Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2021 (April 9-12)

The GameWeeks are running out in the Fantasy Premier League game, but the frustration for my choices looks like being a season-long event and I am already looking forward to taking part in Euro 2020 Fantasy games and then preparing for the 2021/22 season.

Hopefully that will be a time when we are allowed back inside the Stadiums- I have missed Old Trafford massively- and the season should also be one that is much more familiar in the way it is broken down compared with this congested campaign.

It is obviously going to be a one season return to normality as the following season will bring us the Winter World Cup for the first time which is due to start in November in Qatar and that will mean another 'different looking' season with the way things are managed by the Associations around Europe and the rest of the world.

I will get into my GW31 team below, but first a few thoughts as to how I think the Premier League games will go this weekend.

Fulham v Wolves Pick: The Premier League returns on Friday night and this looks to be one of a really important game for Fulham as they look to put pressure on those teams above them in the table.

After blowing the 0-1 lead at Aston Villa with a late capitulation, Fulham are now 3 points from safety and they have played a game more than the majority of their rivals around them. A win on Friday would actually take them out of the bottom three for a day or two at least, but Fulham have been struggling for form and have been beaten in their last 3 at Craven Cottage.

However, Fulham have to be targeting this as a fixture they can win when facing a Wolves team who are in mid-table and struggling for consistency. Wolves have lost 3 of their last 4 Premier League games, but they have been tougher to beat on their travels and I think that gives them every chance of earning a positive result.

The underlying stats have certainly suggested Wolves have been a touch unfortunate not to have picked up more points of late and certainly fail to secure a couple of wins over the last month. They created a huge amount of chances against Aston Villa and West Ham United, while also had the better of play against Liverpool, but Wolves earned just a single point from those fixtures.

A lack of goals has been a concern without Raul Jimenez, but they at least showed a little more composure in the final third in the loss to West Ham United on Easter Monday. That will offer Wolves encouragement as they head to West London and I am surprised they are the underdog by such a margin considering Fulham's form and the likely absence of Ademola Lookman.

A draw can't be ruled out, but Fulham may have to take more risks than Wolves and that could leave them open for the pace that the visitors have. Wolves have drawn at Newcastle United and Aston Villa recently and they are certainly capable of at least earning that kind of result here, although the chances being created of late could see Wolves finally break through and earn a vital win to virtually secure Premier League Football for another season.

Manchester City v Leeds United Pick: You can't underestimate the fact that Manchester City will make changes to their first eleven and will clearly be focused on the Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg to come during the week, but this is a deep squad. Any changes that will be made will still produce a strong starting eleven as Manchester City showed in their dominating 0-2 win at Leicester City last weekend.

They will also benefit from the fact that Leeds United will look to play an open game and I think Manchester City will be able to expose any holes that are left behind.

In saying that I expect Leeds United to play their part here with an attacking approach likely to cause Manchester City some problems as Manchester United, Southampton and Borussia Dortmund have found in recent visits to the Etihad Stadium. The style implement by Marcelo Bielsa means Leeds United will press from the front and any lack of focus from the hosts will be punished.

However, some have suggested there is a naivety to the Leeds United approach which has left them vulnerable to the counter attack. They have certainly been exposed by some of the top teams in the Premier League and Leeds United have conceded at least three goals at Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Arsenal already this season.

Manchester City might not be dealing with the clean sheets they had been producing, but this is a team that creates chances and score goals. Even if some key players are rested, the likes of Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero will come in and they are good enough to break down this Leeds United team in what could be a really good watch on Saturday lunchtime for the neutrals.

Of the 8 away League defeats suffered by Leeds United, 6 have come by two or more goal margins and I think that will be the case on Saturday too. They may find a way to goal, but Manchester City should be able to create enough chances to overcome a team managed by someone that Pep Guardiola greatly admires.

There may be quite a few goals on show in this fixture, but Manchester City should have the better of things in a high-scoring game to maintain momentum ahead of the Second Leg against Borussia Dortmund coming up.

Liverpool v Aston Villa Pick: If results had gone against Liverpool last weekend you could easily have made a case for the Champions League having a much bigger priority for the club over the Premier League. Even now the fans may feel the Champions League is the best route back into the same competition next season, but Liverpool have closed to within 3 points of the top four in the Premier League and so a strong team should be selected for this League game.

Losing 3-1 in Madrid may also have made it more important for Liverpool to keep the pressure on those teams above them by winning before the likes of West Ham United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur play.

It will also be a morale boosting win for Liverpool having lost 6 Premier League games in a row at Anfield, especially as they will be hosting Real Madrid here on Wednesday. Another home defeat may just have the players feeling they can't overturn the deficit, but a win on Saturday will be a boost at just the right time and they may just be facing Aston Villa at a good time.

The visitors have looked desperate at the back so I do think this Liverpool team will create chances against them, while the return of Diogo Jota has given Liverpool another strong attacking option. The Portuguese star has played well since returning and I do think Liverpool will create chances against this Aston Villa defence which has a better defensive record than the underlying statistics suggests they should have.

Aston Villa can cause problems for the Liverpool defence with the attacking pace they have, but Jack Grealish's absence would be a big blow. Even without him there will be opportunities for Aston Villa, but perhaps not as frequent as they would like and Liverpool should create chances to win this fixture.

