Dan’s EPL Predictions 2023/24 WK1 – Can Arsenal get off to a flyer?

It’s back peeps ……. The very popular Justarsenal EPL predictions game.

If you have played before, pass on to any football fans that you know to join in.

The Rules are simple……

Every week simply submit to me your predictions for all 10 Prem fixtures, either in the comments when my predictions go live or in an email to admin.

1 point given for correct result

3 points If you can name the correct scoreline.

The winner gets a Shirt and trophy if you live in the UK or money if abroad.

The Euros are next summer so if you finish in the top 24, you qualify for the Justarsenal Euros next year.

As usual guys this is something I run in my own time for fun so to help me, every week add up your scores and contact me that week if I have miscalculated.

We had players last season who would wait for weeks down the line to address the issue, only for me to find out they didn’t understand the rules.

Most of all…. it’s a bit of fun.

Be respectful of each other else we don’t want you playing.

…………

Burnley 0-1 Man City

A newly promoted side against the champions under the floodlights!

The pupil vs his teacher!

An enthusiastic home crowd curious to see if they can play the football they did in the Championship at the highest level?

Burnley with everything to gain and nothing to lose.

This is a banana skin for Man City, hence why Sky picked this fixture to kick off the season.

The Champions will get a bloody nose at Turf Moor but find a way to get three points thanks to a moment of individual magic.

The great teams find a way to win without playing well.

Arsenal 2-1 Forest

If you could pick a game to open our campaign with this might be near the top of your list.

Forest are still trying to juggle an imbalanced squad which makes it hard for Steve Cooper to create an identity.

There is not enough cohesion for them to successfully park the bus at the Emirates.

They were struggling to have a quality keeper in time for this weekend and you do wonder why we didn’t negotiate for Matt Turner to join them after Saturday!

The American is in a unique situation where he could make his debut against players, he was lifting a trophy with last Sunday.

What’s the bet he has the game of his life against us?

This match is an example of where the expectation levels are now at with Arsenal.

Last season we won these types of games easily, but did so under the radar with no one expecting a title bid.

Now a young team has a massive spotlight on them, and history shows they don’t cope well with that pressure.

Wouldn’t be Arsenal if we didn’t make it hard for ourselves, would it?

Cherries 2- 1 West Ham

Maybe a good time to play West Ham?

You would rather play them now while officially they remain the only club in the division not to have signed a player.

In a couple of weeks, they could have Harry Maguire and Ward Prowse.

There’s a weird vibe about the Hammers, when they should be buzzing after lifting only their third every trophy.

You feel that David Sullivan feels morally he can’t sack the man who’s just won their first piece of silverware in decades so is simply waiting for a slump in form.

You sense, David Moyes, the players and Irons supporters all know that is the case so are just waiting?

The Cherries can take advantage.

Brighton 1-0 Luton

It’s Luton’s special day, the first ever club to drop from the first tier to the fifth level of English Football’s pyramid and then to make a return in the opposite direction.

That give hopes to so many in the Football League.

Do they park the bus and rely on their set-piece skills, or do they just embrace the moment and with nothing to lose, just do for it?

Brighton are not used to being in the position of being overwhelming favourites and prefer being the underdogs.

Something tells me they will make hard work of this.

Everton 1-0 Fulham

Out of Sean Dyche’s 5 wins as Everton boss, 4 have been 1-0 scorelines.

That tells you everything you need to know about his ethos.

He can make a team organised and hard to score against, who can then nick a goal from a set piece.

Long term I’m not sure it’s the kind of football they want to watch at Goodison, but it will keep them away from relegation.

Sheffield United 0-1 Palace

The Blades are in the unique situation of having a weaker team now in the top flight than when they were in the division below, having lost their top scorer and assists maker.

Brammall lane can be intimidating so Palace might have to get through the early stages, but if they have enough ambition can snatch the three points.

Last on Match of the Day!

Newcastle 1-1 Villa

Back in the Champions League, there now might be an expectation for the Toon to win these type of games, but given how Villa have brought, a draw is not the end of the world .

You want to be facing Villa in the early part of the season and not when the likes of Diaby have settled.

The reverse fixture last campaign was one of the few times Eddie Howe could accuse his team of not showing up, so he knows what the visitors are capable of.

Brentford 2-2 Spurs

While due to history, the second fixture on Sunday is the most anticipated of the weekend, this might be the game that steals the show.

Brentford are weaker without Toney and Raya but will still stick to their principles.

While Postecoglou has promised Spurs fans that, if nothing else, he will play the attacking brand of football they associate themselves with.

That’s been evident in pre-season.

Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool

On paper the game of the weekend.

Yet in reality it’s now a very young Chelsea team in transition.

The first step for Poch is to have players who care about the shirt and are proud to represent the badge, because for too long last season, players were going through the motions at the bridge.

It’s a youthful squad who are learning, so they might have moments where they are pleasing on the eye but drop points due to naivety.

That includes this Sunday where Liverpool will possess more experience and game management.

Man United 4-0 Wolves

If you could hand pick your opposition for the first weekend it would be Wolves, who are in a unique situation of starting a new season weaker than the last.

Lopetugui was threatening in May that he would walk away if his transfer budget was restricted, he feels misled from when he interviewed for the job in December.

So why Wolves’ owners, having had all summer to form an action plan have waited days before their opener to act is a mystery.

Gary O’Neil will have a couple of days to work with a new squad, and cannot do much in that time apart from sending them to Old Trafford with 11 men behind the ball.

His pragmatic style kept Bournemouth in the division, and based on that he deserves to be coaching at this level.

Yet you sense he got offered the vacancy due to few managers willing to accept the current set up?

Good luck peeps.

Dan

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