This is a big week for Fantasy Football players in a strange season and that is largely down to the fact that the traditional Double GameWeeks have been replaced by two relatively early ones.
After a crazy Friday last week, I will get more into the Fantasy plays following the thoughts on the Weekend Football. I will update the thread with thoughts on the fixtures to be played during the week once the weekend results are in the books.
Manchester City v West Ham United Pick: At this stage of the season the biggest hope the rest of the Premier League may have is that the run of fixtures will sap some of the energy out of the Manchester City steam-train driving towards the title for the third time in four season.
With a 10 point gap between themselves and rivals Manchester United and with just 13 League games left to play, Manchester City look like they could be in a position to put the Premier League on the back-burner sooner rather than later. It will mean they can focus on trying to win at least another domestic treble and perhaps even finding a way to win the big one in the Champions League.
Making sure they can win the Premier League as soon as possible has to be the aim for Pep Guardiola and his team have progressed to the League Cup Final and FA Cup Quarter Final. A comfortable win in Budapest means Manchester City are in control of their Champions League Last 16 tie against Borussia Monchengladbach too and everything seems to be going perfectly for Pep Guardiola and his men.
The 19 wins in a row makes it hard to believe Manchester City are going to stumble any time soon and especially not when they continue to pile up the clean sheets. They have won 7 in a row at the Etihad Stadium without conceding a goal and I do think it will be a big challenge for West Ham United to change that trend here.
It might be surprising to read that considering West Ham United have moved up into 4th place in the Premier League table, but David Moyes has a tendency to be a little more cautious against the bigger clubs. His team have some pace and quality in the final third and they should pose a big threat from set pieces, but Manchester City have largely been able to cope with what teams have thrown at them this season and I think they will dominate the ball for long enough to keep their visitors at arm's length.
These teams drew 1-1 at the London Stadium earlier this season, but Manchester City have won 4 in a row at home against West Ham United. They have also kept clean sheets in back to back games against them at the Etihad Stadium, while West Ham United have created very little against Manchester City in the 2 games under David Moyes since he returned as manager of the club.
Changes are likely to be made by the home team following the Champions League win over Borussia Monchengladbach, but Manchester City should still be too strong for West Ham United. There will be one or two awkward moments through this fixture, but Manchester City can win another game with a clean sheet to boot.
West Brom v Brighton Pick: As we reach the end of February, this is a massive game at the bottom of the Premier League table for both West Brom and Brighton.
It would take something of a miracle for either Sheffield United or West Brom to get back into a position where they could avoid the drop, but both are still putting in a big effort. Sam Allardyce has not had the impact he would have liked, but his West Brom team have created the better chances in their last couple of games against Manchester United and Burnley even if they have had to settle for draws.
That is not good enough any more for West Brom and that means there is some pressure on them to take risks and earn the three points.
They will feel they can have some chances against a Brighton team who have conceded too many goals in games where they have not been giving up a lot of chances. That was plenty evident in the 1-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday night with the visitors scoring their only two shots on target and barely threatening to break the halfway line beyond those moments.
Graham Potter can take some positives out of the performance, but he will be looking for better results. That defeat has left Brighton just 4 points clear of the bottom three and so there has to be a response to seeing their 6 game unbeaten run in the Premier League come to an end.
Brighton did create a lot of good positions against Crystal Palace, but they continue to be a team that lacks composure in the final third. The final pass or shot has been letting them down, but Brighton are unbeaten in 3 away Premier League games and will feel they can create more opportunities against this West Brom team that have conceded 11 more home goals than the next most vulnerable defence in the top flight.
These teams shared a 1-1 result earlier this season and that is perhaps the most likely scoreline in this one too. However I do think the three points are invaluable for both West Brom and Brighton and so the managers are likely going to be taking some risk towards that and I think there is every chance we will see at least three goals shared out here.
If Brighton continue to play as effectively going forward you have to feel things will turn for them on the scoreboard too, while West Brom have created some decent chances in their recent games. An early goal could open this fixture up which means so much to the two teams and I will look for at least three goals to be shared out.
