SATURDAY:
LEICESTER V LIVERPOOL
Leicester started their FA Cup win over Brighton quite slowly because Brighton arguably had the better chances early on and is wasn't until the latter part of the game where they had any serious chances with Kelechi Iheanacho scoring deep into stoppage time. The substitutes made a big difference for them in midweek because they looked more threatening going forward when they came on. They didn't create many clear cut chances before the changes were made and the substitutions came on and made an impact. Kelechi Iheanacho in particular because he scored the winning goal. The foxes could pull six clear of Liverpool if they beat them on Saturday which would give their top four hopes a major boost because they would be 7 points clear of 5th place Chelsea if they won which would give them a nice cushion between themselves and the teams below them.
Liverpool could give debuts to their deadline day signings in Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak which could mean that Fabinho and Jordan Henderson could move back into midfield. Henderson and Fabinho have both been a big loss to their midfield since they've had to play centre back because the reds haven't had someone who can control the game plus the midfield itself has lacked energy which is what Henderson in particular brings. The front three have struggled because of what Henderson brings to the team in terms of his energy which allows the front three to cause some damage to the opposition. With their title hopes pretty much done, Liverpool should now focus on qualifying for next seasons Champions League because they're only one point above 5th placed Chelsea and are 10 points behind leaders City which makes their chances of winning the title very slim. If they can get top four at the send of the season, they can start thinking about next season in terms of who they will bring in to get them back to the top.
I'm going for a draw in this one because I can both sides win it. Leicester have Jamie Vardy back and I can see Liverpool give debuts to their new centre backs which will enable Fabinho and Henderson to return to midfield. Because of that I think this game will be too close to call.
PREDICTION: 1-1
CRYSTAL PALACE V BURNLEY
Crystal Palace didn't turn up for their game with Leeds in midweek because of how dominant Leeds were and the lack of clear chances that Palace had themselves. Wilfried Zaha was clearly a miss because the Eagles lacked a serious goal threat which is usually the case whenever he is unavailable. Palace will once again be without their Ivorian talisman due to a thigh injury and they could find goals hard to come by once again because of the side they're up against in Burnley. Palace in general have a lot of injuries with Ward, Tomkins and Sakho all out along with main man Zaha. Those three are all important players for Palace at the back because of what they bring to the team in terms of defending. Palace don't have a back up at right back for Joel Ward and both Sakho and Tomkins are better options to partner Gary Cahill than Scott Dann.
Burnley will want to put their midweek FA Cup exit behind them going into this one after a poor showing in their 2-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth. They were cut open time and time again and when they had chances, they didn't take them. Dwight McNeil had a shot saved by Asmir Begovic in the Bournemouth goal and Jay Rodriguez fired his shot over the bar when he was just a metre or two away from the goal. Sean Dyche made a few changes to his side in that one and the players who came in failed to impress. I can see why they were rested because Sean Dyche is more focused on the league and that is his main priority. He'll bring the players he rested back in for this one because I assume he was saving them for the league and he will need them to help his side secure Premier League safety for another season.
I'm going for a Burnley win here because Palace are without Zaha and will therefore lack a goal threat and a player who can cut open a dogged defence like Burnley's. The Clarets are well drilled defensively and they can also nick a goal from a set piece which is why I think they'll take the three points in this one.
PREDICTION: 0-1
MAN CITY V TOTTENHAM
Man City are on fire at the moment after winning 15 games in a row with 10 of those wins coming in the Premier League. They produced a dominant display in their FA Cup win over Swansea in midweek as they booked their place in the Quarter finals and won the tie 3-1. I can see them winning at least the treble at the end of the season because of the current form they're in and the quality they have in their squad. It looks like they're going to go on and win the Premier League as they're 5 points clear with a game in hand and they could also win both cup competitions as they're in the final of the Carabao Cup and are one of the favourites to win the FA Cup. They could even win the quadruple if they win the Champions League along with the other three trophies if they get it right in the latter stages of that competition. They're going from strength to strength at the moment and I can see them winning at least the treble come the end of the season.
