Going back down again?
Liverpool have an outside chance of qualifying for the Europa League if they win this one although they need Tottenham to lose at home to Birmingham which seems unlikely. Amazingly, after the poor season they’ve had, Aston Villa could finish in the top half if they were to pick up the three points.
Villa’s win at Arsenal was totally out of tune with their rotten form and Liverpool’s meek surrender to Tottenham was totally out of tune with their great form. I think they’ll both revert to type in this one with Liverpool finishing the season with a win.
Soccernews prediction: 0-2
The season can’t end soon enough for Bolton who have won just once in five since their FA Cup semi-final humiliation. As for City, they would love to keep playing. An FA Cup win would be backed up by automatic qualification to the Champions League group stages if they win this one. They will.
Soccernews prediction: 0-2
Everton have done remarkably well to make it to seventh place in the league after a terrible first half of the season. Chelsea have done pretty well to get to second after their mid season collapse, but will be dispirited by not getting to the top.
I fancy both sides to pick up a point.
Soccernews prediction: 1-1
Eighth placed Fulham have shown manager Mark Hughes’ comments that they are a top ten team to be correct. They’ve been great recently apart from a home drubbing by Liverpool.
What can be said that hasn’t already been said about Arsenal? Nothing accept that I think a point here and a fourth placed finish will just add to their sense of this being a wasted season.
Soccernews prediction: 1-1
The first of the massive games today. United have won the league and in a sense have nothing to play for. They also have a Champions League final next week and you can therefore expect many players to be given a rest. On the other hand, Fergie has promised to field a strong team and you can ask Schalke what United’s stand in players are like!
Blackpool have been wonderful to watch but the bottom line is that their defending is not Premier League standard. That will cost them dearly again here.
Soccernews prediction: 3-1
Two sides in mid-table who will be absolutely delighted to be there. Both teams have flirted with the relegation battle at times but Alan Pardew and Roy Hodgson deserve a great deal of credit for what they have achieved.
I think home advantage will give Newcastle the edge in a close game.
Soccernews prediction: 2-1
The second massive game sees a Wigan side beeding a result at Stoke. It is not normally a great place to go but Stoke’s season effectively ended when they lost the Cup Final. Their players will have one eye on the plane taking them to Magaluf.
Wigan are not a great side, but they have so much more to play for and that might be enough.
Soccernews prediction: 1-2
The third of the relegation deciders takes place between a Tottenham side who looked really good at Liverpool last time out and a Birmingham side who haven’t looked good since they won the Carling Cup final.
It’ll be bad news for Birmingham in this one.
Soccernews prediction: 2-0
Two teams who would be happy to shake hands and not bother playing. Managerless West Ham are already down and the free-falling Sunderland are struggling to get eleven fit players on the pitch.
It doesn’t really matter who wins this one and for that reason, I can see a draw.
Soccernews prediction: 0-0
The last of the ‘big ones’ sees a game between two teams who can both still go down. Wolves have looked good as they’ve fought for their lives. Blackburn have got weird owners, a manager who is out of his depth and has been done for drink driving and an investigation into alleged dodgy dealings in a transfer. Oh, and by the way, their team isn’t great either!
Soccernews prediction: 2-1
If I’ve got it right (there’s a first time for everything!) the bottom of the league would look like this:
Pld GD Pts
Wolves 38 -18 43
Wigan 38 -21 42
Blacburn 38 -15 40
Blackpool 38 -21 39
Birmingham 38 -22 39
West Ham 38 -24 34
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