With less than a month remaining this Premier League season, now is a very useful time to string together a good set of results. One side looking capable of doing just that is Crystal Palace who have claimed several big scalps lately. This week they take on Burnley, a side who are in danger of being drawn into the relegation battle. Onto Sunday and there’s a trio of important matches on show, the first being Man United against Swansea. The Red Devils will be looking to keep their top four hopes alive while the Swans desperately need to close the gap on the teams above them.
After the action at Old Trafford, league leaders Chelsea face a tough looking game away at Everton. The Toffees have far less at stake but are enjoying a wonderful run of results at home and this is something they’ll be very keen to maintain. To end the day’s entertainment, there is a north London derby to look forward to. It’s a game which rarely disappoints and Spurs know that a win here is a must to keep any title hopes alive. How Arsenal would love to spoil the party however and inflict a crucial defeat on a side who aren’t used to losing on home turf.
Saturday 29th April 2017
Crystal Palace v Burnley (17:30) – Crystal Palace to win to nil (2/1 with BetVictor)
Two months ago it looked like Burnley had virtually secured their future in the Premier League but they are now in a spot of bother, just five points from the drop zone. One win in their last 11 league games makes for very poor reading and to make matters worse, Burnley haven’t won a competitive away game since beating Charlton in Championship last season. An awful away record combined with a lack of form makes Sean Dyche’s side look very unlikely to walk away from Selhurt Park with anything at all.
Crystal Palace should be able to take advantage of their confidence-bereft opponents who have managed to score just one goal in their last six matches. It’s not hard to see Burnley failing to score once again here either as Sam Allardyce has helped shore up the Palace defence since being drubbed 4-0 by Sunderland. At the other end, an in-form Christian Benteke should help his side break the deadlock with the likes of Yohan Cabaye, Wilfried Zaha and Andros Towsend providing plenty of support. All things considered, a win with a clean looks a great value bet at 2/1.
Sunday 30th April 2017
Man United v Swansea (12:00) – Manchester United to win to nil (6/5 with Ladbrokes)
United have drawn too many matches at home this season, often against teams in the bottom half so this match can be seen as a potential stumbling block for them. Five of their last seven league games at Old Trafford have ended up as draws, low scoring ones too, as it’s wastefulness in front of goal which has been their undoing this season. The Swans don’t have anything resembling a strong defence but given United’s record and the absence of top-scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, you wouldn’t say goals are guaranteed to fly past the Welsh side.
Swansea secured a much needed three points at home last weekend, ending a winless run of six games. They’ve not secured back to back victories since January though and when looking at their away form, it’s hard to see them repeating the feat here. Paul Clement’s side have lost their last six away games on the bounce, failing to score in the last three. If you also consider that United haven’t lost at home since September, the odds are truly stacked against the Swans here. United have spoilt many accumulators this season but this time, back them to do the business while also keeping a clean sheet.
Everton v Chelsea (14:05) – Over 2.5 goals (20/23 with BetVictor)
Everton are on a hugely impressive run at Goodison Park having now won their last eight league games there. If any side can put an end to their great streak however then surely it is the league leaders, Chelsea. No side has won more away games than the Londoners this season and they and they are a difficult outfit to beat even when not playing at top gear. Antonio Conte will no doubt remember the 5-0 thrashing of Everton earlier in the season and be telling his players to put in a repeat showing.
Both sides have changed since November however and a similar scoreline looks very improbable. Chelsea previously boasted a water-tight defence but now clean sheets are almost as rare as a Diego Costa goal. Everton on the other hand have made significant improvements and have been in wonderful scoring form at home, netting 26 times in their last seven matches. While you wouldn’t have guessed that during their drab 0-0 draw with West Ham at the weekend, Everton should return to their clinical selves this Sunday and ensure there are goals in this game.
Tottenham v Arsenal (16:30) – Draw (13/5 with Betfred)
This game will be a big test of Tottenham’s mental strength coming just a week after losing a FA Cup semi-final at Wembley to Chelsea. Spurs famously collapsed at the end of last season, allowing the Gunners to once again finish ahead them but Mauricio Pochettino has insisted his side have learnt from that. With his men returning to the fortress that is White Hart Lane, he should expect a good response from his players. Tottenham are enjoying a 15 game winning streak at the 36,284 capacity stadium so it’s not a place you want to bet against them.
Arsenal on the other hand fought from behind to book their place in the FA Cup final, a result which will be a timely confidence boost for Arsene Wenger’s side. They’ll need more than just confidence to beat a side who have scored the most goals at home in the league and conceded the fewest however. Arsene Wenger has experimented with three at the back just lately but Tottenham have far more familiarity with this system which may give them a slight edge. No matter what the preparation for this derby though, it always tends to be a very close one these days. Four of the past five league meetings have been draws and it’s worth backing another here.