Premier League Review - November

As we approach the halfway stage of the 2017/18 Premier League season it's time for my November roundup. Here are my 'Winners' and 'Losers' for the month.

It's been a good month for...

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool's Egyptian forward is surely the Player of the Month for November. Salah scored in each of the Reds' four league games, helping them take ten points from a possible twelve. He scored braces against West Ham, Southampton and Stoke, and scored Liverpool's goal in a 1-1 draw against his former employers, Chelsea. Salah is currently the league's top scorer with twelve goals, which is mightily impressive when he is more of a winger than a striker. With two more goals than nearest challenger Harry Kane, Jürgen Klopp will know that he has a real gem on his hands.

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Claude Puel

Leicester City's new manager has helped tighten up the Foxes, and took five points in November. His first away match was a 2-2 draw at Stoke at the beginning of the month which is a traditionally difficult place to visit, and they also faced Manchester City at home, a game which they lost 2-0. Leicester finished the month with a 1-1 draw at West Ham and an excellent 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur. Puel has got Jamie Vardy scoring again and has also given Riyad Mahrez and Demarai Gray a real freedom to play. The Foxes are now back in the top half of the table and look to be a force at the King Power Stadium once more.

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Raheem Sterling

Sterling is Manchester City's top scorer in the Premier League this season, and has been popping up with some crucial goals of late. He notched an 84th-minute winner in a 2-1 victory at Huddersfield on the 26th November, and three days later scored in the 96th-minute as City beat Southampton by the same scoreline. Goals aside, Sterling has been in excellent form and also contributed two assists in November as Pep Guardiola's men won all four of their Premier League matches. If Sterling and Co. continue to play as they have been, the league could be won by Christmas!

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But a bad one for...

Slaven Bilic

The Croation was sacked by West Ham in early November after winning just two league games in 2017/18. He departed with the Hammers in 18th following a 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool, which was a second successive home defeat by three goals. I feel a bit sorry for Bilic, as I feel that the move to the London Stadium has been a disaster for West Ham, and he led them to a 7th-placed finish in his first season in charge, and the Irons' last at Upton Park. Bilic will surely feel even harder done by to be replaced by David Moyes, who was Sunderland manager as they finished rock-bottom of the Premier League and were relegated to the Championship last season.

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Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs took just four points from a possible twelve in November, and appear to be struggling at Wembley. They struggled past then-bottom side Crystal Palace, winning 1-0, and later drew 1-1 with struggling West Brom at England's home of football. Between those two matches was a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in the North London Derby, a game in which Tottenham were poor and deservedly lost. Mauricio Pochettino's men then lost their final league game of the month, 2-1 at Leicester. Spurs' form needs to pick up over the festive period if they want to remain in touching distance of their top four rivals.

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Tony Pulis

The Welsh manager was dismissed as manager of West Bromwich Albion after a poor run of form in which West Brom failed to win in ten league matches. I feel sorry for Pulis, but can also understand why he was sacked. There had been unrest at the Hawthorns, and an alarming stat for the board at WBA is that average attendances at The Hawthorns have fallen for the past two seasons, from 25,064 when Pulis took over in 2015 to 23,876 in 2016-17. Fans of the Baggies had seemingly become bored and frustrated at the style of play implemented by Pulis, and this is supported by the fact that at the time of Pulis' sacking they had the lowest average possession of any side in the division. The final nail in the coffin was a 4-0 home defeat to Chelsea, but Tony Pulis is an expert in keeping teams up and I don't think it will be too long before we see him back in the top flight. I'm sorry to see him go.

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Premier League Review - October

Another eventful month in the Premier League has passed. Find my 'Winners' and 'Losers' for October below...

It's been a good month for...

Leroy Sane

Sane enjoyed an explosive October in the Premier League, scoring and assisting a goal in each of his three league appearances. His excellent play and often telepathic relationship with the likes of Kevin de Bruyne helped Manchester City to three wins from three, most notably a 7-2 home victory over Stoke City. City also beat Burnley 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium and won 3-2 at West Brom. If German international Sane can keep up his explosive form, Pep Guardiola's side could be well on their way to the Premier League title by Christmas.

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Crystal Palace

It may be a surprise to see the Premier League's bottom side featuring in the 'Winners' section, but there is no doubt that Roy Hodgson's appointment has seen a definite upswing in Palace's performance levels. They picked up their first win of the season on October 14th against none other than last season's champions, Chelsea, and that 2-1 triumph was fully deserved. Wilfried Zaha looks to be back to his best and added to his goal against Chelsea with a 97th-minute equaliser against West Ham. Palace should definitely take confidence from their October results, and will be hoping to close the gap in November.

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Brighton

Brighton enjoyed an unbeaten October, and were unlucky not to take more than the five points that they managed from their three games. A 90th-minute Wayne Rooney penalty denied them victory at home to Everton in a 1-1 draw, but that did nothing to dent the Seagulls' confidence. Instead, they won 3-0 at West Ham in their very next game, with Glenn Murray bagging a brace. Murray then rescued a point with an equaliser against Southampton in another 1-1 draw. Chris Hughton's men have enjoyed a solid start to their debut Premier League campaign and long may it continue.

