After nearly three months, the Premier League is finally back. It’s been around 11 weeks since Ilkay Gundogan’s 81st minute winner in Man City’s 3-2 victory against Aston Villa gave Pep Guardiola’s men the title in the most dramatic of comebacks.
Both City and Liverpool have made marquee signings, while Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham have all strengthened, meaning we’re in for a pulsating nine months of Premier League football.
The action will be bigger and better than ever at Bet9ja. Aside from the best odds and markets in Nigeria, we also have a brand new dedicated soccer page meaning all your favourite leagues and matches are in the same place.
The opening day of the 2022/23 Premier League season starts Friday and here’s an in-depth look at the key matches this weekend:
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal, Friday 5th August 8pm:
It all starts at Selhurst Park on Friday in an intriguing London derby. Last season’s fixture saw Crystal Palace run out 3-0 winners, during a poor end of season for Arsenal which saw the Gunners eventually miss out on the top four by two points. Mikel Arteta’s men have recruited well this summer. Gabriel Jesus has hit the ground running in pre-season since joining from Man City, scoring seven times in five matches. He could well be the striker Arsenal have lacked in recent seasons, while the Gunners have also added Fabio Vieira from Porto and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Man City.
Crystal Palace finished a respectable 12th in Patrick Vieira’s first season in charge, and will be looking for a similar mid-table finish this time around. The Eagles have signed Cheick Doucoure from Lens and Chris Richards from Bayern Munich this summer. Wilfried Zaha had his best scoring return with 14 league goals last season, and will again be crucial to his side’s chances this time around.
It will be interesting to see how Arsenal’s new signings gel and it won’t be an easy start for the Gunners. A draw could be a sensible bet for this one, which is priced at 3.65 at Bet9ja.
Bet9ja odds (at time of writing): Crystal Palace win: 4.25, Draw: 3.65, Arsenal win: 1.88
Bet9ja prediction: Draw (3.65)
Fulham vs Liverpool, Saturday 6th August 12:30pm:
Liverpool narrowly missed out on the Premier League title last season by a single point, thanks to Man City’s crazy comeback on the final day. The Reds already have a trophy in the cabinet this season, after beating title rivals City 3-1 in the Community Shield last week. Marquee signing Darwin Nunez managed to get his name on the scoresheet, and will play a big role following his 26 league goals for Benfica last season. Sadio Mane might have left but Luis Diaz will be the man to fill that void, after impressing greatly since joining in January.
Newly promoted Fulham will be looking to avoid a third straight relegation to the Championship. Their new signings include Andreas Pereira, Kevin Mbabu and Bernd Leno. Aleksandar Mitrovic will be key following his record 43 league goals last season.
It’s been 11 years since Fulham beat Liverpool at Craven Cottage and it’s hard to see that changing on Saturday. Liverpool are just 1.28 to get an opening day win, and the fact Over 2.5 Goals has odds under 1.5, suggests it could be a comfortable victory for the visitors.
Bet9ja odds: Fulham win: 10.25, Draw: 6.00, Liverpool win: 1.28
Bet9ja prediction: Liverpool win (1.28)
Everton vs Chelsea, Saturday 6th August 5:30pm:
Everton just about avoided relegation from the Premier League for the first time last season. Frank Lampard’s men will be hoping the 16th place finish is just a one off and this campaign will be more comfortable. Having said that, Richarlison’s move to Tottenham will be a damaging loss. So far, Burnley pair James Tarkowski and Dwight McNeil are Everton’s only signings.
It’s been a summer of upheaval for Chelsea. Now under new ownership, key man Antonio Rudiger left for Real Madrid in July, while the futures of several first team players remains uncertain. However, Raheem Sterling should prove to be an excellent acquisition, while Kalidou Koulibaly comes in as Rudiger’s replacement.
Everton won this fixture 1-0 last season and Chelsea have lost four of their past five matches at Goodison Park. With plenty of uncertainty surrounding the two teams, perhaps a draw at 4.00 will be the way you go for this one.
Bet9ja odds: Everton win: 5.40, Draw: 4.00, Chelsea win: 1.66
Bet9ja prediction: Draw (4.00)
Man Utd vs Brighton, Sunday 7th August 2pm:
A new era begins for Man Utd on Sunday. Erik ten Hag takes charge of the Red Devils for the first time in the Premier League, with new found expectations from the United faithful. They finished 13 points off the top four last season, with a much better showing this season needed. Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez have been added, while the speculation surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s future rumbles on.
Brighton impressed last season, ending in ninth place which is the highest they’ve ever finished in the top flight. Yves Bissouma will be a big miss but Graham Potter’s style of play means you’d expect Brighton to be competing well again this season.
Man Utd were humbled 4-0 when the teams last met in May. The new manager bounce should see a winning start for the hosts, which is 1.62 at Bet9ja. It could be a tight affair, meaning a Correct score of 1-0 at 6.30 or 2-0 at 7.60 might be good options if that’s a market you want to explore.
Bet9ja odds: Man Utd win: 1.62, Draw: 4.00, Brighton win: 5.60
Bet9ja prediction: Man Utd win (1.62)
West Ham vs Man City, Sunday 7th August 4:30pm:
All eyes will be on Erling Haaland at the London Stadium on Sunday. The Norwegian striker joins Man City after scoring a mind-boggling 86 goals in 89 matches for Borussia Dortmund. A world-class centre-forward is what City have been lacking since Sergio Aguero left and could go a long way in helping secure a seventh Premier League title. While the likes of Sterling and Jesus have gone, Kalvin Phillips also comes in and Jack Grealish will be looking to justify his price tag in his second season at the club.
West Ham were the nearly men last season, finishing seventh and falling at the semi-finals stage of the Europa League. It will be interesting to see if David Moyes’ men can compete with the best once again, after adding the Flynn Downes and Gianluca Scamacca this summer.
City fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in the penultimate match in last season’s fixture, proving how tough a place the London Stadium is for visiting teams. However, the Haaland factor and the fact City look stronger than last season, means a win for the away team at 1.38 will prove a popular choice.
Bet9ja odds: West Ham win: 8.00, Draw: 525, Man City win: 1.38
Bet9ja prediction: Man City win (1.38)
Make sure you get your bets in this weekend, and make the most of our array of markets. Don’t forget to try out Super9ja too, where six correct results will win you 10,000,000NGN. Enter for free by Friday!
