What better way to welcome the Premier League back than to cheer on one player smashing into another specific player?
No more pretending to care about Greece or Finland; the real stuff is back. With players no doubt as frustrated by the last 13 days without Premier League action as fans, let’s hope they’re ready to take those frustrations out on each other in the form of some foul play.
Paddy’s football tipster, Oli Nixon has dived into the player stats for three Player Foul Matchups picks from this weekend’s football.
Player Foul Matchups picks
Bournemouth v Arsenal – Declan Rice to commit 1+ fouls on Ryan Christie
Wolves v Man City – Rayan Ait-Nouri to commit 1+ fouls on Bernardo Silva
Liverpool v Chelsea – Moises Caicedo to commit 1+fouls on Alexis MacAllister
- A treble with these bets pays approximately 42/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
Bournemouth v Arsenal – Declan Rice to commit 1+ fouls on Ryan Christie
WHEN: Saturday, 19th of October, 5:30pm
WHERE: Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
TV: Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Premier League
Saturday’s evening kickoff sees Arsenal travel to the Vitality Stadium. In recent weeks, Arteta’s side has demonstrated that they’re prepared to resort to Mourinho-style dark arts to land their first title since 2003. We can expect them to make a few fouls in this one.
Ryan Christie has drawn 1.38 fouls per 90 minutes this season, having been fouled at least once in five of his seven appearances. Whilst he’s not the trickiest of customers, perhaps having committed 11 fouls already this season has led to some good old retaliation from his opposition?
He committed five fouls across two games against Arsenal last season and was booked in one, so hopefully, Declan remembers him well.
Rice has committed a foul per game in the league himself this season and with Ben White and Jurrien Timber still injury doubts, midfield destroyer Thomas Partey may be required at right back again. This will mean Rice has do more defensive work than usual, a role which saw him commit two fouls last time out against Southampton.
Wolves v Man City – Rayan Ait-Nouri to commit 1+ fouls on Bernardo Silva
WHEN: Sunday, 20th of October, 2pm
WHERE: Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton
TV: Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Premier League
The league’s dirtiest side face champions Man City on Sunday afternoon in a game that promises plenty of fouls. Having committed 17 and 18 fouls in the team’s last two meetings, it makes sense to target Wolves’ players for our next pick.
Gary O’Neill has reverted to a flat-back four this season, which means that Algerian Rayan Ait-Nouri has been deployed as a more defensive left-back instead of his usual wing-back role.
This has caused him some real issues defensively, and he’s consequently committed two fouls in six of his seven league games, being booked in three of them. He committed three fouls across last season’s head-to-heads, and with this deeper role, he looks set to make a few more.
Ait Nouri’s direct opponent looks likely to be Bernardo Silva who has started City’s last two league games on the right wing. He’s drawn fouls in both of those games, and while he’s now moved into his 30s, he’s still a silky player. His career average of one foul drawn per game suggests that he’s certainly capable of being impeded by the clumsy Ait-Nouri.
Liverpool v Chelsea Moises Caicedo to commit 1+fouls on Alexis MacAllister
WHEN: Sunday, 20th of October, 2pm
WHERE: Anfield, Liverpool
TV: Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Premier League
Undoubtedly, the most eye-catching tie of the weekend will see Enzo Maresca and Arne Slot lock horns at Anfield as Chelsea and Liverpool both look to continue their strong starts under new regimes.
Moises Caicedo has always been a bit of a foul machine, but under Maresca, he’s seemingly been given the role of chief disruptor. He has made 1.9 fouls per 90 this season, and having made five fouls in two appearances against Liverpool last season, he certainly got previous against these opponents. He’s made at least one foul in all but one of his Premier League appearances this season, and with much of this game likely to be a midfield battle, he’s set to be busy again.
The Ecuadorian will be tasked with covering Alexis MacAllister, Liverpool’s second-most fouled player, having drawn 1.64 fouls per 90 minutes in all competitions this season. MacAllister has played against Chelsea three times for Liverpool, drawing three, two, and two fouls in those games. Caicedo priced above evens to foul the Argentine is great value here.
Player Foul Matchups picks
Bournemouth v Arsenal – Declan Rice to commit 1+ fouls on Ryan Christie
Wolves v Man City – Rayan Ait-Nouri to commit 1+ fouls on Bernardo Silva
Liverpool v Chelsea – Moises Caicedo to commit 1+fouls on Alexis MacAllister
- A treble with these bets pays approximately 42/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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