The weeks are seeminglessly flying by as each day we are heading deeper into the summer but heading towards the end of an emphatic season. Midweek saw Man United put up a valiant fight against Bayern but overall it ended up being another depressing week for English teams in Europe as the German giants snatched an away goal, also London boy's Chelsea got turned over in Paris. Hopefully the second leg will see a comeback for both English clubs but one things for sure, it's certainly going to be tough.
We are in for some real treats this weekend as not only do we have some sublime premier league action, we have the Grand National, the greatest horse race on earth. In my "Worth a Punt" segment I'll be saying who my money is on.
Kicking off Saturdays fixtures we have worthy title contenders Man City who host a solid Southampton team; I think this lunch time scrap will provide pleanty of goal action, seeing Southampton proving tough opposition as they have been all season, striking fear into all big clubs title hopes. Man City often seem to get the good rub of the green but I can sense a stumble tomorrow. Key area's where positions and points alike will be won and lost is at the foot of the league, as Norwich are fighting in a must win game against the Baggies, as well as Cardiff taking on Palace at the City Stadium. Last weekend we saw the Canaries struggle to take flight away from home yet again as they were dealt a crushing defeat at the hands of Swansea; Hugton has a must win situation on his hands or we could potentially see the Carrow Road boy's back in the Championship. Cardiff will also be looking for them vital points as they have only nabbed to home wins since Christmas.
Sunday is staging the theatre for fourth place with a big game between Arsenal and Everton, the winner here will have a great advantage for the final champions league spot going into the seasons final games. Liverpool then fend off mid table West Ham in a bid to sustain the too spot in a Sunday afternoon special. We also have Monday night football to look forward to in Tottenham versus Sunderland; Sherwood really needs to get his team working or they might not even get a Europa League position.
WEEKEND PREDICTIONS:
Saturday 5th April...
Man City 1-2 Southampton
Aston Villa 1-1 Fulham
Cardiff 2-0 Crystal Palace
Hull City 1-3 Swansea
Newcastle 2-2 Man United
Norwich 2-1 West Brom
Chelsea 3-0 Stoke City
Sunday 6th April...
Everton 1-0 Arsenal
West Ham 1-3 Liverpool
Monday 7th April...
Tottenham 2-2 Sunderland
WORTH A PUNT:
Chelsea to win 3-0 - 7/1
Chelsea match up against a seriously physical Stoke side this Saturday and I'm forseeing a goal fest. After an embarrassing loss in the Champions League to PSG and a drop in points last week, Chelsea will be seeking revenge, aiming mainly to get back on track to league success. With nothing to play for, Stoke really aren't going to be to lively so expect a seriously sore back for Begovic. The skill of Hazard and Co will leave the Stoke boys in tatters, causing slips and trips in the area meaning only one thing... Penalties.
GRAND NATIONAL PUNT:
Triolo Dalene - 16/1
This horse is a real gem and is certainly worth an each way bet at a decent 16/1. Irish jockey Barry Geraghty is hoping to steer this steed to victory, which would be his second Grand National victory in his career summing up what has been so far a successful year. Not only do we have a superb jockey on board but the horse has been put through it's paces by well known trainer Nicky Henderson; last month Triolo was sent out in a Gold Cup warm up at Cheltnam where Henderson gambled on the stallion succeeding, unfortunately it drew up short, ending the race just behind his opponents. Take this as experience gained though as the killer combo of champion jockey and supreme trainer may pay off like in many years gone by.
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