Premier League Preview & Predictions: Gameweek 2

Hopefully, this weekend should feel more like an actual round of Premier League football, as the opening gameweek felt disjointed and a tad...empty.

But this time, we've actually got all 20 sides in action over the next three days. Yay!

Manchester United and Manchester City sit in mid-table, Arsenal are top of the league, Liverpool are missing out on Champions League football, while Fulham and West Brom are set for an immediate return to the second tier.

Oh, don't we love when we're just one game in?

A succulent September weekend awaits us this time, and here's everything to know about the Premier League fixtures in gameweek two of 2020/21...

Saturday

Everton vs West Brom

What Time Is Kick Off?12:30 BST
Where Is it Played? Goodison Park
TV Channel/Live Stream? BT Sport
Read 90min's preview here.

Everton threw all their new expensive eggs into the basket in their Premier League opener against Tottenham, and guess what? It worked!

James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure all performed well in their shiny new midfield, this despite having known each other for all of about 30 minutes. With far more structure to their play and solidity in front of the back four, they got the campaign off to a flying start.

Less so for West Brom. A decent start against Leicester quickly died down, and they put in a tepid display at home the Foxes, ending up as 3-0 losers.

Yeah, not a great re-introduction to Premier League life. It's going to be a tough old season.

Prediction: Everton 2-0 West Brom

Leeds vs Fulham

What Time Is Kick Off? 15:00 BST
Where Is it Played? Elland Road
TV Channel/Live Stream? BT Sport
Read 90min's preview here.

From a neutral point of view, Leeds' narrow loss to Liverpool was all we could ask for from a Premier League fixture: exciting patterns of play, intriguing tactics and plenty of goals.

In fact, supporters of both clubs probably thought the same. Funnily enough, the losing side will probably be the more encouraged of the two. Leeds were good value for their three goals, going toe to toe with the champions on their own patch and offering genuine signs of encouragement for the rest of the season.

Fulham... not so much. There wasn't a lot to be cheerful of in their opening day defeat to Arsenal, maybe only that they can expect to have Aleksandar Mitrović back from the start.

It's a squad lacking in, well, a lot of things. Games on the road like these are where relegation and safety could be decided. Not on this occasion, though.

Prediction: Leeds 2-1 Fulham

Manchester United vs Crystal Palace

What Time Is Kick Off? 17:30 BST
Where Is it Played? Old Trafford
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports
Read 90min's preview here.

Penchester Penited [citation needed] host Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in a clash that last season was one of few highlights for the visitors.

From Daniel James' bizarre and foolish celebration to Patrick van Aanholt's injury time winner, it was a entertaining clash alright. This time around, United are much less rubbish, have Donny van de Beek and Bruno Fernandes in their ranks and one of European football's most exciting young talents...has not yet joined.

Meanwhile, Palace shocked the sporting world when they scored an actual literal goal in their opening day win over Southampton, demonstrating a fair amount of something grit they'd recently found out about to hold on to the three points, boosting Wilfried Zaha's valuation up by a few million in the process.

Won't matter, though, as this looks like United's to lose.

Prediction: Manchester United 2-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal vs West Ham

What Time Is Kick Off? 20:00 BST
Where Is it Played? Emirates Stadium
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports
Read 90min's preview here.

TOP OF THE LEAGUE!

HAVING BEATEN FULHAM!

While it isn't much to shout about, Mikel Arteta is making some exciting changes to the Arsenal team that appear to have embedded nicely into his players. Cohesion, clarity and proper coaching have them looking like a decent side again.

Cross over town, and David Moyes is making absolutely no changes to his West Ham team, who appear incapable of taking upon new ideas. Carelessness, confusion and misguided coaching have them still looking like a very poor side.

Prediction: Arsenal 3-1 West Ham

Sunday

Southampton vs Tottenham

What Time Is Kick Off? 12:00 BST
Where Is it Played? St Mary
TV Channel/Live Stream? BT Sport

Two sides with teams who love marching in match up on Sunday on the sunny south coast.

The sight of Harry Kane's most recent injury will come about in distinctly happier circumstances than last week, as Gareth Bale will be a Tottenham player once more before the clash at St Mary's.

Will that be enough to lift a squad who were so bad on the opening day? Maybe, but the Saints themselves need picking up after back to back defeats in the league and Carabao Cup.

