With just two more game weeks left in the English Premier League, everyone is gearing up to witness the final fight for the teams to finish the season as close to their objective as possible. This Saturday brings to us three clashes, with their teams mostly in the bottom half of the league.
At the south coast, AFC Bournemouth welcome Burnley FC at home, where just 1 point will assure the visiting Clarets of mathematical safety of their participation in the Premier League.
At the same time, the already relegated Sunderland will welcome Swansea City. The Swans are still not safe from relegation, and hence, will go for all 3 points.
The third fixture along with these two is between Middlesbrough and Southampton. Boro have been confirmed that they will be playing their league football in the Second Division of English Football after their loss against Chelsea; therefore it will be all about honor as a strong Saints side visit them this weekend.
AFC BOURNEMOUTH vs BURNLEY FC
3-way: 1: AFC BOURNEMOUTH +100; X: +275 Draw; 2: BURNLEY FC +330
Spread -0.5: AFC BOURNEMOUTH -105; BURNLEY FC +102
Total +2.5: Over -120; Under +116
AFC BOURNEMOUTH
Another season comes to the end, with the Cherries performing decently throughout the season. They almost had a season of two halves. The first half of the English Premier League season was a very positive one, with them grabbing lots of points, the 4:3 goal fest against Liverpool being a highlight of their first half of the season, a match which they won through an injury time goal by Chelsea Loanee Nathan Ake.
Then from January, their form dipped, which interestingly coincided with Nathan Ake going back to his parent club. Eddie Howe has managed to create an upturn in performances, though, and his team looks on course to finish another decent season overall in a mid-table position.
The most amiable thing about Bournemouth is their style of play. Unlike other smaller clubs, Bournemouth don’t just sit back and play the long ball. They always try to be positive and get a result from the match. Of the 42 points they have won in this English Premier League season, 28 have been won at home. Occupying the 8th position, the highest they can finish this season is the 8th position. They are unbeaten in their last three matches. Last weekend they played a 2:2 draw at home to Stoke City, and before that, they won 1:0 against Sunderland away. A 1:0 win has been their most common result this season, along with a 1:3 loss, both of them occurring 5 times each, which shows their topsy-turvy nature throughout the campaign.
With their positive attacking play, which separates the Cherries from the other lesser teams in the league, they have scored a decent 52 goals in the English Premier league so far. Their approach play can be quite aesthetically pleasing at times. However, their defense has let them down many times. They have conceded a massive 65 goals, less than only two teams in the league. Still, they have managed to keep 10 clean sheets up till this weekend.
Norwegian forward Joshua King has been the leader in term of goals for the Cherries, with 15 to his name. He has made quite an impression as a hattrick master, because he has scored a couple of Hattricks this season. Right back Adam Smith is leading the chart for assists in the Cherries’ team, with 5 to his name, along with Junior Stanislas. Benik Afobe is another player who carries a goal threat whenever he plays, as is shown by his six goals in the league so far.
To say that there are a few concerns from the treatment table for the cherries, will be bit of an understatement. They have a total of five first team players that are out for the season. Callum Wilson (Cruciate ligament injury), Adam Federici and Andrew Surman ( Both having knee injuries), Arsenal Loanee Jack Wilshere ( Broken leg), and forward Benik Afobe (Hamstring injury), all are out for the rest of the season, as coach Eddie Howe prepares for a tough month without many of his first team players. Dan Gosling is a doubt for the match, as his recovery status on Calf injury will be monitored.
BURNLEY FC
After getting relegated at the end of 2014-15 season of the English Premier League, Burnley showed incredible determination and hunger to get promoted from the Championship and come back to the English premier league. Their coach Sean Dyche deserves a lot of credit for creating a team that are fearless in defending, especially at home. Keeping in mind that they joined the premier league again just this season, it has turned out to be a decent season as they have almost managed to keep themselves up in the division, with just 1 point needed to guarantee mathematical safety for the Clarets.
Burnley has earned a reputation this season for making their stadium Turf Moor a fortress like aura. Teams come into the stadium knowing that they are in for a difficult match, as was visible with the fact, that league leaders Chelsea, have almost been unstoppable, could only get 1 point from their visit to Turf Moor. The Clarets have earned a total of 40 points so far in the English Premier League, with 33 of them coming at home. This shows how strong they are at home than on the road. Their current league form is 2-2-2. They are unbeaten in the last two league matches. On 29th April, they defeated Crystal Palace 2:0 away, and then they followed that up with a 2:2 home draw against West Bromwich Albion last weekend. Their most common result is a 1:2 loss, which has happened 6 times so far.
