Premier League Predictions > May 15th - 19th

[StevieDay1983]

[StevieDay1983]

The next batch of Premier League matches are coming up over the next week as all the remaining loose fixtures are tied up heading into the final round of league games next week. Take a look at the odds and ratings above then tell us what bets you've got in mind for these games! 

[StevieDay1983]

Tottenham vs Burnley

The Premier League games kick-off on Sunday afternoon with the 12pm BST start between Champions League-chasing Tottenham and relegation battlers Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The home side will be aiming to build on their North London Derby win last Thursday against an away team that know a win could put them on the brink of survival but a loss could leave them on the edge of oblivion. And yes, as a fan of a Championship team I am labelling the second tier as oblivion! 

Tottenham pulled off a stunning 3-0 win over arch rivals Arsenal earlier in the week and it's made the race for the top four very interesting heading into the final two league games of the season. Antonio Conte's men are now in 5th place and just 1 point behind 4th placed Arsenal with a far superior goal difference. Spurs have now lost just 1 of their last 9 league games and are unbeaten in their previous 4 league matches. The team have won 5 of their last 6 home league games and scored three goals at least in each of those victories. Harry Kane is a big call for anytime scorer with the England striker currently being the highest Premier League scorer on a Sunday with 69 goals scored on that day down the years. The front man has also scored 8 goals in 11 league appearances against this opposition.

Burnley had been looking decent under interim manager Mike Jackson but a demoralising 3-1 loss at home to mid-table Aston Villa last weekend ended an unbeaten run of 4 league games including 3 wins on the bounce. The Clarets have only picked up 2 away wins in their last 18 away league games. The club does possess an awful loss percentage for league games played on a Sunday of 60% which is the highest of any team currently participating in the top flight. Burnley have only earned 1 win in their 13 league matches against teams positioned in the top 7 and that was actually against Tottenham earlier in the season. It is possible for Burnley to become just the fourth club to record a league double over Conte. So far only Sampdoria (2012/13), Manchester City (2017/18), and Juventus (2019/20) have managed that feat.

This is a massive game for both clubs but for two very different reasons. Tottenham are smelling blood after that win over Arsenal. They have two league games now that they should win and that'll put huge pressure on the Gunners to win their two remaining league fixtures. Burnley are currently in 17th place and outside the relegation zone on goal difference. It only takes 1 point from Leeds to change all that. Leeds look a team that are shot though and you have to wonder if they'll get any more points now. One more win could be enough for Burnley. I don't think they'll get it here.

Tottenham to Win & BTTS @ 3.00 with Bet365

Anytime Scorer Double: Harry Kane & Son Heung-min @ 3.37 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace

The Premier League has a number of 2pm BST kick-offs on Sunday afternoon and the first of those that I'm going to preview is the clash between mid-table sides Aston Villa and Crystal Palace at Villa Park. Neither team has anything to realistically play for except pride now so it'll be interesting to see how this game goes. You get the feeling it might not be the most intense of matches!

Aston Villa have been treading water for a number of weeks now. The club are currently in 12th position and 9 points clear of relegation but will celebrating after confirming the permanent transfer of Philippe Coutinho this week. Head coach Steve Gerrard will still be looking to add more players to his squad this summer but that transfer is a big statement of intent. Villa are only 2 points off the top half of the table and they last finished in the top 10 of the top flight back in 2010/11. Unfortunately, they haven't done too well on their trips to London having lost each of their last 5 visits to the capital city. Striker Danny Ings could be a shout for anytime scorer. Ollie Watkins might be a doubt to start but the former Southampton front man has bagged 5 goals in 8 league games against Crystal Palace down the years.

Crystal Palace come into this game in a similar situation to their opponents in 11th place and eyeing up a top half finish. Patrick Vieira's men have gone 3 league games unbeaten as their FA Cup Semi-Final defeat hangover appears to have disappeared quickly. The Eagles require two wins from their last 3 league games to set a new club Premier League record points tally which would be a huge achievement for the team. Wilfried Zaha has started re-discovering his best form scoring 4 of the last 5 goals that Palace have scored. Back-to-back wins in the league for Palace show the players aren't thinking about their holidays just yet but it'll be interesting to see how they perform against slightly more capable opposition.

