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5 Premier League predictions: Mane double as Liverpool beat Manchester City

By Peter Johnstone

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 02: Liverpool's Sadio Mane celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Liverpool FC at Villa Park on November 2, 2019 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian Cook - CameraSport via Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 02: Liverpool's Sadio Mane celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Liverpool FC at Villa Park on November 2, 2019 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian Cook - CameraSport via Getty Images) /
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Matchday 12 of the Premier League is almost upon us with some great fixtures and here are five bold predictions for all the action.

Another great slate of Premier League fixtures is almost upon us and there’s some huge games at both ends of the table this weekend. Norwich and Watford kick off the fixture list on Friday when they go head-to-head in an early season relegation crunch match in which both sides desperately want to avoid defeat.

Chelsea host Crystal Palace in Saturday’s early game whilst Arsenal face a very difficult trip to the King Power Stadium to play Leicester. There’s three games on Sunday, including Aston Villa’s trip to Wolves and the biggest game of the weekend: Liverpool vs. Manchester City. Here are five bold predictions for all the action.

NORWICH, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Teemu Pukki of Norwich City celebrates with teammate Emiliano Buendia of Norwich City after scoring his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between Norwich City and Manchester City at Carrow Road on September 14, 2019 in Norwich, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
NORWICH, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Teemu Pukki of Norwich City celebrates with teammate Emiliano Buendia of Norwich City after scoring his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between Norwich City and Manchester City at Carrow Road on September 14, 2019 in Norwich, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) /

5. Watford beat Norwich in relegation battle

The Premier League weekend opens on Friday when Norwich host Watford at Carrow Road in an early season relegation dog fight. Many might have expected Norwich to be fighting this battle early on, but Watford’s slip in the table is quite surprising.

The Hornets finished mid-table last season with a more-than-respectable 50 points and they also reached the FA Cup final so this is quite the fall from grace. The sacking of Javi Gracia and re-appointment of Quique Sanchez Flores doesn’t seem to have had a great impact on the northwest-London side.

Norwich were loving life in the opening weeks of the Premier League season but now look like they could be heading straight back down after a run of just one point from five games. The Canaries currently have seven points to their name and it’s hard to see them reaching that 40 point safety net with the way things are going.

Games like this tend to be tight and anxious affairs with neither side able to relax and play their game for fear of making an error. That could mean one of two things; this game is full of goals and errors OR one single goal will win this match.

Despite Watford propping up the table and having fewer points than Norwich, it feels like they are the team more likely to come up with all three points this weekend. Flores’ side definitely seem to have more fight in them now and although they are far from prolific in front of goal, they should fancy their chances of getting past the Norwich defense.

The Canaries’ free-flowing soccer has been less evident in recent weeks and it looks like Daniel Farke knows his side need to be more rigid at the back to have any chance of survival this season. Unfortunately for the German manager, his side’s struggles will continue this weekend with Watford taking all three points.

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