They are pretty poor when it comes to scoring goals, as his highlighted by the fact that they have only scored 37 goals in the league, majority of those coming at home; 27 to be precise. Their main strength this season has been their defense, which has been quite effective. Even though they have conceded 51 goals in the league, only 18 of them have been at their home matches. This shows their defensive structure and solidity at home
Andre Gray has been the top scorer for the Clarets so far this season, with 9 goals in the league to his name. Belgian Playmaker Steven Defour is the one who has made the most assists, that too being a paltry 3 assists in the league. His Welsh teammate Sam Vokes has been pretty helpful in the attacking front. He has scored 8 goals and assisted 3 goals for the Clarets in the league. Keeper Tom Heaton has kept 10 clean sheets, and he is the highest save maker in the league, with 135 saves so far.
Controversial midfielder Joey Barton is suspended for the season, after his involvement in the betting scandal. Dean Marney is out for the season with a Cruciate Ligament injury while Michael Keane and George Boyd are doubts for the weekend clash.
AFC BOURNEMOUTH vs BURNLEY FC MATCH PREDICTION
This tie has all the ingredients to be an interesting match-up. Bournemouth are known as a team that don’t really shy away from their philosophy or positive approach play, no matter what. And Burnley are a team that has made this campaign a decent one by strong defensive play, and with good work rate of players, and by being a threat in set pieces. But considering the Clarets woeful away form, it will be safe to say that in all likelihood, Bournemouth won’t be having much problems from Burnley. Therefore, my prediction would be will be a win for the Cherries, and maybe even a clean sheet for them against the visitors who haven’t been effective on the road.
MY PICK: BOURNEMOUTH (+100)
SUNDERLAND AFC vs SWANSEA CITY AFC
3-Way: 1: SUNDERLAND AFC +320; X: +285 Draw; 2: SWANSEA CITY AFC -103
Spread +0.5: 1: SUNDERLAND AFC +114; 2: SWANSEA CITY AFC -103
Total +2.5: Over -111; Under +102
SUNDERLAND AFC
It has been something that we all knew would happen sometime, but still were a bit taken aback when it finally did. Sunderland are going to get relegated at the end of this season from the English Premier league. After ten years of stay in the Top flight, where we have been witness to many miraculous comebacks to ensure survival in the league, they will finally play in the Championship again.
Poor in attack, unable to hold onto leads during matches, and a weak defense, have contributed to the downfall for Sunderland this season. With two matches left for the Black Cats, the fans will be hoping that there are positive performances in these matches at least, so as to have somewhat of a positive memory of their stay in the premier league.
The Black Cats sit at the rock bottom of the English Premier League table. With just 24 points till now, they won’t be able to stage another miraculous comeback that we have so often associated with the Black Cats in the last few years. 14 of those points have been won at their Stadium of Light. With just 1 win in their last 6 matches, their league record is 1-1-4. Their last result was a 2:0 win against Hull City, away. But it was already too little, too late. It was their first win in 10 matches. A 2:0 defeat is their most common result, as it has occurred a total of 6 times this season.
Barring one other team, Sunderland have the worst attack in the league. The Black Cats have scored just 28 goals this season, with 16 of those coming at home. They have failed to score in17 matches in the league so far. Apart from a woeful attack, they also have a leaky defense. With 59 goals conceded till now, Sunderland have one of the worst defenses in the league. 32 of those goals have been conceded at home. They have managed to keep only 6 clean sheets in the league so far.
Veteran striker Jermain Defoe has been a rare positive for the Black Cats this season. He has scored an impressive 15 goals so far in the league, and considering the fact he has done it in a team devoid of any attacking inspiration this season, that is quite a feat. He has also provided 2 assists for his teammates. Belgian Youngster Adnan Januzaj has also provided 3 assists in the league.
Sunderland also have many concerns from the medical department. Midfielders Jan Kirchhoff, Duncan Watmore, and Patrick Mcnair are all out for the season. Bryan Oviedo is still not available, and he might only return for the last gameweek, as he recovers from a hamstring strain. Lee Catermole and Darron Gibson are doubtful for the match, as their situations will be monitored.