There is an opportunity for Aston Villa to earn a first league double over Crystal Palace since 1980/81. Palace haven't even managed to score a goal on their last 4 visits to Villa Park so that's a duck that'll need breaking if they're to win this one. It's only 3 wins from the last 25 trips to Villa Park for Palace with the most recent coming back in 2013. I'm not convinced they can win this one but I certainly feel they could sneak a draw.

Crystal Palace Double Chance @ 1.80 with SportNation

Anytime Scorer: Wilfried Zaha @ 3.75 with Bet365

[malabgd]

Watford FC vs Leicester City

2022-05-15T15:00+02:00

 

Watford FC

Doubtful: Nicolas Nkoulou (3/0 d), Joao Pedro (26/2 f, probably in)

Out (injuries/other): Ismaila Sarr (22/5 f), Emmanuel Dennis (33/10 f, top scorer), Kiko Femenia (26/0 d, illness), Joshua King (31/5 f, illness), Juraj Kucka (26/1 m), Imran Louza (20/0 m), Tom Cleverley (26/0 m), Juan Hernandez (24/5 f)

Suspended:

 

Leicester City

Doubtful: -

Out (injuries/other): Ricardo Pereira (13/1 d), Wilfred Ndidi (19/0 m), Ryan Bertrand (4/0 d)

Suspended: -

 

Daily updated injuries and suspensions information from more than 100 football leagues and competitions worldwide at: www.injuriesandsuspensions.com

 

Interesting facts based only on statistics

Leicester City scored at least one goal in 88% of away games.

69% chance that both Watford FC and Leicester City will score in this game.

58% chance that both team will score and goal count will be over 2.5 goals.

92% chance that there will be more than 1 goal in this game.

69% chance that there will be more than 2 goals in this game.

83% chance that there will be at least 1 goal in the first-half.

[StevieDay1983]

Leeds vs Brighton

The next game from the 2pm BST kick-offs that I'm previewing in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon is between relegation-troubled Leeds and mid-table Brighton at Elland Road. The threat is real for the home team now and anything less than a win could leave them in serious danger of returning to the Championship. They play an away side who are doing their best to end their season on a positive note.

Leeds were looking like they might defy the odds and pull themselves away from the drop zone with a run of 5 league games unbeaten for Jesse Marsch's men but three league defeats on the bounce with players losing discipline left, right, and centre suggests the new head coach bubble has burst. The Whites are in 18th place and by the time this game kicks off they could well be in need of a win to pull themselves out of the bottom three. There is a positive omen from history for the Yorkshire club though with Leeds losing just 1 of their last 18 final home league games of the season. Unfortunately, discipline is clearly a problem not just recently but all season with Leeds becoming the first Premier League club to receive 100 cards... and they called Wimbledon dirty back in the 1990s!

Brighton have the chance to put Leeds just one game away from relegation here. Graham Potter's men are in 9th place and will be keen to seal a top half finish. A decent run of just 1 loss from their last 7 league games has helped them end things on a positive note. That spell of positive results has included winning 3 of their last 4 away league matches. The Seagulls can be proud that only Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea have earned more points on the road in the league this season. There is an opportunity for Brighton to win three league games in a row by 3 or more goals for the first time since 1969. Neal Maupay could be an outside bet for anytime scorer having only bagged 1 goal in his last 16 league games but he is just a single goal away from being Brighton's highest ever Premier League scorer.

It's probably not best for Leeds fans to see that they have lost 8 of the last 10 meetings with Brighton and failing to even score in 8 of those encounters. They have so far failed to even score in any of their three Premier League games against Brighton so far. Brighton have also won 5 of their last 7 visits to Elland Road. Well... whatever your preconceptions of this fixture it seems all the statistics suggest we should back the away win!

Brighton to Win @ 2.75 with SpreadEx

Anytime Scorer: Neal Maupay @ 3.10 with SpreadEx

[StevieDay1983]

Watford vs Leicester

The next game up in the 2pm BST previews from the Sunday fixtures in the Premier League is a bit of a non-event between already-relegated Watford and mid-table Leicester at Vicarage Road. I'm sure the atmosphere at this game will be similar to that of a funeral wake. What is the motivation for the home team? Can they even get close to taking something from this match?

