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msudogs
Moderator
Registered: Nov 2005
Posts: 65535
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After Arsenal caused a shock in the FA Cup semi-final to beat Manchester City, they return to league action and they will feel more confident about their chances of finishing in the top four. It remains an uphill battle for the Gunners, but they now have positive momentum and all they can do is focus on themselves. If they win their matches, they will have a good chance of finishing in the top four. They face a difficult match against current champions Leicester City this week, a team that have been in good form themselves.
Although the Gunners are currently in 7th position, they have games in hand on all of the teams above them. If they win all three of their matches in hand over Liverpool, they will move level with the Reds. That may be a tall order, but Arsenal normally finish a season strongly and they will be full of confidence after their FA Cup win over Manchester City. Arsene Wenger has switched to a 3-4-2-1 and since the change of formation, his side have won both of their matches. There are some problems with the system that need to be ironed out, but the likes of Rob Holding, Gabriel and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have adjusted quickly to their new roles.
The decision to give the job to Craig Shakespeare is looking to be one of the best decisions made by a club this season. The Englishman has completely revitalised this Leicester City squad and eased fears of relegation. That said, he will need to finish the season strongly if he is to secure the job on a full-time basis. He may have won over the players, but the board will want a big name manager if one is available and Shakespeare doesn’t fit that description. The Foxes have lost only one of the seven league matches since the managerial change and they will pose a real test to Arsenal.
In the previous meeting of the two clubs this season, the sides ended level as the match ended 0-0 at the KP Stadium. Arsenal have had good fortune in this fixture, as they haven’t lost to the Foxes since 2000. During their title-winning campaign last season, Leicester lost only three matches and two of those came against the Gunners.
TEAM NEWS
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a doubt after picking up a knock during the FA Cup semi-final. Shkodran Mustadi and David Ospina remain a week away from a return to the first team. Santi Cazorla and Lucas Perez may not feature again this season.
Wes Morgan and Islam Slimani are a few weeks away from action, meaning they will miss out this week. Nampalys Mendy hasn’t had a great first season in England and he may not play again this season.
VERDICT
This will be a tricky game for Arsenal as Leicester have been playing with confidence and have nothing to lose at the Emirates Stadium. They will still be looking for one more victory to secure their Premier League status and the players will be keen to play well for Craig Shakespeare to help him keep the job past this summer. That said, Arsenal will be full of confidence after beating Manchester City at the weekend and the players will want to finish the season on a good note with a string of wins, putting pressure on the sides above them. A top four finish remains unlikely, but if they win the rest of their matches, they will stand a good chance. I expect them to secure a win on Wednesday to get that off to a good start.
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04-26-17 09:28 AM |
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msudogs
Moderator
Registered: Nov 2005
Posts: 65535
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This week, half of the Premier League teams are playing to catch up with the rest of the league’s fixtures. The midweek action involves two derbies. One in Manchester and the other in London. Sam Allardyce awaits with his Crystal Palace, who beat Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday night. Their visitors are Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham, who lost their FA Cup semi-final to Chelsea on Saturday. The contrast in these two sides’ fortunes does not end at the immediately previous results. It includes their overall aim for the season, the end of the table each of them occupy, and their playing styles.
Sam Allardyce had recently stated that he believes 38 points to be enough to beat relegation this season. His team delivered a victory at Anfield and secured that tally on Sunday. But he would want his side to assure survival by using their recent form to stun Tottenham, just like they stunned Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea earlier. Crystal Palace are 7 points above 18th placed Swansea. Given their form and the forms of the teams below them, the Eagles are not in any great danger of relegation but a win or even a draw on Wednesday would move them closer to mathematical certainty.
Tottenham Hotspur on the other hand come into the match having suffered a defeat after a fairly long run of victories. They have won seven league games on the trot but have now lost a very real opportunity to win some silverware this season. They are still in hunt for the league title but it would need a really bad collapse from the Chelsea side that beat them on Saturday for Spurs to get their hands on the league trophy. However, as long as the mathematical possibility exists, Spurs will be keen to make a run for the title. If Chelsea drop any points, Pochettino will want his side to be in a position to capitalise. He will also be keen to put to rest his side’s recently poor record in London derbies.
INTERESTING STATS
The Eagles lost each of their last three league games against Tottenham; they haven’t lost four successive games to Spurs in the Premier League era.
After failing to win 11 successive top-flight London derbies (D2 L9), Crystal Palace have won their last two – they’ve never won three successive London derbies in the Premier League.
Spurs haven’t won an away top-flight London derby since their last visit to Selhurst Park in January 2016, failing to win each of the last four trips in London (D2 L2).
Mauricio Pochettino has led Spurs to seven successive league victories in a run starting two months ago. This is his best-ever winning run as a manager in any league competition.
Sam Allardyce is unbeaten in his last four at Selhurst Park (W3 D1), with the Eagles keeping a clean sheet in each of those victories.
TEAM NEWS
For Crystal Palace, Mamadou Sakho is eligible to play again after sitting out against his parent team on Sunday. He will possibly replace Mark Kelly in the side when he comes back on Wednesday. Connor Wickham, Scott Dann and Pape Souare remain sidelined with injuries, while Lois Remy is possibly lacking match fitness. As a result, Allardyce might field the same side that won at Liverpool, barring the inclusion of Sakho.
Tottenham could welcome Ben Davies back, which will mean a role more upfield for Son Heung-min. The other possible change from the side that lost to Chelsea could be that Kyle Walker starts this game in the place of Kieran Trippier. Lamela, Winks and Michel Vorm continue to be sidelined for Spurs.
THE VERDICT
The Eagles have recently excelled at Selhurst Park, especially in London derbies. Having made a mockery of their extremely difficult (on paper) run of games by winning against Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, their confidence will be high. But they no longer have to fight for relegation, as per their manager’s estimations, and hence might be slightly relaxed. On the other hand, Spurs will want to bounce back urgently after their semi-final loss and will feel that Crystal Palace is great preparation for Sunday’s North London derby. Spurs will also have more tricks in their bag than what Palace faced at Anfield, with multiple players within their attack who can score. Ability-wise and perhaps hunger-wise, Spurs are more likely to edge Wednesday’s encounter, even though Allardyce’s men will make it hard for them.
Crystal Palace 1 – 2 Tottenham Hotspur
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04-26-17 09:30 AM |
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