And all the signs suggest Rafa Benitez’s men will succeed. They’re likely to be still riding high after winning the Europa League, and have generally been in good form of late.
Everton, meanwhile, have been below par away from home this season, and there are few tougher places to go in the Premier League than Stamford Bridge.
Verdict: Chelsea
Liverpool v QPR
(Stephen Pond/EMPICS Sport)
Betting: 1/4 (home), 5/1 (draw), 11/1 (away).
Injured: Liverpool – Steven Gerrard and Daniel Agger. QPR – Adel Taarabt, Shaun Wright-Phillips and DJ Campbell.
Doubtful: Liverpool – Martin Skrtel.
Suspended: Liverpool – Luis Suarez.
For no other reason, this game will be memorable as it is Jamie Carragher’s last as a player.
And he couldn’t have asked for ostensibly easier opponents – QPR have been woeful for much of this year, and will finish bottom of the league barring an unlikely win today, coupled with a Reading loss.
Harry Redknapp’s men will, however, at least be boosted by the news that star striker Loic Remy is free to play, despite being arrested in the week for alleged rape.
Liverpool should win comfortably nonetheless though – QPR have never even beaten them at Anfield in the Premier League.
Verdict: Liverpool
Man City v Norwich
(David Davies/PA Wire/Press Association Images)
Betting: 1/3 (home), 4/1 (draw), 9/1 (away).
Doubtful: Man City – Kolo Toure and Sergio Aguero. Norwich – Michael Turner.
Worrying signs regarding Man City’s team spirit emerged (not for the first time) the other day, however for all the rumours of in-fighting, they’ve still managed to secure second place in the league.
So don’t expect the side to be overly affected by the latest negative reports surrounding them.
Norwich aren’t exactly in rude health either – they have had an underwhelming finish to the season, though the same can be said of many of their rivals in the bottom half.
Indeed, they’ll be grateful this fixture has come at a time when they finally no longer need to sweat over their survival prospects.
Verdict: Man City
Newcastle v Arsenal
(Nigel French/EMPICS Sport)
TV: Sky Sports 1
Betting: 5/1 (home), 3/1 (draw), 4/7 (away).
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Injured: Newcastle – Tim Krul.
Doubtful: Newcastle – Sylvain Marveaux and Cheick Tiote. Arsenal – Mikel Arteta.
Suspended: Newcastle – Rob Elliot.
One of two key games taking place today, Arsenal simply need to win to secure a Champions League place.
However, any slip-up could see rivals Spurs pip them to the coveted position, provided AVB’s side beat Sunderland at home as expected.
And Tottenham fans will be pleased to hear the news that Newcastle have been promised a hefty end-of-season bonus should they triumph today - Mike Ashley will reportedly give a £1million bonus to non-football staff if they win.
Don’t expect Arsenal to be particularly intimidated by this news though. In contrast with previous years, they have finished this year very strongly, and should accordingly confirm 4th place today.
Verdict: Arsenal
Southampton v Stoke
(Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/Press Association Images)
Betting: 5/6 (home), 13/5 (draw), 10/3 (away).
Doubtful: Southampton – Rickie Lambert, Steve de Ridder, Vegard Forrenand and Luke Shaw. Stoke – Glenn Whelan.
Suspended: Southampton – Gaston Ramirez and Danny Fox. Stoke – Charlie Adam.
This game should be intriguing in that it features two of the Premier League’s smaller clubs who have overachieved consistently with contrasting styles.
Stoke’s approach has worked for them for many years now, though recent signs suggest it may not be as effective as it once was, particularly in light of how Tony Pulis’ side have slumped drastically since the turn of the year.
Southampton, on the other hand, have gotten by, despite a controversial change of manager this season, and are playing a type of football that’s far more easy on the eye and equally successful.
Playing at home, expect the Saints to edge this one, and thus leapfrog their opponents in the table.
Verdict: Southampton
Swansea v Fulham
(Jonathan Brady/PA Wire/Press Association Images)
Betting: 5/6 (home), 13/5 (draw), 10/3 (away).
Injured: Swansea – Michel Vorm and Ki Sung-Yeung. Fulham – Simon Davies, Ashkan Dejagah and Mahamadou Diarra.
Suspended: Fulham – Steve Sidwell.
