Another week, another rise in the cost of living – but more importantly, another week of Premier League football, which means another Premier League accumulator!

At this rate, we’ll need our Premier League acca to land just to afford a meal deal without taking out a second mortgage.

And looking at this weekend’s fixtures, we might be going hungry.

The Premier League hasn’t exactly done us any favours with Matchweek 8. There are some absolute stinkers to predict, with several games where you could make a perfectly reasonable argument for either side winning.

But we’re not here to sit on the fence. That’s what football pundits get paid a fortune to do before telling us both teams played well.

We’ve picked five outright winners for this weekend’s accumulator. A couple we’re feeling pretty confident about, a couple that could go horribly wrong, and one that goes against just about every instinct I have as a Sunderland supporter.

Will all five come in? Hopefully.

Will we be regretting our life choices by Saturday teatime? There’s every chance.

Anyway, here’s our Premier League Matchweek 8 fivefold.

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Chelsea to beat Tottenham

Chelsea have started to find their feet under Xabi Alonso, and last weekend’s 2-0 victory away at Everton was another encouraging result.

The Blues have now won consecutive Premier League matches, scoring seven goals and conceding just once across victories over Bournemouth and Everton.

Morgan Rogers, João Pedro and Cole Palmer give Chelsea plenty of attacking quality, while their recent performances suggest Alonso’s ideas are starting to click.

Tottenham, meanwhile, picked up a much-needed 3-1 victory over Coventry on Monday.

That was an important result, but Spurs haven’t exactly been the definition of consistency this season.

They’ve shown flashes of quality going forward, although defensive lapses and an inability to control matches have continued to cause problems.

Chelsea should have opportunities to exploit those weaknesses, particularly with home advantage at Stamford Bridge.

London derbies rarely follow the script, but the Blues look the more convincing side heading into this one.

Pick: Chelsea to win

Newcastle United to beat Crystal Palace

Yes, we’re backing Newcastle again.

The Magpies have endured a frustrating couple of weeks, suffering a humiliating 4-1 defeat against Coventry before losing 1-0 at home to Aston Villa.

Neither performance inspired much confidence, and they need a response.

Fortunately for Newcastle, Crystal Palace aren’t exactly enjoying themselves either.

The Eagles were dismantled 5-0 by Brighton last Sunday, having already conceded three goals in their Europa League defeat against Lyon.

Eight goals conceded across two matches is a worrying return.

Palace also have a demanding European trip to Beşiktaş on Thursday before welcoming Newcastle on Sunday.

That turnaround could be significant.

Newcastle haven’t done much recently to earn our trust, but they possess enough attacking quality to exploit a Palace defence that has looked vulnerable.

This is probably one of the riskier selections in the accumulator.

Then again, after watching Coventry put four past Newcastle, perhaps we’re owed something.

Pick: Newcastle United to win

Arsenal to beat Everton

Arsenal haven’t been particularly spectacular in their recent Premier League outings.

They have, however, been winning.

Mikel Arteta’s side followed their 2-1 victory over Leeds with a narrow 1-0 success at Nottingham Forest last weekend.

It wasn’t a performance that will feature prominently in any end-of-season highlight reels, but three points are three points.

The Gunners have developed a useful habit of finding ways to win even when they’re not at their best.

Everton arrive at the Emirates following a 2-0 home defeat against Chelsea.

David Moyes will undoubtedly look to make life difficult for Arsenal, with the visitors likely to defend in numbers and frustrate the hosts.

That approach could keep things tight for long periods.

However, Arsenal possess the attacking quality to unlock stubborn defences, while their defensive organisation should limit Everton’s opportunities.

Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard could prove particularly important in breaking down the visitors’ defensive shape.

I’m not expecting Arsenal to run riot.

A fairly routine home victory would do nicely.

Pick: Arsenal to win

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Manchester City to beat Aston Villa

This is where things get interesting.

Manchester City have made an excellent start to their Premier League campaign and remain the team everyone else is trying to catch.

Pep Guardiola’s side continued their winning run with a 3-2 victory over Ipswich last weekend, although they were made to work considerably harder than expected.

Villa represent another step up in difficulty.

Unai Emery’s side beat Newcastle 1-0 at St James’ Park last Saturday before securing a 3-1 Champions League victory over Viking on Wednesday.

They’re playing with confidence and have already demonstrated that they’re capable of competing against strong opposition.

Villa Park won’t be an easy place for City to visit.

However, the visitors possess attacking quality that few teams can match.

Erling Haaland remains a constant threat, while City’s ability to control possession and create chances should test Villa’s defensive organisation.

Emery will have a plan to frustrate the visitors, and Villa’s recent performances suggest this could be a close contest.

But City have repeatedly demonstrated that they can find a way through when matches become difficult.

There’s a reason they’re setting the pace at the top of the Premier League.

I’m backing them to maintain that momentum.

Pick: Manchester City to win

Leeds United to beat Sunderland

And finally, the selection that’s going to hurt me the most if it comes in.

Leeds to beat Sunderland.

There. I’ve said it.

The Black Cats have endured a difficult run in the Premier League, losing four consecutive matches after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth.

Régis Le Bris’s side have struggled to turn promising passages of play into goals, while defensive mistakes have proved costly.

Europe has offered some relief, with Sunderland winning their opening two Europa League fixtures.

However, Tonight’s trip to Lech Poznań means another demanding turnaround before Leeds arrive at the Stadium of Light.

Daniel Farke’s side, meanwhile, earned a respectable 1-1 draw against Manchester United last Sunday.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin was on the scoresheet, and Leeds showed enough attacking intent to suggest they can cause Sunderland problems.

Sunderland’s home support will make this difficult, and I’d be delighted if the Black Cats proved me wrong.

Unfortunately, sentiment doesn’t win accumulators.

Well, it doesn’t usually.

Leeds look capable of taking advantage of Sunderland’s poor league form, and I’m reluctantly backing them to leave Wearside with three points.

Pick: Leeds United to win

Premier League Accumulator Tips

Five matches across Saturday and Sunday, with a couple of selections that could make this weekend considerably more stressful than necessary.

Here’s our Matchweek 8 fivefold:

• Chelsea to beat Tottenham
• Newcastle United to beat Crystal Palace
• Arsenal to beat Everton
• Manchester City to beat Aston Villa
• Leeds United to beat Sunderland

 

Chelsea and Arsenal look like two of the stronger selections, with both enjoying home advantage against opponents who’ve struggled for consistency.

Manchester City face a difficult trip to Aston Villa, but their outstanding league form makes them difficult to oppose.

Newcastle are the wildcard.

They’ve been disappointing recently, although Palace’s defensive problems and European commitments could provide an opportunity for Howe’s side to bounce back.

And then there’s Leeds.

Backing them to win at the Stadium of Light feels wrong on several levels, but Sunderland’s recent league performances haven’t given us much reason for confidence.

If the first four selections come in, we’ll be heading into Sunday evening needing Leeds to beat Sunderland.

As a Sunderland supporter, that’s a deeply uncomfortable position to be in.

But if the Black Cats ruin the accumulator by winning, I suspect I’ll get over it fairly quickly.

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