FRIDAY:
EVERTON V TOTTENHAM
Everton will go above Spurs in the table if they beat them in this one as they're just two points behind them in 8th. When they beat Spurs on the opening day of the season back in September, big things were expected of Everton because of the players they brought in and the result they got against one of the big teams along with their performance. It hasn't exactly turned out that way because they've struggled at home which has been a part of their inconsistent form this season. It's been a decent season for them, but they haven't quite done as well as they wanted to at the start of the season.
The Toffees recent home form has been like it has been for most of the season. Their last win at home came against Southampton at the beginning of March which has been their only win in their last 8 home games in the league. It's been the complete opposite of the last two seasons where they were struggling away and being decent at home. This may be a different kind of the season to the ones we're used to, but the Toffees still need to improve at home if they're to qualify for Europe.
This is a must win game for Spurs because if they don't they'll be out of the top four race for good. Their defeat to Man United last weekend left them 6 points behind 4th placed West Ham which effectively all but ended their hopes of Champions League football next season. A win for them in this one will hopefully give them some kind of hope of making those spots at the end of the season.
Spurs' season could well be decided within the next few weeks as they have the Carabao Cup final against Man City next weekend along with their remaining league fixtures all in which they need to get something from if they're to have any chance of qualifying for next seasons Champions League. Jose Mourinho is without a doubt under pressure and the results within the next few weeks could well determine whether he'll be in charge of the club next season.
I'm going for a draw in this one because Everton have struggled at home and Spurs don't have a great record against teams in the top half of the table. Everton may be without Dominic Calvert Lewin for this one, but I still think they'll get something against an average Spurs team.
PREDICTION: 1-1
SATURDAY:
NEWCASTLE V WEST HAM
Newcastle gave themselves some breathing space between themselves and the relegation zone last weekend by beating Burnley which left them six points clear of the drop. After a poor performance in the first half where they rarely threatened, they turned it on in the second half by bringing on Allan Saint Maximin and Callum Wilson who changed the game with Saint Maximin having the bigger influence. Steve Bruce will be happy to have his two best players back from injury in Wilson and Saint Maximin because they're both very important players for the Magpies and they proved it against Burnley on Sunday.
The Magpies' win over West Ham on the opening day of the season was supposed to set them on their way to a good season because of the kind of performance they put in on the day along with the players they brought in. Well it hasn't turned out that way at all because they've put in many abject performances throughout the season which lead to a number of their fans turning on the manager. Their abject performances and poor results lead them to being involved in a relegation battle in the first place and they're now looking to steer themselves away from danger by wining this game.
West Ham were probably expecting another difficult season ahead of them following their opening day loss to Newcastle and most people at the time would probably agree having finished 16th the season before. Most people were probably expecting them to be in around the relegation battle at the start of the season and it has been complete opposite of what they thought. The Hammers currently find themselves in 4th and on course to qualify for next seasons Champions League which nobody saw coming at the start of the season. Not even the West Ham fans.
One of the catalysts in the Hammers' rise into the Champions League places has without a doubt been Jesse Lingard. The Hammers have picked up 20 points from 9 games since he arrived in January and he has either scored or assisted in 7 of those games. They would love to snap him up on a permanent transfer once his loan spell ends because of the form he's been in since his arrival.
I'm going for a draw in this one because I think it will be a close game as both sides will have their best attacking players available. West Ham may be good form, but as Newcastle have their two best players in Wilson and Saint Maximin back, I think it will be a score draw.
PREDICTION: 2-2
WOLVES V SHEFFIELD UNITED
Wolves have been dealt another serious injury blow with Pedro Neto ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. With Jimenez likely to miss the rest of the season as well due to the skull injury he suffered back in November, Wolves have suffered another blow to their attack. Neto has arguably been Wolves' best player this season because he's scored some important goals for them and has put in impressive performance throughout the season. He's stepped up as Wolves' main attacker over the last few months and his loss is a massive blow for Wolves.
It looks like Nuno Espirito Santo's team will finish around mid-table this season as they're unlikely to push for a top 10 finish or get sucked into a relegation battle. Their win over Fulham last Friday made sure that they won't get sucked into the relegation battle as they pulled themselves 12 points clear of danger which should be enough to keep them away from the teams near the bottom.
Sheffield United will be relegated if they lose this one and Newcastle get something against West Ham because they're 18 points from safety with 7 games left. The Blades will need to get something in this one in order to keep their faint hopes of survival alive because of the gap between themselves and Newcastle along with the amount of games they have to save their season.
