All games kick-off Saturday 3pm unless stated otherwise
Chelsea v Arsenal (Saturday, 12.45)
A game that seems set to have a big impact on the title race, it is one that neither team can really afford to lose.
A loss for Chelsea would still leave them top, but Man City would then be trailing them by six points but with four games in hand.
Arsenal, meanwhile, may be forced to admit defeat in the title race should they lose. That outcome would mean they’d go seven points behind Chelsea with just eight games to play.
The Gunners sometimes have a tendency to wilt in big games, as evidenced by their 5-0 loss to Liverpool earlier in the season, while they’ve also never beaten a Chelsea side managed by Jose Mourinho in ten attempts. All of which makes the Blues deserved favourites going into this encounter.
Bet: Chelsea @ 10/11
Cardiff v Liverpool
Liverpool’s title challenge continues against a team they should beat comfortably — second from bottom Cardiff.
That said, they haven’t beaten the Bluebirds away since 1929, so the game is far from a formality against a team who are fighting for their Premier League lives.
The biggest threat to Cardiff will patently be Liverpool’s phenomenal attack and in particular, the strikeforce of Sturridge and Suarez.
The Reds have failed to score in just two games all season — against Southampton and Arsenal — and it’s a big ask for the Cardiff defence to emulate those two sides.
Bet: Liverpool @ 2/5
Everton v Swansea
Everton continue to hold vague hopes of securing Champions League football with other rivals Man United and Tottenham looking increasingly unlikely to earn a place in the top four.
A win would put them eight points behind Arsenal with a game in hand, provided Arsene Wenger’s side lose to Chelsea in the early kick-off.
They face a Swansea side who, despite sitting in 14th, are still just four points off the relegation zone, so they will be very much up for this game
Bet: Everton @ 4/6
Hull v West Brom
It is a mark of how entertaining this season has been that this encounter between the 13th and 16th place sides is still of great significance to both teams.
Hull have just seven points from their last ten matches, whereas West Brom have won in only one of their eight games with Pepe Mel at the helm.
The Baggies will be hoping former striker Shane Long, who scored 22 goals in 87 games during his time there, doesn’t come back to haunt them and push them closer to the relegation places in the process.
Bet: Hull @ 5/4
Man City v Fulham
If ever there was a game Man City seem guaranteed to win, it’s this one.
They host the league’s bottom team, as they bid to make up ground in the title race.
However, Fulham can take heart from the fact that they caused City some problems when they lost 4-2 to them back in December, while they could also look to Wigan’s improbable FA Cup victory at Eastlands for inspiration.
Bet: Man City @ 1/6
Newcastle v Crystal Palace
Newcastle host another team hovering just above the relegation zone.
The Magpies are one of the few sides with almost nothing to play for, given that they are comfortably safe from relegation and have little hope of obtaining a European place.
That said, the higher a team’s finish in the Premier League, the more lucrative the award, so they will not be completely without motivation for this afternoon’s clash.
Palace, on the other hand, will be desperate for a victory to give them some breathing space from the bottom three.
Bet: Newcastle @ 5/6
Norwich v Sunderland
Sunderland have had to endure a setback in the lead-up to this game, with striker Steven Fletcher being ruled out through injury.
Moreover, they face a Norwich side who are unbeaten in their last five home matches.
The Canaries could potentially go as high as 12th today — an impressive achievement for a side who, unlike many of those around them, have refrained from sacking their manager.
Indeed, of the bottom seven sides, they are the only team who have resisted the urge to change coach this season.
Bet: Draw @ 23/10
West Ham v Man United (Saturday, 17.30)
Any mere hope of United making a late bid for Champions League football was destroyed last weekend, after they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 at home to Liverpool.
The Red Devils now have little to play for, aside from a scarcely essential Europa League place, as they prepare to face a West Ham side who are on the brink of Premier League safety for another season.
United will, however, be eager for a win to boost confidence ahead of their big game with Manchester City.
The news, however, that Robin van Persie has been ruled out for a month will be a further psychological blow for David Moyes’ men.
Bet: Man United @ 19/20
Tottenham v Southampton (Sunday, 13.30)
Tottenham showed signs of the type of “gut” their manager Tim Sherwood often refers to in their Europa League encounter during the week.
Playing away against an impressive Benfica outfit, two quick-fire goals made the Portuguese team sweat, and it could have been worse for the hosts, had the referee not denied Spurs a clear-cut penalty in the dying stages.
In Sunday’s early kick-off, they face a Southampton team, who have enjoyed an excellent season by their standards, and will be looking to consolidate their success with a win at White Hart Lane.
Recent improved performances, however, suggest Tottenham should have enough to overcome the Saints for a second time in the league this season.
Bet: Tottenham @ 5/4
Aston Villa v Stoke (Sunday 16.00)
Aston Villa will go into this game in buoyant form, having earned a shock 1-0 win over league leaders Chelsea at Villa Park last week.
The victory over the London club means they are now virtually assured of survival, as they sit 10th on 34 points with nine games to play.
Stoke, meanwhile, are level on points with the Villains, though they have played a game more than Paul Lambert’s side.
Mark Hughes’ outfit will be without Stephen Ireland, who has impressed lately, as there is clause in the deal that brought him to Stoke, which prevents him from playing against his former club.
Bet: Aston Villa @ 6/5
Accumulator
A tenner on the above results will earn you approximately €6,828.54.
