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.
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.
 |
| 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
No comments:
Post a Comment