WEEK 36
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Predictions will generally be posted by Friday each week,
AND the analyses should be up by Wednesday following each weekend’s games.
The odds that I quote on each game are the first available and are quite
possibly subject to change as the game day approaches.
WEEK 36 May 9th–11th
All times are Mountain Standard Time
LAST WEEK’S SUMMARY
WEEK 35
Manchester City had their game with Everton safely contained. With all the pressure they exerted, they should have been 2 or 3 goals up at half-time. As it was, they only had a 1-goal advantage going into the break. As has happened so many times this season, they started to doze off and let The Toffees back into the game. Before they knew it, they were 2 goals down. A spectacular goal by Jeremy Doku with the last real touch of the game gave City a draw. As things look now, they really don’t have much chance of catching Arsenal.
At the other end. West Ham were destroyed by Brentford 3-0 and Spurs controlled much of the game against a truly terrible Aston Villa. They ended up winning, which gives them a little breathing room, but only just. They need the last games if they are to be safe.
WEEK 36 GAME 1 – Sat May 9th 5:30 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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LIVERPOOL |
CHELSEA |
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| Odds -1/2 | O/U 3 | Odds +1/2 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: Chelsea seem to have completely lost their way, and there is not enough of the season left for them to find it. Liverpool should make amends for last week’s loss to Manchester United, so I’ll take The Reds at home. Liverpool -1/2 | |||||||
| RESULTS: 1-1 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: Liverpool started out on the right track. They were a goal up within 6 minutes. But that was about the peak of their performance. Chelsea looked to have achieved some improvement by not getting beat, for the seventh time in a row, and a draw at Anfield is not a bad result. Thing is neither one of these teams looked very inspiring. It was a pretty insipid affair. Their involvement in European tournaments next year (looks like they will both qualify for something or another) will be fraught with disappointment if they don’t make some serious changes. | |||||||
WEEK 36 GAME 2 – Sat May 9th 8:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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FULHAM |
BOURNEMOUTH |
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| Odds PICK | O/U 3 | Odds PICK | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: Bournemouth have made a surprising run at the tail end of the season, and I see them at least getting their specialty, a draw. Fulham were dismal last week against Arsenal, but I expect this game to go close. With saying that, I still think The Cherries will prevail here. Bournemouth. PICK. | |||||||
| RESULTS: 0-1 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: Not much going on in the first half until both teams had a player sent off for violent conduct. The second half produced more action, and Fulham looked the team more likely to go ahead. That, unfortunately for the Cottagers, is not how it panned out. Rayan’s goal in the 53rd-minute kept Bournemouth’s hopes of European football next year alive, while the defeat just about ended Fulham’s ambitions of trips to the Continent. | |||||||
WEEK 36 GAME 3 – Sat May 9th 8:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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BRIGHTON |
WOLVERHAMPTON |
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| Odds -1 1/2 | O/U 3 | Odds +1 1/2 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: Wolves come down to the South Coast hoping to add a little respect to their lost season. Brighton are pushing for a European place next year, and I expect they will take advantage of a side that really has nothing to play for. Brighton. -1 1/2 | |||||||
| RESULTS: 3-0 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: This went pretty much as most people expected. Two goals within the first five minutes put the writing on the wall, in capital letters. With 27% of the possession, you can’t expect much and that’s exactly what Wolves got, not much. Brighton’s eye on Europe looks good. They could use a couple of good results to lift them up from the field, but they are looking composed and confident. The way they are playing, they could be the top of the also-rans at the end of this campaign. |
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WEEK 36 GAME 4 – Sat May 9th 8:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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SUNDERLAND |
MANCHESTER UNITED |
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| Odds +1/2 | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds -1/2 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: If you ignore Sunderland’s thrashing by Notts Forest a couple of weeks ago, and the fact that they could only get a draw at Wolves last week, I think they will put up a bit of a better show on their home turf. Despite their League standing I am not impressed with this United team, therefore I’m going with the home side. Sunderland. +1/2 | |||||||
| RESULTS: 0-0 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: If it wasn’t for the highly erratic form of Liverpool and Aston Villa this year, Manchester United wouldn’t be anywhere close to third in the League. This game shows just how mediocre this United side can be. On paper, and the money spent in an effort to improve on last season’s horrible showing, Manchester should be head and shoulders above a Sunderland side that are held together, not by big name players, but pure grit and determination. Sean Lammens, in Manchester’s goal, saved an embarrassment for the visitors with a couple of excellent saves, and without his heroics this could have ended with a home victory. All in all, it was a pretty lack luster affair with only two real shots on goal by either side. Sunderland will be happy with the point, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see these teams going in opposite directions next year. By that I mean Manchester will be further down the Table while Sunderland will improve their standings. | |||||||
WEEK 36 GAME 5 – Sat 9th May 10:30 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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MANCHESTER CITY |
BRENTFORD |
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| Odds -1 1/2 | O/U 3 | Odds +1 1/2 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: A big slip up last week for City as they could only get a draw at Everton. They dominated the game in the first half, but were lucky in the end to snatch a draw on the last kick of the game. Brentford can be tricky, but I think City will get it back on track, even if catching Arsenal looks to be out of reach. Manchester City -1 1/2 | |||||||
| RESULTS: 3-0 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: Brentford really didn’t show up for this game, or maybe it was just the intensity of a City team that has not yet given up the chase to catch Arsenal. Manchester’s 23 shots, 9 on target, as opposed to 4 shots, and only 2 on target for the Bees about sums up the difference between these two. Brentford had a promising start to the game but were not able to make anything from a mad scramble in front of City’s goal mouth. Going into the break, it was all tied up at 0-0. The second period saw Manchester pile on the pressure and the deadlock was broken when Jeremy Doku scored a carbon copy of his last-ditch equalizer at Everton last week. From then on the hosts never looked back, with a second goal by Earling Haaland, and an injury time third by sub Omar Marmoush buried Brentford. | |||||||
