Arsenal’s second half fade out against Liverpool has brought some life back into the title race, with the Gunners lead reduced to six points. Can City continue to heap pressure on an Arsenal side that has never been in this position before? We’ve got you covered with our tips for a huge Matchday of Premier League action.
EPL 2022-23: Matchday 31 Preview & Betting Tips
Tottenham vs Bournemouth
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Sunday 16th April, 12:00am AEST
A 79th minute winner from Harry Kane kept Tottenham’s top four hopes alive, in a 2-1 win over Brighton. Spurs sit three points behind fourth placed Manchester United, who have a game in hand on Tottenham. Tottenham host a revitalised Bournemouth side that has won three of their last five games, to lift themselves out of the relegation zone. The Cherries are in fifteenth place, but just three points outside of the relegation zone, however they’re in the best form of any team in the relegation battle.
Bournemouth’s recent form has been solid, however they still have the league’s worst defence ranking 20th, and they ranked 15th in attack. Their two most recent wins have come against Fulham and Leicester, who have been horribly out of form. It’s a big step up taking on a Spurs side that is pushing for a top four place. Tottenham are unbeaten in their last four games, and if they can control the possession battle, it’s difficult to see Bournemouth transitioning end to end to create enough goal scoring opportunities.
Tottenham have an outstanding head-to-head record against Bournemouth. In eleven Premier League matches between the two clubs Tottenham hold an 8-2-1 record, with an aggregate score of 28-7. The Cherries have been brave in their fight to avoid relegation, however Tottenham have had no issues finding the back of the net against Bournemouth, and all factors are trending towards a big win for Tottenham.
Tottenham -1.5
$2.25 (1 Unit)
Manchester City vs Leicester
Etihad Stadium, Sunday 16th April, 2:30am AEST
Manchester City finally got a slip up from Arsenal that they needed, and now they head into a three week period that will decide the season. In the next three weeks the defending champions play Arsenal, and play the game in hand that they have on the league leaders. Those six points will be the ultimate deciding factor in the title race, however City must take care of business this weekend against Leicester.
The Foxes have lost seven of their last eight games, and look destined for relegation despite being only two points away from safety. In contrast, City are flying with seven wins and one draw from their last eight games. Pep Guardiola’s side have scored eight goals across their last two games, with Erling Haaland’s brace last week taking him to 30 goals this season.
This game looms as a matchup nightmare for a struggling Leicester outfit that is in desperate need of a win. Leicester have conceded 52 goals this season, the fourth most in the Premier League, and their defence is going to be put to the sword by the best attacking side in the league, who have scored 75 goals this season. Man City have won six of their last seven Premier League fixtures against Leicester, and things could get ugly in this clash.
Manchester City -2.5
$2.15 (1.5 Units)
West Ham vs Arsenal
London Stadium, Sunday 16th April, 11:00pm AEST
Arsenal’s seven game winning streak came to an end after the Gunners squandered a 2-0 against Liverpool, with Roberto Firmino’s 87th minute equaliser forcing a share of the points. The league leaders will be desperate to bounce back when they take on London rivals West Ham, on Sunday evening. With City coming up on the schedule for Arsenal in the coming weeks, the Gunners cannot afford another slip up.
West Ham’s defence stood up against Fulham in a 1-0 win over Fulham on Matchday 30. Fulham had sixteen shots on goal to West Ham’s nine, and the Hammers only recorded 23% possession, but they found a way to keep Fulham at bay. West Ham are going to need their defence to come up big once again, because if the Gunners gain control like Fulham did, their West Ham defence is going to be under a mountain of pressure.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight games with a 7-1-0 record, having scored 25 goals across that eight game period. To highlight the difference in attacking proficiency, West Ham have scored 27 goals for the entire season. The Gunners have won seven of their last eight Premier League meetings against West Ham, with the Hammers last win against Arsenal coming back in 2019. Arsenal will be desperate to keep their title push on track, and won’t want to leave the door ajar for a late run from Manchester City, so expect a desperate Arsenal side in this clash.
Arsenal -1.5
$2.52 (1.5 Units)
More EPL Matchday 31 Tips
Aston Villa vs Newcastle (Saturday 9:30pm AEST)
Two of the form teams in the competition will get the round underway on Saturday night. Villa are riding a four-game win streak, while Newcastle have won five in a row. As a result, both clubs will feel as though they can attack and win this game, and that usually results in a high-scoring affair.
Over 2.5 Goals ($1.89 at Ladbrokes)
Chelsea vs Brighton (Saturday 12am AEST)
Chelsea’s horrible form continued last week when they were defeated by the Wolves. They’re now winless in their last four league matches and haven’t scored in their last three. This will give the Gulls a lot of confidence ahead of this clash, and they certainly have the quality to be able to take advantage.
Brighton to Win ($2.75 at Betr)
Everton vs Fulham (Saturday 12am AEST)
Everton have had an up and down campaign but have been in some of their better form in recent weeks. They now come up against a Fulham side that has lost four in a row, with two of those coming against bottom half sides. The Toffees should be able to negotiate the win here.
Everton to Win ($2.05 at Neds)
Southampton vs Crystal Palace (Saturday 12am AEST)
After going more than 10 league matches without a win, Crystal Palace have found some form out of nowhere and enter this clash with Southampton on a two-game win streak. Palace put five in the back of the net against Leeds last weekend in clearly their best performance of the season. As long as they bring something close to that level against the Saints, they’ll be coming away with another win.
Crystal Palace to Win ($2.75 at Ladbrokes)
Wolves vs Brentford (Saturday 12am AEST)
The Wolves secured three important points in their win against Chelsea last weekend, which they thoroughly deserved. They’ve now improved to 13th on the ladder but are still only four points clear of the drop zone. Meanwhile, the Bees have lost their last two games but are still firmly entrenched in the top half. Recent form makes this a difficult fixture to predict, however I do expect both teams to find the back of the net, which has been the case in each of their last two meetings.
Both Teams to Score ($1.92 at Ladbrokes)
Nottingham vs Manchester United (Monday 1:30am AEST)
Nottingham have completely lost their way recently and have only managed to pick up three points from their last nine league matches. It only gets tougher this weekend when they host a Manchester United outfit that’s won their last two games without conceding a goal. It’s hard to look past United winning again here.
Manchester United to Win ($1.66 at Betr)
Leeds vs Liverpool (Tuesday 5am AEST)
Liverpool managed to claw their way back from a two-goal deficit against league leaders Arsenal last weekend. They’ve now finished a part of their schedule where they played four of the ‘big six’ within a five-week span, and will relish the opportunity to play a lesser opponent this weekend. They should be far too good for the current version of Leeds.
Liverpool to Win ($1.72 at Ladbrokes)
