GW6 Preview: Early Six Pointers Across The Board
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Last week we had a week chock-full of derbies, this week that’s replaced by title 6 pointers, with top of the table clashes in 3 of the 4 leagues! Salford host a high flying Swindon in a 3rd vs 1st that is sure to produce goals with both teams leaking and scoring them at pretty similar rates. In League One, it’s 1st vs 2nd as Bradford City travel to Cardiff off the back of their 3-1 derby day win, can they make it 2 huge wins in 2? And finally the Premier League Big Bet as Arsenal play Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium, that one is sure to set some sparks flying. Let’s have a look at the full fixture list for Tipple Gameweek 6.
Premier League
Burnley vs Nottingham Forest
With both sitting just above the relegation zone, Burnley will be the happier of the two sides with their start to the 2025/26 season. Expected to finish rock bottom with little hope of survival the Clarets have impressed so far, picking up just the 1 win but putting up a strong fight against Manchester United away and Liverpool at home, with both of the ‘Big 6’ teams needing late injury time goals to get the full 3 points. In fact, the only time Burnley have looked out of place in this league was their opener against Tottenham, losing 3-0 away, but they put that right straight away with a 2-0 home win against fellow promoted side Sunderland.
Forest on the other hand, will be very disappointed with their start. After spending much of last year in the top 4 or higher, they find themselves slumped in 15th with only 4 points from a possible 12. Granted one of those matches was against high-flying Arsenal at the Emirates, but then you see the previous game, losing 3-0 at home to a woeful West Ham, it really has not been the stuff of dreams this year for the Reds. The question is, can Big Ange turn things around now that he has come in?
With Forest having a bit of new manager bounce, and the big gulf in quality, I’m saying a Forest win for this one.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 7/10
West Ham United vs Crystal Palace
West Ham, although sat 3 points above bottom placed Wolves, have been seen a bit as the whipping boys this season already. If you take out the Forest anomaly, they have conceded at least THREE goals in every single game in all competitions, this includes a 3-2 loss away to Wolves in the EFL Cup. Not good. They come into this game off of a, yes you guessed it, 3-0 defeat at home to Tottenham. There has been a lot of talk lately about the possible mistake that was made when they got rid of Moyes, but they need to get that out of their heads and Potter really needs to get a result to start showing he is the right man for the job. If things don’t start well in this match, I can see the fans turning very quickly.
Now with Crystal Palace, it’s been a pretty solid start. With 1 win and 3 draws they are one of the only teams in the Premier League to be unbeaten. In fact, they have not lost in all competitions as of yet, with 0-0 and 1-1 draws against Fredrikstad in the Conference League and Millwall in the EFL Cup respectively, progressing in both on penalties. Then there is the 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the Community Shield, again winning this on penalties. This clearly shows just how resilient this Palace side is this season, especially in defence.
Now, this might spell a bit of good news for Hammers fans, Palace have only managed to score more than 1 goal in 2 games out of 8 in all competitions. So are we finally going to see a low scoring game? I’m not so sure. Personally, I think another away win incoming. If you bet against this and risk another West Ham Heavy Defeat Penalty, you’re a braver person than me.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 7.5/10
Fulham vs Brentford
Here we go, these are the games Tipple was built for. Both teams split by just the 1 point. Both coming into this off the back of decent results with Fulham winning 1-0 at home to Leeds last weekend and Brentford scoring a 93rd minute equaliser to take a point at home to Chelsea, and then knocking Aston Villa out of the EFL cup on penalties.
Fulham will be hoping for a bit more firepower than they have managed to find in their recent games, with Bristol City being the only team they have been able to put more than 1 goal past in all competitions, their fans will be expecting a bit more excitement. Their defence has been average too, leaking a goal in every game except Leeds in the Premier League. Both of those stats showing exactly why they’re in 11th place, not to say this is a bad thing, just that maybe with a few small changes they could start to look a bit further up the table.
When looking at form and Brentford, it’s non-existent, be that good or bad. Their results so far in all competitions: LWWLDD. This is about as all over the place as it can get. Maybe the last few draws showing they have steadied things a bit, and they will come into this game looking to win. A draw would still satisfy the fans I imagine but this is definitely a must-not-lose if they want to start looking at the Top 10 places.
