Saturday Premier League tips

Betting tips for Saturday's 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League - including Liverpool v Hull - from the Sportinglife.com team.

Bournemouth v Everton (1500 BST)

There will be plenty of interest in Everton at odds-against to win at Bournemouth and you can't blame anyone for that. The Toffees sit second in the Premier League after starting Ronald Koeman's reign with four wins and a draw and they are a much better side than Bournemouth. The Cherries have lost convincingly to both Manchester City and Manchester United so far this term and I expect a similar outcome in this Vitality Stadium contest. I'm happy to go for the Everton win but I reckon there is a little bit more value to be had by backing Romelu Lukaku to find the back of the net. The striker missed the surprise midweek defeat to Norwich in the EFL Cup due to a minor toe injury but he'll be back for this match alongside the likes of Phil Jagielka, Gareth Barry and Yannick Bolasie, who all dropped to the bench against the Canaries. Lukaku has been one of the Premier League's star performers this season and his return of six goals in his last three outings points to a player at the peak of his powers. The Belgium international also tends to score his goals in batches. Last season he enjoyed runs of scoring six goals in six games and 12 in 12 among his return of 25 for the campaign. The 7/5 on offer for Lukaku to net on Saturday just has to be taken. Bournemouth have only kept one clean sheet in their seven outings so far this term and there's much for Eddie Howe's men to prove. They have the quality to dispose of their fellow bottom half sides but so far it looks like it will be very tough for the Cherries to cause any major problems for the division's elite. Everton might not be regarded in that company yet but they will be if their sensational start continues.

Verdict: Bournemouth 0-3 Everton 

Opta facts:

• Bournemouth have never beaten Everton in six previous attempts in all competitions (D1 L5), with their only draw coming in this exact Premier League fixture last season.
• Everton have hit at least two goals in all of their six previous meetings with the Cherries in all competitions, including seven in three games last season.
• After going 11 appearances and 1028 minutes without a Premier League goal, Romelu Lukaku has now scored four times in his last two PL apps.
• Bournemouth have won just two of their last 13 Premier League matches (W2 D2 L9) and during this run they have only scored more than a single goal on one occasion.
• Ronald Koeman lost his only previous Premier League trip to the Vitality Stadium as manager of Southampton last season, going down 2-0 in March.
• Koeman has won 13 points from his first five Premier League games in charge of Everton - previous manager Roberto Martinez won 12 points from his final 13 PL games at the club.

Liverpool v Hull (1500 BST)

It's no secret that Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have produced their very best performances away from home against some of the bigger clubs in the division. Think back to the German's first month in charge and the impressive display in beating Chelsea 3-1, closely followed by an even more devastating victory when defeating Man City 4-1 at the Etihad the following month. Combining those highly-energetic efforts with far more patient displays against teams happy to sit deep and defend is something the Reds have struggled with and are going to have to overcome if they're to mount a challenge on the title. But already this season has seen the counter-attack specialists win 4-3 at the Emirates and 2-1 at Stamford Bridge last Friday, only to lose against one of the Premier League's lesser lights in Burnley. Taken in isolation, the 2-0 defeat at Turf Moor really was a worrying performance. Liverpool conceded early on, completely failed to cope with the home side's defensive organisation and quite rapidly ran out of ideas going forward. Otherwise they are unbeaten, on a bit of a roll after making it three straight wins with a comfortable night at Derby in the EFL Cup, and are widely expected to roll over Hull, who have exceeded expectations and won three and drawn one of their four away games in all competitions so far this term. As one of the smallest squads in the top flight, manager Mike Phelan doesn't have as many selection headaches as the likes of Klopp but what he does have is a very fit, tightly-knit unit who work extremely hard for each other. It's extremely hard to envisage them staying clear of a relegation battle in the long term, but right now Hull are buzzing and playing with real confidence. They've beaten Leicester and Swansea, drawn with Burnley and only lost out to Man United and Arsenal. The Red Devils needed a very late winner to break the Tigers down and although the final score at the KCOM Stadium last weekend doesn't read too well, Hull were right back in the reckoning at 2-1 and looked as likely to score next as the Gunners before Alexis Sanchez's second effectively killed the match off. Curtis Davis has been a rock at the back for Phelan, Sam Clucas outstanding at the base of the midfield and Abel Hernandez continues to show the sort of quality that saw him claim 24 goals in total during the 2015/16 campaign. But the real star for Hull has been Scotland international Robert Snodgrass, who has four goals to his name (one in the cup) and continues to prove a major threat from set-pieces. He's 7/1 to find the net again which represents perfectly reasonable business against a side that continues to struggle to keep clean sheets. He's a speculative suggestion in what is widely expected to be a one-sided affair although another possibility is the scenario which sees Liverpool frustrated in the early stages and made to wait to break through. One firm offer 7/2 against draw/Liverpool in the half-time/full-time market and there's some appeal in pursuing that avenue but there are better bets to be had elsewhere.

