Premier League Predictions, Week 38
If you’re thinking it seems a wee bit late on to debut a new weekly Premier League place, you’re on to something. Tomorrow is indeed the last match day of the season, but in the spirit of starting new features late in the season, I figured now was as good time as any to introduce some weekly predictions, which hopefully will become a more consistent mainstay in the 2018-19 year.
Match Day 38 is not nearly as dramatic this year as in years past, as Manchester City clinched the title, for all intents and purposes back in January, and officially, several weeks ago. In addition, all 3 relegation spots seem to be decided (2 of them ARE officially decided), so there isn’t chaos at the bottom of the table either. All of that being said, Sunday morning is not without its storylines. For starters, it’s likely the last we will see of Premier League icons Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, and Arsene Wenger. More importantly for next year, Liverpool and Chelsea will be duking it out for the all-important 4th Place finish to secure a Champions League bid next year, and Swansea will try to orchestrate a miracle to stay in the top division for 2018-19. Here are the big 5 matches to pay attention to tomorrow:
Huddersfield Town vs. Arsenal
Will the Gunners rally together to send their manager of 22 years out with a bang? Will Huddersfield have anything to play for after securing their safety from relegation last week? It’s tempting to think the emotional advantage (to go along with the obvious talent advantage) will be on Arsenal’s side, but I’m not so sure. Rarely in the last many years have the players on Arsenal seemed as if they cared about helping Wenger’s legacy, and the 5-0 romp against Burnley in the manager’s last match at the Emirates Stadium had an air of finality already. Plus, the Terriers, the feel-good story of the year, will surely want to have their home fans share in their celebration. I think an energetic Huddersfield knocks off an apathetic Arsenal.
The Pick: Huddersfield, 2-1
Swansea vs. Stoke City
To maintain their stay in the Premier League, Swansea need to win, have Southampton lose, and overturn a 10-goal differential deficit in the meantime. It’s extremely unlikely, but really not impossible, given that Swansea is facing an already-relegated Stoke City, and Southampton is playing the best team in the league. I think Swansea will get the win they absolutely need to have a shot, though likely not by the margin they’d prefer.
The Pick: Swansea, 3-2
Southampton vs. Manchester City
The gap in quality between these teams is vast, hence why a disastrous capitulation by Southampton is not entirely out of the question. But can a side that already has a trophy in hand really match the intensity of a team fighting for their Premier League lives? I think not, and I will not be shocked at all to see the Saints to snag at least a point from the champions, thus securing their safety.
The Pick: Draw, 1-1
Newcastle vs. Chelsea
Chelsea doesn’t have quite the mountain to climb that say, Swansea does, but their place in the Top 4 is unlikely: thanks to a midweek draw with Huddersfield, the Blues need to beat Newcastle in St. James Park, and have Liverpool lose to Brighton at home. We’ll get to the latter match in a minute, but for the part of Chelsea’s destiny that they can control, I expect them to have the same kind of performance they’ve had the last several weeks, the kind that has enabled them to even be in a position where they could finish in the Top 4. Not dominant, not even pretty, perhaps, but effective enough to get the result they need.
The Pick: Chelsea, 1-0
Liverpool vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
Chelsea will more than likely do their part to put the pressure on Liverpool and force the Reds to get all 3 points Sunday morning. Liverpool has already seen a 10-point lead over Chelsea dwindle to 2 in the last few weeks; surely they couldn’t flub their lines so much that they’d fail to get a point at home against mid-table club Brighton? Any Liverpool fan will tell you nothing is guaranteed with this side, and certainly, Brighton will be no pushover, as Manchester United learned on Thursday. Still, expect a raucous Anfield, a suddenly goal-starved Mohamed Salah, and the likely returns of Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana to be enough to push Liverpool to get the points they need to claim a Top 4 spot.
The Pick: Liverpool, 3-1