ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
12:30 – Fulham v Man City – 1.25 Man City
- Season over for Fulham. Man City are 2nd , have a game in hand , and are a point shy of Arsenal at the top.
- 2 defeats and a draw recently at home for Fulham includes a 1-3 loss to Liverpool which could be replicated by Man City today.
- Only 1 win in 7 for Fulham does herald a mental switching off.
- 6 consecutive wins for City, scoring 2 goals minimum. In those 6 matches we saw at least a goal before halftime. Erling Haaland has scored in 4 of his last 5 matches and Phil Foden is weighing in with goals too.
- All wins bar 1 away v the 8th and lower for City, Fulham being 13th.
- Angles? I could see 2+ goals from City, a goal at least before halftime and a final scoreline including 3+ goals today in a must win v a Fulham whose recent results suggests 2 weeks in Bognor Regis is playing on their minds this summer.
15:00 – Bournemouth v Brentford – 1.95 Bournemouth
- 10th v 16th with 2 matches remaining. It is season over for these 2.
- 4 wins and a draw in their last 5 home matches for Bournemouth. Their only motivator would seem to be the new manager and impressing him for next season.
- Bournemouth have lost only 1 home match v 6th and lower. 2-2 last head to head.
- Both teams have scored in all home matches v 15th and lower.
- 18/26 goals scored at home came 2nd half.
- Only 1 loss for Brentford since 30th March came v Everton. They have failed to score last 2 matches.
- Brentford have conceded in their last 7 away matches.
- Only 1 away win v the top 11
- Angles? for me Bournemouth I think under new manager will continue their impressive home form. This is, though, a dead rubber and trusting teams with nothing to play for is the quick way to the poor house.
15:00 – Everton v Sheffield United – 1.44 Everton
- 2 matches remain. Sheffield United are relegated. Everton are safe from relegation.
- 4 consecutive home wins to nil for Everton. 5 consecutive defeats for Sheff Utd, scoring and conceding in their last 4 matches.
- This is your archetypal dead rubber. Nothing to motivate either side. We may see Everton hard to score against. Sheff Utd have been scoring recently albeit in defeat. No point in focussing on this match too much. I favour Everton to continue that impressive home win to nil record. Gueye and Calvert-Lewin also have positive momentum to continue. They are scoring recently.
15:00 – Newcastle v Brighton – 1.53 Newcastle
- 3 matches remain and Newcastle remain fully motivated to take advantage of Tottenham’s continued poor run. Tottenham hold the Europa League place and Newcastle, with a game in hand over Spurs, are 4 points shy . A win today could bring this Europa League fight to the last day of the season.
- Season over for Brighton.
- 4 wins in 5 matches for Newcastle, only beaten by a resurgent Crystal Palace who are beating all before them under new manager.
- 4 wins in 5 at home for Newcastle. Home support are not going to let them relent.
- No defeat in 7 at home, Newcastle have scored in their last 18 home matches.
- 6th v 11th, 3-1 loss last head to head. Newcastle have lost only 1 home match v 4th and lower.
- 21 Newcastle goals scored at home last 1/2 hour.
- Only 2 wins in 10 for Brighton were 1-0 home wins. It feels as if they have mentally switched off waiting for that bus to Eastbourne for a well deserved break.
- Brighton have failed to score in 4 of their last 6 matches.
- Angles? At this stage of the season, I am firmly with the motivated v the unmotivated and Newcastle have their sights set on the Europa League. Their home form is excellent and is set to continue against a Brighton spluttering late on, struggling even to score. Look to Newcastle 60th minute +. Full of goals if they need them!
15:00 – Tottenham v Burnley – 1.33 Tottenham
- 5th v 19th. 3 matches remain for Tottenham, 2 for Burnley. Tottenham look like they have squandered the Champions League and now need to assure their Europa League place. Burnley must win their remaining 2 matches or they are relegated. Realistically they are down.
- Tottenham Hotspur vs. Burnley: Premier League Preview
- Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes of securing a Champions League spot for next season hang by a thread as they face Burnley in a crucial Premier League clash. After four consecutive defeats, Spurs find themselves seven points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa with only three games remaining. To have any chance of a top-four finish, Tottenham must win all three matches and hope for slip-ups from their rivals.
- Ange Postecoglou’s side has a glimmer of hope, especially considering their upcoming fixtures against the bottom two teams. Burnley, who has suffered a recent 4-1 defeat to Newcastle, faces a daunting task to avoid relegation. However, they have shown resilience and could still mathematically escape the drop.
- In their previous encounters this season, Tottenham has defeated Burnley twice, including in league and cup matches. The North Londoners have also enjoyed a strong home record against Burnley, winning their last five home head-to-heads ‘to nil.’ However, Spurs’ defensive vulnerabilities at home, with both teams scoring and over 2.5 goals in their last 13 home league games, could pose a challenge.
