As we enter the final stretch of this season, the title race remains close, and all four spots in the top four remain up for grabs. Meanwhile, Luton and Forest remain in relegation battles and must avoid dropping back down into the Championship. Learn the best info about Soccer Victor.
Opta supercomputer favors Manchester City as the most likely winner of the league, yet this match-up between Man City and Liverpool could prove crucial for both sides.
Manchester City
Manchester City is an exciting team to follow. Their mix of experienced players and new talent makes for an attractive watch, while their impressive results both domestically and in Europe have fans excited for what lies ahead.
The current champions stand a good chance of retaining their title, though they’ll need to navigate key clashes against Liverpool, Tottenham, and Arsenal, which often have significant ramifications on the final standings, and ensure injuries don’t occur within their squad.
Manchester City’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham has put them two points clear of Tottenham at the top, and they could win their sixth Premier League crown with a home win against West Ham. However, Arsenal still have an outside chance at creating an exciting finish to their campaign by pulling off an unexpected title win themselves and creating an unpredictable finish to this season.
Manchester United
Last season, Manchester United finished third in the Premier League and qualified for Champions League play, a successful campaign that should see them finish in the top six once more this season—though Brighton could test them with their visit this week.
The Seagulls suffered an embarrassing defeat at Roma last week and will aim to rebound against an opponent they’ve already beaten twice this season, yet who are likely to challenge them defensively due to an already frail back line, with Andoni Iraola out due to injury adding further uncertainty – they must improve here if they want to fend off competition from those around them, currently eight points back of fifth-placed Spurs but a win here will put them within two points.
Liverpool
The 2024 title race promises to be one of the most dramatic in recent history. Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal remain separated by mere points; their opponents’ fortunes fluctuate drastically while Opta’s supercomputer analyses thousands of simulations to make accurate predictions.
The Reds weren’t particularly aggressive against Everton in their defeat and must improve on that when hosting relegation-threatened Burnley on Wednesday evening. Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez should be near full fitness, while Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, and Diogo Jota may return for this contest.
Manchester City remains the clear favorite, while Arsenal could take advantage of any slip-up by their leaders and create an exciting match between the two opponents. Get yourself some popcorn, as this could prove thrilling!
Chelsea
Chelsea is in pursuit of a top-six finish and qualification to next season’s Europa League, yet they face an uphill struggle against West Ham, who are in poor form and fighting to survive this Premier League season.
Pochettino will be confident of achieving another positive result against Chelsea after beating them 3-1 at Stamford Bridge last time around. Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March have also returned, both set to make their debuts.
Malo Gusto predicted that Chelsea could become one of the premier teams in the Premier League after their 2-1 win against Brighton. Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku scored to put Chelsea within one point of qualifying for Europe, providing Pochettino with momentum heading into the final weeks of this campaign.
Everton
Everton entered the final weekend of their season with several loose ends to wrap up. Although their history includes numerous trophy victories, Everton have not qualified for Champions League competition since 1989-90.
The Toffees have an excellent chance of finishing in the top half of the Premier League table this year, though they will need help from other teams to do so. Their current standing of 11th is a far cry from last season when they were in danger of relegation.
Richarlison’s departure is a blow for an Everton team that struggled to score enough goals last season and narrowly escaped relegation, yet this could be their chance at redemption. They host Luton Town this week before traveling to Arsenal.
Fulham
Fulham may not boast an abundance of World Cup-worthy players in its squad, yet there remain some lingering injuries at both ends of the table that need tidying up. Fulham remains in a strong position to retain Premier League status, and Mitrovic’s departure shouldn’t prove fatal.
Rodrigo Muniz has added some bite to Marco Silva’s attack since returning in January, and Fulham currently sits right around the league average in terms of expected goals per game. Yet when their defensive lines are breached, Fulham is vulnerable – conceding the highest average shot distance and second-highest average xG per shot average in the league – making betting on them to score under 1.5 goals plus money an attractive proposition.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth were at risk of relegation early on in 2022/23, but Andoni Iraola has managed to steer his side away from such danger and now look set for a top-half finish. Kieffer Moore emerged as an integral member of his side’s attack, while Philip Billing and Jefferson Lerma provided enough opposition in the central midfield.
However, their high-pressing approach has proven challenging to convert against the top sides. Iraola has injury concerns, with Ryan Fredericks and Chris Mepham doubtful. Still, the Cherries will likely maintain their pressing style against Chelsea and try to force high turnovers, which Dominic Solanke can take advantage of—make your pick and support the home side!
Wolves
After an uncertain preseason that quickly degenerated into what-might-have-been territory, Wolves supporters face another daunting Premier League campaign ahead. New boss Gary O’Neil faces an uphill task as they look to strengthen this summer – possibly too much is still to do to build upon what could have been an exciting campaign last season.
Last weekend’s 2-1 win against Luton Town marked Wolves’ return to winning ways after six league matches without victory. However, they still lack enough offensive options, and their defense remains at risk of conceding multiple goals during any prolonged pressure situation.
Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha are tied as their team’s joint top scorers, yet both have only scored twice in nine league matches since February 2017. I find their odds of 7/4 intriguing for scoring or assisting against Liverpool.
Tottenham
Spurs remain committed to Postecoglou’s high-pressing style of play yet manage to generate numerous turnovers. Richarlison provides strong striker support, while Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski can add plenty of attacking options.
Even after suffering defeat in their north London derby, Tottenham remains well-positioned at fifth in the table and could sneak up into fourth should Manchester United or Chelsea falter further – although, to keep their slim Champions League qualification hopes alive, they must earn an emphatic win quickly.
At home, Fulham has an impressive track record against City, so they should be considered worthy contenders to claim victory with an impressive win. Expect plenty of defense duties from City, though, as they conceded three times against Fulham during their 4-0 weekend win and outshot them 16-1! Back a City victory of at least 3-1 to claim your winnings.
Burnley
Vincent Kompany was always going to face some skepticism upon joining Burnley, but the former City defender has made quite an impactful first full-season impact there. He has completely altered the club’s playing style and coaching culture at Turf Moor.
Clarets could find themselves struggling for survival after Nathan Tella’s loan deal from Southampton expires, Michael Obafemi returns to Chelsea, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis returns to Manchester City. All these efforts may prove too much.
As such, they may struggle to keep pace with their top-four rivals; the Opta supercomputer indicates that Spurs should prove too strong in this matchup and put off Brighton and Hove Albion altogether. Their relegation fears will only increase due to conceding 74 goals this season, further compounding any concerns of their return home from Britain.
