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| The biggest tie of gameweek 28 sees Man United and Chelsea battle it out at Old Trafford on Sunday |
The Premier League returns with nine fixtures this weekend, with Arsenal and Manchester City competing for the Carabao Cup on Sunday.
The biggest tie of gameweek 28 will see Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte renew their rivalry as Manchester United and Chelsea battle it out at Old Trafford on Sunday.
There are 11 rounds left to go, with plenty of twists and turns to be expected.
Saturday 24 February
Leicester City 7/10
Draw 26/10
Stoke City 38/10
(14:30)
Leicester City reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup last Friday thanks to a 1-0 home victory over Sheffield United. There were positives for the Foxes as Riyad Mahrez was back in the side – after missing 10 days of training when his proposed move to Man City did not materialise – and Jamie Vardy continued his goalscoring form. It was the fifth game in a row in all competitions that Vardy had been on target. Claude Puel’s men will be looking to end their three-game winless run in the Premier League. Stoke are struggling in 19th on the table and winless in their last nine travels, suffering seven defeats – including last month’s FA Cup defeat away to Coventry City. I’m backing the home win.
Bournemouth 23/20
Draw 47/20
Newcastle 24/10
(17:00)
Bournemouth were beaten 4-1 away to Huddersfield last time out and Eddie Howe’s side will look to put that defeat behind them. The Cherries will be aiming to continue their impressive form at the Vitality Stadium. After drawing 3-3 against West Ham, they won three in a row at home against Everton, Arsenal and Stoke. Newcastle will be looking to build on their 1-0 win at home to Man United, but they’ve won just three of their 13 away games. Bournemouth claimed a 1-0 victory away to Newcastle in November and I’m backing the Cherries to win.
Brighton 23/20
Draw 2/1
Swansea 28/10
(17:00)
Brighton booked their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals last weekend after comfortably beating Coventry City 3-1 at home. That was their second straight win at the Amex Stadium, with the Seagulls beating West Ham 3-1 in the league a week prior. Brighton recorded a 1-0 victory away to Swansea in November and Chris Hughton’s side will aim to complete the double. Swansea have picked up 14 points from a possible 21 since Carlos Carvalhal took charge, but the south Wales outfit have drawn their last five away games in all competitions. Under their Portuguese boss, the Swans beat Liverpool and Arsenal last month and I’m backing them on the Win/Draw at 13/20.
Burnley 18/10
Draw 39/20
Southampton 7/4
(17:00)
Burnley have gone 10 Premier League games without a win since their 1-0 victory over Stoke City on December 12, which briefly lifted them into the top four. Despite the slump in form, the Clarets remain seventh in the Premier League, with a point above Leicester City. If Sean Dyche’s men want to hold on to that seventh position, they will need to recreate their best form over the remainder of the season. Southampton find themselves in the bottom three with just one win in 14 league games. Mauricio Pellegrino’s side are unbeaten in their last five away games, drawing 0-0 against Man United and 2-2 with Watford in between a 1-0 FA Cup win over Fulham. The Saints then claimed back-to-back wins away to bottom side West Brom, winning 3-2 in the league and 2-1 in the FA Cup last weekend. My money is on the draw.
Liverpool 1/5
Draw 57/10
West Ham 11/1
(17:00)
Liverpool are third in the Premier League, with two points behind second-placed Man United and one above fourth-placed Chelsea. Jurgen Klopp’s side are unbeaten in their last four matches, winning three times. They recorded back-to-back away wins in the Premier League, beating Huddersfield 3-0 and Southampton 2-0 in between a 2-2 draw at home to Tottenham and they thrashed Porto 5-0 in their own backyard in the UEFA Champions League. West Ham returned to winning ways last time out by claiming a 2-0 home win over Watford. Prior to that game, David Moyes’ side were winless in three matches, drawing back-to-back home games against Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, before losing 3-1 away to Brighton. Liverpool thumped the Hammers 4-1 at the London Stadium in November and I’m backing another comfortable win for the Reds. I’m going for the hosts on the (-1) Handicap at 11/20.
West Brom 9/10
Draw 43/20
Huddersfield 7/2
(17:00)
West Brom are bottom of the Premier League and seven points from safety with 11 games remaining after winning just one of their last 25 matches. The Baggies were dumped out of the FA Cup by Southampton last weekend, losing 2-1 on their turf. Alan Pardew will be desperate for his side to claim maximum points against Huddersfield and keep their survival hopes alive. David Wagner’s side were also knocked out of the FA Cup last weekend after they lost 2-0 at home to Man United. Prior to that game, the promoted club thrashed Bournemouth 4-1 at home in the league. But the Terriers have struggled on their travels, going four games without a win, losing three in a row. The sides are tipped to share the spoils.
Watford 27/20
Draw 9/4
Everton 21/10
(19:30)
Watford are 11th in the Premier League but are just four points away from the relegation places. Javi Gracia’s side lost 2-0 at West Ham last time out and the Hornets will be happy to return to Vicarage Road where they thumped Chelsea 4-1 at the beginning of the month. Everton are ninth in the league, with Sam Allardyce having steered the Merseysiders eight points clear of the drop zone. The Toffees will be hoping to build on their 3-1 victory at home to Crystal Palace last time out, but they’ve lost their last four games on the road. I’m backing Watford on the Win/Draw & Both Teams to Score at 13/10.
Sunday 25 February
Manchester United 11/10
Draw 9/4
Chelsea 26/10
(16:05)
Full match preview coming soon
Monday 26 February
Crystal Palace 11/2
Draw 33/10
Tottenham 5/10
(22:00)
With Chelsea facing a tough trip to Man United on Sunday, Tottenham will be looking for victory over Crystal Palace in hope of leapfrogging the Blues into the top four. The Eagles have been struggling in recent weeks, but Roy Hodgson’s side tend to raise their game against the division’s top sides. At Selhurst Park this season, they beat Chelsea 2-1 in October and held Man City to a goalless draw in December. Tottenham have drawn their last five games on the road in all competitions and I’m backing Palace to cause an upset. The draw is tipped at 33/10.
TREBLE @ 5/1
Leicester Win 7/10
Liverpool (-1) Handicap 11/20
Watford Win/Draw & BTTS 13/10
Written by Chad Nagel