Both teams hoping to look up the table rather than down, I don’t think this will be a game full of goals looking at form, and it is an extremely difficult one to predict. I’ll stick my neck out and say a draw.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 9/10
AFC Bournemouth vs Newcastle United
Bournemouth have been the surprise of the Premier League so far, winning 3 games to gain 9 points out of a possible 12, including a 1-0 away win at Tottenham. They have also conceded just 1 goal in their last 3 Premier League games, and actually have one of the best xG against in the league at 3.5 total. This solid defence will be crucial if they want to continue this form as Newcastle come to the Vitality Stadium.
For the Magpies, it’s been a completely different story. Expected to be flying high and continuing their steady progression under the new ownership, they have disappointed so far this season. Only managing 3 goals in 4 games and accumulating 5 points from a possible 12, the fans would have been hoping for more. They come into this off the back of a 1-0 home win against lowly Wolves, but only managed to amount 4 shots on target in that game against a team that is averaging 2.3 goals conceded per game. They come into this then in almost okay form points wise, but performance wise needing a lot more. This now becomes a must win really if they have any ambitions of top 4 this season.
Can Bournemouth continue their form and keep the Magpies at bay? I think it’s going to be a tight, cagey match and am going for a draw.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 8.5/10
Arsenal vs Manchester City (BIG BET)
Are Manchester City back? Or are United just that poor that any win against them should be taken with a pinch of salt? I think we’re going to find out in this week’s Big Bet as City travel to the Emirates Stadium and take on an Arsenal side whose only dropped points came from a single goal defeat against Champions Liverpool.
Outside of this defeat, Arsenal have looked pretty unstoppable, winning 0-1 (Manchester United), 5-0 (Leeds), and 3-0 (Nottingham Forest) so far in the premier league, and 2-0 away at Bilbao in the Champions League, no mean feat considering they have the same points record as the Gunners in La Liga. This early season form will again be put to the test here against City, and Arsenal fans will be hoping for a braver set up than that they played against Liverpool, especially being the home side.
City really haven’t had a great start for their standards, but maybe that 3-0 win in the Manchester derby is what they needed to get themselves back to normal. Defensive frailties against Brighton and Tottenham showed there is certainly a way through the Citizens backline, and this is in no way the unstoppable team we saw a few years ago, the question is has the baton finally been passed? Or are Arsenal still playing the bridesmaid?
Everything in me wants to go with Arsenal, but I just don’t trust them in these big games. Going for a second City away win in a row, although I’m expecting this to be a lot harder than last weekend.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 9.5/10
Championship
Birmingham City vs Swansea City
The Blues come into this off of 3 straight defeats without scoring a single goal, but everyone knows the quality of their side. Having seen them first hand in their last win at home against Oxford United, although only the 1 goal separated the sides, the gap in quality was clear. If they can get back to the sort of form they started the season with they should be able to win this, and if they are really serious about their promotion challenge this year this is the sort of match they should be looking to get the full 3 points.
Swansea however, have been a bit of a nice surprise this season. After finishing last season in 11th place and not expecting much from this year, they have accumulated 8 points from a possible 15, and only lost 1 match so far. Now, that’s not quite promotion/play-off form, but pretty close to. And then you see that the 1 loss came in a 1-0 defeat in the first game of the season away at top of the table Middlesbrough, it makes you even more confident about this Swansea side. Outside of the league, they have dispatched Crawley and Plymouth in the cup, needing penalties to win against the latter. They come into this match off the back of a 2-2 draw against an on and off Hull City, and play tonight in the EFL Cup against Nottingham Forest. I will be keeping a close eye on this match to really gauge my thoughts for this weekend’s clash.
For now, I’m going to go with a Birmingham win. Although I believe Swansea are in good form, I think with home advantage and the quality in the side, the Blues are going to have just a bit too much.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 8/10
Leicester City v Coventry City
After their 2-2 draw at Oxford on Saturday, some fans might be looking at that as a bad result for Leicester. However, they played much of this game against 10 men, and Oxford are going through somewhat of a revival with their key players returning from injury after the international break. This match also marked 3 games unbeaten for the Foxes, after winning away at Charlton and at home to Birmingham without conceding a goal. Being at home is obviously a big advantage for them, having won both of their home matches this season, and they will be counting on a hostile environment once again as Coventry come to the King Power Stadium.
