Premier League Week 7 Fixtures: EPL Picks and Predictions
Manchester City’s immaculate start to the Premier League season will face its most significant test so far on Sunday, as they make the trip south to face an in-form Tottenham Hotspur side.
Pep Guardiola steered his squad to a sixth win in successive league matches on Saturday, as City played some wonderful football to beat Swansea City 3-1. However, Spurs are in very impressive form and even without star goal-getter Harry Kane, will fancy their chances of troubling the imperious visitors.
Elsewhere, an in-form Liverpool side visit Swansea on Saturday lunchtime, while a rejuvenated Manchester United will be out to pile more misery on Stoke City. Here’s a look at the schedule for Week 7 in full and a closer look at two of the marquee matches.
| Friday, September 30 | 8 p.m. | Everton vs. Crystal Palace | 2-1 |
| Saturday, October 1 | 12:30 p.m. | Swansea vs. Liverpool | 0-3 |
| Saturday, October 1 | 3 p.m. | Hull City vs. Chelsea | 1-2 |
| Saturday, October 1 | 3 p.m. | Sunderland vs. West Brom | 1-0 |
| Saturday, October 1 | 3 p.m. | Watford vs. Bournemouth | 2-1 |
| Saturday, October 1 | 3 p.m. | West Ham vs. Middlesbrough | 1-1 |
| Sunday, October 2 | 12 p.m. | Manchester United vs. Stoke | 3-0 |
| Sunday, October 2 | 2:15 p.m. | Tottenham vs. Manchester City | 1-2 |
| Sunday, October 2 | 2:15 p.m. | Leicester vs. Southampton | 2-2 |
| Sunday, October 2 | 4:30 p.m. | Burnley vs. Arsenal | 1-3 |
Swansea City vs. Liverpool
Things don’t get any easier for Swansea after consecutive clashes with City, as they welcome the division’s other in-form side, Liverpool, to the Liberty Stadium.
According to Tom Hopkinson of the Mirror, Swans boss Francesco Guidolin is one defeat away from being axed after a poor start to the campaign; they’ve won just one of their first six Premier League matches. But Guidolin was encouraged by their effort against Guardiola’s juggernaut.
“In this period our fixtures are not easy,” he said after the defeat, per BBC Sport. “We are not in a good moment for results. But today I saw my team grow up.”
They will need to grow up a lot this week if they’re to avoid a mauling at the hands of a Liverpool team that have been scintillating under Jurgen Klopp. Hull City were the latest side to feel the wrath of the Reds, as they were taken apart in a 5-1 hammering.
While question marks remain over their defending, in an attacking sense the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana look uncontainable at the moment. OptaJoe noted just how impressive Liverpool have been in the final third:
It’s an aggressive, intense and intelligent style of football that’s going to be very tough for Swansea to cope with on Saturday lunchtime. Defensively, the Welsh side haven’t looked particularly sturdy all season and the movement of the Liverpool attackers will give the centre-backs big problems.
Eventually, the pressure will tell and the Reds will run in more goals. With a manager's future hanging by a thread, this is the least desirable opponent in the Premier League at the moment.
Prediction: Swansea 0-3 Liverpool
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City
Guardiola must be wondering what all the fuss is about when it comes to the Premier League, with his side purring in the early weeks of the season.
The City squad have attuned themselves brilliantly to the style of football Guardiola demands of his players and coasted to six successive wins in the top flight. They’ve operated with intensity, purpose and a crystal clear thinking that none of their opponents have been able to cope with so far.
Naturally, the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach deserves great credit for such a swift adaptation. This graphic from Bleacher Report UK sums up just how well Guardiola has done as a new boss in the top flight:
This looks set to be City’s biggest challenge, though. Spurs may be dealing with some injury problems at the moment, although they showed the depth of their squad with an impressive 2-1 win up at Middlesbrough last time out.
In Vincent Janssen they finally have an able deputy to Kane, while the capture of Moussa Sissoko has added more versatility in attacking positions. It’s the form of Son Heung-min that’s really caught the eye, though. These figures from Squawka Football are an indication of his exceptional recent displays:
Even so, after a trip to CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, manager Mauricio Pochettino will likely see his squad stretched. City will be without Kevin De Bruyne, who has been a midfield linchpin this term, but will have just enough to get over the line here in what should be an intriguing game.
Prediction: Tottenham 1-2 Manchester City
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