The last international break of the 2020/21 season is over and all thoughts turn to the end of the campaign as the big trophies are dished out.
We are down to the final nine rounds of the Fantasy Football season and then we will see the European Finals played before attention will turn to the Euro 2020 tournament that has been held back one year.
The situation with the European Championships will become clearer in early April when the current twelve host Cities have to inform UEFA of whether they are able to host games as scheduled. It has been made clear that UEFA expects to see fans at the grounds for all of the fixtures and during the international break we did see the likes of Russia and the Netherlands host World Cup Qualifiers with fans inside the Stadiums.
With that in mind I have to assume London, Amsterdam and St Petersburg are certain to host games and I do think the majority of the twelve host Cities will keep their commitments. Travelling around Europe for fans is more unclear, but the Knock Out Rounds are expected to have some arriving from outside of those host Cities, although much is still down to the roll out of the vaccine across the continent.
I will get into my GameWeek30 thoughts for the Fantasy Premier League game below, but first my thoughts about how this round of League fixtures may play out.
Chelsea v West Brom Pick: The Premier League is back for a full run through the remainder of the season and the next several weeks are going to be very busy for clubs that are chasing the big prizes.
One of those is Chelsea who are still involved in three competitions and can't really prioritise any of them over the other as Thomas Tuchel looks to put an exclamation mark at the end of his first few months in charge of the club.
They certainly can't take their eye off the ball in the Premier League as Chelsea look to secure a top four finish and a return to the Champions League. Contenders who are only focused on the Premier League are lined up behind Chelsea and dropping points in this fixture could be a tremendous blow for The Blues.
Chelsea are big favourites to see off a West Brom team who are slumping back towards the Championship as they sit 10 points from safety and with games beginning to run out. Sam Allardyce has tried to change the fortunes of the club, but this is a team that finds it hard to keep clean sheets and simply doesn't score enough goals.
The feeling is that both of those factors go against West Brom when they face Chelsea on Saturday and it is hard to imagine they can breach a defence which has been producing plenty of clean sheets since Thomas Tuchel took over as manager of the club.
There is a big Champions League tie coming up during the week, but Chelsea can't afford to drop the ball in the Premier League and I expect a professional performance from them. It can be difficult coming out of the international break with top clubs having players returning from all over the globe, but Chelsea should be too strong for West Brom and I think they win another game while producing a clean sheet.
Leeds United v Sheffield United Pick: Many neutrals who watch the Premier League will have enjoyed the football that Leeds United have produced this season, although fans of the club will still be wondering whether Marcelo Bielsa is going to extend his time as manager of the club.
No one will dispute the impact Bielsa has had on Leeds United and his departure would hurt a club who have finally returned amongst the elite of English Football.
For now the focus is on a strong end to the season as Leeds United look for a top half finish, but they are not being helped very much by poor playing conditions at Elland Road. The pitch is likely going to be improved in the summer with the usual break between seasons helping all involved to do that, but for now it does make it difficult for Leeds United to implement their style consistently.
They have still been threatening enough going forward and nothing is likely to change for the squad as they prepare to host their Yorkshire rivals.
Sheffield United have lost manager Chris Wilder, but the players put in a huge effort in the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea in the FA Cup Quarter Final before the international break. It shows a group that are still putting in the hard work, but a lack of quality has been hard to disguise and there will be work to do to bring this club back into the Premier League at the first time of asking next season.
That lack of quality has been particularly evident when Sheffield United have played away from home and they have lost 5 in a row on their travels. The problems have been scoring enough goals and The Blades have had a lack of cutting edge which has seen them fail to score in any of those losses and I think they will struggle to contain Leeds United in this one.
They have won on their last 2 visits to Elland Road, but Leeds United look pretty strong and confident and I think they have more about them going forward than their visitors. It should show up over the course of ninety minutes and I think Leeds United will likely win a game that features at least two goals in this one.
Leicester City v Manchester City Pick: If this match had been set a month ago it may have felt a lot more important for both Leicester City and Manchester City than it perhaps is now.
At this time Manchester City are 14 points clear at the top of the Premier League and are almost certainly going to finish the season as Champions. That gives Pep Guardiola some room to make changes to his first eleven and there is every reason to believe the Champions League game coming up on Tuesday is a bigger match for the manager to consider this week.