They've been destined to go down since the early months of the season where they were losing pretty much every game which got me asking if they could be worse than Derby from the 2007-08 season. Luckily they haven't been as bad as that Derby team because they've picked up 14 points which is three more than Derby's 11. That total is lowest in Premier League history and Sheffield United will somewhat be delighted that they haven't been as bad as Derby from that very season.
I'm going for a Wolves win because they have more quality than Sheffield United. They may be without Pedro Neto for the rest of the season, but they should still have enough in them win this game against a struggling slide low on confidence.
PREDICTION: 2-0
FA CUP SEMI FINAL
CHELSEA V MAN CITY
Chelsea have a good chance of completing an unlikely double this season as they're in the semi finals of the Champions League as well as the semi finals of the FA Cup. They may be underdogs in both games including this one, but they'll still believe that they have a decent chance of completing the double because they have the ability to win those kind of games when no one expects them to.
The blues should not be underestimated in this game because of the team they are and the success they've had in this competition over the last number of the seasons. They usually reach this stage of the competition most seasons with the odd appearance in the final like last season where they lost 2-1 to Arsenal. They'll go for the win in this one because of the record they have in this competition plus they know how to win these kind of games against tough opposition.
Man City kept their quadruple hopes alive in midweek by coming from behind to beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Champions League winning the tie 4-2 on aggregate. They finally got beyond the Quarter final stage under Pep Guardiola and they have an exciting semi final tie against PSG to look forward to in a couple of weeks time. With the Premier League title almost wrapped up and their Carabao Cup final clash against Spurs next weekend, City could have half of the quadruple completed by the beginning of next month. But only if they win that League Cup final against Spurs.
They may not have as good a record as Chelsea do in this competition, but they still know how to win trophies because of the manager they have at the helm. Guardiola has won many trophies throughout his career and knows how to win these kind of games against the so called big teams. Chelsea have improved a lot since City beat them 3-1 back in January, but they'll still be favourites in this tie because of the quality of the squad they have compared to their opponents'.
I'm going for a Chelsea win because I have that feeling that they're going to win this one. City maybe the stronger team and favourites for the competition, but I still think Chelsea may nick this one.
PREDICTION: 2-1
SUNDAY:
ARSENAL V FULHAM
The Europa League looks like Arsenal's only route into European football next season as they're unlikely to finish in the European spots in the league despite being only four points behind Spurs. They definitely have a chance of winning the Europa League because they have a winnable tie in the next round against Villarreal who are now managed by former boss Unai Emery. Having thrashed Slavia Prague 4-0 last night in the second leg of their Quarter final, they should be in with a chance of winning that competition because of the performance they put in on the night.
The Gunners will once again be without captain Pierre Emerick Aubameyang who is currently recovering from malaria having contracted it whilst on international duty with Gabon at the end of last month. Arsenal have done pretty well when he's been absent from the team this season which got me asking if they're better off without him. That may sound crazy to Arsenal fans but based on this season, it definitely looks that way. If the Gunners can put in another good display like the one against Sheffield United last weekend, they might start planning life without the Gabonese international.
Fulham's quest to stay in the Premier League has been made a lot more difficult recently after losing two key games against Aston Villa and Wolves. Their confidence must be shot to pieces because of the way they lost both games. They appeared to lose belief against Villa after conceding the equaliser before Villa scored two more later on and they conceded an injury time winner against Wolves last Friday which must've hurt them a lot psychologically.
With some tricky fixtures coming up, the Cottagers will need to pick themselves up if they're to avoid relegation because another defeat in this one could kill off their chances of survival. With Chelsea coming up in their next game after this one, their confidence could be rock bottom going into their final few games of the season. They have a tough challenge ahead of them.
I'm going for an Arsenal win because Fulham will be low on confidence after their last two results and Arsenal have more quality. It won't be as comfortable as the reverse fixture, but Arsenal will still have enough in them to claim the three points.
PREDICTION: 2-0
MAN UNITED V BURNLEY
Man United lost this fixture 2-0 last season with a large portion of the fans turning on the glazers and CEO Ed Woodward. The fans were holding banners that were directed at the ownership of the club and the way it was being run which it was back then in January of 2020. A few days later they signed Bruno Fernandes and their season changed as the team were more exciting to watch and it enabled them to push into the top four. Things are now looking much better at Old Trafford because of where the team are in the league and the team that the manager is building.
