The Premier League finally returns with a full schedule this weekend before being put on hold for the international break. This is the final round of matches in March, so the run-in will be kicking off once the teams return. Just who will wrap up on a high before the break? Both Manchester City and Liverpool are aiming to claim a big win in their push for the Champions League.
Those two sides meet at the Etihad in the highlight of the weekend’s action. There are plenty of big games elsewhere, and we’ve picked out four of the live clashes. We also have a betting tip on each of those contests, which you can see below.
Saturday 18th March 2017
West Brom v Arsenal (12:30) – Both teams to score (4/5 with Betfred)
Arsenal are aiming to get their season back on track at West Brom, after an awful few weeks. A loss at Liverpool left them out of the top four, while Bayern Munich dumped them out of the Champions League in emphatic fashion. That’s bound to leave a mark, it’s hard to see a defence which has conceded 10 goals over two legs being back to their best quickly. The last thing they want is a trip to West Brom, given that they’ve conceded in five of their last six visits to the Hawthorns, including in a 2-1 defeat last term.
That record makes this a dangerous trip for Arsenal, while the Gunners struggled against WBA in their last meeting. This Baggies side are pushing for a place in Europe, and they’ll be aiming to take a scalp here. Like Arsenal, they’ll be worried about their defensive record, too. The Gunners have scored in their previous six visits to this ground, so Arsene Wenger’s men should be able to get a goal on the board. Arsenal tend to struggle against the teams in the top half, so we’re backing both teams to score in Saturday’s early clash.
Bournemouth v Swansea (17:30) – Over 1.5 Swansea goals (8/5 with BetVictor)
In a weekend with a few big games, you could easily mark this out as a highlight. These are the two worst defences in the Premier League this season, although both have shown a scoring touch of late. The Cherries won 3-2 against West Ham at home last weekend, and this game could be just as great to watch. Both sides are unsurprisingly towards the bottom of the table, although recent results have helped Eddie Howe’s men move towards safety. They come into this game hoping to continue that run. However, while they’ve improved their results, they’ve failed to improve their awful defensive record.
We’re halfway through March, and Bournemouth are still waiting for their first clean sheet of the year. Not only that, but they’ve conceded at least two goals in all but one of their matches in 2017. That awful record will be great news for the Swans, who are aiming to get their survival push back on track. The Welsh side score goals, as shown by their recent 3-2 win over Burnley. They managed to win by the same scoreline at Anfield earlier this year, and we think they can hit a couple of goals against the Cherries. We’re backing the Swans to score at least twice on Saturday, which is priced at 8/5 with BetVictor.
Sunday 19th March 2017
Tottenham v Southampton (14:15) – Tottenham to win to nil (2/1 with Coral)
Tottenham are aiming to continue their strong run at White Hart Lane, which has seen them avoid defeat at their own ground all season. While they struggle at Wembley, their record at the Lane has been fantastic. Can Mauricio Pochettino continue that run when he welcomes his former side to the Lane for this one? Given that Spurs have managed to win 90% of their home games, and that the Saints have lost seven of their 14 trips this term, we struggle to see past a home win when these two clash at the weekend.
The Saints have hit four goals in each of their last two trips, but that was against weak opposition. They beat an out of form Watford team and bottom side Sunderland. However, they’re facing a difficult challenge here. Spurs have conceded just 0.5 goals per game at their own ground this season, keeping a clean sheet in 64% of their outings there. While we’re backing them to take the points, we’re also backing them to win to nil against a Southampton side who have failed to score in 43% of their away trips. A home win to nil is priced at great value odds of 2/1 with Coral.
Man City v Liverpool (16:00) – Man City to win (Evens with Betfair)
The big clash this weekend pits two top four contenders together, with Liverpool hoping to continue their outstanding record in big game clashes. However, they face a Manchester City team which seems to have clicked in recent times. Former Red Raheem Sterling looks at home alongside Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero, and they make a threatening front three for any side to face. Given how Liverpool have been looking at the back this season, you’d imagine they’d struggle against a side as good as City. If they show the (lack of) intensity of their meeting with Burnley last weekend, then they’ll be in serious trouble.
The Citizens hitting top form has made them seem like the most likely challengers to Chelsea. While Liverpool have impressed in big games, they only just shaded their last meeting with City, and that was when Pep Guardiola’s men were in awful form. We think that their exciting forward line can cause enough problems for the Reds’ defence to seal a home win. The hosts come into this game priced at evens with Betfair to secure the points, and we think that’s great value considering City’s recent upturn in fortunes.