Halloween delivered plenty of tricks and treats across the EPL on October 31st. The home sides dominated the afternoon, with Bournemouth, Brentford, Chelsea, Coventry City, and Tottenham Hotspur all posting clean-sheet victories. Chelsea were particularly impressive, shutting out Manchester United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Coventry turned in arguably the day’s most surprising result, routing Sunderland 3-1. The biggest shock, though, came at the Etihad, where Brighton stunned Manchester City 1-0, handing City a frustrating home defeat. Aston Villa and Fulham played out a 1-1 draw, while Hull City and Ipswich Town also shared the spoils at 2-2.
The XO Sports model had a solid day overall, going 5-for-8 on correct picks. Bournemouth, Brentford, Chelsea, and Coventry City all came through for the model, even if the score lines on Chelsea and Coventry were wider than projected. The model’s top pick of the day, Tottenham vs. Crystal Palace, landed correctly with Spurs winning 2-0. The model stumbled on Manchester City, Brighton’s upset was the day’s toughest call, and draws at Aston Villa and Hull City also slipped through.