Analysis of Newcastle’s top-four bid
Newcastle’s bid for Champions League qualification has struck a blow for the Premier League hopefuls battling to break the domination of England’s ‘big six’ sides. Only once since Everton’s fourth-placed finish in 2004-05 has a club other than Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham occupied one of the top-four places at the end of the season.
Ranking the greatest Premier League penalty takers
We’ve crunched the numbers to identify the greatest Premier League penalty takers among modern-day players and their predecessors. Alan Shearer has netted the most spot-kicks, with 56 of his 260 goals in the competition having come from the spot, but is also joint-top for most misses.
Leeds vs Leicester: Crunch clash in relegation battle
It was a bad weekend for Leeds as their defeat at Fulham and results elsewhere left them just one point above the relegation zone ahead of a tense night at Elland Road. Leicester climbed out of the bottom three by beating Wolves but are only above Everton on goal difference so the stakes could hardly be higher.
Newcastle vs Tottenham: Magpies are percentage pick
Newcastle are fancied to boost their hopes of a Premier League top-four finish at the expense of Tottenham at St James’ Park on Sunday. Both teams suffered setbacks last weekend, but the Magpies have been far more convincing overall in terms of recent performances.
Fulham vs Leeds: Hosts are hard to oppose on form
Pretty much all the evidence points towards Fulham being a rock-solid selection for Saturday’s early Premier League clash with Leeds. The Cottagers are 13 points better off in the table and have already beaten the Whites in this competition and the FA Cup this season.
Arsenal vs Southampton: Gunners to kick on this time
Arsenal’s faltering title challenge is in big need of a boost when they entertain bottom club Southampton at Emirates Stadium on Friday. The Gunners have dropped points in their last couple of games at Liverpool and West Ham, blowing a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 each time.
Football’s most exciting stadiums
To identify football’s most exciting stadiums, we have analysed every match played in the big five European leagues so far this season. Six great infographics illustrate the best places to watch a game as a home fan, an away supporter or a neutral.
Leeds vs Liverpool: Reds can return to winning ways
Liverpool are fancied to pile more pressure on relegation-threatened Leeds when they visit Elland Road on Monday night. The Reds have gone five games without a win but should be buoyed by their second-half performance in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal last time out.
West Ham vs Arsenal: Gunners too good for Hammers again
Title-chasing Arsenal are backed to return to winning ways in Sunday’s London derby at West Ham. The Gunners have a fine head-to-head record against the Hammers, winning six of their last seven Premier League encounters and drawing the other.
Nottingham Forest vs Man Utd: Visitors to prevail
Manchester United have had Nottingham Forest’s measure three times already this season in the Premier League and the EFL Cup semi-finals. The Red Devils are 8-0 up on aggregate over those meetings and are tipped to confirm their superiority once again at the City Ground.
Man City vs Leicester: Baptism of fire for Smith
Manchester City will continue their relentless pursuit of Premier League leaders Arsenal when entertaining Leicester at Etihad Stadium. The relegation-threatened Foxes may get a lift from new boss Dean Smith but this still represents a daunting task on all known evidence.
Aston Villa vs Newcastle: Hosts value to upset Magpies
Aston Villa look a value bet to blow the race for a Premier League top-four finish wide open by getting the better of Newcastle on Saturday. The hosts have come out on top in their last three head-to-head meetings at Villa Park and go into this encounter in fantastic form.
Analysing the record number of Premier League manager departures this season
It is only early April and there have already been a record number of Premier League manager departures this season, with the recent sackings of Antonio Conte, Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter meaning there have been 13 casualties during a turbulent campaign. We have looked back at every in-season departure since 2003-04 to understand how top-flight management has changed.
Liverpool vs Arsenal prediction, betting tips & odds
It is 34 years since Arsenal clinched the league at Liverpool and while they cannot lift the trophy if they win at Anfield this weekend, they can tighten their grip on it. The table-topping Gunners head for Merseyside on the back of a seven-game winning run in the league, while the hosts have stumbled since hammering Manchester United 7-0 – losing to Bournemouth and Manchester City and drawing at Chelsea.