The dust may have settled on another weekend of Premier League and FA Cup action, but we’ve got plenty coming up around the corner. With just nine games to go for many of the top flight sides, points are crucial. This weekend sees quite a few big games, coming at both the top and bottom of the table.
Arsenal, who are falling away big time of late, face a very tough trip to Everton. Following that, Swansea have the chance to move closer to safety as they host bottom side Aston Villa. Sunday is a day of two derbies live on Sky Sports, as Newcastle host Sunderland, and Manchester United travel to City. A win for either side in both fixtures could really start to turn around their season, but just who will come out on top? Here we’re looking ahead to each of the weekend’s live games, and picking out our best bet on each.
Saturday 19th March 2016
Everton v Arsenal (12:45) – Everton to win (17/10 with Betfair)
Arsenal were in a great positon a few weeks ago. They had the FA Cup and Premier League to aim for, while they warmed up for a clash with Barcelona in which they had nothing much to lose. Their Champions League adventure is basically over, while their trophy chances are dwindling. They crashed out of the FA Cup last weekend at home to Watford, and they’re losing pace with the Premier League leaders. Just one win in their last seven has many asking if this is the traditional spring blip for Arsenal.
Coming hot on the heels of cup failure and a poor run is a trip to Everton. This is a nightmare for Arsenal, as they take on a side who pass the ball almost as well as they do. On top of that, Romelu Lukaku looks like a man built just to terrorise the Gunners. The Toffees will be on a high this week, as they did manage to make the FA Cup semis. They can build on that defeat of Chelsea with victory here, with a home win our simple first betting tip this weekend.
Swansea v Aston Villa (17:30) – Swansea -1 handicap (13/8 with Sky Bet)
Swansea have opened up an eight point gap between themselves and danger in the last few weeks. They’ve not moved too far up the table, but their relegation fears are slowly going away. If they could pick up another win, they’d be almost there. Luckily for them, they’ve been handed the perfect chance to pick up points this weekend. The Swans host bottom side Aston Villa, and that could bring them the win they need to finally rid themselves of any fears of the drop this term.
Villa have been awful all season. Between their players, their two managers and the entire board, no one seems to have done anything useful. Their big summer spending was a waste, and now they need to clear the decks before dropping into the Championship. There’s little for the Villains to do for the rest of the campaign, other than be a punching bag for teams who are desperate for points. Nothing about Villa inspires confidence, which is why we’re backing an easy win for Swansea on Saturday evening. The Welsh side have had a few problems scoring goals, but that shouldn’t be a problem against this defence. We’re backing Swansea to win on the -1 handicap here.
Sunday 20th March 2016
Newcastle v Sunderland (13:30) – Newcastle to win (11/10 with Coral)
Sunday kicks off with the Tyne-Wear derby, a clash between two bitter rivals who are fighting for their lives. This game went up a notch recently, as Newcastle appointed Rafa Benitez to save their season. Sam Allardyce and Rafa have clashed many times in the past, and they have a pretty poor opinion of one another. That’s exactly what the fans want to see, a dislike on the touchline that comes close to the one seen in the stands.
In the last few years Sunderland have had the upper hand in this derby. They tend to sack their manager, and use that bounce to push them to a win. That happened in the first meeting between the sides this term, but now that’s Newcastle’s tactic. The Toon have an experienced coach, and they’ll be hoping he can lead them to a much needed victory. While there are some questions over Rafa and his elevated standing within the game, he should be able to lead his men to a win here. This Sunderland side don’t travel all that well, which makes them a perfect home debut for the new Magpies boss.
Manchester City v Manchester United (16:00) – Both teams to score (10/11 with Bet365)
This clash sees two underperforming sides hoping to get some life back in to their season with a derby win. United could move to within a point of City with a victory here, while City could be out of the top four before this game starts. If West Ham win at Chelsea, City slip to fifth. There are big problems at the Etihad, as they’ve gone from champions elect to simply pushing for the Champions League. This isn’t the way Manuel Pellegrini would have wanted to leave the club.
Pep Guardiola could well be walking into a team in the Europa League if City keep struggling. The way things are going for them, this game against their rivals will be a tough one. United aren’t in the best of form, but they tend to do well against their big rivals in the league. Both sides could find a way to throw away the points here, that’s how badly they are playing. A result is hard to call, simply because both are far too open at the back. The best way to go on this one is to back both teams to score, which is 10/11 with Bet365.