SATURDAY:
MAN CITY V WEST HAM
Man City put in another dominant performance during their win over Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League in midweek by being good in all departments. They were rarely troubled defensively and they put the chances away when they needed to. Joao Cancelo impressed in that one by assisting Bernardo Silva's goal and tucking into midfield where he caused Monchengladbach some problems. He's one of the first names on City's team sheet in recent weeks by putting in good performances at both right back and left back which is where he played in midweek. His performances at right back have kept Kyle Walker out of the team by making the most of the opportunities given to him by his manager. He is showing why City signed him by putting in good performances after not playing a lot last season. City have some good depth in the right back position with Cancelo in good form and Walker putting in a shift whenever he gets on opportunity.
Did anyone think West Ham would be in the Champions League places at this stage of the season? I certainly didn't and I reckon most people didn't think so either. David Moyes is definitely a contender for manager of the season because of the job he's done this season by building a team that can compete. The recruitment has been solid and the team itself is solid in all departments. They're tight at the back and that enables the attacking players to do what they want when they go forward. The defence is also well protected by Soucek and Rice who do their job well and also like to move forward and help out the attacking players. Those two were instrumental in the Hammers' win over Spurs last weekend by working well as a pair in midfield as they stopped many Spurs attacks throughout the game. They've been two of West Ham's best players this season and that performance shows us why.
I'm going for a City win because they can't stop winning at the moment. They've won 19 games in a row in all competitions and I can see nothing but another City win in this one.
PREDICTION: 2-0
WEST BROM V BRIGHTON
West Brom finally kept their first clean sheet under Sam Allardyce last weekend with their goalless draw at Burnley. But they'll be disappointed that they didn't get the three points they desperately need. The clean sheet will be something that Big Sam will be looking to build on as he was brought in to shore up the defence and make West Brom hard to beat. But most importantly, he'll be hoping that his side can win more games so they can stay up. They've shown slight signs of improvement in their last two games with draws against Man United and Burnley by being reasonably solid at the back and putting in good enough performances to earn the draws. Allardyce will want his side to carry those performances into this game so his side can get a result. But this time he'll want the result to be a win because wins are what keep teams in a division and the Baggies themselves haven't many of them since season.
Brighton's struggles in finishing teams off continued on Monday night in their 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace. They had a lot of the ball and created a lot of chances, they just couldn't find a way past the Palace defence. They play some good football at times, they just haven't had the killer instinct in front of goal when they need it most. Not killing teams off has been their problem for pretty much the whole season and their defeat on Monday sucked them back into the relegation battle even though they're four points above the drop zone. They need to recapture the form that pulled them away at the end of last month otherwise they could very much be part of the dogfight itself. Especially with the results Fulham have been picking up recently. The Seagulls need to win this one so they can pull themselves away from trouble like they did earlier in the month with their wins over Spurs and Liverpool.
I'm going for a draw in this one because both teams don't score many goals. Brighton miss a lot of chances despite having a lot of possession and West Brom never look like winning games themselves. Because of that I can only see this being a draw.
PREDICTION: 1-1
LEEDS V ASTON VILLA
Leeds moved into the top 10 in midweek with their 3-0 win over Southampton in which all the goals were well executed. Patrick Bamford hit his shot first time to score his 13th goal of the season as did Stuart Dallas for his goal whereas Raphinha scored an excellent free kick to win the game for Marcelo Bielsa's side. They won that game without the influential Kalvin Phillips and it was only the second time they've won without him this season. The first time was in the reverse fixture against their opponents for this game. Patrick Bamford scored a hat trick in that game and has gone on to score many goals since then. He's proven many people wrong throughout the season and with the amount of goals he's got this season, he has a good chance of earning an England call up soon. If he continues scoring goals until the end of the season, he could even be in the squad for the Euros.