A win for United in this one should push them closer towards Champions League football next season as they have a good cushion between themselves and the teams outside the top four. They should also be guaranteed second place in the league as well because I can't see anyone else overtake them and leaders City as we all know are going to win the league itself.
Burnley have been letting leads slip recently which is very unlike Burnley against the kind of teams they've been facing. They were 2-0 up against Southampton a couple of weeks ago and they blew their lead at half time before Southampton went on to win the game. They were a goal up and the better side against Newcastle last weekend until Newcastle made their subs and changed the game. Sean Dyche will be hoping that his side will see games out better between now and the end of the season so they can secure their Premier League status sooner rather than later.
The Clarets are more than safe from the threat of relegation as they're 7 points clear of danger. It's just a matter of when they're status will be secure for next season. They have some winnable fixtures between now and the end of the season and if they can win at least two of them. they should be safe for good.
I'm going for a United win because I think they'll have more than enough to win this game. Burnley will try and keep the score down, but United will still have enough in them to win this game because of the quality they possess going forward.
PREDICTION: 2-0
FA CUP SEMI FINAL
LEICESTER V SOUTHAMPTON
Leicester were one of my outsiders for the FA Cup at the start of the season and they still are going into this tie against Southampton. They have a very strong squad which has been used well by the manager in all competitions and they will without a doubt be looking forward to this game. Their league form has taken a hit following back to back defeats to Man City and West Ham, but the Foxes will not let that affect them in this cup tie as it is a completely different competition.
The Foxes have never won the FA Cup and this game will be a big opportunity for them to reach a major final for the first time since 2000 where they won the League Cup under Martin O'Neill. If they could win the FA Cup along with securing a place in next seasons Champions League, it would be a very good season for them and probably their best one since winning the league.
The FA Cup has been Southampton's saving grace over the last three months because of how poor their league form has been since the turn of the year. They've won just three times in the league since the beginning of January and the FA Cup has been a good distraction for them during that time as they find themselves in the semi finals of the competition.
The Saints haven't reached the FA Cup final since 2003 where they were beaten by eventual winners Arsenal. But they have won the competition before with their only success coming in 1976. Their last semi final appearance came a few seasons ago in 2018 where they were beaten by Chelsea who went on to win the competition that very season. Will that feat repeat itself? Southampton will hope not because they'll want to reach the final as it's something which doesn't happen very often to a club like Southampton.
I'm going for a Leicester win because they were one of my outsiders for the cup at the start of the season and I think they'll have more than enough to win this tie. With the talent and quality they have in their squad, they should have no problems in winning this game.
PREDICTION: 2-0
MONDAY:
LEEDS V LIVERPOOL
Leeds' game against Liverpool on the opening day of the season set themselves for the season ahead by playing on the front foot and catching teams out which they've done pretty much all season. They've been the most entertaining team to watch by playing the way they play which has won many admirers among fans and ex-players. That opening game was Leeds summed up in a nutshell.
Marcelo Bielsa's team took a different kind of approach against Man City last weekend by being a bit more defensive instead of their usual all out attack game which has been the success of their season. I can see why they used that game plan because they were up against City and if they went all out attack, they were probably going get punished because of the quality that City possess. The game plan appeared to work as they won the game 2-1 which no one saw coming. It will be interesting to see whether they'll use that game plan in this one as they're up against another attacking team. But I won't be surprised if they play the way they usually play in going all out in attack.
Liverpool only have a top four place to fight for this season having gone out of the Champions League to Real Madrid in midweek ending their hopes of any silverware for the season. They had a load of chances to score in midweek but didn't take them with Mohamed Salah being the guilty culprit as he had the most out of all his teammates. They'll be kicking themselves for sure because of the amount of chances they had in the game.
The reds' league form has been pretty good recently and it has put them right back in the mix for a top four finish. Their win against Aston Villa last weekend was more like the Liverpool of last season in grinding results out and they certainly did that against Villa. They came from behind and won the game through a brilliant strike from Trent Alexander Arnold who has looked more like the player from last season since the international break. Another good performance from him in this one will put him right back in contention for a place in the England squad for the Euro's.
I'm going for a draw in this one because both teams like to attack and I think it will be a very close game. It won't quite be like the reverse fixture, but I still think it will be an exciting watch because of the way they both play.
PREDICTION: 2-2
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