The Premier League is back this weekend and after a huge weekend last time out for the title race - this matchday could be a cracker.
Here's Andrew Corns' solo predictions for this week...
Crystal Palace v. Brighton
Both clubs picked up three big points last weekend to position themselves in a comfortable enough spot above Cardiff City and the one relegation spot that we might see several teams sit in throughout the remainder of the season.
Palace are the better side in almost every position and should expect to win in front of a raucous Selhurst Park crowd.
Brighton still have a good deal to play for though and won’t go down without a fight.
Image via Evening Standard
This game is going to be close and Palace will find Brighton hard to break down. The game ends level and both sides pick up a good point to maintain safe position.
Prediction: 1-1 Draw
Huddersfield Town v. Bournemouth
Huddersfield followed up their shock win over Wolverhampton by going to Brighton and offering almost nothing in attack as they fell to another defeat and remain bottom of the table.
Making up a thirteen-point gap this late in the season is next to impossible and it’s only a matter of time before they’re mathematically eliminated.
They won’t fancy welcoming Bournemouth who are set up to steamroll teams as deficient as Huddersfield.
Bournemouth’s pace down the wings and movement in midfield will overwhelm the Huddersfield defence and the game will be in the bag by half-time.
Prediction: 3-1 Bournemouth
Southampton v. Tottenham
Spurs did well to advance through to the next stage of the Champions League after a professional display at notoriously hostile Dortmund on Tuesday.
What looked like a comfortable 3rd place finish only a couple weeks ago has now turned into a bit of a nervy finish to the season, sitting only four points above 5th placed Arsenal.
This is the point in the season when playing a team in a relegation battle can create problems and Southampton will give everything they’ve got with their life still in the balance.
They manage to keep it close for longer than some will expect, however Spurs have too many ways to put the ball in the back of the net and will wear them down and get the opening goal around the 70-minute mark.
They tack one more on for good measure and grab a big victory to solidify their table position.
Prediction: 2-0 Spurs
Leicester City v. Fulham
Fulham are in despair a whopping ten points from safety and old nine games left to play for.
They did look improved at home to Chelsea over the weekend under caretaker manager, Scott Parker.
He seemed to allow players like Ryan Sessegnon to just go and play their style of football in a manner like Ole Gunnar’s philosophy at United, though with far less talent to work with.
They travel to Leicester and a team that might have had enough time under new manager, Brendan Rogers, to adapt to his style of football.
He’d only been at the club for a couple days leading up to a difficult away fixture against Watford so it’s to no one’s surprise that they played well but walked away empty handed.
Brendan Rogers has hinted at what he envisions for his team going forward, likening Jamie Vardy to another striker, Luis Suarez, who he utilised to devastating effect in his last job in England.
Vardy gets on the score sheet and Leicester remind their home supporters why they should remain optimistic the remainder of the season.
Fulham will also turn up for this game but find be let down by their unreliable back line yet again.
Prediction: 2-1 Leicester
Cardiff City v. West Ham United
Cardiff have everything to play for here as a win and Southampton loss sees them jump into safe position for the time-being.
They host a dangerous West Ham side who have done what many expected and started to form in full under Manuel Pellegrini as the season has gone on.
It’s my opinion that the Hammers are the best side outside the top six and feature the best players outside those elite clubs in Brazilian, Felipe Anderson.
Cardiff will make life hellish for the visitors knowing any points are vital in the relegation battle.
It’s close, ugly and just like Cardiff will want it to go. They’ll run out of steam though in the final quarter hour and West Ham’s overall quality does enough to get them a goal that breaks the deadlock and secures a win.
Prediction: 1-0 West Ham
Image via WalesOnline
Newcastle United v. Everton
Newcastle have been one of the better teams over the last two months when you compare results and performances on the pitch up against their competition near the bottom end of the table.
That made it a bit surprising that they struggled so much in a lacklustre effort, losing 2-0 to West Ham over the weekend.
They return home and host Everton who exerted maximum effort in an intense Merseyside derby on Sunday where they deservedly picked up one point.