Even then, the squad is a very good one at Manchester City and they have kept winning games even through the changes made by the manager.
Playing at Leicester City should be a big test for the squad, but injuries are still hurting the home team who have dug deep to produce some wins of late. Brendan Rodgers will be really pleased to have seen the effort and quality in the 3-1 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup Quarter Final two weeks ago, but this is a much more difficult game for them as they look to secure a top four finish.
James Maddison could return and that would give Leicester City a huge boost, but I don't think anyone in the visiting dressing room will have forgotten what happened earlier this season. The 2-5 home loss would have embarrassed the Manchester City players and I think they will be keen to show they are much better than they were that day and it is important to note that Ruben Dias did not play for Manchester City that day.
Manchester City have won 15 games in a row away from the Etihad Stadium and I think they will want to come out of the international break and build on the momentum earned. The changes may not affect Manchester City as much as they may have done in recent seasons and I think they will prove to have a bit too much for Leicester City who had been struggling before a late goal to win at Brighton.
Leicester City have been beaten here by Leeds United (1-3), Slavia Prague (0-2) and Arsenal (1-3) since the last day of January and I do think they are going to find it hard to contain Manchester City. Beating a much changed Manchester United team was a good result, but Leicester City are still without some key players and I think the visitors earn a measure of revenge for the defeat at home earlier this season.
Of the 15 wins away from the Etihad Stadium, 13 have come by more than a single goal margin for Manchester City and I think they do the same here. They have been scoring goals for fun in recent away games and I think Manchester City will likely win here against a Leicester City team that could be down a couple of key attackers and looking to contain their visitors.
Arsenal v Liverpool Pick: Two of the three most successful clubs in English Football are struggling to earn a high enough finish in the Premier League to secure European Football next season as they get set to meet at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Both Arsenal and Liverpool may feel their European ambitions are best realised by winning the European competitions they are currently taking part in and it could be some interesting decisions made by the managers in this fixture. There are big Quarter Final ties to come and this is a fixture out of the international break which could see Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp perhaps choose to give key players a slight rest.
It certainly brings some doubt into the game as to how the two managers will approach things, although Liverpool having had three weeks between games may wish to rebuild the rhythm between team-mates. Arsenal last played two weeks ago, but Arteta has perhaps been more likely to rotate his selections than his counterpart and that may be be the reason Liverpool are favoured.
They have certainly been better away from home than at Anfield since the turn of the calendar year, but Arsenal have played well at home in recent weeks and have been creating chances. The home team have to believe they can cause problems for a makeshift Liverpool defence and there has to be the ambition to do that, although Liverpool have the attacking players to hurt Arsenal too.
An early goal could really spark this fixture as both teams look for the three points to at least give them some momentum to take into their European Quarter Finals coming up. My feeling is that Arsenal may take the game a touch more seriously with a few more days to prepare for their Europa League Quarter Final compared with Liverpool, but the latter are also likely to still have ambitions of fighting their way back into the top four.
It should mean a decent game on Saturday night for those tuning in and I think it will be one that features at least three goals. A 2-1 scoreline either way would not be a huge surprise and an early goal could get things rolling.
Southampton v Burnley Pick: There looks to be a considerable gap between these two clubs and the bottom three, but this is still an important game for both Southampton and Burnley. The winning team can start to make preparation for the summer knowing they are very likely to be playing in the Premier League, but the losing team will be watching results nervously over the remainder of the weekend.
The momentum is certainly behind Burnley rather than Southampton even though the former is behind the latter on goal difference in the table. However, Southampton have been slumping back towards the bottom three with 10 defeats in 12 Premier League games, while Burnley have lost 1 of their last 7 League games and earned that big win at Everton almost a month ago to pull away from Fulham and Newcastle United.
Burnley also have a good record here and injuries look to be clearing up for the final push towards the end of the season. That will certainly be encouraging for their fans as they watch their team make the long trip down to the south coast, but a lack of goals is still an issue for Sean Dyche to address.
