Premier League Picks Of The Week 3

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 3

Here are my Premier League Picks Of The Week 3:

29 goals - most by Fulham = 4

266 shots - most by Fulham = 25

93 on target - most by Fulham = 12

106 corners - most by Southampton = 10

230 fouls - most by Arsenal & Newcastle & Tottenham = 16 each

33 bookings - most by Watford = 4

4 red cards - Richarlison for Everton, Smith for Bournemouth, Hogg for Huddersfield, Højbjerg for Southampton

2 penalties - 2 scored (King for Bournemouth, Hazard for Chelsea)

What a game! Arsenal recorded their first win of the season against West Ham, coming back from behind. But it was not exactly in the most convincing fashion, thanks to Hammers debutant Issa Diop diverting the ball into his own net. It ended 3-1 at the Emirates, but the Gunners still looked very frail and their manager Unai Emery conceded that much, that his side definitely “need to improve”. Manuel Pellegrini’s side fell to the bottom of the table after their third straight defeat under their new boss despite a much better, guttier and more promising performance.

What a comeback it was by Bournemouth against Everton! The Cherries came from two goals down to grab a point at Dean Court with both sides reduced to ten men! This clash has seen the most goals of any other Premier League fixture after seven meetings between the two. Eddie Howe’s men have grabbed 25 points from losing positions since the beginning of last season, more than any other Premier League side. Comeback kings!

It was goals galore at Craven Cottage as well, end-to-end stuff, Fulham ending 4-2 winners against Burnley. 
And Monday night brought a cracker with plenty of talking points as well, read more on both cracking matches below...

What a team! I’ve said it before and I say it again, Wolves have been brill! Nuno Espírito Santo’s men just got a point against champions Manchester City at Molineux, harsh but better than naught, and as the former Portuguese keeper put it, his side have “nothing to prove”. The Championship winners have lost just two of their 28 home games under Nuno, recording 18 wins and 8 draws. The Wanderers have more than proven they have what it takes to take their game to the Premier League.

Liverpool made it three out of three recording a hard-fought win against Brighton at Anfield, more below. So did Chelsea at Newcastle, just, winning 1-2 thanks to an Eden Hazard penalty (76’) and DeAndre Yedlin's own goal (87’). Tottenham did it in style at Old Trafford, after a difficult first half, they totally smashed Manchester United with two goals in just over two minutes after the restart. Again, read more below.

What a man! Alisson is the coolest keeper on the block! The Reds will have had their hearts in their mouths but the top stopper kept another clean sheet with his cool moves and superb save to deny Pascal Groß and make it three out of three, 100% record start to the season.

Aleksandar Mitrović and André Schürrle were just on fire for Fulham, more to the firing duo and cracking match below.

Ben Foster made a couple of point-blank blocks and saves for Watford against Palace, in the end crucial to keep his side’s 100% record going as they won 2-1, a first for them after three matches in the top flight, more below.

José Mourinho has lost the plot! David de Gea's miserable form continues, having conceded 12 goals against the last 16 shots he has faced for Manchester United and Spain. Harry Kane (50’) and Lucas Moura (52’ and 84’) starred and won it for Tottenham at Old Trafford on Monday night. The Red Devils missed some sitters and were disappointing after the restart to say the least. But the Portuguese boss has made all the headlines with his post-match and press conference antiques. The clock is ticking HERE AND NOW, no matter how many titles he has won in the past!!!

What a goal! Willy Boly’s handball off João Moutinho's cross was obvious, but somehow the goal stood and it was not more than Wolves deserved! City pulled one back thanks to Aymeric Laporte’s header, the 1,500th goal scored by a Frenchman, so, you could say the champions got more than they deserved despite decisions going against them! Well, that would be harsh too after Sergio Agüero hit the woodwork and Rui Patrício’s athleticism denied Raheem Sterling onto the bar, Pep Guardiola will have been wondering just as much how more points were dropped than won!

Mohamed Salah’s winner for Liverpool was a clinical strike to make it 1-0 with his 29th goal in 29 games at Anfield and the 45th Premier League goal the great Egyptian has been directly involved in (34 goals, 11 assists) since the start of last season, 12 more than any other player! 

Ryan Bertrand’s opener for the Saints was a rocket! But it all counted for nothing in the end, more on that defeat against Leicester below.

Jean Michael Seri’s smacker opened the Ivorian's account and kick-started the match for Fulham against Burnley. Mitrović was in the right place at the right time to beat Joe Hart a couple of times to make it 3-1 at half-time. Oh no, sorry, 3-2!!! Mad! The Serbian striker should have had a hat-trick but Schürrle netted the rebound coolest of the cool - touch, move, boom 4-2!

Both Watford goals were impressive and stunning, Roberto Pereyra’s curling opener (53’) and José Holebas from distance (71’). Joel Ward was sooooo close to level for Palace in the last minute after Wilfried Zaha pulled one back (78’), but it was not to be.

What the hell?! As mentioned above, it was a mad encounter at Dean Court, Richarlison head-butting (41’) and Adam Smith pulling (61’) their ways off the pitch to reduce both teams to 10 v 10 after just over an hour. Everton were 0-2 up thanks to Theo Walcott (56’) and Michael Keane (66’), but Bournemouth completed their comeback through Joshua King from the spot (75’) and a Nathan Aké tap in (79’).

Again, Wolves' winner was a blatant handball!!! Maradona-esque!!! Much in contrast to that, the ref did well at Southampton, not falling for any diving dramas, rightly sending off the drama queen Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, a second yellow for his diving antiques, not exactly helping the Saints as they crumbled 1-2 against Leicester at St Marys. The officials worked well together to deal with the bust-up at Huddersfield as well which saw Jonathan Hogg sent off after clashing with Cardiff’s Harry Arter. Mark Hughes and David Wagner felt hard done by with both decisions respectively, but both calls were maybe a bit harsh but not wrong in my eyes!

All goals at St James Park had an OMG factor, from harsh penalty that was nearly stopped, to boom in-your-face equaliser after an elbow on Olivier Giroud, and an own goal decided the match and win for Chelsea in the end. Fair result??? Don't think Rafael Benítez thinks so...

My Predictions - Actual Results 

Wolves 1:4 Man City - 1:1

Arsenal 2:2 West Ham - 3:1

Bournemouth 1:1 Everton - 2:2

Huddersfield 1:0 Cardiff - 0:0

Southampton 2:1 Leicester - 1:2

Liverpool 3:0 Brighton - 1:0

Watford 1:1 Crystal Palace - 2:1

Fulham 1:2 Burnley - 4:2

Newcastle 1:3 Chelsea - 1:2

Man United 2:3 Tottenham - 0:3

Click here for last week’s Premier League Picks.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match reports, MOTD, Sky Sports and SFR app and match coverage and Twitter.