English Premier League action continues this weekend and we take a look at selected matches on Saturday and Sunday including Brighton v Liverpool, Newcastle v Sunderland and Spurs v Notts Forest
Prices quoted are correct at the time of publication but subject to change
Brighton v Liverpool (Saturday)
The story of Brighton’s season is illustrated by their record of 10 wins, 10 draws and 10 defeats but they are in good form right now having taken 9 points from the last 12 available with the only defeat coming at home (1-0) to league leaders Arsenal.
Liverpool marched into the quarter finals of the UCL with a 4-0 home win over Galatasaray on Wednesday, going through 4-1 on aggregate. They have also made progress in the FA Cup but the last 2 league games have seen them lose at Wolves and draw at home to Spurs. They remain in fifth place, probably good enough to qualify for the UCL next season but they have plenty of rivals with the same goal.
Liverpool have beaten Brighton in the league and cup this season, both times at Anfield.
Bet: To follow when team news becomes available
Everton v Chelsea (Saturday)
Everton went down 2-0 at Arsenal last weekend with both goals arriving in the dying moments of a game where they were very competitive. Prior to that they came away from Newcastle with maximum points (3-2) and followed up at home to Burnley (2-0) and they are in eighth position with 43 points.
Chelsea bowed out of the UCL with a 3-0 home defeat to PSG in midweek (8-2 on aggregate) and after a 1-0 home defeat to Newcastle in their most recent EPL outing they are in sixth place with 48 points, 1 fewer than Liverpool and 5 better off than their opponents here.
Chelsea were 2-0 winners when the teams met at Stamford Bridge in December.
Bet: To follow when team news becomes available
Newcastle v Sunderland (Sunday)
After a 1-1 draw in the first leg on Tyneside Newcastle’s UCL Round of 16 clash with Barcelona proved to be a bridge too far as they crashed to a 7-2 defeat in the return in Spain on Wednesday night. The sole focus now is on improving on a mid table league position and a tally of 42 points which puts them 7 shy of a top 5 finish and a touch behind other sides looking for some sort of European football next season. The good news is they have won their last 2 league games, 1-0 away to Chelsea and a 2-1 home win over Man United.
Sunderland are 2 points and 4 places behind Newcastle in the standings and their season has tapered off of late with an FA Cup exit at League 1 strugglers Port Vaale and only 4 points earned from the last 18 available in the EPL. They have had a number of key players absent through injury and a late check on their team sheet might be worthwhile.
Sunderland have an excellent league record against Newcastle in recent times and earlier this season they won the Wear / Tyne derby 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.
Bet: To follow when team news becomes available
Aston Villa v West Ham (Sunday)
Villa suffered a third successive defeat in the EPL when they went down 3-1 away to Man United last week. Prior to that they lost 2-0 at Wolves and 4-1 at home to Chelsea. They have won just 1 of their last 7 in the EPL, 1-0 at home to Brighton and although they finished the previous round in fourth spot, a number of chasing clubs have them in their sights.
With 29 points West Ham remain third from bottom but with Forest only ahead of them on goal difference, Spurs just 1 point in front and Leeds, 3 points better off but also in range. The latest evidence that they are determined to avoid the drop came in a 1-1 draw at home to Man City last weekend and prior to that they won 1-0 at Fulham.
Villa won the first league meeting this season 3-2 in London but they were flying at that time whilst West Ham were really battling and much has changed since then.
Bet: To follow when team news becomes available
Spurs v Notts Forest (Sunday)
Spurs have just 1 point of daylight over third bottom West Ham and fourth bottom Forest and it’s 12 games since their last league win which came at Palace just after Christmas. However the last few days have offered some encouragement to interim coach Igor Tudor who saw his side rescue a point with a late goal in a 1-1 draw at Liverpool last weekend. In midweek Spurs beat Atletico 3-2 in the second leg of their UCL Round of 16 clash but given they had lost the first leg 5-2 in Madrid they exited the competition and avoiding relegation is now the sole focus.
Forest are without a win in their last 7 league games, a run which comprises of 4 draws and 3 defeats and now sees them in the thick of the relegation battle with only goal difference keeping them out of the drop zone. They did put Spurs away 3-0 in Nottingham in December and their last league win came in London, 1-0 at Brentford towards the end of January.
Bet: To follow when team news becomes available
