With three rounds remaining in the season, a lot of things still remain undecided in the Premier League. Norwich City have been relegated but four of the bottom five won their games last weekend, making the relegation dogfight more intense.
While Bournemouth and Aston Villa might have left themselves too much to do in the final games, they are still in with a chance to survive.
Leicester City and Chelsea’s defeats, and Manchester United’s 2-2 draw at home have left the top four race wide open and it could go into the final Premier League matchday of the season.
Going into the 36th round of games this season, the Premier League still has a lot of drama left for its audience.
So, let’s dive in and see what can we expect from the ten mid-week fixtures.
Chelsea vs Norwich City (Prediction 3-0):
Manchester United’s failure to win all three points against Southampton on Monday night meant that Chelsea remained in third place on the Premier League table, despite suffering a 3-0 thrashing at three hands of Sheffield United on Saturday.
Frank Lampard was visibly unhappy after the game and will like to see a reaction from his players at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night. The good news for Chelsea is that they are set to face Norwich City, who have already been relegated. A thumping win is likely to restore some of the Blues’ confidence.
The Canaries are now confirmed to play in the Championship next season. They have been rooted to the bottom of the Premier League since Boxing Day and have looked like relegation fodder for months.
Whether Daniel Farke’s team manager to restore some pride and play without inhibitions in the last three Premier League games of the season remains to be seen.
Burnley vs Wolves (Prediction 1-1)
Burnley have won three of their last five league games and became the first team this season to earn a point at Anfield on Sunday. Sean Dyche’s men are moving towards a strong finish to the season and are unlikely to drop their guard when they host Wolves at Turf Moore on Wednesday.
The Clarets have been solid at home and are likely to give another good account of themselves towards the end of the campaign.
Wolves came back to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over Everton last weekend but their hopes of being in next season’s Champions League are quickly disappearing.
They are still strong contenders to get a Europa League spot and will be going into the Burnley game with the aspirations of getting a result.
They are unlikely to get all three points but are good enough to share the spoils with the home side on Wednesday.
Manchester City vs Bournemouth (Prediction 4-0):
With the Champions League ban overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sports, expect a spring in the steps of the Manchester City players on Wednesday.
With top four secured, Pep Guardiola’s side can afford to play with even more freedom in the last three Premier League games of the season.
On their day, they can smash teams with their attacking play and in Bournemouth, they have a side who have struggled to defend all season.
The win over Leicester City rekindled Bournemouth’s hopes of surviving relegation this season. But unfortunately, they are in the unenviable position of getting something from their trip to Manchester City.
The Cherries have shown little to suggest that their defence can keep the Manchester City forwards at bay and are unlikely to avoid a defeat at the Etihad.
Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur (Prediction 0-2):
The Newcastle United players seem to be on the beach after a good run of form at the beginning of Project Restart saw them secure their Premier League status for another season.
A 5-0 defeat at Manchester City was followed by a 2-1 loss to Watford at Vicarage Road. Steve Bruce is desperate to make sure that his side’s season doesn’t peter out in the last few games of the Premier League campaign.
But the players truly have very little to play for the remainder of the season.
A 2-1 win in the north London derby on Sunday revived Tottenham’s European hopes. Jose Mourinho has identified qualifying for the Europa League as a goal for his side and they are very much in the hunt for that.
Tottenham have looked inconsistent since the season resumed but they still have something to play for in the remaining games. Spurs have the quality and the motivation to get three points from their visit to St. James’ Park on Wednesday.
Arsenal vs Liverpool (Prediction 0-2):
A defeat in the north London derby on Sunday came as a rude shock after a good run of form for Arsenal. But Mikel Arteta has tricky selection choices to make against Liverpool as they also have a FA Cup semi-final to look forward to at the weekend.
It remains to be seen whether the Arsenal manager decides to rotate his squad against the Reds, with the Wembley trip on Saturday in his mind or go with his best eleven versus the Premier League.
