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Premier League Preview: Easter Weekend

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After a brief hiatus due to the international break, the Premier League is back. And it is back with a bang. There are a number of blockbuster match-ups to keep an eye on this weekend, so here is your preview ahead of a busy Easter schedule.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Can the Magpies extend their streak?

St James’ Park plays host to the early kick-off on Saturday afternoon as Newcastle United welcome welcome West Ham United. 

Eddie Howe’s men are unbeaten in their previous four against West Ham. However, three of these have been draws. A win would take the Magpies to within a point of the Hammers and they would have a game in hand. All three points for Newcastle could see a shift in momentum during the final run-in of the 2023/24 campaign. 

Newcastle will be confident heading into this game due to the fact they have a fairly decent home record. They rank sixth having taken 29 points from 14 fixtures in front of home fans in the Premier League this term. 

Something to note, though, is that West Ham do well on their travels. David Moyes’ men have claimed 20 points on the road, a haul only six teams in the Premier League can better. A win for the Hammers would take them level on points with Manchester United in sixth. It might not seem like it, but there’s a lot at stake. 

What version of Spurs will we see?

Tottenham Hotspur have been a real Jekyll and Hyde team over recent weeks. 

Ange Postecoglou’s side have been blowing hot and cold throughout the month of March having battered Aston Villa 4-0 at Villa Park to then lose 3-0 to Fulham at Craven Cottage before the international break. 

A win here would take them level on points with Aston Villa, but they could well leapfrog Unai Emery’s team into fourth if they win by a scoreline of two or more goals. On paper, this fixture against Luton Town should be a formality for Spurs, especially if they want to claim a top-four finish this term. 

Since returning from the Asian Cup, Heung-Min Son has five goal involvements in five outings for Spurs. His return of 14 Premier League goals can only be bettered by Mohamed Salah, Dominic Solanke, Ollie Watkins, and Erling Haaland. The Spurs skipper has the ability to really punish a porous Luton team. 

Rob Edwards’ men are winless in nine. They are also without a clean sheet in nine. They have caused some big teams a number of issues this season but they’re yet to register a win against a top name. Maybe an inconsistent Spurs team presents them with an ideal opportunity to record a statement victory. 

Wounded Wolves 

Wolves travel to Villa Park on Saturday evening to take on Aston Villa. They are going to want to put in a confident showing in an effort to forget about what happened in their last outing. With an FA Cup semi-final up for grabs, Gary O’Neil’s side let a 2-1 lead over Coventry City slip to lose 3-2 in stoppage time. 

That sort of loss, with it happening in such a disheartening manner, could really derail a campaign so it will be interesting to see how Wolves respond. Especially when you realise a win could move them into seventh. 

And it could be an ideal time to face an inconsistent Villa side but, ultimately, it depends on what version of this team turns up. Unai Emery’s men lost 4-0 to Spurs a few weeks back but followed that up with a 4-0 win over Ajax. However, they then played out a disappointing 1-1 draw with West Ham. Emery and his team could find themselves in fifth place ahead of kick-off if Spurs beat Luton in the afternoon. 

The pressure would be on the Villans who, at one stage, looked like title contenders, before a considerable drop-off has left them in a scrap for fourth place. They’re also without their suspended skipper, John McGinn and this further complicates things for the hosts. 

A last chance for Jürgen Klopp

Jürgen Klopp has done a lot throughout his career. However, he’s never beaten Roberto De Zerbi. He welcomes the Italian tactician to Anfield on Sunday with Liverpool looking to reclaim top spot in the Premier League. 

Brighton have been something of a bogey team for the Reds over recent seasons. In fact, it has been over two years since Liverpool beat the Seagulls. 

During this time, the teams have faced off on four occasions with Brighton claiming two wins as well as two draws. They have scored 10 goals across these four outings and have conceded just six times. 

Liverpool do have the best home record in the Premier League this term but the injury crisis might be catching up to them. The Reds lost 4-3 to Manchester United in the FA Cup prior to the international break and a number of returning players look rusty. They’ll need to be at their best to bring this horrid run of results to an end against the Seagulls. 

De Zerbi’s team haven’t been great away from home this season. Brighton are without a goal in three away matches and have taken just 15 points from 14 away matches. 

This is Klopp’s final opportunity to beat De Zerbi. He won’t necessarily care about that but he will want a reaction from his players, especially with top spot up for grabs. 

The champions host the leaders 

Manchester City will always be favourites heading into a football match but Arsenal are going to be full of confidence when they travel to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon. 

The Gunners have the best away record in the Premier League having taken 29 points from 14 games. They have scored the most goals in the English top-flight, kept the most clean sheets, and conceded the fewest numbers of goals. They are the form team and sit top of the Premier League, albeit only on goal difference. 

A win here would be a huge statement and could catapult them to go on to claim the title. 

City haven’t been at their best at the Etihad this season but they do rank third when looking at home fixtures having taken 34 points from 14 games. 

The Gunners beat City in the Community Shield earlier in the season and claimed a 1-0 win over the champions at the Emirates. Pep Guardiola’s men need to land a blow here to wrestle back some control in this title race. 

