BETMGM GOLDEN GOALS PREMIER LEAGUE STAT PACK: NEW-LOOK CHELSEA’S MD3 ACID TEST
There have been 63 goals scored over the past two weeks in the Premier League – 11 more than this time last year.
That kind of goalscoring form is certainly great for the neutral and one to consider in this week's Golden Goals, where you can win up to £250,000 by correctly predicting six scores across the weekend.
And you don't need to be perfect – there's rewards on offer even if you don't land all six.
Using your football knowledge to get as few as two scores correct could see one of several prizes heading your way, from Free Bets to a share of £5,000 cash!
Click here for full Golden Goals information, including prize breakdown and terms.
Need a hand with your scores? We’ve got you covered with key stats, facts and insight – including a correct score prediction and a Bet Builder – for each of the six Golden Goals games below…
BRENTFORD 2-1 SUNDERLAND
- Kick-off: Sat 5th Sep, 15:00
- Match odds: Brentford 3/5; Draw 3/1; Sunderland 9/2
- Brentford MD2: Drew 1-1 vs Leeds
- Sunderland MD2: Won 1-0 vs Fulham
- Player to watch: Igor Thiago (Brentford)
- Key stat: Igor Thiago scored three times against Sunderland last term
Did you back our Leeds versus Brentford prediction last week?
If you did, you were one correct score away from netting a reward and five more from the big one.
Next up for the Bees is a home date with Sunderland, a side that – like most in the league – struggled to leave with anything but their tails between their legs at Brentford Community Stadium last season.
The Black Cats lost 3-0 on their last visit, with Enzo Le Fee's missed Panenka theatrics snuffing out any hope of a way back into the game despite his side having 11 shots.
Igor Thiago scored three goals across the two meetings with Sunderland last season, one away and a brace at home, with only Everton conceding more to the Brazilian across his triumphant 22-goal campaign.
Thiago is yet to open his account after two games played this season – much like last year, when he was scoreless in a loss to Chelsea and a draw with Fulham before bagging himself a brace against Manchester United on Matchday 3.
BetMGM’s Bet Builder: Brentford to win, BTTS & Igor Thiago to score anytime @ 10/3
MANCHESTER CITY 5-0 COVENTRY
- Kick-off: Sat 5th Sep, 15:00
- Match odds: Man City 2/11; Draw 13/2; Coventry 11/1
- Man City MD2: Won 4-1 vs Crystal Palace
- Coventry MD2: Lost 1-0 vs Hull
- Player to watch: Rayan Cherki (Man City)
- Key stat: Only Man Utd (8.0) have had more shots on target per game than Man City (7.5) so far
After a somewhat shaky start on the opening weekend, Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City certainly looked back to their old selves with a commanding 4-1 win at Selhurst Park on Friday night.
As did Erling Haaland, whose fresh buzzcut got put to good use within the first 17 minutes to open the scoring with a carefully placed header.
But the star of the show was once again Rayan Cherki, who now stands on four goal involvements in his previous two matches – form you fear when tasked with keeping any of City’s attackers quiet.
Coventry were probably the last team you would expect to trail the other two newly promoted sides and yet here they are in 17th with no points or goals to their name.
Frank Lampard’s side now must compete against a City side with wind firmly in their sails and who currently average the second-most shots on target per game at 7.5 – a number that could easily hit double-digits Saturday afternoon.
If the 3-0 loss to Arsenal on the opening day was bad, this has the look of an even longer afternoon at the Etihad.
BetMGM’s Bet Builder: Man City to win, Cherki to score or assist & Man City 10+ SoT @ 5/2
NOTT’M FOREST 2-0 TOTTENHAM
- Kick-off: Sat 5th Sep, 15:00
- Match odds: Nott’m Forest 29/20; Draw 12/5; Tottenham 9/5
- Forest MD2: Drew 2-2 vs Liverpool
- Spurs MD2: Lost 2-0 vs Newcastle
- Player to watch: Morgan Gibbs-White (Nott’m Forest)
- Key stat: Only one team has scored in 6 of the last 10 meetings
Something has to give at the City Ground because, for Tottenham, Nottingham Forest have long been an ever-present thorn in their side.
Spurs have lost four straight meetings with the Tricky Trees – including 3-0 reverses in both fixtures last season.
Like Coventry, Roberto De Zerbi’s side are also yet to get off the mark in both points and goals this season, the first time they've opened a campaign without a goal in their first two games since 1974.
Only the North Londoners sit rock bottom of the Premier League having conceded more goals than any other side, with old habits from the last two seasons slowly creeping back in.
Oliver Glasner's start at Forest hasn't exactly been smooth either, but there were signs of life against Liverpool last time out – twice taking the lead at Anfield before Victor Munoz's late leveller denied them all three points.
Morgan Gibbs-White, who came agonisingly close to joining Tottenham last year, was at the heart of the action once again by assisting Dan Ndoye's opener before converting a penalty of his own.
The England international has now had a hand in 12 goals across his last 12 top-flight appearances and Spurs will know better than most how difficult he is to tie down.
