SATURDAY:
CHELSEA V WEST BROM
Chelsea have looked really solid defensively since Thomas Tuchel has been in charge and they're still unbeaten under him. They were very shaky at the back when they met their opponents earlier in the season as they were 3-0 down and had to claw it back to 3-3 to grab a point. That will hopefully not happen in this one because the blues are much better defensively and are in a system that suits them in a 3-4-3 formation. The players know what their jobs are and they look comfortable in a system that suits them.
The blues are in pole position to clinch that all important 4th spot going into the rest of the season because they're in the position itself and also in good form. They should have enough to clinch it because they have a good enough squad on paper and they also have some confidence on board which you need at this stage of the season.
If West Brom are to pull off a great escape then it has to start now because they're 10 points adrift with 9 games left. Teams who have pulled it off in the past have started their runs at this stage of the season and West Brom will be hoping to do the same as they look to pull off something similar. But it won't be straightforward as they have to face Arsenal and Liverpool as well as highflying Leicester and West Ham between now and the end of the season.
They were gradually improving defensively before the international break but only managed one win which came against Brighton at the end of February. They haven't been clinical enough in front of goal in recent games as well as all season and hopefully they've worked on that during the international break. If not, then they're only going one way.
I'm going for a Chelsea win because they're still unbeaten under Tuchel and they'll have more than enough to beat West Brom. With the current form they're in, they should win this game comfortably.
PREDICTION: 2-0
LEEDS V SHEFFIELD UNITED
Leeds are having a decent first season back in the top flight as they're currently 11th in the table and in contention for a top half finish. Whilst the other newly promoted teams in Fulham and West Brom are fighting it out at the bottom, Leeds are looking comfortable in mid table which is where they deserve to be based on their efforts this season.
There is still the question hanging over Marcelo Bielsa's future at the club as his contract is up at the end of the season and there is no news of it being extended. If his side can end the season strongly and finish roughly where they are now, it would be a good end to his time at the club because 11th place for a newly promoted team is always a good season. He came in to get Leeds back to the Premier League which he did last season and he's done what was asked of him at the start of this season by keeping in them league and quite comfortably.
Sheffield United are just games away from relegation unless their form improves drastically. They're 14 points from safety with nine games left which is a big ask for a team who have recently lost their beloved manager. They've been destined for relegation ever since the early months of the season where they were losing a lot of games and it's not long till the inevitable will take place.
Paul Heckingbottom has hopefully used the international break to find ways of improving results in order to improve the confidence of his team. They weren't that bad in the second half of their 2-0 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup last time out and Heckingbottom will be hoping that his players will carry that performance into this one so they have a chance of getting a result. Results are what they desperately need if they're to have any chance of avoiding relegation to the Championship.
I'm going for a Leeds win because they're stronger and have more quality than Sheffield United. They're a brilliant team to watch and because of that they should win this game comfortably.
PREDICTION: 3-0
LEICESTER V MAN CITY
Leicester could end up meeting City in the FA Cup final at the end of the season making this game a potential warm up for them if they were to get there and face the opponents they're facing in this one. But that is only if they win their semi final clash against Southampton and City win theirs against Chelsea.
James Maddison will be back for Foxes in this one which is great news for them because of the season he has had and how important he is to the team itself. The Foxes coped fairly well without him with Kelechi Iheanacho being able to step up in his absence by scoring most of the goals and linking up with the other players on the pitch. They may still be without Harvey Barnes, but having Maddison back will be a massive boost to Leicester's hopes of finishing in the top four because of what he offers going forward alongside Iheanacho and Vardy.
The result in the reverse fixture forced City to sign a centre back and they got he one they wanted one or two days later in Ruben Dias. The Portuguese defender has been solid all season and has been crucial to City's improvement defensively. He's been the leader they lacked last season when Vincent Kompany left and has formed an excellent partnership with John Stones who has benefitted from playing alongside Dias massively. City have been much better defensively ever since that defeat and their improvement at the back has helped them climb up the table and create a huge gap between themselves and the rest.
Following the news of Sergio Aguero leaving the club at the end of the season, the Argentine himself will want a run of games in the starting line up because he'll want to end his City career on a high by scoring some goals between now and the end of the season. City could still win the quadruple this season which would be a brilliant way for him to bow out. But he'll still want a regular run in the team and score some more goals so he can end his City career on a high along with winning some trophies.
I'm going for a City win because Leicester haven't been as good at home as they have been away. With the quality that City have in their squad, they should have enough to win this game and avoid a repeat of the reverse fixture.
PREDICTION: 1-3
ARSENAL V LIVERPOOL
Arsenal are one of the most inconsistent teams in the league at the moment. One week they get a good result and put in a good performance the next they look average. They had to come from 3-0 down to grab a draw with West Ham last time out after getting a good result and playing reasonably well against Spurs the week before. Their draw with West Ham was Arsenal in a nutshell. They have moments where they're brilliant but also have moments where they're poor. Mikel Arteta will want to sort this out soon and especially going into next season.