I expect Liverpool will need to score at least two goals to win this game and earn the confidence boosting victory that will at least give them some belief before facing Real Madrid again during the week. I think the return of Jota gives them another threat in the final third and I think Aston Villa will offer up enough for Liverpool to do that in this League game.

Crystal Palace v Chelsea Pick: The defeat to West Brom last weekend may have been one that can inspire Chelsea to a focused and strong end to the 2020/21 season.

They are still on course for a top four finish with their own destiny in their control, while Chelsea have a FA Cup Semi Final to look forward to next weekend. The 2-0 win over Porto during the week puts Chelsea in a commanding position when it comes to the Champions League Quarter Final tie too, although Thomas Tuchel can't afford another poor result in the Premier League with rivals West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool pushing for a top four finish too.

Chelsea have not been as tight defensively as their overall clean sheets have suggested over the last two months, but this is a team creating chances. They will be encouraged by the defensive vulnerability that Crystal Palace keep displaying and a solid record at Selhurst Park will also give the Chelsea players confidence of getting back to winning ways in the Premier League.

One concern for Chelsea is the lack of goals being scored away from home which is putting pressure on them to keep picking up the clean sheets. In only 1 of the last 10 away Premier League games played have Chelsea scored more than one goal, but they do have 3 clean sheets in their 5 away League games played under Thomas Tuchel.

They did score twice away from Stamford Bridge during the week and Chelsea have been creating some solid chances away from home. However I think the main focus after last Saturday will be restricting Crystal Palace and there is every chance they can do that when you think The Eagles had failed to score in 3 home League games before the narrow win over West Brom.

There were plenty of goals shared out when Crystal Palace hosted Chelsea last season, but this one looks to be a tighter affair thanks to the tactics likely employed by Thomas Tuchel. Roy Hodgson won't want to give too much away either and Chelsea are likely to win a competitive fixture which does not feature more than three goals in total.

Burnley v Newcastle United Pick: This is a huge game at the bottom of the Premier League and the winner will feel they are taking a big step towards safety even with seven games left to play this season.

Both Burnley and Newcastle United took the lead in their respective fixtures last weekend and ended up scoring twice, but neither picked up a win to remain in relegation trouble. Burnley blew a 0-2 lead at Southampton in a 3-2 defeat, but Newcastle United may feel they have a bit of momentum having scored a late equaliser to earn a point against Tottenham Hotspur at St James' Park.

Steve Bruce could be boosted by a returning Callum Wilson this weekend and Allan Saint-Maximin may be able to offer more minute son the pitch which should make Newcastle United more dangerous going forward. They will certainly feel this Burnley defence has been far from secure considering the kind of chances they have allowed in recent games and Newcastle United were very good last weekend.

That game was at home though and Newcastle United have looked more vulnerable away from home which makes this a more difficult game to read. Burnley have been churning out some positive results and they haven't been bad going forward, but the underlying numbers suggest they have been more fortunate than they have perhaps deserved.

They have looked like a team who can score goals, but who will offer chances for opponents too, and I think this is likely to be a high-scoring game as long as there is a first half game to just loosen defences. Both managers would likely take a point before kick off, but an early goal can change the mindset completely and neither Burnley nor Newcastle United look capable of keeping clean sheets at the moment.

A 1-1 scoreline is a real runner, but I think there may be at least one more goal shared out between them this weekend.

West Ham United v Leicester City Pick: This is a really important fixture in the Premier League this weekend and the outcome is going to have serious implications as to how the Champions League places are likely to be handed out at the end of the season.

Both Leicester City and West Ham United will be considered surprising top four teams going into the final eight League games, but neither is anywhere near guaranteed of playing Champions League Football next season. Now they are here, both Brendan Rodgers and David Moyes will be looking for a strong end to the season to offer their respective clubs a memorable campaign and the fans something to look forward to if they are able to return to the stands in August.

The importance of the game will not be lost on either team.

A win for Leicester City may see the team begin to feel they can pull away from the teams battling for the final Champions League berth, but a win for West Ham United would pull The Foxes back and have other rivals believing there are two spots up for grabs down the stretch.

It is hard to separate them considering how well West Ham United have been playing at home, but also how difficult Leicester City have been to beat on their travels. The goals being scored by The Hammers will be encouraging, but Leicester City will look at the defensive numbers and the return of James Maddison could see them pick the home defence.

Games between Leicester City and West Ham United have tended to be high-scoring and the last four have all featured at least three goals shared out. 4 of the last 5 in East London hosted by West Ham United have also featured at least three goals shared out and I think both teams are likely to have success when going forward in this one.

A 1-1 scoreline might not be one that either team would be that disappointed with, but I think both managers will understand that there is an opportunity to increase their own chances of Champions League Football and dent a rival at the same time. I don't think either will discourage their team from getting forward and I feel this is a fixture that could easily produce a vital 2-1 result either way.

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United Pick: Results last weekend did not just open the door for Tottenham Hotspur to get closer to the top four, but also gave Manchester United an opportunity to take command of one of the Champions League places on offer from the Premier League standings.

Both of these teams fell 1-0 behind to relegation threatened opponents, but only Manchester United were able to secure the three points as they beat Brighton at Old Trafford. Tottenham Hotspur conceded very late in their 2-2 draw at Newcastle United, but Jose Mourinho has had a week to prepare his team and should have a couple of key defenders back that can only help Spurs.

They are also facing a Manchester United team that had a tough away game in Spain on Thursday evening and who have looked a touch fatigued in recent weeks.

