October 17, (THEWILL) – The English Premier League resumed on Saturday with thrilling fixtures that was highlighted by the goal-fest at the King Power Stadium where Leicester defeated Manchester United 4-3 and Brentford could not go beyond hitting the woodwork in their 1-0 loss to Chelsea.
On Sunday, there are only two fixtures in the EPL, the so-called David Moyes Derby between Everton, his old side, and West Ham, where he currently calls the shots, and the other tie between new cash-suffused Newcastle hosting London side Tottenham Hotspur.
Everton Versus West Ham
The 2 pm Moyes Derby is an exciting prospect as Everton and West Ham both have aspirations to break into the top six this season and they have each made encouraging starts to the campaign.
As a consequence, there is very little to chose between the pair on paper, and this closeness in aspirations, in current form and in the Sunday matchup may be reflected in the scoreline too as a draw may not be far-fetched.
However, Michail Antonio’s goal-scoring, together with his advance-partner Said Benrahma, could be the game-changer for the Hammers, as both have been so far. If they can get past Rafa Benitez’s tactical formation and Jordan Pickford in goal, they can carry full points.
Newcastle Versus Tottenham Hotspur
Since the finalisation of the Saudi Arabia Consortium takeover of Newcastle, this match has carried a lot of press and drawn so much attention.
And, after a week of speculation, it became clear that incumbent Newcastle manager Steve Bruce will be in charge of their first Premier League match since that takeover where they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to St. James’ Park on Sunday.
It is likely to be Bruce’s final game as head coach of the Magpies and it will be worth seeing if he go out on a high note. On current form, the answer is that he probably will not, but stranger things have happened in English football at the top flight before.
Outside of the EPL, there are some interesting fixtures to also look forward to such as the trip Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich take to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, Serie A league leaders Napoli versus Torino and Juventus taking on Roma in Italy and the beleaguered Barcelona against Valencia in Spain.
Bayer Leverkusen Versus Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich will be hoping to get back on track after their disappointing 2-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt before the international break in their 2.30pm kickoff.
They face an even more difficult task when they face Bayer Leverkusen at Bay Arena on Sunday. It will undoubtedly be the most difficult match for the visitors this season, as their high-flying opponent has been the Bundesliga’s most improved team so far.
Leverkusen is having a fantastic season and is currently tied for second place in the Bundesliga table with Bayern Munich. Although it is fair to point out that Die Werkself were in a similar, if not better, situation last season, only to be dismantled by Bayern Munich, it appears that Gerardo Seoane’s appointment has worked wonders for them.
Napoli Versus Torino
Victor Osimhen and Napoli will be looking to extend their unbeaten start with a win over Torino, whom they have dominated in recent times. Napoli will attempt to match their best start in Serie A history with a win on Sunday evening, as they aim to win each of their first eight games, a feat they accomplished in 2017/2018.
The Partenopei may have struggled to make an impact in the Europa League so far, but they have been ruthless conquerors all over Italy, leading the pack by two points over nearest rivals Milan as Osimhen’s goal-scoring has made an impressive difference this season.
Napoli have set the bar in Calcio over the first few weeks of the season with some impressive performances and clinical finishing, and Luciano Spalletti’s free-spirited side has had more shots on target than any of their domestic competitors this season. In their 5 pm kickoff, they have the chance to improve this tally.
Juventus Versus Roma
Juventus supporters will be hoping for a different level of performance from their team in this 7.45 pm match against Roma. The Bianconeri have struggled mightily this season, but their recent performances in all competitions have given them reason to be optimistic heading into the late weekend clash with Roma.
The ability of Juventus to allow opponents to score against them has been the most perplexing aspect. They probably conceded a goal in each of their previous 20 league games, based on their poor performances from last season.
On the other hand, AS Roma have been in incredible form since the beginning of the season. Despite a string of poor results, including a loss to city rivals Lazio, Jose Mourinho will be eager to put his team to the test against Juventus. Mourinho’s charges have performed admirably, despite trailing Napoli by six points and being behind both Milan clubs.
Barcelona Versus Valencia
In La Liga, Barcelona hosts Valencia by 8 pm at the Camp Nou, with both teams looking to get back on track after the international break.
Valencia started the season well under new manager Jose Bordalas, but they have lost their last four La Liga Santander games and are currently in eighth place, one place ahead of Barcelona. The Blaugrana, on the other hand, have yet to really get going this season, and were soundly defeated by Atletico Madrid in their last game before the break.
Despite the fact that the Catalan club has played one game fewer, the two teams’ La Liga Santander records this season are very similar. Both teams have three wins and three draws. Valencia has then scored 12 goals and conceded eight, while Barcelona has one fewer goal in each column.
Valencia will use the game to get back on track and prove they are serious about this season, demonstrating that their early form was not a fluke. For Ronald Koeman’s side, it is simply a matter of winning more games and climbing the table before the crisis and panic worsen, which they can ill afford with El Clasico just around the corner.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
