Early Struggles For Manchester United? Five Premier League Best Picks
The first week of the 2023-24 Premier League season confirmed priors and brought questions for top clubs, especially Manchester United.
The Red Devils beat the Wolverhampton Wanderers, 1-0, at Old Trafford, but they struggled to get the victory and were fortunate Andre Onana’s challenge was not called a penalty. This was deemed so egregious, the officials of the match were not selected for this week’s matches.
Chaos and drama were not lacking in the first week, and there’s sure to be more to come. Let’s get into this week’s picks, where we also will take a look at Manchester United’s matchup against Tottenham at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
Fulham-Brentford over 3.5 goals +250 (FanDuel)
Marco Silva’s side was fortunate to come away with three points against Everton at Goodison Park. Fulham faced 19 shots, and Everton produced 2.73 expected goals, according to FotMob. But The Toffees could not find the back of Bernd Leno’s net. That likely won’t happen again against a Brentford side that played well without star strike Ivan Toney, who received an eight-month ban in May for gambling on matches. The sides’ last two Premier League matches ended 3-2 and even a preseason match ended 3-2 so expect a fair amount of goals in this match.
Brighton over 2.5 team total goals +270 (DraftKings)
The Seagulls lost Moises Caicdeo to Chelsea, but they showed last week there’s still plenty of talent on the squad, and Roberto De Zerbi showed why he’s one of the top managers in the Premier League. Brighton thrashed newly promoted side Luton Town, and it shouldn’t have too many problems against Wolves. Kaoru Mitoma still is one of the most exciting players to watch, and he’ll continue to make an impact, which should lead to another high-scoring day for Brighton.
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Tottenham Hotspur-Manchester United draw and both teams to score +333 (Caesers)
James Maddison proved to be a valuable addition to Spurs when his two assists proved to be the difference to get a point from Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium. Richarlison wasn’t too effective against Brentford’s back line, and Tottenham needs the Brazilian forward to step up his game to help alleviate the loss of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich. That might happen again if Manchester United plays like it did last week. Wolves had 23 shots for 2.35 expected goals, and Manchester United will need Onana to be sharp to erase his mistake from last week that he was fortunate to not have been punished for.
Moussa Diaby anytime goalscorer and Aston Villa to win to nil +500 (DraftKings, BetMGM)
Diaby looked like a great fit next to Ollie Watkins for Aston Villa last week. Newcastle United tore apart the Villans for a 5-1 win, but the forward pairing should have an easier time against Everton. Villa beat Everton in six of the last eight Premier League matches, and Sunday at Villa Park should be no different as Everton is nowhere near the threat Newcastle United is.
Arsenal -1 +145 (BetMGM)
The Gunners lost Jurrien Timber to an ACL injury last week, and the defender is expected to be out for at least half of the season after surgery. You add in the strange addition of David Raya — Aaron Ramsdale was a great goalie last season — and Arsenal doesn’t look to be in the sharpest shape to start the season. But on the field, it’s still a dangerous team to face. Declan Rice and Kai Haivertz proved to be great additions in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest at Emirates Stadium, and the Gunners should maintain that form Monday against a below-average Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.