You could label both of these teams as being inconsistent in terms of performances, although it is Manchester United who have continued to find a way to churn out more positive results. They have also been difficult to play away from Old Trafford as Manchester United have been able to employ counter attacking tactics to good effect in those matches and that has seen them lose a single domestic away game in fifteen months.

A late goal secured a 1-1 draw here when the season resumed after the three month suspension of play last June and I think Manchester United will make life tough for Tottenham Hotspur. The extra time off is a benefit for the home team who have an in-form Harry Kane leading the line and with some pace and quality around him that makes Tottenham Hotspur dangerous, although Jose Mourinho remains a cautious manager.

That caution is likely going to see Mourinho look to avoid leaving counter attacking space and it likely means we see a tight game between these top four chasing clubs. The game played at Old Trafford this season did finish 1-6, but a very early Penalty for Manchester United and a relatively early Anthony Martial sending off saw that fixture move in a direction that was hard to envision.

I expect this one to be much tighter and the last 3 Premier League fixtures hosted by Spurs against Manchester United have ended with less than three goals shared out. Neither manager is likely want to give too much away in this one either and I think it is another tight fixture between Big Six clubs that looks to be in the offing.

Sheffield United v Arsenal Pick: A seething Mikel Arteta will likely be fully focused on preparing his Arsenal team for the Europa League Quarter Final Second Leg against Slavia Prague which is to be played in the Czech Republic next Thursday. After missing a host of chances, Arsenal finally broke the deadlock in the First Leg with just five minutes remaining, but a late goal was conceded which means a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium was the outcome.

You could see how irritated Arteta was at full time and I expect changes to be made to the Arsenal starting eleven with the players involved next Thursday given a bit of a rest.

That raises doubts in this fixture and makes me feel Arsenal are a very short price and especially with the uncertainty about their team selection in mind. However, Sheffield United have been very poor all season and they can't be trusted to take advantage considering the amount of chances they have been allowing in recent games and with a struggle to score enough goals evident ever since The Blades returned to the top flight in August 2019.

I'll be watching The Masters when this game kicks off on Sunday evening and I really don't have any serious convictions about this fixture. A narrow away win is perhaps the most likely outcome, but this is one of those Premier League games that has very little riding on the result and with Arsenal most likely focusing their real attention elsewhere.

West Brom v Southampton Pick: Both of these teams conceded two goals in their last Premier League games played last weekend, but West Brom and Southampton showed real attacking intent in beating Chelsea and Burnley respectively. The two teams both had to come from behind to earn those wins, which will add to the confidence, but it does feel the Southampton performance is arguably more sustainable.

All credit has to be given to West Brom for the win at Stamford Bridge, but it was a 'perfect storm' of events that landed in their favour. They were 1-0 down before Thiago Silva was sent off and West Brom showed the kind of clinical finishing which has not been evident from them through the majority of the season.

Of course this result could spark them, but West Brom continued to look vulnerable defensively despite playing against an opponent with ten men. That has been a large part of the issue for West Brom as they have struggled to get closer to those teams outside of the relegation zone and they are now going up against a Southampton team who have scored at least twice in 3 away games in a row in all competitions.

Southampton also showed how much they still believe in their manager by coming from 0-2 down to beat Burnley 3-2 at St Mary's last weekend.

Ralph Hasenhuttl's team had been hurt by injuries and that contributed to their poor Premier League run, but Southampton look much healthier now. They have attacking options and will head to The Hawthorns with confidence and have won their last 3 fixtures played on this ground.

The Saints have not looked as strong defensively as they did earlier this season, but they are creating plenty of chances and I think they have a team that can secure another big result on Monday. The first goal will be important, but Southampton look the more likely to earn that on recent form and I think they can win here.

It will be a result that gives them real momentum to take into the FA Cup Semi Final.

West Brom have not scored in their last 2 Premier League games at The Hawthorns and I feel Southampton will have too much for them.

Brighton v Everton Pick: The home team are the favourite in this fixture, but Brighton are hard to trust with very few wins secured at the Amex Stadium this season. Their underlying statistics have been very impressive, but Brighton are still struggling for consistency in the final third and that makes it hard to really believe in them with any confidence.

I also think Everton are being a touch under-rated with their results influencing the prices on this fixture.

In reality they should have beaten Burnley and Crystal Palace in recent Premier League games and if they had, Everton would have likely been the narrow favourite to win here. Poor finishing has let them down, but the team has looked healthier which makes them stronger.

Add in the fact that Brighton have continued to struggle in the final third and you can make a case for Everton winning here, but Graham Potter's team are hard to read from game to game. The Seagulls could certainly play their part here with the attacking intent they continue to approach games with, but Everton will also feel they can create chances and I think this could be a high-scoring game like the one played between the teams at Goodison Park earlier this season.

Five goals were shared out when these teams met at the Amex Stadium last season too and this is another Premier League game that could be ignited with a first half goal.

MY PICKS: Wolves + 0.25 Asian Handicap

Manchester City - 1.5 Asian Handicap

Liverpool & Over 1.5 Goals

Chelsea & Under 3.5 Goals

Burnley-Newcastle United Over 2.5 Goals

West Ham United-Leicester City Over 2.5 Goals

Tottenham Hotspur-Manchester United Under 2.5 Goals

Arsenal to Win & Under 3.5 Goals

Southampton - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Brighton-Everton Over 2.5 Goals

Fantasy Football GameWeek 31

In a usual Fantasy Premier League season we would be preparing for one or maybe two Double GameWeeks at this point of the campaign, but the big Doubles look to have passed us by.