Injuries have also been a factor in the Southampton slump, but both Theo Walcott and Danny Ings may have been able to recover from knocks over the international break. Che Adams was looking good for Scotland as he made his debut at that level, while The Saints have the majority of their key players ready to go out of the break.
That has to be encouraging for Southampton fans that may be worrying about the loss of form, although they haven't really had a lot of fortune within matches. They created the better of the big chances against Brighton in a narrow defeat here and I think Southampton are going to create chances against this Burnley team whose defensive record is arguably better than it should be.
On the other hand Burnley showed in the win at Everton how dangerous they can be and have won 4 of their last 6 away games in all competitions. With 2 wins in their last 3 visits to St Mary's behind them, I have to respect what Burnley could potentially achieve here, although I do think Southampton have the superior quality overall.
My feeling is that the home team will be able to use that quality to edge past Burnley in this early Sunday kick off, although it will be far from easy. With Theo Walcott and Danny Ings likely back to offer more strength in the attacking depth, I think Southampton find the chances to earn a narrow victory as they start to ease any lingering concerns of being dragged into a relegation scrap.
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: During his time in the Premier League Jose Mourinho has achieved plenty of positives, but before last July he had never managed a team to win at St James' Park. In 7 attempts, Mourinho managed teams had drawn 3 and lost 4 at Newcastle United, but his Tottenham Hotspur team won 1-3 here last season and they are favourites to win here again.
The performance in the 0-2 win at Villa Park two weeks was very encouraging considering it came after back to back losses to Arsenal and Dinamo Zagreb. Those losses had put the pressure on Mourinho and what many feel is an underachieving Tottenham Hotspur squad, but they victory over Aston Villa means Spurs remain in touch with a late push into the top four places.
Returning to the Champions League is key for a squad that could lose Harry Kane if they are not able to do that, while Tottenham Hotspur will also be looking for silverware when playing in the League Cup Final later this month. However, it would be foolish to overlook this fixture as they look to keep in touch with those teams above them in the Premier League table.
It could be easy to dismiss the threat Newcastle United pose, but the home could potentially have both Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson back in contention. That would give The Magpies an attacking threat that has been missing of late, although they are unbeaten in 3 at home in the League.
Even with that in mind, it is difficult to shift the memory of the last time we saw Newcastle United as they were run ragged and eventually capitulated in the 3-0 defeat at Brighton two weeks ago. They were outplayed by their relegation rivals, but it is the lack of intensity which would have really hurt Steve Bruce.
Some may have thought it would cost him his job as manager considering the two week international break that was placed at the end of March, but Bruce still has the trust of Mike Ashley. It is a big game for Newcastle United as they look to pull away from Fulham who will play later on Sunday afternoon, but they have looked defensively vulnerable and Tottenham Hotspur can take advantage.
Heung-Min Son could potentially be available for selection and that will be a boost for Spurs team that are solely focusing on the Premier League over the next couple of weeks. It means Jose Mourinho will have time to work with the players on the training ground unlike for much of the season and I do think they can back up the win over Aston Villa.
Newcastle United could cause some problems if their attacking players are available, but Tottenham Hotspur can expose their defensive shortcomings. It should lead to a tough, but important win for Tottenham Hotspur as they secure the likely two or more goals that will be needed for the three points for the fourth visit in a row to this part of the North East.
Aston Villa v Fulham Pick: Games are beginning to run out for Fulham as they battle to avoid an immediate return to the Championship and they have now played a game more than their relegation rivals while remaining 2 points behind 17th place in the Division.
That gap could have increased by the time they kick off on Sunday afternoon, but Scott Parker will try to avoid allowing other fixtures to be a distraction to his own team. Ultimately Fulham are in control of their own destiny in so much as they will be looking to win at least half of their remaining eight Premier League games and see whether other clubs can handle the pressure of doing the same.
Goals have been the issue for Fulham who play some good football to create chances, but haven't found anyone to show the clinical edge that will have made Scott Parker feel confident. It was more of the same in the 1-2 loss to Leeds United two weeks ago, but Fulham have to believe they will start getting the breaks if they continue performing at the level they have shown over the last couple of months.
