Super Sundays are often quite unsuper. This one, though, is a bit different. In part, that’s because any Premier League football seems wildly exciting after the international break.
This international spell was not the worst. There was actually some decent stuff, but friendlies are just not quite the same as the end of the league season. The return of competitive, meaningful football is dearly appreciated.
These two matches are the best of the weekend. That’s not always the case on Sundays, so we can consider ourselves truly fortunate.
ARSENAL vs STOKE CITY
Arsenal and Stoke have a rivalry going back decades. It has flared up since Aaron Ramsey’s horrific leg break against the Potters, however. The Gunners fell to defeat in the reverse of this fixture earlier this season, which further extended their poor run in the Potteries.
Stoke require a win against their old rivals. The club are at a low ebb after an idiotic Charlie Adam red card saw them lose at home to Everton last time out. Only three points from safety doesn’t seem too concerning, but Paul Lambert’s side have a challenging schedule and have won just one league match in 2018.
The hosts have had their own struggles this calendar year, taking 10 points from nine matches. The thrashing of Watford brought an end to a losing streak in the league, but Arsene Wenger is still likely to be replaced at the end of the season. Arsenal have been good at the Emirates, though, scoring more home goals than everyone in the league other than Manchester City.
We can have a pretty good guess at the pattern of this one. Arsenal will have somewhere between 60 and 70% possession, while Stoke look to sit back and give the ball to Xherdan Shaqiri. Stoke’s defence is a million miles from the resilient rearguard of the Pulis years. Kicking it at Shaqiri and hoping he does something has been the extent of Stoke’s attacking play of late.
I don’t see anything other than a comfortable Arsenal win. Lambert has focussed on making Stoke harder to beat, but they don’t look like scoring any goals. Arsenal have nothing on the line here, that’s often when they’re at their best.
TIP: Over 2.5 goals @ 4/9
CORRECT SCORE PREDICTION: Arsenal 3-0 Stoke City (Priced at 15/2 with 888sport)
CHELSEA vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
It’s do or die time for Chelsea. The reigning champions need a win to have any chance of a top four finish. Their 11 points from nine league matches in 2018 reflects how much Antonio Conte’s side have struggled of late. The Blues have scored just 26 goals at Stamford Bridge in the league this season, only one more than Everton have managed at home in the same number of matches.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are on a great run, taking 24 points from their last 10. Mauricio Pochettino’s side can go eight points clear of Chelsea with a victory, which would as good as secure their own spot in the Champions League for next season.
The absence of London derby master, Harry Kane, is impossible to ignore ahead of this. As fantastic as Heung-min Son has been this term, Kane’s injury is an immense boost for Chelsea. Spurs do still have more than enough in the final third to trouble this Chelsea back line that has been prone to error for much of the campaign.
This should be a relatively open encounter. Chelsea cannot opt for the defensive tactics that Conte has reverted to at times this season, while Spurs will be keen to move the ball quickly and expose Chelsea in transition. The midfield could easily become crowded, Conte might opt to put a third body alongside Cesc Fabregas and Ngolo Kante as a result.
I fancy goals in this one. It’s hard to call given the unpredictability of the hosts this season, however. It could be one of the matches of the season, given the plethora of diverse attacking talent on display.
TIP: Over 2.5 goals @ EVS
CORRECT SCORE PREDICTION: Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham (Priced at 12/1 with 888sport)
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