Swansea still have a reasonable chance of a phenomenal 8th-place finish in the Premier League.
All they need to do is beat Fulham, and hope, not unreasonably, that Man United do the business against West Brom.
Either way, it’s been an excellent season for Michael Laudrup’s men, which has seen them build on and improve upon the foundations laid during Brendan Rodgers’ tenure.
The same cannot quite be said for Fulham, who have failed to fully convince in recent times, though they could finish as high as 11th with a win this afternoon.
Verdict: Swansea
Tottenham v Sunderland
(Clint Hughes/PA Wire/Press Association Images)
TV: Sky Sports 2
Betting: 3/10 (home), 9/2 (draw), 9/1 (away).
Injured: Tottenham – Sandro, Younes Kaboul and William Gallas.
Suspended: Sunderland – Stephane Sessegnon and Craig Gardner.
Ineligible: Sunderland – Danny Rose.
Invariably, in recent times, Tottenham have resembled less a football club and more a Shakespearean tragedy, such has been their capacity to fall agonisingly short of their desired end-of-season goal on a consistent basis.
Anything other than a win against a newly safe Sunderland side would be a disaster, though three points will probably provide them with little solace, assuming Arsenal don’t ‘do an Arsenal’ and actually beat Newcastle.
Sunderland have lost in nine of their last 11 visits to White Hart Lane, and aren’t expected to make much of an impact today, as they continue to look conspicuously short of quality, despite new manager Paolo Di Canio’s maverick methods and manic enthusiasm.
Hence, it would be a surprise if we get anything approaching the reality-defying drama of last season’s final day.
Verdict: Tottenham
West Brom v Man United
(Martin Rickett/PA Wire/Press Association Images)
Betting: 7/2 (home), 13/5 (draw), 4/5 (away).
Doubtful: West Brom – Steven Reid.
Suspended: Man United – Rafael.
Some people may regard this game as a dead rubber, however knowing Alex Ferguson, he would be highly displeased to leave football on anything other than a winning note, irrespective of the relatively meaningless nature of the fixture.
Moreover, West Brom need a win to absolutely guarantee 8th place, thereby securing the extra cash injection that finishing higher up in the league ensures.
And Steve Clarke’s men might see this as the ideal opportunity to take points off United, with several of the visitors’ first-team players, including Wayne Rooney, missing.
That said, the Baggies are in wretched form, winning just one of their last eight games, and haven’t beaten United in the league since 1984.
Verdict: Man United
West Ham v Reading
(Mike Egerton/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
Betting: 4/6 (home), 3/1 (draw), 4/1 (away)
Injured: West Ham – George McCartney. Reading – Jimmy Kebe and Jason Roberts.
Doubtful: West Ham – James Tomkins.
Perhaps the least alluring of this afternoon’s encounters – and that’s saying something, given that there are only two games of real significance taking place.
It could be Reading’s last match in the top division for quite some time, and therefore, they’ll surely be determined to depart in a positive fashion.
West Ham, however, have invariably been excellent at Upton Park this year, and should have too much power for Nigel Adkins’ defensively vulnerable side.
Yet the Royals can at least take heart from the fact that they’ve only lost one of their five Premier League matches with the Hammers.
Verdict: West Ham
Wigan v Aston Villa
(Stephen Pond/PA Wire/Press Association Images)
Betting: 23/20 (home), 12/5 (draw), 12/5 (away).
Injured: Wigan – Callum McManaman. Aston Villa – Ciaran Clark.
Doubtful: Wigan – Jean Beausejour. Aston Villa – Matthew Lowton and Karim El Ahmadi.
Suspended: Aston Villa – Christian Benteke.
A few weeks ago, this fixture looked to have all the makings of a dramatic final day relegation decider.
Nevertheless, since then, Villa’s youngsters have shown admirable character to secure their safety, consigning Wigan to the drop in the process.
Yet last weekend’s defeat of Man City in the FA Cup final showed the Latics are capable of beating almost anyone on their day, and will surely be one of the favourites for promotion from the Championship next year.
They are likely to be still quite demoralised from just being relegated, but should have the capabilities to earn a draw in this instance, particularly with Christian Benteke absent for the Villains.
