Fulham ultimately looked a cut above Cardiff in the first leg of their Championship play-offs semi-final and can also shade the return fixture. However, the Bluebirds did create enough chances early on to suggest they will have their moments at Craven Cottage on Thursday night.
The new Scottish Premiership campaign kicks off with an intriguing clash, as last season’s runners-up Rangers travel to fourth-placed Aberdeen. Pittodrie has proved a tough place to visit for the Light Blues, who have only picked up one win from their last five trips to this venue.
Bournemouth must go for broke when visiting Everton, as they need to win here and hope Aston Villa and Watford lose to avoid relegation. Unfortunately, the Cherries have lost on all four previous Premier League trips to Goodison Park and the Toffees are coming off a good win at Sheff Utd.
Brentford’s clash with Barnsley at Griffin Park could prove hugely significant at both ends of the Championship table. The Bees are still in with a chance of securing automatic promotion to the Premier League, while the Tykes must win to keep alive any hopes of avoiding relegation to League One.
West Brom can clinch automatic promotion to the Premier League if beating QPR at The Hawthorns and it will be a big surprise if they fluff their lines. The Baggies have prevailed in their last three encounters with the Hoops, including a 7-1 romp when they met at this venue early on last season.
Hayden Mullins faces a baptism of fire as Watford’s caretaker boss when Manchester City travel to Vicarage Road in the Premier League. The Blues have won 12 straight encounters with the Hornets, including last season’s 6-0 FA Cup final thrashing and an 8-0 rout at Etihad Stadium this term.
West Ham and Watford should both head into Friday night’s clash in good spirits after recently boosting their Premier League survival hopes. The Hammers are coming off a big 4-0 win at Norwich, while the Hornets have enjoyed successive 2-1 home victories over the Canaries and Newcastle.
Bournemouth ended their losing run in midweek but remain stuck in the relegation places as they face Leicester in an important match at both ends of the Premier League table. The Cherries held Tottenham to a goalless draw but are without a win since February 1, while Leicester will be eyeing a vital three points in their pursuit of a Champions League place.
West Ham can hammer another nail in Norwich’s coffin and go a long way to easing their own relegation worries with victory at Carrow Road. The Hammers slipped up at home to Burnley in midweek but produced a decent performance and had taken four points from their previous two home games.
Bournemouth are running out of time and are under pressure to claim an unexpected victory as they host European hopefuls Tottenham. The Cherries have just five games left to climb out of the relegation zone and urgently need to end a run of five straight defeats.
Chelsea’s top-four chances suffered a setback at West Ham in midweek but they will hope to quickly recover when hosting Watford. The Blues beat the Hornets 2-1 away in November and have won the last three meetings at this venue, with that trio of matches producing a whopping 16 goals.
Norwich put their fight for Premier League survival to one side as they aim to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1992. The Canaries finally landed a home tie after three away trips while Manchester United will be seeking to equal Arsenal’s record of 13 FA Cup victories.
Watford and Leicester have plenty to fight for as they return to Premier League action at Vicarage Road. The Hornets are out of the bottom three only on goal difference while the Foxes remain in the driving seat to clinch third place.
Bayern Munich’s quest for a German double this season continues with a DFB Pokal semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday evening. Hans Flick’s side have extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to seven points since resuming their campaign after the coronavirus shutdown, while they have also won this cup nine times in 17 seasons.