IT’S massive weekend of Premier League action as we get to the pointy end of the season.
Relegation struggler Sunderland kicks off the weekend’s action on a date with Manchester United at 11.45pm on Saturday as the Red Devils cling to very faint title hopes, before Bournemouth takes on Stoke, Crystal Palace welcomes Watford, West Bromwich Albion visits Everton, Norwich face West Ham United and Swansea and Southampton square off in a quintet of 2am matches.
The red eye match on Sunday morning is the 4.30am shindig between the toppled champion Chelsea and a Newcastle side hanging by a thread.
Later that night is the feature presentation. Top of the table and title favourites Leicester City, which we’ve previewed here, visiting second favourite Arsenal in what is shaping as one of the matches of the season.
That’s at 11pm, followed by Aston Villa welcoming Liverpool at 1am and then the blockbuster between Manchester City and Tottenham at 3.15am, with both teams having designs on the title.
We’ve run our eyes over the games and come up with a few tips that you could choose to parlay together in the hopes of striking it rich.
EPL suggested multi
Manchester United to defeat Sunderland at Sunderland ($1.80)
Bournemouth to defeat Stoke at home ($2.10)
Everton to defeat West Bromwich Albion at home ($1.60)
West Ham to beat Norwich City at Norwich City ($2.50)
Aston Villa to beat Liverpool at home ($4.40)
Multi odds are $66.53 with WilliamHill.com.au
Sunderland vs. Manchester United
Our tip: Manchester United to defeat Sunderland at Sunderland ($1.80)
Things are looking rather bleak for Sunderland as it struggles in second last, with relegation looming. And it doesn’t look like they are about to get much better with the the Red Devils buoyed by the reported signing of The Special One Jose Mourinho to take the helm as manager in the summer. Louis van Gaal’s disappointing reign as manager has United fans all but given up hope of the title, but a win here would help them strike another blow in the hopes of nicking a top four spot and playing in the Champions League. Apart from a woeful 1-0 loss to Southampton at home, United has had morale boosting wins over Liverpool and Stoke and played well in a 1-1 draw at Chelsea most recently. Talisman Wayne Rooney has been in hot form for the Red Devils and he should be the man to inflict damage on a Sunderland side that has conceded eight goals in its last four games, without a win. It did rally from 2-0 down against Liverpool, scoring twice with 10 minutes remaining, so that will give it confidence, but we’re backing the might of Man U to shine through here.
Bournemouth vs. Stoke
Our tip: Bournemouth to defeat Stoke at home ($2.10)
Stoke has been getting smoked. The Potters started the season magnificently, but three straight 3-0 shellackings have put a massive dent in their hopes of finishing in the top half, seeing them drop down several spots. Bournemouth had a three match unbeaten streak snapped by Arsenal on the weekend, but will have drawn confidence from positive results against Crystal Palace (2-1) and Norwich City (3-0). With star attacker Benik Afobe in hot form, the Cherries will look to arrest a slide that has seen them lose two of their past three at home. They couldn’t have wished for a more out of form to do it against, with the Potters failing to score in each of their last four matches. We reckon this one is Bournemouth’s, 1-0.
Everton vs. West Bromwich Albion
Our tip: Everton to defeat West Bromwich Albion at home ($1.60)
One of our favourite teams in Everton should be able to get the job done against a West Bromwich Albion side without a win in its last five tries. Everton bounced back from an uncharacteristic 2-1 home loss to Swansea by thrashing Newcastle and then Stoke by the same 3-0 scoreline and, while Albion probably defends a little better than those two teams, it would not surprise us if Romelu Lukaku and company continue the drubbings with a third straight high scoring win. Roberto Martinez has worked wonders with the Toffees and their rise into eighth on the table has been fuelled by the likes of Ross Barkley and company. Tony Pulis’ men have failed to score in three of their last five games and it doesn’t get much easier against a side that hasn’t conceded in its past two matches, on its home deck.
Norwich City vs. West Ham United
Our tip: West Ham to beat Norwich City at Norwich City ($2.50)
Did we say we love Everton? We love the Hammers too. That club is on a winner and could one day turn out to be a dream story like the Leicester juggernaut we’re seeing this season. It all starts with gun French midfielder Dimitri Payet, who has been a revelation – when he hasn’t been injured. The likes of Victor Moses, ever green talisman Mark Noble and striker Enner Valencia have been doing the business for the Hammers who are in sixth place and should have absolutely no trouble dealing with a Norwich side that has completely lost its way. The poor Canaries have been absolutely thumped in each of their past five games, conceding a remarkable 16 goals and the floodgates don’t look like they are about to close, with the Hammers having scored in seven straight games before their 1-0 hiccup at Southampton on the weekend. We give this one to West Ham on the bit. $2.50 looks good odds.
Aston Villa vs. Liverpool
Our tip: Aston Villa to beat Liverpool at home ($4.40)
Bear with us. We know this sounds crazy, and feel free to omit this leg from your multi, but these two teams are not really that far apart on form. Yep, Villa is on the bottom and faces a monumental task to dig itself out of the relegation zone, something that is highly, highly unlikely. But they have shown some signs of life in their last five matches, beating both Norwich City and Crystal Palace and sharing the points with West Brom and title favourite Leicester City, with their only blemish a 2-0 loss to a tough West Ham side. Conversely, Liverpool has been banished three times in its last six outings, only just scraped past the woeful Norwich and could only manage a 2-2 draw with another relegation bound side in Sunderland on its home ground. Those are not positive stats. The fans walked out on them in that game and they rewarded that by conceding two goals with 10 minutes left in the match, giving up their own two goal advantage in another dark day for a club that seems to have lost its way. We give this one to Villa in a match that they will be desperate to put a dint in to ensure the pressure stays on the other struggling clubs above them.
