EFL Cup winners Manchester United get the action underway this weekend in a clash against Bournemouth at Old Trafford. Three points for Mourinho’s men would push them into the top four, if just for a few hours. Two of their closest challengers, Liverpool and Arsenal go head to head later in the day with at least one side guaranteed to drop points. It’s a huge game for both sides and with just one point separating them in the table, this game could have a very big say in who can claim a top four finish this season.
The following day, Tottenham face a tough test against an improving Everton side. While Spurs boast an impressive record at White Hart Lane, the Toffees are in good form at the moment and will fancy themselves to get something from this game. To end Sunday’s action, we see if struggling Sunderland can claim a valuable point, or even three, from Manchester City. It’s a big ask for the Black Cats but they need to start getting results with just 12 games left in the season or risk being left adrift at the foot of the table.
Saturday 4th March 2017
Manchester United v Bournemouth (12:30) – Manchester United to win with a -1 handicap (3/4 with Coral)
Jose Mourinho will be hoping that his first taste of silverware as United boss can propel his side to further success this season. Their hard-fought victory over Southampton at Wembley highlighted what an important player Zlatan Ibrahimovic is and the Swede could well be the difference here. Bournemouth’s defence has been especially leaky of late, with no clean sheet in their last eight and 23 goals conceded in this time. With United looking more clinical than they have been previously, expect them to grab a few here with their Scandinavian talisman likely to chip in.
Can Bournemouth reply with any goals of their own though? They’ve managed eight in their last four league matches on the road which is a promising stat for Eddie Howe in an otherwise bleak patch of form. Against United though, they may struggle for opportunities to score as United boast the third best defensive home record in the league. The Cherries’ run of four league defeats in a row doesn’t look like coming to an end here against a confident United outfit who should be able to see this game out in some comfort.
Liverpool v Arsenal (17:30) – Both teams to score (4/6 with Bet365)
Liverpool may have handed Leicester their first win of 2017 on Monday night but you can usually expect Jurgen Klopp’s men to raise them game against the bigger teams. Their record against the top six is a great one and they have previously beaten Arsenal this season during their season opener, something which should give them confidence. The possible absence of Jordan Henderson will harm their cause however and they’ll miss the valuable protection he offers to the defensive line. This may be enough to stop Liverpool winning this game so it’s perhaps best not to back the Reds at 11/10 with Betfred.
A safer bet looks like being goals as Liverpool have netted in all but one of their league games at Anfield this season. As for Arsenal, while far from playing at their best for some time, they always look capable of scoring at least once. You have to go all the way back to August to find the last time the Gunners didn’t score away from home. Even with recent speculation regarding Arsene Wenger’s future, you should expect this to continue. There were seven goals scored the last time these two sides met and we are set for another end-to-end match this Sunday with no clean sheets in sight.
Sunday 5th March 2017
Tottenham v Everton (13:30) – Under 2.5 goals (21/20 at BetVictor)
Tottenham bounced back from being knocked out of the Europa League with a very convincing 4-0 win over Stoke. Harry Kane bagged himself a first-half hat-trick and the Englishman will be looking for even more goals in front of the home crowd. They’ll be harder to find against Everton however, whose defence has been improved since the signing of Morgan Schneiderlin and the return of Idrissa Gueye from AFCON duty. The Toffees have conceded just three in their last five Premier League matches on the road and tend to be competitive during their visits to White Hart Lane
Scoring goals will be an even more difficult task for Everton however as Tottenham boast the best defensive home record in the league. Spurs have conceded just five goals on home soil all year and defensively are coping quite well with the absence of left back Danny Rose. Both Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld were taken off as precautions against Stoke but should be fit in time for this game. With the Belgian duo present in the heart of the Spurs defence, this game looks set to finish as a low scoring one.
Sunderland v Manchester City (16:00) – Manchester City to win with a -1 handicap (3/4 at Coral)
David Moyes’ Sunderland sit just three points from safety so their survival hopes are still very much alive even if the odds are against them. The Scottish manager said his side need five wins if they are to stay up this season but they don’t look like getting one here. Despite knocking four goals past Palace last month, the Black Cats normally offer little in the way of a scoring threat. The game against the Londoners is the only time they’ve found the back of the net in their last six games and Moyes’ defensive approach isn’t likely to change anytime soon.
With the City defence improving and on a run of four consecutive away clean sheets in all competitions, it’s hard to see this match ending up anything but an away win. Pep Guardiola’s side seem to have their mojo back and at times their attacking quality is frightening. Their 5-3 win over Monaco will be a huge confidence booster for them and for Sergio Aguero who had gone a month and a half without scoring for his side. The Citizens have won their last six meetings against Sunderland and are good value to make it seven by winning by at least a two goal margin here.