5 Premier League Tips for the Weekend's Action - 17/3/23

Newcastle face Nottingham Forest on Friday evening at the City Ground. After weeks of disappointment, Eddie Howe’s men finally got back to winning ways last weekend against Wolves thanks to goals from Alexander Isak and Miguel Almiron.

Isak has been in and out of the Newcastle line-up this season, mainly due to injury, but when he has started, the Swedish forward has had a shot on target in every game bar one (the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool where Pope was sent off).

When the two sides met earlier on in the season, Isak didn’t play, however, Callum Wilson registered two shots on target which clearly shows Newcastle will create chances for their central player.

Spurs travel to bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Saturday, in a tie which has historically seen plenty of goals. When the Saints played at home this Wednesday, they were defeated 2-0 by Brentford which was their 8th loss at home in 13 games. Spurs won 3-1 last time out, with both Son and Kane getting on the scoresheet.

The two attackers have a good record when the two sides have met in the past, with either Kane or Son scoring in fourteen of the last seventeen games. A match which particularly stands out is Spurs’ 5-2 victory at St Mary’s in 2020, where Son scored four and Kane got on the scoresheet, he also assisted each of Son’s goals. It was a complete masterclass by the deadly duo.

Southampton also concede the most goals per game at home and with Son slowly getting back to his usual self, I think we can see Spurs’ score a couple on Saturday.

Leeds play Wolves on Saturday and if the visitors walk away with three points, then they will be one point behind their opponents with a game in hand.

This tie is a must-win for both teams, as it isn’t only an opportunity to pick up three points, it’s a chance to stop a relegation opponent from gaining any. Both teams also like to attack in wide areas, with crosses into the box which increases the chance of corners. The hosts average over 5 corners for and against at home, and Leeds registered seven against Chelsea in their last away game.

With plenty on the line, we should see referee Michael Salisbury dish out some cards. Wolves average 2 cards per home game this season and Leeds average 2.2 per game on the road. The last time Wolves hosted Leeds, the game ended 3-2 to the visitors and there was seven yellow cards and a red.

Bournemouth kickstarted the last Premier League gameweek with a shock 1-0 victory over Liverpool and the Cherries will be hoping to use that result as momentum this weekend, when they make the trip to Villa Park on Saturday.

Ollie Watkins has been in fine form over the last two months, scoring six goals in his last seven games. Bournemouth also have the worst defence when on the road this season, so Watkins will fancy his chances of continuing his goal-scoring run. Villa should have plenty of the ball also, which will lead to the home side taking a large amount of shots. Winger, Leon Bailey, registers the second-highest shots per game in the Villa squad and he will let fly at any opportunity, especially if he is allowed to cut in on his left foot.

When the two teams met in the opening gameweek, both teams picked up three yellow cards each and five corners each. The tie was dominated by Villa in every statistic other than the scoreline, as Bournemouth won the game 2-0. We should see a similar pattern on Saturday, with the Cherries counter-attacking with their pacy January arrival, Dango Outarra.

Brentford should be confident that they can secure three points when they host Leicester at the Brentford Community Stadium this weekend, as the visitors are currently on a five-game loss streak. Leicester are in serious trouble going into the final stage of the season, as the possibility of life in the Championship awaits them.

The Foxes will have to heavily rely on their star man, James Maddison, if they are to stay up this season. It is harsh to describe a club as a one-man team, however, almost everything positive that Leicester do on the pitch goes directly through the number 10. Maddison has fourteen goal contributions in eighteen starts which is an absolutely incredible record. The attacking midfielder has also registered a goal or an assist in four of the five times he has faced Brentford whilst at Leicester.

Brentford also have a star man who has an abundance of goal contributions this season, in the form of Ivan Toney. The forward has scored 16 goals in the league and has registered four assists. Toney was recently called up to the England squad, so the number 17 will be going into this weekend’s tie with a spring in his step.

Last time the two sides faced, Toney got on the scoresheet and Maddison registered an assist. The corner aspect of this bet also won in the last meeting and also the last time Brentford hosted Leicester.

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