Premier League Week 3 Fixtures: EPL Picks and Predictions
Leaders Manchester United will face Leicester City on Saturday, August 26, in one of the key fixtures in Week 3 of the 2017/18 Premier League season.
Earlier in the day, United's local rivals and fellow title contenders Manchester City will be in action. The Citizens face Bournemouth in the early game at the Vitality Stadium in a match sure to feature wide-open, attacking football from both sides.
Liverpool hosting Arsenal is the key game of Sunday's fixtures, with both teams inconsistent through two matches. Last season's champions Chelsea got off the mark against Tottenham Hotspur in Week 2, but they will be challenged by a capable Everton squad on Sunday.
Here is the full list of fixtures, along with predictions:
Saturday, August 26
- Bournemouth vs. Manchester City: 12:30 p.m. BST/7:30 a.m. ET. (1-3)
- Crystal Palace vs. Swansea City: 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET. (2-1)
- Huddersfield Town vs. Southampton: 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET. (1-1)
- Newcastle United vs. West Ham United: 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET. (1-1)
- Watford vs. Brighton & Hove Albion: 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET. (2-1)
- Manchester United vs. Leicester City: 5:30 p.m. BST/12:30 p.m. ET (2-1)
Sunday, August 27
- Chelsea vs. Everton: 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET. (2-1)
- West Bromwich Albion vs. Stoke City: 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET. (0-0)
- Liverpool vs. Arsenal: 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET. (4-2)
- Tottenham Hotspur vs. Burnley: 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET. (2-0)
Manchester United vs. Leicester City
United have strolled to the top of the table thanks to consecutive 4-0 wins to start their season. The Red Devils have been more potent going forward thanks largely to Henrikh Mkhitaryan's classy displays.
Manager Jose Mourinho has put the Armenian schemer in a No. 10 role. It's freed his creative instincts and ability to produce some magic in the final third.
Mkhitaryan is starting to show the form common during his days with Borussia Dortmund. He is transforming matches in an instant with sudden outbursts of quality, just as he did during the win over Swansea City in Week 2, per Sky Sports:
"Manchester United looked for a set for a tense final 10 minutes at the Liberty Stadium, having failed to add to Eric Bailly's opener.
"However, two exquisite assists in two minutes from Mkhitaryan allayed any lingering fears.
"The first, a disguised reverse pass, presented Lukaku with his first clear sight of goal from which he rifled home United's second - before the second, a deft through ball, was lofted beautifully over Fabianski by Pogba."
Controlling Mkhitaryan won't be easy for Leicester, who should give midfield workhorse Wilfried Ndidi a man-marking brief on the Armenia international.
Bournemouth vs. Manchester City
City's attacking should be the best in the division. No other team boasts two strikers as gifted as Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, while the Citizens have enough cultured playmakers to fill two squads.
Manager Pep Guardiola can choose from David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Yaya Toure to support his dynamic frontmen.
Yet City looked disjointed last time out, as they struggled to break down a resolute Everton side during Monday's 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
Even so, City's plethora of quality attackers should make Bournemouth nervous. The Cherries have conceded three times through two matches, both defeats, including a 2-0 home loss to Watford in Week 2.
It's hardly ideal preparation for welcoming one of the title favourites. However, Bournemouth upset a few of the big boys last season, drawing with Arsenal and beating Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium.
Cherries boss Eddie Howe won't be afraid to test City's shaky defence, but he needs goals to go with Bournemouth's willingness to attack.
Liverpool vs. Arsenal
The first week of the season saw both Liverpool and Arsenal irrepressible going forward, yet suspect at the back. It was a different story in Week 2, though, as the Gunners failed to score at Stoke City, while Liverpool only found the net once against a stubborn Crystal Palace side at Anfield.
Arsenal's inability to score wasted their utter dominance of possession at Stoke's bet365 Stadium, per OptaJoe:
The disconnect between passing and scoring will make the Gunners doubly grateful to welcome star forward Alexis Sanchez back from injury.
Manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed Sanchez will return, but he also preached caution about expecting too much from a forward who has yet to play this season, per David Anderson of the Daily Mirror: "He was out with a muscular strain and hopefully he will survive the tests first before he comes back. He’s not played now for six weeks, and it’s difficult to be at your best in the first game straight away."
Sanchez being at less than peak form will be a blow for a Gunners side unlikely to keep a clean sheet on Merseyside. Arsenal's threadbare defence has been breached four times already and has yet to face an attack as potent as Liverpool's.
The Reds press high and break swiftly in the final third. Their pace and fluidity will cause Arsenal a host of problems, particularly from wide men Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
Both have scored in the league already this season, and their movements are a nightmare for most defenders to track. Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino has also scored three times in his last two games against the Gunners at Anfield.
The only concern for Liverpool will be how fresh the key players in the squad are after European duty in midweek. Manager Jurgen Klopp's side will host Hoffenheim on Wednesday in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifier.
However, it's Arsenal under the greater pressure after a rocky start, per Tony Evans of the London Evening Standard: "Normally, two games into the season, it would be risible to talk of critical weeks. Resolving Sanchez’s future and the need to restore belief on the pitch make this an unusually important period for Wenger."
Elsewhere, expect Spurs to get back to winning ways and overcome their Wembley struggles when they host Burnley. Meanwhile, Chelsea will build on the momentum they created at the same stadium in Week 2 to see off Everton and remind everyone they are still serious contenders for the title.
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