With Chelsea nine points clear at the top of table, this isn’t the closest title race the Premier League has seen but the fight for a top four spot is still very much alive. Arsenal are well in the mix for a 21st consecutive top four finish but anything but three points at home to Hull on Saturday would damage their cause. Later in the day we see second place Tottenham against fifth place Liverpool in what could be a decisive match. With the Reds struggling of late, they are in need of a good result here to get their season back on track before they fall adrift of the four teams above them.
If Chelsea are going to put some spice into the title race then a loss to Burnley would certainly help. The Blues travel to Turf Moor on Sunday looking for their ninth league away win of the season. Chelsea are strongly backed to get the three points but Sean Dyche’s men are a tricky side to beat on home soil. At the other end of the table there’s a fascinating match between relegation threatened Leicester and Swansea. With both clubs tied on 21 points and a whisker away from the drop zone, this match could have a huge say on who ends up in the bottom three come the end of the season.
Saturday 11th February 2017
Arsenal v Hull (12:30) – Arsenal to win by one goal (3/1 with Sky Bet)
The league table would suggest a home win is somewhat of a formality here but recent form casts some doubt over such a forecast. Hull come into the game having secured a useful draw away at Manchester United and excellent win at home to Liverpool. Marco Silva appears to working his magic with a team many fancy to face the drop and with his new signings appearing to have settled well, you can’t write them off here. They’ll look to defend resolutely throughout while getting the occasional chance from counter attacks or set pieces.
Given Arsenal’s recent struggles against Watford and Chelsea, it wouldn’t be a gigantic surprise to see Hull’s tactics pay off once again here. That said, you should expect the Gunners to turn things around here against a team that has collected just five points on the road this season. Conceding early goals in their last two games hurt Arsenal’s cause and if they can avoid that this time then they should have a more enjoyable afternoon. Arsene Wenger’s men haven’t looked capable of dismantling other teams just lately though, so expect a fairly narrow win over an increasingly resilient looking Hull side.
Liverpool v Tottenham (17:30) – Draw (9/4 with Coral)
Although there are plenty of games left this season, it’s not to think this one won’t have a big impact on the shape of the top four come the end of the campaign. A win for Liverpool would be a huge boost for their morale and there is reason to think they have a chance of that despite recent woes. The Reds have often performed well against the top sides this season, wins against Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City and Everton should give help give them some belief ahead of another crunch fixture. This record should be enough to counter their recent poor form that has seen them fail to win any of their last five matches in all competitions.
With Liverpool often raising their game for the bigger sides and their fairly strong home record, Mauricio Pochettino may well be satisfied with a point here. His team have a couple of notable absentees in Jan Vertonghen and quite possibly Danny Rose which will weaken them at the back. Without the pair, Tottenham might not quite be strong enough to withstand Liverpool’s attack. They have plenty to offer going forwards but often their playing style is effectively countered by Liverpool. Spurs haven’t beaten the Merseysiders since 2012 and it’s worth backing this run to be extended with a stalemate on Saturday.
Sunday 12th February 2017
Burnley v Chelsea (13:30) – Under 2.5 goals (evens at Betfred)
Chelsea may be sitting pretty at the top of the league but don’t think they’ll be in for easy afternoon at Turf Moor. Only two teams have collected more points at home than Burnley this season and it’s a place they have won their last seven matches in all competitions. In this time, they have also racked up five clean sheets and their tough to break down defence will not make life easy for Chelsea. With such a formidable home record, it’s not too hard to see Burnley possibly snatching a result here.
That’s not to say Chelsea aren’t the most likely side to win the contest but with most bookies offering 2/5 for a Blues win, this is not a good value bet. Instead, under 2.5 goals looks to be the way to go here. Burnley’s defensive quality at home has already been highlighted and no side has conceded fewer than Chelsea on the road. Antonio Conte’s side tend to play a little more conservatively away from home and he’ll be wary about how difficult an afternoon it’ll be if his team concedes first. Expect neither team to commit too many men forward in what should be a low scoring affair.
Swansea v Leicester (16:00) – Swansea to win (6/4 at Bet365)
Swansea previously looked like they might be dead and buried this season but the appointment of Paul Clement has helped give the Swans a new lease of life. Since the new appointment, the Welsh side have secured wins against Southampton, Liverpool and were unlucky not to snatch a point away against Manchester City. With the former Bayern assistant manager now at the helm, Swansea will approach this game with the belief they can win. Their home record currently stands as the second worst in the league but this should improve given the progress they have made in recent weeks.
Unlike other teams who are out of form, Leicester don’t look like turning things around quickly. Claudio Ranieri admitted his side is low on confidence and a loss again last weekend to Manchester United, on home turf, will not have helped. To make matters worse, Leicester are the only side not having a week’s rest before this round of fixtures due to an FA Cup replay against Derby. The Foxes haven’t won a league game all year and they aren’t a side you want to be backing at the moment. While clinching a draw doesn’t seem out of the question given Swansea’s rather leaky defence, at odds of 6/4 it’s worth taking a gamble on the home side.