All games kick-off Sunday 3pm unless stated otherwise
Aston Villa v Chelsea (Saturday, 12.45pm)
(Nick Potts/PA Wire/Press Association Images)
TV: Sky Sports 2
Betting: 10/3 (home), 5/2 (draw), 17/20 (away).
Doubtful: Aston Villa – Matthew Lowton. Chelsea – Eden Hazard and Victor Moses.
Injured: Aston Villa – Ciaran Clark and Karim El Ahmadi.
A win today will effectively confirm Chelsea’s place in the Champions League. Although they’re only three points ahead of Tottenham, their goal difference is so superior that AVB’s side would have no realistic hope of catching them.
Villa, of course, could themselves absolutely guarantee they’ll be playing Premier League football should they win, but the fact that Chelsea have already beat them 8-0 this season means such an outcome is unlikely.
However, the Villains do have a decent record overall against Chelsea at home, only losing twice in their last 13 encounters at Villa Park.
Verdict: Chelsea
Man City v Wigan (Saturday, 5.15pm)
(Nick Potts/PA Wire/Press Association Images)
TV: ITV and ESPN
Betting: 4/11 (home), 4/1 (draw), 15/2 (away).
Injured: Wigan – Maynor Figueroa, Jean Beausejour , Ivan Ramis and Ronnie Stam. Man City – Scott Sinclair.
Doubtful: Wigan – Antolin Alcaraz.
This should be no contest on paper, with City vastly superior to Wigan in terms of resources.
And part of the reason why the FA Cup’s popularity has dwindled in recent years is that the final is all too often a mis-match.
However, Wigan did manage to shock Everton 3-0 on their way to this stage, so it’s hard to begrudge them their place there.
Moreover, Roberto Martinez is no stranger to upsetting the odds, so he will surely relish the chance to silence the critics once again.
Verdict: Man City
Stoke v Tottenham (Sunday, 1.30pm)
(Adam Davy/EMPICS Sport)
Betting: 3/1 (home), 5/2 (draw), 10/11 (away).
Doubtful: Stoke – Glenn Whelan, Andy Wilkinson and Marc Wilson.
This game feels like the last chance saloon as far as Tottenham and their Champions League hopes are concerned.
Anything other than a victory will effectively consign them to fifth place.
And they face a tricky task, coming up against a Stoke side who have improved considerably of late.
In addition, Spurs have struggled in the past against Tony Pulis’ team, and have failed to win in their previous four attempts against the Potters.
Advertisement
Verdict: Tottenham
Everton v West Ham
(Everton FC/Everton FC/Press Association Images)
Betting: 8/15 (home), 3/1 (draw), 11/2 (away).
Injured: Everton – Phil Neville. West Ham – James Tomkins and George McCartney.
The most interesting aspect of this game will undoubtedly be David Moyes and the reaction given to him by the Everton fans.
Both sides have nothing left to play for, so there will consequently be little scope to accuse Moyes of being distracted.
And they face a West Ham side who have failed to beat Everton in nine attempts, while Sam Allardyce’s men have confirmed their safety for another year amid what can be considered a very successful first season for the Hammers back in the top flight.
They’re unlikely to topple Everton however, with all the Toffees players bar Phil Neville available for selection.
Verdict: Everton
Fulham v Liverpool
(Andrew Matthews/EMPICS Sport)
Suspended: Fulham – Steve Sidwell. Liverpool – Luis Suarez.
Injured: Liverpool – Steven Gerrard.
Betting: 5/2 (home), 12/5 (draw), 11/10 (away).
Liverpool will be without arguably their two best players for the remainder of the season in Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard, so this away tie with Fulham seems that little bit more difficult all of a sudden.
However, given that the Anfield club are five points behind Everton and five ahead of West Brom, they are almost guaranteed to finish seventh, and their final two games are thus unlikely to make any difference to their league position.
The same cannot be said for Fulham though, as they sit in 12th place, with a number of rivals just behind them, so they could conceivably be the more determined of the two teams to triumph.
Nevertheless, Liverpool’s excellent recent form (encompassing just one loss in 10 matches) means they’ll still likely be too good for this erratic Fulham outfit.
Verdict: Liverpool
Norwich v West Brom
(Daniel Hambury/PA Wire/Press Association Images)
Betting: 6/5 (home), 23/10 (draw), 23/20 (away).
Injured: Norwich – Michael Turner.
Doubtful: West Brom – Chris Brunt.
Suspended: West Brom – Marc-Antoine Fortune.
Of all the teams who could still go down other than Wigan, Norwich look particularly vulnerable.
Tellingly, they have won fewer games than any other Premier League side in 2013.
On the other hand, the Canaries are perhaps fortunate to come up against a West Brom side with little to play for.
