We are quickly reaching the end of another Premier League season and results are beginning to prove crucial to the campaigns of several clubs.
Manchester City squandered a chance to win the league against crosstown rivals United last weekend, but they can confirm their third title away to Tottenham on Sunday.
A season is potentially on the line when Southampton host Chelsea at St Marys on Saturday night.
Its been a pretty disappointing campaign for the Saints and they find themselves in eighteenth overall heading into Matchday 34. They rallied hard away to Arsenal on Sunday, but ultimately took nothing from the 3-2 defeat and have their work cut out for them in what is a difficult bid for survival.
Chelsea were pretty uninspiring in a 1-1 draw with West Ham and they look like a team that has accepted their fate. They are now ten points adrift of the fourth-placed Tottenham and are virtually no chance of Champions League football in the new season.
Southampton are absolutely desperate and while they might not win, there is every chance that we’ll witness plenty of goals scored in this fixture.
Three potentially vital competition points are on offer when Brighton travels to Selhurst Park early on Sunday morning.
Palace is another club that needs points and they can take a big step towards survival by beating Brighton at home. The Eagles looked to be moving out of danger six weeks ago, but their run of form has stalled a little of late and they are winless for three weeks.
Brighton seem to have done enough to survive the drop, but they cannot afford to go to sleep and positive results still count for plenty. The Seagulls managed to hold Huddersfield to a 1-1 draw despite Davy Propper’s 74th minute red card and they will need to plug the hole left by the midfielder if they are to return to winning form against Palace.
This is the perfect opportunity for Palace to take the fight away from the likes of Stoke City and Southampton and they represent good value to win.
Swansea City will host Everton in what looms as one of the more even fixtures in Week 34 of the Premier League.
Having looked like being the first team relegated this season, the Swans have pulled themselves out of the danger zone and can go a long way towards survival by winning this match. They could only manage a draw with the last-placed West Brom last weekend, but they have lost only once in their four most-recent outings and that came away to Manchester United.
Everton have been far from polished this season, but they’ll finish in the top ten again and have been pretty decent of late. They held bitter rivals Liverpool to a 0-0 draw last weekend and realistically, they face a far easier task in the form of Swansea.
At home, the Toffees would be outstanding value at their current quote, but it is tough to split these teams in Wales and a draw looms as the likely outcome.
Burnley and Leicester City will square off in one of Week 34’s more intriguing EPL matches.
The Clarets have enjoyed one of their best seasons on record and remain a live chance of finishing in the top six for the first time. They comfortably overcame Watford last weekend and are shooting for a sixth-consecutive win in the league this weekend.
Leicester City have restored a bit of pride in their jersey following a massive premiership hangover last season and they have rightfully found their way back into the top half of the table. Though beaten by the in-form Newcastle last weekend, the Foxes have generally been terrific of late and they will pose a big threat to Burnley’s defence.
This is extremely tough to analyse from a betting perspective and I am happy to stay out and enjoy from a spectator’s perspective.
Aaron Mooy’s Huddersfield Town will host the inconsistent Watford early on Sunday morning and are offered a terrific opportunity at three vital points.
The Terriers have shown glimpses of brilliance between forgettable performances this season, but they can go a long way towards ensuring another campaign by winning this. Worryingly, they are winless in five weeks and couldn’t overcome a ten-man Brighton last weekend.
Watford were one of the most consistent teams throughout the first half of the Premier League season and while they are all but assured survival, they’ve been extremely difficult to trust from a betting perspective recently. They are winless since Matchday 29 and had few answers for Burnley last weekend.
Huddersfield at home have been a far better prospect than Huddersfield away and I am happy to give them another chance at odds.
Betting suggests that Sunday’s meeting between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield will be one of the most one-sided matches in Week 34 of the Premier League.
Its been a great campaign for the Reds and they have managed to restore some pride to their famous strip in 2017/18. They sit third overall and are almost assured of a Champions League berth, and regardless of what they do for the rest of the season, they have a terrific foundation from which to build next year.
Bournemouth have also enjoyed a good season and most importantly for a club of their size, will find themselves in the Premier League again in 2018/19. The Cherries are undefeated in three matches and can step back into the top ten with a draw.
The Reds will probably win this match and win well, and they can keep Bournemouth goalless.
All focus will be on London early on Sunday morning when Manchester City attempt to secure their third Premier League title. The Blues were denied the trophy by bitter rivals United last weekend, but it really is only a matter of time before they return to the pinnacle of English football. Sergio Aguero in on track for a return and City are primed for a return to winning form.
Spurs have been a force again this season and continued their winning ways against Stoke last weekend, but they are realistically a class below City and will need to produce their best performance of the campaign to win this match.
The last time these teams met, City walked away comfortable 4-1 winners and they are simply over the odds at their current quote.
Newcastle will host Arsenal in an intriguing Premier League fixture on Sunday night.
Newcastle’s terrible start to the season has been left behind and they sit tenth in overall standings heading into Week 34. They have won their three most-recent matches and weathered a spirited Leicester City side away from home last weekend, in what was one of their best performances of the year.
The Gunners managed to take all three points from Southampton despite going down to ten men and they will take their usual favouritism into this match.
Newcastle are a far-better prospect than their long odds suggest and I am happy to play the value here, against a team that are frequently unders.
Manchester United are offered a ‘soft kill’ in the form of the already-relegated West Bromwich Albion.
Barring their crosstown rivals, United have been the ‘best of the rest’ this season and they will take their place in this match off the back of an impressive 3-2 win over the champions in waiting. That was their seventh-consecutive win in the league and they appear to be specials to beat a West Brom side that has lacked spark all season, and who have nothing to play for at this point.
West Ham will look to put one more nail in the coffin of Stoke City in the final match of Week 34 of the Premier League.
Its been a torrid season for the Potters and they are caught nineteenth overall leading into this match. They are winless through their nine most-recent league games and it appears to be a matter of ‘when’ they will be relegated, rather than ‘if’.
West Ham have been extremely shaky themselves, but they have been saved by their ability to produce winning performances against some of the league’s best teams this season and they were gallant in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea last weekend.
The Hammers represent good value to win and they can get the job done over a lacklustre Stoke outfit.