Leeds United v Aston Villa Pick: After the second half performance in securing a 3-0 win over Southampton, Leeds United fans will believe manager Marcelo Bielsa deserves an extension to his contract at the club. His current deal runs out this summer, but Bielsa has Leeds United on course for their best finish in the English Leagues since 2002 when they finished 5th in the Premier League.
A top half finish has to be the ambition for the players who have continued to give their all, although inconsistencies have blighted the season. There have been streaks of positive and negative results and in the last couple of months Leeds United have not been drawing too many games as they produce the ridiculous to the sublime.
More often than not the football has been pleasing on the eye, but defensively Leeds United can be got at and a team like Aston Villa will feel confident on the counter attack. It was fully evident in the 0-1 win at Southampton recently, but Aston Villa looked a little short of creativity without Jack Grealish last weekend.
It feels like he will be missing at least one more game and that poses problems for Aston Villa who have not been at their best since returning from the Covid-19 outbreak that forced two League postponements. The results haven't suffered too much, but the level of performance has and Aston Villa have been beyond fortunate to come away with clean sheets at Southampton and Brighton in their last 2 away games.
Both of those teams created plenty of chances against Aston Villa and Leeds United will feel they can follow suit even through the injuries they are dealing with. Losing Kalvin Phillips is a blow, but the injuries to Jamie Shackleton and Mateusz Klich has compounded the issue.
If Grealish is available I think that is a problem for Leeds United, but without the most influential player the visitors can turn to I do think the home team may edge to the points. Patrick Bamford and Raphinha bring plenty of attacking threat to the table and if Leeds United play at the level they have been, I anticipate they will create a fair few chances in this one too.
They have shown enough clinical finishing in the final third to believe Leeds United can edge to the points here against an Aston Villa team who have just lot their way a little bit of late. It won't be easy because the visitors are plenty confident thanks to their recent away successes, but Leeds United may still have a bit too much and earn the vital three points here.
Newcastle United v Wolves Pick: The late night Saturday offering from the Premier League may not be the most appealing game of the weekend for the neutral to enjoy with both Newcastle United and Wolves missing their first choice Number 9.
Callum Wilson and Raul Jimenez are both on the sidelines for Newcastle United and Wolves respectively and it has meant goals have been something of an issue for both clubs.
The form is certainly with Wolves who have won 3 of their last 4 Premier League games, while Newcastle United have been beaten in 3 of their last 4 League games. Defensively there have been questions against both teams, but I am not sure the other have the capabilities to completely expose the vulnerabilities and this feels like it could be a low-scoring fixture.
It has certainly been the case when Newcastle United and Wolves have met in the Premier League with the last 4 all ending 1-1 and the fixture before that ending 1-2 to Wolves thanks to a goal deep into injury time.
This fixture has all the hallmarks of another tight game, especially with how much it means to Newcastle United. Both teams have talented wingers that have the pace and quality to make the difference, but I don't think there will be much between them and you can't rule out another draw.
Any shared points will likely be the outcome of a low-scoring game, as the last 4 have been between these teams, and I think a moment of magic is going to be needed to separate them on the day. I don't think either team will be dominant in the final third, and both defences will feel they can come out on top in this late evening fixture.
Crystal Palace v Fulham Pick: This London derby is still an important fixture for both Crystal Palace and Fulham, but there may have been even more on the line of the former had not beaten rivals Brighton on Monday Night Football.
That win for Crystal Palace means they have maintained a 10 point gap to Fulham in the Premier League, but Roy Hodgson will want his team to back up the last result earned. They were not at their best that day and punished a wasteful Brighton, but Crystal Palace still look a little short of the quality in the final third to be feeling really comfortable with their current predicament.
