derby when travelling to Stratford for a fiery Fright night showdown. Manchester City and Tottenham renew rivalries at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, before Manchester United go to Craven Cottage in the pick of Sunday’s games. Newcastle and Liverpool bring the curtain down on Monday night with a shootout.
Having studied the stats, analysed the head-to-head, and discovered the top betting odds, Flashscore’s Frank Monkhouse gives his predictions on the best the weekend has to offer.
West Ham v Chelsea, Friday, 20:00 BST
West Ham manager Graham Potter leads the Hammers out against his previous employers, Chelsea. The London rivals face off at the former 2012 Olympic Stadium in Stratford on matchday two, with both teams searching for their opening win of the season. West Ham started with a surprise 3-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light, brushed aside by the newly promoted Sunderland. The Black Cats were good value for the points, with West Ham finishing with most of the possession and shots at goal. The locals know they must be more clinical in the attacking areas.
Chelsea also failed to get the opening day win fans craved, with the Blues held to a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge by Crystal Palace. Chelsea were favourites to win that match, but the recent Club World Cup champions looked a touch off the pace, lacking match sharpness and fitness. They will improve with 90 minutes of competitive football under their belts, and aim to get things right at the second time of asking. A win would drive them up the table and towards the prize places.
Neither team impressed last weekend, with West Ham well beaten by Sunderland and Chelsea matched by Palace. The Hammers and Blues have given fans plenty of high-scoring games in the past, and I expect another here. Betting on over 2.5 goals would’ve earned you a return in each of the last four involving these teams. Add a repeat performance to your weekend accumulators.
Tip: Over 2.5 goals @ 8/11 (bet365)
Bet explanation: If West Ham vs Chelsea produces three or more goals from both teams combined, you get the profits.
Manchester City v Tottenham, Saturday, 12:30 BST
Saturday begins with an exciting showdown involving two teams with realistic ambitions of winning the Premier League title this season. Man City’s dominance slipped when they were forced to hand the EPL trophy to Liverpool back in the spring. Fans look to legendary manager Pep Guardiola to win it back. The Cityzens opened with a 4-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux last weekend, and have home advantage as they push for six points from two starts. City are firm betting favourites to beat Tottenham.
Spurs travel from London to Manchester looking to build on a solid 3-0 win over Burnley in the capital a week ago. Manager Thomas Franks - who replaced Ange Postecoglou in the summer - enjoyed a perfect start, thanks to a double from Richarlison and a Brennan Johnson strike. It was an impressive bow, but football fans know there’s much more to come from this Tottenham side. Beating Man City on their patch would serve as a real statement of intent for the team from north London. Is the new manager and squad ready to deliver?
Saturday afternoon’s showdown promises to be something special, and another great advert for Planet Football’s favourite league. The stats from the opening weekend suggest goals at the Etihad, but I prefer to keep things simple at this early stage, and back Man City to secure an important home win. A positive result would set them up for a strong opening month.
Tip: Man City win @ 2/5 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You need Man City to win the match by any scoreline.
Brentford v Aston Villa, Saturday, 15:00 BST
We remain in the UK capital for the standout of the Saturday afternoon kick-offs. Brentford welcome Aston Villa, and there’s plenty to catch our eye. Brentford finished a respectable tenth in the Premier League last season, and most followers of the Bees would view a repeat performance as an acceptable effort. Beating relegation and remaining in the top tier is the goal for everyone connected to the Community Stadium. Brentford did lose 3-1 at the City Ground last weekend, meaning there’s already pressure on Keith Andrews’ team.
Aston Villa narrowly missed out on a spot in this season’s UEFA Champions League when finishing behind Newcastle United. All eyes are now on Villa Park to see how Unai Emery’s men respond. Will we see the fearless Villa who can take points off the big names and fight hard for the major places, or a team that fades into the background? A goalless draw with Newcastle last weekend was much more boring than we expected from two exciting clubs, but the point gives Emery’s men a solid foundation to build on this term.
Aston Villa beat Brentford home and away last term, building a 4-1 aggregate advantage. After seeing Brentford lose convincingly to Nottingham Forrest, I fear the worst ahead of Villa’s visit. The hosts haven’t beaten the visitors in six games, a run stretching back to early January 2022. The H2H stats show both teams scored in four of the last five, leading us to a play on both to score in an Aston Villa win at decent odds.
Tip: Aston Villa win and both score @ 3/1 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You want Aston Villa to win the match, but Brentford to score at least once.
Arsenal v Leeds, Saturday, 17:30 BST
Saturday night football comes from the Emirates as a bumper crowd watches Arsenal take on Leeds United. The Gunners enjoyed a dream start to the campaign with a solid win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on matchday one. The stats suggested another 1-1 draw, but Arsenal worked hard and held on for a narrow 1-0 victory. Riccardo Calafiori headed home the only goal of the game, ensuring Man Utd’s £200m summer rebuild suffered a false start. Six points from their first two game would show the Gunners are ready to pick up where they left off last season and challenge for the title.
Leeds United are back where fans believe the club belongs, mixing it with the best teams in the country. They won the Championship last season and marked their return to the EPL with a home match against Everton on Monday evening. That means their opponents enjoyed more than 24 hours' rest and recovery, meaning Leeds must dust themselves down and get back to work. The head-to-head stats show Leeds last beat Arsenal way back in 2003. Will that wait for a victory rumble on? I believe so.
Monday evening’s match with Everton was an emotional affair for everyone in the Leeds camp, and I’m not sure the group has had enough time to recover fully. They now face a daunting trip to last season’s Premier League runners-up, and I’m happy to side with the home win. Leeds found the net in their previous two visits to this stadium, and I’m confident they’ll add to their tally on Saturday night, without winning.
Tip: Arsenal win and both score @ 15/8 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You want to see Arsenal win the match, but Leeds must find the net.
Fulham v Manchester United, Sunday, 16:30 BST
The best of a three-match programme from the Premier League on Sunday pairs Fulham and Manchester United. Neither the Cottagers nor the Red Devils managed a win on matchday one, giving this showdown an extra edge. Both managers are eager to get that first three points in the bag to settle any early-season nerves. Fulham did earn a 1-1 draw at Brighton last time, Rodrigo Muniz scoring deep into stoppage time to rescue a point. It was a decent showing from Fulham, but they face a much sterner test here.
Big-spending Manchester United lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal last Sunday. It was a match that fans wanted them to win, and the Red Devils had opportunities to do just that. A typically tense game ended with just one goal, raising questions over United’s goalkeeper and their attack. Can the squad learn the lessons of last week and use them to beat Fulham? The stats suggest the away win is a strong bet.
Interestingly, the H2H between Fulham and United show these teams drew 1-1 at Old Trafford last time. The teams met three times last season, with United winning the first two by 1-0 scorelines, before Fulham battled back to earn that two-goal draw. I’m happy to stick with the trends and back Man Utd to win by a narrow scoreline at a big price.
Tip: Fulham 0-1 Man Utd @ 9/1 (bet365)
Bet explanation: If the match ends Fulham 0-1 Man Utd, you’ll get an excellent 9/1 from bet365.
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The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.