Premier League
Premier League weekend preview: Relegation battle reaching boiling point
The Premier League returns this weekend as the season’s end draws ever closer. We preview three of the weekend’s fixtures below.
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal – Saturday 17:30
Nottingham Forest boosted their survival chances yet again as they picked up another crucial point in a 2-2 draw away to Chelsea last Saturday. Steve Cooper’s side face yet another tough test as they face an Arsenal side who have found themselves in a title fight for the majority of the season. However, Forest’s home form has been their saving grace this season with 27 of their 34 points coming at the City ground, and at 4/1 they will be hoping to add another three to that total on Saturday.
Arsenal have faltered in their title race with Manchester City in recent weeks and the dream looks to be all but over for Mikel Arteta’s side. The Gunners have won just two of their last five and failure to win this weekend would confirm Manchester City as this year’s champions. Arsenal showed no mercy in the reverse fixture, putting five past their opponents at The Emirates, and at 11/20 they need all three points to keep the title race open, at least for one more day.
At 7/2 a draw is helpful to neither side with Forest needing to pull clear of other relegation scrappers to secure their place in the league next season. A draw would end Arsenal’s title hopes and see them settle for second place this season.
Taiwo Awoniyi has been at the forefront of Forest’s relegation fight and with four goals in his last two games the Nigerian striker is 9/5 to find the back of the net. Martin Odegaard has been Arsenal’s standout performer and is 21/10 to add to his impressive tally of 15 this season.
Check out all the latest football odds at William Hill
West Ham v Leeds – Sunday 13:30
West Ham have all but secured their safety in the Premier League with only a series of freak results and scorelines able to relegate them. Despite having just one win in their last five league games David Moyes’ side are 11/8 favourites, but they may have their focus elsewhere with the prospect of a Europa Conference League final on the horizon.
Leeds’ focus will be fully set on their fight for survival, with their chances growing slimmer as the weeks pass. Picking up a point against Newcastle last week would normally seem to be a positive result, but Leeds need wins. Sam Allardyce’s side are 15/8 underdogs but will want to leave the London Stadium with nothing other than three points on Sunday afternoon.
Leeds have to take anything they can get at this stage but at 5/2 a second draw in a row would certainly not go far in their fight for survival. Leeds’ games so far this season have seen more goals than any other side outside the top two and Over 3.5 Total Match Goals looks an intriguing punt at 7/4.
Manchester City v Chelsea – Sunday 16:00
A game that in previous years may have been a title decider is now billed as the Champions elect setting out to demolish a struggling, dysfunctional mid-table side.
Manchester City have been a cut above the rest this season, easing clear of Arsenal in the latter stages of the title race with 12 wins in their last 13 league games. Pep Guardiola’s side are unsurprisingly the odds-on favourites for this fixture at 2/9. An extra motivation for City is that with this being their final home game of the season it is their only chance to lift the trophy in front of their home fans, and three points would see them do that.
Chelsea fans will be happy to see the season drawing to a close but will be less happy to see Manchester City next on the fixture list. At 11/1 Chelsea are free of any expectation and their fans will hope that the players can put on a display with no pressure on their shoulders, all be it for what would be merely a consolatory victory in what has been one of their worst seasons in recent memory.
With points not meaning anything for Chelsea at this stage in the season a draw at 11/2 would be fairly underwhelming for them, whilst City fans would be left gutted with that result as they fail to lift the title at the Etihad.
The imperious Erling Haaland is yet again favourite to score at 2/5, with Chelsea’s top scorer Kai Havertz the 9/2 favourite to find the back of the net for the Blues.