Roy Hodgson won't change his system and I do think this is going to be a difficult test for Fulham, although Scott Parker's team have picked up their own level in recent weeks. Over the last month Fulham have earned 8 points from a possible 12 in the Premier League which has seen them get into touching distance of safety, but Parker will recognise that games like this are so important to whether Fulham can avoid the drop or not.
There is pressure on Fulham, but they look to be playing with some confidence and I think that is hard to ignore. In Josh Maja they look to have a focal point that can be relied upon, while Fulham have quality players that can make the difference.
We haven't seen enough of that over the last couple of months, but Fulham's wins over Everton and Sheffield United this past couple of weeks will really help the belief of the entire squad. Defensively Fulham have been solid and limiting the chances being given up, and I do think that gives them the edge in this derby game.
It won't be easy for Fulham who have drawn far too many games of late, but I think they can follow Burnley and that is securing a victory here. Crystal Palace can be very dangerous and the first goal is going to be huge in this fixture, but Fulham look to be playing with belief in their quality, even at this level, and I think they may have enough to secure a vital three points in their battle to avoid relegation.
Crystal Palace did earn a big win on Monday, but they can't really expect to win too many matches unless improving the level produced. Over the last month they have looked vulnerable, but fortune has smiled on them and I simply don't think they are doing enough in the final third without Wilfred Zaha to win this one.
Leicester City v Arsenal Pick: Both of these teams were involved in Europa League action on Thursday, but Leicester City have the benefit of at least being at home while Arsenal will be travelling back from Athens where they 'hosted' the Second Leg of their Last 32 tie.
Confidence will be with Arsenal having seen off Benfica 4-3 on aggregate on the same evening that Leicester City were beaten by Slavia Prague.
Brendan Rodgers admitted he was disappointed, but that the Europa League was the lowest of the priorities for the club that is chasing a top four Premier League finish and remain involved in the League Cup. His selection underlined the point with some key players rested, but Leicester City will really miss the presence of James Maddison if he is going to miss considerable time.
That takes away some of the creativity of the home team, but there is still plenty of quality in the squad and Leicester City have had the Indian sign over Arsenal in recent years. The travel that Arsenal have had to undertake could work against them as well as the lack of rotation that is being used, while the two clubs have been in differing form in the Premier League.
Leicester City have won 3 of their last 4 here in the Premier League, while Arsenal have lost back to back away League games. This will be a tough game for both teams having last played on Thursday, but I think Leicester City may have the slight edge and I think they will have a stronger first eleven than the one seen in the Europa League which makes the difference for them.
The first goal will be very important, but Leicester City can do enough to find that and keep the momentum going as they look to nail down a top four Premier League finish.
Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley Pick: Both teams will be desperate for the Premier League points on offer in this Sunday afternoon fixture as Tottenham Hotspur look to move towards the top four and Burnley look to move away from the bottom three. Both clubs had poor results last weekend, but Burnley seem to be much more firmly behind Sean Dyche than Tottenham Hotspur seem to be behind Jose Mourinho.
There is a clear difference in quality of player available to the two managers, but Tottenham Hotspur have been completely out of form in the League. Cup wins over lower League opposition or weak Europa League competition has not eased the pressure on Mourinho and particularly not after falling 9 points behind West Ham United following a defeat at the London Stadium last Sunday.
That looks a big gap to the top four now, but Jose Mourinho is refusing to prioritise one competition over another at this time. The Europa League may eventually become the best route back into the Champions League, but Tottenham Hotspur play two relegation threatened clubs over the next few days at a time when their top four rivals have some difficult looking fixtures to come.
Excuses won't be tolerated as Tottenham Hotspur look to continue what has been a dominance over Burnley in home games in recent years. Last season they hammered Burnley 5-0 here and the visitors are a team that have lacked consistency in the final third.
Burnley will look to make life difficult and will point to recent wins at Liverpool and Crystal Palace to underline what they are capable of, but Chelsea did manage to break them down and dominate. This is a team that do allow teams to come onto them and I would imagine Tottenham Hotspur have enough quality to secure the points like they did when hitting West Brom twice in a few minutes stretch in the second half of the last Premier League game here.
I don't think it will be easy and Tottenham Hotspur have not been as clinical as they would like when the chances have come their way. That was most evident in a 1-1 draw with Fulham last month, but I expect Spurs to do enough to secure the important result they need in what may be a tight game.
Two goals should be enough for Tottenham Hotspur to win this game before they turn their attention to the next Premier League game to be played during the week and a narrow home win looks most likely here.
Chelsea v Manchester United Pick: Games between the 'Big Six' have been a mixed bag in the 2020/21 season with the lack of intensity from the stands meaning a more tactical approach can be employed by the players. That intensity from fans can lead to mistakes or players perhaps doing things they are not supposed to, but I can see why so many have been tight, low-scoring games this campaign with only the Coaching hollering being heard.
Manchester United have been involved in a number of low-scoring games when facing the top teams in the Premier League. In 5 League games against Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, 4 have ended in goalless draws when involving Manchester United and I think this is going to be another tight game.
Thomas Tuchel is a careful manager that will spend a lot of time drilling his players to perform in a certain manner and low-scoring games have been common since he arrived at Stamford Bridge. They have had wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid, both by the same 0-1 scoreline, while Chelsea have been racking up the clean sheets under their new manager.
He won't want Chelsea to give anything away and I think the game plan will be to restrict the spaces for the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial to try and exploit with their speed. Bruno Fernandes can always provide a moment of magic, but Chelsea have been well organised and I am not sure they are going to play risky football as they look to manage the game.
Going forward there have been some positive moments from Chelsea, but they are still learning what Tuchel wants them to do. They can offer threats in different ways which will be a challenge for Manchester United to deal with, but Chelsea have not been creating a lot of chances and I do think this is likely to be another tight 'Big Six' fixture.
An early goal could change it all, but I think the two managers will likely start off cautiously and try and win the game once they are confident the defences are set.
Manchester United haven't defended badly in the bigger games they have played this season and I do think a point suits them a little more than Chelsea in this fixture. That could see Manchester United waiting a little longer to commit as they did against Liverpool and Arsenal in recent away games.
I can't really pick a winner with the first goal likely going to be absolutely massive on the day. It suggests we will see another low-scoring game here as both look to stifle the other and then bring their own attacking qualities to the fore.
Sheffield United v Liverpool Pick: If you were looking at the form guide for both of these teams from January 1st 2021, you would likely expect Sheffield United to be operating much higher up the Premier League table and have Liverpool struggling.
Instead it looks like Sheffield United are inevitably sliding towards the Championship with 3 Premier League defeats in a row ending their positive start to the year. There is no doubt that Liverpool are slumping, but with 13 Premier League games left they can still achieve some of their ambitions for the season and that is simply getting back into the Champions League.
It is hard to imagine how far they have fallen from winning the Premier League title last season, but Liverpool have been having difficulties overcoming injuries. The squad doesn't seem as happy and settled as you would think either and I do think changes are coming at Anfield, although how effective they are may depend on whether they are playing in the Champions League or not.
There is a 5 point gap to the top four, but the two teams immediately above them are playing the current top two this weekend. It should mean Liverpool have an opportunity and for all their poor run of results at home, this is a team that has found their best away from Anfield over the last month.
Liverpool have won at West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, while also beating Leipzig on a neutral field, and even the 3-1 defeat to Leicester City was a harsh reflection on the actual game.
Confidence is in short supply within the squad, but there is still enough quality in the final third to believe Liverpool can get the better of Sheffield United. Even with the defensive injuries you can't make a serious case for the home team who have not created a lot of chances and have plenty of defensive problems of their own to manage.
That could be the difference with the added quality of the Liverpool attackers out-scoring their counterparts in the Sheffield United ranks.
The Blades have been beaten by the six clubs in and around Liverpool at Bramall Lane this season- only Tottenham Hotspur managed a win by more than a one goal margin, although Manchester United would have likely made that two clubs without conceding very late on in their 2-3 win here.
