Premier League Saturday Tipsheet: Eagles to get off to a flier at Norwich

Mike Norman
06 August 2015

Mike fancies Alan Pardew to guide his side to an opening-day win over Norwich

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The start of a new football season is filled with excitement as a fan, but less so for a punter with so many questions still to be answered. Mike Norman, who made a tasty profit last season in this column, is back to preview Saturday's four 3pm kick-offs...

"The Eagles look good for another top half finish this campaign, and from the four opening day 3pm kick-offs they easily make the most appeal as a team likely to win at a decent price."

Recommended Bet
Back Crystal Palace to Win @ 3.02/1

Bournemouth 2.0621/20 v Aston Villa 4.1; The Draw 3.613/5

A home game on the first day of the season is arguably the main wish for fans of a newly-promoted club, a home game that is very winnable is even better.

Bournemouth probably couldn't have Cherries-picked (don't worry, that's my first and last quip this season) a more appealing start than a game at the Vitality Stadium (that's Dean Court to me and you) against a Benteke-less Aston Villa side that struggled badly for the majority of last term.

Tim Sherwood's men finished in 17th place last season, just one spot above the drop zone, and their 15-goal top goalscorer has now departed. Villa's next highest goalscorer was Gabriel Agbonlahor with just six so it goes without saying that someone is going to have to step up to the plate and fill the void left by Benteke's departure.

Sherwood has been very active in the transfer window however, bringing in the likes of Scott Sinclair (loan made permanent) and Micah Richards from Manchester City, striker Rudy Gestede from Blackburn, and no fewer than four £7m+ players from France's Ligue 1.

The pick of those could possibly be 23-year-old Ghananian striker Jordan Ayew, but with any club that starts a campaign with so many new arrivals the gut feeling is how will they all fit in and improve a side that recently struggled.

Eddie Howe has also brought in plenty of new signings as Joe Dyer explains in his season preview of Bournemouth, the latest being Max Gradel and Lee Tomlin just this week.

But you sense that, whereas Sherwood will be making wholesale changes from the side that regularly featured last season, Howe will integrate his new men more slowly, initially preferring to give most of the players that won the Championship - making best use of their winning mentality - a chance to impress at this higher level.

It's going to be a great day on the south coast that's for sure, and my marginal preference is for the fairytale home win that everyone would love to see. It'll be a tough match though, and not one that I have a firm opinion on.

Recommended Bet
Back Bournemouth to Win @ 2.0621/20

Everton 1.768/11 v Watford 5.69/2; The Draw 3.9

Talking about clubs that have made a plethora of signings brings us to newly-promoted Watford, but unlike Bournemouth they have quite the opposite to a winnable game in front of their own fans.

It's nigh on impossible to predict how all their new figures will fit in, adapt to English football, and gel as a team etc, and the gut feeling is to assume they'll initially struggle. The Hornets have a new manager too, Quique Flores, who is new to English football in fact, and despite his impressive CV, that has to be a small concern also.

I think a watching brief is needed on Watford before we can start tipping or opposing them in Match Odds markets. And besides, I'm not interested in Everton at odds-on either, so we'll leave that particular market alone.

The Toffees ought to win, they're an established Premier League side who 'usually' finish top half, and they're at home too. But Roberto Martinez has a long list of injuries and he might have to field a disjointed side on Saturday.

While the likes of Aiden McGeady, Steven Pienaar, Gerard Deulofeu, and Muhamed Besic look certain to miss out, the Toffees will be dealt further blows if any/all of John Stones, Kevin Mirallas, and Romelu Lukaku don't recover from the slight injuries that currently have them as doubts for Saturday's season-opener.

Watford will give it a go, you can be sure of that, and I sense this will be a closely-fought encounter. I can see both sides finding the back of the net at some during the 90 minutes so that's exactly what I'll be backing.

Recommended Bet
Back Both Teams to Score @ 1.8810/11

Leicester 2.0421/20 v Sunderland 4.47/2; The Draw 3.55/2

Leicester were a revelation towards the end of last season, performing nothing short of a miracle to lift themselves from the bottom of the table to comfortably avoiding the drop, ironically, almost exactly like Sunderland had done the season prior.

The Black Cats struggled again last term after their own miraculous survival so that will be a lesson to the Foxes, and so too will be second-season-itus.

Leicester have a new manager, and if I'm being honest I'm not at all convinced in Claudio Ranieri, who, just as Luke Moore points out, could find communication an increasing problem if his team start to struggle. Then again, I'm not convinced by Sunderland's new(ish) manager either.

Dick Advocaat did what was required to keep his side safe last season and he's gone some way to making Sunderland tighter at the back with a trio of defenders brought in. I still worry there aren't many goals in this side however, despite the £8m acquisition of Jeremain Lens from Dynamo Kiev. You feel a lot will be resting on the shoulders of Jermain Defoe.

The Foxes have lost Esteban Cambiasso, and for me that's a big blow. Just his presence and experience played a pivotal role in helping Leicester stay up last term, and without him I fancy them to struggle.

As for this game, I think everything points to a low-scoring affair with both sides desperate not to lose on the opening day. I'm hoping to get the P/L firmly in profit as early as possible, and that will be achieved if these two play out a goalless draw.

Recommended Bet
Back 0-0 Correct Score @ 11.010/1

Norwich 2.6813/8 v Crystal Palace 3.02/1; The Draw 3.412/5

I've already copped a bit of flak for suggesting that Norwich could be relegated this season, but I completely stand by my thinking.

They have an inexperienced manager at the helm, their new signings don't inspire me, and they weren't even one of the two best teams in the Championship last season. They're one of the favourites to go down, it's not as if I'm tipping a 500/1 shot to be relegated. Now that would be stupidity!

The fixture list has been kind to Alex Neil's men however (they play just one top-six side from last season in their opening 10 games) so it's imperative they get off to a good start.

At Carrow Road on Saturday Norwich face an improving Crystal Palace side, that under Alan Pardew, were a top half team during the second half of last term. They've strengthened in pre-season too, bringing in the very talented midfielder Yohan Cabaye and last season's Championship Player of the Year Patrick Bamford, amongst others.

The Eagles look good for another top half finish this campaign, and from the four opening day 3pm kick-offs they easily make the most appeal as a team likely to win at a decent price.

Recommended Bet
Back Crystal Palace to Win @ 3.02/1 (best bet)

*You can follow me on Twitter - @MikkyMo73

Premier League 2015/16 Season P/L

Staked:
Returned:
P/L: (will be calculated from next week)

*based on 1pt each bet, 2pts best bet

**2014/15 P/L = +35.3 pts from 215 staked (ROI = 16.42%)

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