The Premier League card this weekend has been decimated by teams competing in the FA Cup and that has left us with just three matches on a very reduced Saturday fixture list but events at the bottom will be seriously impacted despite that.
It is a day where the top end of the table isn’t really in focus so the attention will fall on the battle to avoid the drop. One of the three games will be live on the TV for us in the UK to enjoy and the other two will have updates in the normal places.
Burnley vs Brentford (15.00)
One of the first two matches of the day comes from Turf Moor where surely Burnley are beginning to drink at the Last Chance Saloon when they entertain a Brentford side who are anything but sure of their Premier League status as well.
We all know this has been a pretty abject and horrendous season for Burnley and only a win here would really leave any hope that they could escape the situation they have put themselves in on the other side of the international break. A win for Brentford would certainly have them feeling much better about themselves but they still wouldn’t be completely safe so there is the potential for this to be a bit of a cagey affair. I say that but neither of these teams can keep the ball out of the back of their net at present and that makes me think that rather than look to sneak a win they might both go on the attack and try and force a win. Often matches between teams at the bottom spark into life with an early goal and with Burnley having conceded two or more in their last seven matches and Brentford having leaked two or more in 10 of their last 12 I expect to see goals here. I’ll play over 2.75 goals.
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Luton Town vs Nottingham Forest (15.00)
The other match which is going to impact the bottom end of the table is even bigger than the one above as the two teams either side of the relegation line meet when Luton Town welcome Nottingham Forest to Kenilworth Road.
Luton go into the game off the back of that heartbreaking defeat at Bournemouth on Wednesday night and it will be interesting to see what their energy levels are like in this one. If they have recovered sufficiently they should feel this is a match they can win because Forest head to Bedfordshire with just one win in their last 13 games inside 90 minutes in all competitions and four of those games were against Championship and League 1 outfits. The visitors haven’t scored in their last three matches and have this growing noise of a point deduction hanging over them so it would appear that the Tricky Trees aren’t in the best place right now. Luton are scoring plenty of goals but they are conceding even more so this one is a battle of their goal scoring exploits against a goal shy side who might find it easier to find the net against a more exposed defence. Time will tell on that one but with guesswork involved in how Luton will be after the midweek game I’ll leave this one alone.
Fulham vs Tottenham Hotspur (17.30 – Sky Main Event & Sky Premier League)
The last game of the day comes from Craven Cottage where we have a London derby to enjoy in front of the TV cameras as Fulham go up against a Tottenham Hotspur side who will be looking to move into the top four with a win here.
Fulham are in that limbo position where they can’t go down but aren’t really playing for too much above them so it will be interesting to see how they motivate themselves for this one. They were beaten at Wolves last week where they probably played better than the result suggested but they go up against a Tottenham side who will be fully motivated here. They walloped Aston Villa last week to set up this chance for them to move into the top four and with most of their key players back in the offensive part of their game you would expect Tottenham to win here. Fulham aren’t likely to leave themselves exposed though so this could turn into a bit of a tactical battle and with that in mind nothing really stands out. I’ll leave this one alone.
Tips
Back Burnley vs Brentford – Over 2.75 goals for a 3/10 stake at 1.90 with Bet365
