Friday, March 10, 2023

Premier League Preview: Matchweek 27

Arsenal continues its title quest when the current league leaders stay in London for a derby match with Fulham. Arsenal has responded to a loss versus Manchester City by running off four consecutive victories. The Gunners’ lead is five points over a Manchester City side which visits struggling Crystal Palace this weekend. Newly promoted Fulham is having a fine season under manager Marco Silva. The Cottagers stand seventh in the table which would mean a Europa Conference League berth should the season end today.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, will be looking for their first win of 2023 when they host Manchester City.

Manchester United will be home at Old Trafford to face relegation bound Southampton. The Red Devils, big winners in their Europa  League match this week, will try to get back on track in the Premier League after their devastating loss at Liverpool last weekend. Southampton has a chance to escape the bottom three with a surprise win at Old Trafford. The Saints have delivered victories in two of new manager Ruben Selles’s three matches in charge.

Tottenham is tottering in fourth position with only a three point lead on Liverpool while having played one more match than the Reds. Spurs host Nottingham Forest on Saturday and it is frightening to anticipate the supporter reaction to a loss this weekend after the club went scoreless and was booted out of the Champions League at home during the week. The expectation is growing that Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte will not be at the club next season. Forest is four points clear of the drop as the promoted side tries to avoid a quick return to the Championship division.

Liverpool has four wins and a draw in a five-match unbeaten run punctuated by the historic win over Manchester United last week. The Reds visit Bournemouth Saturday as they try to keep the pressure on Tottenham Hotspur for the final Champions League qualification berth. 

Eighth place Brighton is chasing the European places as the Seagulls visit Leeds this weekend. New Leeds Manager Javi Gracia is tasked with keeping the Whites in the Premier League for next season. Leeds is currently safe on a better goal differential than Everton.

The Toffees will try to snap Brentford’s 12 match unbeaten run when the Bees visit Goodison Park Saturday. The Bees are level on points with eighth place Brighton, just a point behind Fulham and potential European Conference League play next year.

Newcastle has lost two consecutive matches and won only once this year as the Magpies have tumbled from the top four. Manager Eddie Howe will hope for a boost from home supporters when Wolverhampton visits St. James Park Sunday. Wolves are trying to stay away from the relegation fray despite having scored the joint lowest number of goals in the league this season.

Chelsea can win a third consecutive match across all competitions should the Blues defeat Leicester at King Power Stadium this weekend. Leicester is just two points from relegation as manager Brendan Rodgers could actually be having a worse year than Chelsea’s much maligned Graham Potter.

West Ham is a point worse than the Foxes and a slender one-point form relegation as the Hammers host Aston Villa Sunday. A loss could be one more nail in the coffin of manager David Moyes’s Hammer career. The Villans, meanwhile, are safely ensconced in the middle of the table under former Arsenal Manger Unai Emery.

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