Chelsea v Swansea (3pm)
So beginning with table-topping Chelsea, whose lead remains a pretty significant eight points over Manchester City. And with City not playing this weekend, this game represents an excellent opportunity for Chelsea to take their lead into double figures. Swansea have been much improved since sacking Bob Bradley, but defeats to Arsenal and Man City in this calendar year have shown that that improvement does not quite stretch to having the firepower to match the top teams. If Chelsea turn up, this should be a comfortable win, and they usually do turn up at home, with only Liverpool picking up points at the Bridge. Nevertheless, given that Swansea were the first team to take points off Chelsea this season, this could be an interesting one.
Prediction: 2-0 Chelsea
Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough (3pm)
This is an interesting one. Boro are now eight games without a win, and Palace have only one win in their last eleven games, and have the worst home record in the division, having lost their last five home games. Boro meanwhile, have secured just one point in their last five away games. Needless to say, this is going to be a scrappy game, low on quality. Boro are excellent defensively, but poor up front. Palace the opposite. I think this one will be very close, but I wouldn't like to hedge my bets.
Prediction: 1-1
Everton v Sunderland (3pm)
The David Moyes derby. Everton will be justifiably massive favourites for this one and it's hard to find too much evidence to support Sunderland in this one. They've picked up just five points from their last eight games, and their only away win since November came when they destroyed Palace recently. Everton have an exceptional record at home, and will be very much expecting to extend it, as they look to make it nine games unbeaten in all competitions.
Prediction: 4-0 Everton
Hull v Burnley (3pm)
Hull's last four league games have been against Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool, and have played extremely well in those four games. However, whether or not that can translate to a good performance and result against one of the lesser teams remains to be seen. And whilst Burnley have been formidable at Turf Moor, they still retain the worst away record in the division, with just one point and five goals from eleven games. For Hull this is a must-win game, as a victory could lift them out of the bottom three. And it's a game that I think they will edge, if they can find a way to turn good performances into goals, something that they have struggled to do this season.
Prediction: 2-1 Hull
West Brom v Bournemouth (3pm)
West Brom have been one of the surprise packages of the Premier League this season, leapfrogging the likes of Southampton and West Ham to climb to 8th in the division. And whilst they've struggled against the top teams, West Brom have been excellent in games like this, particularly at the Hawthorns. Whilst home advantage is in West Brom's favour, you could make the case that they don't really need it, as they have a better team than a Bournemouth side who are in a wretched patch of form, with two points from their last six games, and one win in nine.
Prediction: 3-1 West Brom
Watford v West Ham (5:30pm)
West Ham have managed to return to their 2015-16 form, with their only defeats in 2017 coming at the hands of the two Manchester clubs, and ten points secured from their other four games this calendar year. They've also won three of their last four away games, seeing off Boro, Saints and Swansea comfortably. All of this bodes badly for a Watford side that hit a really sticky patch before back to back wins against Arsenal and Burnley a few weeks ago. Overall, this is a tough one to predict, as these are two reasonably well matched teams on paper if they both turn up, but you'd have to back West Ham to nick it on current form.
Prediction: 2-1 West Ham
Spurs v Stoke (1:30pm Sunday)
If there are two teams in the Premier League that you can count on for a home banker, it's Chelsea and Spurs. Spurs are unbeaten at home, with only Liverpool and Leicester picking up a point at White Hart Lane this season. Stoke's away form is decidedly average, but this is one of those games where it doesn't matter what Stoke do, if the home side turn up and play their stuff, they should win easily. That said, Spurs are reeling, with a shambolic knock out to Gent and one win in their last four league games, and could be there for the taking.
Prediction: 3-0 Spurs
Leicester City v Liverpool (8pm Monday)
The Monday night football is the one that everyone has been talking about. The shocking, if not necessarily surprising, sacking of Claudio Ranieri has left the football world reeling, and this is the game where Leicester's players have to react. Despite their shambolic form in all competitions: five straight league defeats, out of the FA Cup and losing their first leg tie with Sevilla, Leicester have a point to prove and given Liverpool's away record against teams outside the top six, with three embarrassing defeats, coupled with their loss to Swansea and draw to Sunderland in recent weeks, mean that this could well be a massive banana skin for the team that should on paper go into this one as massive favourites. That said, narrative aside, Liverpool are a superior side to Leicester and if they play as well as they did in their 2-0 win over Spurs last time out, or as well as they did when they thumped Leicester 4-1 in September, then this should be an easy win against a side that have been, frankly, in utter disarray for months.
Prediction: 3-1 Liverpool
Bonus Prediction: EFL Cup Final - Manchester United v Southampton (4:30pm Sunday)
So since this is the big game of the weekend, it's only fair that I talk about it as much as the various league games going on. This is Mourinho's chance to make his first big statement as Manchester United manager. Whilst they can still win three trophies this season, this one is the only one that they're favourites for, which is why it's imperative that they see off Southampton, who are not in the same caliber as United's other major roadblocks, Chelsea and Roma. In any case, preamble aside, this should be a comfortable victory for Mourinho's side, even without their gem of a player Mkhitaryan. Saints are a solid side and on their day they are capable of big performances (and frankly I think they'll turn in a big performance in this game), but United should have enough firepower to breach a weakened Saints' defence.
Prediction: 2-0 Man United
The Hard and Fast Section:
- Six Nations back this weekend. Ben Te'o starts.
- Australia destroyed India on their own soil. No. Really.
- England name unchanged squad to face West Indies in ODIs.
- F1 unveils and testing beginning. Exciting.
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