Watford are sliding out of the Premier League once again with a little whimper. The Hornets are in 19th position and just 2 points off the foot of the table having lost 25 of their 36 league games this season. Roy Hodgson is set to be replaced by former Forest Green Rovers manager Rob Edwards which is a massive gamble in itself and you can probably guarantee that a lot of these players won't be here next season. If Watford lose this then they'll have equalled the top flight record for the most home league defeats of 15 games in a single season initially set by Stoke back in 1984/85. The 0-0 draw with Everton in midweek did end a losing home run of 11 matches though. It was also the team's first clean sheet in 23 Premier League home games. Hodgson himself has only picked up 1 point from his last 4 meetings with Brendan Rodgers.

Leicester showed last week in the 3-0 destruction of Norwich what they are capable of doing to teams already condemned to the Championship for next season. It was great to see Jamie Vardy fulfilling my prediction of being first goalscorer and with the former England front man bagging 16 goals in his last 14 league games against newly-promoted teams you'd have to back him again here! The Foxes are in 10th position and will be keen to consolidate their place in the top half of the table. Away form is a problem for Leicester at the moment though with the team picking up just 1 win from their last 12 league away games.

It's surprising to see that Watford have actually only lost 2 of their last 11 home encounters with Leicester and remain unbeaten in the last four of those. Leicester have managed to score in 24 successive matches against Watford and given the state of the Watford back-line you'd have to back them to do it again here. I actually think history won't matter in this one and Leicester will win.

Leicester to Win @ 1.91 with 888Sport

Anytime Scorer: Jamie Vardy @ 2.18 with Sporting Index

[StevieDay1983]

West Ham vs Manchester City

OK, so it's another 2pm BST kick-off in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. 2pm BST on a Sunday is the new 3pm BST on a Saturday... for this week anyway! It's the Mark Noble Retirement Party as West Ham will look to boost their European qualification hopes against a Manchester City team that have the chance to all but seal the league title with a victory in this one.

West Ham realistically need a point to all but confirm their place in the Europa Conference League next season. The Hammers currently sit in 7th position and 5 points clear of 8th placed Wolves with just two league games remaining. As mentioned above, this game will be the home fans' chance to give club icon Noble an emotional send-off. The team's current form does need improving though with them earning just 3 wins from their last 11 matches in all competitions. They are looking to make history by scoring in every home league game in a season for just the third time having previously done so back in 1926/27 and 1980/81. The team isn't overly fond of playing on a Sunday though having won just 4 of their last 14 matches played on this day. Unfortunately, David Moyes has lost 9 of his last 10 games that he has managed against Manchester City.

Manchester City could take a giant leap towards retaining their Premier League title. Pep Guardiola's side are top of the league table and 3 points clear of 2nd placed Liverpool with a superior goal difference. Winning here would make it a very tall order for Liverpool to catch them. The Citizens became the first Premier League club to win 5 league games in a row by at least a three goal margin. City have taken 45 points from a potential 54 points from their away league games this season. Kevin De Bruyne is the man in form right now having scored 8 goals in his last 8 league appearances for the team. It's crazy to read that City have a 100% record against 15 of the 19 teams they have played in the league so far this season with only Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Tottenham, and Southampton taking points off them.

I think we should forget this as being all about Noble here. I'm not sure this will be a game he'll want to remember. Manchester City are on a mission to realistically seal the title here and I can see them doing it. West Ham's form is suffering and Moyes himself has struggled against Guardiola so I can see City storming to a victory here. The big dilemma is whether West Ham will be able to score or not.

Manchester City HT/FT @ 2.15 with SpreadEx

Manchester City to Win & BTTS @ 2.88 with Betfred

[StevieDay1983]

Wolves vs Norwich

The final game from the 2pm BST kick-offs on Sunday in the Premier League comes from Molineux where mid-table club Wolves will look to end their season on a positive note against an already-relegated Norwich. I'm going to be honest and say that I'm struggling to find a reason to back the away team here. The Championship awaits and I think they all just want to leave the country and get on a beach as soon as possible!