GameWeek 32 will give one team a double, Tottenham Hotspur, while two other fixtures have yet to secure dates. Those would have landed in GameWeek 37, but there is still ongoing talks of delaying a round of Premier League fixtures which would allow all teams to host at least one game where fans are allowed back inside the Stadiums.

Those decisions are yet to be made and it does make it more difficult to manage when the best time to play the Wild Card is set to be. Any changes to the schedule will mean the two FA Cup Finalists have an extra Double GameWeek which was not envisioned before these talks commenced and I want to hold onto my Wild Card through the FA Cup Semi Finals which are played next week.

While I do think there are some big changes I can make to my squad to get a lot closer to the top 100K, I think those aren't so desperate at this moment with a team that can cover the next two weeks through to GW33 when hopefully the remainder of the season will be set out much more clearly.

Importantly it is also the weekend when the League Cup Final is set to be played and that will mean four teams are not in action at all (of which I have a huge number of players).

That Wild Card decision makes it 'easier' to manage the Free Transfers through the next two GameWeeks, although I have seemingly failed to get on the right side of my choices for much of the season. Not for the first time I have been hurt by leaving one of my top scorers as my third sub, a decision which was compounded last week by my first sub leaving play injured before the 60th minute mark.

Too many single pointers have hurt my Overall Rank throughout the season, one which has produced too many strange results and inconsistencies and I am looking forward to a more settled campaign next time around.

Last week I decided to bring in Edouard Mendy and that turned out to be one of the poorest decisions of the season on the outcome of the transfer, although it was the right play on paper. You can't get too down on yourself when you think that is the case and I don't regret it with the 2-5 defeat suffered by Chelsea against West Brom being yet another strange result we have seen in this congested season.

With a Wild Card coming up soon, any transfers I make now can be seen as 'one week punts', although I am looking at players who will likely take part in both of the next two GameWeeks to get the maximum from them.

Last week I spoke about my disappointment I could not bring in Marcos Alonso and the Spanish left back returned an assist as he continues to move into strong attacking positions. The feeling is that he will be used in both Premier League games to be played by Chelsea in GameWeek 31 and 32 with Ben Chilwell used for the Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg against Porto and the FA Cup Semi Final against Manchester City next weekend.

Thomas Tuchel has tended to use Alonso against those teams that are likely going to sit back and I think that is the case with Crystal Palace this weekend and, to a lesser extent, Brighton who visit Stamford Bridge next.

Another interesting player that is showing improvement is Trent Alexander-Arnold who has something to prove after being dropped from the last England squad, but Liverpool have two tougher games than Chelsea on paper. Add in their situation in the Champions League and I think Alonso makes more more sense at this point than Alexander-Arnold, although the latter may be more of a play when it comes to working out the Wild Card team later this month.

One player who is getting his last chance for my squad this week is Raheem Sterling who has clearly been out of favour at Manchester City since the derby defeat to Manchester United last month. Since that fixture, Sterling has played just 27 minutes in three Premier League games, while he was also benched in the Champions League Quarter Final First Leg against Borussia Dortmund during the week.

Raheem Sterling did start in the FA Cup win at Everton, but both Manchester City goals came after he was substituted and I do think Pep Guardiola has more trust in other options.

However, the manager has spoken about keeping his squad as fresh as possible and the home game against Leeds United looks a very good chance to bring Sterling back in for a start and give Riyad Mahrez a rest following back to back starts this past week.

I think I am so convinced that I am going to give Sterling the Captain armband as a differential maker this week with many jumping off the ownership of the England international. He is the most likely player that I am going to move next week with the target being another Tottenham Hotspur player to treble up on their Double GameWeek, but I am hoping there is a big performance in Sterling against an open Leeds United team at the Etihad Stadium.

It is risky backing any player that is managed by Pep Guardiola outside of Kevin De Bruyne for the Captaincy choice, but it came down to a pretty straight choice for me between Sterling and Diogo Jota. The latter is perhaps more likely to be rested considering Liverpool's situation in the Champions League and with Roberto Firmino capable of coming in, while I will likely hand the Vice Captaincy to a more secure choice as a starter.

Like last week, I was also tempted by Marcos Alonso as Captain if bringing him in against a goal-shy Crystal Palace, but picking a player from the team with the best underlying stats as an attacking force in the last six weeks is hard to ignore.

Midweek Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2020 (June 23-25)

So how is everyone enjoying the return of the Premier League?

There is no doubt that things are not the same as we remember, and it did take a few matches to really build the interest but I do think most will be used to the 'new normal'.

Most importantly I do believe the players will be feeling more accustomed to playing in front of empty stands having done it once, or in some cases twice, although I do think the teams at the bottom of the table are suffering as I expected before the resumption. Without that push from the crowd, it is much harder for those clubs to bridge the talent gap to the sides they are facing and the limp manner in which Norwich City, Bournemouth and West Ham United were beaten at home this past weekend is worrying.

Aston Villa took a single point from two home games, but at least made a much greater effort than those three sides mentioned and I do believe the three relegated clubs will come from the four mentioned.

Things are still tight when it comes to the relegation battle and the race for the top four and European places so the whole outlook could change very quickly. With the fixtures staggered as they are, I do think the pressure will build on clubs in a different manner as you would expect if the schedule had played out as planned before the pandemic took over.