SWANSEA CITY AFC
The Welsh club had a poor start to the 2016/2017 English Premier League season, with fears of relegation growing. However, after Sacking Bob Bradley, they appointed Paul Clement, who has managed to create better environment in the team, and hence managed to bring an upturn in performances. Even though the Swans are not yet out of the relegation troubles completely, there is a positive feeling that they will manage to keep themselves in the league by getting favorable results in their next two fixtures in the league, and hence finish the season on a positive note.
Swansea are not the most attacking, or the most defensively solid team in the English Premier league, but they do have a few talented individuals who are able to turn the game on its head in a matter of seconds. The Welsh club has bagged 35 points so far, which is not a positive outcome by any means, but keeping in mind their horrible early season form and results, it is quite remarkable how they have managed to bag results in many crucial matches in the last few months. Of those 35 points, 24 have been won at home, which shows how poor they have been on the road. Their current league record is 2-1-3. They are unbeaten in their last 3 matches in the league. Their last match was a 1:0 home win against Everton, which was following an away 1:1 draw against Manchester United. A 1:3 loss has been their most common result, as it has happened 6 times so far in the league.
The Swans haven’t been effective at scoring goals, which shouldn’t really be the case for a team that has been talented attackers Gylfi Sigurdsson in their ranks. They have managed to score only 41 goals in the league so far, with 25 of the coming at home. Their defense has been the second worst in league. They have conceded a massive 69 goals till now, with 33 of them being concede in front of the home crowd. And they have managed to keep a clean sheet only on 7 occasions so far.
Summer signing Fernando Llorente has been leading the line with his aerial prowess. The Spaniard has 13 league goals to his name, and has been a typical target man for the Swans. But the one player that the Swans truly depend on, is Gylfi Sigurdsson. The Iceland International has 12 assists in the league, with only Kevin De Bruyne boasting more, and also has 9 goals. His deadly set piece accuracy is a nightmare for many goalkeepers. When Llorente and Sigurdsson combine well, it usually means that the Swans will grab points.
Swansea City have a few injury Concerns in their team. Winger Jefferson Montero is a doubt for the match with a Hamstring Strain, along with defender Angel Rangel. Nathan Dyer is out for the season with an Achilles tendon injury, while Wayne Routledge is back in training, which will be a positive news for manager Paul Clement.
SUNDERLAND AFC vs SWANSEA CITY AFC MATCH PREDICTION
Both the teams have had poor seasons, and while Sunderland are already confirmed as relegated, Swansea are still one place above the relegation spots, and hence, will have a higher motivation to win this match. The away team’s hope will cling on their star player Gylfi Sigurdsson to produce magic moments, which will hopefully get them three points against the Black Cats. Most probably, the Sunderland defense will find it hard to deal with the physicality of Llorente, and hence, will falter like they have done most of the season. Therefore, my prediction will be a comfortable Swansea City victory against Sunderland.
MY PICK: SWANSEA CITY AFC (-103)
MIDDLESBROUGH FC vs SOUTHAMPTON FC
3-Way: 1: MIDDLESBROUGH FC +309; X: +262 Draw; 2: SOUTHAMPTON FC +106
Spread +0.5: MIDDLESBROUGH FC +108; SOUTHAMPTON FC +104
Total +2.5: Over +104; Under -110
MIDDLESBROUGH FC
It has been a very tough season for one of the oldest clubs in English Premier League. To put things into perspective, around a decade back, they defeated Manchester City with a score of 8:1. Now, after winning promotion from the Championship to the English Premier league last season, they are again destined for relegation back to the Championship. With the last weekend’s meek loss against champions-elect Chelsea, it was confirmed that the highest Boro will finish this season will be in 18th position, which means confirmed relegation. They have garnered a reputation as a team that can’t score goals. With only two matches left for the season, Boro players will be hoping for decent performances, starting this weekend, when they face Southampton.
Be it home or away, the team just cannot gain points it seems. With just 25 points won in this English Premier League season, is. So poor was their form, that manager Aitor Karanka was sacked midway through the season. Of those 25 points, 15 have been won at home. Boro’s current league record is 0-2-4. They have been winless in their last 6 home games. The fans hoped that they will be in for a interesting quest for survival, after their team drew with Manchester City at home with a score line of 2:2, two weeks ago, but all their hopes were squashed as Chelsea defeated the visitors at Stamford Bridge with a scoreline of 0:3, hence confirming relegation. The Teessiders have been a very dull team to watch. This statement can be backed by the fact that they have played 7 0:0 draws this season.
