We’re fresh off FA Cup weekend and ready for another blockbuster gameweek of Premier League football.
Things kick-off with a London derby between West Ham and Arsenal at the London Stadium. Then Liverpool travel south with just one defender to try and extend their lead at the top of the table in the pick of the 3pms. Meanwhile Saturday evening’s game will see Chelsea try to break down a stubborn Newcastle side.
Sunday sees Everton host Bournemouth and the weekend’s major fixture as Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs take on a resurgent Manchester United. The Red Devils look a serious side again and a win at Wembley would take them to within a maximum of six points from fourth place. Things wrap up on Monday night as defending champions Manchester City host Wolves at home, looking to avenge the error-strewn 1-1 draw from earlier in the season.
We’ve had a look at the fixtures and had two of the Squawka team come up with predictions:
West Ham vs. Arsenal
Muhammad Butt: Obviously it’s a derby and anything can happen, but the Gunners haven’t lost to the Hammers since 2015, and that win was their only victory in the last 17 derbies between these clubs. There’s only one winner here. 2-4 Arsenal.
Will Eldridge: Both sides go into this match having won two out of the last five Premier League games. Arsenal will want to keep themselves as close to the top four pack as possible, whereas West Ham could drop to 13th this weekend if results go against them. 2-2 draw.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Felipe Anderson has been directly involved with five goals in the last eight Premier League matches. Four goals, one assist.
Brighton vs. Liverpool
MB: League leaders Liverpool have just one fit centre-back, but that centre-back is Virgil van Dijk. Jurgen Klopp should be able to construct a workable team around the Dutch colossus and then the overwhelming quality in attack should be way too much for an out of form Brighton side. 1-3 Liverpool.
WE: The south coast side have struggled in recent weeks winning just one game in their last six, scoring just four goals. The league leaders will want to get themselves back up and running following disappointing losses to Manchester City and Wolves in the FA Cup. 0-3 Liverpool.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Virgil van Dijk averages 5.3 clearances per match, more than any other Liverpool player this season.
Burnley vs. Fulham
MB: Fulham aren’t good, but then again neither are Burnley – although the Clarets have won three on the bounce across all competitions. That should give them an edge here but Claudio Ranieri’s motivational powers will even the odds and Fulham, desperate to climb out of the relegation zone, could knick a draw here. 2-2 draw.
WE: A massive fixture at the foot of the table for these two strugglers. A win for the hosts could potentially push them five points clear of the bottom three. Fulham’s away record is terrible and they are yet to win away, losing nine and drawing twice. The Clarets are the form side going into this one, with Fulham losing to League Two Oldham in the FA Cup last weekend. 3-1 Burnley.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Jeff Hendrick will be vital to Burnley retaining possession, with an average pass success rate of 86.4%.
Cardiff vs. Huddersfield
MB: Cardiff are bad, but Huddersfield are worse. David Wagner’s side have lost eight on the spin, including last week in the FA Cup. On their return to league action there’s no way the German will want that run to stretch to within one loss of double figures, so expect them to fight tooth and nail to stifle Cardiff, which shouldn’t be too hard. 0-0 draw.
WE: Another vital relegation battle to take place this weekend. Neil Warnock will take hope in the fact that the Welsh outfits home form is fairly decent – four wins, one draw, six defeats – especially in comparison to David Wagner’s side who have just one away win to their name. Don’t expect a pretty affair. 2-0 Cardiff.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Zanka Jorgensen is Huddersfield’s top scorer this season with just three goals across all competitions.
Crystal Palace vs. Watford
MB: Palace have been playing well of late, and one can see them riding that form to a positive result at home against a Watford side that is inconsistent. But then you realise that Javi Gracia’s men haven’t lost on the road since December 1, drawing twice and winning two times too. 1-1 draw.
WE: A developing grudge match that has seen the two clubs face each other in many crucial over the years. Palace have a number of first team players back in the squad, with Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham vital returnees. The Hornets are just two points off becoming the best of the rest in the Premier League and will look to get more points on the board at Selhurst Park this weekend. 2-1 Crystal Palace.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Aaron Wan-Bissaka has won the second-most tackles (72) in the Premier League this season.
Leicester vs. Southampton
MB: Claude Puel rested all his starters during FA Cup week and lost to Newport County as a result. So his fully rested Leicester side will be determined to get the club back to winning ways and that should see them cause too much trouble for an improving Saints. 1-0 Leicester.
WE: The former Premier League champions host a Southampton side who are attempting to turn their fortunes around under new manager Ralph Hasenhüttl who has the task of dragging the Saints out of the bottom three. One of those games where, although the Foxes are favourites – could really go anyway. 1-1 draw.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Wilfried Ndidi has won 4.3 aerial duels per match this season, so Southampton will probably want to play the ball along the floor.
Chelsea vs. Newcastle
MB: Chelsea are trying to revamp their squad in the transfer market, but as we stand they are still a ways off doing so. Newcastle will make it very difficult for them to break through at the bridge but in the end the sheer quality of Eden Hazard should see them through. 1-0 Chelsea.
WE: The Blues have struggled for goals across the past month or so but Newcastle haven’t scored too many over the past two years. It would take a brave man to bet that the Geordies will walk away with anything in the late Saturday kick-off. Expect Maurizio Sarri’s side to get back into the swing of things. 3-0 Chelsea.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Eden Hazard has more goals (10) than Alvaro Morata, Olivier Giroud and Willian combined (8).
Everton vs. Bournemouth
MB: With both sides being so badly out of form, this is a game that could be decided by individual talent and on that, you have to give the edge to Everton. Whether it’s a bit of Richarlison magic, a Yerry Mina set-piece or Lucas Digne conjuring something. 2-1 Everton.
WE: The Toffees have lost four of the last five and have dropped below the likes of Leicester and Watford. The only positive for Marco Silva’s side is that Bournemouth’s recent form is worse than their hosts, with both sides producing disappointing results after such strong starts to the campaign. 3-2 Everton.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Idrissa Gueye is averaging 54.1 passes per match in the Premier League this season.
Spurs vs. Manchester United
MB: This is the first big test of the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era, and we’ll get to see how much of a change he’s made to Manchester United. Spurs are a better side on paper but they’ll be feeling fatigue after a draining League Cup semi-final midweek and Solksjaer played in the “lads, it’s Tottenham” era of United, and if he manages to impart that attitude then this could be one hell of a game. 2-3 United.
WE: A massive match at Wembley Stadium and a true test to see how effective Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been on the United training pitch. Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping to win in a bid to keep up with Liverpool and Manchester City in the title race. A win for United edges them closer to the top-four once again. 2-1 Spurs.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Paul Pogba has the fifth highest shots per game average in the Premier League, with 3.1 per match.
Manchester City vs. Wolves
MB: Wolves fluked a draw against City near the start of the season thanks to a series of refereeing mistakes. City will be eager to set the record straight and are in ravenous form besides that. This should be a bloodbath. 5-1 City.
WE: These two sides come into this match having recently beaten Liverpool on home soil. City would normally be certain to win these fixtures, but winter defeats against Crystal Palace and Leicester create more doubt. Wolves have a decent record against the top six but City go into this having won 9-0 against Burton Albion. Expect goals. 5-2 City.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Leroy Sane has been directly involved with eight goals in eight matches (four goals, four assists).
The post Premier League predictions for all 10 matches this gameweek appeared first on Squawka News.
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