With another GW just a day after the previous one ended, it is another round of FPL that kicks off on Tuesday. The problem all players of the Official Fantasy game will be dealing with is the deadline comes at a time when not all the team news can be put together and that means second guessing things.

I will elaborate further on my plans below the thoughts for how this round of League fixtures will go.

Leicester City v Brighton Pick: Both Leicester City and Brighton are coming off of positive results and will be looking to build the momentum to take into the remaining Premier League games to be played.

For Leicester City it will also push them forward when it comes to a potential FA Cup success as they chase down one of the four Champions League places in the table. The late goal conceded to Watford would have hurt, but Leicester City will be happy with a positive result and the chance to maintain their lead over 5th placed Manchester United with one less game to be completed.

Playing at home should be a little more comfortable for Leicester City even if the early trend around the top European Leagues is that some of the advantage has been eroded without a crowd. I still believe that may affect the lesser talented squads more than the top teams though so I do expect Leicester City to have too much for Brighton on Tuesday in the first game of the latest round of fixtures.

That is no disrespect to a Brighton team coming off a big win over Arsenal and one that has proved to be stubborn to break down away from home in their most 'recent' games. Of course you can't really discuss that 3 game unbeaten run on their travels as form considering the last fixture was played three months ago, but Brighton have shown they can make life difficult so it will be up to the Leicester City players to find the motivation from within rather than from the stands.

The Foxes have won 3 of their last 5 games here in all competitions and during that time they have hit both West Ham United and Aston Villa for four goals. Brighton have shown themselves to be a slightly better defensive side than both of those, but the goalless draw at Wolves was only the third away clean sheet of the season.

Bournemouth and West Ham United both scored at least three goals against Brighton and Sheffield United created enough to believe they deserved more than the single strike in the previous 3 away games The Seagulls played before the draw at Wolves.

Brighton have lost twice in a row here and I think Leicester City will be able to create enough chances to win a game which features at least two goals.

Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United Pick: This is a big game at the top and bottom of the Premier League as Tottenham Hotspur look to ignite a push for a European place and West Ham United try and move clear of the bottom three.

Neither team were at their best this past weekend in home games against Manchester United and Wolves respectively, but I do think the teams will be better for having a game in the legs.

At least Tottenham Hotspur earned a point to remain in touch with 5th placed Manchester United, but Jose Mourinho will know they need more from their remaining eight games to have a chance of getting into the Champions League. More realistic is playing in the Europa League and Spurs will know the importance of that from a financial perspective as they look to repay the debt which came from building this new Stadium.

Chances were not created easily against Manchester United, but Dele Alli is back and West Ham United don't defend nearly as well as Tottenham Hotspur's last opponents. Teams have been able to create plenty against this West Ham United defence and Tottenham Hotspur should be able to do the same.

However it is a rivalry game and West Ham United have had success when visiting Tottenham Hotspur in recent times. They have won 2 in a row in games hosted by Spurs including winning in this Stadium last season and David Moyes will be looking for a big reaction from his team.

The Hammers did look a little toothless in attack against Wolves though and I think Tottenham Hotspur might have more control of the match. The empty Stadium might help the visitors, but Tottenham Hotspur might be able to edge them out narrowly with their greater attacking threats that can be employed.

I feel Tottenham Hotspur will need to score twice to win though considering their own defence has been far from trustworthy and I do think they have enough to do that as they put the pressure on teams above them that play later this week.

Manchester United v Sheffield United Pick: With very little between teams from Chelsea down to Tottenham Hotspur, this was an early fixture which looked like it could be very important for both Manchester United and Sheffield United's dreams of getting into the Champions League.

That is how it looked at the resumption of the Premier League, but Sheffield United have taken a point from a possible six and Manchester United also could only add a point from their opening returning fixture. It means both clubs have slipped behind Chelsea who won at Aston Villa on Sunday and means both Manchester United and Sheffield United need a big result here.

A heatwave hitting the United Kingdom is not going to be helpful for the players despite the 6pm kick off time and it does suggest goals could be in short supply. Temperatures could feel as high as 31 degrees Celsius when this fixture kicks off and that means mistakes could prove pivotal on the day.

With the attacking players short of football, it may also give the chance for defences to be largely on top and especially when you think of the two teams involved in this one at Old Trafford.

However the key difference may be that Manchester United look to have a touch more options in the midfield and attack that could provide a moment of magic to turn things in their favour. Add to that the fact that Sheffield United could be missing as many as three of their regular defensive unit and the chances of mistakes being in the away side more than the home one seem to ramp up.

Chris Wilder will always make his team hard to beat and I won't read too much into the 3-0 loss at Newcastle United as the game was finely balanced before John Egan was sent off to reduce Sheffield United to ten men. Even then I do think the defensive record is perhaps better than it should be with chances that Sheffield United have allowed and Manchester United should punish a more unfamiliar line up that Wilder will have to use.

It won't be easy because Sheffield United are a disciplined team that won't roll over for any team they face. They have not been at their best in the first couple of games and Manchester United have had plenty of time to prepare and I fancy the home side win this one with a clean sheet.

Newcastle United v Aston Villa Pick: Hot weather has to be expected at this time of the year in England, but the heatwave due during the week will only make it harder for players who have had limited match fitness from the first few days of the restart of Premier League Football.