Coventry’s match against Norwich last weekend was a bit like watching one of those old cartoons, where no matter how much the other gets hit, they keep somehow getting up and carrying on. With 28 total shots to Norwich’s 4, and 64% possession, this pretty much gives you the full picture of how that afternoon went. They actually needed a 96th minute equaliser just to cement a point in the 1-1 draw, but on any other day of the year (or probably the last 10 years), they would have won this match. Shooting practice every day in training this week then, and a visit to Leicester on Saturday where that end product must be there. If they don’t take their chances against the recently relegated side, they could be in for a long afternoon.
After seeing both in action in recent weeks, I have to say that Coventry looked the better of the two sides. If they can finally start to take their chances they are going to be a force in this division, but that is easier said than done. I’ll say a score draw, but with the risk of a high scoring match I’ll be staying away from this in my actual picks.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 8/10
Blackburn Rovers vs Ipswich Town
Two teams at the wrong end of the table, both will be absolutely desperate for the 3 points here to start to recuperate their chances of promotion. Blackburn maybe weren’t as expected as Ipswich to be up there this season, but nevertheless will be disappointed with their start. Yet to win or even gain a point at home, and losing at home in the cup to League One Bradford City, this is an absolute must win for Rovers. Their 6 points have come from their last 2 away games, winning 3-0 and 1-0 against Hull City and Watford respectively. Given that they will not be able to rely on this away form to continue all season, they really need to start picking up points at Ewood Park, beginning on Saturday.
Ipswich, having just come down from the Premier League, are having a disastrous start all things considered. They would have hoped to have gotten off to a flyer with the squad they have and the teams they have been playing. Their first win of the season came on Friday night against bottom of the league Sheffield United where they ran out 5-0 winners. However, this followed a 2-2 draw with Derby and a 1-0 loss to Preston, two teams who are looking at fighting a relegation battle more than having eyes on the promotion race. This form is not good enough and Ipswich will know that, they have a chance on Saturday to put things right and kick start their season.
After seeing Ipswich on Friday night, although against a very poor Sheffield United, I’m going to back them for a win in this one.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 7.5/10
Hull City vs Southampton
The on and off team of the season so far in my view, I still don’t know what to make of Hull. They started the season pretty brightly with a 0-0 draw away at promotion contenders Coventry, followed by a 3-2 win against Oxford at home. This game however was where their defensive frailties really showed. Since that 0-0 draw, they have conceded 14 goals in just 5 games in all competitions, and have the 3rd worst xG against in the league. These sort of defensive stats just aren’t sustainable, especially when their attack is mid table performing at best.
They face a Southampton side who were frustrated on Sunday in the South Coast Derby, and will be wanting to show their fans they do mean business this season. Just like Ipswich, they really haven’t turned up as they should have yet, and really need to start picking up maximum points if they want to put their mark on this league as real title favourites. These sort of games are the perfect chances at redemption, and I can’t see anything other than a Saints win.
Although I did say that against Pompey too…
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 7/10
Millwall vs Watford
The Championship and Gameweek 6 as a whole is rounded off with some Monday Night Football as Watford head to The Den. Millwall, having come back late on in last week’s Big Bet to save a draw against rivals Charlton, will be hoping to carry on their steady start to the season and gain 3 more points at home. So far they have won 1 and lost 2 at home this season, failing to score in both of those defeats. However away form has carried them through and kept them within touching distance of the playoffs, just 2 points away from Coventry in 6th. This match is a good opportunity to get themselves really into the playoff picture as the table starts to take shape.
Watford on the other hand are not in good form at all. In their first 5 league matches they have accumulated just 5 points, conceding at least 1 goal in every game so far this season. They find themselves in 17th, just 3 points off the relegation places. I imagine their fans would see this as a must not lose rather than a must win, and they will need to be solid away from home in order not to get dragged down into the early season relegation fight.
I’ll go for a Millwall win here, I think their quality on the ball and the hostile atmosphere will be just a bit too much for Watford to hold off.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 8/10
League One
Bolton Wanderers vs Wigan Athletic
A huge match at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, as Bolton face Wigan in the Greater Manchester Derby. This one has favoured the away side in recent years, with the Latics winning 3 out of the last 4 times the two faced each other, most notably the 4-0 hammering at this stadium in 2023.
