Welcome back! Last weekend’s draw at Anfield reignited the Premier League title race. After seven consecutive wins, Arsenal London have ticked off their first slip-up in the battle with Manchester City, a side in great form who looks unstoppable in this period. The Gunners are six points ahead of ManCity, but have played one match more, and the end of the Premier League season looks to be difficult with away trips to West Ham United, Manchester City, Newcastle and Nottingham, home games against Chelsea, Brighton, and against two teams desperately fighting to stay in the Premier League next season, Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Manchester City’s spectacular run in the Premier League and FA Cup this spring, eight consecutive wins and an impressive 31-4 record, continued in the UEFA Champions League, where Pep Guardiola’s side stunned Bayern Munich 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium in the first leg of the quarterfinals to take an almost decisive option for qualification to the last four.
Just as spectacular as the title duel is the battle for a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League group stage. Newcastle United, the big revelation of the current season, are, like Arsenal and ManCity, having a fantastic spring. The team led by the tandem Eddie Howe-Jason Tindall have, after their away win over the unpredictable Brentford, made it to five wins in a row! Despite conceding a goal in four of their five wins, Newcastle’s defensive remains the best defensive team in the Premier League this season. For Newcastle it’s their third consecutive away game as ‘The Magpies’ play this weekend at Villa Park against an Aston Villa side that has transformed incredibly since Unai Emery’s arrival on the coaching bench. The 51-year-old Spaniard took over Aston Villa on 1 November 2022, when Villa was 14th in the Premier League table. With Unai Emery, Aston Villa are now in an unlikely 6th place and with little chance they could clinch the last spot for Europe!
Manchester United are trying to keep up with Newcastle. Since their head-to-head defeat at St James’ Park in early April, Manchester United have recorded two hard-earned but important wins, 1-0 against Brentford and 2-0 against Everton, both at home. Next up is an away trip to the City Ground in Nottingham against a side desperately fighting to stay in the Premier League.
Sitting in 18th place, the first relegation spot, Nottingham Forest have been winless for nine rounds (!), during which time they have collected just 3 points.
The fight to avoid relegation will be a bayonet battle this season, with almost half the Premier League teams involved in the fight for survival. Of these, Crystal Palace have collected the most points in the last two rounds, six out of six. The return to the coaching bench of the venerable Roy Hodgson has been an auspicious one for the Londoners, two wins from as many games! This round Crystal Palace play bottom-placed Southampton and a win could bring them some much needed peace of mind.
