EPL 2019/20 - Game Week 27

Very quickly, the season will end on May 17. After 26 games have been played by each team with 12 remaining. Every team will have their own destiny to face, a different stage in their journey. Some will be joyous others heart-breaking. Players and managers will come and go. Some could still change their fate to rescue their season. Better late than never. The worst must be relegation where money and prestige would be gone. Some went down and never returned or landed farther South. Some big clubs will be flying around like vultures zeroing in on smaller clubs' star players. 

Sometimes when you are very good, you could still come in second if you know what I mean. It happened to Liverpool last season and though Liverpool have not won the title yet this season, it could happen to Manchester City this season. It happened to the marvellous Newcastle side under the aura of Kevin Keegan. Like Tottenham in 16/17 and so on. The journey is important and you have to take in the lessons. Its a competition, some win some lose just as in life. Should we then go out and give prizes to everyone so as not to discourage them? Hell no! The butterfly has to struggle to push its way out of the cocoon so that its fluid is pushed out to the wings so that it could build it s strength and survive. Jurgen Norbet Klopp is the butterfly king as he has created the "Butterfly Effect". A butterfly flaps its wings at Anfield and it reverberates around the world causing a tornado. 

Liverpool are leading by a massive 22 points and winning their next 6 matches would guaranteed them the title. People are discussing if this is a one off or will the Reds dominate again next season. Then there is the other distraction in the form of European football in the Champions League and the Europa League. For now, there are 12 more matches to go. Manchester City have been banned by UEFA for two years and they may even be docked some points in the Premier League which if so will give the title to Liverpool even earlier. Will Pep leave and the excellent team be broken? Leicester may then climb to second. Chelsea did themselves no favours when they lost 0-2 at home to Manchester United where Harry Maguire should have been sent off despite 62% possession and 17 shots at goal. That is a dent to Champions League qualification with Tottenham breathing down their neck when they won 3-2 at Aston Villa. United's win propelled them to 7th with 38 points, exactly half the points of Liverpool at a humongous 76. 

Chelsea v Tottenham - This London Derby takes top billing for this weekend. Worryingly, Chelsea have not won in their last four matches. Tottenham (46% possession) were dominated by Villa but gave tit for tat. Villa could have scored a few goals early on and game over. Now they are undefeated in six games and won their last three with the last two scores being 3-2 and coming back from behind. A Spurs win will see them climb above Chelsea. So this is a very important match for both. Son Heung-Min's injury will rob them of their most important player after Harry Kane. How will they cope? In the earlier tie Chelsea was impressive and won 2-0 at Spurs but Chelsea have their own injury problems Kante, Hudson-Odoi, Pulisic and Abraham out. Spurs look good for at least a point but they have a mid-week Champions League match against RB Leipzig. Both teams are 4th highest scoring sides with 43 goals each but Chelsea have conceded 36 and Spurs 34, so there will be goals but their top scorers are out. Another 2-2 draw? But where will the goals come from? In their current state both sides have goals in them and with unpredictable defending - more goals but with both teams limping? 1-1.

Burnley v Bournemouth - Burnley's fine 2-1 away win over Southampton brought them to 11th. It was a convincing display. Before that they held Arsenal 0-0. There was a blip when they crashed 1-2 at home to Norwich but before that they have beaten Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford  and won at home against Leicester. They are in a good place which is not good news for visiting Bournemouth who are shuttling between good and bad results, wins and losses. Their 16th position with 26 points a hanging by a thread just two points above relegation. Bournemouth is a likable team but I find it hard to see Burnlye not winning here. 2-1.

Crystal Palace v Newcastle - Nobody talks about these two teams recently as they slipped into mid-table mediocrity. The Magpies are in 13th just a point above Crystal Palace. Since beating West Ham at the end of December, Palace have not won in 8 matches and lost half of them. That they are in 14th was due to their strong first half showing. Newcastle have done better and without a defeat in four but the 0-4 thrashing by Arsenal last game week asked more questions than provided answers for Steve Bruce. I feel this is going to be a tight game where nobody wins. 1-1.

Sheffield United v Brighton - Sheffield United cemented their 6th position with a solid comeback despite conceding an early goal to Bournemouth to win 2-1 with a John Lundstram goal. Welcome back John! For a defender playing in midfield, he has pretty quick feet as you could see from his goal. A home win could see the Blades going up to 4th if other results favour them. Brighton in 15th are a well organised side and only 3 points above relegation zone so they need to do battle as they have often done. Sheffield United shall be relentless as they are getting into European football. Home win by an odd goal. That is what the Blades do best, keeping it tight at the back and scoring one. 1-0.

