Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2021 (May 23rd)

The final weekend of the 2020/21 Premier League season is upon us and that means the end of the Fantasy Football season, which has been a difficult one for so many.

Best of all is that the supporters are back and that should mean we no longer have the ten Premier League games played in individual slots around a weekend- for me that has ruined some of the enjoyment of the Fantasy game and I am looking forward to a more 'normal' schedule from August even if we have to still accept 'Sky Jackings' for match going fans.

For Fantasy players there are still Mini-Leagues to be won this weekend, but in reality there is very little to be settled in the Premier League.

The main focus is on the race for the final two Champions League places and confirming 7th place, which is going to see a club entering the newly created Conference League Tournament, but the majority of the teams can begin to look ahead to a well deserved break. Some players will be ready to join their international squads in preparation for the Euro 2020 Tournament beginning in less than a month, but for most it will be a break after a difficult season and the chance to prepare much more efficiently for the new Premier League season which will get back underway on August 14th.

Arsenal v Brighton Pick: The final day of the Premier League season looked like being a largely dead rubber game between both Arsenal and Brighton.

The home team looked to be short of the top seven, while Brighton were safe from the drop, but results have gone in favour of Arsenal over the last two weeks.

A late show at Selhurst Park secured a fourth victory in a row for Arsenal in the Premier League and they are now arguably favourites to finish in the top seven and a return to European Football. While Arsenal have this winnable home game, the two teams immediately above them in 7th and 8th are playing away games at teams inside the top five of the Premier League table.

It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Tottenham Hotspur and Everton will both drop points and that would open the door for an Arsenal win to take them into the top seven. That would be a huge achievement for Mikel Arteta considering where Arsenal were at the beginning of the month, and may also mean management will stick with the manager who has not had a great season.

The layers know the importance of this fixture for Arsenal and they are taking no chances with the price despite the team perhaps overperforming in recent games. West Brom, Chelsea and Crystal Palace will feel aggrieved in their defeats to Arsenal and Brighton have nothing to lose.

My only worry for Brighton is that they are coming off a tough and emotional win over Manchester City in their final home game. Graham Potter's team came from 0-2 down to beat the ten man Champions, but they have lost Danny Welbeck to an injury and are also without Neal Maupay.

Lewis Dunk is back to offer some better defensive resiliency and Brighton do create chances, while they have enjoyed their recent visits to the Emirates Stadium. A poor recent away record is a concern, but Brighton deserved more at Sheffield United and were winning at Wolves before Dunk was sent off when the game turned around.

Arsenal are finding a way to win games and will have the fans to help support them, but they still look plenty short in this fixture. They do 'need' to win and have been scoring plenty of goals, but defensively there are some holes that Brighton can exploit if near their best and I think the visitors can make life difficult for the hosts who have all the expectations and pressure to deal with.

Aston Villa v Chelsea Pick: There is plenty of pressure on Chelsea to complete the job and secure a top four finish in the Premier League and a return to the Champions League.

The victory over Leicester City has put Chelsea in command of one of the places behind Manchester City and Manchester United, but the pressure is that any dropped points could be capitalised on by both Leicester City and Liverpool.

Ultimately Thomas Tuchel will be demanding his players focus on what they can control and that is their own performance at Villa Park where Chelsea will secure a top four berth as long as they win. That won't be easy if Aston Villa's win at Tottenham Hotspur is anything to go by, but Dean Smith's team have been struggling for consistency over the last few months and that has ensured that they will be finishing 11th in the Premier League table.

Aston Villa have lost 2 of their last 4 at Villa Park and were perhaps a little fortunate to earn a draw with Everton in the last game here. Defensively they have been struggling, but there will be fans inside the Stadium and that could give Aston Villa a potential boost as they look to throw a spanner in the works for their visitors.

Jack Grealish's creativity and the pace in the final third will make Aston Villa dangerous, but they were given a huge helping hand by poor Tottenham Hotspur defending in the 1-2 win in North East London on Wednesday. Under their current manager Chelsea have not been giving up many big chances, but this is a team that has rarely blown opponents away with some inconsistency in the final third.

