Premier League: Mateta, Haaland, Ekitike among Matchday 10 ‘most likely goalscorers’ on stacked weekend schedule
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Crystal Palace vs. Brentford: Jean-Philippe Mateta
Five matches kick off Saturday’s Premier League action, and at Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace will be looking to build on their third win of the season over Liverpool in midweek when they play host to Brentford.
Palace have begun to falter in the top flight after an impressive start to the season, now winless in three games, but they are still unbeaten at home since mid-February. Our experts are expecting goals in this match, according to our Crystal Palace vs Brentford prediction.
Eagles’ striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is one to watch this weekend. The Frenchman has the second-highest xG per match in the league this season (0.9) only behind Erling Haaland, and he has scored 21 goals in his last 27 Prem appearances at Selhurst Park.
Brighton vs. Leeds: Danny Welbeck
Brighton & Hove Albion will take on Leeds United at the Amex on Saturday, with the Seagulls looking to bounce back from a tough trip to Old Trafford, while the Whites are fresh off a 2-1 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium.
Our experts are learning toward the hosts in this one based on our Brighton vs Leeds prediction, and Danny Welbeck is one to watch in this clash after another impressive performance against his former employers in Manchester last weekend.
The veteran forward has netted five goals from just 12 shots across nine games this season and currently has the best conversion rate in the top flight (41.7%) among players who have taken 10+ shots in league games to date.
Nottingham Forest vs. Man United: Bryan Mbeumo
Manchester United fans have rediscovered their voice in the last few weeks, with the Red Devils now riding a three-match win streak - their best run since February 2024 - and they will be looking to extend that when they face a stuttering Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
One player that has been key to United’s upturn in results is Bryan Mbuemo, who is starting to show the type of form he did last season at Brentford. The Cameroonian bagged a brace last weekend against Brighton and scored the opener against Liverpool the previous week.
With four league goals to his name this term, Mbeumo is the top scorer for Ruben Amorim’s side at present, and his stats show that he is the team’s biggest attacking threat, averaging 0.34 non-penalty xG per match and 1.9 chances created per 90.
Burnley vs. Arsenal: Gabriel Magalhaes
It isn’t often that you see a centre-back expected to be among the most likely goal scorers on any given weekend, but Gabriel Magalhaes is an exception, and many consider him to be the best attacking player from set-pieces in the Premier League this season.
The Brazilian has netted just once in the top flight this term, but it was a winner against Newcastle United, while he also got a crucial flick-on to set up Leandro Trossard for the only goal of the match against Fulham after the international break.
Our Burnley vs Arsenal prediction points firmly to a Gunners victory here against a side with the lowest xG per 90 this season. Adding to the difficulty for the Clarets is that they are facing a team that has not conceded a single goal in over 550 minutes of play.
Liverpool vs. Aston Villa: Hugo Ekitike
The defending champions host Aston Villa on Saturday and this feels like a must-win for Arne Slot, with his side having now lost six of their last seven matches across all competitions, following their 3-0 drubbing in midweek against Crystal Palace.
The Reds' record summer signing Alexander Isak has been in the firing line for his performances this season, as he is clearly not fully fit, and Slot confirmed in his pre-match press conference that the Swede is 99.9% certain to miss this weekend’s fixture.
That will likely mean that Hugo Ekitike will be given the nod to lead the line, which is something many Liverpool fans have been begging for. The youngster has three goals and two assists in eight Prem matches, and has scored in every competition for the Reds this season.
Tottenham vs. Chelsea: Pedro Neto
Chelsea will make the trip to the north of the capital this weekend to face a rejuvenated Tottenham Hotspur, and the Blues are in desperate need of a victory here, having slipped to ninth place after losing their third league game in five against Sunderland last week. Check out our Tottenham vs Chelsea prediction!
Enzo Maresca’s side were largely toothless in attack last week against the Black Cats, with Joao Pedro failing to record a single shot at goal. He has now failed to score in eight straight, and it doesn’t help that Liam Delap is now suspended after being sent off in midweek.
In terms of the eye test, Chelsea’s best attacking player in recent weeks has been Pedro Neto, who has registered three goal involvements in his last two matches. The Portuguese winger has also been excellent on the counter, which is something the Blues may have to rely on in this one.
Manchester City vs. Bournemouth: Erling Haaland
The final curtain on Sunday in the Premier League comes from the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City face a surging Bournemouth, who are second in the league standings this season and two points above the Citizens.
Enter Erling Haaland. The Norwegian was disappointing last weekend at Villa, but with 11 goals this season, he is the out-and-out bookmaker’s favourite to add to his tally this week. Our Manchester City vs Bournemouth prediction also supports this outcome.
Haaland’s individual goal tally this season is more than eight teams in the Prem have managed to date, and his underlying numbers per 90 are incredible - 1.03 xG, 0.24 xG per shot, 4.29 shots, and 29.73% goal/shot conversion.