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the Premier League live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Premier League Preview: Easter Weekend

After a brief hiatus due to the international break, the Premier League is back. And it is back with a bang. There are a number of blockbuster match-ups to keep an eye on this weekend, so here is your preview ahead of a busy Easter schedule.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Can the Magpies extend their streak?

St James’ Park plays host to the early kick-off on Saturday afternoon as Newcastle United welcome welcome West Ham United. 

Eddie Howe’s men are unbeaten in their previous four against West Ham. However, three of these have been draws. A win would take the Magpies to within a point of the Hammers and they would have a game in hand. All three points for Newcastle could see a shift in momentum during the final run-in of the 2023/24 campaign. 

Newcastle will be confident heading into this game due to the fact they have a fairly decent home record. They rank sixth having taken 29 points from 14 fixtures in front of home fans in the Premier League this term. 

Something to note, though, is that West Ham do well on their travels. David Moyes’ men have claimed 20 points on the road, a haul only six teams in the Premier League can better. A win for the Hammers would take them level on points with Manchester United in sixth. It might not seem like it, but there’s a lot at stake. 

What version of Spurs will we see?

Tottenham Hotspur have been a real Jekyll and Hyde team over recent weeks. 

Ange Postecoglou’s side have been blowing hot and cold throughout the month of March having battered Aston Villa 4-0 at Villa Park to then lose 3-0 to Fulham at Craven Cottage before the international break. 

A win here would take them level on points with Aston Villa, but they could well leapfrog Unai Emery’s team into fourth if they win by a scoreline of two or more goals. On paper, this fixture against Luton Town should be a formality for Spurs, especially if they want to claim a top-four finish this term. 

Since returning from the Asian Cup, Heung-Min Son has five goal involvements in five outings for Spurs. His return of 14 Premier League goals can only be bettered by Mohamed Salah, Dominic Solanke, Ollie Watkins, and Erling Haaland. The Spurs skipper has the ability to really punish a porous Luton team. 

Rob Edwards’ men are winless in nine. They are also without a clean sheet in nine. They have caused some big teams a number of issues this season but they’re yet to register a win against a top name. Maybe an inconsistent Spurs team presents them with an ideal opportunity to record a statement victory. 

Wounded Wolves 

Wolves travel to Villa Park on Saturday evening to take on Aston Villa. They are going to want to put in a confident showing in an effort to forget about what happened in their last outing. With an FA Cup semi-final up for grabs, Gary O’Neil’s side let a 2-1 lead over Coventry City slip to lose 3-2 in stoppage time. 

That sort of loss, with it happening in such a disheartening manner, could really derail a campaign so it will be interesting to see how Wolves respond. Especially when you realise a win could move them into seventh. 

And it could be an ideal time to face an inconsistent Villa side but, ultimately, it depends on what version of this team turns up. Unai Emery’s men lost 4-0 to Spurs a few weeks back but followed that up with a 4-0 win over Ajax. However, they then played out a disappointing 1-1 draw with West Ham. Emery and his team could find themselves in fifth place ahead of kick-off if Spurs beat Luton in the afternoon. 

The pressure would be on the Villans who, at one stage, looked like title contenders, before a considerable drop-off has left them in a scrap for fourth place. They’re also without their suspended skipper, John McGinn and this further complicates things for the hosts. 

A last chance for Jürgen Klopp

Jürgen Klopp has done a lot throughout his career. However, he’s never beaten Roberto De Zerbi. He welcomes the Italian tactician to Anfield on Sunday with Liverpool looking to reclaim top spot in the Premier League. 

Brighton have been something of a bogey team for the Reds over recent seasons. In fact, it has been over two years since Liverpool beat the Seagulls. 

During this time, the teams have faced off on four occasions with Brighton claiming two wins as well as two draws. They have scored 10 goals across these four outings and have conceded just six times. 

Liverpool do have the best home record in the Premier League this term but the injury crisis might be catching up to them. The Reds lost 4-3 to Manchester United in the FA Cup prior to the international break and a number of returning players look rusty. They’ll need to be at their best to bring this horrid run of results to an end against the Seagulls. 

De Zerbi’s team haven’t been great away from home this season. Brighton are without a goal in three away matches and have taken just 15 points from 14 away matches. 

This is Klopp’s final opportunity to beat De Zerbi. He won’t necessarily care about that but he will want a reaction from his players, especially with top spot up for grabs. 

The champions host the leaders 

Manchester City will always be favourites heading into a football match but Arsenal are going to be full of confidence when they travel to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon. 

The Gunners have the best away record in the Premier League having taken 29 points from 14 games. They have scored the most goals in the English top-flight, kept the most clean sheets, and conceded the fewest numbers of goals. They are the form team and sit top of the Premier League, albeit only on goal difference. 

A win here would be a huge statement and could catapult them to go on to claim the title. 

City haven’t been at their best at the Etihad this season but they do rank third when looking at home fixtures having taken 34 points from 14 games. 

The Gunners beat City in the Community Shield earlier in the season and claimed a 1-0 win over the champions at the Emirates. Pep Guardiola’s men need to land a blow here to wrestle back some control in this title race. 

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the Premier League live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage and player ratings. Download the free app here.