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But a bad one for...

Ronald Koeman

Ronald Koeman was sacked sixteen months into his job as Everton manager after a dismal start to the 2017/18 season. He departed Goodison Park with the club in the bottom three and having collected just two wins from their first ten games. For me, Koeman was dismissed too early, but the failure to replace Romelu Lukaku was a crime and too many average players arrived over the summer for far too much money. A 5-2 home defeat to Arsenal was the Dutchman's final game in charge of the Toffees.

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Watford

Despite the fact that Watford beat Arsenal 2-1 in their first match in October, I was unimpressed with their inability to finish a game when they played Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Admittedly there aren't many tougher places to play at in the Premier League, but Watford had them on the ropes and led 2-1 up until the 71st-minute. It should have been 4-1 by then, but a failure to convert key chances came back to haunt them and they ended up conceding three goals in the final nineteen minutes to lose 4-2. They then lost their next game 1-0 at home to a Stoke side who have struggled for goals. It's interesting that Watford have lost both of their games since Troy Deeney accused Arsenal of lacking 'cojones,' and now the Watford skipper will miss the next three matches due to a violent conduct charge following an incident with Joe Allen.

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Craig Shakespeare

Another sacked Premier League manager unfortunately makes the 'Losers' list this month, and again I find this a little harsh. Craig Shakespeare kept then reigning champions Leicester City in the Premier League last season following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri, but was relieved of his duties on October 17th. Admittedly Leicester had won just one of their eight league matches under Shakespeare, but they had also faced Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool in those opening eight and faced a kinder round of fixtures. Shakespeare was sacked after a 1-1 home draw with West Brom, and I also think it's harsh to sack any manager after a game that wasn't actually lost. I was impressed by Shakespeare during his short stint as a Premier League manager and hope to see him at a new club soon.

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Premier League Review - September

Another month has passed and the Premier League is now in full swing. Here are my 'Winners' and 'Losers' for September...

It's been a good month for...

Harry Kane

I put him down as a loser last weekend, so it's only fair that he tops the list this month! Tottenham's talisman has been in scintillating form, scoring six in September and helping Spurs to ten points from a possible twelve. All of his goals have come away from home, and if Kane can start scoring at Wembley Tottenham could be in for a really exciting season. England captaincy for the recent World Cup Qualifiers was richly deserved, and Kane repaid manager Gareth Southgate with two goals in two 1-0 victories to send England to Russia. 

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Arsene Wenger

The Arsenal manager gets a lot of stick, but deserves credit for the way his team performed in September. Arsenal beat both Bournemouth and West Brom convincingly at The Emirates Stadium, but what impressed me most was the way they set up and battled in a 0-0 draw at reigning champions Chelsea. The Gunners lost 3-1 at Stamford Bridge last season, and Arsene Wenger was heavily criticised for his supposed lack of tactical knowhow. Although Arsenal didn't beat Chelsea, they were defensively solid which is something we have not always seen from Wenger's men in recent times. As a result, they sit fifth in the league, and have had a decent start to the season.

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Newcastle United

Rafa Benitez can be very proud of how his side have started the season. A solid September saw them pick up two wins out of a possible three, but what struck me most about Newcastle was how they played for their manager in a 1-0 win at Swansea. Benitez was absent following surgery, but the Magpies stuck to their tactics and secured a mightily impressive win in Wales thanks to  captain Jamaal Lascelles. The skipper then scored again in a deserved 2-1 win over Stoke at St James' Park. The Geordies are ninth in the table after their good start, and fans will finally feel that Benitez has got them back where they belong.

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But a bad one for...

Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson may be regretting his decision to join Crystal Palace after an abysmal start to life at Selhurst Park. They are still yet to score a goal or pick up a single point in the Premier League this season, and the former England manager has failed to change anything that was going wrong under Frank de Boer. Admittedly Hodgson has had to face both Manchester clubs in September, losing 5-0 at City and 4-0 to United, but they also lost 1-0 at home to Southampton in his first match in charge. Those are the kind of games you have to pick points up in to stay in the Premier League, and it looks like the Eagles are in for a long, long season if Hodgson can't quickly turn their fortunes around.

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Everton

After a summer in which Everton spent over £100 million on new signings, fans of the Toffees would have hoped that they would sit much higher than the sixteenth place that they currently hold. You expect Everton to give the big boys a game at Goodison Park, but they were inferior in a 3-0 home defeat to Spurs and couldn't fare any better away at Old Trafford, where former striker Romelu Lukaku scored in a 4-0 win for United. Everton's remaining October fixtures come away to Brighton and Leicester and at home to Arsenal, and it's vital that Ronald Koeman finds a way to send the Blues up the table, rather than further towards the bottom three.

