Goal.com

Jim Knight takes a look at how the live televsion games have shaped up so far this season and suggests we could see late goals at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Spurs

This Saturday sees Arsenal and Chelsea face off in the early game while Manchester United take on Tottenham in the evening.

On the balance of power so far, the early games are shading it for the number of goals scored (12) against the strikes that have hit the back of the net in the later games (nine).

A feature of the live games this season – apart from West Ham’s involvement – has been that one team has generally dominated the early exchanges, Swansea 3-0 West Ham, West Ham 3-0 Fulham, Swansea 0-3 Everton.

The other was a 0-0 between Norwich and the Hammers, unsurprisingly, but that has been the only bore draw in both sets of early v late games so far.

Arsenal and Chelsea ended 0-0 at the Emirates Stadium last season after the previous five encounters produced 19 goals.

It’s even money (2.0) with Paddy Power that Saturday’s encounter produces two or three goals while exactly three goals is a 3/1 (4.0) shot.

The home side has been favoured twice in these early games, and Arsenal to win 3-0 is a 19/1 (20.0) shot that Gunners fans would love to see come in.

Except for Kevin Nolan’s first-minute strike for West Ham against Fulham the average time of the first goal has been just after 20 minutes which brings a little more balance into the equation.

Arsene Wenger’s side to score the first goal up to and including minute 28 is a 5/2 (3.5) shot while Chelsea to do the same is priced at 10/3 (4.33) with Paddy Power.

Scorelines in the later games have been tighter. Starting off with Newcastle beating Spurs 2-1, Manchester City putting QPR away 3-1 and Sunderland and Liverpool playing out a 1-1 draw.

Spurs will fancy their chances of getting a result at Old Trafford although their win ratio is not great.

The news that Nemanja Vidic is ruled out for two months at the heart of United’s defence will be a big blow to last season’s Premier League runners-up.

Scoring times in the later games are a little more erratic with only two of the nine goals coming in the first half with the visitors scoring a goal each in all three games.

Spurs are 7/5 (2.40) to score exactly one goal with Paddy Power. Both teams to score is a 4/6 (1.67) chance to keep up the late-game trend.

While it’s harder to pin down the time of the opening goal the last goal has always come after 70 minutes in the later games.

Paddy Power make it 10/11 (1.91) the last goal will come up to and including the 75th minute and 10/11 (1.91) it arrives after the 75th minute.

BET

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BEST BET

Last goal after 75th minute (Manchester United - Spurs) at 10/11 (1.91) with Paddy Power

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