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Brentford v Southampton (Saturday, 15:00) – Saints to get stung
It is now 9 video games since a Southampton ahead has discovered the web and a pitiful 5 factors picked up throughout that interval illustrates how a lot their firepower has been missed. James Ward-Prowse and Oriol Romeu have admirably chipped in with the odd strike from midfield however it’s confirmed nowhere close to ample and the easy fact is that as long as Broja, Adams and co proceed to fireplace blanks then the Saints will proceed to wrestle.
Of course, it helps if there may be dependable service behind them, carving out possibilities. In a latest five-game unbeaten spell, Hasenhuttl’s males averaged 17.8 pictures, 7.4 heading in the right direction. In the final 5 that has plummeted to 10 pictures with simply three per recreation troubling the keeper.
At the again in the meantime, conceding 2.3 objectives per fixture since March tells its personal sorry story.
The Bees have regarded sharp and respectable on home soil of late and will rightfully scent blood right here. Andrew Atherley is backing Brentford in his match preview.
Burnley v Aston Villa (Saturday, 15:00) – Survival of the earliest
Steven Gerrard has wasted little time in implementing adjustments at Villa Park, some for higher, some for in poor health, however one trait that has continued is a expensive behavior of conceding early objectives.
Across a largely irritating marketing campaign, that has supplied up glimpses of who Villa may very well be just for them to lose their method for a number of weeks at a time, the Midlands membership have given themselves a hill to climb on ten events, conceding inside quarter-hour. In that regard it is a league excessive.
Burnley by sharp distinction, are famend good starters, scoring simply shy of 1 in 5 of their league haul in the opening quarter-hour and it was one such strike versus Southampton lately that helped kick-start the three valuable back-to-back wins that has made security a practical purpose.
Michael Jackson’s males will Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ early doorways as soon as once more this Saturday.
Chelsea v Wolves (Saturday, 15:00) – Blues Mount a restoration
In-form Mason Mount boasts 5 objectives and seven assists in his final 12 outings for the Blues and has a formidable return towards Wolves, with two objectives and an help from his 5 earlier encounters.
An extra help for the England worldwide at the weekend will imply he is the solely participant in addition to Mo Salah to attain double figures for each scoring and creating in the top-flight this time period and let’s go for that if solely to keep away from getting caught down quite a few rabbit holes attempting to make sense of this difficult to name fixture.
The guests have been abject in latest weeks, and have failed to rating for 324 minutes, however every time they have been written off in 2021/22 they’ve responded with a strong show, often away from home.
Chelsea’s three defeats in six highlights their poor type however it’s simply as simple to think about Tuchel’s aspect turning on the fashion at the Bridge as it’s to image extra distress.
Crystal Palace v Watford (Saturday, 15:00) – No miracle of miracles
Palace have been sluggish out of the blocks in the previous few weeks, with persistence proving key of their bettering of Southampton final weekend. It might be intriguing subsequently to see how they fare when internet hosting relegation-doomed Watford, who’ve conceded inside 25 minutes in seven of their final ten video games.
All informed, no different crew have fallen behind extra typically than the Hornets this season and they’ve not often supplied up any riposte of notice, gaining a measly 5 factors from the 27 events they have been on the again foot.
One of these fast concessions by the way occurred on this recreation’s corresponding tie, again in February, with Jean-Philippe Mateta scoring considered one of his scant 4 objectives. The French striker might rating seldomly however he is a helpful foil to Wilfried Zaha who’ve been discovering the web repeatedly since Mateta has established himself as a starter.
A miracle of miracles is required for the Hornets to keep up however maybe the battle proven of their first-half towards Burnley will in the end quantity to a death-rattle.
Brighton v Man United (Saturday, 17:30) – A spot of drama
The Seagulls final gained at the Amex on Boxing Day however a latest spike in performances places them in the body right here to bother a United aspect which have misplaced 4 on the bounce away from Old Trafford, largely in meek vogue.
Regarding seemingly goal-scorers, Leandro Trossard has bagged three in 4 whereas for the guests the apparent place to begin is with their reliance on Cristiano Ronaldo and his ageing magic. The Portuguese megastar has scored 9 of the Reds’ final 12 in the league. Bruno Frenandes, it ought to be famous, has by no means failed to both get on the score-sheet or help towards Brighton since shifting to England.
Yet it is self-discipline and pens that the majority pique the curiosity. Both groups are in the decrease reaches of the truthful play desk so a excessive card-count is feasible. As for spot-kicks, there have been two on this fixture final season and solely Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool have been awarded extra pens than Brighton in 2021/22.
Liverpool v Tottenham (Saturday, 19:45) – Is Kane in a position?
