Matchday 34 is a jam packed with blockbuster fixtures as we hit the final stretch of the Premier League season. With an abundance of fixtures during the week, many teams will be pushed to the limit coming off short turnarounds. As always, Jack Tobin is back with his EPL Tips for this weekend!
EPL Matchday 34 Betting Tips
Arsenal vs Manchester United
Saturday 23rd April, 9.30pm (AEST)
Arsenal’s top four hopes were slipping away after a horror few weeks, however a remarkable 4-2 win over Chelsea has seen them move level on points with four placed Tottenham, only separated by goal difference. Arsenal has a game against Spurs in their remaining fixtures, which could be the clash that decides fourth place. Manchester United were on the end of another thrashing at the hands of Liverpool during the week, with a 4-0 defeat at Anfield to add to a 5-0 defeat against the Reds earlier in the season.
Cristiano Ronaldo missed the Liverpool clash after the death of his child and is in doubt to take on the Gunners which will be a huge loss for United, with Ronaldo sitting third in the golden boot race with 15 goals. The Red Devils biggest concern is their back four, ranking as 9th worst defence in the Premier League having conceded 48 goals. United are the worst defence in the top six by far and have conceded 14 goals in their last six Premier League games, including two against bottom placed Norwich last weekend.
Manchester United have won just one of their last four games in the Premier League and have struggled against the Gunners recently, with a 1-3-3 in their last seven meetings with Arsenal. Manchester United are in crisis and the Gunners will be riding high after their win over Chelsea midweek. Arsenal will have no troubles against a struggling United outfit.
Chelsea vs West Ham
Sunday 24th April, 11.00pm (AEST)
It’s been an up and down few weeks for Chelsea, going win/loss/win/loss over their past four Premier League games. Despite some strong form in the Europa League, that hasn’t translated to the Premier League for West Ham who have won just one of their last four games in the Premier League. Concerningly, the Hammers last two games have resulted in a loss to twelfth placed Brentford and a draw to eighteenth placed Burnley.
The Hammers defence has been an issue, recording just one clean sheet in their last nine games. West Ham rank fourteenth in the Premier League for clean sheets, the lowest of any of the top eight sides on the table. Despite Chelsea’s tough fortnight they’ve gone 6-0-2 in their last eight games, scoring 20 goals across those eight games.
Both sides are excellent in attack, so this game will come down to which defence can hold up best. Chelsea have the third best defence in the Premier League and played a heavily rotated side against Arsenal, meaning they should be well prepared for this weekend. Chelsea have won two of their last three against West Ham and will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing performance during the week.
Liverpool vs Everton
Monday 25th April, 1.30am (AEST)
Monday morning sees a Merseyside Derby with Liverpool and Everton in polar opposite positions on the Premier League table. The Reds are in second place just one point behind league leaders Manchester City, while Everton are in seventeenth just four points away from the relegation zone.
Everton have had a horror season and are 3-2-11 across their last sixteen Premier League games, in that same timespan Liverpool have a 12-3-1 record. Everton’s struggles have come largely at the back, ranking as the fifth worst Premier League defence this season having conceded 55 goals. Coming up against the number one attack in Liverpool who have scored a mammoth 83 goals, it’s going to be an almighty challenge for Everton to keep out a Liverpool attack featuring three of the top four goal scorers in the league. Mo Salah (22 goals, 1st), Diogo Jota (15 goals, equal 3rd) and Sadio Mane (14 goals, 4th) will be causing the Everton defence plenty of problems.
Everton have struggled in Merseyside Derbies in the last eleven years. The Toffees have a 1-12-9 in their last 22 Premier League fixtures against Liverpool, with the latest game a 4-1 defeat at Goodison Park earlier this season. Coming off a 4-0 win over Manchester United during the week, Liverpool are in goal scoring form and will score plenty against a poor Everton defence.
Other Tips
Leicester vs Aston Villa - Leicester H2H ($2.70 with TAB)
Manchester City vs Watford - Manchester City -2.5 ($1.95 with TAB)
Norwich vs Newcastle - Newcastle H2H ($2.10 with TAB)
Brentford vs Tottenham - Tottenham H2H ($1.90 with TAB)
Burnley vs Wolves - Under 1.5 Goals ($2.50 with TAB)
Brighton vs Southampton - Brighton H2H ($2.20 with TAB)
Crystal Palace vs Leeds - Crystal Palace H2H ($1.95 with TAB)
