Premier League: Matchday 35 Tips & Predictions
The latest round of Premier League matches will be spread across four days, with the main focus being on the battle for Champions League football.
Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester City, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are all in the running for a top-five finish and face crunch fixtures this weekend.
Seven of the 10 matches will be live on TV, including Manchester City’s home clash with in-form Wolves and Chelsea's encounter with champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
We have four selections for the weekend’s Premier League action.
Matchday 35 Selections:
- Manchester City to beat Wolves @ 17/10
- Aston Villa v Fulham - Over 3.5 goals @ 39/20
- Brighton v Newcastle - Draw @ 11/4
- Chelsea v Liverpool - Luis Diaz to score @ 7/2
Manchester City to beat Wolves and both teams to score @ 17/10
Three straight league wins have seen Pep Guardiola’s men move up to fourth, just six points behind second-placed Arsenal heading into Friday’s clash with Wolves.
The FA Cup finalists might not be back to their very best, but things appear to be heading in the right direction, with some of their younger players getting their chance to shine.
Nico O’Reilly and Rico Lewis have impressed in recent weeks, while Kevin De Bruyne is looking to finish his time at City on a high.
They now face a Wolves team who have been the in-form side in the Premier League over the last six weeks, winning their last six matches.
With safety secured, Vitor Pereira’s squad have been playing with the pressure off their shoulders and have found the net 13 times in that winning run.
This is a difficult test for Wolves, though, and they may have to settle for a consolation goal at a ground where they were beaten 5-1 last season.
Aston Villa v Fulham - Over 3.5 Goals @ 39/20
Key Statistic: In Aston Villa's last 5 games, each game has included 3 or more goals.
These teams have gone in different directions since the start of March, with Aston Villa still in the shake-up for Champions League qualification and Fulham falling off the pace.
Unai Emery’s men have won five of their last six league games, but Fulham have lost four of their last seven top-flight matches and are six points behind their opponents.
The Cottagers needed an injury-time winner to collect the points at bottom club Southampton last weekend, having been behind for almost an hour.
Goals have been on the agenda at Villa Park in recent games, with three or more goals in the Villans' last four home matches, and this could be another high-scoring contest.
There were four goals when the teams met at Craven Cottage in October, while this fixture finished 3-1 last term.
Brighton v Newcastle - Draw @ 11/4
Last week’s dramatic win over West Ham ended a run of five league games without a victory for Brighton, which has ended their European hopes.
Only two teams have had more draws than the Seagulls this season, with 12 in total for Fabian Hurzeler’s squad.
They now face a Newcastle team who have put themselves in the driving seat to make the Champions League, but their away form remains a concern.
The Magpies have lost three of their last five away games, with the two wins coming against two of the bottom four - West Ham and Leicester.
Brighton won this game 3-1 last season but the two previous meetings at the Amex Stadium saw the teams share the spoils and another draw looks likely.
Chelsea v Liverpool - Luis Diaz to score @ 7/2
Key Statistic: Luis Diaz has 2 goals and 1 assist in 3 Premier League appearances against Chelsea.
Liverpool have had a week of celebrating winning the league title following last Sunday’s 5-1 win over Tottenham at Anfield.
It would be understandable if the Reds are not as sharp as they have been this season, considering top spot has been confirmed.
Chelsea have responded to a recent poor run with back-to-back victories over Fulham and Everton, which have moved them into the top five.
With the Blues also having a tricky preparation as they were in action in the Conference League on Thursday, it might be worth looking to the goalscorer markets instead.
Luis Diaz has scored in two of the last three meetings between the sides and has found the net in three of the last four Liverpool matches. He could strike again.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation