The Premier League showed once again why it is considered as the best league in world football as the title run-in continued to heat up. Manchester City, not without a little scare from Crystal Palace, managed a 3-1 win at Selhurst Park, while current log-leaders, Liverpool, ended a seven-year winless run at home to Chelsea, humbling the Blues to a 2-0 defeat, which dented their hopes for a top four finish.
Once again, a title-chaser trades blows with a team in the run-in for a spot in the UEFA Champions League as Man City host Tottenham and crosstown rivals, Manchester United, in the space of a few days in which is undoubtedly the most important week of Pep Guardiola’s season.
Saturday 20 April
Manchester City 7/20
Draw 9/2
Tottenham 7/1
(13:30)
Preview to follow.
Bournemouth 6/10
Draw 32/10
Fulham 4/1
(16:00)
Bournemouth snapped their three-game winless run in the Premier League with a convincing 5-0 hammering against Brighton at the Amex Stadium. Ryan Fraser, Callum Wilson and David Brooks ran the show and will be looking to make it back-to-back wins against already-relegated Fulham. The Cottagers picked up their first win under Scott Parker, beating Everton 3-1, with the English mentor now having a clearer indication which players want to play under him and push on to finish the season as strongly as possible. Both sides will take plenty of positives from their last outing, but with home advantage, Bournemouth are tipped to grind out a win.
Wolves 8/10
Draw 24/10
Brighton 4/1
(16:00)
Wolves will be strongly-fancied to claim maximum points over Brighton, with Nuno Espirito Santo desperate for his side to get back into that seventh spot and regain their status as being the best from the rest and compete for a spot in the Europa League places. Brighton have lost four of their last five matches on the road and were hammered 5-0 last weekend, which could destabilise the camp as the Seagulls push for survival. Wolves have won seven of their last eight games at home across all competitions, drawing just once against Newcastle in that run. Back the home win here and include in all multiples.
Huddersfield 7/2
Draw 29/10
Watford 15/20
(16:00)
Rock-bottom Huddersfield will look to spoil the party for Watford, who are drifting away from the top seven after losing three of their last four matches. The Terriers have lost their last six games in the league and have simply no chance of evening finishing off as the second worst team. Troy Deeney picked up a red card in the last game, but the Hornets could welcome back Roberto Pereyra and Gerard Deulofeu who missed out in their 1-0 defeat at home to Arsenal. My money is on the away win here.
West Ham 21/10
Draw 51/20
Leicester City 5/4
(16:00)
West Ham’s season seems to be taking a turn for the worst, losing their third straight game in the league. To be fair, perhaps their most recent defeat against Manchester United could have gone in their favour, with Felipe Anderson scoring an offside goal, with the replays showing that the Brazilian was in an onside position. Leicester City’s superb run of four wins on the trot abruptly ended as they suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Newcastle. The Foxes looked burnt out in that fixture and will need to bounce back if they are to cement their seventh spot. It’s tough to separate these sides at the moment, with a draw tipped at 51/20.
Newcastle 29/20
Draw 43/20
Southampton 21/10
(18:30)
Newcastle bounced back in emphatic fashion, edging Leicester City out 1-0 in their own backyard. They host Southampton here who have all but confirmed their top-flight survival last weekend, managing an impressive 3-1 win over Wolves. This game brings up a clash of tactics with Rafael Benitez known for his defensive and cautious approach, while Ralph Hasenhuttl prefers a more open game of football. With both teams now safe from the drop, we could see both sets of players just going out there and enjoying themselves, in a professional manner, of course. Take Both Teams to Score here at 19/20.
Sunday 21 April
Everton 9/4
Draw 49/20
Manchester United 12/10
(14:30)
Everton missed a glorious opportunity to move into seventh spot after losing 2-0 at Fulham last weekend. Prior to that defeat, the Toffees had won three matches in a row, beating Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham. In their last three matches at Goodison Park, they edged past the Blues and the Gunners as previously mentioned, but also held Liverpool to a goalless draw, meaning they haven’t conceded at home since February when Manchester City visited their ground. Manchester United have lost their last two away games to Premier League opposition, three if you want to count Wolves in the FA Cup. My money is on Everton Win + Draw at 13/20.
