It’s Easter weekend and Premier League football returns after the break for the international break in March, where the 2020/21 season is getting closer to its conclusion and every point is now of great importance to every club.
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Liverpool’s trip to Arsenal on Saturday night may be the choice on the match list, but the leaders Manchester City also travel to Leicester and the pressure is on Manchester United to win.
Chelsea vs West BromThomas Tuchel is still undefeated as Chelsea manager | Clive Rose / Getty Images
What time is running? 12.30 (BST)Where is it played? Stamford BridgeTV channel? BT Sport
Chelsea remain undefeated under new manager Thomas Tuchel and have taken 22 points from a possible 30 in the Premier League since the German took over from Frank Lampard in January.
Home victory against a West Brom side 10 points after safety seems as if there should be three more points in the bag and could give Chelsea a stronger grip on fourth place.
If West Brom are to have any chance of survival and Sam Allardyce keeps his record of never being relegated as manager, they must start winning immediately.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-0 West Brom
Leeds vs Sheffield United A top half goal is within reach for Leeds this season Gareth Copley / Getty Images
What time is running? 15.00 (BST)Where is it played? Elland RoadTV channel? Amazon Prime
A top-half finish is definitely within reach of 11th-placed Leeds this season, which would represent an impressive performance during their debut year back in the Premier League.
Marcelo Bielsa’s team remains inconsistent, but the fact is that they have surpassed all other sides currently in the lower half as well as several in the top half – including Chelsea – and are firm favorites to win this west against the South Yorkshire derby.
It’s already too late for Sheffield United. Even if they are not completely mathematical, they must get more points in the last nine matches to survive than they have so far succeeded in the first 29.
Prediction: Leeds 3-0 Sheffield United
Leicester vs Manchester CityKelechi Iheanacho is the player of the month in March | Alex Pantling / Getty Images
What time is running? 17.30 (BST)Where is it played? King Power StadiumTV channel? Sky Sports
Leicester beat Manchester City 5-2 at the back of this match at the Etihad Stadium back in September. The Foxes have remained among the best clubs and are on their way to the top four, although a repeat of the early season demolition is unlikely.
This is a big test for Leicester, especially as Chelsea are already expected to have narrowed the gap on them by beating West Brom at home earlier in the day.
Only a disaster would now prevent City from winning a third Premier League title in four years and a fifth overall in the last decade. Failure to get all three points here would not be a big problem.
Prediction: Leicester 1-1 Manchester City
Arsenal vs LiverpoolLiverpool can save their season with a strong finish in the remaining matches | Pool / Getty Images
What time is running? 20.00 (BST)Where is it played? Emirates StadiumTV channel? Sky Sports
Two teams that have had bad seasons compared to the expectations before the campaign go head to head at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday late at night. A victory for either Arsenal or Liverpool here could be an important catalyst for a strong finish.
Defending champions Liverpool have lost six of their eight Premier League games but won at least against a struggling Wolves side in their final outing before the international break.
Arsenal are actually unbeaten in the league since they lost narrowly to Manchester City in February and showed character to fight back from 3-0 to get a point against West Ham last time.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool
Southampton vs BurnleySouthampton have been in terrible Premier League form 2021 | Robin Jones / Getty Images
What time is running? 12.00 (BST)Where is it played? St Mary’sTV channel? Sky Sports
Southampton and Burnley begin the Premier League action on Easter Sunday with a dinner start on the south coast. Both have identical scores and goal difference.
Relegation is unlikely to be a real threat to any of these teams, but getting more positive results on the board and climbing the 40-point milestone is still very important.
Southampton have only taken seven points from 39 possible offers this calendar year, while Burnley have been much more stable and have only lost one of their last eight league games.
Prediction: Southampton 1-1 Burnley
Newcastle vs TottenhamNewcastle have been sucked all the way into a relegation battle | Clive Brunskill / Getty Images
What time is running? 14.05 (BST)Where is it played? St James’ ParkTV channel? Sky Sports
Newcastle looked to have averted a full-blown crisis after five consecutive defeats in January, but three draws in win-win games from the end of February and a 3-0 defeat to Brighton in their final outing before the international break left the Magpies just two points above. drop zone.
Spurs form is heading in the other direction. There have been setbacks too late, including a downpour in north London with Arsenal and an embarrassing total collapse of the Europa League, but they have taken maximum points from four of their last five Premier League matches.
For Spurs, a win is crucial to their reborn top four hopes.
Prediction: Newcastle 1-2 Tottenham
Aston Villa vs FulhamFulham could avoid relegation zone with a win | MATT DUNHAM / Getty Images
What time is running? 16.30 (BST)Where is it played? Villa ParkTV channel? Sky Sports
Depending on the Newcastle result earlier in the afternoon, Fulham could see this match against Aston Villa as their chance to finally escape the relegation zone.
Scott Parker’s team has lost three of its last four, but those defeats were all at Craven Cottage and their victory during that run was at Anfield. The Cottagers have been unbeaten in eight straight Premier League away games since December 5.
Meanwhile, Villa have not won any of their last three home games and their only victory at all since the beginning of February was a narrow away win over Leeds.
Prediction: Aston Villa 0-1 Fulham
Manchester United vs BrightonMan Utd want to stay in the race for second place Pool / Getty Images
What time is running? 19.30 (BST)Where is it played? Old TraffordTV channel? BT Sport
It seems like an eternity since now, but Manchester United were lucky when they beat Brighton at Amex Stadium back in September. Seagulls were the better team that day, but United won thanks to a very late penalty in the 10th minute of stoppage time.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær has improved dramatically since then, although they have only rarely been convincing in their performances since the shorter topped the table in January.
Brighton won two in a row immediately before the international break, which came after a run of five without a win before that.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-1 Brighton
Everton vs Crystal Palace Can Dominic Calvert-Lewin continue his goal-scoring form in England? | Pool / Getty Images
What time is running? 18.00 (BST)Where is it played? Goodison ParkTV channel? Sky Sports
Everton were disappointed to lose at home to Burnley in their last match and slipped back behind Merseyside rivals Liverpool in the Premier League table as a result.
The Toffees have actually lost two in a row and have regretted the good work they had done before, but are still good in the tight battle for at least one Europa League place.
Palace will be convinced that they are not in immediate danger of a relegation battle but will need to find more consistency if they are to crawl into the top half before the season is over.
Prediction: Everton 1-0 Crystal Palace
Wolves vs West HamWest Ham are still in the hunt for the top four Pool / Getty Images
What time is running? 20.15 (BST)Where is it played? MolineuxTV channel? Sky Sports
In the final match of the long Easter weekend on Monday night, West Ham hope to increase their chances of finishing in the top four after dropping out of Chelsea last month.
Through the kick-off at Molineux, it is possible that the Hammers could have fallen from fifth to seventh due to other results, and the pressure will be on to get a good result themselves.
The Wolves are having a bad season by their own latest standard and have only won three of the 15 Premier League games they have played since Christmas.
Prediction: Wolves 1-2 West Ham
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