The A-League is developing well but has not had the time to mature and sometimes lacks the excitement that the English Premier League has to offer. If you are interested in soccer you might want to give “U.K Football” a try as the matches are played at a much faster pace, in packed out stadiums and world-class stars on show. For Aussies that are bored of watching a bunch of amateurs and ex-stars past their sell by dates, switching to watching the EPL could be far more fun.
Below are 10 interesting facts about the 2016/17 EPL season so far and why you should consider tuning in.
- Jermain Defoe – The ex-Tottenham and England international single-handedly saved Sunderland from relegation last year and he have got off to a flyer again this campaign. This season he has scored 60% of their goals and it is a surprise that he was not called up to the England squad for the recent international qualifiers. If you are looking for weekend football tips for the EPL, it is worth backing Defoe to score.
- Chelsea is back on form thanks to new summer signing N’golo Kante. The player signed from former champions Leicester City has an unbelievable passing accuracy rate of 90%. He has been one of the main reasons why the Blue are currently sitting second in the EPL.
- Tony Pulis has turned West Brom into the long ball tactics team he created at Stoke. Many Baggies fans are not happy with the way their team plays and wanted Pulis out but the manager has extended his contract with the club in recent weeks. His team has an average passing length of 22 metres.
- Top football tips websites have Manchester City as the favorites to win the EPL this season. With new manager Pep Guardiola in charge, they have unbelievable possession stats at 61.1%. They may have been off form in recent weeks but they are still the team most punters think will win the title this campaign.
- West Ham is the dirtiest team in the EPL and their players have already picked up a total of 31 yellow cards. If you’re wanting weekend football tips then backing the Hammers to pick up more than one yellow card in a game, is a great one to put on.
- Liverpool is genuine title contenders this season and things are finally clicking into place for manager Klopp. The Reds have only lost one match out of the 11 played so far this term which is Champions form.
- Current champions Leicester City can not win away from home. If you are looking for top football tips for the EPL, backing Leicester to lose when they play away is a great bet to place.
- If Sergio Aguero manages to stay injury free for the rest of the season, which is extremely doubtful given his injury record, he should go on to be this season’s highest goal scorer. Do not back him for getting the most assists though as he is one of the greediest players in the league and has not provided one assist to his teammates in the 11 matches so far but has an impressive 8 goals already to his name.
- Lukaku and new Everton signing Yannick Bolasie are a perfect combination. The former Crystal Palace player has provided Romelu with four assists so far this campaign.
- Alan Pardew is in deep trouble and could be sacked soon if he does not turn things around fast. His team Crystal Palace have now lost four matches on the bounce and are desperate to pick up points over the weekend.
About
John Hawthorne is a professional sports writer who works freelance providing daily analysis and football tips for several major online sports websites.
My problem with the A-League isn’t the lower level of play, it’s the plastic nature of the clubs that kills me. Games like Central Coast Mariners vs Wellington Phoenix give me the willies before the first ball is even kicked.
I’ve only really seen United play this year, thats been tortuous enough. I’ve got Optus but it’s nothing like the coverage and ease of foxtel in previous years.
I didn’t begin watching the EPL until i was in my mid 30’s and absolutely love it. The proximity of the crowd to the pitch makes it a far better spectacle than other leagues. Not to mention the singing. If i was to make a suggestion to a non-soccer person it would be to rather than watch a Man u or Chelsea match, watch a match featuring clubs such as Burnley or Bournmouth who play in old fashioned grounds (ie not Concrete stadiums). Bit like our old suburban VFL grounds. Or watch a derby: Arsenal/Spurs, Liverpool/Everton(go the Reds), Sunderland/Newcastle etc. There’s a number of free sites on line. I even go to the extreme of looking on a map to see how far the away supporters had to travel to get to the ground. Or look at the ground on Google earth where you can see the layout and surrounding streets.
Another cracking season with no run away favourite. With Chelsea and Liverpool not having any European commitments, that could work in their favour. Even though i’m a Reds fan, i love watching the lesser teams such as Palace or Sunderland go at it. They may not have the superstars but there’s always someone who catches the eye.