What twists and turns will the Premier League conjure up for us this weekend? Bournemouth will be hoping to deliver an early shock on Saturday lunchtime by halting Tottenham’s purple patch. Even a point would be a huge ask for Eddie Howe’s men but you can expect them to give it their all if nothing else. Later in the day, Southampton host Manchester City in a fixture that looks like it could go either way. City have the stronger side on paper but this may not be enough to beat a Saints side who have won two games on the bounce.
Liverpool also find themselves with a tricky away fixture this week, a trip to the Hawthorns awaits them. West Brom have been quite strong at home this season and they will fancy themselves to grab a big scalp here. To end Sunday’s action we are treated to an often eventful affair between Manchester United and Chelsea. Jose Mourinho didn’t enjoy his encounter with his former club earlier in the season during a 4-0 drubbing so he’ll be desperate to make amends here. It promises to be a great tactical battle between two high-profile managers.
Saturday 15th April 2017
Tottenham v Bournemouth (12:30) – Tottenham to win with a -1 handicap (2/1 with Coral)
You have to go back to New Year’s Eve to find the last time Bournemouth won a game away from home. The Cherries have not enjoyed their travels too much in 2017 although three draws against Manchester United, Southampton and Liverpool are clear signs of improvement. With a little more wind in their sails, they’ll be hoping they can give Tottenham something to think about especially with Benik Afobe and Joshua King forming quite a handy strike partnership. You have to fear from them defensively though, only two teams have let in more goals away from home this season and they are averaging more than two goals conceded per game.
Tottenham come into this fixture having won their last 14 matches at White Hart Lane across all competitions, making their soon to be replaced ground quite the fortress. Spurs are loving their football at the moment and they have the added bonus of welcoming back Harry Kane to the starting 11 this week. With an attacking lineup full of players capable of scoring goals and a defensive unit better than any other in the entire league, this game looks like going only one way. Bournemouth have held good sides to draws lately but Tottenham should have too much for them this Saturday and can win by at least a two goal margin.
Southampton v Manchester City (17:30) – Manchester City to win (8/11 with Ladbrokes)
Southampton haven’t been able to beat any of the top six in the league this season and their record against the big clubs is a bit of a concern. They’ve secured useful wins over the likes of Crystal Palace and West Brom lately but they might find themselves a little outclassed here. Claude Puel’s side are the more in-form of the two teams coming into the tie but they don’t tend to score freely at St Mary’s and could again be without Manolo Gabbiadini, who is taking his time to shake off a groin strain.
Manchester City have picked up just the one win in their last five matches in all competitions but they’ve had some very difficult matches in this time. With their form guide not truly reflecting their quality, you don’t really want to bet against the Citizens here especially as no side other than Chelsea have won more away matches this season. With City not shy when playing outside of their own stadium, they are good value to win this tie. Sergio Aguero is in a good patch of form and with him leading the line, Guardiola’s side should have enough to go home with the three points.
Sunday 16th April 2017
West Brom v Liverpool (13:30) – Draw (14/5 with Bet365)
Despite recent home defeats for WBA to Crystal Palace and Southampton, the Hawthorns is still not a place teams especially fancy going to. The Reds have tied with the Baggies on their last three trips to their ground and with Klopp’s squad looking far from invincible at the moment, another draw looks highly possible. West Brom will be happy to keep things tight at the back and not over-commit men during open play, preferring to capitalise on set pieces instead. The Baggies strength on corners and free-kicks could well cause some serious issues for the Merseysiders.
Liverpool haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last seven matches and you wouldn’t fancy this run to end here against a team so superior in the air. This is not to say the Reds can’t put up a fight though. They showed good spirit to come from behind against Stoke last weekend and they do have players capable of chipping in goals to make up for the absence of Sadio Mane. They haven’t really looked particularly assured for some time though and with just one win in their last six league matches on the road, backing a draw at 14/5 is too good to turn down.
Manchester United v Chelsea (16:00) – Under 2.5 goals (4/6 with BetVictor)
United’s defeat to Chelsea in October is the last time the Red Devils suffered a loss in the league. Their lengthy unbeaten run which followed has featured too many draws however, particular at home. The high frequency of stalemates has largely been down to United’s inability to convert chances. In five of their last six league matches at Old Trafford, Mourinho’s men have failed to score more than one goal, a total which is simply not good enough for a rather star-studded side.
United’s profligacy in front of goal could well continue here, turning this into quite a low scoring game. There’s little reason to think Chelsea can repeat the four goal haul they managed last time against United. Lone striker, Diego Costa, has gone off the boil and without a reliable source of goals, Chelsea could struggle against what is a very mean defence. Just once have the Reds conceded more than one goal at Old Trafford, the exception being September’s Manchester derby. Their defensive strength combined with their wastefulness up front, means it looks wise to bet on under 2.5 goals.