EPL 2022/23 - Week 35

 Leeds v Newcastle - Away

Aston Villa v Tottenham - Home

Chelsea v Nott Forest - Home

Crystal Palace v Bournemouth - Home

Man Utd v Wolves - Home

Southampton v Fulham - Away

Brentford v West Ham - Home

Everton v Man City - Away

Arsenal v Brighton - Draw

Leicester v Liverpool - Home

Liverpool have been on fire and unbeaten in their last six matches as they look to reach the elusive UCL 4th spot. They have been rather lucky to snatch wins in their last 2 matches and I believe this week could very well be their comeuppance although hardly anyone is seeing them losing to struggling Leicester. Results have improved slightly under Dean Smith since the parting of manager Rodgers a few weeks back. Their defence is still horrendous and are more prone to opening the floodgates more than not, but it is their attacking frame that can dig them out of their relegation troubles. Playmaker Maddison seems to have gotten a new impetus under the new system and Leicester's hopes of staying in the EPL very much on the creative abilities of the England midfielder. Liverpool are facing a race against time to usurp rivals Man Utd and Newcastle for the UCL remaining spot. While they have been more consistent lately, winning matches that they are expected to win, I can't see them maintain that winning cadence in the coming weeks. Leicester can shock them and I really like their maket odds for the outright win.

Win: Leicester

EPL 2022/23 - Week 22

 West Ham v Chelsea - Home

Arsenal v Brentford - Home

Crystal Palace v Brighton - Away

Fulham v Nott Forest - Away

Leicester v Tottenham - Home

Southampton v Wolves - Home

Bournemouth v Newcastle - Home

Leeds v Man Utd - Away

Man City v Aston Villa - Home

If there is a team right now with no danger of going down but whose manager is in a very precarious position right now, it is Chelsea. Harry Potter seems to have used all of his aces and if things don't improve for the Blues, there is no doubt that he is due for the sack not too long from now. The fact that the new owners have doled out a lot of cash to get new recruits but also have looked pretty trigger happy to effect changes are enough to suggest that they are most probably searching for Potter's replacement already. Let's face it as we saw it earlier in the season; the job was probably too big for the former Brighton manager and there is a mountain of difference and expectations between the 2 clubs. I have reservations seeing the Blues going as relatively strong favourites for their visit at West Ham. David Moyes' men have shown some resilient form in recent weeks and at their best will give the visitors all they can handle. Moyes has a good record against Chelsea and it would be no surprise at all if he can conjure up an upset this Saturday. At current odds, West Ham can be taken to win outright.

Win: West Ham

EPL 2022/23 - Week 20

 Liverpool v Chelsea - Home

Bournemouth v Nott Forest - Draw

Leicester v Brighton - Home

Southampton v Aston Villa - Away

West Ham v Everton - Home

Crystal Palace v Newcastle - Away

Leeds v Brentford - Draw

Man City v Wolves - Home

Arsenal v Man Utd - Home

An Arsenal vs Man Utd fixture used to be one of the hotly contested matches in the not-so-distant era of the Ferguson and Wenger days. We talk of intense rivalries in derbies but the feud between the 2 clubs and particularly their managers was as intense as ever been witnessed in the Premier League. Add to the mix the 2 non-compromising captains in Keane and Vieira and the matches were certainly extraordinary. 

With Arsenal now strongly in command at the top of the league and the Red Devils showing signs of renaissance under Ten Hag, Sunday's fixture will bring some air of nostalgia to their fans. Arteta has brought new life and hope to the Gunners through a judicious selection of young guns playing free flowing football reminiscent of the Wenger days. Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka are playing with an energy level that is packing a punch through defences while Partey is the strong midfield anchor the Gunners have been looking for in recent years. The defence is strong too and goalkeeper Ramsdale is a proven number 1 that should be England's as well. 

