Could Arsenal still make
the Champions League places?
Under normal circumstances,
a team in tenth place, ten points adrift of the top four with 15 games to go,
could probably stick their passports away for the following season, safe in the
knowledge that they wouldn't be playing in Europe's elite competition. However,
things are a little different this season, the campaign in which nobody wants
to qualify for the Champions League, with all the main contenders tossing
around points like confetti. You can purchase online Premier League Tickets from
our website, around the world to enjoy its terrific performances.
Arsenal, therefore, is in
with a chance. But only if they beat Chelsea on Tuesday, and that's in the
words of their manager. "It's very, very important for us to win this game
to fight for [the top four]," Mikel Arteta said this week
Can Chelsea do something
about their inconsistency problem?
Following Chelsea, this
season has been, at the very least, entertaining. It has been since the end of
October anyway: since then, a run lasting 19 games in all competitions, they
have only registered the same result in consecutive games once, and that was
the back-to-back victories against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup and Burnley
in the league at the start of this month. Otherwise, they haven't managed to
string two wins together, not even two draws or two defeats.
The most obvious
explanation for that is their talented but incomplete and inexperienced squad:
with that, this sort of inconsistency is perhaps inevitable. But it's still a
concern: Chelsea's grip on the fourth place has loosened with this
inconsistency, and if Frank Lampard wants his side to be sure of a spot in the
Champions League, he has to get them winning like they were in the autumn.
Could Sheffield United get
something against Manchester City?
It was slightly unusual to
see Chris Wilder display even a hint of an inferiority complex, but when he was
asked about his Sheffield United side's prospects against Manchester City, he
puffed his cheeks out and chuckled, as if he was the manager of a plucky lower
league side drawn against them in the FA Cup.
But Wilder will know that
City are vulnerable: they've already dropped more points in 23 games this
season than they did in the whole of the last term, beaten already by brave
minnows like Wolves, Norwich and Manchester United.
So, there's no reason why
Wilder's Blades can't get something from the visit of City. Wilder might have
been cautious in public, but you can guarantee he will be filling his players
with the confidence to beat their stumbling behemoth opponents.
Adama Traore
The one pinprick of light
for the other 19 teams in the Premier League used to be Liverpool's inability
to keep a clean sheet. In their first 15 games, they only kept their opponents
out on two occasions, but in the subsequent seven fixtures they haven't let in
a single goal: the last time Liverpool conceded was on December 4, to Everton,
some 675 minutes of football ago. They're an utterly absurd team, now at both
ends of the pitch.
So, it will need something
pretty special to breach their backline: a step forward probably the most
exciting non-Liverpool player in the Premier League at
the moment, Adama Traore. Wolves’ resources are stretched sugar paper-thin at
the moment but their lack of depth is currently being compensated for by
brilliance in the players they do have available, most notably Traore who
inspired their comeback win at Southampton on Saturday. If anyone is going to
break Liverpool down, you fancy it will be someone like Traore.
The game you're not
planning to watch...but should
Leicester v West Ham
Even with Leicester's new
lofty position in the top four, the prospect of this match doesn't quicken the
pulse. But it will be interesting just to see whether Leicester's recent results
and performances represent a blip or something more serious. You can perhaps
forgive dropping points against a resurgent Southampton or away to a Burnley
side who will always provide a stiff test. But if they don't win at home to
West Ham, for whom the new manager shine from David Moyes's return has already
firmly dimmed, then there could be more significant problems afoot.
The Team That Needs A Bit
of Luck
Newcastle United
Steve Bruce doesn't need
any luck at the moment when it comes to results (although the win over Chelsea
was their first victory in four), but he could do with some gods of fate
looking upon him a little kindlier as far as injuries are concerned. Jetro
Willems was the latest to fall lame, out for the season with a cruciate knee
ligament injury, while Paul Dummett has also been ruled out for a long spell
and Fabian Sachar is only just coming back from his injury sustained just
before Christmas. Newcastle could just do with all of their important players
staying upright at the moment.
Notable Stats of Midweek
Matches
- Arsenal and Chelsea will play for the
200th time across all competitions, with Arsenal leading the series with
77 wins (65 for Chelsea) and 57 draws.
- Tottenham have been held scoreless in
three consecutive Premier League matches
for the first time since November 2013.
- Manchester United have a 10-game
unbeaten streak vs. Burnley (6-0-4), with their last loss to the Clarets
coming in August 2009.
- Liverpool's 64 points through 22 matches
are the best start ever in Europe's Top 5 leagues.
One Thing That Will Happen
Troy Denney will score
against Aston Villa
Perhaps it's because of the
Birmingham City tattoo that adorns his chest, but Troy Deeney seems to light up
at the very thought of playing Aston Villa: he's faced them three times in his
career so far, and has five goals to show for it. He bagged a brace against
them a few weeks ago, and given Watford's uptick in form and Villa's assorted
fragilities, a bet on him finding the net again looks like a pretty safe one.
Predictions
Crystal Palace 2-2
Southampton
Aston Villa 1-2 Watford
Bournemouth 0-0 Brighton
Everton 2-0 Newcastle
United
Sheffield United 1-1
Manchester City
Chelsea 3-2 Arsenal
Tottenham 2-1 Norwich City
Leicester 1-0 West Ham
United
Manchester United 2-0
Burnley
Wolves 1-3 Liverpool
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