EPL Matchday 9 presents one of the best weekends of football of the season. With the North London and Manchester Derbies taking place, fans are in for an enthralling weekend of English Premier League action.
Jack Tobin brings you his best EPL bets for the weekend!
EPL 2022-23: Matchday 9 Preview & Betting Tips
Arsenal vs Tottenham
Emirates Stadium, Saturday 24th September, 9:30pm AEST
Matchday 9 kicks off with one of the most highly anticipated North London Derbies in recent memory, with Arsenal and Tottenham in red hot form. The Gunners are sitting at the top of the Premier League with a 6-0-1 record, while Tottenham are in third place, just one point behind Arsenal.
The last time these teams faced off, Spurs won a crucial game late last season to secure a place in the top four, which ultimately cost Arsenal a Champions League berth. Tottenham ranks top five on both sides of the ball this season, with the 2nd best attack (18 goals) and the 5th best defence (7 goals conceded).
Tottenham have a defence that can give Arsenal some problems that they are yet to see much of this season. Although Arsenal are leading the league, they've had a soft fixture, playing only one side in the top eight places on the Premier League table - which they lost. This will be a cracking contest, but Tottenham have been more match hardened against quality opposition this season, which will hold them in good stead this weekend.
Tottenham H2H
$3.60 (1.5 Units)
Liverpool vs Brighton
Anfield, Sunday 25th September 12:00am AEST
Roberto De Zerbi takes the reins of Brighton after Graham Potter’s move to Chelsea, with the tough task of taking on Liverpool at Anfield to begin his tenure. De Zerbi inherits a Brighton side that is flying, sitting in fourth place with a 4-1-1 record from their opening six games. Liverpool’s last Premier League fixture was a 0-0 draw with Everton, which saw the Reds fall to eighth on the table, in what has been an underwhelming start to the season.
Both sides had their Matchday 7 and 8 fixtures postponed, Brighton haven’t played since the 4th of September, whereas Liverpool last played on the 14th of September in a 2-1 win over Ajax. Under Graham Potter, Brighton are the best defence in the Premier League, only conceding five goals so far this season, but it remains to see how a change in manager will affect the Seagulls strong start to the season.
A new manager and zero games in 21 days is going to be a tough ask to overcome for the Seagulls. Liverpool have had the wood over Brighton, holding a 7-2-1 record in Premier League fixtures against Brighton. The Reds will be eager to get their season going, and they’ll be ready to produce a big performance against Brigton.
Liverpool -1.5
$2 (2.5 Units)
Manchester City vs Manchester United
Etihad Stadium, Monday 26th September 12:00am AEST
Manchester United head to the Etihad for the first Manchester derby of the season, looking to hand Manchester City their first defeat of the season. The reigning champions dominated Wolverhampton 3-0 on Matchday 8, however the Red Devils haven’t played a Premier League fixture since their 3-1 win over Arsenal on the 5th of September. They have played two Europa League games in that timespan, so they shouldn’t have issues around match fitness.
Erling Haaland has been the story of the season so far, with the star signing scoring 11 goals from 7 games - five more than any other player in the Premier League. Although United’s defence has improved over the last month, they will be pushed to the limit by the most in form striker in the world. Haaland has a major physical advantage over Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, and it could be the deciding factor in this clash.
The defending champions are the number one ranked attack (23 goals) and the second ranked defence (6 goals conceded). They have balance at both ends of the pitch that is too good for the red devils to handle. City won both fixtures against United last season, with an aggregate score of 6-1. Although the Red Devils have improved over the last month, they’re not at the capacity to knock off the defending champions.
Manchester City -1.5
$2 (2 Units)
More EPL Matchday 9 Tips
Bournemouth vs Brentford (Sunday 12am AEST)
Although undefeated in their last three league matches, the Cherries haven’t filled me with confidence with their performances. They’ve only generated eight shots on target from those three matches and find themselves against a Bees outfit that has a lot of firepower. With that said, I like the price of the visitors here.
Brentford H2H ($2.20 at Ladbrokes)
Crystal Palace vs Chelsea (Sunday 12am AEST)
Neither Palace or Chelsea would be happy with their start to the 2022-23 campaign, but it’s the latter who would be more confident heading into this fixture. The Blues have won each of their last nine league matches against Palace and are solid value to extend that streak to double figures.
Chelsea H2H ($1.85 at TAB)
Fulham vs Newcastle (Sunday 12am AEST)
Matches involving Fulham have arguably been the most entertaining this season. Six of their seven matches have seen 3+ goals scored and three of them have had 4+ scored. They now face a Magpies team that has seen four of their last five matches hit in the Both Teams to Score market. All signs lead to a high-scoring affair in this one.
Both Teams to Score ($1.70 at TAB)
Southampton vs Everton (Sunday 12am AEST)
The Saints have failed to score in three of their last four league fixtures, which is a worrying trend. Meanwhile, the Toffees are unbeaten in five EPL matches and finally secured their first win last time out. I see them as one of the best value bets in the H2H markets this weekend.
Everton H2H ($3.40 at Ladbrokes)
West Ham vs Wolves (Sunday 3:30am AEST)
Both teams in this matchup have struggled to find the back of the net so far this campaign. They’re ranked 19th and 20th for goals scored with just three apiece, which leads me to believe this will be low scoring. Under 2.5 goals looks to be the play here.
Under 2.5 Goals ($1.75 at TAB)
Leeds vs Aston Villa (Monday 2:30am AEST)
This is probably the toughest fixture to get a read on in Matchweek 9. Both teams have two home wins to their name but have failed to salute on the road. This gives Leeds the slight edge in a match that I wouldn’t invest a whole lot of capital into.
Leeds H2H ($2.30 at TAB)
Leicester vs Nottingham (Tuesday 6am AEST)
The two worst form sides go head-to-head in the final fixture of the round. Both Leicester and Nottingham enter this contest on big losing streaks (Leicester six, Nottingham four), and both have been conceding goals at will. With that said, goals should be aplenty in a tough match to call.
Over 2.5 Goals ($1.68 at TAB)