Man Utd got their 10-game winning streak snapped in mid-week at Selhurst Park where they were rather unfortunate to concede the tying goal in extra time. More importantly though was the loss of Casemiro for this match due to a yellow card. The Brazilian is arguably the Red Devils' most valuable player after Rashford so far this season. He is the midfield lynchpin they have been looking for since Roy Keane. Arsenal looks certain to score without the presence of Casemiro giving cover to the back four. In fact, one way Man Utd can sneak a victory out of this is with strong physical play to break the dynamic threat posed by the Gunners' forwards. I sense that the Arsenal attack will overwhelm whatever resistance the vistors can offer and claim a comprehensive win; one of the big steps remaining towards the coveted title.

Win: Arsenal

EPL 2022/23 - Week 18

Brentford v Liverpool - Home

Arsenal v Newcastle - Away

Everton v Brighton - Home

Leicester v Fulham - Home

Man Utd v Bournemouth - Home

Southampton v Nottingham Forest - Away

Leeds v West Ham - Home

Aston Villa v Wolves - Home

Crystal Palace v Tottenham - Home

Chelsea v Man City - Away

Arsenal have opened a 7-point gap at the top and the way they are playing, they will take some stopping. They have a huge nugget this week against upcoming powerhouse Newcastle. Although the Magpies fired blanks against Leeds, they are by no means push-overs; they have the team to frustrate the strongest teams particularly on their travels. This is going to be a major test for the young gunners and it will give them a world of confidence to keep striving at the top if they pass this. I believe this is going to be a close one and wouldn't be surprised if the visitors nick it in the end.

West Ham are on a bad losing streak and it wouldn't be a surprise if manager Moyes is given the boot to change the club's fortunes. Leeds will be buoyed by their excellent draw at Newcastle and can certainly compound the visitors' misery. The Peacocks have been involved in a few high-scoring matches and I can see them outscoring a Hammers team that has been mainly hurt by their inability to find the net consistenly of late.

Win: Newcastle, Leeds

EPL 22/23 - Week 13

 Leicester v Man City - Home

Bournemouth v Spurs - Away

Brentford v Wolves - Home

Brighton v Chelsea - Draw

Crystal Palace v Southampton - Home

Newcastle v Aston Villa - Home

Fulham v Everton - Home

Liverpool v Leeds - Home

Arsenal v Nott Forest - Home

Man Utd v West Ham - Home

Quickly, keeping on the Newcastle bandwagon seems logical. The Magpies should have too much firepower for the Gerrard-free Villains. Newcastle look good contenders to secure at least a Europa league spot this season and with a little bit of luck, a Champions League spot does not look out of reach as well. I will double this with a Brentford win. The Bees host struggling  and still manager-less Wolves and Ivan Toney could solidify his England chances with goals and a convincing performance upfront.

Win: Newcastle, Brentford

EPL 22/23 - Week 5

 Crystal Palace v Brentford - Home

Fulham v Brighton - Draw

Soton - Chelsea - Home

Leeds v Everton - Home

Bournemouth v Wolves - Away

Arsenal v Aston Villa - Home

Man City v Nott Forest - Home

West Ham v Tottenham - Draw

Liverpool v Newcastle - Home

Leicester v Man Utd - Home

West Ham have started the season poorly but their last away win at Aston Villa (previewed last week here) seems to have put them back on track. Surely, beating Villa is nothing to crow about these days but anything other than a win could have dampened confidence in Moyes' camp. On the other side, Spurs have started brightly and are still undefeated although they had a rather lucky draw at Chelsea a couple of weeks back. I think this match is heading towards a draw and if there is to be a winner, it will be the home team. So backing West Ham as a draw-no-bet or going for the draw look reasonable options.

I think the value this mid-week is Wolves as they visit Bournemouth. The latter have sacked manager Parker today, presumably off comments he made after their 0-9 drubbing at the hands of Liverpool on the week-end. With no-one to steer the ship, Bournemouth look vulnerable and are to be taken on. Wolves have shown great disposition of late and I liked their last away outing at Spurs where they were really on top for most of the match but lost to the decisiveness of the hosts. I see them as great value to beat the Cherries on Thursday.