Verdict: Liverpool 2-1 Hull 

Opta facts:

• Liverpool have never lost a home game against Hull in all competitions (W8 D2) and drew 0-0 in the most recent meeting in October 2014.
• The Tigers' joint-heaviest Premier League defeat (along with 0-5 v Wigan) came at Anfield in September 2009, losing 6-1.
• All of Hull's three Premier League clean sheets against the Reds have been kept by different goalkeepers - Matt Duke, Eldin Jakupovic and Steve Harper.
• It is Mike Phelan's 54th birthday on the day of this game. There have been 18 occasions of a manager winning a Premier League game on their birthday, with 25 instances of a manager losing a match in the competition on their birthday.
• Jurgen Klopp's side have lost just one of their last 14 Premier League games at Anfield (W7 D6) - it was 0-1 vs Manchester United in January and is the only home league match in which Liverpool have failed to score under the German manager.
• Hull City have named an unchanged starting XI in each of their five Premier League games this season. The last time a side did this for longer from the start of a season was Aston Villa in 2008-09 (a run of seven games).

Middlesbrough v Tottenham (1500 BST)

The Tottenham news agenda ahead of Saturday's trip to Middlesbrough has been dominated by Harry Kane's ankle ligament injury. There is no timeframe currently on the striker's schedule for a return to action but he definitely won't be featuring at the Riverside. Summer signing Vincent Janssen will get the chance to step up in Kane's absence and he's feeling good after scoring his first goal for Spurs in the 5-0 victory over Gillingham of Sky Bet League One in the midweek EFL Cup clash. The Dutchman has yet to net in the Premier League but it's too early to make a judgment on his top-flight credentials ahead of his sustained chance to shine at the centre of the attack. Son Heung-min was the star of last weekend's 1-0 success at home to Sunderland, a much more convincing win than the scoreline suggests, and he's also worth watching to take a more pivotal role in Kane's time out of action. Middlesbrough will be happy enough with a return of five points from their opening five matches back in the Premier League and Aitor Karanka has put to bed a few of the early doubts that I had about his ability to bring his squad together following problems at the end of last season. I think the bookies have it right with Tottenham as heavy favourites for the three points at the Riverside, although there's a tempting odds-against available in a few places, but I reckon there's better value elsewhere on a busy Saturday of action. Boro can create problems for Mauricio Pochettino's men but the absence of Kane doesn't look enough to stop the visitors in this contest.

Verdict: Middlesbrough 1-2 Tottenham 

Opta facts:

• Middlesbrough have lost only once in their last 11 home Premier League games against Spurs (1-2 in April 2007).
• Tottenham have won 22 of their last 24 Premier League games (D2) against newly-promoted sides since losing 1-0 to QPR in April 2012.
• Middlesbrough have scored more Premier League goals against Tottenham than they have against any other side (37 in 28 meetings).
• Indeed, Middlesbrough have beaten Tottenham nine times in the Premier League - only against Man City have they picked up more victories (11, also nine against West Ham).
• Since the start of 2014-15, Harry Kane has missed just four Premier League games for Tottenham Hotspur, with Spurs failing to win any of them and scoring just twice (D1 L3).
• All five of Middlesbrough's Premier League goals this season have come before half time in matches, while both the goals that Spurs have conceded have also come in the first half.
• Tottenham have fielded the youngest average starting XI over the opening five matchdays of the 2016-17 Premier League season (25y 208d).

Stoke v West Brom (1500 BST)

There will rightly be applause from all sections of the bet365 Stadium on Saturday afternoon as Tony Pulis reaches 1,000 games as a manager when his West Brom side take on Stoke, who he took charge of for a third of those matches in two separate spells in charge of the Potters. Mark Hughes might not get such a great reception. The current Stoke chief is under big pressure as his side sit bottom of the table after four defeats in a row, including two 4-1 losses and a 4-0 thrashing. The performance last weekend in the defeat at Crystal Palace was atrocious so Hughes has to be aware that things need to change quickly. Those results make it quite clear that the first thing the Potters need to do on Saturday is tighten up their defence. Ryan Shawcross needs to play the central role in that recovery and he'll be joining his team-mates in hoping West Brom's 4-2 win over West Ham last weekend was a one-off. That was as many goals as the Baggies had managed in their last seven games combined so it was certainly a surprise outcome for The Hawthorns faithful. I don't think we are set for a new era of West Brom as the great entertainers so my inkling is to go low on goals with so much at stake for Hughes and Stoke. Both of the Baggies' two away games in the league this season have only contained one goal, a 1-0 win and a 1-0 defeat, and I'm going under the 1.5 goals mark in this game. I can easily see a goalless encounter in the offing but West Brom's start to the campaign shows that they can get both the right and wrong side of a tight contest.