Sheffield United tend to be competitive, but all of Liverpool's away Premier League wins have come by two or more goal margins. They have been creating plenty of chances in their recent games away from Anfield, certainly more than they have been at home, and I think Liverpool may do enough to beat their opponents by a couple of goals as they look to get back on track in the Premier League.
Everton v Southampton Pick: This is going to be an important week for Everton if they have serious ambitions of playing Champions League Football- the side play two clubs in the bottom six before a big game against Chelsea, but those come in a short space of time and it is all about managing the squad.
There can't be too many excuses considering this is the first game Everton have played since the Merseyside derby win at Anfield ten days ago, but there has also been something of a mental block about playing at home.
For all of their recent away successes, Everton have lost 4 of their last 5 Premier League games at Goodison Park. Those have been mixed defeats too with a couple to teams in the top four, while the other two losses have come against teams in the bottom four.
Carlo Ancelotti does have a healthier squad to call upon than he has had in recent weeks, but he will want his team to begin with some intensity which has been missing against Newcastle United and Fulham. Both of those games ended in surprising 0-2 defeats here and more like that will end any chances of getting into the top four.
At least on Monday they are facing a team with perhaps as poor confidence as any in the Premier League at the moment. Southampton have kept themselves focused in the FA Cup ties played despite losing 7 of their last 8 Premier League games and they have been conceding too many goals for anyone's liking.
Away from home Southampton conceded at least three times for the third Premier League game in a row and they have not won any of 16 away games at Everton. 4 of the last 6 have ended 1-1 and that result would not really be a massive surprise in a season like this one, but my feeling is that Everton will ride the momentum out of the win at Anfield and do just enough to earn the three points.
Southampton have been struggling at both ends of the field and I think that shows up here to help Everton earn a vital home win.
Manchester City v Wolves Pick: The layers won't take any chances with Manchester City through the next few weeks and that means some short prices on a team that is doing enough to win games.
They have largely dominated matches, but Manchester City have scored fewer League goals than Manchester United this season. Some of that is down to the confidence they have on their defence to keep clean sheets, although West Ham United certainly gave the team a scare on Saturday.
Wolves have pace in the final third which could make them dangerous, while they will be a threat from set pieces too. Their wingers can earn plenty of free kicks in and around the area which is where they will want to try and expose Manchester City, but the majority of the play will be in the Wolves half.
Without Raul Jimenez you do wonder if Wolves have enough goals in the squad to earn a top half finish in the Premier League, although Nuno Espirito Santo has gotten his team to be a bit more defensively solid in recent games.
They haven't given up a lot of chances for teams, but this is a tough game for Wolves who will know Manchester City will want some revenge for the Premier League double the underdog produced over this opponent last season. Manchester City have already convincingly won at Molineux and I think they will be relatively comfortable in this fixture too.
The run of home clean sheets may have come to an end on Saturday, but Manchester City start a new sequence on Tuesday and I would expect them to be able to keep Wolves at arm's length in another victory.
Burnley v Leicester City Pick: Injuries have hurt the momentum of both Burnley and Leicester City, but both will be desperate to bounce back from heavy losses on Sunday to North London clubs.
The points on offer on Tuesday are vital to both Burnley and Leicester City and I think there will be plenty to motivate the two sets of players. However I do think the injuries in both squads brings some uncertainty to the table and it is very hard to really predict which may this game will go.
Leicester City have been very good away from home all season, but without James Maddison and Harvey Barnes I do think they lose a lot of their attacking threat. Injuries at the back mean Leicester City won't want to overcommit either and that can leave Jamie Vardy isolated at the top of the field.
Burnley have been pretty solid at the back and the performance at Tottenham Hotspur is not really what we come to expect from them. Their own injury issues can't be ignored, but they look to have more players coming back and they may just edge this one.
