Five more English Premier League matches take place on Wednesday and we take a look at each game including Man City v Fulham and Sunderland v Liverpool
Prices quoted are correct at the time of publication but subject to change.
Aston Villa v Brighton
Villa’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth last week saw them remain in third place but now 3 points behind Man City, 9 shy of Arsenal and they have the likes of Man United and Chelsea making up ground from behind. It’s now just 1 win in the last 5 for Villa and their last 2 home games ended in a pair of 1-0 defeats, to Everton and Brentford.
Brighton’s -0 home defeat to Palace last week means they have won just 1 of their last 12 league games and that came at home to second bottom Burnley. Recent results away from home include a 2-1 defeat at Fulham and draws at Man City and West Ham.
I must admit to having next to no confidence in tackling this game. Villa have gone off the boil and Brighton even more so and I'll take my chances with under 2.5 goals in total. .
Bet: Total goals under 2.5 at 1.02/1 with Pokerbet
Crystal Palace v Burnley
That win for Palace at Brighton on Sunday ended a sequence of 9 league games without a win, 3 draws and 6 defeats. That moved them u to 32 points, just below half way in the standings.
Burnley last 2 results and performances are of particular concern. A 3-0 loss at Sunderland and 2-0 home defeat to West Ham stretched their winless run to 16 EPL matches, they remain second from bottom, 11 points from safety.
Palace really needed that win and I expect them to kick on from it and win this by 2 or more goals.
Bet: Handicap, Palace -1 goal at 1.45/1 with Sportingbet
Man City v Fulham
City’s dramatic late comeback in the 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday kept them 6 points behind Arsenal (who visit Brentford on Thursday) in the title race. Other recent league results include a 2-2 draw at Spurs and 2-0 home win over Wolves and they now face a Fulham side whom they beat 5-4 in a crazy game in London earlier in the season.
Fulham have lost 3 of their last 4, most recently going down 3-2 at Man United and 2-1 at home to Everton. They also lost at Leeds recently and finished the previous round in tnth spot, smack in the middle of a congested area of the standings.
I'll go with City to win the game but with Fulham contributing to the scoring.
Bet: Outcome and both teams to score? Man City and yes at 1.63/1 with Pokerbet
Notts Forest v Wolves
A poor display in a 3-1 loss at Leeds last Friday puts Forest under pressure again, now just 3 points clear of the drop zone. Prior to that they were in decent shape with draws at home to Palace and Arsenal and won at West Ham and Brentford.
Wolves went down 3-1 at home to Chelsea to remain on 8 points, 18 shy of Forest and after some spirited efforts in December and January they have now lost 3 in a row by a margin of exactly 2 goals.
If you draw a line through the Leeds result Forest would be home and dry but there is some pressure on them here. I'll go with Gibbs-White to score against his former club
Bet: Anytime goalscorer Gibbs White at 2.05/1 with Pokerbet
Sunderland v Liverpool
Sunderland put the only unbeaten home record in the EPL on the line against Liverpool. They were no match for Arsenal in London last week, losing 3-0 but they had held the Gunners, Man City and Villa to draws on their visits to the Stadium of Light where their record comprises of 7 wins and 5 draws.
Liverpool’s home defeat to City on Sunday saw them finish the round in sixth place, 3 points and 3 positions better off than their opponents here. Their only win in the last 7 league games came at home to Newcastle (4-1) whilst their most recent road trip ended in a 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth.
This could get very interesting with Sunderland a different animal on home turf. I see it being competitive and both sides to pick up 2 or more cards works for me.
Bet: Both teams to have 2 or more cards? yes at 15/10 with Sportingbet