Premier League pointers – our top team unearth their punting gems from the midweek action

Brighton v Bournemouth

Brighton had a taste of European football last season and they are putting themselves in the frame for a return to continental action.

The Seagulls rose to eighth place after Tuesday's 2-1 success at home to Bournemouth which was their fourth consecutive win across all competitions.

They are playing with lots of confidence and have a crucial period coming up with league games at home to Fulham and Aston Villa sandwiched either side of a trip to Manchester City.

Fabian Hurzeler's progressive side should continue to impress and are attractively priced at 5-2 for a top-six finish.

Dan Childs

Crystal Palace v Aston Villa

Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the winner in Crystal Palace's 4-1 victory over Aston Villa with a fine left-footed strike and the Eagles' star striker could soar again in Saturday's FA Cup clash with Millwall.

The 27-year-old has scored 15 goals in all competitions and eight in his last nine appearances, and the fact that 14 of these goals have been scored from inside the 18-yard box will be a concern for Millwall. 

Only three Championship teams have allowed a higher proportion of shots from inside the box than the Lions, and Mateta can be backed at 6-4 to grab a 16th goal of the season.

Alex Wrigley

Wolves v Fulham

Ange Postecoglou may not be a fan of the assist statistic and Marco Silva might agree given that he dropped Fulham's leading assist-maker Antonee Robinson in their 2-1 win over Wolves.

Robinson was replaced by Ryan Sessegnon on the left flank and the former Spurs man made an immediate impression, using his pace to latch onto Andreas Pereira's pass to score after just 59 seconds.

Sessegnon was taken off after 71 minutes having registered two shots – both on target – and a key pass and he could be used more frequently by Silva going forwards. If he's handed opportunities, he appeals in both goalscorer and assist markets in future weeks.

Liam Flin

It might not be long before Cole Palmer is back on the scoresheetCredit: Visionhaus

Chelsea v Southampton

A 4-0 Chelsea victory without a goal from Cole Palmer would have been unthinkable for much of the past two seasons.

However, the Blues star missed several excellent chances against Southampton and he has failed to score in his last seven appearances.

Palmer is still getting into dangerous positions – especially at Stamford Bridge, where he has had 14 shots in his last two games against West Ham and the sorry Saints.

He scored a hat-trick against Manchester United and notched four times against Everton last term, also helping himself to four first-half goals against Brighton in September, so don't be surprised if he ends his drought in style at home to lowly Leicester on March 9.

James Milton 

Brentford v Everton

Brentford were left feeling frustrated after squandering a 1-0 half-time lead in Wednesday's 1-1 draw at home to injury-hit Everton, but they can look forward to the rest of the season with plenty of optimism.

The Bees are on course for a big improvement on last season's 16th place and will be trying to attach themselves to the teams challenging for European qualification.

Thomas Frank's side have stayed in a strong position despite not winning a home game since December.

However, they are 6-4 favourites to defeat Aston Villa in the Premier League next weekend and rightly so, given the Villans' involvement in the FA Cup and Champions League.

Dan Childs

Manchester United v Ipswich

Bruno Fernandes may have only been credited with one assist in Manchester United's comeback win over Ipswich, but the club captain played a key role in all three goals as he terrorised the Tractor Boys from set pieces.

His official recognition came from the eventual winner as he floated in a corner for Harry Maguire to power a header home, taking his tally to 23 competitive goal involvements this season. 

Three of those have come in his last four appearances and he is 6-5 to register a goal or an assist on Sunday against a Fulham side that allowed him six shots, three of them on target, in their last visit to Old Trafford.

Alex Wrigley

Nottingham Forest's Callum Hudson-Odoi impressed with his defensive work against ArsenalCredit: NurPhoto via Getty Images

Nottingham Forest v Arsenal

Callum Hudson-Odoi has always been known for his classic wing-play, pace and crossing ability but he demonstrated another side to his game in Wednesday's goalless stalemate with Arsenal.

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo switched his wingers against the Gunners and, while Hudson-Odoi made life difficult for Arsenal full-back Riccardo Calafiori, he also tracked back tirelessly and contributed defensively.

Hudson-Odoi made three clearances and one interception but also racked up three fouls, having committed only seven in the league beforehand. 

That approach could be a sign of things to come and he is worth backing in the cards and fouls markets with Manchester City next up in the league.

Liam Flin

Tottenham v Manchester City

Wednesday's 1-0 win was a pleasing result for Manchester City given their patchy recent form and poor record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

They should have been further ahead by half-time but an all-too-familiar drop-off in the second half must be a concern for Pep Guardiola.

From a punting perspective, if you fancy City to win a game then it is probably worth backing them to be leading at half-time and full-time.

They have been ahead at the break in seven of their last eight Premier League victories but still seem to lack the ability to grind out wins if they fail to score an early goal.

James Milton

Liverpool v Newcastle

One of the most notable aspects of Newcastle’s performance against Liverpool was the positional flexibility given to Anthony Gordon as he looked to spark life into an attack which was missing Alexander Isak.

The Swede is a doubt for Sunday’s FA Cup clash against Brighton so Eddie Howe may allow Gordon similar freedom, with the former Everton man pushing up to be a second striker in an out-of-possession 4-4-2 and then drifting all over the forward line with the ball.

With Callum Wilson struggling as he returns to fitness and William Osula still a raw talent who Howe is keen not to rush, Gordon could bear more of the attacking burden than usual. He is 13-10 to score or assist against the Seagulls.

Joe Casey

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