Southampton v Aston Villa - The Saints suffered a surprising home defeat to Burnley (1-2) despite another fine goal from Danny Ings and 64% possession. Villa had beaten Watford and then Leicester but slumped at Bournemouth and to Tottenham. The Saints did well and climbed up a bit but a 4-0 hammering by Liverpool and a home defeat by Bunrley saw them with two consecutive defeat. Villa are just a single point above relegation. Villa were very good in the early period against Spurs and should be leading by a few goals but again their back line crumbled and allowed Spurs to win. They could score and Jack Grealish is always a treat. He just make things look so simple but unfortunately not as a team. They will score but the opponents will score more. 2-1.

Leicester City v Manchester City - This is another top match. Leicester were held 0-0 by Wolves away despite 59% possession. Jamie Vardy had another blank. The Foxes have stopped winning and are without a win in their last 3 matches contrasting that with the earlier part of the season where they were roaring and raring to go, they do not look as frightening now particularly to visiting City who won their postponed match against West Ham 2-0 at the Etihad but still left them 22 points behind Liverpool. City will have their eyes on the Champions League and their opponents are Real Madrid. They will be visiting the Bernabeu next Thursday and will need their best players not only fresh but fit as they should be bent on and focus on the Champions League especially with a two year ban hanging over their heads. Leicester have a chance to steal points. It depends on whether Pep would rest and rotate players for the Real Madrid game. 1-2.

Manchester United v Watford - A 2-0 away win at Chelsea is a very good result. Well, at least within sniffing distance of the Champions League qualification. The Red Devils will hope to build on this win and seek revenge over Watford who shocked them 2-0 at Vicarage Road in the reverse tie. United passed some important tests recently having beaten City 1-0 away in the Carabo Cup, held Wolves 0-0 at home and won at Chelsea 2-0 but they have to travel to Brugge for a Europa tie on Thursday. Watford have lost some shine and are now five matches without a win and lost three of them. Their great revival at one stage seemed to have dwindled. United are now in 7th and were just held by Club Brugge 1-1 in the Europa Round of 32. Will it be inspirational for United fans or another day of frustration? United were able to keep clean sheets recently and Harry Maguire seems to be in fine form. I like to suggest to give them a win here. 2-0.

Wolves v Norwich - Wolves laboured to a 0-0 draw at home to Leicester and kept their 8th position. A home win will help them cement their position for European contention. Seriously, Norwich need to win to hope to stay up. Wolves are not beaten often only 6 times this season but second highest number of drawn games with 12, just one fewer than Arsenal. Talking about Europe, Wolves have just smashed Espanyol 4-0 with Diogo Jota back at his best with a hattrick. Norwich have not been all bad. They have lost narrowly away to Spurs (1-2), beaten Burnley away (2-1), held Newcastle away (0-0) and played well at home to Liverpool but lost 0-1. Norwich player to watch would be Todd Cantwell. He seldom give the ball away and can be a constant threat. He gave Liverpool and Trent Alexander Arnold a few problems. 2-1.

Arsenal v Everton - The Gunners are back! They have not played like that with such conviction since their 2-0 win over Manchester United. Arteta has reigned. The 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle was very impressive and all their key forwards scored Aubameyang, Pepe, Ozil and Lacazette. Pepe was outstanding. Everton were surprisingly good and they toppled their opponent were Crystal Palace 3-1. Carlo Ancelotti has changed the Toffees and now there is a clear belief. So this is going to be an interesting match. Given their not too good form and now a new found belief it is anybody's match. Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 8 matches winning 4 of them, Everton 5 winning 3 of them. Arsenal have become the draw specialist with 13 of them, half of their 26 games played. This should be close but from what I saw last week, Arsenal should prevail. Dominic Calvert-Lewin could get one here for Everton. 2-1.

Liverpool v West Ham - Liverpool were not brilliant. Far from it but when the situation called for them to be each player was there to deliver yet again. That Allison save, that Henderson pass for Mane to score. That touch by Mane to cushion Henderson's long pass with a quick turn and left foot shot and goal! The Red machine kept going. Norwich played really good football but Liverpool do not bow. They unleashed the tempest just at the right moment. 43 matches unbeaten! 17th straight league win. However, Liverpool tasted a rare 0-1 defeat in the Champions League at the hands of Athletico Madrid where a 4th minute goal by Saul Niguez settled it. A cross got a lucky bounce off Fabinho and landed for Saul from very close range. Liverpool had 72.5% of the ball, created 7 chances, took 8 shots but zero on target as their host defended stoutly. They have overcome greater odds against Bayern Munich and Barcelona last season. Can they do it again at Anfield? But first they will turn their attention back to Premier League action. 

West Ham has played a game less because their match with City was postponed due to weather conditions from Storm Dennis. The Hammers are fighting a relegation battle and need points so David Moyes will set his team up accordingly. AFter losibg 0-2 to City the Hammers have 12 games to save their season to stay up but the task at hand visiting Anfield is a very tall one and they have not won since the beginning of January. 2-0.