Both teams come into this in relatively good form, with Wigan just a point ahead of their rivals in the table. Bolton are still on somewhat of a recovery stage after losing out in the League One Play Off final a couple of seasons ago, but their fans expect them to be right up there challenging for the automatics, or the top 6 at the very least. They do have the stats on their side though, being unbeaten at home so far in 4 games played, whilst facing a Wigan side who have only managed 2 draws so far away from home, conceding 7 goals on the way too.
I’m going for a home win, and could see Bolton winning this by 2 or 3 goals too.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 7/10
Lincoln City vs Luton Town
It’s 7th vs 9th as heavy preseason favourites Luton Town head to the LNER Stadium. With both teams sitting just outside the play off places, Lincoln will surely be the happier of the two being that Luton are the big money side in this league and still receiving parachute payments from their time in the Premier League just two seasons ago. The home side come into this in excellent form, unbeaten in 9 in all competitions and scoring in every single match bar one so far this season. They sit just two points off the top of the league and really are looking the real deal, with particularly impressive results in their 3-2 victory over Plymouth and 3-0 hammering of Notts County.
For Luton, it’s a bit of a different story. They started the season as expected with 2 solid wins out of 2, but since then it’s been a loss for every win, and they are really struggling to find any consistency. In their last match, a 3-2 loss at home to Plymouth, they accumulated 23 total shots, so the attacking intent is there, it’s just a case of leaking goals at key moments that is currently holding them back.
I’m going to go for a first draw of the season for the Hatters, surely it can’t be win loss win loss forever.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 8.5/10
Cardiff City vs Bradford City
1st vs 2nd and it doesn’t get any better than this. Bradford City have been the surprise of League One this year and well worth the praise they have been getting. With big wins against teams such as Stockport and Huddersfield, and dispatching high flying Championship side Stoke City 3-0 away from home in the EFL Cup, it’s no wonder Bantams fans are getting excited for the season ahead.
They come to a Cardiff side who sit top of the table, unbeaten, with 17 points from a possible 21 and by far the best defence in the league having only conceded 2 goals. That is a tough ask. Especially as Bradford, although going extremely well, haven’t exactly set the world alight away from home, with 1 solo win, alongside 2 draws and a loss, whilst also only managing 4 goals.
I believe this Cardiff side have everything needed to walk this league, and a win here would be a very strong statement to the rest of the league. I am going for a home win.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 9/10
Doncaster Rovers vs AFC Wimbledon
Two sides who will have high hopes of the achieving a play off place after their starts to the season, especially the home side. Taking out the latest match where a 3-0 loss to Wigan can probably be put down to a blip, Doncaster come into this match in scintillating form, winning 5 out of 5 before that loss, including a 3-1 home win to high flying Bradford City. They have also only failed twice this season to score in 90 minutes, out of 11 matches in all competitions, if they can continue this attacking form and tighten up their defence a little bit, they will be a serious side in this years promotion race.
Wimbledon on the other hand, could not be more on and off, coming into this with 4 wins and 4 losses. However it might be important to mention that 2 of those losses have come to the top 2 in the league, so maybe there is something to be read into that. Whichever way you look at it though, they need to start to put together a steady run of form to have any chance this season, and a first draw at Doncaster this weekend could be the perfect way to start that.
I am going for a close home win, maybe by just the 1 goal.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 8.5/10
Wycombe Wanderers vs Northampton Town
Wycombe are really struggling this season, highlighted by their 2-1 loss away at Peterborough last weekend. They are starting to look more and more like a side that is going to be caught up in the relegation dog fight rather than any kind of promotion battle, and this will not please the fans. With only 1 win so far this season and a goal difference of -3, the issues are glaring, and this home match will be crucial in putting those worries behind them.
For Northampton, it’s a much better start than expected, with many thinking they might struggle. They have accumulated a total of 10 points from a possible 21 and sit pretty comfortably in mid table having won 3 and drawn 1. They are also one of the form teams in the league at the moment, winning their last 3 without conceding a goal, before this however they had not won a game in 5 in all competitions, so this slight turn of form is still fragile. This weekend at Adams Park will provide a decent test of where they are at, if they can breeze past a struggling Wycombe side away from home, they will have a lot more confidence about cementing themselves as a mid table side, possibly even a little bit higher.
