-
Early goals anticipated at Gtech
-
City to struggle on South Coast
-
Gakpo to continue fine form for Reds
-
-
Brighton v Man City Superboost
Ering Haaland is not only the Premier League's top goalscorer this season, he's also top of the charts when it comes to shots. The Manchester City striker has registered an incredible 27 shots on target in 10 Premier League games this term, at an average of almost three per game.
The Betfair Sportsbook have boosted Haaland's price to have at least one shot on target against Brighton from 1/61.17 to 1/12.00! To take advantage of this super-boosted price just click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.
Back Erling Haaland to have 1+ Shot on Target v Brighton
Watch Football...Only Bettor for Saturday tips
Both teams to score is a must here with the Bees yet to keep a clean sheet and Bournemouth managing only one shut-out in 10. This is a mouth-watering contest featuring a team unbeaten at home hosting opponents who are very much in the ascendancy.
Bookending an impressive draw at Villa, two headline-grabbing victories over Arsenal and Manchester City have fired the Cherries into the top half of the Premier League. While Antoine Semenyo deserves acclaim for his recent showings - accumulating 10 progressive carries and six completed dribbles against City - the work-rate of Lewis Cook should not go unnoticed.
Intelligent in his passing, the midfielder relentlessly harries and hustles, though naturally there is a downside to this. Only two top-flight players have fouled more often this term.
Regarding Brentford, a hefty 20 in their goals against column would be significantly worse without Nathan Collins and Ethann Pinnock at the back. The former has committed to 20 blocks, Pinnock made 10 clearances last Monday alone.
Up front meanwhile, Yoane Wissa is scoring at a rate of 0.94 per 90 converting some of the 3.3 big chances per 90 carved out by Thomas Frank's men this term. Brentford's last two home fixtures finished 5-3 and 4-3. Ten of that high volume of goals came in the first-half.
Back BTTS, Cook to commit 2 or more fouls, and over 1.5 goals in first half
The Cottagers racked up a prodigious 26 attempts on Brentford's goal on Monday evening and this puts them third in the overall shot league, behind only Spurs and Manchester City.
Their persistence paid off in added time with two last-gasp strikes.
It was an impressive haul that derived from 41 touches inside the Bees' box and naturally Reiss Nelson and Raul Jimenez were heavily involved. The pair each boast 1.8 shots on target per 90 this season.
With Adama Traore, Harry Wilson, Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith-Rowe also to call upon on the offensive front, Fulham have multifarious means to break opponents down. That's not even including Andreas Pereira and his 27 chances created.
They are fancied here to extend on a decent record in London derbies and emerge with the points.
Staying with shots, the Eagles' average distance of 18 yards per attempt suggests they lack penetration and for all that recent results hint at a corner being turned, they are considerably weakened by the absence of Eberechi Eze.
Back Jimenez to have 1 or more shots in each half
The Toffees have launched more long balls than any other side this term but should they go direct in East London it will be meat and drink for the Hammers defence. Max Kilman - the likeliest player to be assigned Dominic Calvert-Lewin - won all six of his aerial duels at the City Ground.
That aside, it proved to be another dispiriting afternoon for Julen Lopetegui's strugglers who at least have back-to-back home wins to offer up some encouragement here. In both games, Jarrod Bowen scored.
When not finishing chances, Bowen has created 16 himself from open play this term, the same number as Dwight McNeil who additionally has played more passes into the box than any other Premier League player.
Returning to Calvert-Lewin, the striker has previously scored in three different trips to the London Stadium.
Back Bowen and Calvert-Lewin 1+ shots on target each, 3 corners for each team, and 1+ cards for each team
The bottom two square up at Molineux, with 15 defeats between them and as ever when it concerns a fraught relegation scrap it could come down to which key performers show.
To that end, Tyler Dibling and Mateus Fernandes are crucial to the Saints' creativity, averaging 2.22 and 2.17 successful dribbles per 90 respectively.
At the back meanwhile, Aaron Ramsdale's quality is beginning to tell, with 4.3 saves per game.
Southampton boast the third-highest possession in the top-flight, the same percentage as Brighton. It's in contests such as this when that really needs to reap rewards.
As for Wolves, Matheus Cunha is increasingly coming to the fore and 1/12.00 for the striker to score or assist is not a bad shout.
Then there's Tommy Doyle, whose importance to Gary O'Neil's side goes under the radar. No Premier League player surpasses Doyle's 8.9 accurate long balls per 90.
It's a fool's errand backing a winner here. Instead, it's pertinent that Wolves have accrued a pitiful 34 corners to date - a league low - while Southampton have hardly been saintly, picking up 33 yellow cards.
Back Wolves under 4.5 corners and Southampton most cards
A week is a long time in politics and an eternity in football. In that short period City have lost three consecutive games for only the second time across Pep Guardiola's eight-year tenure. With injuries mounting their hard-earned fear factor is crumbling fast.
No longer are the opposition forming a carapace around their own box. Now they smell weakness.
Which brings us to Brighton, unbeaten at home and in possession of precisely the kind of direct, decisive attackers who can capitalise on a defence largely made up of the semi-fit and the knackered.
In Lisbon on Tuesday, City's rearguard was easily sliced open four times over and several times more to boot.
A home win at 10/34.33 therefore tempts but let's not get carried away and downplay the considerable threat posed by Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, the latter having previously netted eight times in seven starts against the Seagulls.
Nor should we overlook that Brighton have failed to keep a clean sheet in this fixture in 14 attempts.
BTTS at 1/21.50 should be added to any bet builder but here we're going for an early home advantage. Eight of City's 11 league goals conceded have come before the break this term, four of them inside 15 minutes.
Back Brighton at 30 minutes
The last goalless stalemate in this meeting was all the way back in 2008 and the last 15 match-ups across all comps have produced four goals per 90. In terms of pure entertainment, it rarely disappoints.
As should be the case again on Saturday evening, with the visitors looking to atone for last week's second half collapse in North London and the Reds flying, converting 2+ goals in 81% of their outings in 2024/25.
With Villa also hardly goal-shy it makes you wonder what could have been. Between them these teams have missed 42 big chances this season.
Ollie Watkins has been the biggest culprit in this regard, bagging only a semi-respectable four from 14. It's a strike-rate that starkly contrasts with Mo Salah's league high 67% shot accuracy.
It's Cody Gakpo who grabs the attention in this one though, in-form and ably compensating for the loss of Diogo Jota.
The Dutch wideman has bagged four in three in a trio of competitions this past week.
Back Gakpo to score or assist