How will Spurs perform in this one after being involved in a crazy game against Everton in midweek where they lost 5-4 after extra time. The players who played most of if not the full game may feel a bit tired going into this one because they might not have had a full recovery since that game. The gap between the two days may be two days, but that is still not enough time to make a full recovery from their midweek game and prepare for this game because of how long their midweek game was. It will be interesting to see how they set up because they could start on the front foot and tire later on or they could sit back for most of the game and then put them under pressure later on. Spurs have started most of their games quite defensive this season and they may start that way in this one so the players don't feel fatigued later on in the game.
I think City will win this one because I think Spurs may feel a bit tired after their game in midweek and City are on a roll at the moment. With the way that City play, I can see them tire out Spurs a bit more because they play quick passes and their movement off the ball is one of the best in Europe.
PREDICTION: 2-0
BRIGHTON V ASTON VILLA
Brighton are in some good form at the moment because they're unbeaten in their last 5 games and three of those 5 games have been wins. They may have gone out of the FA Cup to Leicester in midweek, but they're still on a good run which has seen them move further away from the relegation zone. The Seagulls are 10 points from safety in 15th and are on course to stay up if they continue the good form they're in. I thought they would go down a couple of months ago because they were not winning games and they were not scoring enough goals win games themselves. Their last five games show that they have turned it around by getting good results and they've gained a lot of confidence from their early FA Cup games and their recent wins over Spurs and Liverpool. They picked up a good point at Burnley last time out in the league and another good result in this one will see them move closer to safety.
Aston Villa have had some inconsistent results recently with a win one week followed by a loss the next week. That has been repeated over the last five or six games and it could do again in this one unless they sort it out and win for the second game in a row. Villa have been in my opinion the most improved team this season because this time last season, they were in the bottom three with many tipping them to go down. This season they find themselves 9th and five points off of the Champions League places. They've looked more solid defensively and as a team plus they're looking more clinical in attack. They've scored in each of their last five games and in Ollie Watkins they have found a striker who can score goals. Watkins has scored 10 times in the Premier League since his arrival from Brentford in the summer and has proven himself to be a Premier League striker. Villa lacked a clinical centre forward last season and this season they have found that in Ollie Watkins.
I'm going for a Brighton win because they're in good form and I can see them carry it into this game. The Seagulls beat Villa in reverse fixture and I can see them do it again because of the form and confidence the team is in.
PREDICTION: 2-1
SUNDAY:
SOUTHAMPTON V WOLVES
After beating Wolves in the FA Cup in midweek, Southampton will feel that they can do it again because of how well they played on the day. Ralph Hasenhuttl will be hoping that the result in midweek will give his players the confidence to get another one in an attempt to kick start their season after a run of five straight defeats. The Saints haven't won in six games and part of that has been down to the amount of injuries they've had to key players during that time. With most of the absentees now back, they'll hopefully see an improvement in results because some of those absentees were a big miss for them whilst they were out. Jannick Vestergaard was probably the biggest loss out of the lot because the Saints are a better team defensively when he's in it because of the way he reads the game and his aerial ability. He was a crucial player for them earlier in the season.
Wolves do not look like scoring goals at the minute. They had 5 shots in their FA Cup defeat to their opponents in midweek and only found the target once when Adama Traore's was brilliantly saved by Fraser Forster. Goals has been a struggle for them since Raul Jimenez fractured his skull against Arsenal back in November and new signing Willian Jose is yet to score in the Premier League. There is still a long way to go, but if Wolves are to start winning games on a regular basis they need to score more goals and they need their new striker to get off the mark if they're to do that. Nuno Espirito Santo's men could be as low as 16th at the end of this weekend if they lose this one and if Brighton and Newcastle both win. They'll be okay in terms of safety but Wolves will not want to finish lower than 15th come the end of the season due to the standards they've set over the last couple of seasons.
I'm going for a Southampton win in this one because they won in the cup and I can see them win again. They have more goals in them at the moment than Wolves and I think that will be the difference.
