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Premier League Weekend Tips: Back Ronaldo to reclaim centre stage

Stephen Tudor
21 January 2022
4.00 min read

Ronnie to roar back to form?

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In his new regular column Ste Tudor looks at where the goals, assists and three points will come from in the Premier League this week.

"The 36-year-old thrives best when the narrative focuses only on him and should he have a point to prove then all the better."

Watford v Norwich - Low goals likely

It's four home league losses on the bounce for Ranieri's Hornets and that 4-1 dismantling of Manchester United feels like an awful long time ago now, with just a solitary point gained since. A defeat on Friday evening at Vicarage Road will send Watford into the bottom three for the first time this season and if their form concerns so too does their recent habit of conceding late goals. In three of their last four games, they've been undone in added-on time.

It's a blessing for the hosts therefore that it's Norwich they face, a side that has scored only three times on their travels all season. To put their scoring allergy into perspective that's a goal every five hours.

This one will be tight, tense and low-scoring so go for under 1.5 goals at 14/5

Everton v Aston Villa - A good day for Buendia

Will there be a new manager bounce - of a sort, at least - at Goodison? It's hard not to recall Everton's tremendous 3-1 victory over Chelsea at the tail-end of 2019, with 'Big Dunc' kicking every ball from the touchline in temporary charge after Marco Silva's dismissal. The Scot will be at the helm again at the weekend, in front of a crowd as fiery as they were on that memorable afternoon.

A good start for the Toffees therefore can be anticipated only here we encounter a problem because they are seemingly incapable of hitting their stride early. No team has scored fewer first-half goals in the top-flight this term.

As for Villa, Coutinho has the obvious x-factor but look out for Emi Buendia who has been much more productive of late.

Buendia looks a generous price at 11/5 to add to his three assists in 2021/22

Brentford v Wolves - Toney's time?

Wolves have only conceded once from open play in their last 912 minutes of Premier League football, their other two concessions being a penalty at the Etihad and a once-or-twice-in-a-lifetime free-kick from James Ward-Prowse. Such parsimony has kept them in contention for European qualification despite developing a distinct shyness at the other end, scoring just six in their last ten games.

For the Bees, the relative travails of Ivan Toney intrigues. The Brentford hitman's shots-per-game ratio has - understandably - almost halved since making the jump into the top-flight. What's more, his slender return has come in patches, with two in three back in September and two in two a couple of months later. His late consolation on Wednesday therefore might hint at some trouble ahead for the usually watertight Wolves.

Toney is a tempting 9/5 to score anytime. A price worth chancing.

Leeds v Newcastle - Toon's next great Al to score

Both sides are minus their best strikers in Patrick Bamford and Callum Wilson though the former may make a return here on the bench. Leeds will certainly hope so as the last three occasions Bamford has made a cameo immediately following a lay-off he's scored.

But really, regarding attacking intent this is a game elevated by two of the best wide-men around who have this season added goals to their armoury.

Raphinha has outscored Allan Saint-Maximin eight to five in 2021/22 but it's the Newcastle flyer who is in the best form right now, notching in his last two outings.

Saint-Maximin is a generous 10/1 to be the first goal-scorer at Elland Road

Man Utd v West Ham - Don't write off CR7

If Cristiano Ronaldo's substitution strop at Brentford detracted from a much-needed win for the Reds that should be viewed only as a positive with the visit of the Hammers in mind. The 36-year-old thrives best when the narrative focuses only on him and should he have a point to prove then all the better.

The man, the brand, the phenomenon that is CR7 has been directly involved in seven goals in his last five league appearances against West Ham and is 7/2 to score two or more on Saturday. It's a feat he's already managed three times this season.

Let's roll the dice and back a fourth brace of the campaign for Cristiano.

Southampton v Man City - Fast start for City

The Saints will be encouraged by their holding of City to a goalless draw at the Etihad back in mid-September but will be far greater concerned by Guardiola's men scoring in every one of their league games since.

At the other end, the runaway title favourites have been stingy in the main, remarkably restricting nine of their opponents this term to just one shot on target or none at all.

The Blues have a handy habit of getting off the mark early, scoring inside 20 minutes in ten of their 22 contests to date.

Man City to be leading at 20 mins is real value at 15/8

Pep Guardiola, Manchester City boss.jpg

Arsenal v Burnley - Saka to make history

Both the Gunners and Clarets have been decimated by injuries and illness of late resulting in a combined six Premier League games being postponed. This then will be a fixture featuring two cobbled-together teams with availability trumping form.

Mikel Arteta's ace-in-the-hole to best ensure last season's surprise home loss is not repeated is Bukayo Saka who can become a record breaker at the Emirates should he score or assist. After being directly involved in goals across his previous five games he would be the youngest Premier League player to make it six in a row.

Saka is 7/1 to be the first goalscorer, making history in the process, and 13/5 for an assist

Crystal Palace v Liverpool - Get on Gallagher

This is a very different Crystal Palace to the one that haemorrhaged seven to a rampant Reds last term on home turf. More's to the point, this is a different Liverpool, with Mane and Salah both away on international duty. Both strikers helped themselves to goals in that rout.

Conor Gallagher is the most obvious threat to the visitors' faintest of title aspirations, the Chelsea loanee becoming the fastest Palace player to reach double figures for goals and assists since Andrew Johnson, 16 years ago.

As for Liverpool they will continue to turn to attacking understudies, with Minamino forever dividing opinions.

Let's take a chance on Palace at home and back Gallagher to assist at 11/2

Leicester v Brighton - Seagulls to hurt Foxes

The psychological impact of conceding two late, late goals at the King Power on Wednesday cannot be under-estimated and that goes for the fans as much as the players. Certainly, if there's only one goal in it come the 90-minute mark this weekend we can expect nerves to be frayed.

It's a small blessing then for an under-fire Brendan Rodgers that his side face Brighton whose xG woes persist and perhaps will always persist until the end of time. Eighteen big chances have been spurned in 2021/22 but it's the numerous half-chances a clinical finisher would take advantage of that frustrate.

Still, this is an excellent campaign for the Seagulls and their away form is mightily impressive, losing only once on the road.

With that in mind it's wotrh backing Graham Potter's side at 15/8

Chelsea v Spurs - Blues backline to concede

In Chelsea's opening 12 games they conceded a goal every 270 minutes. That's astounding. In their more recent 12 games they have been breached every 77 minutes. That's decidedly ordinary.

Even so, Thiago Silva and co wouldn't have been overly worried about facing Spurs' frontline on Sunday, not after routinely keeping them at bay three times already this season. Then the dramatic finale at the King Power happened, with two last-gasp goals potentially igniting Antonio Conte's tenure in North London.

Prior to that Harry Kane had scored for the fourth time in five Premier League games, and though the Blues should be backed to win at the Bridge don't discount their defence rendered ordinary to endure a tough afternoon.

Given Chelsea's defensive struggles take a chance on both teams to score at 20/23

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