Desh Parthab previews the latest round of Premier League action with the race for European football heating up.
The final month of league football is upon us and what a season it has been! The fight for the European places has intensified, with Aston Villa and Brighton staking their claims through new managerial appointments Unai Emery and Robert de Zerbi.
The Villains come into this round of action in eight place, level on points with seventh placed Tottenham Hotspur, with the two of them scheduled to go toe to toe in due course. Brighton enter this game week in sixth place, currently four points behind Liverpool – albeit, with two games in hand over Klopp’s men.
Third-placed Newcastle take on second placed Arsenal at St James’ Park where the Magpies have only seen one league defeat all season long. Defending champions Manchester City welcome relegation-threatened Leeds, who will undoubtedly be buoyed by Sam Allardyce’s presence in the dugout.
Can Chillwell lift Chelsea?
Ben Chillwell seems to have cemented his starting place in the Chelsea lineup, after being reunited with former manager Frank Lampard. The left back has started each of the club’s previous 3 league outings, bringing his tally to a mere 14 for the season. Chillwell has netted twice in the English top flight this season and he has been spotted in the opposition box during recent weeks, as seen by his one big chance missed (during his previous run out). Lampard will need to avoid a defeat this weekend against newly promoted Bournemouth or be known as the first managerial 007 (across Europe’s top 5 leagues).
Watkins to come good
Ollie Watkins could snap his dryspell this weekend. After a consistent run in front of goal, wherein he delivered 11 goals across 12 league fixtures, the forward has blanked across his previous 3 fixtures. The forward has been pivotal to Villa’s ascent on the log, having been directly involved in 43% of their league goals this season – only 3 topflight players have managed a larger share of goal involvements for their respective clubs.
Kane out to add to season tally
Harry Kane will look to close the gap between him and Erling Haaland on the Premier League scoring charts. Kane is some 10 goals shy of Haaland’s current league tally of 35. Spurs host a Crystal Palace outfit who have kept just 2 clean sheets across their previous 10 league outings. Almost two thirds (62.96%) of Spurs’ points have come on home soil.
Look out for in-form Wilson
Callum Wilson has netted 5 goals across his previous 3 league outings. The dangerman has been instrumental in Newcastle’s success this season, having been directly involved in 31% of Newcastle’s goals this season – the most from all teammates. Across his previous 3 topflight fixtures, Wilson has attempted 11 shots, with 7 of those being on target. Furthermore, he’s hit the woodwork once during that period so keep an eye on him in this one.
Carlos Vinicius to find the target
With Fulham’s leading marksman, Aleksander Mitrovic, serving his final match ban this weekend, I back Carlos Vinicius to make the most of (what could be) his final league start of the season. The hitman has been involved in 4 goals during his 25 league appearances this season and I think he adds to this tally in front of the Craven Cottage faithful. During his stint with Tottenham Hotspur in the 2020/21 season, Vinicius managed just a single league goal across his 9 appearances in the English first division but seems to have found form in current London gig.