Ralph Hasenhuttl will be one miffed man, and his gruff German tones will be enough to get a response out of his team.

Predicition: Southampton 1-1 Tottenham

Newcastle vs Brighton

What Time Is Kick Off? 14:00 BST
Where Is it Played? St James' Park
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports

It's remarkable how much better Newcastle look when Joelinton is nowhere near the starting lineup. Callum Wilson has come in and given them pace in behind, as well as provide forward runs that aren't utterly clueless plods into space hoping nobody saw him.

Crazy how addressing your issues can solve so many problems.

Brighton, despite falling to a 3-1 defeat at home to Chelsea, looked good in spells. They're a side who can create chances, just haven't quite nailed the balancing act in midfield. A few people's picks to go down, they should have enough to stay up this season (they'll still lose this weekend, though).

Prediction: Newcastle 1-0 Brighton

Chelsea vs Liverpool

What Time Is Kick Off? 16:30 BST
Where Is it Played? Stamford Bridge
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports

Here we are. Two rounds of fixtures into the Premier League season and we've already been handed a cracker. Now, we can point directly at the fact that these two finished 33 points apart last season and call this one outright, but we're not going to do that.

With the new season still fresh and unpredictable, it's a risk to jump to conclusions. Liverpool are the better team, but Chelsea have just splashed hundreds of millions of pounds into their squad and the Reds were more than shaky in the opening win over Leeds.

There were 11 goals in the two games these sides kicked off their campaigns with, with defensive uncertainties prevalent in both squads.

What's the outcome then? No goals. It's always no goals. Both sides will fear being too adventurous, thus this could go down like a damp squib.

Prediction: Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool

Leicester vs Burnley

What Time Is Kick Off? 19:00 BST
Where Is it Played? King Power Stadium
TV Channel/Live Stream? BBC Sport

Comfortable victory in the bag, Leicester have picked up where they began the previous season - before slumping dreadfully at the latter end. They may have been penalties but Jamie Vardy is back among the goals, and on (very early) glance, Timothy Castagne seems like a more than adequate replacement for Ben Chilwell.

With James Maddison back fit they should use Sunday's clash with Burnley as an opportunity to build a gap between themselves and the sides yet to play, although it'd be some ask for them to challenge for top four again.

Burnley are yet to play in the league but secured their place in the third round of the Carabao Cup with victory over Sheffield United, but another season of minor investment can only go unpunished for so long.

They'll play the only way they know how and try to suffocate Leicester's attacking players, but their lack of pace at the back could be found out.

Prediction: Leicester 2-0 Burnley

Monday

Aston Villa vs Sheffield United

What Time Is Kick Off? 18:00 BST
Where Is it Played? Villa Park
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports

Hawkeye-gate was a nice way to welcome football back on our screens in this fixture last season, in one of the more boring matches of the last 100 years.

Whether Aston Villa are actually good enough to stay up again or their big spending will simply add to their financial woes if they get relegated will be the key narrative this season. They have, however, bought a fine striker (if unproven) and a top goalkeeper (if also somewhat unproven) who will come straight in alongside Jack Grealish and his shiny new contract.

Sheffield United, however, appear to have come unstuck. They don't boast anywhere near enough goals in their team, so if they concede first they find themselves in deep trouble chasing matches without any potency up front.

They could do with Ollie Watkins, not Oli McBurnie. It's early days, but it may be that opposing sides have figured out how to beat them.

Prediction: Aston Villa 1-1 Sheffield United

Wolves vs Manchester City

What Time Is Kick Off? 20:15 BST
Where Is it Played? Molineux
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports

A repeat of last season's 3-2 thriller would be nice, yet unlikely. Rustiness will come into play for the visitors who're yet to kick a ball in the Premier League, so we may see a cagier clash on Monday night.

Wolves seem to have added another gear to their attack with the addition Daniel Podence, who's brought another - smaller - element to their strike force. As a balancing act with Adama Traore it works smoothly, while both have the quality of delivery that Raul Jimenez feeds off.

No Doherty, no problems, it seems after victory on the opening day.

City have bulked up the squad, again, with more big-money signings, seeing to that John Stones is now even further away from ever kicking a ball in a Premier League match with the addition of Nathan Ake. Phil Foden will now take on the mantle of David Silva's successor with the early signs there that he's got the tools in his locker.

They'll challenge properly this season.

Prediction: Wolves 0-1 Manchester City