The last four Premier League rounds of the season have many stories to tell, despite Liverpool sewing up the league title a fortnight back.
The Reds have enough motivation not to drop the ball as they are eyeing a record points total at the end of the season.
The top four race remains intriguing but it seems three teams are now fighting for two spots after Wolves suffered back-to-back defeats.
A win for Watford in the last game well helped them to build a three-point gap between them and the drop zone. But the relegation dogfight is likely to have more twists and turns in the last four games.
Without further ado, let’s see what gameweek 35 of the Premier League has in store for us.
Norwich City vs West Ham (Prediction 1-2):
Ten points separate Norwich City from safety in the Premier League but with four league games remaining, the Canaries are only left with a mathematical chance of survival. They have been rooted to the bottom of the Premier League since Boxing Day and are destined to play in the Championship next season.
A defeat at Watford on Tuesday was another nail in their coffin and the side looked bereft of any confidence and seem to have accepted their fate this season.
West Ham were expecting to get something from their home game against Burnley on Wednesday but a defeat at the London Stadium has again compelled them to look over their shoulders.
They still have a three-point cushion over the sides in the relegation zone and that could turn out to be vital as none of the present bottom three have looked like taking a point in recent games.
But David Moyes is likely to demand a win from his players at Norwich in order to push his side further towards Premier League safety in the last stretch of the season. Given Norwich’s form and West Ham’s need for points, the Hammers are likely to win all three points at Carrow Road on Saturday.
Watford vs Newcastle United (Prediction 1-1):
Watford’s win over Norwich on Tuesday came as a timely boost of three points as they seek to escape getting relegated from the Premier League. The victory has allowed them to build a three-point cushion over the bottom three, who have not liked getting a win from anywhere for a while.
But Nigel Pearson is aware that his team will need to scrounge for a few more points in their last four league games to guarantee safety, as for the time being, they are depending on the bottom maintaining their woeful run until the end of the campaign.
Newcastle were given a footballing lesson at Manchester City this week in a 5-0 defeat and will be licking their wounds ahead of their trip to Vicarage Road on Saturday.
The Magpies have nothing to play for in the final few games of the season but Steve Bruce will want a reaction from his players following a dismal defeat in their previous game.
With Watford needing some sort of result and Newcastle looking to bounce back from a bad defeat, the two teams are likely to share the spoils of this fixture.
Liverpool vs Burnley (Prediction 2-0):
Liverpool need nine points from their remaining four games to overhaul the record for most points earned in a single Premier League season. Manchester City, who currently holds the record, picked up 100 points in the 2017-18 season.
Jurgen Klopp has played down the importance of records but the record points total is going to be a major motivator for the players who have had the title sewn up for a couple of weeks now.
It is likely to keep them focused until the end of the season as they look to etch their names in the record books for one more time this year.
Burnley are tenth in the Premier League table and have won three of their last four games. They have been in good form since the restart barring a 5-0 defeat at Manchester City.
Sean Dyche’s team are unlikely to have their guards down at Anfield on Saturday as the Clarets are still much keen to make sure that they finish in the top half of the table at least. But Liverpool are likely to have too much form them and are expected to post a comfortable win at home.
Sheffield United vs Chelsea (Prediction 2-2):
Sheffield United have hauled themselves back into the European equation after collecting seven points from their last three Premier League games. Their last-minute win over Wolves was vital as it kept themselves in the hunt for at least the Europa League, if not the Champions League.
They face another big game on Saturday when they will host Chelsea at Bramall Lane. A positive result over the Blues will further burnish Sheffield United’s claims of playing in Europe next season.
Chelsea have won their last two Premier League games and have a two-point lead over fifth-placed Manchester United. But their 3-2 win over Crystal Palace showed the defensive frailties of Frank Lampard’s side.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has continued to be unconvincing in goal and their defence remains very much a soft underbelly. Lampard is also aware that any slip up at Bramall Lane on Saturday could open up the opportunity for a rampaging Manchester United to sneak into the top four by the end of Monday.
Given Sheffield United’s recent form, all signs indicate that Chelsea could drop a couple of points in Yorkshire this Saturday.
Brighton vs Manchester City (Prediction 0-3):
Two wins and a draw since the restart have taken Brighton to 36 points and those points are turning out to be crucial during a tough run. They suffered a defeat to Liverpool this week and are expected to get nothing when they host Manchester City at the Amex Stadium on Saturday evening.
Graham Potter will still look to get a performance out of his side but he must be thankful that his team were not in dire need of points against previous season’s Premier League champions.