However neither team is creating a lot of chances at the moment and that could see the defences largely coming out on top. With the creativity missing in the away team and the struggles for goals Burnley have had all season, it would not be a massive surprise to see one of these teams fail to score.
The first goal will be massive in determining where the points go on Tuesday as Burnley and Leicester City look to take a big step towards achieving their ambitions for the season. It may take some time for one of these teams to find the right play to score that and the feeling is that one will earn a clean sheet in this game.
Sheffield United v Aston Villa Pick: Relegation may be inevitable for Sheffield United, but Chris Wilder will refuse to have his players down tools for the remaining two months of the season. This is all going to be about rebuilding the confidence for the return to the Championship, while the manager will be looking for his players to try and have a strong finish to the FA Cup run which has taken them through to the Quarter Final.
Those ambitions will be set by the manager, but the injuries are really hurting Sheffield United and they look like they will be without a number of key defenders. That has left them exposed at the back, even more so than earlier this season when they were struggling for clean sheets anyway, and it is hard for Sheffield United to match the quality of some of the teams in the Premier League.
They will give it a go against Aston Villa, but the lack of confidence coupled with those defensive problems means it is hard to look beyond an away win here.
Aston Villa have produced 3 clean sheets in a row away from home and they have won 2 of those games thanks to first half goals. Jack Grealish may be missing, but they were still threatening going forward against Leeds United this past weekend and this is a game in which Aston Villa should find enough spaces for their forward line to exploit.
Defensively they have found a way more often than not and I think Aston Villa can earn a narrow win here which will put them firmly in the mix when it comes to European places that will be handed out later this season.
Crystal Palace v Manchester United Pick: Very few chances have been created by Crystal Palace without Wilfred Zaha in the line up, but that hasn't prevented them from producing 4 points from back to back games against Brighton and Fulham.
They have ridden their luck somewhat considering the chances that teams have created against them and you would have to believe Manchester United will be more clinical if they get into the positions Brighton and Fulham have against Crystal Palace.
Unfortunately we have not seen the best of Manchester United consistently enough since ending a round of fixtures on top of the Premier League. Since that moment they have won 3 of 10 games in all competitions and even the 9 game unbeaten run in all competitions has seen Manchester United draw 6 times.
The latest was the goalless draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, although a point at Chelsea will be appreciated a lot more than a single point from this fixture. That means there is some pressure on Manchester United to produce an attacking performance and take the game to Crystal Palace even though 5 of the last 7 away Premier League games have ended in draws.
Only the draw at The Hawthorns will have really hurt the players though and I think the wins at Burnley and Fulham during that run will suggest Manchester United are good enough here. Barring defensive lapses, Manchester United should be able to restrict Crystal Palace's threat to set pieces.
That should see Manchester United create the chances to win this game and I think their strong recent record at Selhurst Park will be encouraging. Manchester United have scored plenty of goals here and I think they will have too much for Crystal Palace who were recently thumped 0-3 by Burnley.
Crystal Palace will play with grit and look to make life difficult for their visitors, but they put plenty into the goalless draw with Fulham. The squad is stretched as injuries have piled up and Manchester United can match their victory from last season when securing a 0-2 win here.
Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: Two London clubs will be searching for a big three points on Thursday and I think the draw doesn't really do a lot for either Fulham or Tottenham Hotspur.
One is pushing to avoid relegation, while the other is trying to close down the gap to the top four and that should mean plenty of attacking enterprise produced by both teams.
Fulham have competed much better over the last couple of months compared with their start to the Premier League season. A couple of important recent wins has seen them move into a position where they can climb out of the relegation zone with a victory on Thursday, but Fulham have largely come up short against the very best teams in the Premier League.
Since the turn of the calendar year, Fulham have lost to Chelsea, Manchester United and Leicester City in the Premier League at Craven Cottage. The latter two have ended fairly comfortably in favour of the top four chasing teams and Tottenham Hotspur do have the players to hurt Fulham here too.