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Liverpool

After a decent start to the season, Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool endured a frustrating September. Star man Sadio Mane was sent off at Manchester City, a game which ended in a 5-0 defeat, and a 1-1 draw at home to Burnley followed. Liverpool are suffering at both ends of the pitch at the moment, struggling to keep out the opposition in every game they play and unable to convert enough chances, such as in the game against Burnley. They ended the month with a 3-2 win at Leicester, but Liverpool fans do not feel comfortable watching their side at the moment, and Klopp's failure to sign a centre-back in the summer has resulted in much questioning. Manchester United are next up for the Reds after the international break, and they will have to defend much better if they want to keep out Lukaku and co.

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Premier League Review - August

The Premier League has been back in action for a month already, so I've decided to do a monthly review where I will be picking out three 'Winners' and three 'Losers' each month. Here is my take on the first month of the season.

It's been a good month for...

Manchester United

Jose Mourinho's men are the only side in the league with a 100% win record from their opening three games. They have started the season in explosive form, scoring ten goals without reply, and Romelu Lukaku has adapted very quickly to life at Old Trafford, scoring three in his opening three games. Fellow arrival Nemanja Matic has also settled comfortably into United's midfield and has allowed Paul Pogba to flourish - The Red Devils' record signing already has two goals this season, 40% of his total for the entire of the 2016-17 campaign. United look to have more favourable fixtures approaching in September, and Mourinho will be hoping his team's impressive start continues. 

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Sadio Mane

Liverpool's number 19 enjoyed an exciting debut season at Anfield, but his start to 2017-18 has got everybody talking. Mane has scored in all three of the Reds' Premier League matches so far, including the winner against Crystal Palace, and has become Jurgen Klopp's star man in the absence of Philippe Coutinho, who was involved in a transfer saga with Barcelona. If the Senegalese international can keep up his early season form, Klopp will be hoping he can be the spearhead of a potential title challenge.

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Huddersfield Town

The Premier League new boys have surprised everybody, collecting seven points from their opening three games and keeping three clean sheets in the process. David Wagner's Terriers were outstanding on the opening day, winning 3-0 at Crystal Palace, and also put in a dogged performance to beat Newcastle 1-0. A respectable 0-0 draw with Southampton followed, and the rest of the league now know that a trip to the John Smith's Stadium will be no easy task.

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But a bad one for...

West Ham United

The Hammers have lost all three of their Premier League matches so far, shipping ten goals and scoring just two. That defensive record sees them sit rock bottom of the table, and Slaven Bilic is a man under pressure. Although it could be argued that West Ham have been a little unlucky to play all of their matches away from home so far due to World Championship athletics being held at the London Stadium, better performances are expected than their 3-0 defeat at newly-promoted Newcastle. They also conceded a 93rd-minute penalty at Southampton which saw them lose 3-2, and were poor in a 4-0 loss at Old Trafford on the opening weekend. New boy Chicharito has scored their only two goals so far, and he needs help quickly in order for West Ham to turn their form around.

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Harry Kane

It may be a bit harsh to single out Kane with Tottenham enduring a mediocre start to the season, but the fact is that Spurs' number 10 has still never scored a Premier League goal in August. He is the man Mauricio Pochettino relies on for goals, and Kane himself will have been hoping to dispel the myth that he is a slow starter. Ironically, Kane scored twice for England on September the first, so will be hoping to get off and running domestically when Spurs face Everton in their next league fixture.

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Frank de Boer

Crystal Palace's new manager has lost all three of his opening league games, and is the bookies' favourite to be the first Premier League manager to lose his job. Defeat at Anfield was perhaps expected, but a 3-0 home loss to Huddersfield on the opening day was a massive shock, and de Boer himself admitted that his side needed to show more courage after their most recent league outing, another home defeat (2-0 to Swansea). Palace bought in Mamadou Sakho from Liverpool on Deadline Day, and the Palace gaffer will be hoping that he can tighten up a struggling back-line, despite visits to both Manchester City and Manchester United in late September.

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Premier League Predictions - Review

On the day that the 2017/18 Premier League fixtures were announced, I finally got round to writing an end-of-season round-up. I finished Gameweek 38 with six correct results out of ten (wins for Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Swansea and Manchester City) but no perfect scores.

I started my blog in August 2016 in Gameweek 4, after using the first three weeks of the season to do some research on each Premier League team and their respective starts to the season. This means that I previewed 350 matches over the course of the season.

Of those 350 games, I correctly predicted 177 correct results, i.e wins, losses and draws, so just over half. In terms of perfect scores I guessed 28, which is a correct score every 12.5 games.

I really enjoyed writing about the Premier League season, and was lucky to write about such an exciting season. Chelsea were deserved champions under Antonio Conte but were run close by Tottenham who continue to grow. Manchester City and Liverpool guaranteed Champions League football on the last day of the season, whilst Arsenal missed out for the first time since 1995-96. Manchester United finished 6th, but will play Champions League football after winning the Europa League, with Everton a place behind them. They will be looking forward to the Europa League under Ronald Koeman.