Manchester City came back from a 1-0 defeat to Southampton with a pristine performance at home when they beat Newcastle 5-0 on Wednesday. Consistency has been the biggest problem for Pep Guardiola’s side this season and the Manchester City manager will be looking to address the holes in his squad in the transfer window.
But the Spaniard is likely to demand a pride in their performances and results through to the end of the campaign and they are unlikely to drop the guard at home against Brighton.
Wolves vs Everton (Prediction 1-1):
Back-to-back defeats against Arsenal and Sheffield United have pegged Wolves back in their race to be in the Champions League next season. Seven points now separate them from a place in the top four and with only four games remaining, it now looks improbable that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will be in the European high table next season.
But Wolves are still very much in the hunt to play in the Europa League in the 2020-21 campaign but have to arrest their decline in form when they host Everton on Sunday.
Just a point from their last two Premier League games has more or less killed Everton’s hopes of making a late dash to be in Europe next season. Consistency has been a major problem for Carlo Ancelotti’s men and their form has been patch with two wins from five games.
A good run from now until the end of the season could help them to break into the top ten. However, a trip to Molineux on Sunday is likely to only yield a point for the Toffees.
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace (Prediction 1-2):
Aston Villa have lost seven of their last eight Premier League games and have earned just a solitary point from a possible 24. Another defeat to Manchester United on Thursday pushed them further into the relegation quagmire.
With four games remaining in the campaign, Dean Smith’s side are four points from safety at the moment. It has been a while since they have looked like winning a game and that is exactly that they need to do on Sunday when they will host Crystal Palace.
For the moment, even a point this weekend might not be a good enough result for them.
Crystal Palace are currently on a run of four straight Premier League defeats and since the restart, they have looked like a team that do not have anything to play this season.
But there were shoots of recovering in their 3-2 defeat at home against Chelsea on Tuesday and were desperately unlucky not to get a point from that game.
A trip to Aston Villa on Sunday is a good opportunity for Roy Hodgson’s side to get a win. Aston Villa’s flaky defence and their inability to create too many chances mean Palace are likely to collect all three points.
Tottenham vs Arsenal (Prediction 1-1):
Tottenham are going into the north London derby on Sunday on the back of a patchy run of form. They have just two Premier League wins since the restart and their hopes of playing in Europe next season are fast evaporating.
Jose Mourinho’s side have looked bereft of ideas and didn’t have a shot on goal against 18th-placed Bournemouth in a 0-0 draw on Thursday. Tottenham players should have enough motivation to raise their game for the local derby but their recent run of results is unlikely to fill their fans with any confidence.
Arsenal’s run of three Premier League wins on the trot came to a halt with a 1-1 draw at Leicester. Champions League football looks like a bridge too far for Mikel Arteta’s side at the moment but they are very much in the hunt to play in the Europa League next season.
The players are likely to be up for the local derby against Tottenham, and Arteta’s side have looked more compact in recent games. However, Mourinho will be aware a defeat to Arsenal could have future ramifications and the Tottenham manager could set up not to lose and earn a point from the game.
Bournemouth vs Leicester City (Prediction 0-2):
Bournemouth’s point against Tottenham on Thursday revived their hopes of escaping relegation this season. But they are still 18th in the Premier League table and three points away from safety.
Eddie Howe’s side looked more solid at the back against Spurs and will be hoping to hold on to that solidity when they will host Leicester on Sunday. Howe and his side need to conjure a win out of somewhere soon in order to give themselves a fighting chance of staying in the Premier League.
Leicester battled back to win a point at home against Arsenal on Tuesday but their place in the top four remains very much under threat. Manchester United are breathing down their neck at the moment and any slip up is likely to see them ousted from the current Champions League spots.
Brendan Rodgers will want his side to step up to the plate at the Vitality Stadium and return from the away trip with all three points in the bag.
Manchester United vs Southampton (Prediction 2-1):
Manchester United have been rampaging form since the restart and have scored 14 goals in their last four Premier League games. If they win their last four league games, Manchester United will finish in the top four regardless of what other teams do around them.
But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will stress the importance of his players focusing on each game as it comes and Southampton are likely to be a tricky opponent at Old Trafford on Monday.
Southampton have won three of their five Premier League games since the restart, including an eye-catching 1-0 win over Manchester City at home. The Saints are known for being a hard-working team and in Danny Ings, they have a striker who has scored 19 goals in the Premier League this season.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are expected to pose more questions to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United side at both ends of the pitch. But the Red Devils are still expected too much quality to get three more points at Old Trafford on Monday night.
Also Read: Premier League 2019-20: Results and Team of the Week | Gameweek 34