Thriller at Stamford Bridge as Mourinho visits with Man Utd

Bournemouth 1 Tottenham 1

Red-hot Bournemouth welcome unbeaten Spurs in one of the best fixtures this weekend. Eddie Howe’s Cherries have made it impossible for opposition sides to subdue them on their turf. The 6-1 victory over Hull City was built on verve, energy and relentless attacking. Spurs will withstand the pressure.

Man City 2 Southampton 0

Former Saints boss Ronald Koeman was not exaggerating when he said Pep Guardiola’s City were the best side a team he is coaching has ever faced. How they squandered two penalties was down to amazing goalkeeping. They should be able to set the record straight against Southampton tonight.

Arsenal 2 Boro 0

Aitor Karanka ought to find a solution to his team’s inability to take chances, lest he finds himself in a relegation scrap. Arsenal survived a mighty scare at home to Swansea, so they will want to be more ruthless. Theo Walcott is in a good element to destroy the visitors.

Chelsea 1 Man Utd 1

Forget about the late winner at Hull. Man Utd’s best performance this season were the opening 45 minutes at Anfield. A repeat performance would almost certainly guarantee Jose Mourinho a share of the spoils on his return to Stamford Bridge. N’golo Kante versus Ander Herrera will be a interesting confrontation to watch.

Leicester 2 C. Palace 1

Are Leicester resting on their laurels? It appears to be the case. They are conceding way too many goals from corner kicks, and the once rock solid defensive partnership of Robert Huth and Wes Morgan is floundering. That said, I think they have ammunition to punish a Palace side that missed a chance to put points on board last weekend.

Liverpool 2 West Brom 1

A couple of years back, West Brom had morphed into a bogey side for the Kop with a string of upset results at Anfield. However, Jurgen Klopp’s hardworking version should prove too clever for an otherwise good away team. A home win is on the cards despite the considerable attacking threat posed by Nacer Chadli and Solomon Rondon.

Hull City 1 Stoke City 1

The Potters hauled themselves out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 win over Sunderland. Hull in free fall mode. I wouldn’t be surprised if they lost this fixture, but I am backing Mike Phelan to jerk them out of their slumber.

Burnley 0 Everton 0

The last time Burble played at Turf Moor, Sean Dyce’s newcomers were within seconds of holding a gifted Arsenal side. If they show similar defensive resolve and ebullient attacking intent, I can see them getting something from this game. Romelu Lukaku and Sam Vokes hold the key.

Swansea 2 Watford 1

Bob Bradley’s influence was apparent for all to see at Emirates where they created enough chances to hold Arsenal. You have to hope the Swans’ Gambian striker Barrow recovers in time as his pace added a new dimension to the Swans attack. But Watford remain a tricky opposition.

West Ham 2 Sunderland 1

Black Cats skipper Jermaine Defoe accused some of his teammates of hiding from the task of trying to help the team win their first game this season. West Ham needed a bit of luck to win at Selhurst Park. I think that was a turning point in what has been a poor campaign. Dmitri Payet and Simone Zaza are poised to make a difference.

WING BACK
When a new manager arrives at a club or national team, there is often an unexpected beneficiary from the fringes. For Chelsea under Antonio Conte, that player appears to be Victor Moses.

The Nigerian shined in friendly matches for the Blues, though rather than being a prelude for another season-long jaunt to a new destination, Conte retained his services and is now using him as a wing-back in his 3-4-3 formation.

Last week, Ssekamatte got six right with one perfect score out of 10 English Premier League matches.