Chelsea will be looking to retain the trophy next season! (Getty Images)

Southampton and Bournemouth enjoyed top-half finishes, with West Brom, West Ham and Leicester the next best sides. Stoke, Crystal Palace and Swansea all had underwhelming seasons but will be hoping to improve next season, whilst Burnley survived their first season back in the Premier League. Watford finished a place above the relegation zone but with a gap of six points, meaning that Hull, Middlesbrough and Sunderland suffered the drop and will compete in the Championship next season. Replacing them are Newcastle, who returned to the Premier League at the first attempt, and Brighton and Huddersfield, who will each play in the competition for the first time in their histories.

As I mentioned above, the fixtures for 2017-18 were announced today. Here are the opening fixtures for next campaign, which will start on the 12th of August:

Arsenal v Leicester City
Brighton and Hove Albion v Manchester City
Chelsea v Burnley
Crystal Palace v Huddersfield Town
Everton v Stoke City
Manchester United v West Ham United
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Swansea City
Watford v Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Bournemouth

I would just like to say thank you to everybody who read, liked and shared my blog this season. I plan to come back with something a bit different very soon!

Premier League Predictions - Gameweek 38

The final round of this season's Premier League is here, and there is still lots to play for for several clubs in the hunt for a Champions League spot. I had a strong week of predictions in Gameweek 37, correctly predicting the outcomes of 12 of the 15 matches, with one perfect score. I called wins for Everton, Chelsea (x2), Manchester City (x2), Bournemouth, Swansea, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham as well as a draw between Southampton and Manchester United. My perfect prediction was Bournemouth's 2-1 victory over Burnley. Predictions for every team's last game of the season can be found below, and I will be doing an end-of-season roundup.

Arsenal vs Everton

Sunday 21st May 2017, 15.00

Arsenal played twice in the penultimate Gameweek of the season, winning 4-1 at Stoke and 2-0 at home to Middlesbrough. Everton beat Watford 1-0 in their last home game of the campaign.

Arsenal still have a chance of a top-four finish, but they will be relying on slip-ups from either Manchester City or Liverpool. They have done well to keep the pressure on, but may have left it a little too late to find some consistency. Alexis Sanchez was outstanding across both Gameweek 37 matches, scoring three times in total. Arsenal definitely wouldn't be in a challenging position if the Chilean wasn't in such great form. Arsenal also have the FA Cup final against Chelsea to come, but they won't be resting anybody with the faint chance that they still have.

Will Arsene Wenger still be in charge of Arseal in 2017/18? (Getty Images)

Everton don't have anything to play for in this one, with a 7th-place finish guaranteed. They've enjoyed a good season under Ronald Koeman, especially at Goodison Park, where they won against Watford last time out. Ross Barkley scored the goal, and it could be his last as a Toffee with rumours that he may be on his way out of the club in the summer.

Ronald Koeman could give some of his younger players a chance in this one, which should suit Arsenal. They need a win to give themselves a chance of Champions League football, and I think they'll get one.

Prediction: 2-0

Burnley vs West Ham

Sunday 21st May 2017, 15.00

These two teams meet having secured their Premier League status for another year. Burnley lost at Bournemouth last time out, 2-1, whilst West Ham were battered 4-0 at home to Liverpool.

It was another away defeat for Sean Dyche, and he will be looking to end the season with a victory that would see Burnley finish above their Sunday opponents. Their form at Turf Moor has been what has kept them in the division, and Sam Vokes will be hoping to keep up his recent form, having scored in the defeat at the Vitality Stadium last week.

West Ham were poor against Liverpool in their final home game of the season. It has been an underwhelming campaign, but I think Slaven Bilic has done well to keep them up with all the difficulties surrounding the move to the London Stadium.

This has a home win written all over it for me. West Ham gave everything they had in the game against Tottenham a couple of weeks ago, and were dreadful against Liverpool. Burnley are strong at home, and will be hoping to give their fans a final three points of the season.

Prediction: 2-1

Chelsea vs Sunderland

Sunday 21st May 2017, 15.00

Chelsea are the Premier League winners after beating West Brom 1-0 in Gameweek 37, and they won their first game as confirmed champions 4-3 at home to Watford. Sunderland lost both of their matches in the last Gameweek, 2-0 at home to Swansea and 2-0 at Arsenal.

Michy Batshuayi was the unlikely hero for Chelsea, scoring the only goal in the victory at Hawthorns that wrapped up the title for Antonio Conte's men. They have been the league's outstanding team, and despite resting players against Watford they still picked up three points, John Terry scoring what could be his last goal for the club. I expect him to play again here, though, with the FA Cup final against Arsenal to come next weekend.

Conte will finally get his hands on the trophy on Sunday (Getty Images)

Sunderland are confirmed to finish bottom after their two defeats in the last week. Jordan Pickford was outstanding at Arsenal and kept Sunderland in it for so long, and a move back up to the Premier League surely beckons for him, as well as for Jermain Defoe, who has been outstanding all season.

