This article contains affiliate links to advertisers. The analysis is our own. Age, location and other restrictions apply. Please play responsibly.
Matchweek 9 of a fascinating Premier League season takes fans from Saturday morning at Stamford Bridge through Monday evening at St. James’ Park.
Saturday boasts an eight-match programme, including Chelsea v Man Utd, Man City v Brighton, Tottenham v Crystal Palace, and Aston Villa v Fulham.
It’s quality over quantity on Sunday, with Liverpool and Arsenal meeting at Anfield in front of a sellout crowd and a bumper live TV audience at 11:30 a.m. ET. Newcastle and Everton wrap things up at 3:00 p.m. ET on the first Monday of November..
Trusted soccer betting writer Frank Monkhouse hit some stunning winners last weekend, including Manchester City losing its perfect record at Villa Park. Five wins from six picks left us hungry for more, and our man aims for a clean sweep on Matchweek 9.
Click any link on this page to join one of our legal, licensed sportsbook partners and qualify for a generous welcome bonus free bet. It’ll be in your account well before kickoff.
Chelsea vs Man Utd, Saturday, 08:30 AM ET
We open at Stamford Bridge with the early morning match (U.S. time).
Chelsea plays its second game of the week after Wednesday’s League Cup round of 16 loss at Anfield.
Head coach Xabi Alonso’s team returns to Premier League action sitting fifth in the standings, already eight points off the pace set by early leaders Manchester City and Arsenal. The Blues bring a mixed bag of four wins, one draw, and three losses, scoring 17 goals but allowing 15.
Manchester United arrives in the English capital down in 16th place, one point above Nottingham Forest and the relegation zone. The Red Devils have won just one league match this season, drawing four and losing two of their previous six.
Many respected analysts believe head coach Michael Carrick’s time at the Theatre of Dreams is up, but three points in London would buy him some breathing room.
Manchester United beat Chelsea home and away last season, but I’ll avoid picking sides and focus on a player arriving in fantastic form.
The stats show that Chelsea's 26-year-old Portuguese attacker Pedro Neto has had two or more shots at goal in each of his previous four Premier League appearances.
Neto has already racked up four goals in 10 appearances for Chelsea in the Premier League and League Cup. He opened his account in a 4-3 win over Brighton here back in August.
Pedro added to his tally with a goal against Leeds United in the cup and scored both in a 2-0 win at Everton. Will he score again to get his team back on track? You’ll get +270/+350 at FanDuel/BetMGM on Neto scoring at any time against Manchester United.
I’m happy to play it safe and back Pedro Neto to record at least one shot on target at -155/-160 at FanDuel/BetMGM. That’ll work best in your weekend parlays and Chelsea vs. Manchester United same-game parlays.
Pick: Neto 1+ shot on target @ -155 (FanDuel) | -160 (BetMGM)
Explanation: It doesn’t matter if Pedro Neto scores against Manchester United or if Chelsea wins the match. With this approach, you need Neto to record at least one shot on target. Your bet is live for the entire time he’s on the field.
Man City vs Brighton, Saturday, 11:00 ET
Manchester City starts on top of the standings, despite suffering its first loss of the season at Aston Villa last Saturday.
You may remember I picked Aston Villa on the double chance market, but I expect head coach Enzo Maresca’s team to return to winning ways at the first opportunity.
City’s 20 goals in eight games make it the top flight’s second-highest scoring team, behind Brighton’s 23. Erling Haaland spearheads that multimillion-dollar attack, with nine goals in eight games. That’s a goal every 79 minutes.
Will Haaland score again? I certainly wouldn’t discourage anyone from taking the -145 price available at FanDuel and BetMGM.
When the division’s two top-scoring teams go head to head, excitement is guaranteed. A bet on both teams to score makes sense, and I’ll add it to my weekend both-teams-to-score parlays.
A both-teams-to-score bet delivered a profit in each of the previous four games between the Cityzens and the Seagulls. In the last 10, it has an 80% success rate, and that’s too good to ignore.
The both-teams-to-score market is a real value-for-money bet, as it keeps you involved until the final whistle, but you could bank an early profit.
Pick: Both teams to score @ -230 (FanDuel) | -220 (BetMGM)
Explanation: You need both Manchester City and Brighton to score at least one goal each in Saturday’s match. The winning team isn’t important, with a 1-1 tie paying the same as a 5-1 home win or a 2-1 win for the visitors.
Tottenham vs Crystal Palace, Saturday, 1:30 PM ET
The live TV cameras will be at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for an exciting London derby between Spurs and Crystal Palace.
Tottenham claimed a quick second win of the season to move out of the relegation zone. The home team beat Coventry City 3-1 at this venue, then followed it up with an unexpected 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge seven days ago.
Has Tottenham finally turned the corner and is it ready to prove its worth? A third straight win, and a second over a London neighbor, would certainly keep the club moving in the right direction.
Spurs are unbeaten this month, following a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Old Trafford with those victories over Coventry and Chelsea. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi’s team has scored nine goals in its last five domestic games. Palace has scored five in the same span.
It’s worth noting that while Spurs have won their previous two games, Palace has lost both, failing to find the net. The Eagles lost 2-0 at home to Newcastle after suffering a 5-0 defeat in their last road game.
