Dean Etheridge
Well, what a fixture we have to kick off Matchweek 6 of the English Premier League.
Champions League holders Chelsea take on Premier League champions Man City at Stamford Bridge, but an early rise out of bed is needed to watch this one.
In the English Premier League last weekend, we saw Chelsea close the gap on Manchester City on the Moneyline to win the EPL.
Ahead of the weekend, City was +110 to win the EPL, with Chelsea at +250.
That soccer betting Moneyline with top sportsbooks now reads City at +162.5, and Chelsea at +187.5 – as you can see in the table below.
| Premier League Winner 2021/22 Betting Odds |  |  |
| Man City | +162.5 | +160 |
| Chelsea | +187.5 | +180 |
| Liverpool | +350 | +320 |
| Man Utd | +550 | +500 |
| Spurs | +8000 | +700 |
| Arsenal | +15000 | +12000 |
| Leicester | +20000 | +22000 |
Will those odds flip this weekend if Chelsea wins? They most probably will.
Chelsea v Man City
- Venue – Stamford Bridge, London, England
- Date – 25th September 2021
- Time – 7.30am ET
So far this season, Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea have looked like the team most likely to run Manchester City close in the title race.
Top of the table Chelsea looks the real deal
Chelsea currently sits joint top of the table with Liverpool and Man Utd. Their record with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool is identical.
1️⃣ @ChelseaFC
2️⃣ @LFCFor the first time in #PL history, two teams have recorded identical results across the first five Matchweeks of a season 😱
But here’s why Chelsea are placed top of the table ➡️ https://t.co/mjewK0RWQb pic.twitter.com/gamvTjnbKg
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 22, 2021
But it’s not just the league table that makes Chelsea serious contenders. It’s more about how they have performed lately.
In the Champions League final last summer, they were given little chance by many.
But boy does this team know how to defend. And that same tight-knit defense that kept Man City out in the CL final last May, is the same defense that could now help them win the English Premier League – along with the signing of Romelu Lukaku, of course!
Since the CL final, Chelsea seems to have gone up another level. Already this season they have comfortably won away at Arsenal and Tottenham.
Now I know that plenty will laugh at the title credentials of Arsenal and Spurs, but Chelsea swatted them aside as if they were relegation fodder.
The big result for Chelsea – in my opinion – this season, was the 1-1 away draw with Liverpool. In that match, they had to hold out for the whole of the 2nd half with 10 men after Reece James was sent off.
Chelsea managed to hold out comfortably without conceding a goal in the whole half.
Will dropped points hurt in the long run?
As for defending Champions Manchester City, they have already dropped 5 points this season.
They lost 1-0 to Spurs on the opening weekend, and they managed to drop another 2 points at home to Southampton FC last Saturday.
A result that leaves them 3 points behind leaders Chelsea.
Defeat in the match this Saturday for Pep’s team will leave them 6 points behind Chelsea, and as the (dark) Blues have looked so impressive already this season, that’s a big gap for even this City team to close.
I expect this could be one of those cagey matches where neither team wants to give their opponents an inch.
It should be compelling viewing, but given what is on the line here, I wouldn’t be risking any money on this match.
If you do want a bet on it, I would use one of our many great betting bonuses. And if you are to push me for a pick, it would be for the match to have under 2.5 goals.
EPL Matchweek 6 Fixtures
- Chelsea v Man City – Sat
- Man Utd v Aston Villa – Sat
- Leicester City v Burnley – Sat
- Everton v Norwich – Sat
- Leeds V West Ham – Sat
- Watford v Newcastle – Sat
- Brentford v Liverpool – Sat
- Southampton v Wolves – Sun
- Arsenal v Tottenham – Sun
- Crystal Palace v Brighton – Mon
The rest of Saturday’s EPL fixtures look to offer better value picks this weekend. Here’s our take on the other six matches being played this Saturday.
Manchester United look set for another 3 points
Starting at the top of the table, and I expect Manchester United to continue their excellent home form and see off Aston Villa.
The Red Devils have won two from two at Old Trafford so far this season.
Also likely to get a home win this weekend is Leicester. The Foxes have had an up and down start to the season, but they will surely be too strong for Burnley.
Goals again at Goodison
Everton v Norwich is an interesting one. The Toffees have had over 2.5 goals in four of their five EPL matches this season.
As for Norwich, they have also had over 2.5 goals in four of their five matches.
So at odds of -110 over 2.5 goals in Everton v Burnley is one of my ELP picks this weekend.
Next up is Leeds v West Ham. The Lilywhites have struggled so far this campaign, while West Ham currently sits in 8th position.
I think the corner might be about to turn for Leeds, but I’m still not convinced they’ll win this one.
I also expect over 2.5 goals here, but at odds of -175, I’m not touching that.
Watford takes on Newcastle in what could be Steve Bruce’s last match in charge of Newcastle if they lose again. I see this being a tight match, with Newcastle sneaking a draw.
Liverpool to show Brentford what life in EPL is really like
Finally on Saturday, Brentford host Liverpool in the late kick-off. With a start time of 12.30 pm ET, there’s no excuses for missing this one!
The Bees have had a sensational start to life in the Premier League, but I think they will get beat in this match.
At odds of -200 Liverpool to beat Brentford is my second pick of the weekend.