Chelsea will be in party-mood here and should win comfortably despite the likelihood of wholesale changes. Sunderland's miserable campaign is almost certain to end with another defeat.

Prediction: 3-0

Hull vs Tottenham

Sunday 21st May 2017, 15.00

Hull were relegated last week after losing 4-0 at Crystal Palace. Spurs won the last ever game at White Hart Lane, 2-1 against Manchester United, before smashing Leicester 6-1 in midweek.

Swansea's win at Sunderland on Saturday put the pressure on Marco Silva's Hull, who were relegated in crushing style at Selhurst Park. Silva did well to give the Tigers even a glimmer of hope after a poor start to the season, and he is set for talks with Hull. It would be an even further blow if they were to lose him.

Tottenham bowed out of White Hart Lane in style, beating Manchester United 2-1. Harry Kane scored Spurs' last goal there, and is within inches of winning the Golden Boot after scoring four at Leicester in a rampant performance. Kane is now two goals ahead of Romelu Lukaku, who has a tough game at Arsenal.

Spurs are guaranteed to finish second but will be hoping to finish another promising season with a win. Hull will hope to give their fans something to shout about in their last Premier League game for at least a year, but I don't see that happening against Tottenham.

Prediction: 0-2

Leicester vs Bournemouth

Sunday 21st May 2017, 15.00

Leicester lost twice in the last Gameweek, 2-1 at Manchester City and 6-1 at home to Spurs. Bournemouth won their last home game of the season, 2-1 over Burnley.

Leicester will be looking to end the season on a high, and could still finish in the top half, which would be a remarkable achievement after their struggles under Claudio Ranieri. They were unlucky not to get anything at the Etihad, Riyad Mahrez fluffing a penalty, but poor against Tottenham.

Bournemouth have had another solid season under Eddie Howe but could be leapfrogged by Leicester if they lose this one. They picked up another win at the Vitality Stadium against Burnley and it was no surprise to see Josh King scoring the all-important winner.

This should be a good game between two open sides. Both have done well to stay up in a tight season, and I fancy Leicester to finish above Bournemouth with a home win here.

Prediction: 3-1

Liverpool vs Middlesbrough

Sunday 21st May 2017, 15.00

Liverpool kept their Champions League dreams in their own hands with a resounding 4-0 victory at West Ham. Middlesbrough lost their last home game of the season, 2-1 to West Ham.

A win in this game will confirm a top-four finish for Jurgen Klopp's side, which would have been the target at the start of the season. They were excellent against West Ham, Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho (2) and Divock Origi all scoring, and will be optimistic of winning at Anfield to secure a place among Europe's elite next season.

Klopp is a victory away from guiding Liverpool into the Champions League (Getty Images)

Middlesbrough lost again last week but will be hoping to exit the Premier League with a bang. It would take something special at Anfield, but they will know that if they can frustrate Liverpool the crowd could become restless with so much at stake for the home side.

I can't see Liverpool slipping up here. They've had a good season and have given themselves a real chance here. Middlesbrough have struggled all season, and I think they'll start life as a Championship club on the back of a defeat on Merseyside.

Prediction: 2-0

Manchester United vs Crystal Palace

Sunday 21st May 2017, 15.00

Manchester United had a disappointing Gameweek 37, losing 2-1 at Spurs and drawing 0-0 at Southampton. Crystal Palace saved themselves and relegated Hull in a 4-0 victory over the Tigers.

Jose Mourinho has placed all of his eggs into the Europa League basket, with the final against Ajax to come on Wednesday. It was therefore unsurprising to see two rotated teams on Premier League duty. Wayne Rooney might have scored his last United goal in defeat at Tottenham, and Sergio Romero is likely to keep his place in goal for the Europa League final after saving a penalty in a draw at Southampton.

Big Sam Allardyce has done it again, keeping Palace up in style. They were far superior to Hull and will be looking forward to a better campaign next time around. They might fancy their chances here, too, against a weakened United team.

United will want to finish the season with a home victory, but the fans know that the approaching European final is far more of a priority. With this in mind, I fancy Palace to claim a point, which would be a great result for them to finish the season with.

Prediction: 1-1

Southampton vs Stoke

Sunday 21st May 2017, 15.00

Southampton went unbeaten in two in Gameweek 37, winning 2-1 at Middlesbrough and drawing 0-0 at home to Man United. Stoke lost 4-1 to Arsenal in their last home game of the season.

There is still some uncertainty around Claude Puel, which is understandable in my opinion. The football hasn't been fantastic, and although Southampton sit 8th, they are 15 points of Everton who sit a place above them. Puel will be hoping to finish the season with a good win after two promising performances last Gameweek.

Stoke have had a disappointing season under Mark Hughes, and could finish as low as 16th realistically. They have struggled to find a genuine goalscorer, and relied on Peter Crouch again against Arsenal, despite the controversy surrounding his handled goal.