Win: Wolves

Draw-no-bet: West Ham

Draw: West Ham/Tottenham

EPL 22/23 - Week 3

Tottenham v Wolves - Home

Crystal Palace v Aston Villa - Draw

Everton v Nottingham Forest - Draw

Fulham v Brentford - Draw

 Leicester v Southampton - Home

Bournemouth v Arsenal - Away

Leeds v Chelsea - Away

West Ham v Brighton - Away

Newcastle v Man City - Away

Man Utd v Liverpool - Draw

The arrivak of manager Conte has changed things at Tottenham. They are now a threat to any team. Their last-gap draw at Chelsea shows that the Italian has instilled some fighting spirit in them. And with Son and Kane, they are dangerous until the final whistle. Of course, Conte can have an irritating personality (ask Tuchel!) but he gets things done. They will easily beat Wolves in the early Saturday kick-off.

Man Utd v Liverpool is typically the Derby everyone wants to watch. Not many would have predicted that both teams would still be looking for their first win after 2 rounds of EPL. Even fewer would have foreseen the catastrophic start of the Red Devils given that they had a rather good pre-season under new manager Ten Hag. These are dark times at Old Trafford and there seems to be problems everywhere for the Mancunians. Liverpool will go as deserved favourites in this encounter and I don't see them losing this. The best hope for the home team is to snatch a draw and I think they can achieve it by the scruff of their neck. They look awesome on paper, but the product on the field is just atrocious. A hopeful draw for the home team can happen but if the Kops are their dominant selves, they'll be happy to prolong the hosts' misery and claim full points and bragging rights.

Win: Tottenham

Draw: Man Utd v Liverpool

EPL 21/22 - Week 36

 Tottenham v Burnley - Home

Aston Villa v Crystal Palace - Draw

Leeds v Brighton - Away

Watford v Leicester - Away

West Ham v Man City - Away

Wolves v Norwich - Home

Everton v Brentford - Home

Newcastle v Arsenal - Home

Southampton v Liverpool - Draw

I firmly believe that Spurs will capture the 4th UCL spot. They should bag maximum points in their remaining matches against Burnley and Norwich. Arsenal has a tricky visit to Newcastle and I think they will drop points there. They might also drop more against Everton in their last match in case the Toffees are still fighting relegation at that stage. But the Newcastle one is where I think they will have their hopes of UCL qualification evaporated. 

Man City also have a tricky away visit to West Ham in their quest to wrap up the title. If they win this, they will win the Premiership. Easier said than done as the Hammers are rock solid and difficult to break. The Citizens just edged this encounter in the first leg in horrendous snowy conditions but the setup will be totally different this time. Guardiola's men just have too much quality and depth squad to make the difference. I think the blue side of Manchester will party after this match.

I like Everton's chances against Brentford. The stakes are high for the Toffees and they seem to have regained some form in the last few matches. Brentford have nothing to play for and have poor form on the road. The home team should edge this one and ensure survival.

Win: Man City, Tottenham, Everton

Win 4th spot: Tottenham

EPL 21/22 - Week 33

 Arsenal v Man Utd - Home

Leicester v Aston Villa - Home

Man City v Watford - Home

Norwich v Newcastle - Home

Brentford v Tottenham - Away

Brighton v Southampton - Draw

Burnley v Wolves - Home

Chelsea v West Ham - Draw

Liverpool v Everton - Home

Crystal Palace v Leeds - Home

Early kick-off match Arsenal against Man Utd will be huge in deciding the 4th UCL spot coveted by the Gunners, Red Devils and Spurs. At the moment, the Gunners have the advantage and I think they will blow away any remaining hopes Red Devils fans might still harbour. I mentioned Man Utd are a team on the skids last week and they duly confirmed that with a thrashing at Liverpool in mid-week. The talent is there but I now believe that Rangnick has proven not to be the right manager to put all that talent to good use. In fact, it is very possible in my opinion that had the club kept on with Ole, the results probably would have been better. It is to be seen whether the arrival of Erik ten Hag next year will improve things but one thing for sure is that the club is spent and done for the year. On the other side of the coin, the Gunners are battling and reaped an amazing win at Stamford Bridge in their last match. The team might lack the talent that Utd have on paper but the youngsters there are working their socks off to get results. Their battling qualities means that they are favourites to down out-of-sorts Man Utd. If they could put 3 against Chelsea, they will have no problem scoring against the Red Devils. Home win for this one.

