We are fast winding towards the business end of the 2017/18 Premier League season and results at both ends of the ladder are starting to prove vital.
The action in Week 28 of the Premier League is underway when Leicester host Stoke on Saturday night, while the round won’t draw to a close until next Friday when Arsenal are tasked with hosting Manchester City.
Leicester will look to return to winning form when the host Stoke City on Saturday night.
The Foxes can be forgiven for a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City last weekend and their form prior to that match suggests that they will be quite a handful for Stoke. They were far more competitive than last weekend’s score line suggests and held the champions-in-waiting to 1-1 until the second half.
Stoke simply cannot buy a win and they were held to a draw at home last weekend. Charlie Adam had the opportunity to put his side up from the spot in the 88th minute, by was denied by the brilliance of Aussie Mat Ryan. They remain nineteenth overall and are in real danger of demotion.
Leicester should be good enough to take another three points from Stoke and still represent good value in head-to-head betting.
West Brom and Huddersfield meet in what is set to be an intriguing fixture early on Sunday morning.
Daniel Sturridge made his debut for the Baggies against Chelsea last weekend, but left the field with injury after only three minutes. His side subsequently offered little resistance and were beaten 3-0. Time is running out for West Brom and they need to start winning if they are to lift themselves out of last position and ultimately, survive the drop.
Huddersfield stemmed their fall down the ladder with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Bournemouth. The Terriers were impressive on-ball and are offered a terrific opportunity to go on with the job here. Aussie Aaron Mooy was instrumental in two of his side’s goals, but was taken from the field late in the picture after suffering a nasty gash on his knee.
Huddersfield are over the odds in this match and given the potency of their win last weekend, I am happy to give them a go here again.
Liverpool will host the giant-killing West Ham at Anfield early on Sunday morning and have the opportunity to move into second position in overall standings.
The Reds did enough to overcome Southampton 2-0 at St Marys on Monday morning and will be seeking to add a fourth match to an undefeated streak in the Premier League, which also includes a tough draw with Spurs and an easy win over Huddersfield.
West Ham added another star of yesteryear to their line-up last week in the form of Patrice Evra and they celebrated with a comfortable 2-0 win over Watford. The Hammers are continuing to improve their multi-dimensional attack and while they could still slip into the drop zone, they look more-likely than several other clubs to survive in England’s top flight.
Liverpool will probably win this match, but they represent no value for in head-to-head betting.
We are set for another intriguing fixture when Swansea City travel to Brighton on Sunday morning.
Anchored to the bottom of the table at the start of the year, the Swans are now one of the league’s formed teams and continued their winning ways with a 1-0 triumph over Burnley last weekend. That added a fifth game to their undefeated streak in the Premier League; a run of form which has now extended to nine in all competitions.
Brighton’s form has been pretty shaky and they looked set to drop all the points away to Stoke last weekend when Jese drew a penalty in the 88th minute. Thankfully for the Seagulls, Aussie Mat Ryan was on hand to save the day and a point, but they will need to improve drastically if they are to take something away from a better team this weekend.
Swansea are playing with renewed confidence and keep finding a way to win, and they represent outstanding value to win again this weekend.
Sunday’s meeting between Bournemouth and Newcastle looms as an ideal opportunity for both teams to take vital points.
Bournemouth’s smart run of form came to an end at the hands of Huddersfield last weekend, but what was perhaps most concerning about the result was the large score line. The Cherries simply could not withstand the Huddersfield attack in the second half and their defence wasn’t good enough late in the picture.
Newcastle posted arguably their biggest win of the season with a 1-0 triumph over Manchester United last weekend, in what was perfect timing for their sinking campaign. The Magpies have held onto thirteenth position overall, but they’ve still got plenty of work ahead if they are to survive the drop.
Newcastle have generally not followed up their best performances effectively this season, but they should give Bournemouth a shake this weekend.
Burnley and Southampton will square off in what could be the best contest in Week 28 of the Premier League.
Burnley became the latest team to fall to Swansea’s smart run of form, but they were in the match for all 90 minutes and were probably unlucky not to take anything from their performance. Their form prior to that match was pretty consistent and they remain firmly entrenched in the top ten, and well on their way to another season in the top division.
Southampton were handed loss by Liverpool and are in serious danger of demotion. Their inability to turn draws into wins has proven to be their biggest downfall this season and they need to start converting now, if they are to survive.
There is plenty of value for both teams in head-to-head betting and it’s tough to see either side really taking the match by the horns.
Watford and Everton will go toe-to-toe at Vicarage Road on Sunday morning.
The Hornets appeared to have their campaign back on track when they delivered Chelsea a 4-1 thrashing in Week 26, but they failed to carry that form into last weekend’s trip to West Ham and return home 2-0 losers. Watford are another team who have probably done enough to survive the drop, but they have an opportunity to post their best result in the Premier League this season and will need to start winning again, if that is to happen.
Everton were thrashed by Arsenal a fortnight ago, but they responded with a smart win over Crystal Palace and are offered a great opportunity to make their presence felt again this weekend.
The Toffees can climb as high as seventh in overall standing this week and I am happy to take them as outsiders at terrific odds.
The match of the round could take place at Old Trafford early on Monday morning when Manchester United host Chelsea.
The Red Devils suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Newcastle last weekend and are now in danger of falling out of the top two for the first time in more than twenty weeks. They simply could not find a goal despite dominating possession and registering more shots on target than the Magpies.
Chelsea’s torrid run of form came to an end on Tuesday morning when they breezed past West Brom 3-0. Losses to Watford and Bournemouth prior to that have dented their Champions League ambitions and they will face a serious test against a far-better opponent again this weekend.
Should Liverpool beat West Ham and United lose here, they will fall into third on for-and-against and will be drawn with Chelsea on points.
Palace and Spurs square off in what betting suggests could be one of the most one-sided fixtures in Week 28 of the Premier League.
Palace were comfortably accounted for by Everton last weekend, but their form prior to that was solid – a draw with Newcastle in Week 26 franked when that team beat Manchester United last weekend. They still have plenty of work to do, but they are a team playing with plenty of confidence and a ‘nothing to lose’ mentality, which will go a long way towards their survival.
Tottenham notched a classy 1-0 win over bitter rivals Arsenal in last weekend’s North London Derby and are seeking a third-consecutive win in the Premier League in Week 28.
Spurs are a class above Palace and they should just win, even if by a small margin.
Week 28 of the Premier League will wrap up in style when Arsenal host league-leaders City on Friday, March 2nd.
The Gunners are probably already out of the race for Champions League spots and will be desperate for a return to winning form here after dropping all the points in last weekend’s North London Derby. They do have form against City in recent seasons, but they clearly face their biggest test to date in this particular fixture.
City’s red-hot form continued with an easy 5-1 win over Leicester in Week 27. They have extended their lead in overall standings back out to 16 points and only require a couple more wins to be crowned champions.
City win pretty much every time they take to the field and they represent good value at current odds.