Wolves come into this game knowing they need two wins from their last two games and they need West Ham to slip up in both games in order to poach the Europa Conference League spot up for grabs. I'm not sure how the FA Cup being contested by Champions League qualifiers Liverpool and Chelsea will impact things but Bruno Lage's men won't want to leave anything to chance. Wanderers are in 8th place and 5 points behind the Hammers with two league games to go. It's is now 5 league games without a win and the team have lost 4 of those matches. The 5-1 loss at home to Manchester City was disappointing after the frenetic end to the 2-2 draw away to Chelsea in the game before. You get the impression that Wolves fans are already looking forward to next season given their posts on Twitter about Isco linking up with the agent Jorge Mendes who is the guy that orchestrated a lot of the transfers of Portuguese players to the club. We shall see about that one!

Norwich might as well just pack up their bags and go home. Dean Smith's side are sat at the foot of the Premier League table on just 21 points having lost their last 5 league games and failing to even score in the last 4 league matches. The Canaries have also lost 3 of their last 4 league games by at least 3 goals. It shows that the defence is still struggling to cope at this level and the attack has returned to its impotent worst again. It appears that Smith will opt for the controversial 4-3-2-1 formation and it's hard to see that working with the personnel he's going for. There is a solid core for a decent bounce back from the Championship but Smith is clearly experimenting with the odd thing and I'd be amazed if it works in a positive way here.

OK, so Norwich have only won 2 of their 18 away league games this season and haven't tasted victory in any of their last 7 matches on the road in the top flight. Wolves are unbeaten in their last 5 league meetings with Norwich and I think they should have enough, even with their current poor form, to get past this challenge in front of their home fans. Will it be enough to help them qualify for Europe though?

Wolves to Win to Nil @ 2.45 with Coral

Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.84 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Everton vs Brentford

The Premier League action is brought to a close on Sunday afternoon with the 4:30pm BST kick-off between relegation battlers Everton and mid-table Brentford at Goodison Park. The home side could all but secure their place in the top flight for next season with a victory if other results go their way and they take on a visiting team that have already sealed their place at the top table next season.

Everton were looking like a team destined for the Championship next season just a matter of weeks ago but an upturn in form of just 1 loss in their last 6 league games has helped to move the club up to 16th position and 2 points above the drop zone but with a game in hand on the teams below them. The Toffees have also gone unbeaten in their previous 4 home league games. If Everton win here and Leeds fail to beat Brighton then safety is secured. The team have won just 1 of their 5 league games played against the newly-promoted teams this season so far though. Head coach Frank Lampard does have a decent record against Brentford having won 2 and drawn 1 of his three encounters against them so far in his career.

Brentford will be delighted to have confirmed their place in next season's Premier League. Thomas Frank's men were widely tipped to drop straight back down to the Championship but the fact they have stayed up whilst their fellow newly-promoted teams of Norwich and Watford have been relegated is a big credit to everyone at the club. The Bees are in 13th place and could still seal a top 10 finish if results go their way. The team have lost just 1 of their last 6 league games and the 3-0 win over Southampton at home in their last league outing shows that the players are showing no signs of ending their efforts prematurely. Christian Eriksen could be the man to watch here with the Danish creative player scoring 4 goals in his last 5 league appearances against Everton.

I'm intrigued to see how this one goes. Everton's form has undoubtedly picked up but there is still the pressure that a result going against them in the earlier kick-offs could see them hovering right above the drop zone again. Brentford have been a revelation this season and they are clearly benefiting from the self-confidence that comes with knowing they now belong at this level. I'm not sure I can separate these two so I think a draw is the best option.

Draw @ 3.70 with SpreadEx

BTTS @ 1.92 with SBK

[StefanBB]

Newcastle United vs Arsenal

Newcastle United will be hoping for a better result following a 5:0 Premier League loss in their previous game against Manchester City. Nevertheless, the Magpies managed to get away from the danger zone, and they secured their place in the Premier League for the next season. Taking their prior sextet of clashes before this one, in 5 of them, a wager on both teams scoring would've been a loser. Going into this contest, Newcastle United hadn't beaten Arsenal in their previous seven matches in the league. However, they will search for a positive result in front of their fans. Regarding the selection issues, Jonjo Shelvey (Calf Problems) and Joe Willock (Knee Injury) are not available for Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe.

