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ASTON VILLA vs ARSENAL (1230 ko)
A bog-standard mid-table clash of teams whose seasons risk dissolving into a luke-warm glass of hyphenated mediocrity. The visitors will field a weakened defence, courtesy of two reds last time out, and will do well to avoid defeat. Draw.
BURNLEY vs BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION (1500)
There can be few less likely conquerors of Liverpool on the Reds’ own patch than these two. But with both managers emphasising discipline and method in their players, there are also few teams less likely to create a spectacle of compelling, flamboyant football. Burnley, you’d think, have the edge, though not by much. Draw.
NEWCASTLE UNITED vs SOUTHAMPTON (1500)
After their 0-9 defeat last season, the Saints lost to a late goal in their next game at Man City, then started a run that saw them draw with Arsenal and beat Watford, Norwich, Villa, Chelsea, Spurs and Leicester in two months. The Barcodes aren’t flying and will be wise not to approach this game with reckless presumption. A wounded tiger is a dangerous beast. Cosmic revenge beckons, or something like that. Away win.
FULHAM vs WEST HAM UNITED (1730) *Live on three Sky channels.*
With every point that the hosts labour to collect, the more those above them also accumulate and the more entrenched Fulham find themselves in the bottom three. With a strong whiff of inevitability about the whole thing, they remain eight points from the dotted line and have not won since November. Meanwhile, we go into this on the back of an almost complete victory at Villa that warmed the cockles of many an Irons heart. A victory would see us bump up a place into fourth, at least until tomorrow and possibly – with Liverpool facing Man City on Sunday – beyond. Moyes has the happy dilemma of what to do with Fornals and Bowen and is likely to again start with both on the bench. Fuelled by a particularly potent East European potato salad, Messrs Soucek and Coufal continue to contribute substantially to security in defence and expectation in attack. It’s been a long time since one could say – without a hint of rose-tinted exaggeration – that every player utterly deserves his place in the team. Happy times. Away win.
MANCHESTER UNITED vs EVERTON (2000)
Both sides have had a bit of a rollercoaster season to date, which makes the outcome of this a tricky one to predict. Draw.
**SUNDAY**
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs WEST BROMWICH ALBION (1200)
Deeper and deeper are West Brom in the mire and less and less likely are they to finish the season with Premier League status intact. Speaking of doom and gloom, Spurs’ tumble down the table seems curiously correlated with Kane’s tumble in the pleasingly vain hope of another ill-gotten penalty. BFS will hope to annoy Jose by parking the bus once again, but Spurs should be good enough for all three points to bring them level, briefly, with Chelsea. Home win.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS vs LEICESTER CITY (1400)
Wolves have lost that winning feeling of last season while Leicester, in third, continue to have their sights focussed on the top two. A win for the hosts would put Leicester just one point above us, assuming we beat Fulham yesterday. Draw.
LIVERPOOL vs MANCHESTER CITY (1630)
Can Liverpool conspire to lose three home games on the trot? There’s every chance, with City looking to continue their tremendous run of form and consolidate their position at the top of English football. This has all the makings of a cracking encounter, although an excess of caution and mutual respect may put the mockers on a classic. Away win.
SHEFFIELD UNITED vs CHELSEA (1915)
Both these teams find themselves in a stunningly good vein of form, but for both it may be too late to make a consequential difference to their seasons. Chelsea can look to this season as a stepping stone to next, while the Blades – 11 points adrift of safety – have long since got used to the prospect of second tier football from August. But make no mistake, this will be tough for Tuchel’s men. Away win.
**MONDAY**
LEEDS UNITED vs CRYSTAL PALACE (2000)
When both these sides put their respective minds to it, they’ll give a game to anyone. Home win.
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