Crystal Palace are a team with good form at home and they should have enough to overcome Leeds at Selhurst Park. Leeds are in a precarious position at the moment but they are sporting good form having won 3 out of their last 4 matches. Biesla almost ran the team to the ground for much of the season and Jesse March has righted the ship so far. The home team still needs a few more points to assure safety but they are showing good resiliency in their matches and playing more like a mid-table team. I see them edging this encounter and look good value at current odds.

Win: Arsenal, Crystal Palace

EPL 21/22 - Week 28

 Leicester v Leeds - Home

Aston Villa v Southampton - Draw

Burnley v Chelsea - Away

Newcastle v Brighton - Home

Norwich v Brentford - Home

Wolves v Crystal Palace - Home

Liverpool v West Ham - Draw

Watford v Arsenal - Away

Man City v Man Utd - Home

Tottenham v Everton - Home

What looked like a facile route to the title a few weeks ago for Man City is no longer that certain with the gap now to 6 points from pursuers Liverpool with the latter having a game in hand.  This title race is far from over. And things could easily move in different directions this week-end as the Citizens host their city rivals Red Devils while Liverpool host West Ham. On paper, it looks like City have the greater chance of losing points but a Kop win against the Hammers is far from being a given. Liverpool have been on a tear lately, winning the Caracao Cup in the process but they have scraped through those matches rather than dominating them. I think some kind of comeuppance is in store for them and at current odds, West Ham look great value to snatch at least a point from Anfield. Be it as a draw-no-bet or outright win, it could be rewarding to side with the Hammers, who are in good form of late in their pursuit of the 4th UCL spot.

Win or draw-no-bet: West Ham

EPL 21/22 - Week 23

 Everton v Aston Villa - Away

Brentford v Wolves - Draw

Leeds v Newcastle - Away

Man Utd v West Ham - Home

Southampton v Man City - Draw

Arsenal v Burnley - Home

Crystal Palace v Liverpool - Away

Leicester v Brighton - Home

Chelsea v Tottenham - Home

Rafa Benitez is out at Everton after the shortest-ever tenure as manager. He started the season well but a long string of winless matches sealed the Spaniard's fate. It is time to pounce against the Toffees as they are manager-less and Villa should go to Goodison Park with full guns blazing. Although he's already been heralded a managerial success, I think the jury is still out on Gerrard as manager. Who cares he won the title in Scotland? Any third-tier manager would win it either with Rangers or Celtic. Truth be said, Gerrard has started well at Villa and given his Kop background, he will need no motivation to pile on the Toffees' current misery. Villa should dominate proceedings from start to finish.

Win: Aston Villa

EPL 21/22 - Week 17

Norwich v Aston Villa - Away

Man City v Leeds - Home

Brighton v Wolves - Draw

Burnley v Watford - Away

Crystal Palace v Southampton - Home

Arsenal v West Ham - Draw

Leicester v Tottenham - Home

Chelsea v Everton - Home

Liverpool v Newcastle - Home

David Moyes did a fantastic job at West Ham last season and if anyone thought that was a fluke or a on-off, think again because the Hammers are doing even better this year sitting in 4th spot ahead the likes of Man Utd and Arsenal. They have proven a tough team to break down even for the top teams. And they can score as well with Antonio and Bowen leading the charge up front. The Hammers are simply a delight to watch and although they have a difficult away match against the in-form Gunners, they cannot be dismissed in the slightest. The home team have enjoyed a good spell lately and Arteta is no longer the "next manager" to be fired as the papers had peppered for a while. They currently have au Auba issue on their hands but their newly-ex captain has not been as influential to their recent success as in previous years. It is the coming of keeper Ramsdale between the posts that have kicked off their season and provided them much-needed solidity at the back to build on. This match is going to be tight from the get-go and I see it ending into a hardly-fought draw.