Yet while they may not have as much motivation compared with earlier in the season, the Baggies have better players than their rivals, and so Norwich may have to settle for a point on Sunday, thereby potentially keeping them in relegation trouble.
Injured: QPR – Chris Samba, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Andrew Johnson. Newcastle – Tim Krul and Ryan Taylor.
Doubtful: Newcastle – Moussa Sissoko, Sylvain Marveaux and Davide Santon.
This is a battle between two sides who have both had hugely disappointing seasons.
QPR were comfortably relegated, while Newcastle have drastically underperformed, after finishing 5th last year.
Indeed, there is still a chance the Magpies could go down, though they come up against the team who have the worst home record in the Premier League.
Wigan and the rest of the struggling sides will be hoping Harry Redknapp’s team can do them a favour, though their prayers are likely to go unanswered if form is anything to go by.
Another fixture featuring two sides who aren’t completely safe from relegation, though a win will ensure either team’s survival.
Sunderland recovered well recently following their embarrassing loss to Villa, earning a hard-fought draw with Stoke.
And Southampton, meanwhile, were unfortunate to lose to a stunning last-minute Gareth Bale goal against Tottenham.
This match should therefore be an intriguing affair, with both sides showing decent form of late – their league positions suggest these two teams are relatively well matched, so we should be in for a tight, nerve-racking game.
Verdict: Draw
Manchester United v Swansea (Sunday, 4pm)
(Dave Thompson/PA Wire/Press Association Images)
TV: Sky Sports 2
Suspended: Man United – Rafael.
Injured: Swansea – Angel Rangel.
Doubtful: Swansea – Chico Flores, Michu, Michel Vorm and Ki Sung-Yueng.
Betting: 3/10 (home), 9/2 (draw), 9/1 (away).
This game will almost inevitably be overshadowed by the emotional farewell for Fergie at Old Trafford.
And the Man United manager could not have asked for a more unremarkable match to finish up on, thus ensuring the limelight remains on him.
The United players, however, will want to give the manager a triumphant send off, so they’ll be determined not to spoil the occasion by losing.
Swansea, meanwhile, have never beaten the Red Devils in the Premier League, and don’t expect that stat to change on Sunday.
Who will win this weekend's Premier League and FA Cup games, and why
All games kick-off Sunday 3pm unless stated otherwise
Aston Villa v Chelsea (Saturday, 12.45pm)
TV: Sky Sports 2
Betting: 10/3 (home), 5/2 (draw), 17/20 (away).
Doubtful: Aston Villa – Matthew Lowton. Chelsea – Eden Hazard and Victor Moses.
Injured: Aston Villa – Ciaran Clark and Karim El Ahmadi.
A win today will effectively confirm Chelsea’s place in the Champions League. Although they’re only three points ahead of Tottenham, their goal difference is so superior that AVB’s side would have no realistic hope of catching them.
Villa, of course, could themselves absolutely guarantee they’ll be playing Premier League football should they win, but the fact that Chelsea have already beat them 8-0 this season means such an outcome is unlikely.
However, the Villains do have a decent record overall against Chelsea at home, only losing twice in their last 13 encounters at Villa Park.
Verdict: Chelsea
Man City v Wigan (Saturday, 5.15pm)
TV: ITV and ESPN
Betting: 4/11 (home), 4/1 (draw), 15/2 (away).
Injured: Wigan – Maynor Figueroa, Jean Beausejour , Ivan Ramis and Ronnie Stam. Man City – Scott Sinclair.
Doubtful: Wigan – Antolin Alcaraz.
This should be no contest on paper, with City vastly superior to Wigan in terms of resources.
And part of the reason why the FA Cup’s popularity has dwindled in recent years is that the final is all too often a mis-match.
However, Wigan did manage to shock Everton 3-0 on their way to this stage, so it’s hard to begrudge them their place there.
Moreover, Roberto Martinez is no stranger to upsetting the odds, so he will surely relish the chance to silence the critics once again.
Verdict: Man City
Stoke v Tottenham (Sunday, 1.30pm)
Betting: 3/1 (home), 5/2 (draw), 10/11 (away).
Doubtful: Stoke – Glenn Whelan, Andy Wilkinson and Marc Wilson.
This game feels like the last chance saloon as far as Tottenham and their Champions League hopes are concerned.
Anything other than a victory will effectively consign them to fifth place.
And they face a tricky task, coming up against a Stoke side who have improved considerably of late.
In addition, Spurs have struggled in the past against Tony Pulis’ team, and have failed to win in their previous four attempts against the Potters.
Verdict: Tottenham
Everton v West Ham
Betting: 8/15 (home), 3/1 (draw), 11/2 (away).
Injured: Everton – Phil Neville. West Ham – James Tomkins and George McCartney.