- Burnley, known for their spirited performances, has seen both teams score in eight of their last nine league games. Despite their struggles against top-half teams this season, Burnley remains determined to fight for survival, knowing that anything less than a win could confirm their relegation.
- Key Battle:
- Heung-min Son’s scoring prowess for Spurs, particularly in the second half, will be crucial. Dara O’Shea of Burnley will aim to contain Son while also contributing offensively with his knack for scoring crucial headers against top sides.
- Hot Stat:
- Four of the last five head-to-head meetings have ended with a narrow 1-0 scoreline.
- Conclusion:
- Considering Tottenham’s recent form and their imperative need for a win, they are favorites to secure a victory. However, Burnley’s resilience and Tottenham’s defensive vulnerabilities suggest a high-scoring affair with both teams likely to find the net.
- Possible Winner: Tottenham Hotspur
- Correct Score Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Burnley
- Betting Angles:
- Both teams to score – Yes
- Over 2.5 goals
- Tottenham Hotspur to win and both teams to score
- Key Stats:
- Tottenham has won their last five home H2Hs against Burnley ‘to nil.’
- Burnley has seen both teams score in eight of their last nine league games.
- Heung-min Son has scored six goals in his last six appearances for Spurs, mostly after the 70th minute.
- Dara O’Shea has scored three headers against top-half teams this season.
15:00 – West Ham v Luton – 1.80 West Ham
- 9th v 18th. Season over for a West Ham whose manager is leaving in the summer. Dangerous to have a manager with the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head. Will the team maintain loyalty? Luton simply must win.
- Only 1 win since 10th March makes West Ham tough to read, particularly as it’s season over. Draw, Draw, Draw, Loss, Draw at home latest.
- 9 consecutive matches without a 0-0 at halftime
- West Ham have conceded in their last 16 matches.
- West Ham are unbeaten at home v 16th and lower albeit they scored 2+ goals in all matches but conceded 2+ goals in 3 of those matches.
- Only 1 win for Luton since 3rd February came at home. Both teams have scored in 14 of their last 15 matches.
- Only 1 0-0 at halftime since 5th December 2023.
- Luton have conceded in their last 18 matches away.
- All defeats bar a 4-4 draw away v the top 13.
- 33/45 goals conceded away came 2nd half
- Angles? West Ham are hard to read with motivation lacking and a manager who won’t be the manager next season. Recent form has been poor but they are solid v 16th and lower. If that latter pattern continues, 2-2 might be an opening gambit, particularly as both teams concede regularly , and both teams to score is a very strong Luton pattern. We may see a goal before halftime. Remember Luton must win so lay any very late draw. I do fear for Luton though.
15:00 – Wolves v Crystal Palace – 2.45 Crystal Palace
- What a difference a new manager makes, eh? For you Eagles fans out there.
- A dead rubber. These 2 lack any motivating factor. After 3 consecutive home defeats for Wolves ( 2 of them against London opponents) they beat Luton latest. Hardly compelling form. Palace and their new manager? How about a win v Liverpool ( away), spanking of West Ham at home, beating Newcastle at home, draw v Fulham away and 4-0 win v Man utd at home. The only thing I note under the new manager is the 1-1 and 0-1 away, a distinct contrast to the goal avalanche at home.
- That is all we really need to look at for Palace. 2.45 the favourite suggests that the market cannot read this new look Palace side and the market may have noted their single goal displays away from home.
- This makes this match very tough to call. Were Palace at home, I would be all over them. Olise and Mateta are the main goalscorers under the new Palace manager. I will watch on with interest but it is a) a dead rubber b) Palace have a new manager so a ? about performance for him meeting Wolves for the first time and c) Palace are a little goal shy away when compared to home.
17:30 – Nottingham Forest v Chelsea – 2.00 Chelsea
- 17th v 7th. Nottingham Forest are 3 points above the relegation zone with 2 matches remaining. Chelsea have 3 matches remaining and are 6 points shy of a European place.
- Only 2 wins since the 24th February for Forest were 3-1 wins v Fulham and Sheff Utd.
- They had to win their last match, and did. They have conceded last 11 and last 5 at home. Against the top 9 at home, all defeats bar wins v 4th, 8th and 9th.
- 7 0-0s at halftime at home, none at fulltime.
- Only 1 defeat for Chelsea since 12th February came v Arsenal, and Chelsea fans are complaining? What gives?
- They have scored 2 goals at least in 9 of their last 10 matches. DRAW DRAW DRAW LOSS DRAW away from home latest may be Chelsea’s Achilles Heel today.
- Chelsea have conceded in their last 14 away matches.
- Angles? I am not sure how useful research is as , quite simply, Forest must win. They meet a Chelsea in good nick but clearly exposed away from home. That said, if Chelsea keep scoring 2 goals, they give themselves a chance and Forest will need to find the 3 goals they scored in very infrequent recent wins v Fulham and Sheff Utd. Chelsea do look full of goals and may condemn Forest.’
- Both teams to score an obvious play. Lay any 2nd half 0-0