Premier League Predictions, Week 37
Welcome back to the weekly predictions, Premier League fans! The end is near. In fact, this is the last predictions piece I will write from the United States before I embark on my maiden voyage to Liverpool's season finale. The European competitions wrapped up their semifinal stages this week, and this weekend the title race and Top 4 race will have their de facto 'semifinals,' as well.
Last week, I didn't fully recapture the magic of my successful season thus far, but I did do a great job getting back on the horse from my 0 for 5 outing the week before. Liverpool's comfortable win over Tottenham and Brighton's upset of Aston Villa were not what I expected, but Arsenal's and Manchester City's dominant wins, and Crystal Palace's "upset" of Man United were. My 3/5 week gets me to 89.5/140, ever-so-slightly keeping alive my dream of getting 100.
But we're nearing the end of the season, and the matches are less than 12 hours from kicking back off, so let's not waste any more time wallowing in our misery. Here are your 5 for Week 37!
Fulham vs. Manchester City
Manchester City is just a few wins from an unprecedented 4th straight title, but matters are on a razor's edge, with the reigning champs technically trailing Arsenal by 2 points but with one more match to play. If City are going to drop points from now to the end of the season, I have a feeling it would be not in a big clash against a top team but rather in a match like this: early kickoff, on the road, against an opponent not good enough to command full attention but good enough to catch a better team napping. That said, I just can’t see it playing out that way against this Fulham team; I could maybe see the Blues getting off to a slow start, even ceding the lead, but they’ll pull through in the end and crush Arsenal hearts.
The Pick: Man City, 3-1
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Burnley
Tottenham’s Champions League hopes are clinging by a thread after a dreadful 4-match losing streak. For Spurs fans, it's not just that they have lost (these have been tough matchups, after all), it’s HOW they lost, barely putting up a fight against Newcastle, Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal. That said, tomorrow presents the perfect recipe to get back on track- a match at home against one of the worst teams in league.
The Pick: Tottenham, 4-1
Manchester United vs. Arsenal
Arsenal, technically the league leaders currently, are fully in the thick of the race even if Manchester City do win their match in hand, trailing by just 1 point in that scenario and holding both the goal-differential and head-to-head advantage. But the Gunners are in the precarious position of not only hoping City drop points down the stretch (historically not a common occurrence), but absolutely needing to win each of their remaining matches. On paper, that second part should be no problem on Sunday. This is not your father's Manchester United, after all; last weekend's capitulation to Crystal Palace clinched United's worst-ever season (in terms of points) in the Premier League era, and barring a stunner in the FA Cup final next month, they're headed for their 8th trophyless season in the 11 since Sir Alex Ferguson departed. And yet... and yet... the trademark of the Erik ten Hag era has been that the Red Devils always pop up with a surprising result right when everyone has officially written them off. And while Arsenal is unquestionably one of the best-- if not the best --teams in the country this year, they have still been prone to the occasional brain lapses. I think, in their last home game of the season, United will rediscover some pride and play with enough quality to deal a devastating blow to their old rivals' title hopes.
The Pick: Draw, 1-1
Aston Villa vs. Liverpool
As of this writing, Liverpool technically are still in the title race and Aston Villa technically haven't clinched a Top 4 finish, but both those things could be different by the time their match kicks off on Monday night. Should Tottenham drop points vs. Burnley, Villa's 4th-place finish would be secure, and wins by either Arsenal OR Man City would mathematically eliminate Liverpool from contention. Leaving alone the context, this matchup has the potential to be a cracker, the league's # 4 hosting the # 3, in a showdown of teams who love to attack and can be lackadaisical at the back. Without knowing the 'motivation quotient' for either team on this side of tomorrow morning's games, we have to assume it's a net-neutral, which would tip the scales in favor of Aston Villa being motivated to close their terrific season on a high in their last match in front of their home fans. We've seen what Liverpool look like when there's nothing tangible to play for, and it's not pretty.
The Pick: Aston Villa, 3-1
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City
No, this isn't a typo, and no you're not reading it wrong. Even though we're 9 days away from the last day of the Premier League, both these teams have one more match to play in between Weeks 37 and 38 on Tuesday, a reschedule from a FA Cup-adjusted weekend last month. Even if Tottenham are officially out of Champions League contention by the time Tuesday rolls around, what a massive match this is to casually stick on the Tuesday before the last weekend of the Premier League. These two could not be in more opposite form at the moment, but Spurs always have the potential to deliver an exciting match, especially in front of their home fans. It's no secret how much of a thorn in City's side Tottenham have been, either, under several different managers. In fact, just this very season, they fought to a thrilling 3-3 draw in Manchester. Two years ago, they tripped City up very close to the end of the season, opening the door for Liverpool to put serious heat on them in the title race. Could they replicate that feat, and inadvertently help their hated rivals Arsenal in the process? Based on current form, absolutely not. And I do have a hard time seeing Manchester City not winning this one, away match and all, hex and all....that is, unless Arsenal trip up this weekend, reducing the urgency for City to win this one. And wouldn't you know it, that's exactly what I predicted would happen!
The Pick: Draw, 2-2
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