Bournemouth are set to host Arsenal at Dean Court on Saturday in the English Premier League.
Bournemouth come into this game on the back of a 4-0 loss to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City Arsenal, on the other hand, beat Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City 4-2 in the league.
Bournemouth, compared to fellow promoted sides Fulham and Nottingham Forest, have been quiet during the summer transfer window. Argentine centre-back Marcos Senesi and midfielder Marcus Tavernier have been the big acquisitions so far. Bournemouth will have to replicate their good Championship form in the Premier League.
Arsenal, on the other hand, deserve immense credit for backing Mikel Arteta. Their summer signings, mainly Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, have impressed, while French centre-back William Saliba, coming off the back of two excellent loan spells in France, has given glimpses of incredible talent.
Arsenal will be keen to ensure that they play Champions League football next season, and certainly have the talent in the squad to aim for a top four finish.
Credit: sportskeeda.com
Newcastle take on Manchester City at St. James Park
Manchester City head to St. James Park this Sunday to take on Newcastle United in the Premier League, with the Blues in search of a third straight win to remain unbeaten in the young season.
Pep Guardiola’s side have been mightily impressive in their first two games of the campaign, dispatching West Ham United and Bournemouth 2-0 and 4-0 respectively.
In both outings, the Premier League champions controlled the tempo and smothered their opposition. While some questions were raised about how summer signing Erling Haaland would fit into City’s system after Guardiola’s side played without a recognized striker for nearly two seasons, the Norwegian has already cemented himself as a key figure in the side, with two goals and an assist in the first two league outings.
The Magpies have also begun their campaign unbeaten, beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 on the opening weekend and drawing 0-0 with Brighton at the weekend.
Newcastle’s steady resurgence has been plain to see, coming off the back of an extremely wealthy Saudi-based ownership group.
With momentum on their side, City will travel to the north east to square off with a revitalised Newcastle United side, hoping to pick up all three points and remain top of the Premier League after three match weeks.
Credit: sportbible.com
Sevilla play host to Real Valladolid today
Hoping to bounce back from a disappointing opening-day defeat, Sevilla will play host to Real Valladolid on Friday in the second round of La Liga fixtures.
Julen Lopetegui‘s side lost to Osasuna last weekend, while their visitors were beaten by Villarreal on their return to Spain’s top flight.
After maintaining a title push for large portions of last season, only narrowly trailing Real Madrid for the majority of the term, Sevilla ended on a disappointing note, eventually dropping to fourth place. Turning their attention to the new campaign, they had a mixed run of results in pre-season.
They welcome a Real Valladolid side also looking for their first points amid a tough opening schedule following their promotion back to the top flight.
With their sights set on again pushing at the top end of the table this term, Lopetegui’s men will be desperate to ensure they put their first points on the board on Friday and kickstart a positive run of form.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Real Madrid to secure back-to-back wins at Celta Vigo
Real Madrid will be bidding to secure back-to-back wins at the start of their 2022-23 La Liga campaign when they make the trip to Celta Vigo on Saturday night.
Los Blancos opened their title defence with a 2-1 victory over newly-promoted Almeria last time out, while Celta started their season with an entertaining 2-2 draw at home to Espanyol.
Celta have lost each of their last four La Liga games with Real Madrid, while they have not beaten Los Blancos in Spain’s top flight since May 2014, which is an indication of the size of their task in this match.
Real Madrid were far from convincing on the opening weekend of the new La Liga season, falling behind in the sixth minute of their clash with Almeria.
Real Madrid did a league double over Celta last term, including a 2-1 victory in Vigo, and they have triumphed on each of their last four visits to their opponents this weekend.
We are expecting this to be another tricky match for the champions considering Celta’s quality. It would not be a surprise to see a draw in Vigo, but Real Madrid should just have enough to make it two wins from two at the start of the new season.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Inter Milan, Spezia aim to extend their perfect start
Both winners on the opening day of the new Serie A season, Inter Milan and Spezia meet at San Siro on Saturday evening, seeking to extend their perfect start.
While the hosts, who are aiming to go one better after finishing runners-up last term, escaped with a last-gasp win at Lecce, their Ligurian counterparts won 1-0 at home to kick off the club’s third top-flight campaign.
After finishing second to Milan in May, Inter moved quickly to bring Lukaku back to the club, and the Belgian striker has already rekindled his potent partnership with Lautaro Martinez up front.
This week, though, the man once adored by the Nerazzurri faithful must face the fans he spurned shortly after lifting the Scudetto in 2021, as he strides out again at San Siro, where Inter have lost only two of their last 36 league matches.
Almost invulnerable on home soil in recent years, Inter are unlikely to yield to such modest opponents as Spezia, even if sealing last week’s win was a struggle. The Nerazzurri have averaged two goals a game over their last six matches, including pre-season, which highlights their fearsome attacking potential.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
