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Foden to shine at the Etihad
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Spurs to gain early advantage
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Forest and Newcastle to go against type
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Man City v Everton (12:30) - Top gear
It's a persuasive argument that City are going through the gears right now, at a time of the season when others are starting to run out of steam. Pep Guardiola's men are 11 games unbeaten across all comps and with Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland back their swagger is returning.
You can see it in their eyes.
Yet, to switch metaphors, there is a thorn in the lion's claw and that's an inability to keep clean sheets in the league. All season long, Everton have kept three more and perhaps the most intriguing detail is how often - five times in their last nine league outings - City have conceded first.
Can the Toffees add to that? Just five first-half away goals all term suggests not while five goals from their last 100 shots is not exactly clinical.
Where the visitors may get some joy is from set-pieces. Exactly half of their season's haul have come from corners and free-kicks but if we're focusing on likely goal sources how can we possibly overlook Philip Walter Foden.
In the most impactful form of his short, trophy-laden career to date, the Stockport Iniesta has eight goal involvements in six. He has previously converted four times against Everton.
Fulham v Bournemouth (15:00) - Problems shared
Fulham have a fair-to-decent record at Craven Cottage this term, picking up 19 points from 33, while two goals at Turf Moor last weekend has halted a recent habit of spurning a multitude of chances.
Yet still, the Cottagers aren't overly fancied here, primarily because of injuries and absences that have hit them hard in the attacking third.
With Raul Jimenez, Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi all unavailable it places a great deal of obligation on Willian and Pereira to create. Between them, the pair have just one assist and no goals since early December.
The Cherries are winless in four and it's their latter two draws that most pique interest given that Fulham have also drawn their last two and three of the last five meetings between these sides have finished honours even.
Expect a good number of corners too, with each side racking up a healthy tally in 2023/24.
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Liverpool v Burnley (15:00) - Lesson not learned
A recent refusal to compromise at the Etihad cost Burnley dear, leading to the odd spectacle of a training ground exercise of attack versus defence where the latter refused to conform to rigid banks. They conceded three but it could have, and should have, been more.
The Clarets are still to keep a clean sheet on their travels this season and a similar one-sided affair could play out at Anfield.
At least at the other end the situation looks more promising, with loanee David Datro Fofana hitting the ground running with three goal involvements from two substitute appearances. Zeki Amdouni meanwhile has taken on 1.6 shots per 90 and always poses a threat.
That number however pales to Darwin Nunez's tally, and perhaps it's best to leave his obsession with hitting the woodwork to the banter sites and focus instead on the sheer volume of shots he takes on a weekly basis. The Uruguayan has taken on a league-high of 73 attempts this term, which equates to a shot every 18 minutes.
Luton v Sheff Utd (15:00) - A lot of everything
Bottom six clashes have conjured up a surprisingly high number of goals this season, epitomised by the Hatters winning out 3-2 when these sides met on Boxing Day.
Moreover, with Luton's last five games producing 4.8 goals per 90, and the Blades' last five 4.2, it's logical to rule out a goalless stalemate.
Regarding the outcome at Kenilworth Road backing the hosts seems like a no-brainer, with Rob Edwards' side in pristine shape and United in no shape at all, but still a nagging doubt persists, one that leads us to safer waters.
The Blades have received 3.2 cautions per 90 away from Bramall Lane while Luton have seen yellow twice in each of their last five at home.
In those five games they have also won 5.8 corners per 90 despite coming up against sides residing 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 9th and 11th in the table.
Tottenham v Brighton (15:00) - Early risers
Spurs have scored a league-high number of goals in the opening 15 minutes while only Sheffield United and Burnley have conceded more first-half goals than Brighton.
Factor in too the visitor's disastrous last away outing, that saw them go into the break three-down at Luton, and Tottenham gaining a quick advantage looks like a feasible proposition.
Certainly we can anticipate goals from Postecoglou's side, with the top-four contenders scoring 2+ times in each of their last eight league outings. That puts Richarlison in the frame, with a goal every 69 minutes since early December.
From there, Brighton are capable of just about anything, which makes them entertaining from a neutral's standpoint but dangerous from a betting perspective.
Wolves v Brentford (15:00) - Hungry like
Time was when you knew where you stood with Wolves. They'd eke out a 1-1 draw or sneak a 1-0 win. Maybe they would endure a poor run but rarely would they be beaten comprehensively.
For a two-to-three year period, backing under 2.5 goals whenever Wolves were involved was a profitable endeavour.
Now though, with Gary O'Neil in charge of a younger, hungrier XI, they've gone a little crazy, their last two games emphasizing this. First they dramatically lost a seven-goal thriller against Manchester United. Then they pulled off a 4-2 victory at Stamford Bridge.
In O'Neil's 23 games at the helm, Wolves have scored 37 times. They have also conceded 37.
For all of that unpredictability, they are one of the form sides in the top-flight right now and should have Brentford's number, a team they thrashed at the Gtech just after Christmas.
Even with Ivan Toney back and firing, the Bees are flat-lining with just one victory in their last nine, though to their credit they have scored on each occasion but one.
Christian Norgaard has picked up eight yellows this season, five of them away from home.
Nottingham Forest v Newcastle (17:30) - Gut rules head
The Magpies have conceded three-plus goals in six of their last nine league fixtures, with one of those heavy concessions coming against Forest. It's the only time the Tricky Trees have managed to score more than two all season.
History repeating itself feels unlikely, especially if Morgan Gibbs-White is unavailable, their number 10 limping from the City Ground on Wednesday after edging past Bristol City in the cup.
What Nuno Espirito Santo does have though is a striker in Taiwo Awoniyi who is back on the goal-trail after an injury lay-off and a winger in Callum Hudson-Odoi who greatly impressed at Bournemouth last week.
Newcastle meanwhile are minus Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak, who between them have been involved in exactly half of their league haul this term.
With so much attacking talent watching on from the stands goals could be at a premium despite both sides treating us to some high-scoring affairs of late. It feels counter-intuitive but the gut wins out on this occasion.
Read Jack Critchley's Saturday Championship Tips here
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