Premier League Picks & Top Tips: Chelsea set to challenge rusty Man City

Our football betting expert Jones Knows is here once again to share his valuable insights and top picks on every game as the Premier League makes its comeback.

Brentford vs Crystal Palace, Sunday 2pm, live on

Crystal Palace won seven of their 13 games under Oliver Glasner last season, taking 24 points and winning six of their last seven. I was excited for what could be achieved this season but the transfer window is tempering my enthusiasm with Michael Olise gone and Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen potentially going too.

Brentford notoriously are strong at home against teams from the bottom half, losing just two of their 20 fixtures across the last two seasons. I'm not exactly bouncing about their prospects this season with a potentially stagnate squad at Thomas Frank's disposal, but this could be a great time to play Palace with so much transfer speculation echoing in the background. The 11/8 with Sky Bet for the home win looked the way to play.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-1

Chelsea vs Manchester City, Sunday 4.30pm, live on - PLAY £2M SUPER 6 HERE!

Manchester City at 4/5 with Sky Bet for the win is easily passed up based on the likely understrength nature of the City starting XI and a strangely awful recent record against top-six teams away from home.

City are almost certainly going to be without Rodri, who failed to feature in any of their pre-season games and fellow Euro 2024 finalists Kyle Walker, John Stones and Phil Foden are also short of match practice. City lost all three games without Rodri on the road last season at Wolves, Arsenal and Aston Villa and averaged a per game average of just 0.66 expected goals across those three fixtures.

Also, Pep Guardiola's side have only won two of the last 10 matches away at a top-six finisher across the last two seasons with six of those 10 games falling under the 2.5 goals line.

Chelsea aren't exactly a team to trust though with Enzo Maresca likely to take a while to find his best XI from the 41 players he can pick from.

When it does click though, Chelsea have the talent to compete with the top clubs.

It's tricky to formulate a betting plan for this one but heading to the Bet Builder and backing Chelsea with a +2 goal handicap along with under 3.5 match goals brings out a 10/11 shot with Sky Bet which has a fine chance of landing.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1

Leicester vs Tottenham, Monday 8pm, live on

I just love the Dominic Solanke signing. He could be the final piece of the jigsaw for Ange Postecoglou as he's the perfect modern-day centre-forward that is a great penalty-box finisher and links the play expertly.

I think Postecoglou and his methods can take him to the next level - and boy is he going to get chances playing as the focal point in this Tottenham attack.

Solanke scored 19 goals last season at Bournemouth with only two of them coming from the penalty spot - I'm fully expecting him to surpass those numbers with the level of service improving wide from areas. It's those finishes from cutbacks from wide areas he does excel with and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him get off the mark against who I have down as the most likely to prop up the division this season.

The 4/1 with Sky Bet for Solanke to score first is begging to be backed.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-3 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Dominic Solanke to score first (4/1 with Sky Bet - part of the 14/1 weekend treble!)

Jones Knows' best bets...

1pt on treble of Arsenal to win to nil, West Ham to avoid defeat vs Aston Villa & Dominic Solanke to score first in Leicester vs Tottenham (14/1 with Sky Bet - Bet here!)