WEEK 25
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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 25 Feb 6th-8th
All times are Mountain Standard Time
LAST WEEK’S SUMMARY
WEEK 24
Again, both teams that have any chance of catching Arsenal slip up. The Gunners are now six points clear at the top, and this week should not see them lose any ground to their challengers. The only real upset this week was Aston Villas inexplicable loss to Brentford on their home ground. An honorable mention goes to Spurs almost miraculous comeback against Manchester City. Not sure if it was due to a renewed purpose from Tottenham, or a lack of concentration on Manchester’s part. City are developing a nasty habit of letting games they should win slip through their fingers.
WEEK 25 GAME 1 – Fri Feb 6th 1:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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LEEDS |
NOTTS FOREST |
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| Odds -1/2 | O/U | Odds +1/2 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: Nottingham Forest have already beaten Leeds once this season but that was on their home turf. I imagine Leeds will return the favor in this early game on Friday. Both these teams are in desperate need of the points, so I expect this to be a hard-fought game. Leeds -1/2 | |||||||
| RESULTS: 3-1 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: A resounding win by Leeds pulls them six points clear of the drop zone. Both teams had chances in the early stages, but Forest’s goose was cooked after two goals in four minutes at the half hour mark. Shortly after the break, Leeds added a third and weren’t about to let this game end any other way than a total victory. They still piled on the pressure looking for a fourth but, in the end, new boy, Lorenzo Lucca, came on as a substitute for the Tricky Trees and scored a consolation goal just before the full-time whistle was blown. The Whites were never bothered by their competition this week and their future in the Premier League looks just a little more settled. | |||||||
WEEK 25 GAME 2 – Sat Feb 7th 5:30 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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MANCHESTER UNITED |
TOTTENHAM |
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| Odds -1 | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds +1 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: A very convincing comeback for Spurs against Manchester City last week. Who’s to say if they can repeat that form at Old Trafford? United were very lucky to squeeze a win against Fulham last time out. I think the wise move would be to stay away from this one. No Bet | |||||||
| RESULTS: 2-0 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: A draw, from two goals down, looked pretty good last week against Manchester City, but in the cold light of day, Spurs look just like the same ineffective team they have been all season. Captain Christian Romero getting sent off in the 29th minute didn’t help their chances; not that it would have made much difference if he had stayed on the field. United were all over this from the start. There were flashes of hope from the Londoners, but it never looked like this was going to end up any other way than it did. United continue their unbeaten run under new manager Michael Carrick. Romero now having to sit out the next four games will not help Tottenham’s fortunes in the upcoming weeks, and the rest of their season may be a struggle to stay just above the relegation zone. | |||||||
WEEK 25 GAME 3 – Sat Feb 7th 8:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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WOLVERHAMPTON |
CHELSEA |
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| Odds +1/2 | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds -1/2 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: Chelsea were given a fright last week against West Ham, but I don’t see that happening here. With the teams above them slipping, with the exception of Arsenal, I think The Blues will try and keep the pressure on, and what better team to collect all three points from than Wolves. Chelsea -1/2 | |||||||
| RESULTS: 1-3 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: In some ways this is sad. In the first half, Wolves were completely outplayed. Man to man Chelsea had the upper hand and Wolverhampton looked completely outclassed. They went in at the half three goals down, all thanks to Cole Palmer, and rightly so. At the break, this game looked like it could end up five or six nil, but something happened at the break. Tolu Arokodare managed to claw one back and Wolves realized that there was a second half to the field. They started to play and created chances, not too much avail, but at least they were in Chelsea territory. There was no need for the Blues to let them back into the game, but they seemed to slack off in the second half. Not enough to make a difference to the score, but they should have buried Wolves when they had the chance. |
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WEEK 25 GAME 4 – Sat Feb 7th 8:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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FULHAM |
EVERTON |
