We were treated to some great football during the international break, whether it was Spain’s dominance or England dazzling against Croatia. However, we are all glad it’s over, right? Gameweek 6 in the Premier League is here, and we have some interesting fixtures to start us off. Manchester United will host Tottenham, with both teams desperate for a morale-boosting three points. The other two games we are looking at are Sunderland vs Brighton and Ipswich vs Fulham. Check out our Premier League predictions below.
Premier League Predictions: GW6 Saturday Predictions
Manchester United vs Tottenham
Manchester United vs Tottenham brings together two teams that have struggled so far this season, with Spurs sitting bottom of the table, with two points from five games.
Carlos Baleba could make his first competitive start this weekend, which could be a huge boost for The Red Devils. Carrick will likely not be able to call on Benjamin Sesko, who is suffering from a shin injury.
Kobbie Mainoo withdrew from the England squad with an unspecified injury, but the midfielder is likely to be fit for the visit of Spurs. Patrick Dorgu will also be out with a thigh injury. Matthijs de Ligt will also be missing, but Carrick could be able to call on Marcus Rashford.
Tottenham have suffered from various injury problems this season, and Pedro Porro will be missing for the trip to Old Trafford.
Micky van de Ven is doubtful after picking up a hand injury on international duty. Jan Paul van Hecke will likely also be missing for the weekend after picking up a foot injury on international duty. Dejan Kulusevski is nearing a return after his long-term injury issues, but this weekend will come too soon.
Prediction: Manchester United win
Sunderland vs Brighton
It’s been a mixed bag for Sunderland so far, and they deserve more than the four points accrued so far. They showed resilience and class at Manchester City and were unlucky to come away empty-handed, with key refereeing decisions not going their way.
Sunderland have several injury concerns ahead of hosting Brighton this weekend. Brian Brobbey and Dan Ballard picked up hamstring injuries, and it remains to be seen how long they will be missing. Noah Sadiki and Wilson Isidor are also doubts, but we should know more when Regis Le Bris speaks to the press tomorrow.
It’s been an impressive start for Albion, with the club sitting in third. They were dominant against Arsenal before the international break, winning 3-0.
Femi Azeez could be available, with head coach Fabian Hurzeler recently saying Azeez was “close” to making his debut. Skipper Lewis Dunk is likely to be back after the international break, having recently been pictured in training following a neck issue, which kept him out of the Arsenal win. Hurzeler will be hopeful to call upon Jack Hinshelwood, Zadok Yohanna, Minteh and Mats Wieffer. Yasin Ayari picked up an illness while on international duty with Sweden, and is a doubt for the weekend.
Prediction: Draw
Ipswich Town vs Fulham
Ipswich Town currently sit in mid-table, with two wins from their opening five games. They have shown battling qualities in their two wins but have also come up short in some areas.
Fulham are winless so far, but can count themselves unlucky, having caused Chelsea and Manchester United problems.
Issahaku Fatawu will be missing through suspension after his sending off against Everton. Jack Taylor has been missing due to a knee injury, and we should know more about his availability when Gary O’Neil speaks to the press.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s team tackled Manchester United before the international break without Tom Cairney and Kenny Tete, and it remains to be seen if both return for this weekend.
Prediction: Fulham win
The Last Word
It feels good to be back after the extended international break, and we the fixtures above give us plenty of intrigue ahead of the weekend fixtures. How will the international break have affected some teams positively, while others negatively?
Can Manchester United or Tottenham kick-start their seasons with three points at the weekend? Or will Fulham finally collect their first three points? Whatever happens this weekend, there looks set to be plenty of goals and talking points.
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