Brentford welcome a revitalised Manchester City
Kicking off a three-game road trip in the English capital, a revitalised Manchester City seek a fourth win on the spin in Tuesday’s Premier League clash with Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Pep Guardiola‘s merciless men embarrassed Salford City 8-0 in FA Cup action at the weekend, whereas the Bees’ sting was rendered ineffective by Plymouth Argyle in a shock 1-0 third-round defeat.
A James McAtee hat-trick, Jeremy Doku double, Jack Grealish penalty, debut Divin Mubama goal and Nico O’Reilly strike all contributed to a Mancunian mauling on Saturday evening, as Guardiola’s youngsters proved that the kids are more than all right.
The emphatic third-round success marked the first time since 1933 that Man City had scored an extraordinary eight goals in one FA Cup match, as the reigning Premier League champions hit a new zenith in their winter revival.
Even in the midst of their unforeseen capitulation, City seldom failed to find the mark in the Premier League and have found the back of the net in each of their last seven Premier League matches, a good omen for the neutrals hoping to witness another Brentford blockbuster.
Goals are almost always a guarantee when Thomas Frank‘s men step foot onto familiar territory but their Gtech Community Stadium powers have waned significantly over the winter period.
No team in the Premier League has lost more games after scoring first than Brentford this season (five), while Man City have won more matches after going behind (four) than any of their top-flight rivals.
As such, even if Frank’s men can repeat their one-minute Wissa trick from September’s head-to-head, the outcome should be the same, as the born-again champions continue on their upward path.
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Chelsea host highflying Bournemouth
Separated by just three points in the upper echelons of the Premier League table, Chelsea and Bournemouth endeavour to build on emphatic FA Cup victories in Tuesday’s top-flight battle at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca‘s men hit Morecambe for five without reply on Saturday, while the Cherries also strolled into the fourth round courtesy of a 5-1 demolition of West Bromwich Albion.
As has so often been the case in this season’s Conference League, Maresca’s second Chelsea XI enjoyed a largely stress-free afternoon on Saturday, when Morecambe rocked up to their West London home and left on the receiving end of a 5-0 slaughter.
Indeed, Chelsea have only accrued two points from a possible 12 in their last four top-flight games, most recently having to settle for a 1-1 draw at London rivals Crystal Palace, leaving them 10 points adrift of leaders Liverpool having played a game more than the Reds.
All of Newcastle United, Manchester City and upcoming opponents Bournemouth could now leapfrog the Blues with satisfactory results in the midweek round of matches, where the hosts could suffer back-to-back Premier League losses at Stamford Bridge for the first time since September 2023.
Brighton head to West London with depleted options in both attack and defence, and Chelsea’s refreshed first-choice XI should bring the Cherries’ magical unbeaten run to an end while simultaneously ending their worrying winless sequence.
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West Ham, Fulham to engage in an intriguing battle
Graham Potter‘s first taste of Premier League football as West Ham United manager will come on Tuesday evening, when Fulham make the trip to the London Stadium for an intriguing battle in England’s top flight.
Both teams will enter the clash off the back of FA Cup third-round fixtures, with West Ham exiting the competition courtesy of a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, but Fulham were 4-1 winners over Watford to secure their position in the fourth round.
West Ham have lost their last two league games against Liverpool and Manchester City, conceding nine times in the process, and they currently sit in 14th spot in the Premier League table, picking up only 23 points from their 20 league matches this term.
The Hammers are only seven points above the relegation zone, which is slightly concerning considering their recent form, while the team have severe issues in the final third of the field that will surely need to be addressed before the end of the transfer window.
West Ham are winless in their last three Premier League matches with Fulham, losing twice, while they are without a victory in their last five Premier League London derbies, suffering three defeats in the process.
Fulham, on the other hand, are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League derbies, which is their longest run since October 1938, and Marco Silva‘s side will also bring a healthy unbeaten run into the contest across the board.
Fulham have shared the points in nine of their 20 league matches this season and have been the draw specialists in recent weeks; West Ham have big problems when it comes to their attack, though, and we are predicting a narrow success for Fulham on Tuesday night, which would make it an unhappy start to life at the London Stadium for new Hammers boss Potter.
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Nottingham Forest, Liverpool in top of the table clash
Facing one of the toughest tests of their Premier League title mettle, Liverpool make the trek to the City Ground for a fascinating battle with high-flying Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night.
There are just two places and six points between the two championship contenders in the top-flight standings, as the Reds square up to one of only two teams to have outwitted Arne Slot so far this season.
Liverpool may have been slain at Anfield by Tuesday’s hosts back in September, but the Reds possess the only unbeaten away record left in the 2024-25 Premier League and have struck at least two goals in each of their last 12 top-flight matches.
However, Tuesday’s titanic tussle will see the unstoppable force of Liverpool meet the immovable object of Nottingham Forest, who made it seven wins on the spin and five clean sheets on the bounce when Luton Town paid a visit for the FA Cup third round.
However, Liverpool’s big hitters finally enjoyed a well-earned break on FA Cup weekend, and Slot’s men should therefore cut revitalised figures at the City Ground, where they have our vote to end Forest’s magnificent run by the narrowest of margins.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
