The 2014-15 Barclays Premier League season comes to a close on May 24, and although Chelsea has already clinched the title, the race to avoid relegation is still heated, not to mention the fight for a top-four spot.
Here are the five matches to watch this weekend.
Leicester City vs. Southampton
Southampton is trying to secure a spot in next season’s Europa League, but it’s Leicester who has more to play for on Saturday. The Foxes are just one point above the relegation zone, but 18th-place Sunderland has a game in hand.
Leicester has a near-fit squad for the match. David Nugent and Andy King are the only injuries that manager Nigel Pearson has to deal with this weekend.
Southampton’s Ronald Koeman lost Dusan Tadic to injury and James Ward-Prowse to a suspension. Sadio Mane is also listed as doubtful. This means that Koeman will have to rotate his lineup.
Leicester’s recent form has been impressive, winning five of its last six Premier League matches. Meanwhile, Southampton has lost its previous three away matches, so the Foxes may have the edge here.
Saturday programming alert: Watch Everton vs. Sunderland on the four main Sportsnet channels and Sportsnet World at 7:30 am ET, Leicester City vs. Southampton on the four main Sportsnet channels at 9:30 am ET, Aston Villa vs. West Ham United on Sportsnet World at 9:30 am ET and Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet World at noon ET. || Sportsnet World NOW || Broadcast schedule
Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United
The late kickoff on Saturday features Crystal Palace and Manchester United. The Red Devils have lost three straight games. As a result, Man United is only four points above fifth-placed Liverpool.
United manager Louis van Gaal has to make do without the likes of Michael Carrick, Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans and Marcos Rojo in this game. All four are injured, but this could benefit Angel Di Maria if Ashley Young has to play as a full-back.
Palace boss Alan Pardew rested a few of his starters last week, including captain Mile Jedinak. Martin Kelly and Glenn Murray may be slotted back into Pardew’s starting XI.
Both United and Palace have failed to score in their previous three games. However, United hasn’t lost to the Eagles in a league match since 1991, so if there was ever a time for the Mancunians to pick up a win, it’s this one.
Newcastle United vs. West Bromwich Albion
Newcastle has lost an astonishing eight matches in a row, which has pulled them into the race to avoid relegation. Ownership and manager John Carver are under serious pressure, so if the Magpies are in The Championship next year, there will be major backlash in the Northeast.
The Toon Army has a chance to pick up three valuable points against West Brom on Saturday. The Baggies have virtually guaranteed Premier League safety, so they should be less desperate than other clubs at the bottom of the table.
West Brom manager Tony Pulis’ only injured player is goalkeeper Ben Foster. James Morrison is a doubt and missed the match at Old Trafford last week, so he might not be risked. Otherwise, Pulis has a fully fit squad.
Carver’s injury list is significantly longer than Pulis’. Five players are hurt and two are suspended (Daryl Janmaat and Michael Williamson), but striker Papiss Cisse returns from his ban and will be a welcome boost to a lacklustre attack.
Newcastle has won four of its last six games against West Brom in all competitions, losing just once in that span. The previous meeting resulted in a 2-0 victory for the Magpies back in November.
Chelsea vs. Liverpool
Despite the uncertainty surrounding manager Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool is only four points behind Manchester United for the fourth and final Champions League berth.
The Reds face the champions-elect Chelsea on Sunday, but since the Blues have already clinched the title, the Merseyside club has a chance at picking up a result over Jose Mourinho’s side.
It will still be a difficult match for Liverpool. Chelsea hasn’t lost a league game since New Year’s Day at Tottenham. Meanwhile, the Reds have won just two of their previous six league matches (against QPR and Newcastle).
Rodgers will be short of options up front. Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli are injured. Defender Mamadou Sakho is also out with a knock, but is nearing full fitness.
Chelsea’s only injury concerns are Diego Costa, Oscar, and Ramires. The latter is doubtful after a trip to the hospital last week.
Both sides have earned four wins in the previous 10 meetings against one another, so Liverpool has decent odds on closing down Man United.
Monday programming alert: Watch Arsenal vs. Swansea City on Sportsnet World at 2:00 pm ET. || Sportsnet World NOW || Broadcast schedule
Arsenal vs. Swansea City
Arsenal is currently tied for second with Manchester City on 70 points, but the former has a game in hand. The Gunners have a chance to leap past Man City on Monday when they face Swansea at the Emirates Stadium.
Swansea has been quietly consistent, picking up four wins in their last six games. Arsenal, on the other hand, hasn’t lost a league match since the North London derby defeat to Tottenham on Feb. 7.
Both sides have some injury concerns heading into this game. Swansea won’t have five players, but star striker Bafetimbi Gomis is nearing full fitness and might be fit in time for the match.
Arsenal will be without Mathieu Debuchy, Mikel Arteta, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Both Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck are doubts and are being monitored over the next couple of days.
The head-to-head record is almost identical. Arsenal has won six times against Swansea, while the Swans have earned five victories over the North London side. However, the Gunners haven’t beaten the Welsh club in back-to-back meetings.
