Premier League Betting Tips: Back Ben White to be booked at the Emirates

Andy Schooler returns to preview this week’s Premier League TV games, including the Arsenal v Liverpool showdown.

Leicester v Nottingham Forest

Friday, 20:00, Sky Sports

Leicester have won their last two to climb away from the drop zone and, having had the threat of a points deduction removed, the Foxes are very much looking the most likely of the promoted sides to survive.

A key man in the last few weeks has been Facundo Buonanotte, with the young Argentine having scored in both of those two victories.

While only Liverpool have conceded fewer goals than Forest, this could well be a ding-dong affair given the East Midlands rivalry and I’d expect Leicester, with their confidence up, to have a good go here.

Buonanotte looks the man to follow with his ‘to score or assist’ price seemingly the best way to side with him.

He’s landed this bet in five of his last six Premier League appearances yet is out at 3.1 to repeat the feat here. I think that’s worth a go.

Prediction: Facundo Buonanotte to score or assist @ 3.1

Everton v Fulham

Saturday, 17:30, Sky Sports

I mentioned Raul Jimenez on these pages earlier this month, suggesting him as a big-priced first goalscorer at Manchester City.

I think I can be excused for that one not winning – he did assist the first goal of that game – but he’s scored in his four other Premier League starts this season and has plenty of potential in the anytime scorer market at Goodison Park.

The Mexican now has 11 goals in his last 15 league starts for Fulham and will face an Everton defence which was missing star man Jarrad Branthwaite against last week. His fitness remains a concern.

Admittedly, the Toffees have kept back-to-back clean sheets and are now unbeaten in four but Newcastle created plenty (and missed a penalty) in Goodison’s last game and Fulham are another side showing plenty of creativity – they have an expected-goals figure more than five higher than the actual number of goals they’ve scored.

Jimenez is the man who is putting chances away and so let’s back him again here.

Prediction: Raul Jimenez anytime scorer @ 3.45

Chelsea v Newcastle

Sunday, 14:00, Sky Sports

It’s not a big price but I can’t resist backing Marc Cucurella for another card in this one; it’s a bet all about circumstances.

Cucurella had a public moan at the referees after he collected five yellows in the first seven games of the season, suggesting the officials “are going after me a bit”, the reason supposedly being his part in Spain’s winning goal in the Euro 2024 final against England.

You wonder if Chelsea will be getting a phone call from the FA at some point but, in the meantime, Simon Hooper has a chance to deal with the left-back here.

I’d suspect he’d be more than happy to book Cucurella given half a chance – he certainly won’t want to be seen to be ‘caving in’ to the criticism and going soft on the Spaniard.

The fact is Cucurella was getting booked a lot way before that Euros final – he collected 10 cards in 21 league games last season. That means he’s been carded in 15 of his last 28, figures which, when translated purely, would result in an odds-on quote.

Anthony Gordon could well move to the right here to accommodate Harvey Barnes following last week’s disappointing home defeat to Brighton and that would mean a tough afternoon for Cucurella.

Prediction: Marc Cucurella to be carded @ 2.88

Arsenal v Liverpool

Sunday, 1630, Sky Sports

Meetings of these two sides have taken on great importance in title terms in the past couple of seasons and that has been reflected in the card tallies.

Last season’s two league meetings produced a total of 17 cards, while there were eight when these two faced off in the run-in in 2022/23, the 2-2 draw at Anfield proving a major blow to Arsenal’s title challenge that season.

With Anthony Taylor averaging around five cards per game since the start oof last season, a few more should be on display on Sunday.

Therefore, let’s head to the player-card market and side with Ben White.

He’s received four cards in his eight Premier League games against Liverpool, including all three of those matches mentioned above.

White has also been booked twice in the past week (against Bournemouth and Shakhtar), while the right-back seems likely to be in for a busy afternoon with either Cody Gakpo or Luis Diaz set to operate down that side.

Prediction: Ben White to be carded @ 3.10

Recommended Bets

Facundo Buonanotte to score or assist in Leicester v Forest @ 3.10
Raul Jimenez anytime scorer in Everton v Fulham @ 3.45
Marc Cucurella to be carded in Chelsea v Newcastle @ 2.88
Ben White to be carded in Arsenal v Liverpool @ 3.10