For Matchday 30, the Premier League can finally return to some semblance of normalcy as each of the 20 teams competes in just one game. On Matchday 29, Arsenal and Manchester City both racked up significant 4-1 victories, but Newcastle emerged as the big winners of the week after defeating both Manchester United and West Ham to climb to third place in the standings.
With just eight weeks remaining in regular season match play, let’s take a closer look at a couple of matches I’m dialed in on.
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Premier League Matchday 30 Preview & Best Bets (2023)
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Everton (+550) vs. Manchester United (-210)
Two of England’s biggest rivals square off in the early Saturday game as United travels west across to face Sean Dyche’s strengthened Everton squad.
Under Dyche, Everton has won three of their last ten games after winning just three of their first 20 games and scoring just 15 points in the process under Frank Lampard. In contrast to Lampard’s push forward tactical strategy, Dyche has given the team some actual structure, and they now appear to be a team with a plan. Michael Keane was brought back into the fold by Dyche, and the former Burnley central defender has linked up with James Tarkowski to make Everton more difficult to beat, resulting in their current four-game winning streak.
United is an odd team. Under Erik Ten Hag, they occasionally appear to be headed in the right direction, but then there are outings like the 7-0 loss to Liverpool and the 2-0 loss to Newcastle, where the result was generous to United, who could have easily let up five on the day. They are inconsistent defensively, which is an issue for the squad that plays the deepest defensive line in the league and strives to be a counterattacking team. They still rely too much on Marcus Rashford to score goals, and without Casemiro, who is out due to suspension, their midfield is porous.
At Goodison, they will be the overwhelming favorites to win three points, but since Dyche took over, Everton has defeated Arsenal and drawn with Spurs, and I think have some confidence heading into this one.
Pick: Everton (+550)
Aston Villa (-175) vs. Nottingham Forest (+470)
Against hapless travelers Nottingham Forest, high-flying Aston Villa will be heavy favorites to record their sixth victory in seven Premier League games. The hosts have only lost one of their last 14 league encounters with Forest, but they haven’t won three straight top-flight games at Villa Park in the same season since 2007.
Steve Cooper’s team has lost their last six league games against teams from the Midlands, and they have only won one of their 14 away games overall since returning to the top division. Aston Villa likely runs away from this one.
Pick: Aston Villa (-175)
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