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By John O’Leary
We’ve had the first couple sets of Premier League fixtures now and after a convincing 5-0 win in their opening game, Manchester City see their odds to win the league at 2/5. Even a draw against Spurs in their second game didn’t really make a dent in the odds.
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By Gilad Zilberman, CEO at SeatPick
“Arsenal, we’re on your side” is the anthem sung by club supporters, and it’s backed up ticket market figures as well. Certainly so after week one of the 2019-20 Premier League season. With the first round of fixtures now in the books, demand for tickets is already outstripping supply, and this can best be observed via the various secondary ticket marketplaces online.
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By John O’Leary
Unless the likes of Leicester, Everton or even Wolves get their act together, there is little chance that the ‘big six’ are going to be disturbed at the top of the Premier League this season.
However, at the bottom of the Premier League table, things are looking much more interesting. Newly promoted clubs like Aston Villa, Sheffield United and Norwich City will find it tough to play against top-flight sides.
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We’re still waiting for all that hype that entered this summer transfer window at Manchester United to actually be realized, but at least they have signed two new players, which is more that what many teams have done.
Hopefully, there will be more signings to talk about between now and when the season starts. United are currently on their preseason tour in Australia, with their first friendly coming on Saturday. With all this in mind, here are some of the top trending transfer narratives in the Manchester United online community today.
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We’re so used to seeing players move from Southampton FC to Liverpool FC in the past half-decade that the narrative has now morphed into a well known punchline within the football world. So when the transfer actually happens going the opposite way, from Liverpool to Southampton, it’s indeed a massive change of pace, and certainly news-worthy.
Monday brought the start of training camp for Saints, and with it the official permanent transfer of 26-year-old striker Danny Ings. He initially made a return to his hometown last summer, coming over on loan from Anfield.
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Last time out, it looked like fate is tipping its hand towards Liverpool FC finally ending their long league title drought. The way they beat Tottenham Hotspur at home, and the manner in which they did, really makes it seem like the long-awaited silverware is in their destiny.
Even manager Jurgen Klopp himself described the win as “ugly.” Up next is a trip to the south coast, where several Reds will get the chance to face their former club- Southampton FC. Let’s take a look at who Klopp may select in his first team on the pitch in this one.
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Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino will begin serving his two match ban on Saturday when his club visits his old stomping grounds the St. Mary’s to take on Southampton FC. Pochettino admits he was in the wrong when he lashed out at referee Mike Dean at Burnley, but he still thinks the punishment didn’t really fit the crime.
“This is my first time that maybe I wasn’t completely right in behavior, but I think it is too much,” he said. “I feel a little bit sad and disappointed with the punishment. It’s unbelievable.”
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Tottenham Hotspur’s injury crisis is pretty much over now that Dele Alli has returned to training. You might even see the English midfielder make an appearance off the bench this weekend, meaning Mauricio Pochettino now has a fully fit squad to select from at Southampton FC…only Pochettino won’t be there on the touchline looking out against his former club.
Poch will serve the first of his two match ban in this one, as that was the punishment handed down on him for the heated exchange with referee Mike Dean at Burnley. Pochettino maintains that he “still loves” the south coast club he left for a bigger job in 2014.
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At first glance, Manchester United’s welcoming Southampton in on Saturday looks like a very one-sided match in favor of the hosts; at least on paper. However, looking at the recent series tells a very different story. United have won only one of their five Premier League home games against Southampton since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, and the reverse fixture was a very ugly 2-2 draw on the first Saturday of this past December.
Of course, things have changed a lot since that first meeting between these two sides this season. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United have yet to lose in any of their dozen Premier League contests.
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Despite their very illustrious club history, Manchester United had never won eight in a row on the road across all competitions until last night. Credit interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he’s making history with United right now. He’s also undefeated in Premier League competition (11 wins, 1 draw) thus far.
If he is to suffer his first defeat in league play on Saturday, then it would be nothing short of a massive upset. United will welcome in Southampton FC, a side that had been sitting in the drop zone until midweek.
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Southampton FC will try to end their historic run of futility at Arsenal FC on Sunday when the Gunners host the Saints in a Premier League fixture. The south coast club has a streak of 19 straight Premier League fixtures at Arsenal without a win and their odds for this weekend are far from favorable.
However, they did win this reverse fixture 3-2 a couple months ago, and crazy stuff happens in the football, so this is far from a foregone conclusion. Let’s take a look at who could be in the Saints and Gunners first teams for this one.
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Southampton travels to Arsenal for a match-up of two sides both on the outside looking in at their respective goals. For the visitors, they currently reside in the drop zone, and need to make up at least a point on the 16th place side in order to ensure safety. For the second season in a row, Saints are fighting a battle against the very real threat of potential relegation.
For the hosts, they sit one point behind Manchester United for the fourth and final UEFA Champions League position. As if they won’t be fired up enough already, the Gunners will also be looking to avenge a shocking and embarrassing loss at the south coast club in the first half of the season.
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