It’s that time of the week again when we run through a selection of the most exciting matches taking place this weekend and offer our best bets and value picks.
Fulham v Chelsea (Saturday)
A new era is well underway at Chelsea after the Blues dismissed Thomas Tuchel of his duties in midweek. The German had lost two of his three away games with Chelsea this term and one would suggest that the writing was on the wall. Fulham are unbeaten on home soil this campaign and have the league’s second highest goal scorer in Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Arsenal v Everton (Sunday)
Arsenal dropped points for the first time this season when they suffered a 3-1 defeat at Manchester United last weekend. They did, however, produce a decent performance and showed plenty of positive signs. The Gunners now return to the Emirates Stadium where they have won all three of their encounters thus far. Everton are one of two teams in the Premier League who are yet to register their first win.
Cadiz v Barcelona (Saturday)
Cadiz come into this weekend’s clash against Barcelona with plenty still to prove after losing their opening four matches. The hosts are also the only team in the Spanish LaLiga who are yet to score a single goal this term. Barcelona have won both of their away games this season and are the league’s joint-highest scorers, along with Real Madrid. Xavi’s side also come into this tie after a resounding win in the UEFA Champions League, scoring five goals.
Real Madrid v Mallorca (Sunday)
Log leaders and current Spanish LaLiga champions, Real Madrid, hope to continue their 100 percent record when they face Mallorca. Los Blancos have won all four of their league games so far, scoring the joint-highest amount of goals thus far. Mallorca are placed in the bottom half of the table at this early stage and come off the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw against Girona.
Schalke v Bochum (Saturday)
Schalke will be hoping to capitalize on their visitors’ horrendous form when they square off this Saturday. Bochum are bottom of the German Bundesliga, losing all five of their league encounters. The away side also have the worst defensive record in the division, shipping in 15 goals. Schalke are also yet to win this term but have drawn three of their five matches. With home advantage, they should be able to claim maximum points for the first time this season.
FC Koln v Union Berlin (Sunday)
Two of the Bundesliga’s unbeaten teams are in action when Union Berlin make the trip to face FC Koln. The two teams have done well to this point to remain without defeat, along with Bayern Munich as the only three sides holding this feat. In fact, Union Berlin come off the back of holding the Bavarians to a 1-1 stalemate. Both teams have been impressive in front of goal, scoring 10 and 12 goals respectively.
Atalanta v Cremonese (Sunday)
Italian log-leaders, Atalanta, are once again dealt with a favourable fixture as they take on 19th-placed Cremonese. The visitors claimed their first point of the campaign last weekend, holding Sassuolo to a goalless draw at home, while Atalanta maintained their two-point lead atop the table. Known for their expansive attacking football, the hosts somehow boast the best defensive record in the league, letting in just two goals.
Juventus v Salernitana (Sunday)
Juventus haven’t had a great start to the campaign, but they do remain unbeaten so far after five games in. They’ve won just twice, drawing three times, but share the record with Atalanta for boasting the best defence in the division. Salernitana have won just once this season and come into this tie without a victory in two matches.
Lens v Troyes (Friday)
Lens have continued where they left off last season and are now riding a six-game unbeaten start to the new campaign. They’ve won all three of their home matches, scoring a staggering 10 goals in that period. Troyes are currently in the bottom half of the Ligue 1 standings but have been an entertaining bunch, scoring 11 goals and conceding 14 in as little as six games.
Paris Saint-Germain v Brest (Saturday)
Its been a dominant display from Paris Saint-Germain this season, who have won five of their opening six encounters. They’ve put 24 goals past their opponents this term with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe joint-top scorers with seven goals each. Brest are in 17th spot, which is considered to be the relegation zone as of this season in the French Ligue. The visitors have lost three times, winning just once.