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Premier League Treble: Arsenal recovery, Norwich lesson and a Man United hammering

We’re back for another weekend of Premier League action which will see Arsenal take on Burnley, Norwich host Watford and West Ham welcome Man United, and our odds have been boosted for this treble.

Our friends at Football365 have put together an interesting looking treble for this weekend's Premier League action. Then our colleagues at Planet Sport Bet decided to boost the odds to 16/1!

What a nice bunch we are.

Saturday treble Sept 18

Arsenal's new system provides glimmer of hope

The Gunners were busy over the summer transfer window and fans will have been pleased to see five new signings start in last weekend's 1-0 victory against Norwich.

The brand new centre-back partnership of Ben White and Gabriel kept their first clean sheet as Mikel Arteta's 4-3-3 system finally paid dividends.

This is Arteta's preferred system but one which requires the right personnel - something the manager has not always had at the Emirates.

It would be silly to put Arsenal back in the 'Big Six' picture following a 1-0 win over bottom-of-the-table Norwich. The signs, however, are promising. Honest.

Arteta is trying to implement a tactical style consisting of a high-press, short passing and disciplined positioning. This is a similar style to the one used by Pep Guardiola. The difference, of course, are the quality of players who are trying to execute the complex system.

Burnley are the perfect opponents for Arsenal to continue their newly found momentum. Sean Dyche has a woeful record against the Premier League's giants, predominantly because of his 4-2-2 system which tends to open up gaps in the two-man midfield.
Arteta's system is based on the idea of having two number eights causing damage in the middle of the park. With that in mind, it could be a long afternoon for the hosts if the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard both start.

Don't believe us? Look what happened against Everton. As soon as Rafael Benitez switched to a 4-3-3 system, the Clarets were overrun by Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan.

Unless Sean Dyche has something up his sleeve, this can only go one way.

Norwich haven't learned their lesson

Anyone remember Norwich City during the 2019/20 season? Daniel Farke's men were hopelessly out of their depth as they pursued an attacking style of soccer and got undone at the back with basic defensive mistakes.
If you're looking for a Norwich description for the 2021/22 season, feel free to copy and paste the paragraph above.

It seems as the Canaries haven't learned a thing from their dreadful season in the Premier League two years ago - and that's despite signings the likes of Billy Gilmour, Ozan Kabak, Milot Rashica and Ben Gibson over the summer.

Farke's men are on zero points from four games. If that wasn't enough, they've also conceded ten goals and scored just one. Surely then, this weekend's game with Watford is a must-win deal for the Canaries.

However, winning against the Hornets is certainly easier said than done. Watford did the season double over Farke's side last season, winning both games 1-0 in the Championship.
The pressure is on as both teams can't afford to lose this game. Norwich just want a point on the board while Watford just want to end their losing run away from home. With that in mind, the draw is the most likely outcome.

Ronaldo's influence can go a long way

Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo signed on the dotted line for Manchester United, we have been pondering whether his goals can close the club's gap to Manchester City. In a matter of four days, United have been able to present the case for and against that argument.

It was Ronaldo's goals which put United on a path to victory against Newcastle. The Red Devils were doing their usually shtick - sideways passing with little progression through the middle - when suddenly the Portugal international came up with the goods.

This past Tuesday in the Champions League, Ronaldo was able to open the scoring against Young Boys. Nevertheless, that wasn't enough to paper over the cracks as the Swiss outfit came back to pull off a memorable win.
One thing we know for sure is that it's going to be an interesting year. We're only five games into the new campaign and each one of them has been absolutely enthralling in its own special way.
Then again, that should be expected when you've got a sleeping giant aching for a return to its glory years, stacked with world class stars but led by an unproven manager at the highest level.

David Moyes knows what it's like to be in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's shoes. He also knows that his West Ham side are full of confidence ahead of this weekend's clash.

The Hammers play with a conservative defensive setup which is the exact type of soccer that tends to stump and frustrate the Red Devils. Take their games with Southampton and Wolves for example.

This weekend will be a contest between a group of individuals without a coherent plan and a team full of spirit with tactical know-how. I'll let you guess which one is which.
We know West Ham are good at cutting out deliveries into the area and they're strong in midfield, winning the majority of 50-50 battles. When you add to the mix a passionate sell-out crowd, you have to give the Hammers a good chance of at least holding on to a point - if not battling for all three.
The Treble: Arsenal to win, Norwich v Watford draw, double chance West Ham/draw at 12.53 (Planet Sport Bet)
Odds correct at the time of publication. 18+. BeGambleAware.org.

READ MORE: Sleeping giants: Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and other English clubs who should be better

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