Matchweek 32 Previews
Manchester United v. Watford
Despite suffering back-to-back defeats, including the first Premier League loss of his tenure in charge of the club, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed the full-time manager of Manchester United on Thursday. In his first match since the announcement, Solskjaer will look to bounce back against Watford, a side Man United have beaten in 10 of 11 Premier League meetings. Meanwhile, Watford have had some ups-and-downs of late. They have lost 2 of their last 3 Premier League matches, but they also advanced to the FA Cup Semi-Finals. The Hornets can still push for a top-7 finish, as they sit just 1 point behind 7th-place Wolves.
West Ham United v. Everton
In their first season under Marco Silva, Everton continue to suffer from inconsistency. However, they are currently in a positive run of form, with just 1 loss and 3 clean sheets in their last 4 Premier League matches. Currently on 40 points, a strong run-in could see the Toffees competing for a top-7 place at the end of this season. West Ham enter this match on a high after some late dramatics allowed them to earn all 3 points last time out against Huddersfield. With Javier Hernandez in good form, plus a good recent record against Everton, Manuel Pellegrini’s men will hope to creep closer to those above them in the table with a win.
Cardiff City v. Chelsea
With just 8 matches remaining this season, Cardiff have little room left for error. They sit in 18th place, 2 points from safety, and face four “big 6” clubs before the season comes to an end. To make matters worse, they look set to be without their joint-top scorer, Callum Paterson, who suffered an ankle injury over the international break. Toward the top of the table, Chelsea are struggling to keep up with their competitors for a top-4 spot. They have lost 4 of their last 5 Premier League away matches, getting outscored 15-2 in the process. For the Blues, their best chance of making it into next season’s Champions League could be lifting the Europa League trophy this term.
Liverpool v. Tottenham Hotspur
The final break of the season is over, meaning we’ve officially reached the run-in. Liverpool enter the weekend top of the table, but depending on Man City’s result at Fulham on Saturday, that could change by the time they kick off on Sunday. The Reds have 7 matches to win what would be a first title in 29 years. How will they handle the pressure? For Tottenham, while they have Wednesday’s much-anticipated opening of their new stadium to look forward to, they must maintain focus on Sunday’s visit to Liverpool. Spurs are winless in their last 4 Premier League matches, and are dangerously close to falling out of the top-4.
Arsenal v. Newcastle United
Arsenal have won 9 straight Premier League home matches and enter the weekend sitting in 4th place, just 1 point behind 3rd-place Tottenham. For Newcastle, the Magpies have just one loss in their last 6 matches as they enter the weekend 7 points above the relegation zone. However, they have lost 11 of their last 12 Premier League meetings against Arsenal, and haven’t won at the Emirates since 2010.