I’m going for a draw, with a late goal to save Northampton a point and send Wycombe into the relegation zone. One can only hope.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 8.5/10
League Two
Cambridge United vs Fleetwood Town
A very evenly sided match to be played out at the Abbey Stadium, as 11th placed Fleetwood head to 13th placed Cambridge. Both sides have had almost identical starts (Fleetwood: 3W 3D 2L, 10GF 10GA vs Cambridge: 3W 2W 3L, 9GF 8GA), so it is extremely difficult to call this. They both come into this off the back of a 1-1 draw and a 1-0 loss before this, so both teams will be desperate to get back to winning ways. Cambridge will be hoping that home advantage can give them an edge, but Fleetwood sit 7th in the table when looking at away points only, just 2 points off 1st place, so there really is no difference between the two sides.
I’m going to go for a risky Fleetwood Town away win, but if that comes in it would be very much more luck than judgement.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 9.7/10
Harrogate Town vs Shrewsbury Town
Two sides looming near the bottom of the league, with one looking a bit more desperate than the other. For Harrogate, this is a chance to put some space between themselves and the bottom sides, currently 17th, sitting 3 points above Shrewsbury in 23rd. It is important to note however that most of Shrewsbury’s small points total has come away from home this season, including a 3-1 win at Barnet. Personally, I think this is going to go one of two ways, a close away win by 1 maybe even 2 goals. Or, an absolute hammering where the home side walk out having won by 4 or 5. Stay away would be my recommendation.
Even so, as I have to put a prediction, let’s go with a home win.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 8.7/10
Bromley vs Chesterfield
7th vs 6th and two teams split by just a point, but with one of them being one of the preseason favourites, could this be an easier choice than it seems?
Chesterfield were on many people’s 1-24’s as promotion contenders this season, and so it’s quite a surprise the way they have started the season so inconsistently. Seriously, if you look at their last 7 or 8 games it is basically just traffic lights. However, with the squad they have, they know and their fans will know that they can and should be doing better. They travel to a Bromley side who are perhaps surprising a few having only picked up 1 loss in their first 8 league games this season.
But with this form, comes a bit of a worry. They seem to have developed a habit of late goals, be that for or against them. They have dropped 5 points already this season with goals conceded after the 80th minute. So the main question for this match going into the final stages is, will it be close enough that the nerves will start to jangle?
I’m going to go for a draw, a 87th minute Chesterfield equaliser to make it 1-1. Why not?
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 8/10
Notts County vs Crawley
Notts County might be 6 places and 3 points higher in the league than Crawley, but don’t put all your faith in the home side just yet. Crawley come into this on the back of 3 straight wins in all competitions, granted one of them being in the EFL Trophy against u23s. They really seemed to have turned a corner in their season after a pretty poor start and could be looked at as in somewhat of a false position. They will come into this match full of confidence and I wouldn’t put it past them to walk away with a point, or even all 3.
For Notts County, being one of the heavy hitters in League Two, they need to start performing a lot better than they have been. 12th place after 8 games with just 11 points from a possible 24 is not good enough for a side looking at promotion. These are the sort of matches they should and need to be winning, but with the home crowd getting restless, as we know in football, things could turn pretty quickly.
I’m going to go for a home win, although I think Crawley will put up a good fight, ultimately I think this match will come down to the quality in the County side.
Salford vs Swindon
I hate to say it, but Swindon are running riot in League Two at the moment. 6 wins in 8 matches, highest scoring team in the league and not looking like stopping anytime soon winning all of their last 5 games and scoring at least 2 goals in each. But if there is one team that could put them to the test, it’s Salford. With ex-Oxford United manager Karl Robinson in charge, he will certainly be able to get his players up for this match and I could see it being quite a feisty affair, exactly the kind of match he thrives in. Salford come into this off the back of 3 wins, also scoring at least 2 in each, so expect goals in this one.
I hope and pray that this is just a weird patch of form for Swindon, and it would be lovely to see Karl do us Oxford fans a favour and bring them back down to earth. Going for a big Salford win.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 9/10
That’s it! The Tipple Gameweek 6 fixture list. Think you’ve got what it takes to get all 6 picks correct? Download Tipple on the App Store and get involved now!