BetMGM’s Bet Builder: Nott’m Forest to win, Gibbs-White to score or assist & Marmoush 2+ shots @ 19/5
HULL 0-2 ASTON VILLA
- Kick-off: Sat 5th Sep, 17:30
- Match odds: Hull 11/4; Draw 5/2; Aston Villa 10/11
- Hull MD2: Won 1-0 vs Coventry
- Aston Villa MD2: Lost 1-0 vs Arsenal
- Player to watch: Nicolas Jackson (Aston Villa)
- Key stat: Unai Emery has never lost to a newly promoted team as Villa boss
Hull could become only the second newly promoted team to win their first three Premier League matches after Sam Allardyce's 2001/02 Bolton side.
On the face of it, the signs look good for Hull.
Aston Villa have zero shots on target after two matches and went scoreless in their opening three games last term too.
However it's 22 years since a side opened with three consecutive matches without a shot on target and the context – Villa faced Brighton on Matchday 1 without a striker and then went head-to-head with arguably the world's best defence in Arsenal on Matchday 2 – simply cannot be ignored.
Last term the Villans averaged 4.47 shots on target per 90, so a correction feels overdue.
Nicolas Jackson arrives as Ollie Watkins' replacement off the back of a double-winning campaign with Bayern Munich in which he averaged almost two shots on target per 90 – and 35 on target from 76 attempts during his last Premier League foray doesn't hamper things either.
Emery has never lost to a newly promoted side as Villa manager while the Tigers have just one win in 16 against the West Midlands side.
The smart money is on the Europa League champions here.
BetMGM’s Bet Builder: Villa win to-nil, Jackson 1+ SoT, McGinn 1+ fouls, Villa 5+ total SoT & Villa most corners @ 15/2
EVERTON 1-1 MANCHESTER UNITED
- Kick-off: Sun 6th Sep, 14:00
- Match odds: Everton 21/10; Draw 5/2; Team B 6/5
- Everton MD2: Drew 1-1 vs Bournemouth
- Man Utd MD2: Won 5-2 vs Ipswich
- Player to watch: Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd)
- Key stat: Everton have yet to win back-to-back league games at the Hill Dickinson
Everton’s transfer window is widely considered a disaster but their form hasn’t matched that yet – four points from six against a European trophy winner and a top-six side from last term is the very opposite of disastrous.
Manchester United arrive a point worse off and similarly underwhelmed by transfer activity but Michael Carrick’s 42 points from 19 games in charge remains the best return of any manager in that timespan.
Bruno Fernandes is still, as ever, United’s trump card. A hat-trick and an assist last week, he goes into this one knowing no player in Premier League history has had more goal involvements against Everton than his 11 in 13 meetings.
In the blue corner, Thierno Barry finds himself with a free run up front as the Toffees’ only true senior striker.
The Frenchman ranks third for non-penalty xG over the first two matchdays and, by necessity, will be the main target for the reunited creative duo of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jack Grealish.
United, meanwhile, have fired in a division-high 34 shots across the opening two games – volume that should hold up well even if Sunday is a tight one.
BetMGM’s Bet Builder: Fernandes to score or assist, Barry 1+ SoT, Over 1.5 total goals & Man Utd 15+ shots @ 18/5
ARSENAL 2-1 CHELSEA
- Kick-off: Sun 6th Sep, 2026
- Match odds: Arsenal 4/6; Draw 11/4; Chelsea 19/5
- Arsenal MD2: Won 1-0 vs Aston Villa
- Chelsea MD2: Won 4-3 vs Brighton
- Player to watch: Joao Pedro (Chelsea)
- Key stat: There have been 25 yellow cards across the last four meetings
Four home meetings, four wins and an aggregate score of 11-2 – Arsenal’s recent dominance over Chelsea reads almost implausibly one-sided.
Peel back the scoreline, though, and this fixture still contains plenty of needle.
Both teams have scored in six of the last nine meetings and three of the last four while last season’s quartet of clashes ran up 25 yellow cards between them.
Chelsea’s attack has taken no time at all to click under Xabi Alonso’s tutelage. Cole Palmer has two goals and an assist from the opening two games with Joao Pedro managing two of each. Neither man has managed so much as a single win against the Gunners in 16 combined attempts however.
Kai Havertz has no such trouble against his old club. Three goals in six meetings since his move across London tells its own story, none more dramatic than a stoppage-time winner in last season’s EFL Cup tie.
BetMGM’s Bet Builder: BTTS, over 4.5 cards and Havertz, Joao Pedro & Palmer 1+ SoT each @ 6/1
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change. Please note: This week's Golden Goals deadline is Saturday 5th September 15:00. Opt-in is required and you can find out more here.
Golden Goals Terms & Conditions
Opt in & predict 6 correct scores (see game lobby for weekly tournament cut-off time) to win up to £250k jackpot. Predict 2+ correct scores and win a prize (ranging from Free Bets to £5k Prizepool). Winnings shared evenly in case of multiple winners. Each prize subject to its own terms. Void if 1 or more matches postponed/abandoned or not completed. Verification procedures apply. 18+. T&Cs and exclusions apply.
