ALEX CROOK PREVIEW: Premier League Gameweek 8

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

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🟣 ASTON VILLA v MANCHESTER CITY 🔵
Saturday, 12.30pm

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It may not mean much come the end of the season, but City will be bidding to make it a perfect eight wins from their first eight Premier League games under Enzo Maresca at Villa Park.

I think the Saturday lunchtime showdown has all the makings of a fascinating encounter given City’s imperious form and Villa’s recent revival.

For the second season running Unai Emery’s men got off to a sluggish start but have won four of their last five games in all competitions and are also six unbeaten.

Summer signings Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Ibrhim Mbaye are bedding in nicely and Unai Emery is also getting a nice tune out of the likes of Ross Barkley and Emi Buendia.

City are also not at full strength with Antoine Semenyo ruled out for up to eight weeks, but Phil Foden stepped up to fill the void with a hat-trick in the mid-week Champions League triumph over AEK Athens at a sparsely-populated Etihad Stadium.

Maresca says Erling Haaland will be fit for this game after being rested to the bench on Tuesday, which is a major boost after Villa won both meetings between the two last season.

Their home form in the Premier League has not been great, so I am eyeing the draw and both teams to score, which pays a very decent 4/1 with starsports.bet.

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🔵 CHELSEA v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR ⚪
Saturday, 5.30pm

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The Saturday teatime offering is a tasty affair between two old foes.

Chelsea did a very professional job on Everton last weekend, keeping a rare clean sheet in a 2-0 win at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tottenham’s long wait for a Premier League victory ended as they beat Coventry 3-1 on Monday, with the fit-again James Maddison turning in a particularly impressive performance.

I still wasn’t entirely convinced by Spurs’ all-round display and the result looked more comfortable than it was in reality as Ben Davies scored the third goal late on as Coventry were pushing for an equaliser.

Defensively, Roberto De Zerbi still has issues to solve, and Chelsea have a plethora of attacking options to take advantage.

Even when the lethal trio Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers misfire as they did at Everton, Xabi Alonso has players such as two-goal Pedro Neto to come to the fore.

Chelsea are 4/6 with starsports.bet to win which I think looks generous given Spurs’ poor start to the season.

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🔴 MANCHESTER UNITED v BOURNEMOUTH 🍒
Sunday, 2pm

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Life really does come at you fast as Manchester United manager!

Michael Carrick ended last season with a real spring in his step after leading the Red Devils back into the Champions League.

Fast forward five months and it is hard to see how Carrick keeps his job having overseen a dire run of two wins in 11 games and the club’s worst start to a league season since 1986.

Carrick is also having to deal with a dressing room mutiny after captain Bruno Fernandes turned the gun on his under-fire gaffer following Wednesday’s humiliating 4-1 defeat at Champions League newbies Como.

Anyone watching that game must have been wondering how on earth United managed to avoid defeat in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at in-form Leeds.

So, does Carrick pick Fernandes or make an example of his skipper for breaking ranks and undermining him so publicly?

Either way, the writing appears to be on the wall, and Bournemouth will be high in confidence after thrashing Italian giants AC Milan in mid-week.

They also have a recent history of causing issues for United, so I am slightly surprised they are as big as 11/5 with starsports.bet to win.

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🔴 LIVERPOOL v BRIGHTON 🔵
Sunday, 2pm

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I think Brighton’s trip to Anfield on Sunday is set up to be one of the most intriguing games of the weekend.

The Seagulls arrive on Merseyside in scintillating form and are the Premier League’s top-scorers at this early stage of the season.

Fabian Hurzeler’s free-flowing team, who sit third in the table, are one no side wants to have to play right now.

Liverpool may have won at Brentford last weekend and seen off Villarreal at home in the Champions League in mid-week but had to come from behind in both games.

They have also struggled to put Premier League wins on the board at Anfield, so my build-a-bet is Brighton/draw double chance, both teams to score, Pascal Gross to score or assist and Alexis Mac Allister to be shown a card which returns 12/1 with starsports.bet.

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RECOMMENDED SELECTIONS
1⃣ BEST BET: Chelsea to win 2pts at 4/6 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
2⃣ NEXT BEST: Bournemouth to win 1pt at 11/5 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
🎲 LONG SHOT: Aston Villa v Manchester City draw and BTTS 1pt at 4/1 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
📊 BUILD-A-BET: Brighton/draw double chance, both teams to score, Pascal Gross to score or assist and Alexis Mac Allister to be shown a card 0.5pts at 12/1 with starsports.bet
🚀 ALEX ACCA: Arsenal, Brentford, Stoke, Leicester 1pt at 16/1 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

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ALEX’S PROFIT/LOSS (OCT 2026): -3.78 points

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