TUESDAY:
MAN CITY V WOLVES
Man City pretty much have the title in the bag as they're 12 points clear at the top and on an incredible run of form. A win for them in this one would put them 15 points clear which would almost definitely seal the title with 11 games still play after this game. They were given a good game by West Ham on Saturday with their opponents putting in a decent performance. But City still had enough to win the game and extend their winning run to 20 games in all competitions. They're only four wins away from their own record in the Premier League having won 14 games on trot in the league this season and their record currently standing at 18. If they broke that record it would be absolutely incredible because not many people would've thought that the record itself would be broken. I can see them break it because of the amount of games they're winning which is just ridiculous.
Wolves are unbeaten in their last five games which has put them in a better position to the one they were in a month ago. They've gone back to the three at the back which has been a crucial part to their success during the last three seasons and its helped them be more solid defensively. They were trying to play a different way earlier in the season and it wasn't working. They've gone back to their usual way recently and it has played a huge part in getting good results. They're still missing talisman Jimenez but their recent results have been better than they were one or two months ago. With nothing to play for this season, Nuno Espirito Santo will want his players to end the season strongly because he'll want the fans to smile about something at the end of the season. A good end to the season will hopefully do that and Nuno will make sure it does.
I'm going for a City win because of the winning run they're currently on. With the form they're in and the players they have, I can see them extend their winning run in this one.
PREDICTION: 3-0
WEDNESDAY:
BURNLEY V LEICESTER
Burnley simply did not turn up against Spurs on Sunday. They were ripped apart countless times and could not cope with Spurs' attacks throughout the game. It was very unlike Burnley to be so poor defensively because they're usually very tight at the back and difficult to play against. There was no closing down when Spurs were attacking their goal and they did not look organised throughout the game which is something you never say about the Clarets under Sean Dyche. Their result against Spurs left them 5 points above the relegation zone and the manager will demand a reaction from his players in this one after a poor showing from his side last weekend. They'll have enough to stay up because of the squad and manager they have. But they need to win some games in order to pull themselves away from trouble.
Leicester were poor in their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday with James Maddison's absence being a key factor. They missed his creativity and energy in midfield as they struggled to control the game and seriously test Arsenal. The Foxes were dealt another blow in that game with in form Harvey Barnes having to go off on a stretcher. Barnes has been a key player for the Foxes this season and has grown into one over the last few weeks by scoring important goals for the team. Without his pace and runs in behind, I think the Foxes will struggle because they have know else like that in Barnes' position. I was surprised that they loaned out Demarai Gray to Bayer Leverkusen in January because he's a player with a lot of pace and the Foxes could really do with him at the moment. Especially with Barnes out for a number of weeks.
I'm going for a draw in this one because Leicester are without Maddison and Barnes and Burnley are strong defensively. The Foxes do have Jamie Vardy available, but without Maddison and Barnes they'll struggle to get in behind Burnley's stubborn defence.
PREDICTION: 0-0
SHEFFIELD UNITED V ASTON VILLA
Blades boss Chris Wilder accepted that his side will be in the Championship next season after their defeat to Liverpool on Sunday and he said that as a realist. With their relegation all but confirmed, Wilder will want his side to show some fighting spirit for the remainder of the season so they can end the season strongly which is another thing he mentioned in his post match interview after the Liverpool defeat on Sunday. It's going to take a miracle for Sheffield United to stay in the Premier League and I said that a few months ago when they were losing every week. They did give themselves a slight chance after Christmas with wins over Newcastle and Man United following their wins the FA Cup. But they only gave them a slight chance of getting out of trouble. With only 12 games left to play, the chances of Sheffield United staying up look very slim.
Aston Villa picked up a surprise win without Jack Grealish against Leeds on Saturday with Anwar El Ghazi's goal separating the two sides. I thought Villa would struggle without their skipper in that one yet they managed to win it without him and they won it well. El Ghazi stepped up in the absence of Grealish by scoring the goal and looking dangerous whenever he was on the attack which shows that Villa are not a one man team. They are without a doubt a better team with Jack Grealish available, but El Ghazi showed us that he's capable of stepping up when the main man isn't around. With some good options in their attack, Villa have other players who can also step up like Ross Barkley, Bertrand Traore and Ollie Watkins. This shows the strength in depth they have in the attacking areas.
I'm going for an Aston Villa win because they've proven that they can win without Jack Grealish. With Sheffield United lacking confidence at the moment, Villa should have more than enough to win the game.
PREDICTION: 0-1
CRYSTAL PALACE V MAN UNITED
Crystal Palace had to hang on for a draw against Fulham on Sunday like they did against Brighton before going on to win the week before. They defended pretty well against the Fulham pressure with the defenders blocking shots and Vicente Guaita making some good saves late on to keep the score at 0-0. The Eagles may however be disappointed with their efforts at the other end of the pitch with just 3 shots and none on target throughout the 90 minutes. Wilfried Zaha was without a doubt a miss and Roy Hodgson will want him back very soon with the Ivorian now back in training. The Eagles haven't always been a prolific team in front of goal during Roy Hodgson's time at the club and that is the only criticism I have of them. They're solid and secure defensively but going forward, they're not clinical enough because they don't have a 10-15 goals a season striker. They have good wide men in Eze and Zaha who can score goals. But they lack that out and out centre forward which they haven't always had.