Two significant concerns butt heads at Anfield, these being Liverpool’s sustained parsimony at the again that has seen them concede solely twice in over 15 hours of league soccer, and the acute upturn in type of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, who between them have scored 18 and assisted ten instances in 12 outings. Just specializing in that battle is engrossing sufficient.
Widening the lens reveals a Liverpool aspect indomitably fixated on reaching historical past in the coming weeks by attaining an unprecedented quadruple and the method wherein they’re suffocating opponents at each ends of the pitch provides them each probability. In 2022 in the league alone they’ve averaged 2.4 objectives per recreation.
But we come again to Kane and Son, and whereas the latter is a guess for Andy Schooler in his match preview for this author it’s the former’s super report towards the Reds that shines out, scoring seven in 14. We acknowledge too that, although Spurs final gained at Anfield in 2011, they’ve transformed of their final 4 journeys to Merseyside.
Arsenal v Leeds (Sunday, 14:00) – There could also be bother forward
This is a contest that may properly have handled us to oodles of excellent soccer and loads of leisure had it taken place earlier in the marketing campaign. This is very true now that the guests are well-structured in the center of the park, a novel idea that briefly led to an unbeaten streak till they encountered title-chasing Manchester City.
Presently although, factors are all that matter to Arsenal, entrenched as they’re in a scrap for the high 4, whereas Leeds are preventing for his or her Premier League lives.
So as a substitute of rejoicing in the attacking deserves of Bukayo Saka and Raphinha, we flip to disciplinary issues. As the strain mounts count on a excessive card-count from Leeds who’re rock-bottom of the truthful play desk by far. Chris Kavanagh is accountable for proceedings at the Emirates and he has dished out a reasonably hefty 3.73 yellows per recreation.
We can anticipate too a minimal of corners gained. The Gunners have averaged three per recreation of their final 5 fixtures whereas Leeds have performed likewise throughout April.
Leicester v Everton (Sunday, 14:00) – Back to fundamentals
Frank Lampard’s strict adherence to the relegation survivor’s guide is commendable, stripping his aspect, as finest he can, of each frill and foible and focusing solely on making them Everton 101.
To that finish, the Toffees have more and more leant on the noise and ardour of the Goodison trustworthy who naturally haven’t dissatisfied. Direct fare is now the norm, as a result of enjoying by the phases is for autumn when mid-table. Unsurprisingly, the card-count has risen and dramatically so.
All these traits had been at the fore when internet hosting Leicester a mere fortnight in the past with Everton ceding possession and territory to the Foxes, looking for to include them and hit on the break. It was a technique that labored as late as the 92nd minute, a last-gasp equaliser making it 1-1.
Brendan Rodgers’ aspect are hardly prolific proper now, averaging a purpose a purpose of their final eight and with a lot at stake there may be little proof to counsel this might be something apart from one other low-scoring affair. Frank might be happy.
Norwich v West Ham (Sunday, 14:00) – Better late than by no means
With the Canaries confirmed as down is now the proper time to enact a autopsy on what has comprehensively been a woeful marketing campaign? After all, routinely we see sides whose destiny has been sealed play significantly better for pleasure, not factors; to say their farewells with an surprising flourish. Perhaps it’s higher to wait?
Should Norwich certainly present belated indicators of life towards the high six-chasing Hammers it can want to be spearheaded by a cluster of gamers whose poor attacking software this time period has resulted in an over-reliance on Teemu Pukki to produce objectives. The Finnish striker has scored 45.5% of his crew’s meagre return in 2021/22. Between them, Josh Sargent, Milot Rashica, Billy Gilmour and Kenny McLean have performed 7,935 minutes of Premier League motion, scoring simply 4 objectives mixed.
One of those quartet will come good on Sunday, simply you watch. Football is humorous like that.
Man City v Newcastle (Sunday, 16:30) – Champions for a purpose
To what extent will Wednesday’s seismic late capitulation in Madrid influence on City’s gamers from a psychological standpoint? Physically too there have to be some antagonistic carry-over, with extra-time draining power from legs already coping with an immensely demanding end-of-season schedule. Add in that Kyle Walker is unavailable, in a recreation the place it is simple to image Allan Saint-Maximin having a subject day racing down the left, and the upset is there for these courageous sufficient to again it.
A pair extra factors additionally want to be raised. City might be below unimaginable strain to prevail, whereas Newcastle won’t. And so wholesale has been the transformation in the North-East since Eddie Howe’s arrival they’ve remarkably accrued solely a single level lower than City in 2022.
But let’s not get carried away right here. City have gained three out of the final 4 titles courtesy of 100 totally different strengths, fortitude being only one. If they return to Premier League motion offended at what transpired in Spain then Martin Dubravka is in for a really busy afternoon.
