West Ham are fancied to press their claims for a surprise top-six finish in the Premier League by seeing off basement dwellers Sheffield United. The Blades are doing their best to pull off a great escape but will come up against a team playing with plenty of confidence and self-belief at present.
Manchester United had to work harder than they will have wished for in Tuesday’s FA Cup win over West Ham but should still be able to deal with West Brom. Albion have only picked up one point from their last five Premier League fixtures and that was when drawing with fellow strugglers Fulham.
Tottenham are in desperate need of a boost after three straight Premier League defeats but should enjoy a welcome reprieve when hosting West Brom. The second-from-bottom Baggies have only picked up one point from four outings themselves and look headed for a quick return to the Championship.
West Ham have built up a ton of momentum by winning seven of their last eight Premier League and FA Cup matches and are fancied to oblige again at Fulham. The Cottagers have been battling hard to enhance their survival hopes but looked short on quality when beaten at home by Leicester on Wednesday.
The race for the Premier League hots up on Friday night when the top two teams in the Championship meet in south Wales. Norwich lead the way as they seek an immediate return to the Championship but have failed to score in their last three games in all competitions.
Watford have looked like genuine contenders for a quick return to the Premier League of late and are taken to prove too strong for QPR at Vicarage Road. Rangers are rated a solid, but unspectacular mid-table Championship outfit at best, so this is the kind of test the Hornets should safely negotiate.
Everton’s target this season is to qualify for Europe and seeing off the likes of Newcastle at home is essential to achieving that aim. The Magpies have lost five straight Premier League fixtures, although they did at least show a bit more attacking intent when beaten by Leeds in midweek.
Fulham enjoyed a convincing victory over West Brom in London earlier this season and are taken to confirm their superiority at The Hawthorns. That was one of only two Premier League wins for the Cottagers, but their recent form in this competition has been rock-solid, with six draws in eight outings.
Bournemouth received a welcome boost to morale in the FA Cup and are now fancied to get their Championship campaign back on track at Reading. The Cherries scored four unanswered goals in the second half when coming from behind to beat the Royals at Vitality Stadium a couple of months ago.
Chelsea begin life after Frank Lampard’s exit with what looks a very winnable Premier League match against Wolves at Stamford Bridge. The visitors have lacked balance since losing star striker Raul Jimenez to injury and a poor run of results now seems to be really affecting their confidence.
Man Utd and Sheff Utd are at opposite ends of the Premier League table, but this match may not be the walk-over many people expect. The Red Devils could be tempted to ease off a touch in between two recent clashes with Liverpool and a tricky trip to Arsenal, plus the Blades have troubled them before.
West Brom were the last team to avoid defeat against Manchester City and we’re hoping they have their moments again in Tuesday’s Premier League clash. City have flourished since Albion drew 1-1 at Etihad Stadium in Slaven Bilic’s final match as manager, but the Baggies are showing some spirit themselves.
Birmingham boss Aitor Karanka could badly do with a positive result to ease the pressure on him as he prepares to return to his former club Middlesbrough on Saturday. Blues have taken just one point from their last six league games and are only four points clear of the relegation zone.
Bournemouth ended 2020 with two successive away games and start the new year on their travels once again as they head to promotion rivals Stoke. The Cherries lost 2-1 at Brentford on Wednesday but are still three points clear of the seventh-placed Potters, plus they have a game in hand.