Premier League: Predictions for all eight games on Saturday
Recommended bets:
- Back under 2.5 goals between Man United and Everton
- Back Aston Villa to win and over 2.5 goals
- Back a draw between Brentford and Newcastle
- Back West Ham to win
- Back a draw between Leicester and Bournemouth
- Back a draw between Tottenham and Brighton
- Back Chelsea to win
- Back Man City to win to zero
There are eight cracking Premier League games on Easter Saturday with several clubs in the hunt for European places set to face off while those scrapping to avoid relegation aim not to be left with egg on their faces.
Here are our expert writers' top selections for each of those fixtures.
Manchester United vs Everton (Saturday, 12.30pm)
No team can match United's record of conceding only eight times in 14 home games.
David de Gea will look to boost his Golden Glove chances with a clean sheet against an Everton side that have the joint-second fewest away goals in the top flight.
Sean Dyche's men still seem reliant on defenders for their goals and may not get many opportunities to push them into the United box this weekend.
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest (Saturday, 3pm)
Aston Villa have been a revelation under Unai Emery.
Their current seventh-placed standing might be hard to build on given their tough run-in, but they will rightly regard the arrival of a poor-travelling Nottingham Forest team as a chance to cut loose and build momentum ahead of sterner challenges.
Villa's last home game, a stylish 3-0 rout of Bournemouth, suggests they can dispatch an even weaker visitor to Villa Park by a similar scoreline this weekend.
Brentford vs Newcastle (Saturday, 3pm)
Brentford are an extremely tricky team to get the better of at the Gtech Community Stadium, with only four top-flight teams scoring more goals on home soil and only four teams conceding fewer.
A passionate home support frequently rallies the Bees players to score important late goals, so while a Newcastle side who have netted seven goals in their last two away games might fancy their chances of getting on the scoresheet, they will get pushed all the way defensively.
Fulham vs West Ham (Saturday, 3pm)
Fulham have lost four games on the spin, and will be without talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic for most of their remaining fixtures.
With the Serbia international in the stands, there is a worry who will convert the Cottagers' chances while motivation may be a factor with their European dream starting to fade.
West Ham had won three times in a four-game unbeaten run prior to the midweek humbling against Newcastle but, having beaten Fulham 3-1 in the reverse fixture - coincidentally with Mitrovic missing that game as well - there is value in supporting a Hammers' double.
Leicester vs Bournemouth (Saturday, 3pm)
Neither team can make a compelling case for favouritism at the King Power Stadium and defeat would deliver a costly blow to confidence in a tight relegation scrap, so both managers will be tempted to hold on to what they have if they go into the final 10 minutes with the scores level.
Likewise, neither team has been anywhere near solid enough to suggest they can hold out under sustained pressure, making a late equaliser likely if one of the two teams has a late lead to hold on to.
Tottenham vs Brighton (Saturday, 3pm)
The Seagulls have struggled to contain stronger hosts, conceding at least two goals in four of their five trips to top-half teams, while Spurs have netted at least twice in each of their last three home games.
But Tottenham have managed just two wins in six home games against top-half visitors and have conceded late equalisers against relegation strugglers in their last two league outings, and may struggle to do enough to finish off up-and-coming Brighton.
Wolves vs Chelsea (Saturday, 3pm)
Both sides are lacking confidence again with Wolves' recent run of only one win and two draws from their last seven games keeping them firmly in the relegation dogfight.
Frank Lampard needs to get Chelsea playing with greater confidence ahead of their crucial Champions League clash against Real Madrid next week.
Their only bad performance in the last five away games was at Tottenham and, having deserved victory over Liverpool in midweek, only a slight tweak here or there might be needed to get the job done at Molineux.
Southampton vs Man City (Saturday 5.30pm)
City take the Premier League's second-best away record to the ground of the worst home team.
The champions are in prolific form right now and will go up against a team that has conceded the highest number of home goals in the top flight.
The Saints will probably have to play like an away team, sitting deep an hoping to create opportunities via a fast break, but they have scored only one counter-attack goal in the league all season long.
The three points that the Citizens should take back to Manchester could well be accompanied by a sixth clean sheet in their last seven games.
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