This weekend is the last round of Barclays Premier League matches before the next international break and it begins with six games on Saturday ahead of the remaining four which come along on Sunday.
The action gets underway in the now usual lunchtime slot as Everton take on Arsenal in what should be an appealing match on the eye. Four 3pm games include Crystal Palace hosting leaders Leicester, West Brom welcoming Norwich to the Hawthorns, Chelsea face West Ham in a London derby and Stoke head to Watford. The late game sees Swansea playing Aston Villa.
Everton’s home form is pretty bad as I’ve eluded to in previous columns. They might not have a better chance of improving that for a while though when they face an Arsenal side who look depleted and deflated. Arsenal were given a bit of a run around in Barcelona on Wednesday night so the scheduler has done them no favours either.
Everton might have a chance here in fairness but I can’t really bring myself to get involved in them. Nothing really appeals there so I’ll sit that game out and look at matches later in the day.
I have to say in the late game I like the idea of Swansea winning. We all know Aston Villa have given up and are waiting to be put out of their misery but I’m still not sure I can’t offer a bet on Swansea at their current odds so that is another one that I’ll sit out.
Watford and Stoke are two sides not really going anywhere so their game is pretty easy to ignore. I have to say I’m tempted by West Brom but Norwich will get a big result soon and if they’re not buoyed by holding Man City they never will be so that puts me off getting involved.
Leicester look to be steaming to the title but if there is a game where their run could come unstuck it is at a Crystal Palace who have to be buzzing having made it to Wembley. Palace have the pace to scare teams even sides as defensively strong as Leicester. I can’t really take Leicester on but at the same time this smells a little bit trappy so I’ll sit this out.
I’m not sitting the London derby out though. I’ve made it pretty well clear all season how impressed I’ve been with West Ham and that remains the case even now. In Dimitri Payet they have for me the player of the season but he is backed up by a solid defensive and an extremely mobile attack.
Chelsea go into this match with their season as good as over and without probably their two most dangerous attacking players in Eden Hazard and Diego Costa. Their defence has been exposed by less mobile and poorer quality attacks than this West Ham one for the majority of the season so this is a tough game for the Blues.
West Ham have already won at Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool and Everton this season. They beat Chelsea in the reverse meeting between the two and I think they’re a fair shout to complete the double. At the very worst I think they can avoid defeat here.
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