Manchester City continues to inch closer to their third Premier League title in four seasons as we head into Matchday 31. This time around, they will have to prove their mettle against a Leeds United side that recently returned to winning ways.
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Fulham v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Fulham will be hoping to get maximum points against a Wolverhampton side struggling without talisman, Raul Jimenez, who sustained a fractured skull against Arsenal.
The Cottagers need to take advantage of this because a win will take them out of the relegation zone and ahead of Newcastle United on goals difference.
Both sides are coming into this clash, having recoded defeats in their last outings. Wolves couldn’t recover after letting in three goals against West Ham, while Fulham failed to see out their lead by succumbing to three late goals against Aston Villa.
On the other hand, Wolves would rather avoid a relegation battle and will want to secure another Premier League ticket. 40 is the magic number and a win here could seal their fate. So, it is expected to be an interesting affair.
Prediction: 1-1
Manchester City v Leeds United
Manchester City will be hoping to continue their winning run against attack-minded Leeds United.
With nine points behind the team in the 5th spot, it is still possible for the Yorkshire club to obtain a Europa League spot. That will be a huge success for a team that recently returned to the Premier League after over a decade out.
Pep Guardiola’s men are expected to win this, and the game is likely to be full of goals.
Prediction: 3-1
Liverpool v Aston Villa
The Reds go into this clash with memories of a 7-1 hammering in the hands of Aston Villa hands on their Premier League trip to Villa Park.
Moreover, they will want to return to winning ways after losing 3-1 to Real Madrid in their midweek Champions League clash. Winning this tie will help their top-four quest while Aston Villa wants to move further up the table and possibly try their luck for a Europa League spot.
It is expected that Jurgen Klopp’s men will amend their mistakes against the Galacticos and get a win here in preparation for the visit of the La Liga Champions next week.
Prediction: 3-0
Crystal Palace v Chelsea
Crystal Palace is mathematically safe from relegation. Therefore, this may mean that they are more relaxed against a Chelsea on the back of their 2-0 win over Porto in the midweek Champions League encounter.
However, the Eagles have nothing to lose. This could also mean that they go all-out attack and cause a problem for Chelsea. They will draw inspiration from the 5-2 thrashing Chelsea got in the hands of relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion last week.
Prediction: 1-2
Burnley v Newcastle United
Burnley meets Newcastle at a time when the Tyneside club has started to welcome their important players back. That was obvious with the introduction of Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin. The latter was involved in the equalising goal against Spurs.
Therefore, they will be heading into this encounter high on confidence against a side that couldn’t keep a two-goal-lead against Southampton and ended on the losing side.
Although Turf Moor is a hard place to get a win, this could boost Burnley’s confidence to give Newcastle a run for their money. Plus, they won’t want to be dragged into a relegation battle as they are currently sit with 33 points.
Newcastle is expected to give their all here because they will want to move up the table as soon as possible.
Prediction: 0-1
West Ham United v Leicester City
This is expected to be a top clash between two in-form sides. Barring their defeat against Manchester City, Leicester seems to have made the third spot their own. They are getting good results since they’ve been out of all other competitions.
The same goes for West Ham united except for their defeats against Manchester United and Manchester City. The clash is expected to be an end-to-end attacking game.
West Ham could be without Michail Antonio, who was substituted in their last 3-2 win against Wolves for the clash. This means they could be short of attacking options.
But they can rely on in-form Jesse Lingard, who has been a good loan signing for them.
On their other hand, Leicester will have the service of both Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho to bank on. To get anything from the game, West Ham will have to sweat it out to cut out supplies to the two.
Prediction: 1-1
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United
This is the match of the week. It is coming at a time both sides are suffering contrasting fortunes. The last time out, Jose Mourinho’s men smiled away from Old Trafford, thrashing their host 6-1.
But that is not expected to be the case this time around as Manchester United continues to gather points to finish behind Manchester City.
Against Newcastle, the defence line of Spurs was shaky, and United will want to exploit that.
United’s defence is not that solid as well, but they can still bank on Harry Maguire and Victor Lindeloef. They usually commit fewer mistakes than Davidson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld.
Going forward, Spurs has more quality than United. It will be the battle of the midfield.
Prediction: 1-1
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Arsenal has the opportunity to get a win against the weeping boys of the Premier League. The last time the Gunners visited Bramall Lane in the Premier League, they suffered a 1-0 loss.
Therefore, the hope is for Mikel Arteta’s men to get it right after suffering a 3-0 loss against Liverpool at the Emirates in their last Premier League outing.
Player-to-player, Arsenal has what it takes to get a win here. This should be a routine win for them because Sheffield seems to have given up the fight.
Prediction: 0-2
West Bromwich Albion v Southampton
The relegation battle continues for West Bromwich Albion as meet a Southampton side that recorded a comeback win against Burnley.
They are going into this on the back of their 5-goal spectacular at Stamford Bridge. Sam Allardyce’s must produce the same performance against the Saints, who want to ensure Premier League safety sooner rather than later.
Prediction: 1-1
Brighton & Hove Albion v Everton
This is expected to be a tough battle for Brighton, as Everton is looking to secure a spot in European football next season.
Graham Potter’s men have been playing but results have been difficult to come by. For instance, they took nothing away from Old Trafford even after being ahead initially. With just eight points above the relegation zone, they will want to ensure their Premier League safety on time.
Everton, on the other hand, seem to be better away from home. They could therefore nip one here, but Brighton are capable of creating enough resistance.
Prediction: 2-1
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We hope Premier League Matchday 31 is full of goals.
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