Draw: Arsenal/West Ham

EPL 2021/22 - Week 10

Leicester v Arsenal - Home

Burnley v Brentford - Away

Liverpool v Brighton - Home

Man City v Crystal Palace - Home

Newcastle v Chelsea - Away

Watford v Southampton - Home

Tottenham v Man Utd - Away

Norwich v Leeds - Away

Aston Villa v West Ham - Home

Wolves v Everton - Away

I see value going for some away matches this week-end. Brentford have been edged out in their last 2 encounters but have the quality to snatch points at Burnley. Chelsea go as firm favourites against lowly Newcastle even without their strikeforce of Lukaku and Werner. Mason Mount picked up the pieces last week-end and Havertz shouldn't be too far off taking the goalscoring duties. Man Utd are due an urgent win and they can rebound from their debacle against Liverpool by gaining at least a share of points at Spurs. They certainly have the quality to win the 3 points. Leeds should batter Norwich, which are as bad a horror-show this league has seen. If Biesla cannot get his team to win this match, something is going on at Elland Road and the Argentinian could be on his way out of there. Finally, I see Everton rebounding from their astonishing last defeat against Watford. It was so uncharacteristic to see a Benitez team outscored in the waning minutes in that fashion. The Toffees can outscore a Wolves side that has yet to hit top gear this season.

Win or Draw-no-bet: Brentford, Chelsea, Man Utd, Leeds, Everton

EPL 2021/22 - Week 6

 Chelsea v Man Ciy - H

Man Utd v Aston Villa - H

Everton v Norwich - H

Leeds v West Ham - A

Leicester v Burnley - H

Watford v Newcastle - D

Brentford v Liverpool - A

Southampton v Wolves - H

Arsenal v Tottenham - D

Crystal Palace v Brighton - A

It's still early dibs but I've mentioned this before that I don't think that Man City will retain their title this year. Winning the Champions League will be their priority but more importantly, they don't have a No 9, having missed on one of the brightest of them all in Harry Kane. Getting Grealish was an excellent piece of business but he won't give you 20 goals in one season. And I believe we can have a good glimpse of how City's season will unfold in the coming weeks as they play Chelsea, PSG and Liverpool in succession. Without a striker, they look very vulnerable indeed.

Chelsea are currently favourites to take the baton from City and they have started the season in tremendous style and in an expected fashion. A Lukaku up-front that the Blues are enjoying is what Guardiola needs for the Citizens. No more reliance on Timo Werner and his misses. Tuchel is unbeaten in 4 matches against Guardiola since arriving at Stamford Bridge and I expect the unbeaten run to continue on Saturday. How the market is equally divided among the 2 just amazes me. At home, the Blues hold no fear and I see it worth going for the outright win in their favour.

EPL 2021/22 - Week 5

Wolves v Brentford - H

Burnley v Arsenal - H

Liverpool v Crystal Palace - H

Man City v Southampton - H

Norwich v Watford - A

Aston Villa v Everton - A

Brighton v Leicester - A

West Ham v Man Utd - D

Tottenham v Chelsea - A

Burnley have only 1 point to show for so far but their odds look prohibitively high against visiting Arsenal. I believe Dyche's men are a little unfortunate to be sitting next to the bottom of the table as they could easily have gathered a few more points from their opening matches. They are a tough team to beat on their best day and they should be hitting good form soon. Visiting Arsenal do not have much better form and I think Arteta's men are an out-of-sorts team at the moment. Forget that they are not the Arsenal team of old, they are much worse than even the worst Wenger teams. This does not look a team that is going anywhere and I wouldn't be surprised if Arteta is given the boot soon. I think it's worth siding with the home team here, either a straight win or a draw-no-bet; I just don't see Burnley losing this one.

EPL 21/22 - Week 3

Man City v Arsenal - H

Aston Villa v Brentford - H

Brighton v Everton - A

Newcastle v Southampton - D

Norwich v Leicester - A

West Ham v Crystal Palace - H

Liverpool v Chelsea - H

Burnley v Leeds - H

Tottenham v Watford - H

Wolves v Man Utd - A

My oh my! Ronaldo back home to Man Utd is just seismic news... This clearly changes the league dynamics as Man Utd have now been mightily boosted with a potential 30-goal scorer. His arrival will also boost everyone around to boost their game, Utd are definitely destined for some silverware this year. I think City have missed out big time not landing the Portuguese superstar. They need a big goal scorer and missing out on Ronaldo and Kane leaves a huge void up front. They almost need to scramble to get Haaland this year, it seems.

