Alan Smith’s Expert Analysis: Premier League GW9 Predictions & Analysis

Multiple Issues Facing the Club

I don’t know if you can pinpoint one thing causing the biggest issue at Liverpool. It’s probably a collection of things. Players are not settling into a new club, and the team is not clicking. Mo Salah is obviously not performing as he normally does.

It’s just a little bit clunky at the moment. I’ve been a bit susceptible at the back, which certainly wasn’t the case last season.

Diogo Jota’s situation is ongoing. That’s definitely affected the club deeply. They sing his name, his song, on 20 Minutes. So that still hangs over the club. It’s a collection of things, really.

The Two Strikers Issue

I do think it’s an issue. It was unusual, really, because if I put myself in Ekitike’s shoes, he signed for Liverpool for a big fee, and he’s thinking he’s going to be the number one.

I’m sure in negotiations, they didn’t mention Isak. I don’t know, I might be wrong, but then all of a sudden a 100 million plus signing comes in and you’re kind of second in the pecking order, so it would have put his nose out of joint.

But now, for Arne Slot, he’s thinking, hmm, how do I keep both of them happy? It was interesting last night, they both played up front, didn’t they, in a kind of 4-4-2. So will he change his shape now, Slot, going forward? That’ll be interesting to see.

Title Challenge Prospects

They’re still well in touch. The good result last night might get them going again, so no reason to think they can’t gather themselves and start winning consistently again.

Prediction

Brentford obviously got a great result against West Ham, but this is going to be a much harder test. Liverpool have got the players to go out and take the game to Brentford, which I’m sure they’ll try and do.

So, that should be a good match. I’ve actually got it down for Liverpool to win 2-1, but yeah, it’d be quite a good game.

Brentford 1 – 2 Liverpool

Palace’s Threat

Palace just keep on going, don’t they? Mateta with a hat-trick the other day against Bournemouth. He’s just flying. So that match-up with Saliba and Gabriel is going to be interesting, because that’s the best central defensive partnership in the country, if not Europe at the moment.

They’re not conceding goals. They’re hardly conceding a shot on goal. So that’ll be interesting to see if Mateta can make a dent in that. But yeah, Palace, a dangerous team under Glasner, they’ll be full of confidence.

So, yeah, we’ll wait and see. Arsenal got a great, great result against Atletico, which should set them up nicely for this one.

Set-Piece Reliance Concerns

I think as long as you’re winning games, there’s no concern. And you’ll have faith that with the players they’ve got, they can create from open play. So the fact that they did that against Atletico will give them a bit more belief. Maybe if they needed it, they probably wouldn’t. But the set pieces are a great thing to fall back on, aren’t they?

So, I don’t see a problem with that at all, to be honest with you. If it’s 1-0 to the Arsenal, great, but you can easily see them winning matches 4-0, as they did the other night.

Prediction

I’ll go 2-0, given Arsenal’s defence. Yeah, I think Palace might be banging on a locked door this time for a change.

Arsenal 2 – 0 Crystal Palace

Building on the Liverpool Win

It should be something to build on. Following on from the Sunderland game, this was much more like it. So, we’ll see now. Really, to see how they take things forward against Brighton. But the whole club will be lifted from that Liverpool win.

There’s still work to do with that team, and I think he’s maybe still trying to work things out. Sesko didn’t start at Anfield, but having come in for the kind of money he has, I’m sure he wants to get him into that starting XI.

But it was a brilliant win, and that’s exactly what you want to do now. Follow it up with another one because you can lose momentum if you end up drawing or even losing to Brighton, and then the Liverpool win is forgotten.

Zirkzee’s Future

Yeah, I don’t see a future for him at United, really, given that now that Mbuemo and Cunha have come in.

Brighton don’t make many mistakes in the transfer market. So, it would be interesting if he did go there, whether they see something in him that they think they could bring out. But for Zirkzee, I think now, yeah, he’d be thinking, well, my future’s not here. Where next for me?

Baleba’s Transfer Speculation

I don’t know whether Brighton would let him go in January. I would think not, to be honest with you. But I think that’s still a move that would appeal to United.

Casemiro was in there at Anfield, but he will need replacing. They need more legs in midfield still. So yeah, definitely Baleba would be one that they’d pursue, I think.

Prediction

I just see United’s progress halting a little bit here. 1-1.

Manchester United 1 – 1 Brighton

West Ham’s Ownership Issues

Well, the fans certainly think they should sell up. Listen, they’ve spent money, haven’t they? They’ve just spent it really badly. I looked at that squad on Monday night when they were trailing. I looked at the bench, and you’re thinking Nuno’s got very little to play with.

Recruitment has been shocking, really. Fans ask for new owners. Sometimes the grass isn’t always greener. But yeah, it’s difficult to see where West Ham are going at the moment. And Nuno Espirito Santo must think, oof, this is going to be harder than I thought. Yeah, big black cloud hanging over the club.

Joel Piroe Situation at Leeds

He started the first two league games without scoring, and I’m imagining he didn’t play that well. I can’t think back to it because then he was dropped, and Calvert-Lewin came in, who has got the Premier League experience.

So, he hasn’t had many starts to show that he can make the step up. So, yeah, he’d be a bit miffed perhaps.

But Leeds desperately need goals, don’t they? They’re desperately talking about January. I’m sure they’d love to try and get somebody in. It seems that Farke doesn’t see Piroe as the one who can do it in the Premier League.

Prediction

I think West Ham might scrape a draw 1-1.

Leeds 1 – 1 West Ham

Replacing Isak with Woltemade

They are totally different players. If Isak had been there, would they have started any better? I don’t know. Woltemade has done his bit, more than his bit. He’s settled so quickly, and he’s a much different player. But yeah, I don’t see Newcastle’s poor start continuing.

They got a good result, a very good result, in the week against Benfica. Maybe that will just push them on to better things, to higher standards. But they must be delighted with Woltemade because replacing Isak is so difficult. But it looks like they haven’t done a bad job.

Prediction

2-0 to Newcastle.

Newcastle 2 – 0 Fulham

Importance for Burnley

A win here would be a massive boost to Burnley against Wolves, who are bottom of the table. So, it’s a chance for them and Scott Parker to try and build something.

I think it’s a must-win for Wolves. I know it’s early, and I’m always hesitant to call it that kind of game, but I think they’ve got to win this against one of the promoted in front of their own fans.

Prediction

So I’m going 1-0 to Wolves. Yeah, 1-0.

Wolves 1 – 0 Burnley

Marc Guiu Situation

I was just looking this morning at the games, and he was a substitute before at Sunderland. He’s only 19, isn’t he? So, he got the opening goal against Ajax last night. So, Maresca might think, well, we’ll put him in through the middle. He’s more of an orthodox striker than Joao Pedro is, for instance.

But yeah, I don’t know. Isidor has scored some goals there at Sunderland. It seemed that he went to Sunderland as a squad player, still learning the game at this level. But maybe he’ll get more of a chance now.

Prediction

3-1 to Chelsea.

Chelsea 3 – 1 Sunderland

Bournemouth vs Nottingham Forest

Bournemouth Forest, Dyche’s first game, but I’m going for a home win – 2-1 to Bournemouth.

Bournemouth 2 – 1 Nottingham Forest

Aston Villa vs Manchester City

Test of City’s title credentials. They’re both on a good run, aren’t they? Villa are as well. So I’ll go 2-2.

Aston Villa 2 – 2 Manchester City

Everton vs Tottenham

Spurs seem to have lost the way, don’t they? Grealish back for Everton, 2-1 to the home team, 2-1 to Everton.

Everton 2 – 1 Tottenham