Games like this one have to be viewed as 'winnable', especially as Aston Villa have lost some of their own consistency ever since the January outbreak of Covid-19 within the camp. They have not been helped by the absence of Jack Grealish who has proven to be so important to the Dean Smith system, although the England international is back this week.
He will be hugely important for Aston Villa and I do think that quality will make the home team more dangerous than they looked in the three weeks before the March international break.
However Aston Villa have been struggling defensively and have been more fortunate than strong when it comes to some of their clean sheets of late.
That has to be encouraging to Fulham and I do think it makes Aston Villa a vulnerable favourite, especially when the visitors have been better on their travels than at home this season. The first goal is going to be huge in this fixture, but I do think Fulham are capable of earning a result here which will just give the entire squad a boost in confidence to take into the remaining fixtures as they try and get out of the bottom three.
Manchester United v Brighton Pick: There were contrasting results for Manchester United and Brighton before the international break, but the two teams return to Premier League action this weekend with three points on the mind.
They are at opposite ends of the Premier League table, but Manchester United have been hit with injuries and they may still be short of attacking players coming out of the international break. Both Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford didn't take part as they were dealing with injuries, while Anthony Martial picked up a knock when on duty with France and all three could miss out.
It will leave Manchester United short of options as a busy end to the season begins with a top four place yet to be secured and Europa League commitments to manage.
Excuses can't be used though as Manchester United look to bounce back from the 3-1 loss to Leicester City two weeks ago, although they will recognise how awkward Brighton could make things. Only a VAR intervention after the final whistle had been blown helped Manchester United win 2-3 at the Amex Stadium earlier this season, but Brighton were arguably the better team on the day and that has been the story for them throughout the season.
With better finishing, Brighton would be much further up the League standings than 16th place, although back to back wins will have given them a huge shot of confidence. Those have come against Southampton and Newcastle United and moved Brighton 6 points clear of the relegation zone, but Graham Potter's side won't take anything for granted and will look for an upset here as they achieved at Anfield two months ago.
Brighton's style makes them dangerous with plenty of pleasing Football meaning a team that creates chances and will get the ball down and attacking opponents. They have already pushed Manchester United significantly and I would not be surprised if they played a part here.
However Manchester United have been in decent form and Brighton are a team whose style does leave them open to be counter attacked which plays into the hands of their hosts. They have lost all 4 visits to Old Trafford since returning to the top flight, although Brighton have scored on their last 2 trips here, and I think it is likely that Manchester United will need at least two goals to secure the points here.
I think they can get those even if they are missing some of the key players in attacking areas, and a narrow home win looks to be the outcome of this fixture.
Everton v Crystal Palace Pick: There is going to be a lot of regrets in the Everton squad if they are not able to finish with at least a European spot at the end of this season with too many dropped points in matches they should not be doing so.
The last time they played in the Premier League they were beaten 1-2 by Burnley at home and that means Everton have been beaten by half of the current bottom six at Goodison Park. When you think they are only 5 points off the Champions League places, those 9 points could be pivotal in deciding the final League position although Everton are still not out of contention with a game in hand in their pocket.
It also means there is some pressure on Everton who can't afford to drop more points when they host a Crystal Palace team who have been inconsistent away from home all season. They have won 2 of their last 5 away Premier League games, but Crystal Palace have lost the other 3 and Everton will believe the potential return of James Rodriguez is a huge bonus for them down the stretch.
Crystal Palace know all about the importance of a key, creative wide player and do have Wilfred Zaha around to cause problems for their hosts. However, The Eagles have not really been consistent in the final third and I think Everton are going to get the better of this fixture when you consider the kind of chances that have been created by them even in the absence of Rodriguez.
Everton also have a strong home record against Crystal Palace having beaten them 3 times in a row here.
I do think they will have the better of the opportunities in this one and some key players have gained some rest which should see them kick on and have a strong end to the campaign. The inconsistencies of the Everton team are hard to ignore, but I think they are going to edge past Crystal Palace here and they can win this Easter Monday fixture and remain on course for a European finish.
Wolves v West Ham United Pick: The final game of the Premier League weekend comes from Molineux on Easter Monday and it looks like a potentially tight game and one I am surprised to see West Ham United favoured to win.
