A short week this week, only six games due to the FA Cup semifinal games also on this weekend.
Tottenham vs Brighton
Tottenham are absolutely flying at the moment. They’re scoring on average over 3.5 goals a game. They come up against a Brighton side who will be buzzing after their 2-1 win against Arsenal. No doubt the spurs fans were delighted by that result which was a big dent to Arsenal’s top 4 hopes but will be hoping their team can put Brighton back into their goalless scoring form.
Brighton’s two goals at the weekend were the most they’ve scored in nine games. They’ll be hoping this is the kickstart they need to turn their form around and push for a top half finish. It’s hard to see them overcoming Tottenham the way they did Arsenal though.
Manchester United vs Norwich
Embarrassing. That is the best way to describe Manchester United. Not a single one of their players looks like they want to be there. Long gone are the days were Manchester United were one of, if not the best team in England. It’s going to be a long road back to the top for them.
Losing to an Everton side that couldn’t hold on to a lead against Burnley is shocking. It’s worse than shocking. This is Manchester United. If you play for that club, you have to show more passion than what these players are exhibiting.
Ordinarily we would write this game off as an easy United win, but they’ve been so bad recently that it may not be as easy as it seems. Norwich played well against Burnley in their most recent relegation scrap. They’ll be looking to build off those huge three points and look to chase down the teams above them. They are going to Old Trafford; it will be tough. But you never know, stranger things have happened.
Southampton vs Arsenal
Southampton are winless in their last five league games. Arsenal have two wins out of their last 5, which by Arsenal’s standards and ambition, is poor.
Both sides are in woeful form. The former getting humiliated by Chelsea last weekend. The Saints will be looking at the likes of Palace and Brighton and be thinking, if they can beat Arsenal, so can we.
Arsenal are there for the taking now. Their top four hopes seemingly out of their grasp with their biggest rivals Tottenham taking advantage of their recent bad form. This is a must-win for Arsenal. Their game in hand is away to Chelsea which will be no easy feat. They have to beat Southampton if they want to keep the pressure on Spurs.
Watford vs Brentford
Despite the score-line, Watford played well against Leeds, on another day, they come away with a win. They need to keep at it if they want any chance of making it out of the relegation zone before the season ends.
Brentford are on fire; they’ve won four out of their last five games. Their last two wins coming against top six opposition. They should continue their good run with another win here with Watford conceding on average 2.6 goals over the last five games.
Newcastle vs Leicester
This should be a cracker. Newcastle have only lost once at home since the start of this calendar year, that loss being against top of the league Man City.
Leicester are in form and will hopefully be coming off a win in the Europa Conference League against PSV.
That being said, this game comes two days after their trip to the Netherlands. You have to imagine they will give some players a rest at the weekend after what will be a crucial game away from home.
Although ten points clear of the relegation zone. A win here will help Newcastle on their way to guaranteeing safety, once they have that they can focus on their recruitment for next season. (Post to come later about players who could end up in Newcastle).
West Ham vs Burnley
It’s fair to say West Ham will be disappointed after their London derby defeat to Brentford, especially after United dropped points to Everton, they had a chance to create a bit of breathing room between themselves and the red devils.
A win here should be easy enough for West Ham. Although Burnley beat Everton, their loss to Norwich highlighted why they’ve been struggling so much in the league this season. They lack character and grit. Something we have always seen in the Burnley’s of past years.
The win will also help the Hammers keep pressure on an Arsenal side that are really struggling at the moment.
Comments