After a losing effort in their last game against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League competition, Arsenal and their fans will hope to get a better result this time. If they return home with all three points, the Gunners will be one point ahead of the Spurs before the final round of the domestic campaign. In a total of 5 of the previous six clashes featuring Arsenal, at least three goals have been hit. The average number of goals per game in that spell is 3.33, with the average number of goals for Arsenal being 2. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has to choose from a squad that has some fitness concerns. Thomas Partey (Unknown Injury) and Kieran Tierney (Knee Surgery) are not able to play.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            

This game is much more important for the visitors, and they will try to pick up all three points in this match. We believe Arsenal can bounce back and celebrate an important win in this encounter.

Goals Market Prediction

Both teams have been involved in many high-scoring matches lately, and this one should follow a similar pattern. Therefore, we expect to see three or more goals in total on Monday evening.

Arsenal to Win @ 1.85

Over 2.5 FT @ 1.80

Correct score 1:2 @ 9.00

[StevieDay1983]

Newcastle vs Arsenal

The Premier League has one game scheduled to be played on Monday night and it's mid-table Newcastle hosting Champions League qualification contenders Arsenal in an 8pm BST kick-off from St James' Park. The away side need a win to move back into the top four but can they get it against a team that are showing they can give even the best teams a run for their money now?

Newcastle might have suffered back-to-back league defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City without even scoring a goal but before those two games they had won their previous 4 league games whilst keeping three clean sheets. The Magpies are in 14th place but could still boost their chances of finishing in the top half of the table with a win here. Eddie Howe will put the emphasis on his team's attacking capabilities with Newcastle only failing to score against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea at home so far this season. The team will be keen to break this losing streak at home against Arsenal that has lasted 3 games with the last Newcastle home victory against the Gunners coming back on 15th April, 2018 in a 2-1 score-line.

Arsenal have to deal with some pressure again. The 3-0 humiliation against rivals Tottenham last week left the team chasing their arch enemies in the league with Spurs winning this weekend. Mikel Arteta's side are 5th in the table and 2 points behind their neighbours with a game in hand. That loss to Tottenham ended a 4-game winning run for the North Londoners and it'll be interesting to see how they react to that result. Both teams have scored in 4 of the last 5 matches that Arsenal have played. It's now 8 league games without a clean sheet for Arsenal so until that improves they are constantly needing to score at least 2 goals to win their games at the moment.

It's interesting to read that Arsenal have won the last 8 meetings between these two sides and have kept clean sheets in the last 7 of those matches. Newcastle are a different animal now but the 5-0 loss away to Manchester City last week showed that Howe does still struggle with Pep Guardiola's approach to the game. If Arteta can take what he learned from Guardiola and implement it in this game then Arsenal should win. It won't be easy and the pressure alone could cause Arsenal to falter but I'll have to back them to get the job done here.

Arsenal to Win & BTTS @ 3.40 with Bet365

Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.75 with SBK

[StefanBB]

Southampton vs Liverpool

Southampton goes to this clash after a heavy 3:0 defeat away to Brentford. That was their fourth straight match without a win, and they picked up just a point in that period. It has been all too rare in recent games where Southampton has shown defensive steel. The facts show that Southampton has failed to prevent opponents from scoring in 5 of their previous six matches, giving up 15 goals in the process. Ahead of this meeting, Southampton is winless against Liverpool in their last two league games. Nevertheless, they will try to stun their rivals and book a positive result here.

The Reds are back in the title race after Manchester City spilled two points on Sunday afternoon. If they win on Tuesday, the visitors will get just one point behind Man City and keep their title hopes alive. A run of very capable displays from the Liverpool defenders has resulted in their' goals against' tally standing at four from their past six fixtures combined. During the same period of time, their forwards have managed to score 9. Coming into this meeting, Liverpool is undefeated in their previous eight league matches away from home. What an impressive run of results. On the other hand, Jurgen Klopp hopes to recover his players after an exhausting FA Cup finals, which they won after a penalty shootout.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            

The hosts are in a very poor form, and Liverpool is in a much better momentum. We don’t think Southampton is capable of making an upset here, and the Reds should return home with all three points.  

