Picture from: freelargeimages.com
Sunday, March 31Yingshi
Cardiff City v Chelsea
This is an important game for both sides for different reasons. Cardiff City need points in their battle to avoid relegation, while Chelsea need points to help their fight for a top-four finish.
Cardiff City had a very important win against West Ham in their last Premier League game, but it’s been over three weeks since the match against Chelsea, so it remains to be seen how such a long break will affect them. Chelsea have played three games since Cardiff City’s last game, although they have only won one of them, the Europa League away game against Dynamo Kyiv, and their last game they lost 0-2 to Everton.
Unsurprisingly, Chelsea maintain a strong record against Cardiff City, having won all four of their meetings in all competitions since the turn of the century, before losing to them in the Carabao Cup in October 1986, their only defeat in the last nine meetings between the two teams.
Interestingly, both teams have scored in each of their last six meetings, so that could be a good sign for Cardiff, the second-lowest scoring team in the Premier League.
Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock has beaten Chelsea twice in four home league appearances, a 1-0 win over QPR in the 2011-12 season and a 2-0 win over Notts County in the 1991-92 season. He has beaten them before and today he will be hoping to beat them again to give his team a huge boost.
Chelsea’s away form also gives him hope – they have lost four of their last five away league games; only Fulham (6) have lost more away from home in the top flight in 2019 (6), so Maurizio Sarri needs to work on that if Chelsea want to finish in the top four.
Key people:
Callum Patterson – Only Aleksandar Mitrovic and Wilfred Ndidi have won more duels than Patterson in the Premier League this season, and it’s that willingness to engage and fight that epitomizes Neil Warnock’s attitude that Cardiff will need as much as ever today.
Eden Hazard – Hazard has scored five goals in three league games against Cardiff City – no player has scored more against the Bluebirds in the Premier League, while the Belgian has scored three goals in his last three home league games. He’s the man Neil Warnock’s side needed to stop today to have any chance.
Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur
This is a hugely important game for Liverpool in the title race, with third-placed Tottenham their highest remaining opponents in the final seven league games of the season.
But it is equally important for Spurs, who have struggled in the Premier League ahead of the international break with four games without a win, including three defeats. Spurs start this four-match series five points behind Liverpool at the top of the table. They are 15 points behind in this game.
In fact, the last time Spurs went five consecutive league games without a win was back in March 2012, under the leadership of Redknapp. If they can avoid that today it would be a huge result for them as they look to re-consolidate their top-four hopes.
But if Tottenham are to win, they must improve their poor away record at Anfield. They have won only one away game in the past 24 league games, a 2-0 victory in May 2011.
In fact, Tottenham’s only win in the past 13 meetings between the two teams in all competitions was a 4-1 win in the Premier League at Wembley last season.
Liverpool, who are unbeaten in 36 home league games today and avoided defeat today, would have tied for the second-longest unbeaten streak in Premier League history, behind only Chelsea’s incredible 86-game unbeaten run between 2004 and 2008. However, you get the feeling this is going to be a tough game for Liverpool to keep this momentum going.
Key people:
Mohamed Salah – Salah has scored three goals in three league games for Liverpool against Tottenham, including two at Anfield last season. Although his team-mate Sadio Mane is currently in top goal-scoring form for Liverpool, Salah is resting away from Egypt during the international break, which he hopes will give him a chance to refocus and rediscover his touch in front of goal.
Harry Kane – I deliberately made this game a battle between the two top scorers in the Premier League last season. Kane has scored four goals in Spurs’ most recent games and has been involved in four goals in four league visits to Anfield, scoring three and assisting one.
Monday, April 1Yingshi
Arsenal v Newcastle United
There is something strange about Newcastle and Monday’s game. This will be their 15th consecutive Premier League away game on Monday, the last time being on this day in December 2012 when they beat Wigan 2-0 at St James’ Park. Fixtures and TV companies clearly like to give Newcastle a long trip on Monday night.
Newcastle’s recent record against Arsenal has been very poor. They have lost 11 of their last 12 league games and 10 of their last 11 games in all competitions at the Emirates Stadium. In fact, they have conceded 18 goals in their last six such games, an average of three goals per game. If they want anything from this game, they can’t continue like this.
Emery’s Arsenal are truly lethal at home. They are unbeaten in 15 league games since losing to defending Premier League champions Manchester City on the opening weekend and have won all of their last nine league games at the Emirates Stadium, scoring 25 goals and conceding just six. Only Manchester City have won more Premier League points at home than the Gunners this season.
But Newcastle go into this game with confidence. They have lost just one of their past six league games, a 0-2 loss to West Ham United. Having said that, they are winless in seven away league games since beating Huddersfield 1-0 at the John Smith’s Stadium in December, one of their only two away league wins this season.
From their perspective, the Emirates Stadium is definitely not an easy place to change that, and with their manager Rafael Benitez having never beaten Arsenal away from home in all his nine previous spells in charge of English clubs, there wasn’t much in this game to suggest Newcastle would win, to be honest.
Key people:
Mesut Ozil – With three goals and an assist in four league games against Newcastle, Ozil has scored more goals for Arsenal than any other team and in a game like this he can be lethal, at home, against a team where he will have plenty of the ball to control the game, especially with chances like Lacazette and Aubameyang.
Ayoze Perez – With three goals and an assist in his last five league games and two goals and an assist in his past game against Arsenal, Perez has hit some form for Newcastle that has helped them climb out of the relegation zone. Having him here will be as vital to them as ever.
Author: Red Red March 31, 2019 10:48:28