Who will win today's Premier League games and why
All games kick off at 4pm
Chelsea v Everton
(Adam Davy/EMPICS Sport)
Betting: 7/10 (home), 11/4 (draw), 4/1 (away).
Injured: Chelsea – John Terry. Everton – Phil Neville.
Suspended: Chelsea – Ramires.
It’s a game that’s likely to be both Rafa Benitez and David Moyes’ last competitive match in charge of their respective clubs.
Chelsea will be especially eager to win this one to absolutely ensure a third-place finish, thus avoiding a possible play-off with Arsenal for an automatic Champions League spot.
And all the signs suggest Rafa Benitez’s men will succeed. They’re likely to be still riding high after winning the Europa League, and have generally been in good form of late.
Everton, meanwhile, have been below par away from home this season, and there are few tougher places to go in the Premier League than Stamford Bridge.
Verdict: Chelsea
Liverpool v QPR
Betting: 1/4 (home), 5/1 (draw), 11/1 (away).
Injured: Liverpool – Steven Gerrard and Daniel Agger. QPR – Adel Taarabt, Shaun Wright-Phillips and DJ Campbell.
Doubtful: Liverpool – Martin Skrtel.
Suspended: Liverpool – Luis Suarez.
For no other reason, this game will be memorable as it is Jamie Carragher’s last as a player.
And he couldn’t have asked for ostensibly easier opponents – QPR have been woeful for much of this year, and will finish bottom of the league barring an unlikely win today, coupled with a Reading loss.
Harry Redknapp’s men will, however, at least be boosted by the news that star striker Loic Remy is free to play, despite being arrested in the week for alleged rape.
Liverpool should win comfortably nonetheless though – QPR have never even beaten them at Anfield in the Premier League.
Verdict: Liverpool
Man City v Norwich
Betting: 1/3 (home), 4/1 (draw), 9/1 (away).
Doubtful: Man City – Kolo Toure and Sergio Aguero. Norwich – Michael Turner.
Worrying signs regarding Man City’s team spirit emerged (not for the first time) the other day, however for all the rumours of in-fighting, they’ve still managed to secure second place in the league.
So don’t expect the side to be overly affected by the latest negative reports surrounding them.
Norwich aren’t exactly in rude health either – they have had an underwhelming finish to the season, though the same can be said of many of their rivals in the bottom half.
Indeed, they’ll be grateful this fixture has come at a time when they finally no longer need to sweat over their survival prospects.
Verdict: Man City
Newcastle v Arsenal
TV: Sky Sports 1
Betting: 5/1 (home), 3/1 (draw), 4/7 (away).
Injured: Newcastle – Tim Krul.
Doubtful: Newcastle – Sylvain Marveaux and Cheick Tiote. Arsenal – Mikel Arteta.
Suspended: Newcastle – Rob Elliot.
One of two key games taking place today, Arsenal simply need to win to secure a Champions League place.
However, any slip-up could see rivals Spurs pip them to the coveted position, provided AVB’s side beat Sunderland at home as expected.
And Tottenham fans will be pleased to hear the news that Newcastle have been promised a hefty end-of-season bonus should they triumph today - Mike Ashley will reportedly give a £1million bonus to non-football staff if they win.
Don’t expect Arsenal to be particularly intimidated by this news though. In contrast with previous years, they have finished this year very strongly, and should accordingly confirm 4th place today.
Verdict: Arsenal
Southampton v Stoke
Betting: 5/6 (home), 13/5 (draw), 10/3 (away).
Doubtful: Southampton – Rickie Lambert, Steve de Ridder, Vegard Forrenand and Luke Shaw. Stoke – Glenn Whelan.
Suspended: Southampton – Gaston Ramirez and Danny Fox. Stoke – Charlie Adam.
This game should be intriguing in that it features two of the Premier League’s smaller clubs who have overachieved consistently with contrasting styles.
Stoke’s approach has worked for them for many years now, though recent signs suggest it may not be as effective as it once was, particularly in light of how Tony Pulis’ side have slumped drastically since the turn of the year.
Southampton, on the other hand, have gotten by, despite a controversial change of manager this season, and are playing a type of football that’s far more easy on the eye and equally successful.
Playing at home, expect the Saints to edge this one, and thus leapfrog their opponents in the table.
Verdict: Southampton
Swansea v Fulham
Betting: 5/6 (home), 13/5 (draw), 10/3 (away).
