🌦 Friday Forecast: Arsenal to banish Anfield demons & Lampard's Blues | OneFootball

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Dan Burke·23 August 2019

🌦 Friday Forecast: Arsenal to banish Anfield demons & Lampard's Blues

Article image:🌦 Friday Forecast: Arsenal to banish Anfield demons & Lampard's Blues

The Premier League season has been thrilling and infuriating in equal measure so far.

You can probably expect more of the same on matchday three.


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Game of the Weekend

Liverpool v Arsenal

Article image:🌦 Friday Forecast: Arsenal to banish Anfield demons & Lampard's Blues

Saturday’s evening kick-off sees Arsenal travel to Anfield for a fixture many Gunners fans have been forced to watch from behind the sofa in recent years.

But there is a sense Arsenal could finally be about to banish the demons of their bogey ground this weekend.

The north Londoners did some impressive transfer business this summer and after Dani Ceballos excelled on his home debut last weekend, it will be interesting to see what record signing Nicolas Pépé can do when he’s ready to make his first start.

Article image:🌦 Friday Forecast: Arsenal to banish Anfield demons & Lampard's Blues

Meanwhile, despite their 100% record so far, Liverpool don’t quite seem to have hit their stride yet. They looked defensively vulnerable against both Norwich and Southampton and might have been punished against more dangerous opposition.

But what Jürgen Klopp’s side are good at – particularly when it comes to playing Arsenal at home – is blowing their opponents away with a flurry of goals and the visitors have to hang in there and repel the early onslaught if they’re to have any chance of getting something from this game.


Potential upset

Norwich v Chelsea

Article image:🌦 Friday Forecast: Arsenal to banish Anfield demons & Lampard's Blues

What Norwich’s start to the new campaign suggests is that they might come unstuck against the better teams in the league but will be more than a match for the sides around them.

That’s a pretty great position for a newly promoted club to find themselves in and it will be interesting to see how Daniel Farke’s side fare when they welcome Chelsea to Carrow Road on Saturday lunch-time.

The Blues were held to a draw by Leicester last weekend but they were quite fortunate not to lose the game in the second half and Frank Lampard admitted afterwards that he’d been more impressed with his side’s performance in the 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford.

A trip to an enthusiastic newly promoted side is not the ideal fixture for the Blues at this moment in time, and we have a feeling there could be more misery coming their way.


Easiest three points

Manchester United v Crystal Palace

Article image:🌦 Friday Forecast: Arsenal to banish Anfield demons & Lampard's Blues

When making their predictions for the 2019/20 season, many pundits overlooked Crystal Palace as possible relegation candidates.

But the Eagles weren’t great against Everton on the opening day and terrible in the defeat at Bramall Lane last Sunday and it looks like it could be a long old season for them.

This weekend they travel to face a Manchester United side who have started the season strongly and it’s very difficult for us to see past a home win.

Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial will both score and Palace boss Roy Hodgson will be one step closer to the exit door come Saturday evening. Remember where you heard it first.


Keep an eye on

Friday night lights

Aston Villa vs Everton is a fixture which absolutely reeks of Premier League.

In fact, it’s the most played fixture in English football league history. This will be the 203rd meeting between the two sides, all of which have come in the top flight.

So what better way to kick-start your weekend than tuning in to see what unfolds at Villa Park on Friday night?

Villa are still searching for their first win of the season while the top-six-chasing Toffees will be hoping to send out a big statement.

You absolutely love to see it.