ALEX CROOK PREVIEW: Premier League Weekend

The international break is in the rear view mirror, at least until October, and the Premier League returns with a bang on Saturday lunchtime as Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest travel to Arsenal, writes ALEX CROOK.

It’s been a turbulent week at the City Ground with the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo despite leading Forest into Europe for the first time since the 1990s.

The fact he has been replaced by a former Tottenham manager in Postecoglou and that his first game at the helm is a return to North London adds a fascinating bit of extra spice.

Postecoglou is sure of a hostile reception from the Arsenal supporters as the home side look to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat at Liverpool.

It may take more than the fabled new-manager bounce for Forest to pick up their first victory on Arsenal soil since way back in March 1989.

The Gunners have won all of their last six home matches against Forest and the Tricky Trees have emerged victorious in just two of the previous 16 Premier League meetings between the pair.

Arsenal deserved more for their efforts at Anfield, although there is a case to be made that Mikel Arteta once again was too negative against a big-four rival away from home.

You have to go back to December 2023 for the last time our Arteta’s men suffered back-to-back defeats, which is another statistic not on Forest’s side.

Arsenal will be without star winger Bukayo Saka, but in midweek England goal hero Noni Madueke they have a player reporting back for domestic duty with an extra spring in his step.

You can back Madueke to score at any time, Arsenal -1 on the handicap, and Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic – sent off against England for Serbia on Tuesday – to be shown a card as a build-a-bet at 12.90/1 with starsports.bet.

After the heartache of missing out on a Champions League place on the final day of last season, it’s been an awful start to the new campaign for Aston Villa.

Unai Emery’s side sit second from bottom in the fledgling Premier League table, only above Wolves by virtue of the point gained in their 0-0 opening day draw at home to Newcastle.

They went into the international break on the back of a humbling 3-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace.

Villa reacted to that drubbing by snapping up Victor Lindelof, Jadon Sancho and Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott on transfer deadline day.

Emery will be hoping all three can make an instant impact as his team go to in-form Everton on Saturday afternoon.

After an opening day defeat at Leeds, the Toffees have won each of their last two matches, including the inaugural game at their magnificent new Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The star man in both of that victory over Brighton and the thrilling 3-2 triumph at Wolves last time out has been Manchester City loanee Jack Grealish.

Grealish is a player Villa know all about, and it was a surprise to many of their supporters that the Midlanders did not try to bring their prodigal son back home this summer.

England international Grealish has four assists in his first two Everton appearances and looks very backable to me at 10/3 with starsports.bet to score at any time.

Leeds’ visit to Fulham on Saturday already feels like a pivotal match for the Cottagers.

Marco Silva’s side sit in the relegation places, having taken just two points from their first three games of the season.

Leeds meanwhile, have made a reasonably good start to life back in the top-flight, beating Everton at home and drawing 0-0 with Newcastle, albeit with a 5-0 thrashing at Arsenal sandwiched in between.

I do think Daniel Farke’s men are going to pick up most of their points at home in front of the fervent Ellen Road crowd.

They may find it difficult on their travels, as they did at the Emirates, and historically Leeds’ record in London is poor so Silva will be targeting this game to kick-start Fulham’s season.

The home side to win at a shade of odds on at 20/21 with starsports.bet is my idea of the best bet of the weekend.

I will be at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon for the first Manchester Derby of the season.

While visitors United have been painted as the crisis club in the early weeks of the campaign, they actually go into this game above City in the table.

Ruben Amorim’s men staged a late smash-and-grab raid to win on enemy soil last season and a repeat success here would change the narrative around their start to the campaign.

City are looking to bounce back after back-to-back defeats at home to Tottenham and away at Brighton, and they have not lost three of their first four league games since being relegated in 1996.

This is a fixture that has tended to favour the away team in recent seasons, be it at Old Trafford or the Etihad so backing City at 8/11 with starsports.bet comes with serious risks attached.

I actually like the look of United-draw at 23/20 with starsports.bet as I fancy the Red Devils to avoid defeat, and it would not surprise me if they claimed all three points.

It will be fascinating to see who starts in goal for both teams, with City snapping up PSG’s superstar goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma in the final hours of the transfer window and United bombing out the error-prone Andre Onana and recruiting Belgian youngster Senne Lammens.

I would expect whoever starts in goal to be busy, and Bryan Mbeumo, who has started his United career well, looks overpriced to score at any time at 13/5 with starsports.bet.

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ALEX CROOK P&L (SEP 2025): -6.50 points

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