Confidence is returning to the Tottenham roster, and I’m backing the team to pile pressure on Palace. Keep it simple and add a third win for Spurs to your betting card at fair odds.
Pick: Tottenham win @ -185 (FanDuel) | -190 (BetMGM)
Explanation: We’re targeting a profit with the most popular market in soccer betting: the moneyline. If Spurs score more goals than Crystal Palace on Saturday in London, your bet wins.
Aston Villa vs Fulham, Saturday, 04:00 PM ET
Aston Villa did us a huge favor last weekend by beating Manchester City, and I expect head coach Unai Emery’s team to extend its unbeaten run to five games with another win.
After a dreadful start, Villa has won its previous two games and collected 10 of the last 12 available points. The club also has an impressive record in this matchup, beating the Cottagers 3-1 here last September.
It’s worth knowing that Fulham hasn’t won a league match at Villa Park since April 2014. Since then, Aston Villa has won seven straight games.
Sticking with that winning streak at this venue, I noticed three of the previous five produced 3-1 wins for the home team. A repeat would give bettors a shot at +1400/+1200, at BetMGM adn FanDuel, respectively. . That’s tempting, but I’ll take another angle.
I expect Aston Villa to beat Fulham on Saturday, but I’ll aim higher than the -110/-105 available FanDuel/Bet MGM. Keeping those 3-1 wins in mind, I’m backing Aston Villa to win and both teams to score at a handy +195/+240(Fan Duel and BetMGM).
Villa win and both teams to score was a smart play when they beat Manchester City here last weekend. It also returned a profit in a 3-1 home win over Viking in the UEFA Champions League. Last month, they beat Tottenham 3-2 in London, Coventry 3-1 in the League Cup, and Club Brugge 3-2 in Europe.
The Eagles’ recent results include a 3-2 Europa League loss at Lyon and a 3-2 Premier League loss to Ipswich.
Pick: Aston Villa win and BTTS @ +195 (FanDuel) | +240 (BetMGM)
Explanation: You need both parts of the bet to land for a profit. Aston Villa must defeat Crystal Palace, but the Londoners must score at least one goal.
Liverpool vs Arsenal, Sunday, 11:30 AM ET
The weekend’s main attraction comes from Anfield, where Liverpool and Arsenal collide.
The Reds have won more top-flight titles than any other English club. The Gunners arrive as the defending champions, having claimed a 14th title last season. But which big name will come out on top?
The pregame betting odds offered by FanDuel and BetMGM oddsmakers have Liverpool as the +190/+200 underdog, with Arsenal favored to add another three points to its total at +140/+130. I must say, that caught me by surprise, as I expected a much tighter market.
Did you know Arsenal last won a Premier League match at Anfield in September 2012? That’s quite the drought.
The Reds beat the Gunners 1-0 here last season; you may remember Dominik Szoboszlai scoring a winner in the 83rd minute. Going back further, we’ve seen 2-2, 1-1, 2-2, and 0-0 draws.
Four draws in five is enough to put me off risking a bet on the home win, but I’m happy to take head coach Andoni Iraola’s team on the double chance market. With this approach, you have a two-in-three chance of making a profit, with a home win paying the same as a draw.
Anything other than three points for Arsenal will boost your bankroll.
Liverpool or draw cashed in five of the Reds’ last six league games. The odds in the double chance market aren’t as big as the moneyline, but you’re covered for the draw.
Pick: Liverpool or draw @ -190 (FanDuel) | -175 (BetMGM)
Explanation: You’ll profit from this bet if Liverpool avoids a first home loss to Arsenal in 14 years. A home win is as good as a draw.
Newcastle v Everton, Monday, 03:00 PM ET
I wrap things up with a bet at St. James’ Park, where Newcastle United lines up against Everton in the latest installment of Monday Night Football.
Newcastle started the matchweek in eighth place, despite just two wins and three losses in five league games.
Head coach Matthias Jaissle’s team suffered back-to-back losses at Coventry and at home to Aston Villa. The club got back on track last time with a battling 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, with goals from Osula and Barnes.
Everton started the weekend three places below its hosts in the standings. The Toffees are winless in three, with two losses and two draws in their previous five. The other result was a 1-0 home win over Ipswich Town.
I make Newcastle a solid bet to win at home, and the +130/+125 price available at FanDuel/BetMGM. is value. However, I’ll avoid backing the Magpies until they find consistency.
A better approach is to support Harvey Barnes to record two or more shots on target against Everton.
Opta Stats show that Barnes has averaged 2.6 shots per 90 minutes in the Premier League since the start of the 2025/26 season.
Barnes played 77 minutes in that 2-0 win at Selhurst Park last Sunday, producing five shots. In his last appearance at St. James’ Park, Harvey was on the losing side but played the entire match, finishing with three shots at Suzuki’s goal.
If you decide to follow this prediction, you need Barnes to record two or more shots on target. It doesn’t matter if he scores or Newcastle wins. Two shots in a 3-0 loss count as a winner, just like two shots in a 3-0 Newcastle win.
Pick: Barnes 2+ shots on target @ -500 (BetMGM)
Explanation:The match result isn’t important here. You’re betting on Newcastle’s Harvey Barnes to record two or more shots on target, and you’re covered for the entire time he’s on the field.
These odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.