By Sam McGuire
The top of the table could have a very different look at 7pm on Sunday afternoon. Here’s your weekend preview.
Sneaking up the table
At one stage this season, it appeared as though Manchester City might finish outside of the Champions League places. Now, though, with three games to play, Pep Guardiola’s side are in third place, just three points off of Arsenal with a favourable game this weekend.
City face Southampton on Saturday. They are, comfortably, the worst team in the Premier League. The Saints, marooned at the bottom of the table, have conceded the most goals this season while also scoring the fewest. They’ve won just twice all season and are 10 points adrift.
This should be the easiest three points of the season for the former champions. Especially in the form they’re in. They are unbeaten since early March and top the form table with 13 points from 15.
Despite their early season struggles, there’s still a world in which Guardiola guides his side to a second place finish and success in the FA Cup. It’d be some turnaround.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Bournemouth have been consistently inconsistent this term.
They started the season with one win in their opening five and four wins in their opening 10. At the end of November, they went on an 11-match unbeaten run, winning seven of those in the process, and catapulting themselves up the table. Some even thought they may have an outside chance of a top four finish.
This run included a 4-1 win over Newcastle United and a 5-0 dismantling of Nottingham Forest.
Andoni Iraola’s side then lost five of the next season and have won just three games since February. Yet they’re currently unbeaten in five and claimed a 2-1 win over Arsenal in their last game.
Despite such inconsistent form, they find themselves eighth in the Premier League table. They know that a win would move them to within four points of the visitors this weekend, Aston Villa.
Unai Emery’s side are within one win of moving level on points with fourth-placed Newcastle United. It would heap the pressure on teams around them, teams such as Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, as they look to claim a top five finish to have Champions League football return to Villa Park next term.
Villa haven’t travelled well this season, picking up 23 points from 17 matches. It sees them sit 11th in the away form table. Bournemouth, meanwhile, haven’t been great at home, winning just seven of their 17 home fixtures.
A must not lose at St James’ Park
Newcastle United host Chelsea in the early kick-off on Sunday.
This is a massive game in the race for a Champions League place. Right now,
The Magpies are level on points with Enzo Maresca’s side. They’re ahead of them in the table due to their superior goal tally. Both teams are in relatively good form with the Blues ranking fifth in the form table with 11 points while Eddie Howe’s team are sixth with 10 points from their last five matches.
Chelsea have started to pick points up over recent weeks, at a key time of the season too, winning three on the bounce in the Premier League and beating champions Liverpool last time out. It has given them a much needed boost heading into this particular run-in.
Newcastle, meanwhile, have slowed down a little bit. Humbled by Aston Villa a few weeks ago, they needed a late penalty last weekend to claim a point against Brighton. The key thing for them though was to not lose. It’ll be the same mentality this weekend too.
All eyes will be on the highly sought-after Alexander Isak. He’s just five behind in the race for the Golden Boot but has two in two. He also has a goal against Chelsea in each of his last three appearances. A big finish to the season will see his valuation swell.
How will Arsenal react?
Arsenal’s season has fizzled out. There’s no way to dress it up. Mikel Arteta’s side have taken just six points from their last five matches in the Premier League. This form has seen their title challenge turn into a scramble to finish in the Champions League places.
They’re winless in four across all competitions and lost their last Premier League match against Bournemouth, a game in which they did take the lead. The Gunners lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League to end their journey at the semi-final stage.
What could’ve been a special end to the season now looks set to be a stress filled one for Arsenal players and fans alike. Do they have the mental fortitude to see out the campaign?
They travel to Anfield this weekend to give the champions a guard of honour. Again, that is going to be a mental blow for a team that had title aspirations a little over a month ago. Will they bounce back and put in a good performance to maintain their lead in second or are they going to crumble?
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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