Reading Vs Southampton
Reading remain rooted to the bottom of the table and must mount a fightback starting against Southampton on Saturday lunchtime. The Royals were thrashed 4-1 by Arsenal last weekend and are in need of a morale boosting victory. Southampton seem to have done enough to avoid the drop but need a few extra points to cement their status. The Saints have not won a League match on the Road since visiting Villa Park. Two consecutive home defeats against relegation rivals has left Reading in serious trouble and they cannot afford a third home defeat on the trot.
Prediction 1-0
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Norwich Vs Swansea
Norwich need additional points if they are to secure top flight football next season. The Canaries are without a win in their last four League matches and are in danger of being dragged into the drop zone. Swansea are in the top half of the table and already have the Carling Cup to show for their efforts this season. Michael Laudrup has done an excellent job so far this season and will look to end the campaign on a high. Given that Norwich have drawn four of their last 5 league games I am going for a score draw here.
Prediction 1-1
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Stoke Vs Aston Villa
Stoke City have suffered a dip in form which has seen them moving towards the wrong end of the Barclays Premier League. Tony Pulis has overseen defeats in four of the last League five matches his side have contested. Aston Villa have seen an upturn in their fortunes recently although they threw away an early lead to lose against Liverpool last weekend. Benteke has been prolific and will be keen to test a Stoke defence which has looked less robust than usual in recent weeks. Bore draw expected at The Britannia.
Prediction 0-0
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West Brom Vs Arsenal
West Bromwich Albion have exceeded all expectations this season and Steve Clarke deserves great credit for guiding his side to such heights since the departure of Roy Hodgson. The Baggies have won two on the trot at home by an identical 2-1 scoreline. Arsenal have avoided making headlines but have claimed 15 points from a maximum of 18 in their last 6 matches. This has propelled The Gunners to within 2 points of Chelsea in 4th place. Arsene Wenger has never missed out on Champions League qualification and a win here would boost Arsenal’s chances of a Top 4 finish tremendously.
Prediction 1-2
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Liverpool Vs West Ham
Liverpool welcome West Ham to Anfield for the first televised match on Super Sunday. The Reds did extremely well to come from behind and beat Aston Villa last weekend. Brendan Rodgers has seen his side win 5 of their last 6 at Anfield and will hope to extend that positive run when The Hammers head North. West Ham have surely sealed their place in the top flight next season with a convincing 3-1 win over West Brom in Gameweek 31. The Irons have not travelled well lately and Big Sam has seen his team pick up just 3 points from their last 6 away fixtures. Can only see one outcome here.
Prediction 3-1
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Tottenham Vs Everton
Tottenham Hotspur were able to see out the final minutes against Swansea and register three points which could prove to be crucial at the end of the Season. AVB has guided his team to third in the standings but Chelsea and Arsenal are ready to pounce on any mistakes. Everton have once again produced an excellent tally of points considering their stretched resources. It has also been rumoured that David Moyes could move on from Goodison Park at the end of the season. The Toffees have lost their last two away fixtures in the Premier League and Spurs will be hoping to extend that to a miserable 3 away trips for Everton fans.
Prediction 2-0
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Chelsea Vs Sunderland
Chelsea secured their progress to the Semi Final of the FA Cup with a win over rivals Manchester United when Demba Ba scored a sublime volley to send The Blues to Wembley. Unfortunately for The Blues, several key players were rested at Southampton in Gameweek 31 and Chelsea ended up losing that match. Interim Manager Rafa Benitez has clearly made his priority the remaining Cup Competitions Chelsea are competing in. Sunderland are under new management following the appointment of Paolo Di Canio. The Italian faces a baptism of fire as he tries to address the slump in form which has seen The Black Cats pick up just 2 points from their last 6 matches. Home win here.
Prediction 2-1
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Newcastle Vs Fulham
Newcastle United were on the end of a hiding when they visited The Etihad last weekend. The Magpies are still not safe from relegation and need another few victories before they will be mathematically safe from the drop. Fulham are sitting comfortably in mid table and have no such worries. Martin Jol has seen his side produce the goods recently with 3 wins from their last 4 League games including an impressive victory at White Hart Lane. Fulham will be without the services of suspended midfielder Sidwell. I expect this to end in a draw.
Prediction 1-1
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QPR Vs Wigan
Queens Park Rangers almost pulled off a miraculous comeback to snatch something from their clash at Fulham on Monday night. Harry Redknapp was left to rue woeful first half defending which gifted Fulham an early 3-0 cushion. Despite Remy and Tarrabt finding the net, Rangers could not find an equaliser which would have done wonders for their morale. Wigan moved themselves out of the bottom 3 with a huge win over Norwich at The DW Stadium. Roberto Martinez has form when it comes to pulling off heroic escapes from relegation and may have another trick up his sleeve this season. Rangers to give themselves a chance of staying up with a victory here.
Prediction 2-1
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Manchester United Vs Manchester City
When the fixture list was announced many pundits had this match pencilled in as a title decider. Unfortunately for the neutral fan, United are 15 points clear with 8 games to go and City have no chance of bridging the gap. United are unstoppable in the League of late and have won all 6 of their last fixtures. The only disappointment for Sir Alex will be his side crashing out of the Champions League and FA Cup recently. Manchester City have had a very disappointing campaign and questions have been asked of both the players and manager. City’s only chance of silverware is in the FA Cup where they face Chelsea in the Semi Final. Mancini has only seen his side win one of their last four away matches in the Premiership and I expect United to hammer the final nail in City’s coffin on Monday Night.
Prediction 3-0
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