Man Utd should complete a fantastic week by going to beat Wolves at Molyneux. They dropped points at Southampton last week but the Saints are a difficult team to overcome for anyone. The Red Devils did well to come back after falling behind on a Fred own goal and should have won the match had Greenwood been more clinical with his header, one of the few areas he has room for considerable improvement. Pogba, Greenwood and Fernandes are firing on all cylinders at the moment and should prove too much for the hosts.

Man City totally outclassed Norwich last Sunday but Arsenal should provide a slightly more robust opposition. Guardiola's men can get away without a real number 9 against weak opponents but that won't do against the leading teams. Arsenal still need to find their feet at the moment and were comprehensively overwhelmed by Chelsea in their last match. Am pretty sure they won't concede 5 like the Canaries but I don't see them going away with a clean sheet as well. It's a good time to play the Gunners at the moment and it's a must 3-pointer for the Citizens.

Liverpool hosting Chelsea is the highlight of the week. Both teams have started well and can take the spoils. Lukaku has adjusted quickly to his new team and is only going to get better. Salah, Mane and Trent Arnold are clicking as they were a couple of years back. I have to give the advantage to the hosts here as Anfield will be jam packed. However, Chelsea are not easy to break down, so I expect this match to be decided by a goal at most. Orelse, a draw could be a likely income as well.

EPL 21/22 Predictions

Man Utd v Leeds - Home

Burnley v Brighton - Away

Chelsea v Crystal Palace - Home

Everton v Southampton - Away

Leicester v Wolves - Home

Watford v Aston Villa - Draw

Norwich v Liverpool - Away

Newcastle v West Ham - Draw

Tottenham v Man City - Draw

Welcome back to a new season of EPL that promises to be even better than the last one. The big teams have loaded up, it won't be a shoe-in for Man City as last season. Here are my thoughts on the main protagonists.

Man City are favourites to retain their title and have added Grealish to their arsenal. They are still gunning for Harry Kane and whether they succeed in that endeavour will determine their chances of trophies this year. There is no doubt that the Champions League will be the main objective together with the league, having come agonizingly close to capturing Europe's biggest club prize in May. They will play a leading role in the league again but I have a feeling they will not come out on top.

Man Utd have beefed up with the arrivals of Sancho and Varane during the off-season. Sancho is an amazing addition and the England winger adds potency and verve to an already talented attack. I am not so sure about Varane; sure, the French stalwart has won a lot of silverware but the jury will be out whether he can master the physical challenges of the Premier League. If he can form a formidable partnership with McGuire at the back, Man Utd will play a major role this season. Solksjaer needs some silverware to keep his job and the Red Devils better start strong orelse he could be gone prematurely.

Chelsea have done a fantastic business grabbing Lukaku this week. He assures them at least 20 goals this season and after the debacle with Werner, makes them a complete team. If Kante stays healthy, the Blues will be feared. In fact, I can only see them doing better than last year and at the present, make them my favourites to win the title. Tuchel has proven he can handle the EPL and will get this team in even better prosition this year. Watch for the Blues.

Liverpool are contenders again this year with a fully-fit backline. Their season tapered away last year after injuries decimated Van Dyke and his fellow defenders. My concern for them is that they haven't reinforced adequately during the off-season and are bound to lose some stalwarts. Wijnaldum is already gone. The Kops should finish in the top 4 but I think they will miss out winning the title.

Leicester will start strong and fade as usual.. Arsenal and Tottenham won't make the Champions League.

Win Title: Chelsea

EPL 2020/21 - Week 32 + League Cup Final

Liverpool v Newcastle - Home

West Ham v Chelsea - Away

Sheffield Utd v Brigthon - Away

Wolves v Burnley - Away

Leeds v Man Utd - Home

Aston Villa v West Brom - Home

Leicester v Crystal Palace - Home

Liverpool will have to play their skin to capture that last 4th sport synonymous with UCL football next season. They have a golden opportunity for 3 precious points against visiting Newcastle. The Magpies have been in pretty decent form of late and have picked up their game (and points) since the return of forward Saint-Maximin from injury. Without the Frenchman, it's hard to see how Steve Bruce's men would made a quite stunning recovery given their poor form prior. However, going to Liverpool should be a step too far for them as there is an urgency to win full points for Klopp's men as well. This could be a high-scoring affair with Mo Salah probably on the score-sheet, having been profligate in the recent matches.