WEEK 36 GAME 6 – Sun May 10th 7:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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BURNLEY |
ASTON VILLA |
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| Odds +1 | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds -1 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: Aston Villa were awful against Spurs last week and Burnley have already booked their holiday reservations. I look to see the Villans to regain just a little of the form they are capable of, and taking all three points from the Clarets. Aston Villa. -1 | |||||||
| RESULTS: 2-2 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: Already relegated Burnley are not about to lay down it appears. They went in front in the 8th-minute with a Jaidon Anthony goal, that gave the home crowd something to cheer about, although there were not a lot of them there to witness it, in an otherwise disappointing season. Aston Villa seem to be missing a gear or two, as they should have made short work of a team with nothing to play for. Ross Barkley and Ollie Watkins had the visitors in front, but only for about three minutes, before Zian Flemming scored the equalizer for Burnley. The loss of two points may impact Villa’s qualifications for Europe next year, but by the way they are playing now, any such involvement would just be a waste of a plane ticket. | |||||||
WEEK 36 GAME 7 – Sun May 10th 7:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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NOTTINGHAM FOREST |
NEWCASTLE |
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| Odds PICK | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds PICK | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: Even if they did beat Brighton last time out, they still didn’t look good doing it. It may have been a great result for The Magpies, but their problems have not gone away. Notts Forest have discovered what it takes to win again, and I see them extending their escape from the bottom of the League. Nottingham Forest PICK. | |||||||
| RESULTS: 1-1 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: Newcastle managed to fritter away another lead. Late goals by Harvey Barnes for Newcastle and Elliot Anderson for Forest left both teams with one point apiece. Eddie Howe, Magpies’ manager, has had a very frustrating season and could be skating on very thin ice. As for many teams this season, major shakeups are in the works if next year is going to be successful. Forest have managed to claw themselves out of relegation contention and will look forward to another year in the Topflight. Newcastle gets to go home, lick their wounds and contemplate a season that should have turned a lot better than it did. | |||||||
WEEK 36 GAME 8 – Sun May 10th 7:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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CRYSTAL PALACE |
EVERTON |
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| Odds PICK | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds PICK | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: To almost beating Manchester City last week, to face Crystal Palace and the games odds are a PICK does not show a lot of respect for The Toffees. Saying that, sitting at #10 in the table is where they belong. For my money, Palace really don’t belong in the Top Tier based on their recent efforts, and if they don’t do something drastic in the off season, I see them as candidates for the drop next year. I’ll take Everton. PICK. | |||||||
| RESULTS: 2-2 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: A PICK for this game seemed about right and a draw was a fair result. Everton were playing above themselves last Monday against Manchester City and they didn’t need to be up to that level to take care of Palace. They didn’t disappoint. They weren’t up to that level, but they did play their usual, mistake prone, mediocre, game. Crystal Palace were there for the taking. They may have beaten Notts Forest in the week, but that is hardly a ringing endorsement of their talents. All that being said, you don’t have to be top-notch to deliver an entertaining game. There was plenty of action, but both teams suffer from the same problem, lack of finishing. With a 74% pass accuracy Everton were lucky to escape with the one point that they did. | |||||||
WEEK 36 GAME 9 – Sun 10th May 9:30 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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WEST HAM |
ARSENAL |
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| Odds +1 | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds -1 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: West Ham’s true colors were on display last week against Brentford, and I see no reason why that kind of result can’t be replicated here. Arsenal can almost see the Title, and all they need is a couple of results to bring home the Trophy. If The Hammers manage to derail their ambitions, it will be the biggest upset of the season. Arsenal -1 | |||||||
| RESULTS: 0-1 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: For the longest time this looked as though it was going to end in a goal-less draw. Then seven minutes from the end, Leandro Trossard poked a shot through a cluster of players to finally beat West Ham’s goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen. The Hammers’ strategy was to concede possession, with only 34% of the ball, but with only 72% pass accuracy even when they did have it, they couldn’t seem to produce anything of note. Although, they did manage 4 shots on goal against 2 by Arsenal. Sub Callum Wilson had the ball in the net in injury time from a corner kick and the ref gave it as a goal. After a lengthy VAR review the goal was disallowed for a foul on Arsenal’s goalkeeper Raya. Arsenal were lucky to escape with all three points, but West Ham played their usual uninspired game. Despite their recent results, they really haven’t improved much and a trip to the lower division is no more than what they deserve. | |||||||
WEEK 36 GAME 10 – Mon May 11th 1:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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TOTTENHAM |
LEEDS |
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| Odds -1/2 | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds +1/2 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: Tottenham have already beaten Leeds on their home ground this year, no mean feat. After last week’s outing at Aston Villa, lots of people are saying that they have turned a corner, I’m not so sure. With West Ham facing Arsenal this week, I can see The Spurs widening the gap between themselves and The Hammers. Not going to put a lot of money on this, but anyway. Tottenham -1/2 | |||||||
| RESULTS: 1-1 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: Spurs always looked the team most likely to score, and they did, but not until the 50th-minute. All three points would have almost assured Tottenham safety from relegation, but it was not to be. A penalty was awarded to Leeds in what looked to me like a very unfair decision. Matys Tel went for an overhead kick, and Ethan Ampadu came from behind Tel and attempted to head the ball. Tel had his back to Ampadu and was already in the air when the attacker made his jump. This was never a penalty! Then right at the end of the game, James Madison was clearly brought down in Leeds’ penalty area, but only a corner was given. From what I saw, both decisions were wrong. What that means now is West Ham have now been given a lifeline, again. Spurs are only two points in front of the Hammers with two games to go. | |||||||