Of course they are much higher up the League standings than Wolves and West Ham United are chasing Champions League Football which perhaps adds to the motivation for the players. They have also been in decent form over the last couple of months, although West Ham United blew their 3-0 lead over Arsenal in the last fixture played two weeks ago.
That result means they have won 1 of their last 4 and now they face a Wolves team who have been playing better than some of their recent results may suggest. A big problem for Wolves has been the lack of a striking figure like Raul Jimenez that would take the chances that have been created and it does leave them vulnerable at time.
However, Wolves have been creating chances and they have a good home record against West Ham United since returning to the Premier League. It will be encouraging for the players with some key attacking players having some rest over the last two weeks that has been missing for much of the campaign.
West Ham United will cause problems with the speed they have in attacking areas and they are scoring goals. Defensively there have been some questions though and I expect Wolves to test the backline with the feeling that both teams may score against each other for the first time since the hosts returned to the Premier League.
A narrow win for The Hammers won't be a surprise, but it is going to be interesting to see how they handle the pressure of playing last this weekend. The likes of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have winnable fixtures to extend the gap to the top four which would mean The Hammers need to win here to keep up with those teams.
It is a different mindset for this squad to deal with compared to recent seasons and I think Wolves will cause problems as both find the net in this game.
MY PICKS: Chelsea Win to Nil
Leeds United to Win & Over 1.5 Goals
Manchester City - 1 Asian Handicap
Arsenal-Liverpool Over 2.5 Goals
Southampton - 0.25 Asian Handicap
Tottenham Hotspur & Over 1.5 Goals
Fulham + 0.25 Asian Handicap
Manchester United to Win & Over 1.5 Goals
Everton
Wolves-West Ham United Both Teams to Score
Fantasy Football GameWeek 30
I don't know about everyone else, but the last two weeks of the international break have actually flown by a lot quicker than I thought the fortnight would.
It means the Fantasy Football Premier League is back this weekend and there are nine rounds of fixtures to be played before the end of what has been a difficult 2020/21 season.
I had considered this to be the moment to use the Wild Card and have a team set for the remainder of the season with eight transfers to just shape it week to week, but the international break did not provide the clarity that I would have liked to see. We do have an additional DGW in a couple of weeks, although only Tottenham Hotspur are involved in that one, but there are two fixtures that have yet to find a place in the schedule and I was hoping we would hear more about the potential decision to move things around in May to allow clubs to have at least one home game in front of their fans.
As I did mention a couple of weeks ago, I do have a squad that is capable of getting through GW30 with solid options sprinkled throughout the starting eleven and with a bench that is capable of coming and performing. That means I do have an extra week to see if other fixtures are re-scheduled and also a clearer indication of how manager's may be thinking of balancing their squads down the stretch as European and domestic Cup commitments have to be fitted around the Premier League.
The feeling is that the two matches left to be re-scheduled will both land in either GW36 or GW37 depending on the decision the Premier League will make about having fans attending the final two rounds of fixtures of the season. Ultimately it would be a surprise to see the Aston Villa-Everton fixture played outside of that final week without European commitments and where a Premier League game can be played, although the Southampton-Crystal Palace game is more uncertain as it will depend on whether The Saints are able to get past Leicester City in the FA Cup Semi Final in the middle of the month.
So with a Free Transfer in hand I think the decision has been pretty easy this week even if there is a feeling that I am going to be missing out on one particular angle which has gained traction over the last week.
With Stuart Dallas, Luke Shaw, Ruben Dias, Sergio Reguilon and Lucas Digne as my five options in defensive positions and four of those facing bottom half clubs, it has made the popular play of signing Marcos Alonso look like one I can't really make.
I would have had serious thoughts about Captaining the Spaniard in a home game against West Brom, especially with the potential attacking returns he could have, but I have not been convinced that he provides as many 'additional' points on what I think I can earn from my current squad to make the transfer worthwhile.
Instead I am going to replace Kasper Schmeichel with Edouard Mendy considering the fixtures Leicester City and Chelsea have respectively over the next two weeks. That looks the sensible play before any Wild Card is used, while the Captain armband is going to a boring choice in Harry Kane.
Risks might have to be taken to chase down a top 100K finish at this stage of the season, but Kane looks the right play.