I think Southampton will finish the season with three points here. They are a better team than Stoke and have a proper striker in Manolo Gabbiadini who will be looking to atone for his penalty miss against Manchester United.

Prediction: 2-1

Swansea vs West Brom

Sunday 21st May 2017, 15.00

Swansea retained their Premier League status with a 2-0 victory at Sunderland. West Brom played, and lost, twice in the last week, losing 1-0 at home to Chelsea and 3-1 at Manchester City.

Paul Clement has done a great job at Swansea, and they will deservedly play in the Premier League next season. The Liberty Stadium will give their players a great reception here, and there will be a great atmosphere in Glamorgan.

West Brom picked up another pair of defeats, but did play against two very good teams. They nearly stopped Chelsea from winning the league at the Hawthorns, and that resilience should stand them in good stead for another strong season in 2017/18.

I fancy Swansea to continue their excellent end to the season with another win. They will be buoyed after their survival, and should give their fans a final victory of the campaign.

Prediction: 1-0

Watford vs Manchester City

Sunday 21st May 2017, 15.00

Watford lost both of their Gameweek 37 matches, 1-0 at Everton and 4-3 at Chelsea. In contrast, Manchester City won both of theirs, 2-1 at home to Leicester and 3-1 at home to West Brom.

This will be Watford's last game under Walter Mazzarri after it was announced this week that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season. I'm a little surprised at that, with Watford comfortably staying up this season, but their have been complaints about the style of play and I can understand why the fans are excited by the thought of Hull's Marco Silva taking over - he is the current favourite for the job.

City are in the strongest position out of themselves, Liverpool and Arsenal going into the final-day battle for a Champions League spot. They would need to lose and Liverpool and Arsenal to win to miss out, but should fancy their chances against a Watford side whose season has petered out.

City can confirm their place in the Champions League on Sunday (Getty Images)

I'm confident that Manchester City will qualify for the Champions League here. They are far superior to Watford and are in a really strong position going into this game. If they were to slip up, it would mean a disastrous first season for Pep Guardiola.

Prediction: 1-3

Premier League Predictions - Gameweek 37

The strange results kept on coming in Gameweek 36, meaning I recorded just three correct results with no perfect scores. I guessed wins for Manchester City, Leicester and Chelsea. Ten teams play twice in Gameweek 37, and I have based all of my predictions for their second games on my prediction for their first.

Everton vs Watford

Friday 12th May 2017, 19.45

Everton lost for the second successive Gameweek, a 1-0 defeat at lowly Swansea. Watford lost their third game in a row, 3-0 at the Premier League's holders, Leicester.

Everton were out of sorts at the Liberty Stadium, and it appears that a couple of the players may already be on their holidays. They are winless in three in the league and have failed to score in that time, which will be a concern for Ronald Koeman.

Ronald Koeman will be hoping to return to winning ways (Getty Images)

Watford are another side who have little to play for, but Walter Mazzarri will have been disappointed to see his side drop to 15th in the league after defeat at Leicester. The Hornets have picked up just three points out of the last fifteen available.

It's hard to know what to expect in this one, with both teams safe and content with their respective campaigns. Everton have been brilliant at home in 2017, losing just once (to Chelsea) and I am backing them to win for this reason.

Prediction: 2-1

West Brom vs Chelsea
Friday 12th May 2017, 20.00

West Brom ended a run of four straight defeats in Gameweek 36, but could only draw 2-2 at Burnley. Chelsea moved to within touching distance of winning the Premier League, beating Middlesbrough 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Monday night.

Tony Pulis will be happy that West Brom's losing run is over, but disappointed that his side couldn't hold on to their lead at Turf Moor. They had done brilliantly to come from a goal behind to lead 2-1, thanks to goals from Salomon Rondon and Craig Dawson, but conceded an 86th-minute equaliser meaning they left with a point.

Antonio Conte will be wondering how his side only scored three against Middlesbrough. Some of the attacking play was breath-taking, and goals from Diego Costa, Marcos Alonso and Nemanja Matic had the Chelsea faithful on their feet. That win means that victory in this match at the Hawthorns will see Chelsea win the Premier League title.

The title is within touching distance for this man (Getty Images)

Chelsea will be massively up for this one, whilst the Baggies will be out to spoil the party. I think the home side will sit back and try to absorb the Chelsea pressure, but I think the Blues will wrap up the title here.

Prediction: 0-2

Manchester City vs Leicester
Saturday 13th May 2017, 12.30

Manchester City returned to winning ways with a thumping 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace last weekend. Leicester beat Watford 3-0 at home and climbed into the top-half of the table in the process.

City were far too good for a lacklustre Palace side, and were set on their way in the second minute thanks to David Silva's 50th goal for the club. Skipper Vincent Kompany rifled home a second, before goals from Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Otamendi completed the rout.