Goals Market Prediction

Liverpool has been pretty solid in the back, and Southampton will have problems finding the back of their net. Therefore, we think the away side will keep the clean sheet in this encounter.

Liverpool AH -1.5 @ 2.05

BTTS No @ 2.35

Correct score 0:3 @ 12.00

[StevieDay1983]

Southampton vs Liverpool

The Premier League title race could be decided on Tuesday night when Liverpool travel to Southampton for a 7:45pm BST kick-off at St Mary's Stadium where only a win will realistically do for the Merseyside team. A draw would leave Liverpool needing results to go their way in the final games whilst also turning round a significant goal difference. A loss will simply confirm Manchester City as champions once again.

Southampton haven't been in great form for a while now. Ralph Hasenhuttl's side are in 15th place with 40 points. In fact, the Saints are fortunate that the teams behind them have performed so poorly this season because after experiencing just 1 win in the last 10 league games, with 7 of those results being defeats, they have been in relegation form since the end of February. Still, there is a chance for them to improve on last season's points tally of 43 points. Home form has been a crippling issue for Southampton recently with the team enduring 4 losses from their last 5 league games. It doesn't help that the club's top league scorer James Ward-Prowse has only scored 1 of his 9 league goals at home this season.

Liverpool know what they have to do here to keep their slim title hopes alive. Jurgen Klopp's men must win to realistically take the title race to the final game of the season and then anything is possible. The Reds have been hit by the news that both Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are set to miss this game but they remain the only club in the top five European leagues to remain unbeaten in league action during 2022. Liverpool have won 18 of their 19 league games against teams in the bottom half of the table this season so far. The team have kept a division-high 21 clean sheets this season which is just 1 short of the club record set in 2005/06.

OK, so head-to-head statistics show that Southampton have suffered defeat in 8 of the last 9 league meetings with Liverpool. It was Liverpool who prevailed as 4-0 winners when the teams last met but it was Southampton who came out as 1-0 victors in the fixture at this ground last season. The absences of Van Dijk and Salah are a blow but I still feel Liverpool will have enough to get the win they need to keep the title fight going.

Liverpool to Win & BTTS @ 2.63 with Betfred

Liverpool -1 @ 1.91 with Coral

[StevieDay1983]

[StevieDay1983]

Everton vs Crystal Palace

The Premier League delivers its final batch of catch-up games for this season before the big finale on the weekend. Everton play Crystal Palace in a 7:45pm BST kick-off on Thursday evening to get proceedings started at Goodison Park. It's really quite simple for the home team. If they win then they will have secured their status in the top flight for next season. Draw or lose and it all goes down to the last game of the campaign.

Everton might not have had a very productive season but the fans will just be glad to stay up. The Toffees are in 16th place and 2 points above the relegation but, more importantly, they are 1 point ahead of 17th positioned Leeds with a game in hand. This is key because Burnley are currently in 18th spot but also play on Thursday night. Frank Lampard's side have lost just 2 of their last 7 league games but it is now no win in their last two league outings so the nerves are jangling once again. Everton have conceded 59 league goals this season which is their joint worst defensive record since the Premier League scheduled 38 games. A loss here would see the team equal the club record of most league defeats at home in a season which stands at 9 games. A worrying statistic for Lampard since he took over is discipline. He has witnessed his team earn just as many red cards as wins since he was appointed manager.

Crystal Palace are still plodding along in their mid-table position of 13th but they could shoot up into the top half of the table with a victory here. Patrick Vieira's side might not have anything left to play for except pride and enhanced prize money but they are unbeaten in their last 4 league games so the lack of pressure and freedom that adds to their play is clearly benefiting their performances levels. The Eagles have lost just 2 of their last 9 away league matches but they have only managed to win 3 of their last 12 final away league games in the top flight. Winning their last two league games of the season will give them a club record points total in the Premier League of 51 points. Interestingly, Vieira beat Lampard as a player in 9 of their 13 encounters on the pitch.

