Alan Smith’s Expert Analysis: Premier League GW3 Predictions & Tips

Title Race Assessment

I think we all wondered about Manchester City, and you certainly can’t write them off after two games, but there just does seem to be something lacking there that puts them just below Arsenal and Liverpool. So it’s kind of a bit of an early face-off between the two title favourites.

Arsenal’s Chance to make a Statement

A win would be a big statement. As I said, you know, it’s only going to be the third league game of the season, but even so, it just kind of laid down a marker, you know.

Not sure when Arsenal last won up there. They’ve come close, you know, going ahead, and then Liverpool pegging them back. That was a couple of years ago, I think, so you know, to go up there and get a win. Yeah, it would lay down the marker, an important one, but obviously there’s so much more to come, but it would give them a fantastic boost if they could achieve it.

Thoughts on Max Dowman and Rio Ngumoha

Amazing to see. I mean, two lads, you know, doing what they did in the best league in the world. And what impresses me the most? Apart from their ability, I think, is their temperament, you know, their confidence to go out there and express themselves, not to be afraid not to just be giving it the ball to a senior teammate, you know, we saw Max Dowman going down the right-hand side, didn’t we? Taking on his man. Really positive. Just like it was a youth team game or something.

Rio Ngumoha, the same. You know, his goal for Liverpool, the ball’s rolling into him, and it’s so easy to tighten up. Because you’ve got a little bit of time to think there, but he stayed relaxed, and it says a lot about his composure, so wonderful to see, though, that at that age of play.

I mean, fans love it, don’t they? A long, long way to go for both of them. Things can happen, things can get in the way, obviously injuries and the like. Between now and becoming top players, but they’ve certainly got the ability.

Prediction

Maybe by heart over my head here, but I’m gonna go 2-1 Arsenal.

Liverpool 1 – 2 Arsenal

Šeško’s Integration

You would expect Šeško to start here. Just to start gaining proper match fitness. I don’t know whether he arrived at the club, not fully fit, but yeah, at the moment, their shape just looks a bit unbalanced playing Cunha as a false 9.

It’s time to have a proper centre forward in there, and for him to gain a bit of confidence, the way Gyökeres has been able to at Arsenal. Plenty still to fix at United, but if they can get a centre forward scoring goals, that will lift everything about their team play.

Burnley’s Chances

This is still a tough one for Burnley. That winner against Sunderland would have lifted them, but would they get anything here? I still think United will have too much for them. Listen, if they could get a point, they’d take a point now, and that would be a wonderful result for Scott Parker’s side, but I just can’t quite see it, to be honest with you.

Prediction

2-0 United.

Manchester United 2 – 0 Burnley

Brighton’s Resilience

The results haven’t been great, but, you know, they had lots to say for themselves at Everton the other day, didn’t they? Missed a penalty. And now a little bit unlucky to only draw at home to Fulham on the opening day, so there’s been a lot to admire still about them.

The two wingers – Minteh and Mitoma – give them a threat, and I still don’t think there’s any cause to worry about Brighton. They still look like a vibrant outfit to me. This is a tough game and the results haven’t gone well, but they’re more than capable of bouncing back.

City’s Leadership

I don’t know about leader. Obviously, when Rodri comes into the side, he will be the person that everyone looks to and the person that can make them so much more stable.

Phil Foden, though, it’d be lovely to see him bounce back and get back to the levels that he was at a year or two ago. You know, he’s had injury problems and the like. Came on as a sub at the weekend, so it’d be lovely to see him scoring goals, making things happen, creating assists, and he’s more than capable of doing that. I did a game at Brighton, actually, a couple of years ago, and he scored a couple, and yeah, who knows, he might do it again.

Prediction

Another difficult one, but I’m going 2-1 to City.

Brighton 1 – 2 Manchester City

Leeds’ Reality Check

I mean, just looking at the stats against Arsenal, they had one effort on target, I think it was the header from Struijk that was well saved, from a corner.

They were pinned back. To be fair, they’ve gone to the Emirates, not expecting to get much, not expecting much to happen, or to have much of the ball, I suppose. So, yeah, not much to take from that result, and they will be thinking back to the opening game of the season against Everton, and hoping to reach those levels, and obviously, for the fans to get behind them, which they will.

Newcastle’s Isak Situation

The way Newcastle played against Liverpool, they all put in a great shift, didn’t they? Even with 10 men, they were unlucky not to end up winning it rather than losing. So, there’s not much wrong with the team spirit there, even without Isak, and I think there’s that determination to get by without him. You know, as I think I mentioned before, as a footballer, you don’t want to be regarded as a one-man side.

I can’t see him going to Liverpool now, because Newcastle just haven’t got time for the replacements, so if they can get him back into the group he needs to really eat a bit of humble pie, perhaps, maybe apologise privately to his teammates, knuckle down, decide whether he needs to make a public statement – which I think he would. Then, he needs to try and knock in some goals

Overall, I still think Newcastle are in a good spot, you know. We saw that against Liverpool, they’ve still got plenty to offer without Isak, but they do need a centre forward; there’s no doubt about that.

Prediction

2-0 to Newcastle.

Leeds United 0 – 2 Newcastle

Home Support Importance

We saw on the opening day, against West Ham, what a big part the fans played, and that excitement to be back in the big league, and you’d imagine it’ll be the case right through the season with the home fans, and they’ve got to take advantage of that.

In the same way that Leeds and Burnley have because it’s gonna be a tough season for all three, despite them all getting wins, but yeah, it’ll be a good occasion for this fixture and Brentford have got to stand up to it.

They’ll be thinking of that opening game, really, and the manager will be saying, you know, we need to reach those levels again, and ask questions.

Brentford’s Survival Prospects

I think it’s still in the balance, but I do think they’ve got enough in terms of Premier League experience. I think Kelleher was a good buy, that’s a step up from Flekken, and Jordan Henderson coming in, kind of a replacement for Nørgaard. And Outarra got a great goal against Villa, gives them real pace, and Igor Thiago, who got injured right at the start of last season after they paid quite a bit of money for him as a centre forward, is back and now he’s got 2 goals in 2 games.

So, Keith Andrews can feel a lot more positive now, I think. And I don’t think it’s gonna be much of a struggle as we maybe thought after that first game.

Prediction

Good game, this, I think, 2-2. Going 2-2.

Sunderland 2 – 2 Brentford