Aston Villa could again be without talisman Jack Grealish due to a calf injury he picked up prior to their defeat to Leicester last weekend. Villa's captain was a massive miss for them because they lacked that player who could take players on and win fouls for the team which is what Grealish does whenever he's on the pitch. His absence clearly had an effect on the team's performance because they were very flat in the first half and defensively they didn't look as solid as they have been this season. Dean Smith will want his players to be at it in this one because of the threat that Leeds pose on their day and their performance against Leicester last weekend. They may be without Grealish, but Villa still have good attacking players in their squad such as Ollie Watkins, Ross Barkley, Bertrand Traore and Anwar El Ghazi. If they can put it a good performance, Villa could get something from this game.
I'm going for a Leeds win because Villa could be without Grealish and he is their best attacking player. The whites won the reverse fixture at Villa Park earlier in the season and I can see them winning this one as well.
PREDICTION: 2-1
NEWCASTLE V WOLVES
Newcastle must be looking over their shoulders as they're just three clear of the drop zone following back to back defeats to Chelsea and Man United along with Fulham's recent results. They weren't that bad in the first half against United last weekend but in the second half, their heads dropped after Daniel James put United 2-1 up. The Magpies are now in a relegation and will have to fight their way out of it without top goal scorer Callum Wilson who has been a key player for them since he arrived from Bournemouth in the summer. Wilson is out till April with a thigh injury which is a big blow for Newcastle because of the amount of goals he's scored which labels his importance to the team. They do have Allan Saint Maximin who is also an important player for them but without Wilson, they lack a clinical focal point at the top end of the pitch.
Wolves are in some decent form at the moment with three wins from their last four games and they're looking more like themselves by playing their more suited three at the back. They've used that system in their last three games from which they've collected 7 points and kept two clean sheets. They look more solid and secure with the back three and they should carry on playing that system as it has been a crucial part of their success since Nuno came in. They're in a better place than they were a month ago because they were on a poor run of form and were suffering without talisman Raul Jimenez. The Mexican returned to training this week as he continues his rehab from the fractured skull he suffered back in November. He won't be available for selection just yet but his return to training is good news for Wolves and for Nuno because he's been out for a long time and he'll hopefully be back on the pitch before the end of the season.
I think this one will be a draw because both sides are missing their star strikers in Callum Wilson and Raul Jimenez. They've both struggled without their star strikers and becaus eof that I can't see a winner being scored in this one.
PREDICTION: 0-0
SUNDAY:
CRYSTAL PALACE V FULHAM
Crystal Palace picked up a vital win on Monday night by beating Brighton 2-1 and without talisman Wilfried Zaha. The Ivorian is a huge miss for Palace whenever he's been unavailable but they managed to find a way to win without him on Monday night by sitting deep and getting the ball into wide areas from which they got their goals. It wasn't a pretty performance from the Eagles, but they got the result they needed and they did it without their star man. They soaked up a lot of Brighton pressure and blocked every shot they could to keep the score at 1-1 before Christian Benteke won the game with a well timed volley from Andros Townsend's cross from the left hand side. Palace have always been a team who are solid defensively since Roy Hodgson has been in charge. But they haven't always had a reliable goal scorer who can put chances away. With both Christian Benteke and Jean Philippe Mateta scoring on Monday night, they'll hopefully have the confidence to find the net again in this one.
Fulham have brought the relegation battle back to life with their recent results including wins over Everton and Sheffield United. The Cottagers were 7 or 8 points adrift a few weeks ago and now they're just 3 thanks to their last three results and Newcastle dropping points in their last two. They've given themselves a very good chance of staying up and they'll be hoping to carry on their good run of form by winning this one against one of their London rivals. They'll have to win this one if they're to have any chance of staying up because they have some very tough games coming up after this one. They face Spurs, Liverpool and Man City in their next three games which makes this one a must not lose for them if they're to stand a chance of avoiding relegation at the end of the season. Scott Parker will definitely be aware of that.
I'm for a Palace win in this one because they won without Zaha on Monday night and I can see them winning without him again. Fulham will make it close but I think Palace will just edge it.