However Tottenham Hotspur have been in really poor form away from home in the Premier League with 3 losses in a row at Brighton, Manchester City and West Ham United. They have given up some big chances for those clubs, and Fulham do have some decent attacking players that will feel they can exploit any defensive issues Tottenham Hotspur have yet to resolve.
On the other hand Tottenham Hotspur looked very good going forward as they ripped apart Burnley on Sunday and they should be able to create problems for Fulham.
An early goal will open this up, while Tottenham Hotspur will look to be a little more clinical in front of goal than they were in the 1-1 draw with Fulham a couple of months ago. Games between these clubs have tended to produce goals when they have met at Craven Cottage and I think at least three will be shared out here.
West Brom v Everton Pick: Sam Allardyce has not been happy that his time on the training ground to prepare for the home game with Newcastle United has been taken up by another Premier League fixture.
He has been irritated that a fixture scheduled for later this month has been moved forward when there looked to be ample time for place it somewhere else in the calendar. Now he has to focus his West Brom team on putting in an effort to take on Everton, while relegation rivals Newcastle United will be resting and recuperating.
West Brom are in a position where they can't afford to overlook any fixture, but they will be aware how important it is that they beat Newcastle United this weekend. It could take the focus from this Premier League game against an Everton team who have had a lot less time to prepare for the game than their opponents.
While West Brom were beating Brighton on Saturday afternoon, Everton won their last game on Monday evening and that could play a part in the direction this fixture takes. However Everton have tended to save their best for away games this season and I do think they will have enough in the final third to break down West Brom.
The home team were more than fortunate to beat Brighton and defensively there are still some questions to answer for them.
Everton can expose them here and back to back clean sheets will be encouraging for Carlo Ancelotti. His team were not at their best on Monday, but they looked threatening when they got forward and I think Everton will be able to earn the victory with a battling performance here.
Liverpool v Chelsea Pick: The Premier League title looks like it has developed into a one horse race, but there are plenty of contenders to fill up the top four places behind Manchester City.
Two of those meet in a very big Premier League game on Thursday as Liverpool and Chelsea face off at Anfield and the winning team will go into the weekend inside the top four. A draw would open the door for Everton or West Ham United to occupy that position, but both Chelsea and Liverpool know the importance of playing Champions League Football next season.
Both have beaten opponents on neutral fields to become favourites to progress to the Champions League Quarter Final, but winning that competition looks more difficult than earning a top four finish in the Premier League. That means at this stage of the season neither team can really afford to lose ground on those places and it should be an interesting blend to see Jurgen Klopp take on Thomas Tuchel.
Predicting how Liverpool set up is a lot easier than trying to second guess the latter, and I do think Chelsea have an opportunity here. Amazingly Liverpool have lost 4 home Premier League games in succession and confidence in the defence has been lost with injuries piling up, although Alisson is set to be involved.
His presence in goal will help, but Chelsea have looked pretty solid under Thomas Tuchel and they will believe their attacking players can expose the defensive problems Liverpool have been having. Keeping them out won't be easy, but Chelsea will feel they can at least restrict Liverpool like others have done over the last six weeks at Anfield and that may give them a very slight edge.
It won't be easy for either team and a tighter than expected game may develop as it did when Chelsea hosted Manchester United on Sunday. The Blues didn't really give up a lot of good chances in that game, but they are not creating a lot either, although this is a fixture in which they are facing a weaker Liverpool defence than has been seen since before Virgil Van Dijk's time at the club.
Most will be expecting a lot of goals, but I think it may be tighter than that.
I also think Chelsea shouldn't be such an underdog here having won at Tottenham Hotspur and travelling to a neutral field to beat Spanish League leaders Atletico Madrid. Liverpool have created chances, but teams have found it easy to get into good scoring positions against them too and I think Chelsea will likely do enough to avoid defeat.
It will be interesting to see if Chelsea have the confidence to win a big game here, but if they get in front all of the pressure will shift to Liverpool and a narrow away win would not be a massive surprise. Even a point would not be a bad result for Chelsea as they look to stay in touch with the top four places in the League and I think Thomas Tuchel will set his side up to at least avoid a defeat.