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| Odds -1/2 | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds +1/2 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: Fulham are at home to Everton. The Toffees are without Jack Grealish, who is out for the season. Without him, they lose what creative spark they had. All they can do now is fall back on the old, reliable goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. The Cottagers should be too much for Everton and I expect them to prevail on their own pitch. Fulham -1/2 | |||||||
| RESULTS: 1-2 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: Fulham had this game under control, thanks in part to an early own goal by Everton’s Vitalii Mykolenko. The Cottagers were cruising to a three-point payday, but Everton started to fight back in the second half. Keirnan Dewsbury-Hall had the game tied up halfway through the second period, and then with seven minutes left to play, Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno gave the Toffees the result they were hoping for. For some reason he decided to punch out a cross in front of his goal, but instead ended up poking it into his own net. A very costly mistake that could have big ramifications at the end of the season as far as qualification in Europe next year, for both teams. | |||||||
WEEK 25 GAME 5 – Sat Feb 7th 8:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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ARSENAL |
SUNDERLAND |
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| Odds -1 1/2 | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds +1 1/2 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: Arsenal will look to extend their lead on the top of the pile by sending the Black Cats back to the North-East empty handed. For their part Sunderland are no pushovers and it might be interesting to see Granit Xhaka return to his old club, a much more mature player than when he left. For a small wager, I would take Sunderland to keep it within one goal. Sunderland. +1 1/2 | |||||||
| RESULTS: 3-0 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: With Manchester City yet to play, Arsenal have gone nine points clear at the top. Goals either side of the break plus an extra one deep into injury time gave the Gunners a convincing win over this season’s surprise candidates. Viktor Gyokeres bagged two and has started to find his feet after a shaky start in North London. The only two real contenders against Arsenal winning the League, Aston Villa and Manchester City, keep screwing up their chances in cutting down the lead. If their form continues the way it is, the Gunners will not be caught. | |||||||
WEEK 25 GAME 6 – Sat Feb 7th 8:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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BOURNEMOUTH |
ASTON VILLA |
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| Odds PICK | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds PICK | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: Aston Villa stumbled badly against Brentford last week, and if they are to keep any kind of hope alive of catching Arsenal, they can’t afford to let that happen many more times. If they don’t get a result here, this hill may be a little too steep to climb. The odds say an even game, but to me it looks all Villa. Aston Villa. PICK. | |||||||
| RESULTS: 1-1 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: Aston Villa managed to screw it up again, against a side that they should have beaten easily. The Cherries were all over them and it was against the run of play when Morgan Rogers scored the opening goal. Bournemouth were relentless and even if they did slack off in the second half somewhat the stats at the end of the game told the story. Aston Villa were certainly second best and in the end they were lucky to escape with the one point. | |||||||
WEEK 25 GAME 7 – Sat Feb 7th 8:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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BURNLEY |
WEST HAM |
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| Odds +1/2 | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds -1/2 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: West Ham travel up to Burnley. This is like a train wreck playing a dumpster fire. You don’t often get to see West Ham as favorites. It’s not like any kind of result will help either one of these teams. They should get used to each other’s company because they are going to see a lot more of each other next year in the Championship League. No Bet | |||||||
| RESULTS: 0-2 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: Burnley put up a spirited fight, but the breaks just didn’t come their way on Saturday. They were 2-0 down at half time, and even with renewed energy in the second period, they couldn’t find a way past West Hams’ defense. Three wins in their last four games have given the Hammers some new hope, and they are within spitting distance of the next team above them, Nottingham Forest. They need to overtake them at some point if they are to stay in the Premier League. The Tricky Trees face Wolves in a couple of days while West Ham meet with Manchester United. If things pan out the way they should, yeah right, there could quiet possibly be a six-point gap again between these two. | |||||||
WEEK 25 GAME 8 – Sat Feb 7th 10:30 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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NEWCASTLE |
BRENTFORD |