Verdict: Stoke 0-0 West Brom

Opta facts:

• West Brom have won their last three Premier League meetings with Stoke - a win here will equal their best run against another opponent in the competition (four straight wins against Sunderland between Feb 2012 and Sep 2013).
• The Potters have kept more Premier League clean sheets against the Baggies than they have against any other side (8), shipping just eight goals in 14 meetings against them.
• Tony Pulis has won all four of his Premier League meetings against his former side, once with Crystal Palace and three with West Brom.
• Stoke have never lost their opening three home fixtures of a league season in their history.
• Indeed, the Potters haven't lost five consecutive league games since January 2005, while Mark Hughes has never lost five league games in a row as a manager.

Sunderland v Crystal Palace (1500 BST)

Paddy McNair was the surprise hero for David Moyes in midweek as the centre-back scored both in Sunderland's come-from-behind EFL Cup win at QPR, after which the manager felt it was a performance his side could build on back in league action this weekend. That looks perfectly possible given it was bound to take a little while for the Sunderland players to adjust to life under Moyes and last weekend's display against Tottenham was far from disgraceful, eventually going down 1-0 at the Lane. That was certainly a positive response to the previous week's thrashing at the hands of Everton and that was their second straight home league defeat after losing to Middlesbrough on the second weekend of the season. Considering the Stadium of Light was their prime source of points last term, there's no real urge to rush in and back them to beat Palace on the strength of this season's evidence, with the visitors looking worthy favourites in the match market. The Eagles also endured a slow start to the season but back-to-back league wins have put them on track and they're unbeaten in three top-flight trips to Sunderland, winning one. Palace look to be going through the gears now and will continue to feed Christian Benteke directly; he's 5/1 favourite to open the scoring. Aside from the Belgian, the goalscorer markets look pretty open and both sides possess several defenders who know where the net is. Palace's Scott Dann grabbed five last year and looks on the path to bettering that tally with three in all competitions this term, while Sunderland's Patrick van Aanholt wasn't scoring out of turn in the 2-1 defeat to Boro and would have to be of interest at 10/1 any time if back in the line-up having missed out last weekend on medical grounds.

Verdict: Sunderland 0-1 Crystal Palace

Opta facts:

• Sunderland have failed to win any of their three Premier League home games against Crystal Palace, drawing two and losing one.
• There has been a goal in the 80th minute or later in five of the six Premier League meetings between these sides, including four strikes in the 90th minute.
• Christian Benteke has scored six goals in seven Premier League meetings with Sunderland (including his first Premier League hat-trick in April 2013), more than he has against any other opponent.
• Sunderland have made 14 changes to their starting XI in their opening five Premier League games of the season - more than any other side.
• Since the start of last season, Scott Dann has scored seven Premier League goals - two more than any other Crystal Palace player and two more than any other defender in the division.
• Meanwhile, Sunderland's last four league goals at the Stadium of Light have all been scored by defenders (two each from Lamina Kone and Patrick van Aanholt).

Swansea v Manchester City (1500 BST)

Swansea's start to the season has been no more than average and things look perilously close to becoming much worse ahead of a run of games which sees them host City and Liverpool before a visit to Arsenal. Top-flight managers live and die by their signings, many of which are in fact thrust upon them, and centre forward Fernando Llorente has thus far proved luckless in front of goal. He's a useful operator and no doubt his presence at the head of the attack has allowed Leroy Fer to join in and find three league goals, but the Swans are going to be seriously limited when it comes to scoring opportunities against a super-slick side who welcome Sergio Aguero back after serving a three-match ban. He's no bigger than 4/5 to find the net and 100/30 to open the scoring. City not only have the edge in terms of class but a rather significant psychological advantage having won 2-1 when the sides met in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night. All the goals came in the second half, Gylfi Sigurdsson finding a 90th minute consolation for the hosts after the Citizens bossed the game with 60 per cent of the possession. They have been unstoppable at times under Pep Guardiola, winning nine from nine and showing the kind of teamwork of which Manuel Pellegrini must have been dreaming. Kevin De Bruyne is on the way to becoming one of the best attacking midfielders in the world and Raheem Sterling looks completely rejuvenated under Pep, although defensively City still aren't fully convincing. They kept things tight against Bournemouth last weekend but that 4-0 triumph was their first clean sheet in the league this year and it's tempting to back both teams to score. Swansea have managed to register at least once in their last six meetings with City and although victory looks beyond them, Francesco Guidolin has enough firepower at his disposal to at least cause a fragile back four some problems. 

Verdict: Swansea 1-3 Manchester City

Opta facts:

• Swansea have won just one of their last 12 league meetings with Manchester City (D2 L9), 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium back in March 2012.
• Manchester City have scored 15 goals in their last six Premier League meetings with Swansea (W5 D1), an average of 2.5 per game.
• Kelechi Iheanacho scored in both fixtures against Swansea last season, including City's opener in this exact fixture.
• Indeed, Iheanacho has scored 10 Premier League goals from just 14 shots on target.
• Pep Guardiola has won his first five Premier League games - the only manager to win more was Carlo Ancelotti, who won his first six as manager of Chelsea in 2009.
• Sergio Aguero has scored nine goals in five games for Manchester City in all competitions this season.
• The Swans are winless in their last four Premier League games, their joint-worst such run under Francesco Guidolin (also four in February 2016).