PREDICTION: 2-0
WEST BROM V MAN UNITED
West Brom are looking good as gone at the moment because they're conceding goals every week and they don't score many goals either. They haven't kept a clean sheet since Sam Allardyce took over and Allardyce himself was supposed to make them more solid defensively so that they can keep more clean sheets. He's done that at the other clubs he has managed but hasn't been able to do that at West Brom which is quite surprising considering the record he has of no relegations as a Premier League manager. It looks like that record is coming to an end this season because I can't see them staying up as the teams above them outside the relegation zone look pretty much safe and will continue to pick up points. Big Sam will look to the next few games after this one in an attempts to pick up points because the Baggies face Burnley, Brighton, Newcastle and Crystal Palace in their next four which are all winnable.
Man United had to wait until extra time to get a winner in their FA Cup tie with West Ham at the weekend with Scott McTominay scoring the decisive goal. Their performance on the day wasn't great because they didn't move the ball quick enough and they struggled to create any clear cut chances in the first half. They struggled to get in behind the West Ham defence for most of the game because of how organised the visitors were throughout the contest. The defence didn't have too much to do because United had more of the ball but going forward they looked blunt at times. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will want a better performance from his team in this one because their performance in midweek was flat and it wasn't until Cavani and Fernandes came on where they started to up the tempo. With both of them likely to start this one, United will hopefully play better because of important they've both been this season.
I'm going for a United win because I think they'll be too much for West Brom. The Baggies are struggling to keep clean sheets and with the players United have in forward areas, I can see them cup West Brom open time and time again. Especially with Bruno Fernandes on the pitch.
PREDICTION: 0-3
ARSENAL V LEEDS
Arsenal will be looking to get back to winning ways after back to back defeats to Wolves and Aston Villa which saw them drop back into the bottom half of the table. They were on a good run prior to those defeats and Mikel Arteta will want to get his side back on a similar kind of run so they can end the season strongly and push for a Europa League place. They had plenty of chances in the two defeats but they didn't take them and that has been a problem for the Gunners for most of the season. They'll hopefully have Pierre Emerick Aubameyang back in the starting line up after not starting the last two due to some personal issues regarding his mother. He came off the bench against Villa and almost scored with his shot going wide. He hasn't had his best season by his standards but with him back in the team, Arsenal stand a chance of scoring more goals with him, Lacazette and Saka in their attack along with Emile Smith Rowe.
Leeds put in a dominant display against Crystal Palace on Monday night as they ran out 2-0 winners on the night without giving Palace a clear chance in front of their goal. Patrick Bamford continued his fine season in front of goal with his 12th of the season and 100th of his career by netting the second against Palace and if he continues to have the season he's having, he may get an England call up for the games next month. With the season he's currently having, he definitely deserves one because many people doubted him going into this season and he has proved them wrong by scoring goals and playing an important part for this Leeds team. Leeds may be without influential midfielder Kalvin Phillips for this one due a calf injury which would be a big blow for them because he's been a vital player for them this season and they've missed him whenever he's been unavailable to them.
I'm going for an Arsenal win because Leeds are inconsistent and could be without Kalvin Phillips. The Gunners have improved a lot since Christmas and with the freshness the youngsters have put into the team, I can see them win this one.
PREDICTION: 2-0
EVERTON V FULHAM
Everton will be without Dominic Calvert Lewin for this one after picking up a thigh injury in their crazy 5-4 win over Spurs in the FA Cup in midweek. The Toffees' top goal scorer was beginning to pick up some form after coming back from his first injury with four goals in six games and now Everton will have to cope without him again. They coped well without him last time when they beat Wolves last month and whether they can cope without him again remains to be seen. Everton will have James Rodriguez back after missing the Spurs game in midweek but Calvert Lewin's injury will be the biggest loss for them because of how important he's been to them this season. Richarlison is able to step into his shoes as he can play as a no.9 and can do a job in that position even though he is better as a winger. With him likely to play there in this one, I can see him stepping up because he's done a job in that position before.