It might mean a slow game develops in the North East where Newcastle United host Aston Villa in what is looking to be a much bigger game for the visitors than the hosts.

That is not to say that Steve Bruce would be happy to lose the momentum picked up in the win over Sheffield United on Sunday. The manager was very pleased with the performance and Newcastle United have a big week in front of them as they host two more matches here, while Bruce himself will be looking to show any prospective new owner that he is the right manager to take Newcastle United forward.

Winning games and finishing in the top half of the Premier League will only add to Bruce's argument and he will be looking to keep the unbeaten run going at St James' Park. Newcastle United have been well organised as they have produced 5 clean sheets in a row at St James' Park and now host an out of form Aston Villa side who have to have had some confidence knocked in the early days of the restart of the Premier League.

A single point and a single goal from two home games is not good enough for Aston Villa who are fighting to get out of the bottom three. They haven't played badly, but Aston Villa continue to struggle to score enough goals or keep enough clean sheets and that is a big worry for any team looking to avoid the drop.

Aston Villa did not score in their last couple of away games which were played three months ago, but the bigger concern for Dean Smith has to be the lack of chances created in those defeats. They have looked better this past week, but breaking down Newcastle United will be far from easy and I think goals may be difficult to find.

The layers are perhaps not seeing things the same way as I expected the 'under 2.5 goals' market to be much shorter than it is. Both teams were involved in high-scoring games on Sunday, but Newcastle United only broke down a ten man opponent, while Aston Villa faced a strong attacking unit of Chelsea.

Neither team will believe they have the same circumstances going into this game and I think we will see two or fewer goals shared out. Before the win over Sheffield United, Newcastle United had seen their previous 4 games finish with one or fewer goals scored, while Aston Villa have seen 3 of their last 5 away from home go the same way.

The last 8 between Newcastle United and Aston Villa have ended with two or fewer goals shared out, while the last 5 between them at St James' Park have ended that way too.

With the heat around and the lack of strong attacks in this one, I think that has to be the most likely outcome of this fixture. I narrowly favour Newcastle United, but will look for a lack of goals no matter the result.

Norwich City v Everton Pick: Both Norwich City and Everton will still feel there are big things to aim for at the end of the 2019/20 season, but you can't help feel this is more important for the home team.

Norwich City were hammered 0-3 by Southampton on Friday and they looked like a team that didn't really believe nine games were enough to avoid relegation to the Championship. Now there are eight left and it is hard to see how Norwich City will be able to pick up enough points if they don't produce a much better effort in their home Stadium.

Defensively they were messy and some rustiness was evident in their attacking play when chances did pop up. Having a game in the legs might sharpen up Norwich City, but this is a team who might have to rely on out-scoring opponents with the defensive injuries they are dealing with through the remainder of the season.

Those injuries will make them vulnerable to an Everton team who will believe they have missed two big opportunities to beat Liverpool this season. The goalless draw on Sunday might have seen Liverpool dominate the ball and the action area, but Everton created the best chances and better finishing would have resulted in a big three points.

Carlo Ancelotti is still convinced a European place is within the grasp of Everton with a strong end to the season and three points here will be important if they can earn them here. Everton have not played well away from home in terms of results, but performances under the Italian have been improved and a bit more luck would have led to better results.

They have created chances, although Everton still look shaky defensively, and I think they will be confident. Having two days fewer to prepare might be an issue for Everton though and it makes me think they are a short enough price to win here which makes it unappealing.

I do wonder if the heat will have a negative impact on the goals markets in the coming days in England, but this is one game where both teams should take risks in order to earn the three points. Neither defence is the most convincing and both Norwich City and Everton do have attacking players that can create chances and score goals.

Before the loss to Southampton, Norwich City were involved in some low-scoring home games, but the defensive injuries balances that out. It was evident in the chances that Southampton created against them, while 9 of the last 11 Everton away games have finished with three or more goals shared out.

I can see both teams hitting the net, but the three points are important enough for both to believe spaces are going to be exploited in the final twenty minutes. That means I will be looking for three or more goals to be shared out between Norwich City and Everton on Wednesday.

Wolves v Bournemouth Pick: Both of these teams were involved in 0-2 scorelines on Saturday, but unfortunately for Bournemouth they were hosting the game against Crystal Palace. On the other hand Wolves were comfortable winners at West Ham United in a game that was lacking some quality until Adama Traore and Pedro Neto were brought on in the second half and sparked Wolves to a successful visit to East London.

They had been in fine form going into the suspension of European Football and Nuno Espirito Santo has to be pleased with the way his Wolves team played in controlling the game on Saturday. This is a team that can find things a little difficult in the final third despite all the aesthetically pleasing football they do tend to play and that is underlined by two goalless draws in their last 4 here.

Wolves are not easy to break down, but they want to be more if they want to be playing in the Champions League next season and this game with Bournemouth does present a big chance for them. Win and they will be 2 points behind Chelsea in 4th and knowing the West London club are hosting Manchester City on Thursday, but any dropped points on Wednesday could be fatal in their bid to earn a Champions League spot through their Premier League finish.

I do think Wolves create chances and in Raul Jimenez they have a striker who scores goals at this level, but I also think Bournemouth will be better than they were on Saturday.

Two early goals knocked the stuffing out of The Cherries and they didn't create an awful lot, but David Brooks was in good nick despite the long lay off. He should be ready to help Bournemouth out here and they will cause problems for Wolves if the home side are slightly off their game, although Eddie Howe's men are hard to trust at the back.