Another close win feels the most likely outcome for Chelsea and I do think they are experienced enough to avoid a slip up here. It will be far from easy and there may be some tense moments, but I think Chelsea end up breaking down an Aston Villa team who have recently lost to both Manchester clubs at Villa Park.

Expect some nerves for Chelsea fans, but I think they earn the victory in what is a relatively low-scoring game.

Fulham v Newcastle United Pick: Two seasons ago an already relegated Fulham were crushed by Newcastle United on the final day of the campaign.

The visitors look a big price to do the same again on Sunday, but they are without Callum Wilson and Fulham did show some heart in their 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Tuesday.

However, Fulham do lack goals and I think they are vulnerable defensively which makes them hard to trust as the favourite. I think Newcastle United have looked pretty good going forward in their most recent fixtures, but they can be hit and miss away from home and I think this is going to be a close game.

Ultimately I do think Newcastle United are being a touch disrespected as the underdog and they can contain Fulham for long enough to earn a positive result. Speed and creativity in the final third will make Newcastle United dangerous even without Callum Wilson and I think they will avoid a defeat at Craven Cottage.

Leeds United v West Brom Pick: Both of these teams may have come up from the Championship together last season, but it is Leeds United who will be extending their stay in the Premier League.

Leeds United have really impressed for the most part and Marcelo Bielsa's team are finishing up very strongly with 3 Premier League wins in a row and scoring goals for fun. They create plenty of chances and Leeds United have scored 9 goals in those victories, although they will also be looking forward to seeing a better pitch laid at Elland Road for the next campaign.

Despite that, Leeds United did hammer Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 here in their last fixture played at Elland Road and this time they will be given a huge boost by the fans in attendance. Nothing will change the mindset of the manager and that will mean the players will be asked to put in one more huge shift as they get forward and look to break down what has been a porous West Brom defence.

Sam Allardyce will be leaving The Hawthorns after this fixture is played, but he has been happy with the kind of response he got from his players in his six months in charge. Unfortunately it was not enough to take West Brom out of the bottom three, and this is a team that has not scored enough goals to cover what has been a defence that has struggled to prevent teams creating big chances.

I would not be that surprised if West Brom create chances here, but they have lost their last 2 at Elland Road. Leeds United play one way and they should be able to create some big chances against this West Brom team and with the fans I think they can give them a really strong send off before the next campaign will begin in August.

The goals being scored by Leeds United suggests they can win this game and likely by a couple of goals on the day.

Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: Both Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur suffered 2-1 defeats in their penultimate Premier League fixtures and that means there is some real pressure on both clubs to respond on the final day.

Leicester City have lost control of their own destiny and likely need either Liverpool or Chelsea to drop points if they want to push back into the top four. Brendan Rodgers will likely want his team to ignore scores from other grounds, but the King Power Stadium will have fans in attendance and it may be impossible if either Liverpool or Chelsea fall behind.

Tottenham Hotspur have more control about their immediate future, but will know they likely need to win to secure European Football. The defeat to Aston Villa on Wednesday may not only be costly in terms of playing in Europe, but may have hardened Harry Kane's view that he needs to leave this part of North London in order to achieve what he wants from the remainder of his career.

Playing in the new European Conference League is unlikely to get Kane to change his mind, but Ryan Mason needs a response from his Tottenham Hotspur team. I expect a strong, attacking team to be named, but Spurs have looked really poor defensively and I think Leicester City will be able to expose any vulnerabilities on display.

However, Leicester City have not had the best time at the back without Jonny Evans and I do think this is a fixture that could produce at least three goals. 6 of the last 8 between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur have ended in three goals being shared out and I think that will be the case when they meet on Sunday, especially as both clubs are likely going to be chasing a result and goals through much of the ninety minutes to be played.