Liverpool dropped points at Anfield for the first time this season when Burnley played out a 1-1 draw against the Reds on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp will be looking for a reaction from his players and they still need seven points from their remaining three games to at least equal Manchester City’s 100-point record haul in the Premier League.
The Merseyside giants have enough motivation to win at the Emirates on Wednesday night.
Everton vs Aston Villa (Prediction 2-1):
Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton have lost two of their last three Premier League games and were especially poor in a 3-0 defeat against Wolves at the weekend. The Italian is watching his Everton side collapse towards the end of the season and their campaign is threatening to end in a damper.
The Everton boss is likely to spend money in the market to increase the quality of his squad. But he is also desperate to get a tune out of his current players in the last three league games.
But Everton have nothing to play for and that can be an issue towards the end of a season.
Aston Villa rekindled their hopes of surviving the drop with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. But they still have an uphill task as they are four points off safety at the moment.
Dean Smith’s side need at least another couple of wins in their last three league games and hope others around them drop points to survive in the Premier League.
They need a result at Goodison Park on Thursday but Everton start as favourites to win all three points at home.
Leicester City vs Sheffield United (Prediction 1-1):
Manchester United’s draw against Southampton at Old Trafford on Monday night kept Leicester City in the top four. But they are now level on points with the Red Devils and have looked out of form for a while.
A 4-1 defeat at Bournemouth on Sunday showed the problems Brendan Rodgers’ side are facing at the moment. But they are under pressure to win games in order to keep Manchester United at bay and will be facing an in-form Sheffield United side at the King Power Stadium on Thursday.
Sheffield United have shaken off their bad form at the start of Project Restart and have won three of their last four Premier League games, including a 3-0 win over Chelsea at the weekend.
Chris Wilder’s side want to play in Europe next season and have looked reinvigorated in recent games. They will fancy their chances of getting something against a Leicester side who have been on the ropes for a while.
Crystal Palace vs Manchester United (Prediction 0-2):
Crystal Palace are on a run of five straight defeats and have not looked like getting a win since their last victory at the start of Project Restart. They have conceded 13 goals in the last five Premier League games and have looked like a team who have nothing to play for in the remainder of the season.
It remains to be seen whether Roy Hodgson can pick his charges up for Manchester United’s visit on Thursday night. They did give Chelsea a good game in the 3-2 defeat last week.
Manchester United squandered an opportunity to move into the top four places and into third when they dropped points in a 2-2 draw at home against Southampton on Monday night.
However, if the Red Devils win their last three Premier League games, they will be in the top four regardless of other results. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will look for a reaction from his team at Selhurst Park on Thursday night.
But he could also be forced to rotate his squad with a view to the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on Sunday. However, they still start as favourites to beat a Palace side who have looked below par for a few weeks now.
Southampton vs Brighton (Prediction 2-0):
Southampton’s late equaliser against Manchester United on Monday night showed the fighting spirit of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side. They have looked good against the top teams and have disturbed their apple carts.
The Saints boss will look for the same kind of hard work and commitment from his players when they host Brighton at St. Mary’s on Thursday night.
Brighton have a five-point lead over the teams in the Premier League relegation zone with three games remaining, and many believe they have done enough to survive.
But Graham Potter wants his team to get a few more points in order to make sure there are no dramas on the last day of the season.
However, it would be difficult for the Seagulls to get anything from their trip to Southampton.
West Ham vs Watford (Prediction 2-1):
The two sides are going into the game with the knowledge that a win for either team is likely to be enough to guarantee another season in the Premier League.
The Hammers will want to get the business done at home and be more relaxed in the last two games of the season when they travel to Manchester United and host Aston Villa on the last day.
David Moyes will impress upon his players the importance of finishing the job at the London Stadium against fellow strugglers, Watford.
Watford are also aware that a win at West Ham could be massive for them as their last two games are against Manchester City and Arsenal. The Hornets would want to avoid the need to get anything from either of those two games in their quest for survival.
They do still have a three-point lead over 18th-placed Bournemouth but they are keen to avoid depending on other results to survive.
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