6 straight away Premier League losses can't be easily ignored and I do think the Portuguese players that Wolves have throughout their squad won't be worried about the potential heat the teams will be playing in. Bournemouth concede too many goals and it is hard to see that changing even with the squad bolstered in the three month lay off and so the feeling is that Wolves will win a game that features at least two goals.

In only one win at home this season have Wolves failed to score at least twice while 13 of the last 14 home wins secured in the Premier League have also seen Wolves score at least twice. That includes all 5 played this season and Bournemouth have conceded twice in 5 of their last 6 away Premier League games.

Last season this fixture ended 2-0 and I think that may be the most likely outcome of this one too.

Liverpool v Crystal Palace Pick: There is little doubt that Liverpool will eventually win the Premier League title, but the next eight games might be all about rebuilding fitness ahead of the 2020/21 campaign. There might be a very short pre-season between campaigns so this may be used as such by Jurgen Klopp whose side are perhaps days away from winning the title.

If Manchester City have dropped points on Monday, Liverpool can be confirmed Champions with a win over Crystal Palace, but Roy Hodgson's men have shown they are not one that will roll over for any opponent.

There were suggestions that the motivation may not be very high for a team in a safe position in the Premier League, but Crystal Palace deservedly beat Bournemouth at the weekend and may still have some European ambitions to fulfil.

It is still a long-shot to imagine that happening, but Crystal Palace will look to be organised and disciplined in what could be very hot conditions at Anfield on Wednesday evening.

Liverpool didn't look their sharpest in the goalless draw with Everton on Sunday and perhaps were fortunate to escape with a point, but they desperately missed the influence of Andrew Robertson and Mohamed Salah. Both could return on Wednesday and that should give Liverpool a bit more spark in the final third which was really lacking in the Merseyside derby.

Defensively they have largely been sound and this Crystal Palace team don't offer a major threat. Roy Hodgson's men will look to play on the counter, but in hot conditions in the second game back from the three month break, it may not be easy to keep that going when spending a lot of time chasing shadows around the pitch.

It is hard to think Liverpool will be pushing to blow out a Crystal Palace team that have been a stubborn opponent for them and the best selection here may be looking for the home team to win with a clean sheet. Crystal Palace have been difficult to break down, but they are not creating a host of chances and a narrow home win would not be a big surprise.

Burnley v Watford Pick: It was never going to be easy to take on Manchester City with a squad that had been stretched by injuries and those who are about to be out of contract and have yet to agree terms on a new deal. With that in mind it is perhaps not surprising that Burnley suffered the latest of their heavy defeats at the Etihad Stadium, although the players will also admit they were affected by issues beyond their control.

For some ridiculous, boneheaded, moronic reason some Burnley fans decided to pool together to have a plane fly a 'White Lives Matter' banner over the Etihad Stadium at kick off. There is the suggestion they were hoping the players would be disgusted enough to refuse to play during what has been the support given to the 'Black Lives Matter' movement that has spread through the United States and Europe.

Instead the Burnley players have admitted that the banner does not represent them and had also seen them lose some focus on the fixture ahead. It is not an excuse, but it was part of the problem for Burnley who were 3-0 down at half time and who only named seven substitutes instead of nine (and two were goalkeepers).

There isn't much time to prepare for this fixture against Watford who will have had more than 48 hours longer to prepare for the game.

With the motivation high as Watford continue to battle to avoid the drop, Nigel Pearson has to believe his side can take advantage of any tired legs in the Burnley dressing room. His team were the better of the two when facing Leicester City on Saturday and Watford arguably deserved more points than they got, although this is a team that have not been as strong on their travels as they have at Vicarage Road.

The empty stands might help Watford here and hinder Burnley and there seems to be a lot of factors in the favour of the relegation threatened club.

Watford won here last season to snap a 10 game run without a victory at Turf Moor, and the squad looks to be in a better shape. It is perhaps a surprise to see Watford as such a strong favourite here considering the away form, but the time they have had to prepare for this fixture compared with Burnley should give the visitors to make it consecutive wins at this ground.

Southampton v Arsenal Pick: Both clubs are coming off contrasting first weeks during the Premier League resumption after Arsenal lost both League games played and Southampton were big winners at Norwich City.

The fact that some think home advantage is lost with no fans in the Stadium might actually suit Southampton who have been better on their travels than at St Mary's during this season. It is something that they will be hoping for anyway as they get set to take on an Arsenal team who need some momentum before a big FA Cup Quarter Final coming up.

Mikel Arteta has been far from impressed in the manner of both defeats Arsenal have suffered this past week- losing to Manchester City because of defensive errors is still an issue, but conceding in injury time against a relegation threatened Brighton to lose a game Arsenal had led in is almost unforgivable.

There is still hope a strong end to the season will see Arsenal earn a spot back in the Europa League, but they have to be better at both ends of the pitch.

I do think they would create chances against this Southampton team in normal circumstances, but I am a touch concerned Arsenal will use a weaker team knowing how important the upcoming Cup tie is for them. Even then they have some talented youngsters that can expose the defensive shortcomings of this Southampton team and I do think The Gunners will pose problems for the hosts.

However Arsenal have looked messy at the back to say the least and Southampton have shown they can create chances against any opponent. The home team are not under pressure and so are likely to push forward and look to create chances and in players like Danny Ings and Nathan Redmond they have pace and quality in the final third.