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| Odds -1/2 | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds +1/2 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: Despite getting mashed last week at Liverpool, Newcastle should bounce back once they are at home. The Magpies have had a topsy turvy season and all in all up till now, they must be feeling a tad disappointed. Brentford for my money, have led a charmed life so far this season, but I see Newcastle taking all the spoils here. Newcastle -1/2 | |||||||
| RESULTS: 2-3 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: Newcastle have now lost four home games this season. At a stadium that was anything but welcoming to any travelling teams, St James’ Park has lost its reputation as a very difficult place to get a result. If Brentford can come here and win, I suppose just about anyone can. The Magpies should have had this in the bag, but going in at the half 2-1 down, after an injury time penalty by Igor Thiago, didn’t help any. Bruno Guimaraes evened the score with a penalty of his own, only to see it all go up in flames five minutes from time thanks to a Dango Ouattara goal. This is the first time Brentford has beaten Newcastle on their home turf in 86 years. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has been given a vote of confidence by the club, so it looks like his job is safe for now, but if things don’t turn around mighty fast, this could end up being a very disappointing season for the Geordies. | |||||||
WEEK 25 GAME 9 – Sun Feb 8th 9:30 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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LIVERPOOL |
MANCHESTER CITY |
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| Odds PICK | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds PICK | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: This is going to be a tough one to call. Manchester City seem to have their games all wrapped up and then let their opponents back into it. Liverpool are not the force they were last year. Mo Salah’s form has dropped dramatically, Milo Kerkez is an absolute waste of space, but one bright spot is Hugo Ekitike. I’ll not be using my holiday money on this, but Liverpool might just squeeze this out. Liverpool. PICK. | |||||||
| RESULTS: 1-2 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: As one might expect, this was a corker. The odds went out to Manchester City +1/2. I figured this was a good draw, but when I saw the odds change, the bet became City, so that’s what I did. The first half was all City, but they couldn’t turn their superiority into goals so went in at the half 0-0. As the game was winding down, Dominik Szoboszlai took a free kick from a good distance from the goal and hammered a stunning goal that swerved into the net without goalkeeper Donnarumma moving a muscle to try and save it. This was in the 74th-minute, so City had to pull out all the stops to find even an equalizer. Bernado Silva delivered 10 minutes later, and with 6 minutes left plus a slug of extra time, the chase was on to get the job done by both teams. Three minutes into injury Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, brought down Matheus Nunes, and Erling Haaland calmly slotted home the ensuing penalty. With 10-minutes of extra time, Liverpool were desperate to find the equalizer. A scramble in the City goalmouth emerged with Rayan Cherki booting a halfhearted ball towards the Liverpool goal. At this point goalkeeper Becker had abandoned his goal and was trying to give support to a last-ditch effort for Liverpool. Everyone was in the Manchester City half of the field and Cherki’s lame effort slowly rolled towards the open goal. Haaland and Szobszlai were in hot pursuit with Haaland slightly in the lead. Szobszlai tugged on Haaland’s shirt and then Haaland returned the favor. The ball meanwhile rolled into the net. After some deliberation, it was determined that Szobszlai had delivered the first foul, so the goal was disallowed and a free kick was given, and the Liverpool player sent off. A truly bizarre finish to an exciting match. but from what I could see, it was a just result. | |||||||
WEEK 25 GAME 10 – Sun Feb 8th 7:00 |
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| HOME | AWAY | ||||||
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BRIGHTON |
CRYSTAL PALACE |
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| Odds -1/2 | O/U 2 1/2 | Odds +1/2 | |||||
| PREDICTIONS: I don’t see much light at the end of the tunnel for Palace. Brighton can be tricky at home, and the Eagles can’t buy a break. These odds may change and a draw seems the most likely outcome. If pressed I would have to say Brighton would be my choice, but if the odds stay like this, Brighton-1/2, I’d go with the draw and then the bet would be Crystal Palace. If this goes to a PICK, Brighton is the bet. if it stays the way it is then take Crystal Palace. | |||||||
| RESULTS: 0-1 | |||||||
| ANALYSIS: Neither one of these teams deserved to win this. Certainly not Crystal Palace. This was basically crap from the starting whistle until the last useless effort. I don’t know what has happened to Brighton, they used to be an entertaining, dynamic team. Granted they had the lion’s share of the ball, but they could have played until next Thursday and still not scored. If you watched this game and you didn’t know who was playing, you would have been hard pressed to find anyone that belonged in the Top Tier of English football. That was 90+ minutes of my life that I will never get back, but in case I’ve been a little overgentle, make no mistake this was painful to watch, the only saving grace is that I am not a fan of either club. | |||||||