Get Your Last Fix Of English Premier League Before Break

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Just as the EPL starts to gain traction entering week 4, it’ll come to a grinding halt after Sunday’s fixtures. National team duty will be the top of discussion moving into early September.

Thankfully we have a full round of fixtures before going through a break. Play will resume on September 14.

Week 3 saw a couple of early-season shocks with both Manchester United (against Crystal Palace) and Tottenham Hotspur (against Newcastle United) losing at home.

BURNLEY vs. LIVERPOOL

This is the KSL 5 TV premiere game for week 4 and there is a reason why. A 10:30 a.m. kick-off at Turf Moor, the home of The Clarets (Burnley F.C.).

Burnley have been nothing short of impressive so far this season. One of the smallest budgets in the English Premier League and they’ve come out of the blocks quickly.

Ashley Barnes will get all the headlines leading into this encounter. He has scored four goals through the first three games of the season. In those three games Burnley have collected four points – putting them in sixth place early on in the campaign.

Continuing to be tight at the back will be Burnley’s mode of survival. Center backs James Tarkowski and Ben Mee will be the men to organize and try to stop LFC, along with defensive midfield duo of Jack Cork and Ashley Westwood. However, there is evidence of more goals being created that may see Burnley be a handful for any team visiting their home.

Apart from Barnes, you should definitely keep an eye on young attacker Dwight McNeil. He is fast becoming hot property in the EPL.

Brilliant, @Alissonbecker 🙌 #UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/RbAPEouu2e

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 29, 2019

Liverpool will come to Burnley full of confidence. After the Arsenal test last Saturday when the Reds came through with flying colors in a 3-1 victory. They will come up against a team that given them a rough ride in the past.

This Liverpool team hasn’t had much downtime since their Champions League victory in early June. International tournaments have meant their front three have only had a few weeks off and a shortened preseason. That doesn’t seem to have affected their form. They have hit the ground running.

The backline of Liverpool hasn’t been as stingy as last season so far. Poor concentration is something that can be ironed out of course. However, I think the Reds will overcome a solid Burnley outfit.

PREDICTION: 2-1, Liverpool

ARSENAL vs. SPURS

Without a doubt the biggest fixture of the weekend. Not just this weekend, but in all of English football. The battle for north London is the late kick-off on Sunday.

Both teams are coming off the back of a loss. Arsenal showed flashes on the road against Liverpool last weekend, but showed they are a little off the pace when it comes to the big two in the English Premier League.

Nicolas Pepe was good, his speed will undo plenty of teams. He had a couple of opportunities that he failed to take. With time I think he will be a great asset to this team that also boasts Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. Is it possible to get all three on the pitch at the same time? I think eventually you’ll see it. This was Pepe’s first start and you may see him in and out of the line up as he adjusts from French football.

⛔️ The interception
⚡️ The pace
🎯 The assist@Ains_7 putting it on a plate for @Aubameyang7 🍽 pic.twitter.com/bqV28VQ2QZ

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 29, 2019

The backline is still a concern. They added pieces for sure and of course, they won’t face the Liverpool front three every week. There are still naiveties from senior players that have to be ironed out, especially if they have designs on Champions League Football.

Tottenham Hotspur were my tip to really push Liverpool in the chase for Manchester City’s crown. They’ve hardly started with anything to write about. Yes, they took a point off EPL champions Man City, but they were lucky. Still, a point is a point. Against Newcastle last weekend it should’ve been all three points.

The soccer wasn’t quick enough against a team that will more than likely be fighting for their premier league survival.

Lucas Moura will be one of the threats for Spurs this weekend. The tricky Brazilian not only provides pace upfront but has an eye for goals and will of course be looking to provide opportunities for goal machine, Harry Kane. Kane is notoriously a slow starter. Once he’s up and running (and injury-free) he will be near the top of the scoring charts come the end of the season.

PREDICTION: 2-2

LEICESTER CITY vs. BOURNEMOUTH.

There are a couple of fixtures this weekend that would’ve been worthy of a preview for KSL Sports, but I eventually settled on the Foxes versus the Cherries. Two good and solid footballing teams.

Leicester had a phenomenal summer transfer window. Under the guidance of Brendan Rogers, the former Celtic manager has managed to quickly develop the East Midlands club into one of the more entertaining footballing teams in the country.

Of course, the loss of Harry Maguire to Manchester United will certainly be felt. The flip side of that is that there are opportunities for someone else to make a name for themselves. Jonny Evans is the #1 center back, but they also have a wonderful and no-nonsense defender in Çağlar Söyüncü. If he continues to progress, he will be alerting scouts all over Europe.

At the opposite end of the pitch is James Maddison. The attacking midfielder is truly a gem to watch. An all-around threat, he might just be the key to Leicester bettering last season’s ninth-place finish.

In all honesty, they’ll be looking to crack the top six after their recruitment campaign. As for Bournemouth, Manager Eddie Howe should be next in line for one of the top jobs in England. What he’s done with the Cherries (with a decent budget) through the divisions is nothing short of miraculous. The history of his reign at AFC Bournemouth is something you should read more about….or maybe I’ll write a piece about it one day.

Panenka penalty ✔️ @England call-up ✔️

Some 24 hours for @Madders10! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/eyyEgbnN31

— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 29, 2019

Sitting on four points (one behind Leicester) they come off of a 3-1 loss to Man City. The arrival of Harry Wilson on loan from Liverpool has certainly raised a few eyebrows. He smashed in two wonder strikes since his arrival.

They are however a proper footballing side, keeping the ball mostly on the floor. Calum Wilson has been the benefit of the style of play that has earned him England international call ups.

Scotsman Ryan Fraser attracted plenty of attention during the summer, but nothing materialized. The winger is more of a provider than a goalscorer and he will certainly be a handful for any right-back throughout the season. Plenty of technical players to keep an eye out for.

I’ll back Leicester for this one as the home team and so far has looked better in defense.

PREDICTION: 2-0, Leicester