Premier League: Spurs to stutter as Chelsea prosper

New Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino isn't at full strength

Michael Lintorn takes a look at Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham's latest pre-season friendlies...

Preston v Liverpool
Saturday, 15:00
Live on BT Sport 1

Match Odds: Preston 5.79/2, Liverpool 1.584/7, The Draw 4.77/2

Liverpool started pre-season with a 1-2 defeat to Brondby in Denmark. They will be without the majority of their World Cup competitors again for this closer-to-home trip to Preston, but there is potential for two of their new signings to make their debuts.

While Adam Lallana is still enjoying post-World Cup downtime and the fixture is expected to come too soon for latest addition Lazar Markovic, Rickie Lambert returned to training a week earlier than requested to put himself in contention and midfielder Emre Can is also at Brendan Rodgers' disposal.

Liverpool, who have drifted to 11.010/1 to win the Premier League, won 4-0 at Deepdale last summer in friendly action, and will be around 3.02/1 to triumph without conceding again.

AFC Wimbledon v Chelsea
Saturday, 15:00
Live on Chelsea TV

Match Odds: AFC Wimbledon 13.012/1, Chelsea 1.21/5, The Draw 7.06/1

Whereas Liverpool's shadow squad struggled in their first pre-season encounter, Chelsea's blend of youngsters such as Patrick Bamford and Izzy Brown and World Cup absentees like Mark Schwarzer, John Terry and Marco van Ginkel opened with a 5-0 breeze past Wycombe.

Both recent Blues history and La Liga trio Felipe Luis, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa's arrival rate it unlikely that the kids starring now will be utilised by the 2.982/1 Premier League title favourites come August, yet another chance to impress away to League Two opponents beckons at AFC Wimbledon.

Though AFC Wimbledon have recruited well, particularly in forwards Adebayo Akinfenwa and Matt Tubbs, they are fresh from a 0-3 loss to Margate. Chelsea are around 2.56/4 to score four or more.

Seattle v Tottenham
Saturday, 21:00
Live on BT Sport 1

Match Odds: Seattle 3.814/5, Tottenham 1.834/5, The Draw 3.7511/4

There is a strange feel to this Tottenham pre-season, partly because they have made it to late July without yet completing a purchase, and they have opted to head out on tour early without their World Cup participants or injured trio Vlad Chiriches, Sandro and Emmanuel Adebayor.

It suggests that the 4.94/1 outsiders for a top-four finish are worth opposing at odds-on against the MLS side with the best 2014 record across either conference 18 games in, especially as the Sounders already have World Cup hits DeAndre Yedlin and Clint Dempsey, once of Spurs, back in action.