With the Premier League title likely to be won over the weekend albeit not on Saturday as neither side in the running play until later in the weekend, the focus now switches to who will exit the top flight through the trap door and the spotlight shines bright on that area of the table on Saturday.
In all there are six matches on a busy afternoon on Saturday and with the three sides desperately fighting to get their heads above the drop zone this has the potential to be a really tense time.
Sunderland
The team currently safe are Sunderland and they have their destiny in their own hands starting at the Britannia on Saturday when they take on Stoke, a Stoke side who are in freefall at the minute it must be said.
Stoke only have one win in their last seven matches which is pretty savage given the squad they have but as I’ve repeatedly said over the last few weeks I’m certain the injury to Jack Butland has totally derailed them. In that seven match run Stoke have shipped 18 goals with 12 of them coming in the last three games.
It took a while but Sunderland are finally getting what they need. A tight defence and a few more goals at the other end and the evidence of what they are doing is there for all to see. Their only defeat in their last seven matches came against the leaders Leicester and there’s no shame in that.
Sunderland have kept three clean sheets in their last four matches and if they can keep things tight at the back here with the rate Stoke are conceding goals you’ve got to think Sunderland might well pinch one.
I can’t be having Stoke as favourites here. They’re in awful form and on a draw no bet line I’m happy to take Sunderland. I will go with the safety option because Sunderland do draw a lot so that looks the better value play to me.
Newcastle
At the same time Sunderland play, Newcastle will welcome their former manager Alan Pardew and his Crystal Palace side to St James’ Park for a huge match. Palace will be safe and you would think all they are playing for now is the FA Cup final so this is a great chance for three points for the Toon Army.
I have to say though they don’t always convince me and they don’t convince me enough to go in on a relative short price to win here. I actually fancy they will get a tight win but the odds are far too skinny for me to back them as the draw will be in play for a fair while I would imagine.
Norwich
Although they have a game in hand of Newcastle, Norwich need to start maximising their point potential although that won’t be too easy on Saturday as they head to an Arsenal side who are desperately trying to get third place and not have to qualify for the Champions League group stage.
It looked like Norwich were pulling themselves out of danger but back to back defeats, and costly ones at that to Crystal Palace and Sunderland have left them with it all to do and I’m fairly sure they will go down now.
I’m not sure how they will get on here. It is one of those games they will either nick or the real Arsenal will turn up and Norwich will get exposed and take a bit of a hiding. With this being the 5.30 game events earlier in the day will change the dynamic of this match so it isn’t really one I wanted to get involved in.
Remaining matches
In the other matches Watford and Aston Villa meet in a clash of two grossly out of form sides. Bad teams do bad things and both are finding ways to lose so that doesn’t interest me from a betting point of view.
I’ve liked taking Everton on whenever they have been at home this season and after the dejection of last week now could be a good time to do it again but Bournemouth look like they are done for the season so that isn’t a betting proposition either.
The other game sees West Brom hosting West Ham. West Brom have put a spanner in the works of one London club this week and West Ham will hope they don’t make it two. That game could be anything and I’m not guessing at this stage of the season.
Tips
PUSH – Back Sunderland (0AH) to beat Stoke for a 4/10 stake at 2.04 with 188bet
Back them here:
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