Cardiff 25/2
Draw 11/2
Liverpool 2/9
(17:00)
Every game has the feeling of a cup final now for Liverpool. They’re so close, yet it remains out of their hands. Cardiff desperately need to get out of the relegation zone, but things are just not going Neil Warnock’s way. Yet again last weekend, refereeing decisions went against them in a crucial time of their season. Liverpool were superb against Chelsea, with Alisson Becker keeping his 18th clean sheet in the league. Not bad for a debut season. I fancy Liverpool to Win to Nil here at 8/10.
Arsenal 11/20
Draw 34/10
Crystal Palace 47/10
(17:00)
Arsenal moved into the top four after a commendable 1-0 victory away at Watford on Monday night, with the Gunners keeping their first clean sheet away from home in the league this season. They did, however, play against 10 men for most of that match. Unai Emery’s men will return to the Emirates Stadium where they have been superb all season, winning the last 10 matches at their famous ground. Crystal Palace managed a 2-2 draw in the reverse tie, but away from home at the Emirates, they could fall short. Back the home win here.
Monday 22 April
Chelsea 1/4
Draw 47/10
Burnley 10/1
(21:00)
Monday night sees Chelsea looking to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat at Anfield when they host Burnley at Stamford Bridge. The Blues will also look to set the record straight against the Clarets, with Sean Dyche’s men winning on their last visit to the Bridge. The Clarets have won three games on the trot but were hammered 4-0 against Chelsea this season, which could play in the minds of the Burnley players. Eden Hazard tends to shine against the lesser teams, but instead of backing the Belgian to score, take Chelsea on the (-1) Handicap at 7/10.
Tuesday 23 April
Tottenham 4/10
Draw 38/10
Brighton 7/1
(20:45)
After the daunting trip to face Manchester City, Tottenham return to their new stadium where they are still yet to concede a goal, while they also boast a 100% record. Spurs beat Crystal Palace 2-0, Manchester City 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League and then Huddersfield 4-0, a game which saw Lucas Moura net his first hat-trick for the club. Brighton simply have no chance here. Back Spurs to Win to Nil at 11/10.
Watford 11/10
Draw 26/10
Southampton 47/20
(20:45)
Watford and Southampton square off in what should be an exciting game of end-to-end action. The Hornets return to Vicarage Road where they have won three of their last four encounters, losing to Arsenal in a game which saw Troy Deeney red carded as early as the 10th minute. At the time of writing, Southampton have won three of their last four matches in the league, including wins over Spurs and Wolves. The Saints have all the capabilities of finding the back of the net here. That being said, Watford losing twice on their home turf seems highly unlikely. Back the Home/Draw Double Chance & Both Teams to Score at 23/20.
Wednesday 24 April
Wolves 18/10
Draw 49/20
Arsenal 15/10
(20:45)
Wolves and Arsenal lock horns with the Gunners knowing that, on paper, this is the toughest remaining game for Unai Emery as the Spanish mentor looks to book a spot in the top four in his first season. Wolves gave Arsenal plenty of problems in the reverse tie, being one of only three teams to pick up a point at the Emirates Stadium this season, drawing 1-1 in a game which, for the most part, was one-sided in Wolves’ favour. Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have performed superbly against the top six sides, especially at home. At 27/20, put your money on Wolves to Win or Draw & Both Teams to Score.
Manchester United 17/4
Draw 7/2
Manchester City 11/20
(21:00)
For the second year running, Manchester United meet Manchester City with the Sky Blues needing to win this match which could all but secure the Premier League title, provided things went Pep Guardiola’s way on the weekend. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains unbeaten at home in the league, but that statistic doesn’t tell the full story. At Old Trafford, United have faced three so-called big teams under Solskjaer. They suffered defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, while they also drew with Liverpool in the league, failing to score in each of those encounters. Man City have won on their last two visits to Old Trafford and cruised in the reverse fixture, finding 44 passes before scoring their third and final goal. You can see by Guardiola’s touchline antics that defending the title means so much to him. At 11/20, my money is on City to grind out a victory.
TREBLE @ 7/2
Bournemouth Win 6/10
Wolves Win 8/10
Arsenal Win 11/20
Jesse Nagel