Premier League: Match Day 4 Treble

Thrills and spills aplenty on Match Day 3 in the Premier League as the 2023/24 campaign settles into its stride. This coming weekend throws up another list of fixtures to get stuck into before the first international break. Here, we pick out our three best bets from the ten games on offer in an effort to boost the betting balance ahead of the brief interval.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Newcastle United – Saturday 5:30pm

Two sides looking to bounce back from a disappointing result provide the Saturday tea-time TV entertainment. It had all been going swimmingly for Brighton with back-to-back 4-1 wins over Luton and Wolves, only for the Seagulls to be derailed by a 3-1 home defeat to West Ham. Newcastle’s opening day 5-1 rout of Villa is now starting to feel like a long time ago, following an expected defeat at the Etihad and a devasting late capitulation at home to Liverpool.

Which of the two sides will rebound better is tough to call, but it does seem safe to assume that goals may be on the menu between two attack-minded outfits. Brighton’s three games to date have averaged 4.67 goals, whilst, for Newcastle, that figure stands at 3.33. Purely on the numbers, over 3.5 goals looks like a good bet, but there are a couple of other causes for optimism. Firstly, Brighton looked incredibly vulnerable to the counter against West Ham – an area where Newcastle’s pace can be deadly. Secondly, Newcastle are set to be without defensive rock Sven Botman, which greatly weakens a settled defensive unit.

• Best Bet - Over 3.5 Goals @ 6/5 with Spreadex

Liverpool vs. Aston Villa – Sunday 2:00pm

It’s a shame this game hasn't been selected for inclusion as part of Super Sunday, as it looks all set up to be a cracker. Both sides arrive on a high, with Liverpool winning against all the odds at Newcastle, and Villa making short work of Burnley. From what we have seen to date, the strength of each of these sides lies in attack, which will hopefully lead to a goal gest at Anfield.

Villa have been excellent going forward - hitting eight goals across their three Premier League fixtures - but fell to pieces when their backline was put under pressure at Newcastle. That doesn’t augur well for their chances of keeping a clean sheet in this one, whilst their high defensive line looks like a recipe for disaster at Anfield. However, Liverpool have major defensive issues of their own. Already far from convincing at the back, they go into this one without the injured Ibrahima Konate and suspended Virgil van Dijk. The excellent Moussa Diaby and Ollie Watkins seem to be forging a good understanding and may find themselves with room to inflict some damage.

• Best Bet - Over 3.5 Goals @ Evs with Spreadex

Arsenal vs. Manchester United – Sunday 4:30pm

Last but not least, one of the all-time classic Premier League fixtures, as Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side plays host to arch-rivals Manchester United. It’s fair to say that despite having a solid 7 and 6 points, respectively, from their first three games, neither side has yet hit full stride – and in the case of Manchester United, hasn’t even come close to posting an impressive display.

Following the summer transfer window, Arteta doesn’t seem to have settled on a first-choice eleven, with issues of how to get the best out of Kai Havertz, who should lead the line, and the make-up of the back four hindering their performances to date. Manchester United have problems all over the pitch, with no reliable centre-forward or holding midfielder and a calamity-prone backline. Arsenal look the most likely winners, but the best betting angle may be to side with over 5.5 cards in a traditionally bad-tempered affair. Matchday official Anthony Taylor is rarely shy of issuing a card or two and is averaging 5.67 cards per game in his three fixtures this season. Given the desperate nature of much of United’s defending, and the likelihood that Arsenal will concede fouls when attempting to foil counterattacks, Taylor likely won't be short of reasons to reach for his pocket.

• Best Bet - Over 5.5 Total Cards @ 6/5 with Spreadex

A £10 treble on the above three selections returns £96.80 with Spreadex.