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Gameweek six of the English Premier League was as action-packed and unpredictable as ever. Defending champions Manchester City beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to leapfrog them into the Premier League table. Arsenal thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium. Liverpool and Brentford played out a six-goal draw. And finally, in a shocking turn of events, Manchester United were beaten at home by Aston Villa.
The Premier League is set to return this weekend with more menace and, hopefully, more drama. Manchester United and Everton go head-to-head on Saturday to start the gameweek. And on Sunday, table-toppers Liverpool and second-placed Manchester City are set to close it in style at Anfield.
We will be considering all Premier League fixtures this week and predicting how the weekend might turn out. Now, without any further ado, let's check out the top-five predictions for gameweek seven of the Premier League.
#5 Chelsea to make a statement against Southampton
Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea were on an unbeaten run until matchday six in the Premier League. Premier League champions Manchester City then rolled into town and beat them 1-0.
In the Champions League, too, Chelsea failed to overturn their fortunes and were beaten 1-0 at Juventus. The Blues are playing considerably easier opponents this week, but they cannot afford to be complacent.
Southampton have not won a single game in the Premier League this season, losing two and picking up four draws in six matches. Yes, the draws do seem a bit ominous, but even the most pessimistic Blues fans would have trouble seeing Chelsea drop points against the Saints.
We expect Tuchel to field a top-heavy team on Saturday and get a comfortable win, netting at least twice.
#4 Brighton to give Arsenal a run for their money
After enduring their worst-ever start in Premier League history, Arsenal seem to have found a sense of rhythm in their game. They have racked up three consecutive wins in the Premier League, with the last one coming against arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur on matchday six.
The Gunners are making the trip to Brighton this week and we believe it will be a tough test for Mikel Arteta’s men. Brighton, who have won four of their six Premier League matches, are capable of defending a slender lead which could make the visitors sweat.
Arteta will need to urge his team to score first and take some pressure off. Else, it could turn out to be a rather unpleasant evening for the visitors at the American Express Community Stadium.
#3 Harry Kane to score against Aston Villa
The Premier League is home to some of the most revered forwards in the business. Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is arguably the most desirable of the lot.
The Englishman is strong, creative and is capable of beating any defender on his day. Unfortunately, he seems to have misplaced his shooting boots this season, especially in the Premier League.
Following a botched transfer to Manchester City, Kane has been shooting blanks in front of goal. While the likes of Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo are making match-winning contributions, Kane is yet to open his account in the Premier League this season.
Kane is clearly going through a rough patch in the Premier League right now, but we do not expect him to extend it any further. Against Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur should be able to create numerous chances and allow Kane to move into favorable positions.
Following the hat-trick against Mura in the Europa Conference League on Thursday, Kane should be beaming with confidence. A couple of good chances and Kane could kill off the game in the blink of an eye.
#2 Everton to exploit Manchester United’s flaws
With the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Raphael Varane at their disposal, Manchester United could easily be dubbed title contenders. Unfortunately, their lack of bench strength is keeping them from living up to the billing.
With fixtures coming thick and fast, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to rotate his players regularly. So far, he has failed to bring in players off the bench without affecting overall performance.
Manchester United seem to be stretched worryingly thin in wide areas, and Everton’s in-form wingers, Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray, are certain to pounce.
The fourth-placed Red Devils are also coming into the match on the back of an upsetting 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa. They still have enough quality to beat Everton, of course, but doing so will be far from straightforward.
#1 Liverpool and Manchester City to play out a tense draw
Liverpool and Manchester City are currently occupying the top-two spots in the Premier League. Both have scored plenty, defended tightly and are desperate to get maximum points on the board.
However, given the stature of the clubs and the magnitude of the fixture, we cannot help but predict a closely contested stalemate.
While Liverpool were held by Brentford in the Premier League in gameweek six, City were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in their midweek Champions League fixture.
Both teams are eager to get back to winning ways, but are likely to refrain from going all out. Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp would both love to press their opponents, and the game could very well be decided by how that off-the-ball battle plays out.