Man United were let down by the officials in their goalless draw at Chelsea on Sunday because of a handball from Callum Hudson Odoi inside the penalty area. The Chelsea player appeared to move his hand towards the ball but the referee didn't give it when he should've done despite looking at the VAR monitor. United will feel that they dropped points because of that very decision which denied them a penalty. The result itself extended their unbeaten run on the road and with this one being away from home. they'll feel that they can win this one as it is against a team that they can beat on their day. United could have Edinson Cavani back for this one which would be a massive boost because they've missed his presence at the top end of the pitch. Anthony Martial has struggled in that position this season and never took his chance to play there during the Uruguayan's absence. United could finally have a focal point if Cavani is available for this one.
I'm going for a United win because they're unbeaten away from home and Palace are without Zaha. Palace will make it difficult for them defensively, but United will still have enough to win the game.
PREDICTION: 0-2
THURSDAY:
FULHAM V TOTTENHAM
Fulham missed a big opportunity to boost their chances of survival on Sunday by drawing with Crystal Palace in a mostly dull affair. They had enough chances to win that game, but they couldn't find a way past Palace's dogged defence. This is the start of a tough run of games that Scott Parker's team have to face with Liverpool and Man City to follow this tough clash against Spurs before a couple of tough tests against Leeds and Aston Villa. They have more tough games on follow their next five which will make their task of staying in the Premier League more difficult as they face all the big six teams and two of the teams around them as well as some of the other teams in mid-table. If they win at least five of those fixtures, I will be amazed because its a tough run in they face between now and the end of the season.
Spurs were in the mood against Burnley on Sunday as they won 4-0 and Gareth Bale scored twice. Bale reminded everyone of his talent in that game and he has done that in the last few games. He almost scored in their loss to Man City and he netted in both of their Europa League games against Wolfsberger prior to scoring twice against Burnley on Sunday. With the Welshman beginning to find his best form in a Spurs shirt, Spurs could have a good end to the season as long as he stays fit and the team don't play as negatively as they have done at times during the season. An attacking line up of Bale, Son and Kane is a danger for any defence in the Premier League. If they can all stay free of injury, Spurs could have a good end to the season and possibly two trophies in the bag which could turn out to be a good season for them.
I'm going for a Spurs win because they have Gareth Bale in some good form at last. With an in form Gareth Bale in your team, you have every chance of winning and I can see Spurs do that in this one.
PREDICTION: 1-3
WEST BROM V EVERTON
West Brom have been improving over the last few weeks by putting in decent performances and getting good results. They kept another clean sheet in their 1-0 win over Brighton to follow up the clean sheet they kept against Burnley the week before which is something Sam Allardyce will be pleased with. They're looking more solid and organised as a team and they're not conceding as many goals as they did during the first month of his reign. The win over Brighton will hopefully give the Baggies the confidence and belief that they can stay up because winning games gives a team confidence and their win over Brighton has given them a slight chance of getting out of trouble. They're currently 9 points from safety and a win for them in this one will hopefully give them a massive boost in their quest to avoid the drop.
Everton put themselves right in the mix for a Champions League spot last night with their win over Southampton which moved them within two points of 4th placed West Ham. A win for them in this one will see them in that top four because they're two points behind West Ham. But they will need Liverpool and Chelsea to draw with each other as they're both above the toffees in the table with Liverpool above them on goal difference and Chelsea ahead of them by just a point. The fans will be more than happy with a Europa League place as that was their minimum expectation at the start of the season. But if they were to qualify for the Champions League, they would be extremely happy because they've seen their team take part in Europe's top club competition. It's been a good season for Everton so far and if they can stay within the European places, it will still be a successful season for them.
I'm going for an Everton win because they've been good away from home season and have more quality than West Brom. With the majority of their best players available to them, they'll have more than enough to claim the three points.
PREDICTION: 0-2
LIVERPOOL V CHELSEA
Liverpool kept their top four hopes alive with their win over Sheffield United on Sunday and it was a win they desperately needed. They lost four games on the spin prior to that game and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his side will follow that up with a win in this one so the reds can get their consistency back. The reds will want a win in this one because they've lost their last four games at home and they'll be desperate to put an end to that slump in order to kick-start their season. With the game being against Chelsea and Chelsea being above them in the table, its a must win game for the reds because you need to beat big teams like Chelsea in order to finish in the top four at the end of the season. The red have a good record in this fixture and they'll want to keep up that record by winning this one.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has lost both of his two visits to Anfield as a manager having lost there in 2016 in charge of Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League and 2018 in charge of PSG in the Champions League. He'll want to banish those memories ahead of this one so he can continue the good start he's made at Chelsea. The blues are still unbeaten under Tuchel and that unbeaten run continued on Sunday in there goalless draw with Man United where they kept another clean sheet. This is his first must win game as Chelsea manager because a win will take his side into the top four going into the weekend fixtures and that in turn will give his side a good chance of qualifying for next seasons Champions League. A win for them in this one will be a massive result for him and side because winning the big games at this stage of the season gives a team confidence to achieve their goals at the end of the season.
I'm going for a Chelsea win because they're unbeaten under Tuchel and Liverpool have lost their four games at home. With Chelsea being tight at the back and having a good balance in other positions, they'll have enough to win this game.
PREDICTION: 0-2
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