Premier League Matchday 2 Predictions: Bournemouth look to capitalise off of a strong performance from Semenyo, and can Newcastle steal a point off the Reds?

Despite losing 4-2 to Liverpool, are Bournemouth in a strong position to capture points in their second Premier League game of the season? Speaking of Liverpool, are they vulnerable to a strong offensive performance from Newcastle? I discuss this and more in my Premier League predictions for Matchday 2 of 38.

(Image Credit to Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

Last week, I went 7-3 with my weekly predictions. However, with all the draws I’m going to predict for this week, I don’t think I’m going to have the same success as Matchday 1 (winces in terrible backline in FPL).

That said, let’s get into the predictions. 

West Ham (0-0-1) vs Chelsea (0-1-0):

With their early-season struggles already well-known, West Ham needed to make a statement in Matchday 1 if they were to make a case for survival. Turns out, they did exactly the opposite and then some. Despite creating some quality chances throughout the match, not only were they unable to find the back of the net against an energized Sunderland side, but they also gave up three goals the other way. 

Their inability to create chances could cost them against a Chelsea side that is more than capable of putting large numbers of goals past their opposition in a given match. While Chelsea struggled to score against a well-oiled Palace machine that has caused issues for the top teams in England, the Blues are more than capable of making the most of their chances. 

I can see both teams converting their chances, however, I think Chelsea is more capable of doing so on a consistent basis. Chelsea should win this match, but I wouldn’t be surprised if West Ham keeps this within a goal. 

The pick: West Ham 1, Chelsea 2

Manchester City (1-0-0) vs Tottenham (1-0-0):

I’m not going to lie, this Manchester City attack might have found its groove. Inserting Tijjani Reijnders worked wonders for the Citizens; the Dutch international scored an assist and a goal on his Premier League debut, helping his team to earn a 4-0 win over Wolves. 

Their first true test will come against a Spurs backline, featuring the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven, that held Burnley goalless in their Premier League opener while doing the same to PSG for the vast majority of their recent Super Cup meeting. 

Manchester City should be favoured in this matchup, but I wouldn’t count this new-look Tottenham attack out. Richarlison looked like his World Cup self scoring bicycle kick goals last week, while Mohammad Kudus had himself a strong Spurs debut in Matchday 1. 

Both sides will have their moments, but neither will be able to hold the advantage over the over. I’m therefore backing a draw as the result at the Etihad Stadium. 

The pick: Manchester City 2, Tottenham 2

Bournemouth (0-0-1) vs Wolves (0-0-1):

Despite losing 4-2 against Liverpool, Bournemouth can’t really complain about their performance in the loss. This came in the form of Antoine Semenyo overcoming a racial abuse incident and scoring a brace to level the game at 2-2, before Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah blew the game open once more. 

Matchday 2 should see the Cherries’ attack once again on full display, this time against a Wolves defence that gave up four goals in a 4-0 loss to Manchester City. With Wolves unable to produce quality chances at a consistent rate, I’m going to back Bournemouth to earn their first win of the new campaign. 

The pick: Bournemouth 2, Wolves 0

Burnley (0-0-1) vs Sunderland (1-0-0):

It was a great weekend for Sunderland to return to the Premier League. Despite a goalless first half, the Black Cats were able to put three goals past West Ham United in a 3-0 victory.

Conversely, it was not a great weekend for Burnley to return to the Premier League. Whereas Sunderland won 3-0 against West Ham, Burnley had the luxury of getting thrashed by Tottenham. 

Both Sunderland and Burnley will emerge from their respective high and low when they do battle at Turf Moor. Considering the potential scale of this season’s relegation battle, this could go a long way in deciding the immediate direction of such a fight.

Despite holding firm for much of the first half, critical second-half mistakes gifted two goals and a handful more chances against a Burnley back-five that bent and ultimately broke against the pressure of Spurs’ new-look attack. 

The Clarets’ ability to improve against Sunderland, who had their fair share of quality chances against West Ham, will be key in their hopes of earning critical points. While they will fare slightly better, I think Sunderland’s attack will ultimately break through on multiple occasions, earning the Black Cats a second consecutive win to open the season. 

The pick: Burnley 0, Sunderland 2

Brentford (0-0-1) vs Aston Villa (0-1-0):

Despite inheriting Thomas Frank’s unit, Brentford looked anything but for much of their opening match against Nottingham Forest. While the Bees were able to get back in the game after a 78th minute penalty, it was ultimately too little, too late as they succumbed to Nottingham Forest and their attack by a final score of 3-1. 

Like the Bees, Aston Villa was unable to solve Newcastle’s counterattack in what would end up being a 0-0 draw; Villa would end up missing out on a chance at the win after Ezri Konsa was sent off after denying Anthony Gordon a goalscoring opportunity towards the end of the match.

While Ezri Konsa is set to miss the match against Brentford, goalkeeper Emi Martinez is set to return to Villa’s lineup for this match. Should he be picked, that could help to relieve any stress Villa fans may be experiencing after the Konsa red card. Even then, I don’t think goalkeeping and defence should be an area of major concern; while Brentford could threaten from set pieces, I still see Villa grabbing a slender away win over the Bees.

