The Premier League always has a double round of fixtures towards the end of January/start of February. They’re not always a dramatic as the matches we had on Tuesday and Wednesday though where there were shocks with both Swansea and Bournemouth picking up hugely unexpected wins.
Although there is no jeopardy at the top of the table with Man City’s 15 point lead, things are very different at the bottom. Seven points is all that separates the entire bottom half. It’s rarely been closer at the bottom and while there will be more twists and turns in the relegation battle this weekend, it’s set to rumble on until the very end of the season.
- Burnley v Man City – Man City -1 Goal Handicap (5/6 with Ladbrokes)
- Bournemouth v Stoke – Bournemouth to Win (21/20 with BetVictor)
- Leicester v Swansea – Over 2.5 Goals (21/20 with Coral)
- Arsenal v Everton – Arsenal to Win and Over 3.5 Goals (2/1 with Betfair)
- Crystal Palace v Newcastle – Crystal Palace to Win and Both Teams to Score (7/2 with BetVictor)
- Liverpool v Tottenham – Liverpool to Win (13/5 with Betfair)
- Watford v Chelsea – Chelsea to Win (5/2 with Betfair)
Burnley v Man City – 3rd February
Burnley know all about the quality of Man City. The Clarets were comfortably beaten 3-0 by City when they travelled to the Etihad in the Premier League and then threw away a half time lead to lose 4-1 in the FA Cup third round. The signs are not good for Burnley’s chances of reversing that form as they are winless in eight Premier League matches.
Man City have been kicked from pillar to post in recent matches but they’ve had little problem picking up wins lately. Pep Guardiola is delighted with the way that his team have bounced back from their defeat against Liverpool. They’re flying at the moment and should be far too good for Burnley, even at Turf Moor. So, take the 5/6 that Ladbrokes are quoting on Man City winning with a one goal handicap applied.
Man City -1 Goal Handicap – 5/6 with Ladbrokes
Bournemouth v Stoke – 3rd February 2018
Eddie Howe was absolutely beaming in his post-match interviews at Stamford Bridge. The Bournemouth manager called his team’s 3-0 win over Chelsea the best of his time at the club and it’s hard to disagree. That performance, surprising as it was, felt as though it’s been coming for some time. Bournemouth have been playing some very good stuff without necessarily getting the rewards they’ve deserved. That changed in emphatic style in west London and the task now for Howe is to keep up the momentum and pull away from the relegation mire.
Stoke desperately need a big performance and win of their own. The Potters have shown small signs of improvement since Paul Lambert replaced Mark Hughes but the facts are still troubling. Stoke remain just one point above the relegation zone, they have the worst defence in the Premier League and their morale is still fragile to say the least.
Bournemouth’s confidence is sky high and they should take the chance to put more distance between themselves and the drop zone while inflicting more damage on a relegation rival. That makes the 21/20 that BetVictor are quoting on the home side winning look too generous to ignore.
Bournemouth to Win – 21/20 with BetVictor
Leicester v Swansea – 3rd February
Swansea’s revival under Carlos Carvalhal continued in wonderful fashion on Tuesday night. The Swans took full advantage of some horrendous Arsenal defending to win 3-1 and give their fans yet more hope that of another miraculous end of season run. There is still plenty of time for Carvalhal’s impressive start to turn sour though and there’s every chance things will turn for the worse at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
Leicester have done well to move into a comfortable position in the league since Craig Shakespeare was replaced by Claude Puel. The Foxes remain a considerable threat going forwards but they have been a little too open at the back for Puel’s liking. Bolstered by the return of Andre Ayew to the club, Swansea should be able to score at least one at the King Power but keeping Leicester quiet is another matter entirely. In a game that could go either way, a bet on over 2.5 goals looks the best way to go at 21/20 with Coral.
Over 2.5 Goals – 21/20 with Coral
Arsenal v Everton – 3rd February
What can you say about Arsenal’s performance against Swansea on Tuesday night? Some of the defending on show from Arsene Wenger’s men was laughable and they fully deserved to be on the losing end of a 3-1 score line. If it weren’t for Arsenal’s strong home form they would already be out of the running for next season’s Champions League and they simply must bounce back against Everton on Saturday evening.
Sam Allardyce has had plenty of stick since taking over at Goodison Park but his team finally played the sort of football that the Everton fans expect in the 2-1 win over Leicester on Wednesday night. The partnership of Seamus Coleman and Theo Walcott down the Everton right will cause Arsenal problems but it’s the home team who are most likely to win an entertaining match.
Arsenal fans will have club record signing, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on show against Everton and the buzz he creates could be enough to spark the Gunners into life. This should be entertaining with goals for both sides but the 2/1 that Betfair are quoting on Arsenal winning with over 3.5 goals scored looks a good price.
Arsenal to Win and Over 3.5 Goals – 2/1 with Betfair
Crystal Palace v Newcastle – 4th February
Rafa Benitez was left ruing missed chances on Wednesday night. He’s just seen his Newcastle team draw with Burnley despite playing the better football for much of the match. Benitez was especially upset that Newcastle didn’t stretch their lead which left the door open for Burnley to snatch a point late on.
Benitez has been taking a more attacking approach to games recently and when Newcastle take their chances (as in the recent win over West Ham at the London Stadium) they have the quality to beat the teams around them. The Magpies should grab a goal at Selhurst Park on Sunday but it’s Crystal Palace who are most likely to secure the win.
Crystal Palace still have their faults but the transformation of the team since Roy Hodgson took control is remarkable. They’ve lifted themselves from the bottom of the table thanks to their quality attacking players and well drilled defence. It’s those attacking players who should make the difference in front of their home fans where Palace look a good price to win a game in which both teams score at 7/2 with BetVictor.
Crystal Palace to Win and Both Teams to Score – 7/2 with BetVictor
Liverpool v Tottenham – 4th February
This is the game of the Premier League weekend. Liverpool, who bounced back from two defeats with a 3-0 win over Huddersfield, host Tottenham on the back of their 2-0 home win over Man United.
Both teams have very good chances of finishing inside the top four and securing a Champions League place for next season. They also both have world class attacking players and a genuine chance of winning at Anfield. It was Spurs’ attacking players who made the difference when the two met at Wembley Stadium but things could be very different this time around.
While Liverpool pretty much coasted to victory against Huddersfield, Tottenham kept on pressing until the latter stages of their win over Man United. Liverpool also have an extra day to prepare for the match and their fresher legs could make all the difference. Liverpool have a very good home record in the league and should win again at 13/5 with Betfair.
Liverpool to Win – 13/5 with Betfair
Watford v Chelsea – 5th February
After such a poor performance against Bournemouth, you can understand why the bookies are slightly tentative over Chelsea’s chances of beating Watford on Monday night. But surely the 5/2 that Betfair are offering on Antonio Conte’s men is far too big?
Only once this season have Chelsea lost two Premier League games in a row. Moreover, they’ve bounced back from defeat with a win after three of their league defeats to date and got the better of Watford 4-2 when the two teams met at Stamford Bridge. Optimistic Watford fans will rightly suggest that the Hornets got unlucky that day but that was at a time when the team were playing much better than they have for some time now.
Currently, Watford are on a run of just one win in 12 league matches. That slide was enough for Marco Silva to be shown the door and the very early signs of Javi Gracia’s time in charge are far from positive. Watford’s 0-0 draw against Stoke was one of the worst games of the season. Chelsea won’t have any nightmares ahead of their trip to Vicarage Road and should make the short trip back to west London with all three points.
Chelsea to Win – 5/2 with Betfair