Some of the intensity of the game may come out of the Leicester City performance if they hear Liverpool and Chelsea are winning comfortably, but Brendan Rodgers has to ask his players to get forward. Spaces should open up as the game develops and I think at least three goals will be shared between these two teams.

Liverpool v Crystal Palace Pick: There may not be a lot of pressure on Crystal Palace this weekend as they look to give manager Roy Hodgson a perfect send off, but injuries have just piled up again.

Losing Eberechi Eze is a big blow, but Christian Benteke has been in fine form and his absence would be another dent in the chances of Crystal Palace causing an upset here. They can cause problems with the pace they have in the wide areas and Crystal Palace will look to take advantage of any set pieces they earn, while they will also believe there could be some nerves in the home dressing room.

Liverpool are in pole position to finish in the Champions League places, but they can't afford to drop any points. In their wins over West Brom and Burnley over the last week there have been opportunities for those teams against Liverpool, but Jurgen Klopp's front three look to have found form at the right time.

With the chances being created and Liverpool showing a touch more clinical finishing, you would have to give them a serious edge, although the layers are taking no chances with the prices for a home win. That is not surprising considering Liverpool 'need' to win to ensure they succeed in their ambitions, but I also think they just have to win and securing a wide win is not the main target of the day.

In saying that, Liverpool have enjoyed playing Crystal Palace in recent seasons and have scored four goals in each of the last 2 at Anfield between these teams. Liverpool also scored seven at Selhurst Park in December and I think they will likely need to score at least two to earn the points here.

They can go one better than that in securing their place back in the Champions League, although I would not be that surprised if Crystal Palace are able to play their part. Ultimately The Eagles have struggled defensively down the stretch with injuries and a more attacking approach meaning there are spaces for teams to exploit against this Crystal Palace team and I think Liverpool will end up becoming the latest to take advantage.

Manchester City v Everton Pick: If you had a look at the home/away form guide of both Manchester City and Everton you could make a case for the visitors earning a positive result on the final day of the Premier League season.

While Manchester City have lost 3 of their last 4 Premier League games at the Etihad Stadium, Everton have secured 4 away clean sheets in succession. A lack of goals has been a major problem for Everton though and they have only scored twice in that time, while the issues at Goodison Park have prevented Everton from going into the final day in the top seven.

They will not only need to better Tottenham Hotspur's result this weekend, but Everton are vulnerable to falling behind Arsenal if they fail to win and could fall behind Leeds United with a defeat. Carlo Ancelotti had made it clear he wanted to take Everton into Europe next season to further the development of the squad and the club in general and that means they are under pressure to get forward and attack the Champions.

Those losses at home will encourage Everton to get after Manchester City, but the fans are back at the Etihad Stadium and that should give the Champions a real boost. They are also trying to bounce back from the 3-2 loss at Brighton and Manchester City's players should be motivated to produce a big performance as they look to start the Champions League Final next weekend.

Manchester City have gotten the better of Everton in recent seasons too and I think they can win this game and likely punish an Everton team that may need to chase a result.

Sheffield United v Burnley Pick: Motivation on the final day of the season can be difficult to factor and especially when two clubs are basically playing out their schedules.

That is the case for Sheffield United and Burnley, although the home team will be given a boost by the fans that are in attendance. Sean Dyche will be trying to lift his Burnley players by asking for one more big effort to avoid their lowest League finish since 2016, but both Sheffield United and their visitors will be looking ahead to an off-season where they can finally get some rest into the legs.

Injuries are hurting Sheffield United which means they will rely on some of the younger members on the squad and I do think they are vulnerable. They don't score enough goals or create a lot of chances, but Sheffield United have been porous defensively and now have to deal with a Burnley team who have won their last 2 away Premier League games.

Burnley were crushed by Leeds United and Liverpool at Turf Moor over the last eight days, but they were not as outclassed as the scoreline on those days would have suggested. They created chances and I do think Burnley have some decent attacking options that can spark their team to one more victory on Sunday.