The pick: Brentford 1, Aston Villa 2

Arsenal (1-0-0) vs Leeds United (1-0-0):

So … what to make of Arsenal’s attack?

It still looks good in terms of set pieces, but outside of that, it wasn’t all that promising in a 1-0 win against Manchester United. 

I do understand that this was Viktor Gyökeres’ first Premier League game and that he will grow into the game. However, Leeds United’s attack looked dominant against a decent Everton defence; should the Gunners’ attack fail to produce strong chances, Leeds United could have a chance at securing a result. 

It won’t look this way on paper, but I think this game could be far closer than expected. Should the new signings play their part, Leeds United could score multiple goals at the Emirates. With former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin now in the fold after being registered shortly before the Monday match, the Whites could possess one of the more sneaky-good attacks in the Premier League.

Call me crazy, but unless the Gunners get it together and find a way to incorporate Gyökeres quickly, I think Leeds will get a result. It won’t be a win, but multiple goals will give the Whites a strong chance at securing a point against Arsenal. 

The pick: Arsenal 2, Leeds United 2

Crystal Palace (0-1-0) vs Nottingham Forest (1-0-0):

Oliver Glasner clearly has this Palace side on another level. The Eagles’ 0-0 draw against Chelsea marked their tenth-consecutive game without losing; the streak dates back to the end of the 2024-25 season.

But a tough test awaits them in the form of Nottingham Forest. Not only is Chris Wood set to continue his goal-scoring form from last season, but new arrivals Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee are also set to reinforce Forest’s attack. 

Even then, should they debut against Palace, it will take time for them to find their footing in Forest’s attack. And while rumours swirl around Selhurst Park with regard to the transfer window, particularly concerning defender Marc Guehi, such players are still on the squad and until they’re holding another team’s shirt, they will be contributing to Palace’s success. 

Forest may have the stronger lineup and lots more rest (Crystal Palace will play the first leg of a Europa Conference League playoff tie prior to this match), but Palace have momentum on their side. Dean Henderson has been phenomenal in recent weeks, and I can see the attack doing just enough to earn Palace a point. 

The pick: Crystal Palace 1, Nottingham Forest 1

Everton (0-0-1) vs Brighton (0-1-0):

Despite a controversial penalty keeping them from a result, Everton’s defence did a good job keeping the Toffees in their Matchday 1 encounter with Leeds United. 

With Brighton, who is more than capable of going on strong starts to the season in terms of points and goal-scoring, heading to Merseyside, Everton should be in for a similar test to that of Matchday 1. 

Both sides should be able to find a goal - Everton through the continued integration of Jack Grealish and other newcomers and Brighton through the likes of Matt O’Riley and Kaoru Mitoma. However, Everton should play a better game defensively, which will allow them to pick up all three points against Brighton. 

The pick: Everton 2, Brighton 1

Fulham (0-1-0) vs Manchester United (0-0-1):

While Manchester United did lose 1-0 to Arsenal in their opening match of the season, they didn’t exactly look that bad. Despite Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayindir looking uncomfortable for much of the first half - such discomfort was best demonstrated upon the concession of a set-piece goal from a thirteenth-minute corner kick - the United defence was able to keep Viktor Gyökeres from having an impact on his Arsenal debut. In addition, Manchester United’s attack was able to create far more chances than Arsenal. 

The key here is whether they can keep a decent Fulham attack, led by Rodrigo Muniz and Raúl Jiménez, from finding the back of the net too often. This will be especially true with regard to set pieces; Fulham earned their equalizer in a 1-1 draw against Brighton from a corner kick. 

While United should be able to do much better in converting their chances, I do believe Fulham will also get the chance to take advantage of the Red Devils’ weakness in net and convert some of their own chances going the other way. This match could go either way, but I believe a draw is the more likely outcome at Craven Cottage. 

The pick: Fulham 1, Manchester United 1

Newcastle (0-1-0) vs Liverpool (1-0-0):

The way Liverpool played against Bournemouth gives me no confidence in picking them against Newcastle. 

“Oh why’s that? They won 4-2.”

Yes, they did. But the backline still needs a lot more work; while Giovanni Leoni’s arrival should help fix this, the former Parma defender is going to need some time adjusting to the Premier League. 

With Newcastle proving against Aston Villa that they’re more than capable of getting behind a back line, particularly on the counter, the Liverpool attack is going to need to maintain the high gear they set against Bournemouth. Holding onto possession should keep the likes of Anthony Elanga, who arguably had the biggest impact for the Magpies against Aston Villa, from springing too many big surprises going the other way. However, if Liverpool is to win this game, they are going to have to find a happy medium between the high-press used against Bournemouth and a defensive formation that hopes to keep Newcastle’s counter at bay.

Liverpool should do just enough on the attack to get a result, however, I cannot see how this Reds backline keeps Newcastle off the scoresheet. With both Elanga and Anthony Gordon leading the attack, the Magpies surely have to score at least once. 

That said, I am going to back a draw as the result at St. James’ Park; while both sides have a case to win this game, I believe their respective advantages cancel each other out.

The pick: Liverpool 2, Newcastle 2

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Article written by Noah Guttman