It’s only natural to expect Everton to be drained of energy after the previous match’s emotion and traveling to Newcastle has proven difficult for sides this season.
These two teams will be evenly matched on the day and a draw seems the most likely result.
Prediction: 1-1 Draw
Manchester City v. Watford
For the first time in many weeks, Manchester City enter the weekend alone at the top of the table and with the chance to go four points ahead of Liverpool who won’t play until Sunday.
Watford won’t be an easy opponent and they’d surely love to claim their biggest scalp of the season by going to the Etihad and picking up a win that could fuel them to the coveted seventh place finish during the final 2 months of the season.
While Watford are a good team with talent in attack and a quality manager, you don’t need to go back far to have memories of them being annihilated 5-0 at Anfield a couple weeks back.
That fate could await them again here if they’re not careful and don’t do a much better job protecting the middle of the pitch where City find so much space to operate.
Being without Kevin de Bruyne and Fernandinho will inevitably have an effect on City as the fixtures add up and rotation problems are created, but they’ll still be able to turn to David Silva, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, etc. in this match.
City do what they’ve done several times by getting a goal inside the opening five minutes and relentlessly squeeze the life out of Watford.
The possession numbers could look as lopsided as City’s win over Bournemouth last week.
They win comfortably and put huge pressure on Liverpool to keep pace Sunday.
Prediction: 3-1 City
Liverpool v. Burnley
Barring something out of the ordinary, Liverpool will enter Sunday’s match at home against Burnley a full four points back of Manchester City (along with roughly a 10-goal gap in goal differential).
How they collectively react to that pressure will be worth watching. Burnley’s improved form has been undone with consecutive losses following their statement win over Spurs several weeks ago and they will know any more losses at this point could see them too close for comfort near the drop zone.
Sean Dyche will happily put ten players behind the ball, give up 70-75% possession as long as it’s in the middle of the park and attempt to frustrate Liverpool players trying to break through the well drilled low block.
If this game reaches halftime at 0-0, expect anxiety in the stands to bleed onto the pitch and tension to rise with Liverpool possibly seeing their title aspirations slip away.
Image via Liverpool FC
Having said that, Liverpool’s defence has been monumental all year and it’s safe to reason another clean sheet is in order.
Will they be able to put the ball in the back of the net at least once though? I say yes, even if it’s late into the game and most likely on a set-piece.
Liverpool just get over the line and live to fight another day as they turn focus to a trip to Munich on Wednesday.
Prediction: 2-0 Liverpool
Chelsea v. Wolverhampton
It may seem like a state of crisis at Chelsea from the outside looking in, but to be fair they still control their own destiny to secure fourth place with a crucial game in hand over Arsenal and Man United.
Hosting Wolves isn’t the ideal opposition to bag an easy three points and The Wanderers still have plenty to play for as they attempt a historic 7th place finish in their first season back in the Premier League.
Both managers set their sides up to play offensively and the amount of creativity in midfield and the final third for each team means this will be must see for any football loving fan.
Back and forth, end to end, goal opportunities galore, this one will have a little bit of everything. I favour Chelsea by the thinnest of margins, primarily due to home advantage.
Prediction: 2-1 Chelsea
Arsenal v. Manchester United
The good feelings inside the Manchester United locker room following their dramatic 3-1 win over PSG on Wednesday and advancement in the Champions League will give their supporters enough reason to believe they can beat Arsenal at the Emirates.
Arsenal won’t be feeling the same positivity after a disastrous away loss to Rennes on Thursday in their Europa League match.
Playing a match as intense as this one will be with only a few days rest will work against them even if their home support tries getting them energised enough to earn a win.
I’m not completely sold on Arsenal suddenly being a team with the mental toughness to pick up victories over the best of the best in England and while United have a depleted roster to choose from, Rashford and Lukaku look dangerous every time they’re on the ball and will give Arsenal’s defence real problems for the entire 90 minutes.
Is it too much to think United have the magic to earn another late, dramatic goal this week? Not for me. They win it late and take a first step towards solidifying 4th in the table.
Prediction: 2-1 United