Leicester enjoyed a comfortable afternoon against Watford as they went 9th in the table, the first time they have been in the top half since September. The goalscorers in their 3-0 victory were Wilfred Ndidi, Riyad Mahrez (on his 100th Premier League appearance) and Marc Albrighton. The three points meant that Craig Shakespeare became the fourth manager to win his first five Premier League home games.

This should be a good game. Leicester have improved greatly under Shakespeare, whilst Man City have enjoyed a decent end to the season. I fancy both teams to score in a home win.

Predictions: 3-1

Bournemouth vs Burnley
Saturday 13th May 2017, 15.00

Bournemouth are unbeaten in three league matches, drawing 2-2 at home to Stoke in their most recent outing. Burnley were also involved in a 2-2 draw, theirs coming at home to West Brom.

Eddie Howe will be pleased with his side's attitude after they twice came from behind to draw with Stoke. Lys Mousset had scored an own-goal to give Stoke the lead, but Junior Stanislas netted an equaliser just after the hour. The Cherries fell behind again on 73 minutes, but were then beneficiaries of an own-goal themselves, Ryan Shawcross' mistake meaning it ended honours even.

Sam Vokes scored twice for Burnley as they picked up a point at Turf Moor against West Brom. He gave his side the lead 11 minutes into the second-half, but the Baggies rallied and went 2-1 up with 12 left to play. Vokes flicked a header over Ben Foster in the 86th-minute, wrapping up the Clarets' 40th point of the season and making them virtually safe.

Bournemouth have really impressed me in the last couple of months, and Eddie Howe will be looking forward to this game against his former club. I think he'll get three points too, albeit in a close match.

Prediction: 2-1

Middlesbrough vs Southampton
Saturday 13th May 2017, 15.00

Middlesbrough lost 3-0 at Chelsea on Monday night, a result which saw them relegated from the Premier League. Southampton played twice in Gameweek 36, drawing 0-0 at Anfield and...

To be fair to Middlesbrough, most teams have lost at Stamford Bridge this season. Chelsea were far too good for them, and a 3-0 defeat was enough to send them back down to the Championship, a year and a day since they clinched promotion to the top flight.

A dejected Stewart Downing following Boro's relegation (Getty Images)

Southampton set up very defensively at Liverpool, but clinched a point thanks largely to Fraser Forster. He saved a James Milner penalty to earn a clean sheet and a point for his side. The Saints then hosted Arsenal on Wednesday, losing 2-0 at St Mary's.

Southampton can't afford to be complacent going into this game against a relegated side, as Hull found out to Sunderland last week. Southampton will probably be a little tired after two tough Gameweek 36 fixtures, and I think they'll be held to a draw here.

Prediction: 1-1

Sunderland vs Swansea
Saturday 13th May 2017, 15.00

Sunderland surprised us all last weekend, winning 2-0 at Hull. Swansea picked up a massive three points in their bid for survival, a 1-0 home win over Everton.

The Black Cats are already relegated, but that didn't stop them winning 2-0 at fellow strugglers Hull. Billy Jones and Jermain Defoe scored the goals to finally give the Mackem faithful something to cheer, but it's all too little too late for David Moyes.

Sunderland's win over Hull gave Swansea a massive opportunity to climb out of the relegation zone, which they duly took. Fernando Llorente headed home the game's only goal against Everton at the Liberty Stadium, and Paul Clement will fancy his chances of picking up another three points against Sunderland.

This is Sunderland's last home game in the Premier League, and David Moyes will be desperate to pick up one last victory at the Stadium of Light as a top-flight manager. Swansea will be buoyed after their win at Everton, though, and I think they'll leave Sunderland with a massive three points.

Prediction: 0-1

Stoke vs Arsenal
Saturday 13th May 2017, 17.30

Stoke drew their second successive league match, 2-2 at Bournemouth. Arsenal played twice in Gameweek 36, enjoying a fine 2-0 home win over Manchester United last Sunday and...

Mark Hughes will be a little disappointed to have left Bournemouth with just a point, as his side led twice in the game. They benefitted from a Lys Mousset own-goal, before Mame Biriam Diouf later restored his team's lead. Ryan Shawcross scored an unfortunate own-goal, though, and Stoke remain without a win in their last three Premier League outings.

Arsenal were excellent against Manchester United, and goals from Granit Xhaka and Danny Welbeck gave Arsene Wenger a deserved first win over Jose Mourinho. Arsenal then faced Southampton on Wednesday night and picked up their second 2-0 victory of the week, thanks to goals from Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud at St Mary's.

Stoke are a strong outfit at home and are unbeaten in two. Mark Hughes will be desperate for a couple of wins to end the season on a positive note, but knows it'll be tough against Arsenal. I'm expecting a little bit of fatigue considering the Gunners' midweek involvement, so I'm going for a draw here.

Prediction: 2-2

Crystal Palace vs Hull
Sunday 14th May 2017, 12.00

Crystal Palace lost their third straight match, 5-0 at Manchester City. Hull suffered a shock 2-0 home defeat to already-relegated Sunderland.