Sunday sees the final of the League Cup between Man City and Tottenham. It's quite unfathomable to think that Spurs fired Mourinho days before a final and a possible trophy that they have been so relishing for. I suppose things must have been pretty bad in-house given the timing of the firing; or could it have been a Levy decision to deflect from Spurs' participation in the European Super League fiasco? Could be a little of both, I think. Regardless, I think that Spurs would have had a better winning chance in the final with Mourinho in charge. Although it is a Cup final, Man City have hinted that they might not field their best team with next week's UCL match against PSG very much on their minds. So you get a scenario where the weaker team will play their season on this final while the favourite will have a UCL match as distraction. Obviously, that boosts Spurs' chances but will that be enough to stop Guardiola's men? I think not. Their second team is good enough to handle Spurs' first team and you've got to question interim manager Mason's seasoning for a final after 1 week on the job. This should end up in a City win unless the trio of Bale, Son and Kane can conjur up a masterful performance at the front end.

Win: Man City/Liverpool  

EPL 20/21 - Week 28

Leeds v Chelsea - Home

Crystal Palace v West Brom - Home

Everton v Burnley - Home

Fulham v Man City - Away

Southampton v Brighton - Draw

Leicester v Sheffield Utd - Home

Arsenal v Tottenham - Away

Man Utd v West Ham - Draw

Wolves v Liverpool - Home

Sheffield Utd lost their manager today and increasingly look doomed for the drop. Going to Leicester is not easy but going there without a proper manager will be like being unleashed in a lion cage. I cannot see the Blades repeating their exploit of Old Trafford where they stunned the hosts who were rather hapless on the night. This is a glorious opportunity for Leicester to firm up their 3rd position and score the full points.

The North London Derby looks to be a heavily contested affair and I see lots of goals in the offing there. Surely, Mourinho usually parks the bus when playing a top team but Arsenal are vulnerable at the back and Spurs will definitely go for the jugular in their attempt, however remote, to secure the 4th spot for Champions League football next season. Gareth Bale is in sparkling form and having been rested in mid-week Europa League action, should create havoc inside the Gunners' defense. Kane and Son form a fantastic trio with the Welshman and have enough firepower in them to outscore the hosts. 

Win: Tottenham, Leicester

EPL 2020/21 - Week 27

Burnley v Arsenal - Home

Sheffield Utd v Southampton - Draw

Aston Villa v Wolves - Home

Brighton v Leicester - Away

WBA v Newcastle - Home

Liverpool v Fulham - Home

Man City v Man Utd - Draw

Tottenham v Crystal Palace - Home

Chelsea v Everton - Home

West Ham v Leeds - Home

As I see it, the last 3 matches should be home wins. Spurs are being buoyed by the resurgence of Gareth Bale and should have too much for visiting Crystal Palace. The Eagles are just a terrible team without Zaha and Mourinho should be able to exploit its many weaknesses. 

Chelsea surprised me in getting a terrific away win at Anfield last Sunday. Tuchel has them firing on all cylinders and I cannot see Everton, an in-form team, stopping them. Richarlidson has been carrying the goal-scoring load magnificently in the last 4 matches but the Blues defence has tightened lately and the Brazilian might not get the required breakthrough. Everton don't go beaten in advance but Chelsea look strong at the moment. 

Finally, it looks like Leeds is in a need of a breather at this stage. They seem to be scraping by in the last few matches and West Ham is not an easy side to play against. Moyes has done unbelievably well with the Hammers and the addition of Jessie Lingard from Man Utd has given impetus to both club and player. He is the new danger man for the Hammers and I see them exposing the visitors' defensive line which is the main Achilles heel of Biesla's team.

Win: Tottenham/Chelsea/West Ham