MY PICKS: Manchester City Win to Nil
West Brom-Brighton Over 2.5 Goals
Leeds United - 0.25 Asian Handicap
Newcastle Untied-Wolves Under 2.5 Goals
Fulham - 0.25 Asian Handicap
Leicester City 0 Asian Handicap
Tottenham Hotspur & Under 5 Goals
Chelsea-Manchester United Under 2.5 Goals
Liverpool - 1.25 Asian Handicap
Everton - 0.25 Asian Handicap
Manchester City Win to Nil
Burnley-Leicester City Both Teams to Score- NO
Aston Villa - 0.25 Asian Handicap
Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap
Fulham-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals
Everton
Chelsea + 0.25 Asian Handicap
Fantasy Football GameWeek 26
Let me get the frustrations out of the way first.
Somehow a late meeting and a slight distraction meant I missed the deadline for GW25- usually that wouldn't matter, but I had already rolled over a transfer which means I have been left in a position where I may have to take two hits this week rather than the one I was considering.
The reasoning is simple with this being the biggest Double GameWeek left on the schedule as the Premier League looks to ensure they are able to complete the domestic season ahead of the Euro 2020 Finals which had been postponed one year. There is nothing to suggest the Euros won't be played and so the pressure is on to make sure teams are not left with too many games to be scheduled later in the season.
In normal times there would be the big Double GameWeeks later in the season as the League Cup Final would have been played in February and the FA Cup Quarter Finals would create more 'blanks' in the calendar. This year the League Cup Final is played in April and that has allowed the Premier League to move forward a number of matches that were originally scheduled for GameWeek 29 and place them in this week.
Fourteen teams play twice this week and I am 100% using my Bench Boost which means I may be able to take a couple of hits if it means shaping my team better. Losing eight points instead of four could be costly come the end of the season in terms of mini-Leagues and final Ranking places, but a strong GW25 has at least made it an easier decision to make.
My Free Hit is almost certainly going to be used in GW29 when four Premier League games are scheduled, while I will use my Wild Card between GW29 and GW31.
The Bench Boost will be used this week and I will then have the Triple Captain Chip remaining which can either be played when Manchester City have a DGW next week, or perhaps later in the season when there should be a couple of smaller DGWs set to be played.
I have long been preparing for this DGW and it does mean I have five players that are not on a Double- last week I wanted to move Aaron Cresswell on for a player who would be playing twice, but missing the deadline means I will have to take a hit to do that.
That is mainly because the two Free Transfers will be used to remove Alex McCarthy and Che Adams from the team- my final decision will be whether I want to remove one of the Leeds United players for any other who is playing twice this week with the focus being on the likes of Everton who could potentially have another DGW before the March internationals.
My feeling is that the Aston Villa vs Everton and Tottenham Hotspur vs Southampton games, the two confirmed postponed matches, will be played in April/May with the pressure off as only one of those four clubs is playing in Europe. Either Aston Villa or Everton will not be playing in the Premier League in GW32 when the FA Cup Semi Final matches are set to take place, but even that is not going to be a big issue with a free midweek to set those Premier League games that need to be re-arranged.
On paper you do have to feel the likes of Leicester City, Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur have the best doubles to go at, but there are going to be some surprising players that will make an impact on things as always seems to be the case.
I am going to be looking for the Bench Boost to help push me into a position where I close in on the top 100K in what has been an inconsistent season, while I am still chasing down players in mini-Leagues and feel this could be an important week towards those ambitions.
By hook or by crook I will not be missing the deadline this week, and I will have my final team on Twitter at the deadline on Saturday in a bid to improve on the 84 points that were produced in GW25.
I expect most people to play a Chip this week whether it is the Bench Boost, Free Hit or Triple Captain so there is an opportunity to make some serious moves in the Rankings over the next week.
Good luck to all... Except those I am directly competing with!
