Arsenal look to tighten their grip at the top while Manchester City face a must-win trip to Chelsea – Michael Owen shares his predictions for a pivotal weekend.
So here we are at Premier League Matchday 32 with Arsenal edging ever closer to that elusive finish line…
They’ve had a couple of chastening weeks with defeats in both domestic cup competitions leaving their quadruple dreams in tatters, but a late winner from Kai Havertz in their Champions League win away at Sporting on Tuesday will have given them a huge boost of morale and confidence.
This Saturday, they face Bournemouth at the Emirates and will be desperate to extend their lead at the top of the table to 12 points, albeit with Manchester City having two games in hand.
Bournemouth are definitely no pushovers and are currently unbeaten in eleven games. However, and incredibly, eight of those games have finished in a draw!
Clearly, Bournemouth are currently hard to beat but I fancy Arsenal to build on the back of their midweek win and to claim all three points with a 2-0 home win.
Then on Sunday, Manchester City have to go away to Chelsea, and it goes without saying that picking up all three points is an absolute must. They had a great win against a below-par Liverpool last week, and that 4-0 drubbing of their usual Premier League title rivals will have given them a real belief that they can still reel in the Gunners.
Chelsea may have thrashed Port Vale in the FA Cup last week but the truth is their form has been scratchy at best. Given the way Chelsea seems to be run these days, Chelsea must qualify for next season’s Champions League so this represents a huge game for both sides.
I’m expecting a tight game with Manchester City eking out a 2-1 away win to keep the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the table.
Michael Owen’s Matchweek 32 Predictions:
West Ham United 2-1 Wolves
Arsenal 2-0 Bournemouth
Brentford 1-1 Everton
Burnley 0-2 Brighton
Liverpool 2-1 Fulham
Crystal Palace 1-1 Newcastle United
Sunderland 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Aston Villa
Chelsea 1-2 Manchester City
Manchester United 3-1 Leeds United