Sam Allardyce will have tore into his players after their performance at the Etihad. They were shocking defensively, and are quite clearly missing the injured Mamadou Sakho. Indeed, Palace have lost the last two matches that Sakho has not featured in, and his importance was highlighted by his nomination for Palace's Player of the Season award, despite featuring just eight times for the Eagles.

Marco Silva's unbeaten home record is over after a bitterly disappointing 2-0 defeat to Sunderland. That defeat could prove costly, with Swansea capitalising and climbing above Hull and out of the bottom three. It looks to be between those two now, but this game could still prove to be a six-pointer.

Palace could make themselves safe this weekend, and put Hull into deep trouble as a result. With the Selhurst Park crowd behind them, I think they could do it.

Prediction: 2-0

West Ham vs Liverpool
Sunday 14th May 2017, 14.15

West Ham effectively ended Tottenham's title hopes with a 1-0 victory over them at the London Stadium. Liverpool drew 0-0 at home to Southampton.

The Hammers were excellent against Spurs, and fully deserved the three points. Slaven Bilic had his team so organised and disciplined, and they did well to keep the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli quiet. Manuel Lanzini scored the all-important goal as the Irons went five games unbeaten.

A draw against Southampton was probably a fair result for the Reds. Jurgen Klopp's men were uninspiring and once again clearly missed Sadio Mane. James Milner will be devastated with his penalty miss, but it wasn't as costly as it could have been thanks to Arsenal's win over Manchester United later on Sunday. A top-four finish is still in Liverpool's hands.

James Milner has blamed himself for Liverpool's failure to beat Southampton (Getty Images)

West Ham were really impressive against Tottenham, and I expect them to set up in the same way against Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp's men have been in good form away from home though, winning their last three, and I think they could scrape another important win here.

Prediction: 1-2

Tottenham vs Manchester United
Sunday 14th May 2017, 16.30

Tottenham's title hopes were dealt a massive blow in that 1-0 victory at West Ham last Friday. Manchester United lost 2-0 at Arsenal, ending their 25-match unbeaten league run.

Spurs were frustrated at West Ham, and found Adrian in the way when they did create a golden opportunity, Harry Kane the striker. Mauricio Pochettino's men just couldn't break West Ham, and they made a rare defensive mistake to allow Manuel Lanzini to snatch an unlikely victory for the Hammers.

Jose Mourinho rotated his side against Arsenal, clearly indicating that his focus is on the Europa League rather than the Premier League. He will still be disappointed to have lost to Arsene Wenger for the first time and also to have lost his unbeaten streak, but his spirits will have been lifted massively after Thursday's 1-1 draw with Celta Vigo. That was enough to see them through to the Europa League final with a 2-1 aggregate victory, and they will be looking forward to playing Ajax in Stockholm on 24th May.

Tottenham could have seen Chelsea claim the title by the time this one kicks off, and that will put a real dampener on the atmosphere at White Hart Lane. Manchester United played Europa League football in midweek, but I think they'll set up to frustrate Spurs here and earn a point.

Two tactical masterminds go head-to-head (Getty Images)

Prediction: 0-0

Chelsea vs Watford
Monday 15th May 2017, 20.00

Chelsea play earlier in Gameweek 37, away to West Brom. I have predicted them to win that game 2-0.

Watford also play earlier in the Gameweek, away to Everton. I have predicted them to lose 2-1.

Based on my predictions, I fancy Chelsea to win again.

Prediction: 3-0

Arsenal vs Sunderland
Tuesday 16th May 2017, 19.45

Arsenal play earlier in Gameweek 37, away to Stoke. I have predicted them to draw 2-2.

Sunderland also play earlier in the Gameweek, at home to Swansea. I have predicted them to lose 1-0.

Based on my predictions, I'm going for a comfortable Arsenal win.

Prediction: 4-0

Manchester City vs West Brom
Tuesday 16th May 2017, 20.00

Manchester City play earlier in Gameweek 37, at home to Leicester. I have predicted them to win 3-1.

West Brom also play earlier in the Gameweek, at home to Chelsea. I have predicted them to lose 2-0.

Based on my predictions, I have to go for the home team.

Prediction: 2-0

Southampton vs Manchester United
Wednesday 17th May 2017, 19.45

Southampton play earlier in Gameweek 37, away to Middlesbrough. I have predicted them to draw 1-1.

Manchester United also play earlier in the Gameweek, away to Tottenham. I have predicted them to draw 0-0.

Based on my predictions, I'm going for another draw for these two sides.

Predictions: 1-1

Leicester vs Tottenham
Thursday 18th May 2017, 19.45

Leicester play earlier in Gameweek 37, away to Manchester City. I have predicted them to lose 3-1.

Tottenham also play earlier in the Gameweek, at home to Manchester United. I have predicted them to draw 0-0.

Based on my predictions, I fancy Spurs to edge this one.

Prediction: 1-2