And when you are a newly promoted team, it is important that you score goals and prevent them whenever possible, to stand any chance of survival. Boro didn’t seem to get the scoring part of it, and hence they have been the worst scoring team in the English Premier league, with only 25 goals to their name. That’s just one more goal than top scorer Romelu Lukaku (24). It must be stated, that the team did put in a lot of effort in their defensive work, which is shown by the fact that they are the 10th best in the league in defense, which is something to be appreciated, for a newly promoted club. They have kept 10 clean sheets in the process.
Summer singing Alvaro Negredo has tried his best to make goals for his team. The experienced Spaniard has scored 9 goals, and has 4 assists so far in the league. That is something impressive, for a team that has scored the least number of goals in the league, and are considered to be extremely uninspiring in attack. Uruguayan midfielder Gaston Ramirez is the next most involved player in the team, with 2 goals, and 3 assists. Former Barca Keeper Victor Valdes has kept 9 clean sheets for the team.
They have three doubts for the weekend. Goalkeeper Valdes (Rib injury), Daniel Ayala( ankle injury) and Gaston Ramirez ( Groin Injury) are players whose participation in the weekend’s match is not yet decided for Middlesbrough.
SOUTHAMPTON FC
This South Coast club has an extremely impressive academy and transfer dealers. No matter what, they never seem to run out of decent players and coaches. As has been the trend in the recent years, in every summer transfer window, clubs around the country, and from Europe, set their sights on the Saints, for talented players. The best example being Liverpool, who seem to have a summer budget allocated every year to buy players from Southampton. After they sell their best players, they are equally efficient in replacing them with decent players of similar caliber. And not just players, even coaches are well replaced, as we can see from the appointment of Claude Puel, who took the reins from Ronald Koeman. And still, with all these changes and a modest budget, we see the Saints finishing in and around the top half of the table in the English Premier League.
This season has been a modest one for the Saints. It has taken some time for their new manager to get used to the surroundings and the league, but they have managed to almost assure themselves of a top half finish. Sitting in 10th position in the English Premier League with 42 points, the Saints can still finish in the top 8, if all the results go their way. Of those 42 points, 23 have been won at home. Their current league record is 2-2-2.
They are unbeaten in their last two games, and interestingly, have scored 0, conceded 0 in those two matches. First they had a scoreless draw at home against Hull City two weeks ago, and then, they went to Anfield and put in a defensive master class against the attacking Liverpool and came back with a scoreless draw. And it seems, that 0:0 is their favorite score, as they have finished matches with that score in 6 occasions this league campaign.
They haven’t really made a reputation for themselves as lethal scorers, and the stats suggest the same. They have scored 39 goals this season, with 17 of them coming at home. Their most impressive aspect is their defensive solidity. They have conceded 44 goals this season, bettered by 9 teams in the league. But the most praiseworthy stat is that they have kept 13 clean sheets in the league so for, that too after losing star defender Virgil Van Dijk to injury for the rest of the season, midway through the campaign.
Englishmen Charlie Austin and Nathan Redmond have been the club’s top scorers in the league, with 6 goals each. Serbian playmaker Dusan Tadic has been the creative hub of the team, with 5 assists to his name, and 4 goals too. A special mention must go to Winter signing Manolo Gabbiadini, who was injured for almost a month after he was signed, and has still managed 4 goals in the league till now. Goalkeeper Fraser Forster has kept an impressive 13 clean sheets, bettered only by three goalkeepers in the league. When it comes to injury, apart from defender Virgil Van Dijk, only Alex McCarthy will miss out, as he has been ruled out for rest of the season.
MIDDLESBROUGH FC vs SOUTHAMPTON FC MATCH PREDICTION
The reverse fixture of the same tie was won by the Saints, as they defeated Boro with a 1:0 score. Middlesbrough will be looking out for revenge, and to muster some of their lost confidence and pride, but it will not be easy for them at all. Even though Southampton will be playing against a defensively strong Boro outfit, the Saints still have enough quality and experience on the team to grab a win this weekend. Therefore, my prediction will be a Southampton win, and a clean sheet too for the visitors.
MY PICK: SOUTHAMPTON (+106)
Additional Pick: Both teams to score NO (+110)
