Football Accumulator Tips: Saturday 10/1 FavFour predicts a Brentford win

Brentford vs Burnley – Brentford win

The Premier League is back after the international break and the first game we’ve picked out for our FavFour is Brentford facing Burnley.

You would be surprised after all the good things said about the Bees that they are yet to win in their last six games, with three defeats in their last four. They started the season with a well-earned draw with Tottenham, followed by a 3-0 win over West London rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Draws at home to Crystal Palace and Bournemouth might not have been disasters, but losing at home to Everton, failing to hold on to a lead against 10 men Nottingham Forest and then losing to Manchester United with two quickfire goals in stoppage time at the end of the game. Thomas Frank’s men are back in front of their own fans now and they’ll be desperate for a win with a tough run of fixtures on the horizon, where they play Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal in their next five league games.

As for Burnley, their win at Luton was a major boost going into the international break, as they could’ve been cut adrift from the rest of the league table above the relegation zone. They have endured a rough start to life back in the Premier League, but a relatively easier fixture list awaits them, facing winless Bournemouth after their trip to West London. Their performances have picked up despite the results not going their way, so they can hope to pick up more points having played most of the big boys in Man City, Tottenham, Man United, Newcastle and Chelsea already.

Both sides are in the lower levels of the table after eight games, but both will hope they can turn it around. However, with the quality and experience that Brentford have, given it’s their third successive season in the top flight, we think they’ll grab their first home win of the season against Vincent Kompany’s Clarets outfit.

Nottingham Forest vs Luton - Nottingham Forest win

Another fixture with two teams nearer the bottom of the table than the top as Luton travel to Nottingham Forest.

Forest haven’t won since their win away at Chelsea at the start of September, but three hard fought draws and a expected defeat away at Manchester City is by no means doom and gloom for them. A fixture against another promoted side gives them the opportunity to pick up another win, having already picked up three points against Sheffield United.

Luton won away at Everton and might’ve seen home games against Burnley and against 10-men Tottenham as a good opportunity to add some more points to their tally, but they face a tough run of games, including trips to Villa Park and Old Trafford in their next four league games, as well as welcoming Liverpool to Kenilworth Road.

Forest will miss the services of Taiwo Awoniyi and have lacked his goalscoring threat more recently in his absence through injury, but they should still have enough to beat Luton at home, so that’s what we will go for as our second leg of this week’s FavFour.

Swansea vs Leicester – Leicester win

Leicester face a relatively tough challenge in a away trip to Swansea in the Championship this weekend.

The Foxes have been electric in the Championship and are favourites to return to the top tier of English football at the first time of asking. 10 wins from 11 games puts them on top of the table and they travel to a midtable Swansea side who have bounced back from a bad start to the campaign.

No wins from their seven games saw Swans fans fearing the worst, but they have turned it around in their last four games, winning all four of those fixtures. That looks fantastic on paper, even if those wins came against winless Sheffield Wednesday, newly promoted Plymouth Argyle, Millwall and Norwich, with the Canaries being the only team found in the top half of the table. Michael Duff will still be hoping to topple the Foxes in South Wales on Saturday.

This might be a tough trip than most for Leicester, but their form would only indicate that they should be able to carry on their 100% record on the road and win in South Wales in the third selection of this week’s FavFour.

Oxford United vs Blackpool – Oxford United win

For our final FavFour selection, we’ve dipped into League One action, where Oxford United host Blackpool.

Oxford United sit eight points ahead of the Tangerines going into this game despite having played a game less. The U’s have won their last five games, with the highlight being an away win at fellow promotion hopefuls Stevenage. They could go into first with a win, should Portsmouth fail to win as well, but are ticking along nicely.

Blackpool also beat Stevenage in their last game, but that followed a defeat to Derby and a draw away at Charlton, despite leading for the majority of the game. The trip to Oxford might highlight their inconsistencies, and they could be sent packing with no points to show for it.

With that in mind, we think that Oxford will extend their winning run and carry the momentum they picked up prior to the international break and win against Neil Critchley’s Blackpool side.