I can understand why the layers have made Southampton favourites with some of the uncertainty about the Arsenal team selection which is going to be something to keep an eye on. However The Saints can offer some gifts at the back too and I think this may be another game between these two which features at least three goals shared out.

An early strike may be needed to just open things up in what are likely to be very hot conditions, but if that happens I can see both teams playing with some freedom. That should see them share out three goals on the day as has happened in 3 of the last 4 between these clubs.

Chelsea v Manchester City Pick: Some teams have struggled in the first round of games during 'Project Restart' but both Chelsea and Manchester City have managed to overcome slow starts to really build a groove.

Manchester City have hit eight goals in two games, but they are playing away from home for the first time since losing the Manchester derby back in March. Now they have to face a Chelsea team who came from behind to beat Aston Villa and are looking to keep their top four rivals at bay by picking up what would be an unexpected result.

Games between Chelsea and Manchester City have been a mixed bag in recent seasons, but the last couple of seasons have seen Manchester City win 5 of the last 7 in all competitions.

However when they have visited Stamford Bridge the games have been very competitive and the last 4 have seen both clubs win twice. It was Chelsea who got the better of Manchester City last season and they will have seen the chances that the visitors have allowed in recent away games.

On the other side Manchester City continue to create plenty, but the absence of Sergio Aguero is a blow. Gabriel Jesus isn't a bad replacement, but he is not as clinical as his South American team-mate and Pep Guardiola will need the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne to pick up the slack.

Both clubs have a FA Cup Quarter Final on deck which does cloud things- will the managers rotate their squads and will they perhaps prioritise the Cup game?

Frank Lampard is less likely to do that with Chelsea being chased for the Champions League spots and The Blues do look a big price to win at home. The younger squad might actually benefit from playing in front of an empty Stamford Bridge having been beaten 5 times here in the Premier League and being crushed by Bayern Munich 0-3 in the Champions League Second Round.

Chelsea should be able to create chances, but defensively they have also looked vulnerable and I would not be surprised another 2-1 scoreline between these clubs as we did at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season. My slight lean is towards Chelsea finding a result, but their defence is not trustworthy while Valencia, Liverpool, Manchester United (twice), Bayern Munich have all won here.

Manchester City are arguably the best of the lot to visit, but my selection for the game is the expectation of seeing at least three goals shared out. I expect both teams will score in this one, and neither manager looks like one that would settle for a draw unless the equaliser comes very late on.

Instead I expect both Chelsea and Manchester City to look to be positive and search out the win so expecting to see three or more goals shared out is my most confident selection.

MY PICKS: Leicester City & Over 1.5 Goals

Tottenham Hotspur & Over 1.5 Goals

Manchester United Win to Nil

Newcastle United-Aston Villa Under 2.5 Goals

Norwich City-Everton Over 2.5 Goals

Wolves & Over 1.5 Goals

Liverpool Win to Nil

Watford 0 Asian Handicap

Southampton-Arsenal Over 2.5 Goals

Chelsea-Manchester City Over 2.5 Goals

Fantasy Football GW31+

The majority of FPL players looked to be playing their Bench Boost or Free Hit in GW30+ as the game returned, but I had my Triple Captain chip and using it on Kevin De Bruyne has turned out to be a reasonably good decision.

By far the worst call I made in GW30+ was including David Luiz in my team who not only was involved in conceding three goals at Manchester City, but managed to get himself sent off for a lovely - 3 total from two games!

Thankfully the majority of the other decisions paid off as expected and a return of 99 points with a Wild Card, Free Hit and Bench Boost all still to play is good enough for me.

So what is my plan? After careful thought I have decided I will use my Wild Card this week in creating a team that will be strong in both GW31+ and GW33+... With that in mind I would be using the Bench Boost Chip in GW33+ when some of the biggest clubs have good looking fixtures.

I honestly don't see a better way to do this and I then have the option of using my Free Hit either in GW32+ or another one. The team I am selecting looks like it has enough options to cover GW32+ too with some confidence and I am fairly happy with my decisions, while also thinking it may be a good idea to keep a hold of the Free Hit depending on whether any unexpected DGWs pop up.

It is unlikely though so the main plan is to still use the FH in GW32+ although that is something I will be thinking about in the next couple of days with the deadline for that GameWeek set for Saturday morning.

With a Wild Card in play you can imagine that there will be a number of changes right up until the deadline, but you can follow my Twitter page where I will list the final team moments after the deadline for GW31+ has passed.

What I will say is that the teams I am really focusing on to help me build my squad are Burnley, Chelsea, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves.

Obviously you have to bring in some players of 'lower' value to give the squad balance and that is where Brighton are a potential option knowing they play at Norwich City on GW33+ and the same goes for the hosts Norwich City with a 'winnable' game that weekend.

Everton are another team who have some decent stats to back their players, but who do face Tottenham Hotspur away from home in the weekend where I want to employ the Bench Boost.

Things will be chopped and changed as I have said, but my first interest was to build big from the back and not go huge with the strikers. Balancing the squad knowing the rotations the managers are using is not easy, but it is the way I want to use the Wild Card in a bid to maximise all of my remaining Chips as I look for a strong finish despite not being to use the Chips in the way I envisioned back in March.

Good luck to all players in the latest GameWeek and I will have more thoughts about GW32+ once I have concluded my Wild Card.