Injured: Swansea – Michel Vorm and Ki Sung-Yeung. Fulham – Simon Davies, Ashkan Dejagah and Mahamadou Diarra.
Suspended: Fulham – Steve Sidwell.
Swansea still have a reasonable chance of a phenomenal 8th-place finish in the Premier League.
All they need to do is beat Fulham, and hope, not unreasonably, that Man United do the business against West Brom.
Either way, it’s been an excellent season for Michael Laudrup’s men, which has seen them build on and improve upon the foundations laid during Brendan Rodgers’ tenure.
The same cannot quite be said for Fulham, who have failed to fully convince in recent times, though they could finish as high as 11th with a win this afternoon.
Verdict: Swansea
Tottenham v Sunderland
TV: Sky Sports 2
Betting: 3/10 (home), 9/2 (draw), 9/1 (away).
Injured: Tottenham – Sandro, Younes Kaboul and William Gallas.
Suspended: Sunderland – Stephane Sessegnon and Craig Gardner.
Ineligible: Sunderland – Danny Rose.
Invariably, in recent times, Tottenham have resembled less a football club and more a Shakespearean tragedy, such has been their capacity to fall agonisingly short of their desired end-of-season goal on a consistent basis.
Anything other than a win against a newly safe Sunderland side would be a disaster, though three points will probably provide them with little solace, assuming Arsenal don’t ‘do an Arsenal’ and actually beat Newcastle.
Sunderland have lost in nine of their last 11 visits to White Hart Lane, and aren’t expected to make much of an impact today, as they continue to look conspicuously short of quality, despite new manager Paolo Di Canio’s maverick methods and manic enthusiasm.
Hence, it would be a surprise if we get anything approaching the reality-defying drama of last season’s final day.
Verdict: Tottenham
West Brom v Man United
Betting: 7/2 (home), 13/5 (draw), 4/5 (away).
Doubtful: West Brom – Steven Reid.
Suspended: Man United – Rafael.
Some people may regard this game as a dead rubber, however knowing Alex Ferguson, he would be highly displeased to leave football on anything other than a winning note, irrespective of the relatively meaningless nature of the fixture.
Moreover, West Brom need a win to absolutely guarantee 8th place, thereby securing the extra cash injection that finishing higher up in the league ensures.
And Steve Clarke’s men might see this as the ideal opportunity to take points off United, with several of the visitors’ first-team players, including Wayne Rooney, missing.
That said, the Baggies are in wretched form, winning just one of their last eight games, and haven’t beaten United in the league since 1984.
Verdict: Man United
West Ham v Reading
Betting: 4/6 (home), 3/1 (draw), 4/1 (away)
Injured: West Ham – George McCartney. Reading – Jimmy Kebe and Jason Roberts.
Doubtful: West Ham – James Tomkins.
Perhaps the least alluring of this afternoon’s encounters – and that’s saying something, given that there are only two games of real significance taking place.
It could be Reading’s last match in the top division for quite some time, and therefore, they’ll surely be determined to depart in a positive fashion.
West Ham, however, have invariably been excellent at Upton Park this year, and should have too much power for Nigel Adkins’ defensively vulnerable side.
Yet the Royals can at least take heart from the fact that they’ve only lost one of their five Premier League matches with the Hammers.
Verdict: West Ham
Wigan v Aston Villa
Betting: 23/20 (home), 12/5 (draw), 12/5 (away).
Injured: Wigan – Callum McManaman. Aston Villa – Ciaran Clark.
Doubtful: Wigan – Jean Beausejour. Aston Villa – Matthew Lowton and Karim El Ahmadi.
Suspended: Aston Villa – Christian Benteke.
A few weeks ago, this fixture looked to have all the makings of a dramatic final day relegation decider.
Nevertheless, since then, Villa’s youngsters have shown admirable character to secure their safety, consigning Wigan to the drop in the process.
Yet last weekend’s defeat of Man City in the FA Cup final showed the Latics are capable of beating almost anyone on their day, and will surely be one of the favourites for promotion from the Championship next year.
They are likely to be still quite demoralised from just being relegated, but should have the capabilities to earn a draw in this instance, particularly with Christian Benteke absent for the Villains.
Verdict: Draw
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