Football News: Premier League Match Previews Sunday 15th October 2017
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Sunday 15th October 2017
Brighton & Hove Albion v Everton 1:30pm kick off
Propper (thigh injury no return date yet) out
Sidwell (back injury expected return 20th November) out
Kayal (broken leg expected return 4th November) out
Baldock (calf injury) doubt
Hemed (suspended) out
Brighton are looking a good side at home, where they have picked up both their wins in the three games there so far. Their away form is terrible, but here at the AmEx Stadium (what a terrible name!) they look a force to be reckoned with. Chris Hughton will be delighted with the start they have made, they have given themselves a good platform to survive and you cannot ask much more than that from a newly promoted side. It is now about building on the good results they have picked up so far, particularly when they face sides out of form and struggling, like the Toffees are. If they are to survive, they have to maximise their chances by going for the jugular of teams that have any sign of weakness.
Most important player: Solly March. His pace and workrate has been an essential part of the Seagulls success so far.
Lennon (muscle injury no return date yet) out
Jagielka (hamstring injury) slight doubt
Barkley (hamstring injury 18th November) out
McCarthy (knee injury) major doubt
Funes Mori (ACL injury expected return 1st April 2018) out
Coleman (broken leg expected return 29th November) out
Bolasie (ACL injury expected return 29th November) out
Things are not going well for Ronald Koeman this season, with the win over Bournemouth only providing some short term relief from Everton's troubles this season. Away from their Goodison Park home they have got just one goal and one point, while conceding 7 goals. This is a chance to arrest the slide before their season becomes mired in a relegation battle. The one solace they can take from being so far down the league at this early stage is that there are a lot of very weak sides in the Premier League this year, so they should be able to climb their way back up the table once they hit some form. If they hit some form of course.
Most important player: Ashley Williams. How will the big Welsh defender respond to his disaster with the Welsh team? He has looked completely out of his depth since the moment he signed for Everton, to be perfectly frank, but this latest setback could be a turning point for him. It is really up to the player to respond in the correct way to revive his currently fading career.
Defining Battle: with both sides struggling for goals, this is likely to be a midfield slog and could well come down to which side has the bottle to break forward from midfield to get numbers into the box. If Tom Davies plays, that very much favours Everton, as he provides pace and energy in the midfield and will break forward into the box when the opportunity presents. Without him the Toffees do tend to look a bit toothless. Brighton's are likely to need their widemen to cut inside to provide the bodies, as their central midfield lacks pace and penetration.
Editors' Predictions:
Ed002 - ?
Ed003 - 1-2
Ed004 - 2-1
Ed007 - 0-2
Ed018 - 1-1
Ed025 - 1-1
Ed033 - 0-1
Southampton v Newcastle United 3pm kick off
Long (hip injury) slight doubt
Targett (ankle injury) doubt
It does not seem to matter whether the Saints are on their travels or stay at home, things are pretty much the same either way. They do not concede or score many goals and are not an inspiring watch right now. So far Pellegrino has shown no signs of being able to sort out the issues at hand, but it is early days and he has had the international break to work on some things. Now we will get to see if the work he is doing on the training ground is showing any signs of bearing fruit or if it will be more of the same.
Most important player: Virgil van Dijk. The big Dutch defender once again reiterated his desire to leave Soton as soon as possible over the international period, will that see him lose his place in the team? If not, will the constant question marks over his future affect his performance?
Shelvey (thumb/wrist injury) slight doubt
Ritchie (muscle injury) slight doubt
Atsu (knee injury) doubt
Dummett (hamstring injury expected return 25th November) out
Haidara (knee injury expected return 21st October) out
Newcastle have been performing above all expectations so far this season, finding themselves in the top half of the table despite the restrictions that had been placed on the manager's spending in the summer. However, their away form is nothing like so promising, 2 losses out of 3 and just 1 goal scored, though they have only conceded 2. The issue away from home is a lack of goalscorers when they are trying to keep it tight. Joselu has been found wanting as a finisher and they need to find one quickly.
Most important player: Ayoze Perez. He has done a lot of good work for the team in terms of pressing the ball to win it back, but he has done little for the team going forward. That has to change if Newcastle are to maintain a top half position.
Defining Battle: with the Toon lacking a genuine left back at the moment, that is the area of the pitch that has become key. It Saints can exploit that genuine weakness, they can get at Newcastle all game long. With Southampton having excellent attacking options on the right side of the pitch, especially in the form of their right back Cedric Soares, they can cause major problems, if they are brave enough to leave Atsu unattended.
Editors' Predictions:
Ed002 - ?
Ed003 - 1-2
Ed004 - 1-0
Ed007 - 2-0
Ed018 - 2-1
Ed025 - 1-1
Ed033 - 2-1
Editor's Predictions Table
1. Ed018 - 39 points
2= Ed002 - 37 points
2= Ed003 - 37 points
4. Ed007 - 35 points
5= Ed004 - 32 points
5= Ed033 - 32 points
7. Ed025 - 29 points
*1 point is awarded for the correct result, 3 points for the correct score.
**updated 12th October 2017
Written by Tris Burke October 15 2017 04:16:22
