Premier League Predictions, Week 32
Welcome back to the weekly predictions, Premier League fans! This midweek saw the arrival of the quarterfinal stage in European competition, and NO I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. So let's get back to Premier League action tomorrow, shall we?
If you don't remember from last time, even while my beloved Liverpool's form dipped, mine picked back up. After all, the Reds' frustrating draw with Manchester United was essentially what I expected, and teamed up with Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham to give me four correct predictions. Aston Villa's wild collapse at home vs. Brentford was my only missed prediction, and even that was close; if the Bees had scored one less goal, I would have nailed it. All in all, my good 4/5 week lifts my season total back up to 81/120.
But now, the matches are less than 12 hours from kicking back off, so let's not waste any more time celebrating minor Ws. Here are your 5 for Week 32!
Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur
The first match of the weekend is a huge one for Tottenham’s Top 4 hopes. Spurs gained the slight upper hand in the race for 4th place, as they have pulled ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference, but also have a game in hand. But they also have a brutal closing stretch to the season, starting with this road match and including showdowns with the Top 3. Newcastle have disappointed this season after their breakout year last year, but would love to play spoiler in the race for European football. Given the early kickoff and their home-field advantage, I think they may just do it.
The Pick: Draw, 2-2
Brentford vs. Sheffield United
It won't command too many eyeballs tomorrow morning, but this is a big match in relegation battle. It seems crazy that Brentford would be in a position like this, just 4 points out of the relegation zone. The Bees were so good and entertaining were in their years 1 and 2 in the league, but have never been able to get into gear this season. Sheffield, meanwhile, have shown signs of life, but have consistently been worst team this season. A loss in this one would just about seal their fate, and I think Brentford will put the knife to them at home.
The Pick: Brentford, 4-2
Manchester City vs. Luton Town
You could not pick two Premier League teams at more polar opposite ends of the "resource" spectrum than Manchester City, who are owned by an entire nation-state and have billions at their disposal annually, and Luton Town, who were playing three leagues lower a decade ago and had to spend millions just to bring their neighborhood-nestled stadium up to Premier League standards. And unsurprisingly, the two clubs are in polar opposite fights, City two points off the race for a 4th straight league title, and Luton neck-and-neck with Nottingham in the struggle to stay out of the relegation zone. The Hatters have been one of the more fun stories from the league season, as they have battled and overachieved all season, and I'm hoping they stay up. But let's be real, there's only going to be one result in this fixture tomorrow.
The Pick: Man City, 4-0
Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace
Nothing has come easy for Liverpool since slashing Sparta Praha 6-1 in the Europa League nearly a month ago: the March international break was sandwiched by a wild loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup, and then two home wins in the league that were significantly more difficult than they should have been. Enter last week, which saw a frustrating draw last Sunday at United (in which they led xG 3.92-0.87) that cost them the league lead, followed by an absolute embarrassment vs. Atalanta in the Europa quarterfinals which likely spells their elimination from that cup. A home match this weekend against one of the worse teams in the league, who they already beat with a less-healthy squad, should be the prescription to get back on track. But the week the Reds have had has the potential to be a backbreaker for their promising season, and truthfully, I've lost the faith in their ability to bounce back quickly.
The Pick: Draw, 1-1
Arsenal vs. Aston Villa
Last weekend was a dream weekend for Arsenal fans. Their team scored a dominant win against Brighton in a match with obvious trap potential, while title rivals Liverpool drop points in a match they should have won, allowing the Gunners to retake the league lead. It was a nightmare weekend for Aston Villa, meanwhile: their epic collapse at home cost them two points, while Man United got an unexpected point off Liverpool and Tottenham won, dropping Villa to a more precarious 5th place position. I believe Unai Emery's men are going to rediscover their fight at some point in this late-season push, but I'm not sure it's gonna come against a high-flying Arsenal team, whose back line is impenetrable currently.
The Pick: Arsenal, 3-0
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