All games kick-off Saturday at 15.00 unless stated otherwise
Man United v Aston Villa (12.45)
This game is a bit of a thankless task as far as Man United and David Moyes are concerned.
Lose and more criticism/pressure on Moyes is likely to come their way. Win and they’ll undoubtedly be accused of only doing it against the smaller teams.
Villa, meanwhile, have a better chance than when they’d normally visit Old Trafford.
United’s home form this season is particularly poor, while Paul Lambert’s team have the best record out of any of the sides in the bottom 16 against the top four — and granted, United aren’t in the top four, but it shows that Villa are unlikely to be intimated by playing against a bigger club.
Bet: Man United @ 4/9
Crystal Palace v Chelsea
Crystal Palace have failed to pick up any points against the top four this season, so Chelsea won’t exactly be worried at the prospect of visiting Selhurst Park.
Yet Tony Pulis’ Stoke side were always renowned for causing the big clubs a few problems, so he’ll be looking to cultivate a similar unwelcoming atmosphere at Palace.
Chelsea will be without two players who have proved useful of late — Ramires and Samuel Eto’o — through suspension and injury respectively, nonetheless they should still win this game easily.
Bet: Chelsea @ 2/5
Southampton v Newcastle
Mauricio Pochettino-managed teams have a reputation for running out of steam after promising beginnings, and that was certainly the case against Tottenham last week.
2-0 ahead, they let what seemed an insurmountable lead slip with a resurgent Spurs ultimately claiming all three points.
The Saints’ season, in general, is running out of steam, winning just two of their last nine matches.
It should be less taxing this week against Newcastle though, with Alan Pardew’s side in unconvincing form, having lost five of their past eight matches.
Bet: Southampton @ 3/4
Stoke v Hull
Hardly the weekend’s most glamorous tie, as Stoke host Hull.
Both sides are currently mid-table or thereabouts and unlikely to get relegated barring a complete disaster.
The game should be interesting from an Irish perspective however, with Roy Keane set to attend and keep a close eye on Stephen Ireland as per his grandmother’s recent instructions.
Bet: Stoke @ 23/20
Swansea v Norwich
Both these teams could take a significant step towards survival with a win today.
Norwich have an excellent record against the Welsh side, securing three wins and two draws in recent clashes between the teams.
However, the Canaries have an awful away record, not winning at all on their travels this year, losing five and drawing two, so it will likely be anything but straightforward on Saturday.
Bet: Draw @ 11/4
West Brom v Cardiff
A relegation six-pointer if ever there was one, three points separate 19th place Cardiff and West Brom in 16th.
Should they lose, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would be forgiven for wondering if there’s any hope for his side.
The Welsh team have lost eight of the 11 games that have occurred since Solskjaer took over, though they do have a good record against the Brummies and are unbeaten in their last five games with them.
Bet: West Brom @ 17/20
Arsenal v Man City (Saturday 17.30)
The pick of the weekend’s games, it’ll be interesting to see whether Arsenal can bounce back from their humiliating recent defeat by Chelsea.
The Gunners’ manager reacted angrily to recent criticism from Paul Scholes, and he will hope his men show similar aggression against a City team that has proved capable of ripping opponents apart in the recent past.
City will go into this game as favourites, given that they’re unbeaten in their last nine away matches and confidently outclassed United earlier in the week.
But Arsene Wenger’s men will be eager to prove their critics wrong with a performance of substance, so don’t be surprised if they put up more of a fight than is expected.
Bet: Man City @ 23/20
Fulham v Everton (Sunday 13.30)
If Fulham fail to get anything from this game, then they might well have to start thinking about life in the Championship.
The Craven Cottage outfit are rooted to the bottom of the table on 24 points.
The Toffees will be especially determined for this encounter — four consecutive wins has seen them put themselves right back in contention for a Champions League spot — and they could go three points behind Arsenal with a game in hand, provided Arsene Wenger’s side lose to City on Saturday.
Bet: Everton @ 5/6
Liverpool v Tottenham (Sunday 16.00)
Liverpool will hoping for a similar performance to their stunning 5-0 defeat of Spurs in the reverse fixture between the sides earlier in the season.
The Reds have no injury problems ahead of this game, while Emmanuel Adebayor is a doubt for Spurs.
Tottenham do have the second-best away form in the league (after United, incredibly), though they have an especially poor record at Anfield, winning just two games there in Premier League history.
Bet: Liverpool @ 1/2
Sunderland v West Ham (Monday 20.00)
The Monday 8pm kick-off is vital for Sunderland who are three points off safety with a game in hand.
In many ways, they play the ideal opponents in the form of a West Ham who are comfortably mid-table and seemingly have little to play for.
But the Hammers have shown decent form lately to pull away from the relegation places, with Sam Allardyce rewarded with the Manager of the Month award for his efforts in steering the team towards safety.
Bet: Draw @ 11/5
Accumulator
A tenner on the following results should earn you roughly €9,986.87.
Originally published Friday March 28.