The Gunners may be without Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka for this one due to injuries they picked up whilst on International duty. Both of them have been key players for Arsenal this season and especially since Christmas because that is when their revival started after a fairly poor start. With both players yet to return to training, I can't see them starting this one.
Liverpool will be hoping to return to their usual selves between now and the end of the season because Jurgen Klopp has had an international break to watch back some of their poor performances and see what he can do to get his side back to their usual standards. The reds have looked tired and lethargic since Christmas and the international break has given some of the players a much needed rest after playing a lot of games in a congested season.
They picked up a massive result last time out by beating Wolves which was two weeks ago and the reds should feel refreshed and fully recovered going into this one. This game against Arsenal is one they have to win because a win will put them right back in contention for a Champions League place as long as West Ham and Spurs don't pick up points along with Chelsea who are playing first.
I'm going for a draw in this one because I think it will be a close game. I think both sides will go for it as they both play attacking football and have good players in those areas. But I can't see a winner from either of them.
PREDICTION: 1-1
SUNDAY:
SOUTHAMPTON V BURNLEY
Southampton's form since the turn of the year has been dreadful as they've won just twice in the league since the start of 2021. They've had injuries to key players and the team itself has looked a bit tired because of the amount of games they've played and the intensity they play at. This could be down to not having a big enough squad because they haven't made many changes to their starting line up over the course of the season and that has possibly lead to players getting injured and feeling tired during a very congested season.
With the international break done, the players available should feel refreshed and fully recovered because they needed a break after playing a lot of games in a tight schedule. With the players fully recovered and refreshed, we could see the Southampton we saw earlier in the season in pressing high and going after teams. If Ralph Hasenhuttl can get his team to play like that with his players fully recovered and refreshed, the Saints will hopefully push themselves back up the table.
Burnley are pretty much safe and are a few good results away from securing their Premier League status for another season. Their win against Everton last time moved them closer towards safety and a win in this one will move them even closer. They're seven points above the relegation zone and a win in this one will put them 10 points clear as long as Fulham don't pick up any points against Aston Villa later on.
The Clarets put in a good display last time out in their win at Everton as they started the game on the front foot and got the win with Dwight McNeil's scoring a brilliant curler for the second. It was a classic Burnley performance as they were defensively solid and hard to beat which is Burnley summed up under Sean Dyche. Their solid in pretty much every area on the pitch and it is why they're still a Premier League Club.
I'm going for a Southampton win because they've had an international break to recover and I can see them being back to their best because of that. With Danny Ings possibly making his return to the side, the saints should have enough to win this one.
PREDICTION: 2-0
NEWCASTLE V TOTTENHAM
Newcastle did not turn up against Brighton last time out and it was no surprise that they were convincingly beaten. They need to start getting results and fast because they haven't won their last six and they're just two points off the drop with a tough run of games coming up for them. The pressure is on Steve Bruce to get those results and his side now need to deliver if they're to be in the Premier League next season.
The only good news for Newcastle is that Callum Wilson and Allan Saint Maximin are almost back from injury which is a massive boost for them going forward. Those two have been a big loss for the Magpies over the last few games because they've lacked creativity and goal threat which is what both Wilson and Saint Maximin bring to the table. Once those two are back in the team, we'll hopefully see an improvement in results.
Despite their inconsistent form, Spurs still remain in the hunt for a Champions League spot. Their win over Aston Villa before the international break moved them within three points of 4th placed Chelsea and it was a game they simply had to win in order to keep their top four hopes alive. If they didn't win that game, their chances of finishing in the top four would've looked very slim.
Spurs may still be without Heung Min Son for this one due to the injury he picked up in the North London Derby which made him miss the win over Villa and the international break. Spurs will want him back soon if they're to end the season strongly because he's an important player for them and without they're not the same team. They coped fairly well without him against Villa in their last game as they won 2-0. But he's still a massive loss for Spurs because of what he offers the team going forward.
I'm going for a Spurs win because I think they'll have enough in them to win the game. They may be without Son for this one, but they still have players who can make a difference like Harry Kane, Gareth Bale and Lucas Moura.
PREDICTION: 0-2
ASTON VILLA V FULHAM
Aston Villa could have Jack Grealish back for this one after a month out with a calf injury. Villa really missed their talisman during his absence because they lacked that player who could cut open defences with a killer pass in behind. They only won once in his absence which came against Leeds and with him now back in training and potentially available for this game, Villa will be able to continue their push towards the European places.
Villa were relegation bound at this stage of last season as they were in the bottom three with little hope of staying up. This season they're 10th and in with a chance of pushing for a place in the Europa League which shows how much they have progressed since last season. Dean Smith has built a very good side capable of competing at this level and he deserves a lot of credit for getting Villa into the position they're in now.
Fulham's 3-0 defeat to Villa back in September you could say was a game changer for Fulham because they were all over the place defensively at that stage of the season and ever since that result, they've looked more difficult to beat. Many people wrote them off following that result as they were conceding goals a lot of goals and showing no signs of improvement. They now look much better defensively and are in with a very good chance of staying up as they're just two points from safety. No one would've thought that at the start of the season. Not even one.