PREDICTION: 2-1
LEICESTER V ARSENAL
Leicester will be without James Maddison for this one through injury which is a massive blow for them because of the form he's been in over the last month. Maddison has scored 6 goals and registered 4 assists in all competitions since the beginning of January which shows the kind of form he's been in. He'll be a massive loss for the Foxes, but they still have players who can cause the opposition some damage in Jamie Vardy who has a good record against opponents Arsenal and Harvey Barnes who is having an outstanding season. Barnes like Maddison is a player who has got better as the season has progressed by scoring more goals in which he has 9 of this season. He was crucial in the foxes last two games where they beat Liverpool and Aston Villa with Barnes scoring in both. With the form he's in, I can see him causing Arsenal some problems because of the pace he has and the amount of goals he's scored.
Arsenal barely had the ball in their defeat to Man City last weekend with their opponents being in total control. The Gunners struggled to create any serious opportunities as they were completely dominated by the league leaders. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp said that Pierre Emerick Aubameyang was past his best after that game which I felt was quite harsh because Aubameyang himself scored a hat trick the week before against Leeds. He has had a tough season by his standards, but he still has plenty to offer at 31 years of age due to the pace he has. He responded to Redknapp's comment last night by scoring twice in Arsenal's 3-2 win over Benfica in the Europa League with the Gunners coming from behind to win the game and book their place in the round of 16. With 8 goals in his last seven games in all competitions, he's still proven that he's still a world class striker.
I'm going for a Leicester win because they're doing well in the league and they have players who can hurt Arsenal. Maddison may be out, but they still have Vardy and Barnes who can cause them problems with their pace and runs in behind.
PREDICTION: 2-0
TOTTENHAM V BURNLEY
Spurs put their struggles behind them in midweek by beating Wolfsberger 4-0 in the Europa League with Dele Alli and Gareth Bale both scoring. Alli scored a brilliant bicycle kick and assisted two of the goals along with showing his class throughout by picking out his teammates and making those runs into the box we saw when he was at his best. That performance might convince Jose Mourinho to start him because he was arguably the best player on the pitch and Mourinho himself was happy with his overall contribution on the day. Alli himself will probably be knocking on his managers' door asking him to be picked for the next game because of the performance he put in on Wednesday night. With Spurs struggling in the league at the moment, Alli could be the player to help them get their season back on track because Spurs' midfield have lacked energy recently and that is something Dele Alli will definitely bring to this team.
Burnley have a terrible record in this fixture with only one point taken from six visits to Spurs in the Premier League. They lost this fixture 5-0 last season with Heung Min Son scoring an epic solo goal for Spurs from inside his own half. The Clarets are pretty much safe but Sean Dyche won't want them to relax because they're not mathematically safe yet and there is still some way to go until the season is over. They picked up a good point last time out against West Brom but they may see that as a missed opportunity because a win would've pushed them further towards safety. The Clarets have some tough fixtures coming up with Leicester, Arsenal and Everton coming up after this tough one against Spurs which could see them dragged back into the mix. Especially with Fulham beginning to pick up some good results.
I'm going for a Spurs win because I can see them put it another good performance like the one they put in on Wednesday night. Burnley will make it difficult for them, but I can see Spurs' quality shine through.
PREDICTION: 3-1
CHELSEA V MAN UNITED
I was not expecting Chelsea to get anything from their Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid in midweek and they went on to win the game thanks to Olivier Giroud's bicycle kick. The blues were once again tight at the back which they have been since Tuchel came in and they were pretty good going forward as well by creating some good chances. This will be the fifth time Thomas Tuchel has faced Man United as a manager having faced them four times in the Champions League when he was manager of PSG. He's both won and lost twice against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side including the two games he managed against them earlier in the season where his PSG side lost at the Stade de Paris and won at Old Trafford. Tuchel should know how to set his team up for this one because he'll be aware of how United play from his previous meeting with them in the Champions League. This will be his first big test in the Premier League as Chelsea boss for sure.
