There’s still plenty to play for as we enter the final month of the 2016/17 Premier League season. Tottenham’s title hopes remain alive but anything less than three points against West Ham at the London Stadium on Friday evening would surely put an end to their chances. The Hammers themselves look just about safe from relegation but the same cannot be said for Swansea who play the following day. The Swans host Everton in what could prove to be a decisive week in their quest for top flight survival.
On Sunday the race for a spot in the top four could change dramatically as Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal are all in action. Out of the three, Liverpool are in pole position to grab themselves Champions League qualification but if they slip up against Southampton then they risk being overtaken. Manchester United currently sit a place outside the illustrious top four and they face a big test away at Arsenal. Managers of both sides have issues to deal with and how they respond to them will be pivotal in this game.
Friday 5th May 2017
West Ham v Tottenham (20:00) – Harry Kane to score and Tottenham to win (evens with Sky Bet)
The form guide points to this being a fairly straightforward away win with West Ham having won just one of their last 11 and Spurs unbeaten in the league since 11th February. This is a fixture in which the Hammers have been known to raise their game, though. They’ve won four of the last eight clashes with the north Londoners and were desperately unlucky to lose 3-2 when they met earlier in the season. You should expect a committed performance from them here although their willingness to win may be overcome by Tottenham’s sky high confidence and superior ability.
Having successfully passed their first test of a difficult run-in after beating Arsenal 2-0, Tottenham now face another game which will test their footballing and mental abilities. Pochettino’s men suffered an infamous meltdown at the end of last season but his players seem far more mature now and don’t look like letting the pressure get to them. If they play the way they have been doing so often lately they should have too much for West Ham to handle. A Spurs win is priced at just 2/5 though, so for better odds back Kane to score too as the in-form Englishman has netted 19 goals in his 25 London derbies.
Saturday 6th May 2017
Swansea v Everton (17:30) – Swansea to win (13/8 with BetVictor)
A seventh place finish looks almost a certainty for Everton this season, even with the Toffees having three games to go. With very little to play for, motivation may be an issue for this tie and they also come into the game on the back of two goalless displays. The Toffees’ record on the road this season has been a poor one and it hasn’t been any better lately with no wins in six. Given their poor record away from Goodison Park and several key players out injured, it’s hard to bet on Ronald Koeman’s side here.
Swansea came away from Old Trafford last weekend with a morale-boosting point courtesy of a Gylfi Sigurdsson free-kick. With the draw helping to instil some belief in the Swansea players, a strong home display should be on the cards. The Welsh side have won four of their last six clashes at the Liberty Stadium and even gave Tottenham a real scare there until a late flurry of goals from the visitors. At 13/8 the price for a home win is a great one and with the crowd fully behind them here, it’s a result that looks very possible.
Sunday 7th May 2017
Liverpool v Southampton (13:30) – Southampton to win or draw (10/7 with Coral)
If Liverpool are going to secure a place in next season’s Champions League then it looks like they might limp over the line rather than do it in style. The Reds haven’t dominated a match for some time, recent wins have been by slender margins and have required occasional luck-riding. Their last two home games have seen them lose to Crystal Palace and draw to Bournemouth and this will no doubt be a big concern for Jurgen Klopp. Against the big teams, Anfield is a fortress but against teams lower down the table, Liverpool look very susceptible of slipping up.
Southampton got the better of Liverpool over two legs during the League Cup semi-final in January and they will fancy their chances to get something from this game too. The Saints have struggled with consistency this season, especially away from home where they’ve alternated between victories and losses during their last 8 matches. Which Saints side we will see this weekend remains to be seen but given how tense and nervy Liverpool can be at home, there’s reason to think it might be another one of Southampton’s good days.
Arsenal v Man United (16:00) – Manchester United to win (31/10 with BetVictor)
Both sides suffered disappointing results last weekend so it’ll be interesting to see how they bounce back here. Arsenal do still have an outside chance of a top four finish but they need a very strong end to the season. A lacklustre display last weekend against Tottenham makes such a finish seem rather unlikely however. As Arsene Wenger admitted in his post-match press conference, his players simply don’t have the confidence to play with freedom at the moment and another tense display is likely to be on show here.
For United, bouncing has been made trickier by a growing injury list which recently welcomed Luke Shaw and Eric Bailly. This has helped create some rather generous odds for United though, which, given Mourinho’s fantastic record versus Arsene Wenger, must be taken up. The Frenchman has only bettered Mourinho on one of their 16 meetings so you should expect the Red Devils boss to have the upper hand here. A far from full strength looking United side managed an impressive victory over Chelsea last month so don’t think injuries mean Mourinho can’t squeeze a winning performance from his side.