It’s looking like one of Swansea or Hull might just be able to beat the drop this season and they both have very important home games coming up this weekend. Hull currently hold a two point advantage over the Welsh side and only victory over Watford on Saturday will ensure the gap isn’t reduced. Kicking off at the same time, Swansea also have mid-table opposition standing in their way in the form of Stoke. It could be a hugely defining week for these two sides so it will be fascinating to see how they cope with the pressure.
Sunday’s two fixtures could have a big say on what happens near the other end of the table too. Fifth place Manchester United are in action, looking to reduce to gap on rivals Manchester City to just one point. The Red Devils can still qualify for next year’s Champions League by winning the Europa League but Jose Mourinho will certainly be keen on a top four league finish to guarantee their inclusion. Following this game, Liverpool face-off against Crystal Palace at Anfield. A return to Champions League football is very much in Liverpool’s hands but Klopp’s men cannot afford any complacency.
Saturday 22nd April 2017
Hull v Watford (15:00) – Hull to win (21/20 with Betfred)
Although Watford have rarely looked too impressive of late, they have done well to pick up nine points from their last four matches. This form is limited to Vicarage Road however and on the road, few teams pose such a poor record. The Hornets have lost nine of their last 11 away games in all competitions, failing to score on seven occasions in this time. As the stats point out, you often see a different Watford side outside of Vicarage Road and with them having little to play for now they’ve reached the fabled 40 point mark, don’t expect this to change much.
Hull are another side with very differing home and way fortunes but fortunately for the Tigers, it’s their turn to return to the place they love the most. Marco Silva’s men haven’t won away since a League Cup tie against Bristol City in October but at home things could hardly be much different. Seven wins from eight games in all competitions is Hull’s current record at the KC Stadium, a place they remain unbeaten this calendar year. Watford’s terrible away record combined with Hull’s excellent home form means there’s only one result worth backing here.
Swansea v Stoke (15:00) – Swansea to win (13/10 with Betfair)
Swansea have collected just one point from the last possible 18 and Stoke have lost four of their last five league encounters. This is not a clash between two in-form sides but Stoke do tend to play well against weaker teams. Their last four league wins have come against teams currently sitting 15th or lower but there lacklustre away form looks like being more decisive. The Potters have failed to score on their last five away trips and this shyness in front of goal looks like costing them here even against a rather vulnerable Swansea defence.
Desire alone isn’t enough to win football matches so Swansea will need more than a fighting spirit to put an end to their recent bad patch. The honeymoon period for Paul Clement is well and truly over and he’ll need the home crowd once again to guide his side to their first win in seven matches. At the Liberty Stadium, the Swans have lost just one of their six games, inflicted after a very late comeback by a rampant Tottenham side. Against weaker opposition, Swansea should be able to see a return to their winning ways in Wales.
Sunday 23rd April 2017
Burnley v Manchester United (14:15) – Under 2.5 goals (7/10 with Coral)
One more victory between now and the end of the season will likely be enough to keep Burnley up but it’s ask for them to get it this Sunday. They are up against a United side who recently secured a hugely morale boosting win over Chelsea and who are one of the strongest sides away from home in the league. A draw doesn’t look completely out of the question though. Burnley held on to secure a 0-0 last time they faced United and no side has drawn more games than the Red Devils this season.
With the result of this game looking like going one of two ways, backing under 2.5 goals looks like the most sensible way to go. There hasn’t been a single game in 2017 which has seen more than two goals scored at Turf Moor so it’s not a place to go if you want to see an abundance of goalmouth action. The visit of Jose Mourinho’s men doesn’t look like being something that puts an end to this run either. United have conceded just three goals in their last nine league games and their wastefulness at the other end of the pitch has been well-documented.
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (16:30) – Both teams to score (5/6 with Betfair)
Liverpool are holding on to their place in the top four but they’ve been made to work very hard lately to secure wins against Stoke and West Brom. Another tough battle could well face them as Crystal Palace have hit something of a purple patch, a very timely one as they look to beat the drop. The Reds dropped two points to Bournemouth on their last appearance at Anfield and given their less than brilliant record against the weaker teams in the league, you can’t rule out another surprise result here especially with several key players (Henderson Lallana, Mane) all out.
Palace are now enjoying a little bit of breathing room between themselves and the drop zone, partially thanks to a more adventurous play style. Goals were at a premium early in Sam Allardyce’s reign but they are they’ve now netted at least once in each of their last seven matches. Christian Beneteke is looking like the man who justifies his big transfer fee and he should help his team find the back of the net against his former club. Goals also look like flying in at the other end too though as Mamadou Sakho, who’s made a huge improvement to the Palace defence, is unavailable to play against his parent club.