Ole Gunnar will once again be up against Thomas Tuchel having met him four times in the Champions League where he won both meeting as the away manager. He'll look to use this to his advantage because United have a good record away from home and home advantage hasn't been a huge factor for the home team this season due to there being no fans in the stadium. United had to work for their win over Newcastle last weekend after a slow start to both the first and second halves. Daniel James' goal changed the game because the momentum swung in their favour and they went on to win the game 3-1 with Bruno Fernandes' penalty winning them the game. If they can start this game well like they did the last two times they've faced Tuchel as the away team, United could get something despite missing a few players through injury.
I'm going for a draw in this one because United are good away from home and Chelsea have started well under Tuchel. It will be a close game because of the nature of the fixture, but I can't see a winner from either side despite the history both managers have when facing each other.
PREDICTION: 1-1
SHEFFIELD UNITED V LIVERPOOL
Sheffield United gave themselves a chance of getting out of trouble at the start of the month thanks to the confidence they got from their FA Cup campaign. But now it looks like relegation is almost certain with 13 games left and the club 14 points from safety. They were pushing for a place in Europe this time last season as they were 7th in the league and five points outside the Champions League places. One year later they find themselves at the foot of the table with a very slim chance of staying up which has been the case for pretty much the whole season. They haven't scored enough goals and they're missing a couple of key players in defence who were massive in their success last season. With very little hope left for them, Chris Wilder will just want his side to show some fighting spirit between now and the end of the season so they can end it in the strongest possible way.
If Liverpool lose this game, they could say goodbye to their top four hopes and their season along with it. Their title defence has been one of the worst in Premier League if you look at their form since Christmas and New Year. They were in pole position to win the league at Christmas following a 7-0 win over Crystal Palace which left them 5 points clear. Their form since then has been poor and it's very possible that they could miss out on a Champions League place for next season unless their form improves. One reason for their drop off has without a doubt been down to injuries and especially in the backline. Jordan Henderson has had to fill in at centre back along with Fabinho because their three senior centre backs have been injured and are out for the rest of the season. The spine of the team hasn't been there and without Virgil Van Dijk in that backline, they're not as secure defensively because of the different partnerships they've had at the back.
I'm going for a Liverpool win in this one because Sheffield United don't score goals and Liverpool have players who can score goals. They're not in the best of form at the moment, but they should still have enough to win this game.
PREDICTION: 0-2
MONDAY:
EVERTON V SOUTHAMPTON
Everton should be full of confidence going into this game after winning the Merseyside Derby at Anfield last weekend. Their home form may not be great, but the win over Liverpool at Anfield will surely give them plenty of confidence because any win against a big team or your biggest rivals usually gives a team the confidence to get another good result. The toffees will have all their key players available for this one with Dominic Calvert Lewin making his comeback from the bench in the Merseyside Derby and Allan looking to make his return in this one after two months out. Those two haven't been massively missed but Carlo Ancelotti will still be happy to have them back because of what they offer and how important they are to the team. With all their best players on the pitch, Everton should be strong favourites for this one without a doubt.
What has happened to Southampton? They were top of the league in November after a good start and they now find themselves in 14th following a run of 1 win in 9 games. They weren't that bad in the first half of their 3-0 defeat to Leeds in midweek as they had some good chances to go ahead including Che Adams' disallowed goal. In the second half they looked completely beaten because they conceded early in the half and that gave Leeds the confidence to score more and win the game itself. Their current form should be a concern for Ralph Hasenhuttl because he has set high standards since he's been at the club and the Saints are drifting towards the wrong end of the table. They have had a lot of injuries and do play at a high intensity, but Southampton should be 14th in the league because of the the players they have in their squad.
I'm going for an Everton win because Southampton are low in confidence having lost 7 of their last 8 games. With the quality Everton have in forward areas in Calvert Lewin, Richarlison and Rodriguez, they should be too strong for Southampton.
PREDICTION: 3-0
Comments