ALEX CROOK PREVIEW: Premier League GW4

Star Sports football ambassador ALEX CROOK previews the upcoming weekend Premier League action…

---

🔴 SUNDERLAND v ARSENAL 🔴
Saturday, 8pm

⭐ STARSPORTS.BET MATCH MARKETS ⭐

Arsenal brought up the ‘Alex Acca’ in mid-week with an impressive 1-0 Champions League victory over Napoli in Naples.

Martin Odegaard maintained his fine start to the season by scoring a late winner, but the Gunners should have been out of sight long before he struck after having a total of 26 shots.

The champions head to the Stadium of Light on Saturday night bidding to win their first four games of a Premier League campaign for the first time in four years.

Having been held to a draw in this fixture last season, Arteta will not be taking the Black Cats lightly, but once again I cannot see past an Arsenal triumph as they are just a winning machine.

The Gunners have kept clean sheets in all but one of their five games in all competitions this season and even conceding after two minutes against Chelsea last weekend did not knock them off their stride for long.

These two have conceded fewer shots on their own goal in their first three Premier League games than any other teams so looking at the under goals market could once again prove shrewd, having delivered for us in Arsenal’s last two outings.

Arsenal to win and under 2.5 goals returns 2/1 with starsports.bet.

---

🔴 LIVERPOOL v FULHAM ⚪
Saturday, 3pm

⭐ STARSPORTS.BET MATCH MARKETS ⭐

Liverpool made it back-to-back wins by seeing off Atletico Madrid in an entertaining game at Anfield on Wednesday in Andoni Iraola’s first ever Champions League game as a manager.

On Saturday, Iraola welcomes fellow Spaniard Alvaro Arbeloa on Saturday with the former Reds defender still searching for his maiden Premier League point.

Replacing Marco Silva was always going to be a tall order despite the fact all three of their league defeats under Arbeloa have been by the odd goal there are already a few rumblings of dressing room discontent.

I expect Fulham to once again be competitive but can see them falling short against a Liverpool outfit bidding to end a run of three successive Premier League draws at Anfield.

Liverpool to win and both teams to score is a 6/4 shot with starsports.bet.

---

🔴 MANCHESTER UNITED v MANCHESTER CITY 🔵
Sunday, 4.30pm

⭐ STARSPORTS.BET MATCH MARKETS ⭐

I will be at Old Trafford on Sunday to see City put their 100 per cent record on the line in the Manchester derby.

Michael Carrick’s first game in charge last season was a resounding 2-0 victory in this very fixture.

The Red Devils have lost half of their last 16 encounters with their near neighbours, including some hefty defeats on home soil.

However, recent history is in the hosts’ favour having lost just one of the four most recent derbies.

Erling Haaland loves scoring against United and is in fine form having netted his 300th career goal in last weekend’s 1-0 win at Coventry and following up with a brace against Porto in the Champions League.

The Norwegian will fancy his chances against a United defence that has already leaked six goals in their first three Premier League games.

City have also looked far from assured at the back and were more than a touch fortunate not to at least concede at home to Coventry last weekend. Gigi Donnarumma has looked particularly ill at ease in the early weeks of the campaign.

United, who brushed aside Azerbaijan minnows on their return to the Champions League, tend to save their best performances for games like this and have the attacking weapons to take advantage of any more City mistakes.

Rashford was rested to the bench on Wednesday, but his pace could be a key asset in this one and he has a good derby day scoring record. Rashford looks overpriced at 15/2 with starsports.bet to net first.

---

⚪ LEEDS v NEWCASTLE ⚫
Monday, 8pm

⭐ STARSPORTS.BET MATCH MARKETS ⭐

It’s ninth against seventh at Elland Road on Monday as two of the Premier League’s unbeaten sides go head-to-head.

Leeds have picked up where they left off last season and played with an air of confidence when I watched them at Brighton last weekend.

That was a game Daniel Farke’s men really should have won having dominated the first hour but ended up drawing 1-1 after spurning a host of chances.

Newcastle meanwhile have been a bit of a surprise package under their new German manager Matthias Jaissle.

A 2-0 victory at Tottenham has been sandwiched between two 2-2 draws at home against Liverpool and Bournemouth.

Jaissle’s counter-attacking style may lend itself to Newcastle being a real force on their travels, especially if the Leeds defence is feeling as generous as in Wednesday’s 6-3 EFL Cup defeat at Chelsea.

The Magpies have only kept one Premier League clean sheet this season and in Dominic Calvert-Lewin come up against a player who has become their nemesis.

Calvert-Lewin netted late on at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday and has scored seven goals against Newcastle over the course of his career.

My build-a-bet is Calvert-Lewin to score, the match to end in a draw and over 11.5 corners which pays 11/1 with starsports.bet.

---

RECOMMENDED BETS
1⃣ BEST BET: Liverpool to win and BTTS 1.5pts at 6/4 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

2⃣ NEXT BEST: Arsenal to win and under 2.5 goals 1pt at 2/1 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

📊 BUILD-A-BET: Leeds versus Newcastle draw, Dominic Calvert-Lewin to score and over 8.5 corners 1pt at 11/1 with starsports.bet

🎲 LONG SHOT: Marcus Rashford to score first 0.5pts at 15/1 (⭐️ ?  CLICK TO BET NOW)

🚀 ALEX ACCA: Southampton, Huddersfield, Sheffield Wednesday, Walsall 1pt at 10/1 with starsports.bet

---

ALEX’S PROFIT/LOSS (SEP 2026): +9.20 points

---

STAR PROMOTIONS