After some improvement between the opening few games and Christmas, Fulham are drifting towards relegation after no wins in 13 games. At the start of the season they were the favourites to go down because of the amount of goals they were conceding and they were showing many signs of improvement from those opening games by being more solid at the back. Throughout the season and especially since Christmas, they've been struggling badly for goals. They had a load of chances against West Ham in their last game, but only had 2 shots on target compared to their 20 overall. If there is one reason why they're going down it's their lack of cutting edge in the final third. Their strikers have only 7 goals between them this season in Bobby Decordova Reid and Aleksandar Mitrovic which is not enough to keep you in the Premier League. Unless they start scoring goals, I can't see Fulham staying up.
I'm going for an Everton win because they have more quality and Fulham don't look like scoring goals. The Toffees may be without Calvert Lewin, but they still have Richarlison who can step into the no.9 position and do a job plus they've got James Rodriguez back which will be a massive boost.
PREDICTION: 2-0
MONDAY:
WEST HAM V SHEFFIELD UNITED
Despite being well organised at the back, West Ham were disappointing going forward in their FA Cup tie against Man United in midweek. They didn't have any clear cut opportunities throughout the game and never looked like scoring at all. Craig Dawson had a chance at the end of the 90 minutes , but his header was nowhere near the target as it was cleared by Aaron Wan Bissaka. Michail Antonio was a miss because they lacked some one who could hold the ball up and make the defenders work. Andriy Yarmolenko failed to do that before he went off injured and the youngster who replaced him was never in the game. With both Antonio and Yarmolenko out for this one, it looks like Said Benrahma will start as the striker because the Hammers don't have any recognised strikers available and Benrahma has probably played in that position before.
Sheffield United have won every game they've played after an FA Cup tie this season as they beat Newcastle after beating Bristol Rovers in the 3rd Round and Man United after beating Plymouth in the 4th Round. Could they beat West Ham after beating Bristol City in the 5th Round in midweek? We shall find out. The FA Cup has given the Blades the belief and confidence they lacked in the first half of the season and since new year they've won three times in the Premier League. Two of those coming after FA Cup ties. They may be going down, but they're going down fighting and Chris Wilder is making sure of that by getting the team spirit back which was so important to them last season. A good end to the season is all that Sheffield United want because it's been a tough season for them and they'll want to end it on a positive note.
I'm going for a West Ham win because they're having a good season and they have a very good squad. Sheffield United will make it close because of their recent performances, but I think the Hammers will just edge it as they have more quality.
PREDICTION: 2-1
CHELSEA V NEWCASTLE
Chelsea were given a good game by Barnsley last night as the Championship side caused them many problems and arguably had the better chances. They were pressed very high by the Championship side at times during the game and in the first half they didn't offer anything going forward with no one getting on the end of passes as they went on the attack. The second half was slightly better with Tammy Abraham scoring from a Reece James cross but overall, Chelsea's performance was not convincing. Thomas Tuchel will want his side to put on a better showing in this one because he knows that his side can play better than they did against Barnsley. Mason Mount will hopefully come back in after being rested for the game last night plus Timo Werner may return to the starting line up as well after missing the game through injury.
Newcastle have already been a huge blow ahead of this one with top scorer Callum Wilson set to be out for 6-8 weeks due to a thigh injury suffered in the win over Southampton last weekend. Wilson has netted 10 times since arriving from Bournemouth in the summer which shows how important he's been to the Magpies this season. They do have Allan Saint Maximin back but losing Wilson is a big blow because of what he brings to the team in terms of scoring goals. It will interesting to see who Steve Bruce picks to lead his attack with Wilson obviously out. He has three options in Andy Carroll, Dwight Gayle and Joelinton. Dwight Gayle would probably be the best option because he's got more pace and will make the defenders work with his movement. He's the closest to Callum Wilson out of all them because Andy Carroll is someone who is good in the air and can hold the ball and Joelinton doesn't play like a natural no.9.
I'm going for a Chelsea win here because they're unbeaten under Thomas Tuchel and they have more quality than Newcastle. With the Magpies without Callum Wilson, I can't see them causing Chelsea too many problems.
PREDICTION: 2-0
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