These two sides have already met twice this season with Crystal Palace coming out on top on both occasions. Everton had appeared to be regaining some confidence but the 3-2 loss to Brentford away showed the same old defensive frailties and ill discipline sneaking back into their game. The pressure is still on but it's more an opportunity with Everton knowing a win will secure their safety. Palace are a menace right now though. Nothing to play for and keen to be party poopers. I'm not sure how to call this so I'll go for a draw.

Draw @ 3.80 with SpreadEx

BTTS @ 1.94 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Aston Villa vs Burnley

The relegation battle in the Premier League could take a big twist on Thursday night when Aston Villa play Burnley in an 8pm BST kick-off from Villa Park. The home side might be safe in mid-table but their remaining two league games will decide the fate of teams at the bottom and top of the table. The away team need a win to put themselves in pole position to survive heading into the final game of the season on the weekend.

Aston Villa sit in 14th position knowing that a lower mid-table finish is their likely destination come the end of the campaign but they have a big game against Burnley here followed by a clash with league leaders Manchester City on Sunday with the fate of the title up for grabs. Steven Gerrard has seen his team hold their form in the run-in despite motivation to perform limited to pride and league placing. The club have lost just 1 of their last 5 league games but they are without a victory in their previous 2 league matches. Home form hasn't been great either with Villa picking up just 2 wins in their last 10 home games. Striker Ollie Watkins is a man in form right now having bagged 3 goals in his last 4 league games.

Burnley know that anything less than a win will leave them needing to at least equal the result of Leeds on the final game of the season. The Clarets are in 18th place and 1 point from safety but they do boast a far superior goal difference to 17th placed Leeds. Mike Jackson had led his team to a 4-game unbeaten run including winning 3 league games in a row to see his team get back into the survival fight when all had seemed lost but back-to-back defeats has hampered their progress. A win here will leave Burnley needing just a point to realistically stay up in their final league game of the season on Sunday which is at home to Newcastle. Burnley have won just 2 of their 18 away league games this season though. The team have also lost 4 of their last 5 final away league games of the season. 

These two sides met just a couple of weeks ago and it was Aston Villa who prevailed as convincing 3-1 winners at Turf Moor. When you think that Burnley are even worse on their travels than they are at home then that doesn't bode well for this game. I fear we could see a repeat score and this will leave Burnley needing to better the results of Leeds on the weekend to stay up.

Aston Villa to Win @ 2.20 with Betfred

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.91 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Chelsea vs Leicester

The final game from the three Premier League fixtures scheduled to be played on Thursday night is effectively a dead rubber between Chelsea and Leicester in an 8pm BST kick-off from Stamford Bridge. The home team have guaranteed their place in next season's Champions League as they take on a mid-table away side who are simply looking to finish as high in the league table as possible.

Chelsea will be downbeat after suffering that loss on penalties in the FA Cup Final to Liverpool but Thomas Tuchel will be relieved that his team have confirmed their place at the top table of European football next season whilst also lifting both the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup trophies. The Blues have only managed 5 wins from their 17 league games against teams positioned in the top half of the table. The team have also dropped points in 8 of their last 12 home league games. Defensive woes have plagued the team recently with the team conceding 10 goals in their last 4 home league matches. 

Leicester have started to find form just before the end of the season with Brendan Rodgers seeing his team win back-to-back league games to move up to 9th in the table. The Foxes are hoping to finish in the top 10 in the top flight for the fifth season in a row. Leicester remain prone from conceding from set-pieces having let in 16 goals from corners alone in the league this season. Rodgers has struggled as a manager against Chelsea though. Is he still haunted by that Gerrard slip in 2013/14 that contributed towards his Liverpool side failing to win the title that season? The Northern Irishman has won just 2 of his 19 matches managed against Chelsea across all competitions.

There is an opportunity here for Chelsea to complete a first league double over Leicester since the 2016/17 season. Leicester have been able to avoid defeat in 4 of their last 6 visits to Stamford Bridge and the way these two teams have been playing recently you wouldn't put it past them to sneak a result here. I've got to back Leicester as a double chance shout for this one.

Leicester Double Chance @ 3.05 with SBK

BTTS @ 1.84 with SBK