This upcoming Premier League gameweek has been thrown into chaos with the recent International Break and recently scheduled Champions League matches—however, the increasing chaos makes the betting twice as exciting.
The International Break is a period in which professional soccer players are called by their home nations to compete in international tournaments or friendlies. This recent break occurred from March 18 through March 26 and caused several Premier League matches to be postponed until March 30. These international matches place a lot of strain on team rosters, as players often get injured after so many consecutive games or return exhausted and unfit to play in league matches.
The UEFA Champions League, which consists of 32 qualifying teams from all European leagues, is entering its quarter-final with matchups drawn on March 15. Every season, the top teams from Europe’s leagues compete to be crowned the best in Europe, with Manchester City claiming a victory over Inter Milan to become last year’s winner. This recent drawing has positioned Arsenal vs. Bayern, Real Madrid vs. Manchester City, PSG vs. Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid vs. Dortmund to be played on April 9 and 10.
With group play firmly finished, every Champions League match from here on out is an important win. Managers are forced into corners to decide who to start for Champions League matches and league play.
The two biggest matchups of the Champions League include two Premier League side teams, 1st place Arsenal and 3rd place Manchester City. However, the upcoming Premier League gameweek has pitted these rivals against one another to either swap positions or secure their standings. Both Arsenal and Manchester City are stuck fighting for both their positions in the Premier League table and for a spot in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Manchester City has been firing on all cylinders with major productions from Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, and Kevin De Bruyne. Yet, major players De Bruyne and Ederson both have minor injuries sustained in their draw against Liverpool, but they are expected to return by March 31, well before their Champions League quarter-final match on April 9. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola must decide if he will rest them both for the Champions League match or play them in their match against Arsenal.
Before the Champions League draw, betting on Earling Haaland to score had been safe, with his record of 41 goals in 37 games in his Champions League campaign. However, Manchester City has been set to play against Real Madrid, a team that kept Haaland scoreless in their previous two match-ups in the Champions League. We believe Real Madrid will win this first leg at +190 odds.
Furthermore, this Champions League drawing pitted Arsenal against FC Bayern Munich, both powerhouses in their respective leagues. Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta has been leading the team to an incredible season; the team is currently tied for 1st place with a young squad in peak form, including Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Ben White, and Declan Rice.
Bayern has been led by Harry Kane, who is on pace for a record-breaking season with 31 goals in 26 games and is only 11 goals away from breaking Robert Lewandowski’s Bundesliga record. However, we have Arsenal to win at -135 odds.
Regardless of the uncertainty that the Champions League brings, this weekend’s matchups in the Premier League will be exciting to watch, with a likely shift in the top three rankings between Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City.
Manchester City (-120) vs. Arsenal: Both teams have been in a great run of form, with Arsenal winning their last eight matches and Manchester City unbeaten in their last 12 matches with three draws. Yet, Manchester City has been plagued by injuries and constant cup games, so the extra time before this match will allow all players to be rested and healed. We have Manchester City to win.
Liverpool (-260) vs. Brighton: Liverpool have had a strong season, as they are tied for points with Arsenal, so they need this victory to secure their spot. Moreover, Brighton has had some poor showings against lower-table teams, with their losses to Fulham and Luton Town. Mohammed Salah would be a safe pick for goal-scorer at -115 odds.
Newcastle (-115) vs. West Ham: Newcastle has big injuries returning before this match in Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier, and they have been in quality form. West Ham has been in turbulent form in 2024 with few wins against Everton, Brentford, and SC Freiburg in the Europa League. In this game, we would take the moneyline with Newcastle to win. Likely goalscorers for the match include Kudus at +330, Bowen at +200, Isak at -105, and Gordon at +230 odds.
Chelsea (-340) vs. Burnley: Chelsea should dominate Burnley, especially after their FA Cup 3-1 win against Aston Villa, who have been in great form. We believe Cole Palmer as their penalty-taker is a great pick at -120 odds, as he has been netting big goals for Chelsea, especially in their tie with Manchester City.
Tottenham (-425) vs Luton Town: Fighting for 4th place, Tottenham have had a strong start to their 2024 campaign, with quality matches against Brighton, Aston Villa, and Everton. Luton is constantly attacking through their flying wingbacks, Doughty and Kaboré, and the team creates lots of opportunities, demonstrating beautifully aggressive performances in their 3-2 loss to Villa and 4-4 tie to Newcastle. Moreover, Tottenham’s Van De Ven’s recovery from his hamstring injury before the match is doubtful, which is why we think they will be unable to keep up with additional runners. We think the game will be high-scoring, with Tottenham winning.
Aston Villa (-150) vs. Wolves: Aston Villa has been in great form with Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz consistently producing chances through Watkins’ link-up play. Watkins is a great pick as an anytime goalscorer at +110 odds.
Brentford vs Manchester United (+115): Brentford has had a poor run of form, with their most recent win against Wolves in February. Yet, Ivan Toney’s and Bryan Mbuemo’s returns from injury are areas of concern for Manchester United. Moreover, Manchester United have had some underwhelming performances against Manchester City and Fulham. Still, with the hopeful return of Lisandro Martinez from a knee injury, their defensive line should be at full strength, particularly as Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been training with the first team since his return from injury. Manchester United should be set to win this match-up.
Sheffield United vs Fulham (-140): Fulham should dominate Sheffield United, who have been struggling to produce consistent results. Furthermore, Fulham’s back line has been held together by Bernd Leno’s strong presence and stand-out performances from Timothy Castagne and Antonee Robinson.
This gameweek will be full of excitement with many matches shifting the Premier League standings. With all these picks, just keep in mind: the only bad bet is the one you don’t place.
Alejandro Sanchez ’26 (alejandrosanchez@college.harvard.edu) can guarantee that Manchester City will thrash Arsenal.