EPL 2019/20 - Week 32

Brighton v Man Utd - Away
Bournemouth v Newcastle - Home
Arsenal v Norwich - Home
Everton v Leicester - Draw
West Ham v Chelsea - Away
Sheffield Utd v Tottenham - Draw
Man City v Liverpool - Home

So Liverpool are finally champions. A big question mark will be on the focus of the players till the end of the season. There might be talk of setting the overall points record but the motivation will certainly not be up to par with persevering to win the league.

On the other hand, Man Utd are motivated. They need a UCL spot and seem to have good momentum building after an ecouraging draw at Spurs and demolishing Sheffield Utd in their last match. With forwards Martial and Rashford backed by the dynamic duo of Fernandes and Pogba, the Red Devils have a lot of ammunition in their arsenal. They should beat Brighton fair and square.

Arsenal should start a good sequence of positive results after 2 terrible defeats. There is no better team to play right now than Norwich which looks destined for the drop. This should be a canter for the Gunners.

Finally, I see outgoing champions Man City defeating newly-elect champions Liverpool. They should do their utmost to come on top as a badge of honor while the Kops are probably still in party mode as I write this. Not the best preparation when visiting Guardiola's men.

Win: Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal

St James Palace Stakes 2019 - It will be a P in the win column

I think Saturday's St James Palace Stakes will be a battle between the P's; I cannot find anything else other than Pinatubo or Palace Pier to win this. Many favour Wichita from Ballydoyle after his excellent second place in the 2000 Guineas but I believe that was a one-off and the 2 above-mentioned are better milers.

Pinatubo was the biggest loser that day, losing his invincible record and glossy reputation in the process. In my view, although he disappointed somewhat, he still proved to be a leading miler of his generation. If that outing prepped him up well, he will definitely be the one to beat. I also believe the soft ground will play in his favour and the ground at Newmarket might have been a bit too quick for him.

The dark horse of the race is Palace Pier, an unbeaten son of Kingman. He has won all his 3 races to date with relative ease albeit in rather minor company, but has shown the trademark of a top-class horse. He's now thrown in the deep end and I think he's the progressive type that can challenge the Godolphin star.  He might be the horse with the least rating in the field but it wouldn't surprise me if this race puts him as one of the leaders of this year's mile category.

At current odds, I would double on both as to win.

Win: Pinatubo/Palace Pier

EPL 2019/2020 - Week 30

Welcome back!

The EPL gets back to normality after a 3-month break that rightly put football to its status of non-necessity compared to the difficulties everyone was facing during the pandemic. Hope every one is safe and staying safe. If the EPL season had folded, it would have been an ok decision to leave with but playing behind closed doors looks a right decision as well. The motive may have been political with broadcast rights and potential penalties at the forefront of the reasoning, but I'm sure that the majority of fans will appreciate the resumption of matches, however hollow it looks like watching empty stadiums.

From a punter's perspective, home advantage might be of less significance with the withdrawal of the supporters, a team's 12th man. This has to be factored in the predictions for sure. What also will factor are the dynamics facing the teams for the remainder of the season. Liverpool will have won the league in the coming weeks and will surely put off their foot from the pedal gas. Clubs vying for a Champions League spot will tbe the ones with most to play for. At the bottom end of the spectrum, the specter of relegation will motivate the ones fighting for survival. Happy rest of the season!

Norwich v Southampton - Draw
Tottenham v Man Utd - Home
Watford v Leicester - Home
Brighton v Arsenal - Away
West Ham v Wolves - Away
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace - Home
Newcastle v Sheffield Utd - Away
Aston Villa v Chelsea - Away
Everton v Liverpool - Home
Man City v Burnley - Home

I think Tottenham have a nice hand to play against visiting Man Utd. The Red Devils have been one of the in-form teams before the break but I fear they will have to work over again to regain their momentum. The arrival of Bruno Fernandes has been a major boost to Solksjaer's team and I expect them to get even better as the weeks go by with the returns of Rashford and Pogba, but going to White Hart Lane for a first match is going to be tough. Mourinho will have Spurs ready with an air of revenge against his former employers. This match also marks the return of Harry Kane after a lengthy layoff although the England marksman is bound to be rusty. I believe Spurs will edge this, I just don't see the Red Devils snatching the full points.

Win: Tottenham