ALEX CROOK PREVIEW: Premier League Weekend

Star Sports ambassador ALEX CROOK casts his eye over this weekend’s Premier League action as club football returns…

🚜 IPSWICH TOWN V MANCHESTER UNITED 🔴
Sunday, 4.30pm

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Manchester United’s latest new era gets underway at Portman Road on Sunday.

Ruben Amorim only took his first training session on Monday, but has already got United fans excited with behind-the-scenes footage that has gone viral on social media.

It looks like the Portuguese will try and Implement his trusted 3-4-2-1 formation right from the off, and it will be fascinating to see how the visitors adapt to a new defined playing style, the type of which was badly lacking under Erik ten Hag.

Ipswich went into the international break in buoyant mood after picking up their first Premier League win of the season with an unexpected 2-1 victory at Tottenham, but the Tractor Boys are still to get off the mark at home so it would be a big statement win for former United coach Kieran McKenna if he could leave Amorim with a bloody nose.

Dutch duo Louis van Gaal and ten Hag are the only permanent United managers of the post-sir Alex Ferguson era to lose their first game at the helm and this is surely a golden opportunity for Amorim to make a winning start.

In fact, he has been dealt a relatively kind set of fixtures, at least initially, with the trip to Suffolk followed by a Europa League home game against Bodo Glimt And then the visit of Everton next Sunday.

He also inherits a team in decent recent form, having won three and drawn one of interim gaffer Ruud van Nistelrooy’s four matches while even though they are languishing in 13th place in the table United have also been defensively stubborn this season with only Liverpool keeping more clean sheets.

It would not surprise me if United welcomed their new boss with a convincing win so backing the Red Devils at -1 on the handicap at 13/8 with starsports.bet looks a sensible play.

Mason Mount could be one of the big beneficiaries of Amorim’s arrival as he looks perfectly suited to playing as one of the two number 10s in behind a striker. Injury-jinxed Mount could even start this game after a full week’s training so 7/2 with starsports.bet on the former Chelsea man to score at any time could represent good value.

🔵 MANCHESTER CITY V TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Saturday, 5.30pm

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One team who were grateful for the two-week break were Manchester City after losing their last four games in all competitions.

A FIFTH straight defeat at home to Tottenham on Saturday teatime would turn a mini blip into almost a full-blown crisis for manager Pep Guardiola, especially as the visitors could be without both their first-choice centre-backs with Micky van de Ven definitely out and Christian Romero also a doubt.

Guardiola has lifted the mood around the Etihad by agreeing to remain in charge at least until the end of next season, and it will be intriguing to see if the uncertainty over the manager’s future being lifted has a positive impact on performances.

Like City, Spurs have had a fortnight to lick their wounds after losing at home to Ipswich, a result that continued their inconsistent start to the season. Ange Postecoglu’s team have now lost as many Premier League games (five) as they have won, and have been particularly unimpressive away from home.

They did come away from this fixture last season with a hard-fought draw and have the psychological advantage of having dumped an under-strength City out of the EFL Cup last month.

I think Tottenham can score as City have been far from solid defensively so far but even if Romero is fit, without van de Ven it is hard to see them overpowering the champions, particularly with the feel-good factor over Pep’s decision to stay. City to win and both teams to score can be backed at 13/10 with starsports.bet.

As fantasy managers up and down the land will testify, Erling Haaland has not been firing on full cylinders of late, but it would not surprise me to see the Norwegian cash in on Spurs’ defensive absentees.

However, at far bigger odds of 13/2 with starsports.bet, Josko Gvardiol to score at any time has caught my eye. The Croatian has already bagged three times this season and is a constant threat at set pieces, which have been Spurs’ Achilles heel under Postecoglu.

⚫️ FULHAM V WOLVES 🦊
Saturday, 3pm

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Wolves may have picked up a much-needed first win of the season by beating Southampton at home last time out, but they’re supposedly easier run of fixtures looks anything but straightforward as they head to in-form Fulham on Saturday.

Nottingham Forest aside, the Cottagers have been the surprise package of the season so far and find themselves in the dizzying heights of seventh place in the table.

Marco Silva’s men have also earned a reputation for playing an attractive, attacking brand of football so Wolves certainly know they are in for a tough match at Craven Cottage.

Silva’s side have lost just once at home in the league while Wanderers are yet to taste victory on the road and I’m expecting that run to continue in what should be an entertaining game. Wolves have scored in all of their last four away games and you can back Fulham to win and both teams to score at 11/5 with starsports.bet.

Fulham striker Raul Jimenez is adored by the Wolves faithful and the Mexican comes into the game in good form having netted four times in eight Premier League starts this season. The Fulham win with both teams to score and Jimenez to score at any time combined as a build-a-bet returns 4.44/1 with starsports.bet.

⚫️ NEWCASTLE V WEST HAM 🔨
Monday, 8pm

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Julen Lopetegui could be drinking in the last-chance saloon if West Ham lose at Newcastle on Monday.

The Spaniard was brought in to replace David Moyes to make the Hammers a more progressive team and was lavished with a big summer transfer war chest, but if anything the Hammers have regressed after winning only three of their first 11 league games.

The mood around the London Stadium for the bore draw at home to Everton was one of apathy and it didn’t look to me like the players were giving their all for an under-pressure manager either.

In contrast, Newcastle’s spirits are high after back-to-back wins over Arsenal and high-flying Nottingham Forest and are slowly starting to get their big players back from injury.

It is impossible to back against a home victory under the St James’ Park floodlights on Monday night and I am also backing Anthony Gordon to pick up where he left off for England last weekend by getting on the scoresheet. These teams have already picked up 54 yellow cards between them this season so over 3.5 cards is the final part of my build-a-bet, which comes out at around 3/1 with starsports.bet.

Good luck,

ALEX CROOK

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BACK Manchester City to win and Both Teams To Score 1.5pt at 13/10 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
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BACK Fulham to win and Both Teams To Score 1.5pt at 21/10 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
Build-a-bet: Fulham to win, BTTS and Raul Jimenez to score 1pt at 4.44/1 with starsports.bet
Build-a-bet: Newcastle to win, Anthony Gordon to score, over 3.5 cards 1pt at 3/1 with starsports.bet