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Premier League predictions: A win for Manchester United but draws galore on the menu

Last weekend Jones Knows correctly called wins for Chelsea, Tottenham, Man Utd, Liverpool, West Ham and a score draw between Wolves and Southampton; watch seven PL games live on Sky Sports this weekend

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Image: Premier League predictions: Draws to the fore?

Fresh from predicting six correct results, three correct scores and a 7/1 winning double last weekend, our betting expert Jones Knows is back with more predictions.

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Southampton vs Manchester United, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League

Live Renault Super Sunday

Manchester United are a perfect example of how one major incident can give a skewed perception of the reality.

Memories of Demba Ba charging through an unguarded United defence in comical fashion still linger but an overall view at United's defensive numbers would deem it harsh to define them by that moment of chaotic organisation.

Since shipping six at home to Tottenham, United have officially been the most defensively sound team in the Premier League, conceding the fewest goals (3), facing the joint-fewest amount of shots (34) and producing an 'expected goals against' figure of just 3.14 - the lowest figure of any Premier League side. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, yet again, has found a solution to a problem and is starting to see the best of Bruno Fernandes in a slightly more advanced role. It makes them a tough team to beat.

Southampton are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League games, taking 17 points from 21 available and have the better manager in the dugout for this encounter. However, Ralph Hasenhutt can only work with the tools at his disposal and it is difficult to see Theo Walcott remaining an adequate replacement for Danny Ings in the short-term. A new club record of eight consecutive away league wins looks on the agenda for United.

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JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 0-2 (7/1 with Sky Bet)

Chelsea vs Tottenham, Sunday 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League

Huge match. Although Chelsea have hit a purple patch of form, I feel this is a great time for Tottenham to head to west London.

Not only will the players be bursting with confidence in the way the team structure is working, Chelsea's hold over them at Stamford Bridge - losing just one of the last 34 meetings - is null and void due to the behind closed doors factor. This game is usually played in a hatred filled, ferocious atmosphere which Chelsea have fed off to their advantage - not this time.

In these big games between teams with title ambitions, my immediate instinct is to see whether the draw is the biggest price of all three match outcomes. In this case it is. A stalemate suits both parties and if the game is level with 30 minutes to play we could see a repeat of what happened between Manchester City and Liverpool where the game fizzled out completely.

Since the start of Spurs' four-game winning run, only Jack Grealish - in a league of his own in terms of drawing opposition - has won more fouls in the Premier League than Harry Kane.

From a betting perspective, this significantly increases the likelihood of opposition players within his vicinity picking up yellow cards.

N'Golo Kante, Jorginho, Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma all are going to be tasked with stopping Kane getting into dangerous positions. A tactic employed by Frank Lampard's side when the two teams met in December last year, a game Chelsea won 2-0. Zouma, especially, was very aggressive in the way he engaged Kane to the extent he was booked for a thumping challenge with 33 minutes gone. He is 9/2 to get a card. That is well worth jumping on.

during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park on December 23, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Image: Harry Kane is fouled by Kurt Zouma

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-1 (11/2 with Sky Bet)

ALSO LOOK OUT FOR: Kurt Zouma to receive a card (9/2 with Sky Bet)

Arsenal vs Wolves, Sunday 7.15pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League

Live Renault Super Sunday

It's all gone a bit Unai Emery for Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal are playing with no cohesion, the boss does not know his best XI, especially in forward areas and it has been 476 minutes since they scored Premier League goal from open play. This means you could have boarded a plane to New York, landed at the other end, and Arsenal still would not have scored in that period. I simply cannot have a home win on my mind with Wolves in town when assessing the prices.

I am always keen to keep Nuno's team on my side when they travel to a so-called big-six team, bar Man City or Liverpool.

Since promotion, in eight trips to Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal, they have only been on the end of a defeat just once. They have the ability to suck the life out of games, then strike when the opportunity arises. The last two meetings at The Emirates between these two ended level - a repeat scenario could be on the cards.

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-1 (5/1 with Sky Bet)

Leicester vs Fulham, Monday 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League

Live MNF

The ability to kick the ball properly from 12 yards is basically the reason why Leicester are on a positive trajectory and Fulham a negative one. Fulham's three penalty misses have effectively cost them four points this season while Leicester's seven penalties scored has turned rather average performance metrics into wins - to the extent that they started last weekend top of the Premier League.

A reality check came at Liverpool though and if Fulham can restrict space for Jamie Vardy, then Leicester might struggle to reward those taking a short price on the home win. That is a big 'if' though - Fulham have conceded 18 Premier League goals (joint-most with West Brom) including five in the opening 10 minutes of matches.

However, Leicester's two home defeats against West Ham and Aston Villa still are etched in my mind. In both performances they looked toothless without space for Vardy or Harvey Barnes to work in.

Having faith in Fulham may lead me over the cliff eventually but their attacking play keeps drawing me in to thinking that Scott Parker might just get it right. Since Deadline Day, only Leeds, Man City, Man Utd and Liverpool have had more shots on goal than Parker's boys. I'm backing them to get a result.

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-1 (7/1 with Sky Bet)

West Ham vs Aston Villa, Monday 8pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League

The best defensive record at home meets the best defensive record away. Something has to give? Or will it?

Live MNF

Who would have thought we would be talking with such positivity about these two sides at the start of the Premier League season? Aston Villa have yet to concede a goal in three wins away from Villa Park as the performances of Douglas Luiz in front of his back four is taking Villa to levels that looked impossible to reach at times last season. But for the highs of the wins over Liverpool, Leicester and Arsenal, there does remain consistency issues as shown by the defeat at home to Brighton. I cannot back them here.

West Ham - whose 14 points from nine games is their best tally at this stage in five years - will have a plan for Jack Grealish in what is bound to be a tight affair.

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-1 (5/1 with Sky Bet)

Jones Knows' previous predictions...

Crystal Palace vs Newcastle

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 0-0

RESULT: 0-2

Brighton vs Liverpool

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-3

RESULT: 1-1

Manchester City vs Burnley

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-0

RESULT: 5-0

Everton vs Leeds

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 2-2

RESULT: 0-1

West Brom vs Sheffield United

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-1

RESULT: X-X

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