Count ‘em! There’s not one, not two, not even three derby games to enjoy in the return of the Premier League this weekend.
That’s because a whopping FOUR of the ten fixtures are all derby games of one sort of another and you can enjoy them all at different times over the weekend.
With two derby matches in London, one in Manchester and another taking place in the East Midlands on Monday night, this promises to be a hugely exciting weekend infused with the added spice of numerous local clashes!
But that’s not all as there are key games for a number of teams across the other six fixtures, several with major implications for teams at the top and bottom of the early Premier League table.
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The full list of fixtures for the Premier League weekend is outlined below, together with the current table and what we feel are some of the best betting tips you can get on each game.
Weekend Premier League Fixtures (Kick off 3pm unless stated)
Saturday 1st October
- Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur (12.30pm)
What a cracking North London derby we have in prospect to kick off the Premier League weekend. Top of the table Arsenal take on Spurs who lie third and who are unbeaten in the EPL this season and also cracked six past Leicester last time out. Arsenal though look the real deal this season and I think they will do just enough to claim a win from this game. Back Arsenal to win and both teams to score at 13/5.
- Bournemouth v Brentford
Both these teams have had some real highs and lows of the season already but both can be reasonably pleased with their starts, especially Brentford and I think the Bees have the edge here in this game too. I think their squad is a better quality one and that may be enough for them to land the win here. Back Brentford to win at 11/10.
- Crystal Palace v Chelsea
The second London derby of the day sees Crystal Palace host Chelsea at Selhurst Park in what will be Graham Potter’s first game in charge of his new team. Palace will certainly offer Chelsea a real test, especially given the Londoners stop/start to the season. That said, Palace’s form has tailed off a bit of late and I think Chelsea will do enough to land the win. A 2-1 Chelsea win is a 17/2 shot.
- Fulham v Newcastle United
Both these teams have enjoyed decent starts to the season, Newcastle have drawn a lot of games though and that has been the reason why they lie 10th. Fulham have done exceptionally well to lie 6th and they will fancy their chances here, but this is another game that I feel will likely end up as a draw which is a 12/5 chance.
- Liverpool v Brighton
This will be Brighton’s first game since Graham Potter left for Chelsea so it will be interesting to see how they get on. Liverpool have started the season quite slowly and a 4-1 defeat at Napoli was sobering. They did beat Ajax at Anfield last time out though and ahead of key games against Arsenal and Man City, they will want to land the win here. Take Liverpool to win 2-1 here at 9/1.
- Southampton v Everton
Everton’s form has improved of late with a big win over West Ham in their last game. Southampton have been a little inconsistent but have otherwise started decently in the Premier League. This looks like being a close one on paper and in truth, I can’t split the teams at the moment, so I am going to go for the draw here at 12/5.
- West Ham v Wolverhampton Wanderers (5.30pm)
Both these teams share the unwanted record of being the lowest scorers in the EPL this season with 3 goals from their 7 games. That has to change if either team is going to fulfil the promise that they have shown to be a top eight side in recent seasons. I can’t see too many goals here, so I am backing a nervy draw which is a 5/2 chance at bet365.
Sunday 2nd October
- Manchester City v Manchester United (2pm)
A Manchester derby is always a big game, but when both teams are challenging at the top end of the table, it is even bigger and this game on Sunday fits that bill. City are in superb form of late and United have recovered well from a slow start this season. For me City are the top team here though and I am backing the Citizens to land a 3-1 victory which is a 10/1 shot with bet365.
- Leeds United v Aston Villa (4.30pm)
Sunday’s later game sees two teams in need of points clash at Elland Road, Leeds have been a little inconsistent this season, great in one game, poor the next, while Villa have also suffered with a lack of consistency too. I think both these teams are well matched and as such, I think a draw is a very solid option to back here at 23/10.
Monday 3rd October
- Leicester City v Nottingham Forest (8pm)
The bottom two in the EPL clash in Monday’s East Midlands derby game. Defending has been an issue for both these teams so I can see both scoring a goal but I just feel Leicester have that extra edge in quality here and that will be enough to land the win. Back Leicester to win 2-1 at 8/1.
*All odds shown were correct with bet365 Sport at the time of writing but may have changed in the meantime.
Soccer Derby Game FAQs
What Is A Derby Game?
The term derby game originally referred to a game between two teams from the same city.
However, in recent times, that definition has been expanded to cover teams from roughly the same geographic location, such as the South Coast derby, North East derby or the East Midlands derby.
Nowadays, the definition of derby games can (and does) include not just long-standing rivalries, but pretty much any game between two teams in a relatively close proximity to each other.
Which Teams Have Derby Rivals?
The main derby rivals in the UK are as follows:
- Glasgow Derby (Old Firm) – Rangers and Celtic
- Edinburgh Derby – Hearts and Hibernians
- Merseyside Derby – Liverpool and Everton
- Manchester Derby – Manchester City and Manchester United
- North London Derby – Arsenal and Tottenham
- Tyne-Wear Derby – Newcastle United and Sunderland
- Tyne-Tees Derby – Newcastle United and Middlesbrough
- Tees-Wear Derby – Sunderland and Middlesbrough
- Second City Derby – Aston Villa and Birmingham City
- Nottingham Derby – Nottingham Forest and Notts County
- Dockers Derby – West Ham United and Millwall
- East Anglian Derby – Norwich City and Ipswich Town
- Potteries Derby – Stoke City and Port Vale
- Steel City Derby – Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United
- West Lancashire Derby – Preston North End and Blackpool
- South Wales Derby – Cardiff City and Swansea City
Some derby games also have several teams competing and any match up between the teams listed is considered to be a derby game. These include:
- West London Derby – Chelsea, QPR, Brentford and Fulham
- East London Derby – West Ham, Leyton Orient and Dagenham & Redbridge
- North West London Derby – Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham
- South London Derby – Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, Millwall, AFC Wimbledon
- East Midlands Derby – Derby County, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest
- West Midlands Derby – Aston Villa, WBA, Wolves, Walsall and Birmingham City
- Humber Derby – Grimsby Town, Hull City and Scunthorpe United
- South Yorkshire Derby – Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster Rovers
- East Lancashire Derby – Burnley and Blackburn Rovers
- West Country Derby – Bristol Rovers, Exeter, Plymouth and Bristol City
- South Coast Derby – Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton
There are many more regional and even non-regional games that have been labelled derby games over the years as rivalries have sprung up between two teams.
What Are The Biggest Derby Games In The UK?
The biggest derby games in the UK are the Glasgow Derby (Celtic v Rangers), Merseyside Derby (Liverpool v Everton), Manchester Derby (Man Utd v Man City) and the North London Derby (Arsenal v Tottenham) as these derby matches have tended to be played in the top division more often than not.
What Are Other Big Derby Games Across The World?
Other big derby games that take place across the world are as follows:
- Milan Derby – Inter Milan and AC Milan
- Catalan Derby – Barcelona and Espanyol
- Rome Derby – Lazio and AS Roma
- Superclasico – River Plate and Boca Juniors
- Ruhr Derby – Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04
- Munich Derby – Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich
- Berlin Derby – Union Berlin and Hertha Berlin
- Moscow Derby – Spartak Moscow and CSKA Moscow
- Lisbon Derby – Sporting Lisbon and Benfica
- Istanbul Derby – Fenerbahce and Galatasaray
- Madrid Derby – Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid
- Athens Derby – Olympaikos and Panathinaikos
- Rio Derby – Flamengo and Fluminense
- Cairo Derby – Al Ahly and Zamalek
- Belgrade Derby – Red Star Belgrade and Partizan Belgrade