The Cottagers missed an opportunity to climb out of the relegation zone last time out by losing 2-1 to Leeds where they had enough good chances to win the game. They have some fairly tricky fixtures coming up between now and the end of the season and they need to be at it in all of them if they're to stay up. They face three of the big six in Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United before a potential six pointer against Newcastle on the final day.
I'm going for a Villa win because they might have Jack Grealish back which will be a massive boost for them. Fulham will make it difficult but with Grealish back on the pitch, I think Villa will just edge it.
PREDICTION: 1-0
MAN UNITED V BRIGHTON
Man United are short in options going forward ahead of this game with Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford all injured. Martial injured his knee whilst on international duty, Greenwood was forced to pull out of the England U21's squad with his unknown injury and Rashford has to miss all of England's World Cup qualifiers with a foot injury. That leaves Edinson Cavani as the only recognised striker available to them ahead of this game which will be some good news for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he picks his team.
United only have the Europa League to play for this season having gone out of the FA Cup to Leicester before the international break. They still have a top four place to secure which I think they will but in terms of having successful season, the Europa League is the only thing left for them to play for. They'll probably finish 2nd behind City which will show progression in the league. But if they can win the Europa League along with finishing 2nd, it will be a good season for United.
Brighton were in good form going into the international break after picking up back to back wins against Southampton and Newcastle to move within six points of safety. Those two wins should give them the confidence to help them through the tough run of games they have coming up till the end of the season. They play three of the big six after this one in Chelsea, City and Arsenal along with other tough fixtures against Everton, Leeds, and West Ham. If their confidence can help them see those games through, they should be safe.
They had their shooting boots on in the wins over Southampton and Newcastle and Graham Potter will hope that his players still have them on in this one as well as the other games they have left to play. Scoring goals has been a problem for Brighton this season and they won't want it to come back to bite between now and the end of the season as they look to pull further away from the bottom three.
I'm going for a United win because I think they will have enough despite the injuries they have in forward areas. With Bruno Fernandes available and firing, you have every chance of winning and I think he'll have a big part to play in this one.
PREDICTION: 2-0
MONDAY:
EVERTON V CRYSTAL PALACE
Everton's home form hasn't been great this season and you can say that about a lot of teams this season. They've won just once in their last five home games and Carlo Ancelotti will want to sort that out soon if they're to qualify for Europe this season. They'll probably get Europa League because I can't see the top four changing any time soon and the Europa League places are where Everton deserve to be based on the current squad they have.
James Rodriguez should be back for the Toffees in this one which will be a welcome boost because of what he offers the team going forward along side Dominic Calvert Lewin and Richarlison. Robin Olsen or Jordan Pickford may be back between the sticks after missing the international break with injuries and it will be interesting to see whether Ancelotti picks either of them or Joao Virginia who played in their FA Cup Quarter final defeat to Man City last time they played.
Crystal Palace only have pride to play for as they're pretty much safe from the threat of relegation and unlikely to push for a top half finish. It's been their kind of season because they always have enough to stay out of a relegation battle but not enough to finish in the top 10. Mid-table is where they realistically deserve to finish based on the current squad of players they have. They're a firmly established Premier League club.
Palace have some tricky games coming up after this one as they face Chelsea, Leicester and Man City in their next three after this one before ending the season with games against Arsenal and Liverpool. Their hopes of ending the season strongly may take a blow because of the tough games they have before the season ends. But they should still finish roughly where they are come the end of it.
I'm going for an Everton win because I think they'll have enough to beat Palace. They may not be great at home, but they should still win this game without any problems.
PREDICTION: 2-0
WOLVES V WEST HAM
Wolves may be without keeper Rui Patricio for this one due to the head injury he suffered in the defeat to Liverpool in their last game two weeks ago. He has been recovering during the international break but I think Nuno may pick John Ruddy over him because Patricio may not be ready to return despite being conscious for the last two weeks.
With nothing to play for, Wolves will want to end a fairly disappointing season strongly so they can end the season on a positive note. They've been fighting it out for a place in the Europa League since their promotion to the top flight back in 2018 and this year they've been stuck in mid-table for the majority of the season. They've missed their talisman in Raul Jimenez because they haven't had a clinical no.9 to score the goals like he does when he's available. His absence up top has clearly been felt.
Did anyone think West Ham would be chasing a Champions League spot at the start of the season? Probably not. David Moyes has done a brilliant job since returning to the club last season and he simply has to be up there for manager of the season. He's proven many people wrong after a tough time at his previous clubs by signing the right players for the club and playing the right system that suits them. He deserves a lot of credit for the job he has done.
The Hammers' 4-0 win over Wolves at the start of the season set the tone for their season because it gave the players the confidence that they can put in a performance against anyone in the league which they have done all season. They've taken points off three of the big six in Spurs, Arsenal and Man City plus they've beaten the likes of Everton and Leicester to whom they were not expecting to finish above or near. They've had a great season and they will want to end it well.
I'm going for a West Ham win because they've had brilliant season and I can see them win this game. They beat Wolves earlier in the season and I can see them beat them again.
PREDICTION: 0-2
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