The most interesting aspect of this game will undoubtedly be David Moyes and the reaction given to him by the Everton fans.
Both sides have nothing left to play for, so there will consequently be little scope to accuse Moyes of being distracted.
And they face a West Ham side who have failed to beat Everton in nine attempts, while Sam Allardyce’s men have confirmed their safety for another year amid what can be considered a very successful first season for the Hammers back in the top flight.
They’re unlikely to topple Everton however, with all the Toffees players bar Phil Neville available for selection.
Verdict: Everton
Fulham v Liverpool
Suspended: Fulham – Steve Sidwell. Liverpool – Luis Suarez.
Injured: Liverpool – Steven Gerrard.
Betting: 5/2 (home), 12/5 (draw), 11/10 (away).
Liverpool will be without arguably their two best players for the remainder of the season in Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard, so this away tie with Fulham seems that little bit more difficult all of a sudden.
However, given that the Anfield club are five points behind Everton and five ahead of West Brom, they are almost guaranteed to finish seventh, and their final two games are thus unlikely to make any difference to their league position.
The same cannot be said for Fulham though, as they sit in 12th place, with a number of rivals just behind them, so they could conceivably be the more determined of the two teams to triumph.
Nevertheless, Liverpool’s excellent recent form (encompassing just one loss in 10 matches) means they’ll still likely be too good for this erratic Fulham outfit.
Verdict: Liverpool
Norwich v West Brom
Betting: 6/5 (home), 23/10 (draw), 23/20 (away).
Injured: Norwich – Michael Turner.
Doubtful: West Brom – Chris Brunt.
Suspended: West Brom – Marc-Antoine Fortune.
Of all the teams who could still go down other than Wigan, Norwich look particularly vulnerable.
Tellingly, they have won fewer games than any other Premier League side in 2013.
On the other hand, the Canaries are perhaps fortunate to come up against a West Brom side with little to play for.
Yet while they may not have as much motivation compared with earlier in the season, the Baggies have better players than their rivals, and so Norwich may have to settle for a point on Sunday, thereby potentially keeping them in relegation trouble.
Verdict: Draw
QPR v Newcastle
Betting: 21/10 (home), 23/10 (draw), 13/10 (loss).
Injured: QPR – Chris Samba, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Andrew Johnson. Newcastle – Tim Krul and Ryan Taylor.
Doubtful: Newcastle – Moussa Sissoko, Sylvain Marveaux and Davide Santon.
This is a battle between two sides who have both had hugely disappointing seasons.
QPR were comfortably relegated, while Newcastle have drastically underperformed, after finishing 5th last year.
Indeed, there is still a chance the Magpies could go down, though they come up against the team who have the worst home record in the Premier League.
Wigan and the rest of the struggling sides will be hoping Harry Redknapp’s team can do them a favour, though their prayers are likely to go unanswered if form is anything to go by.
Verdict: Newcastle
Sunderland v Southampton
Betting: 6/4 (home), 9/4 (draw), 19/10 (away).
Suspended: Sunderland – Craig Gardner and Stephane Sessegnon. Southampton – Gaston Ramirez.
Injured: Southampton – Richard Chaplow.
Another fixture featuring two sides who aren’t completely safe from relegation, though a win will ensure either team’s survival.
Sunderland recovered well recently following their embarrassing loss to Villa, earning a hard-fought draw with Stoke.
And Southampton, meanwhile, were unfortunate to lose to a stunning last-minute Gareth Bale goal against Tottenham.
This match should therefore be an intriguing affair, with both sides showing decent form of late – their league positions suggest these two teams are relatively well matched, so we should be in for a tight, nerve-racking game.
Verdict: Draw
Manchester United v Swansea (Sunday, 4pm)
TV: Sky Sports 2
Suspended: Man United – Rafael.
Injured: Swansea – Angel Rangel.
Doubtful: Swansea – Chico Flores, Michu, Michel Vorm and Ki Sung-Yueng.
Betting: 3/10 (home), 9/2 (draw), 9/1 (away).
This game will almost inevitably be overshadowed by the emotional farewell for Fergie at Old Trafford.
And the Man United manager could not have asked for a more unremarkable match to finish up on, thus ensuring the limelight remains on him.
The United players, however, will want to give the manager a triumphant send off, so they’ll be determined not to spoil the occasion by losing.
Swansea, meanwhile, have never beaten the Red Devils in the Premier League, and don’t expect that stat to change on Sunday.
Verdict: Man United
David Moyes ‘hadn’t planned’ to leave Everton>
Is this the playlist for Alex Ferguson’s final game at Old Trafford?>
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Barclays Premier League FA Cup Predictions Chelsea Manchester City Manchester United Wigan Athletic