Manchester United v Southampton

United looked competent in their first game this season against Bournemouth as Zlatan Ibrahimovic hit the ground running with a wonder strike from 25 yards out. They played aggressive attacking football of which was never seen under Louis Van Gaal. Paul Pogba is likely to start after his one match ban for yellow cards and he should be another addition to a very strong looking side. Southampton were unlucky to not take all three points against Watford with Nathan Redmond second goal being off-side. Redmond looks like he has settled in perfectly and seems to be forming a good looking partnership with Shane Long. Austin’s future at Saints looks to be in doubt however his latest tweet indicates he is happy at St Mary’s so maybe he’ll get a look in this week after his goal gave Southampton the win at Old Trafford last year. History doesn’t look likely to repeat itself here.

My Prediction: Manchester United 2-0 Southampton

Stoke v Manchester City

Although Stoke will be disappointed with a point at the riverside last week it may turn out to be a good one as Boro look to be a strong team. Shaqiri looked confident and he could be pivotal if Stoke are to achieve any success this season. Stoke are always strong at the Britannia and have been know to upset the big teams. Manchester City will be fearful of a trip to the Britannia. This is unknown territory for City’s new manager Pep Guardiola, he will have to learn fast on how to play his team against strong, physical teams like Stoke if he is to get any this year with City. City beat Steau Bucharest 5-0 in midweek even with Aguero missing 2 penalties however he still went on to score a hat-trick. If City are not up for it they could struggle here.

My Prediction: Stoke 1-1 Manchester City

Burnley v Liverpool 

Burnley did not get off to a desired start last week when Leroy Fer scored the winner for Swansea. Burnley would have fancied themselves however Andre Gray failed to make an impact in a game where many were expecting him to score. Burnley should be well-equipped to fend off a skillful Liverpool team and Sean Dyche will have his team well drilled to have men behind the ball. Liverpool got off to a dramatic and successful start against Arsenal however Klopp has to look at some of the problems especially in defence. Moreno was appalling and some might say lucky to be on the pitch. Conceding three is not the start he would have wanted however his strikers played well and effectively won him the game. There will be goals here with Liverpool just snatching the victory.

My Prediction: Burnley 1-2 Liverpool 

Swansea v Hull

Both Swansea and Hull won their opening games against the odds and will be feeling good for this game. Swansea looked well organised as they gave nothing away to Burnley. Guidolin said that the win was “important” however with a long season ahead without captain Ashley Williams, they will need to get points on the board early. Hull surprised everybody by beating Leicester amongst all the turmoil at the club. Hull don’t seem to have enough players registered for the season with a lack of investment from the owners and the amount of injuries in the squad. It only seems as if they victory was a freak occasion. Hull will have a reality check this weekend.

My Prediction: Swansea 3-0 Hull

Tottenham v Crystal Palace 

Spurs were a little lacklustre against Everton last week only managing 4 shots on target in the whole game. Kane also struggled and only touched the ball twice in the opposition area. Lloris has been sidelined for 4 weeks with a hamstring injury meaning Vorm will get a run in the team. Tottenham could struggle this season with all the big clubs spending big and all the world class managers coming to the Premier League. It is important they get their season going. Palace didn’t look confident going in to their first game and it was no surprise when West Brom scored and took all three points home with them. Losing Bolasie will be damaging however it might just give Pardew the money to go and bring in a top class striker they have needed for so long. This London derby should be dominated by the home side.

My Prediction: Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace

Watford v Chelsea

Watford got lucky against Southampton last week and were definitely happy with their point. With two strikers in Deeney and Ighalo you expect more from them in an attacking sense. They only managed one shot on target all game and that was their goal. If they continue to play like they did their existence in the Premier League could well be over by the end of the season. Chelsea looked better than they did at the beginning of last season however some may argue were lucky to have ten men on the pitch when Costa went in late on Adrian in the West Ham goal. He went on to score the winner causing even more controversy around the decision. Chelsea weren’t playing fluid football but they got the win and Hazard scored meaning he could be coming back into some sort of form. Chelsea should be too strong for Watford.

My Prediction: Watford 1-3 Chelsea 

West Brom v Everton

West Brom looked a very good side down at Selhurst Park when they beat Palace 1-0. They looked organised from attack to defence and were fully deserving of their win. Rondon is a handful for any defender to stop. He physically dominated the Palace defence and won the header that won the game for the baggies. They look like a Tony Pulis team that will pick up points every stadium they visit. Everton looked good for the best part of an hour against Spurs however after Lamela scored the disappeared into shells and were lucky to secure even a point. Koeman has bought in Bolasie which could add some pace and excitement to Goodision Park but whether he will be eligible to start against West Brom is in the balance. The Baggies will be prepared and could shock a few people here.

My Prediction: West Brom 1-0 Everton 

Leicester v Arsenal 

Leicester didn’t quite look the same against Hull as they did last season, N’Golo Kante leaving looks to have left a bigger gap than most foxes would have anticipated. Mahrez and Vardy look to big working well although Vardy had a couple of chances that if you wind back 6 months would have ended up in the back of the net but it wasn’t to be. Many people seem to think Leicester could go down but it is highly unlikely and they should be back to themselves against Arsenal. Arsenal however were the only team to do the double over Leicester last season. It feels a long time ago when they beat Leicester 4-2 at the King Power. After Arsenal’s defeat to Liverpool many Arsenal fans are furious with the club for not investing in new players especially when they are paying the highest ticket prices in England. Many fans at the end of their last game were chanting at Wenger and the Chairman to spend some money. They will be up against a tricky Leicester side but it looks likely that they will share the spoils.

My Prediction: Leicester 1-1 Arsenal 

Sunderland v Middlesbrough

Sunderland only had 23% possession against Manchester City yet still managed to have nearly the same amount of shots on target as their opposition. It took an own-goal from debutant Paddy McNair to give City the points but Moyes can be proud of the resilience in his team. Defoe scoring is a good sign of things to come with Sunderland adapting to life without Sam Allardyce. Boro looked good against Stoke and were comfortable until Shaqiri equalised. They looked to be playing good football and having Negredo up front means that there will always be goals in the team. Boro won’t be afraid to take on Sunderland and they certainly will be looking for the three points. Both teams will settle for a point in an exciting game at the Stadium of Light.

My Prediction: Sunderland 2-2 Middlesbrough 

West Ham v Bournemouth

West Ham will be angry that they  conceded late on and that the player who scored maybe should have not been on the pitch. West Ham didn’t have the same sparkle as they did last season about them on Monday night but that could just be a one off. Payet made a difference when he came on and should be fit to start against the Cherries on Sunday. In their first Premier League game at their new stadium they will be sure to make it a memorable one. Bournemouth had a tough first fixture against a team who were keen to prove that they were worth the money. They scored a very good goal showing that they can play nice football. They should be safe for the season but investing in a couple of new defenders may be worthwhile. A trip up to London seems like it may be unsuccessful for Bournemouth.

My Prediction: West Ham 2-1 Bournemouth

Article by @GusSkinner