It should be competitive and the first goal is going to be huge, but I think Burnley show their Premier League quality to get the better of Sheffield United on the final day.

West Ham United v Southampton Pick: Not many would have predicted West Ham United could earn a spot in Europe next season and for that reason David Moyes and his players deserve a lot of credit. The goal difference advantage over Everton should mean West Ham United have essentially wrapped up at least a top seven finish, which means playing some sort of European Football, but results have put them in an even stronger position.

Avoiding defeat or Tottenham Hotspur failing to win at Leicester City would mean West Ham United are returning to the Europa League with a spot directly into the Group Stage on offer.

The fans are back in attendance at the London Stadium so you do have to imagine Moyes and his players are looking to focus on themselves and that is to get forward and score the goals to ensure a 6th place finish. West Ham United have lost back to back games here, but they could be facing the right opponent when taking on a Southampton team they have beaten 3 times in a row at home and scored plenty of goals against them.

Southampton have lost 4 away Premier League games in a row and conceded at least twice in each of those defeats. They have conceded 40 away goals this season which is the highest total in the Premier League and West Ham United are likely going to create some solid chances against them here.

Danny Ings will offer a threat and Southampton have a style that does produce chances, which also makes them dangerous, but the defeat to Leeds United on Tuesday will have knocked the confidence. A long season is coming to an end for Southampton, and West Ham United are going to be highly motivated as they look to secure Europa League Football in front of their fans.

Coupled together and with the strong recent history against Southampton, I think West Ham United can produce a solid win on Sunday to round out this successful campaign.

Wolves v Manchester United Pick: There isn't much on the line in terms of Premier League points for Wolves and Manchester United on Sunday.

However, Nuno Espirito Santo is managing Wolves for the last time having completed four successful seasons with the club, while Manchester United are looking for some momentum to take into the Europa League Final.

Injuries have really hurt Wolves who had back to back top seven finishes in the Premier League before this season. They are going to be without some key attacking players this weekend and scoring goals has been a problem for Wolves, although they are facing a Manchester United team that have looked out of sorts at the back over the last two weeks.

Manchester United have been very good away from home though and they do tend to score goals on their travels which will make them dangerous. Breaking down Wolves has been a tough test for Manchester United in the last couple of seasons, but they do have the quality in the final third and the big question is how long those top names will get to play on Sunday.

My feeling is that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is going to select a strong team and look for them to remain sharp before the Europa League Final in Gdansk on Wednesday. I do think some of those bigger players will be taken off in the second half to avoid injuries, but Manchester United should be able to create chances against a Wolves team that have struggled with the change in system they have been using this season.

The first goal is going to be very important and the fans are going to give the Wolves players a boost, but Manchester United should show their extra attacking quality. With key players out for Wolves, Manchester United should have every chance of completing an unbeaten away season in the Premier League and feel good about themselves before taking on Villarreal in the Europa League Final.

MY PICKS: Brighton + 1 Asian Handicap

Chelsea to Win & Under 3.5 Goals

Newcastle United + 0.25 Asian Handicap

Leeds United - 1.25 Asian Handicap

Leicester City-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals

Liverpool Over 2.5 Team Goals

Manchester City - 1.25 Asian Handicap

Burnley 0 Asian Handicap

West Ham United & Over 1.5 Goals

Manchester United 0 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 38

The final round of fixtures of the Fantasy Premier League game in the 2020/21 season are played this Sunday and that means Mini-Leagues can be won and lost at this late stage.

It has been a largely disappointing season for my team and I am going to need a really big week to crack into the top 100k, which has been my only realistic target for some time now.

My squad looks pretty set to have eleven starters on a weekend when manager's will give fringe players an opportunity and make surprising changes. We have seen that already over the last eight days and it does raise some questions as to what you should do with the remaining transfer, or transfers, you have left.

You don't have to look too deep to guess which teams will be targeted by those making transfers this week- the likes of Leeds United and West Ham United have good looking home games for attacking players, while Liverpool are in form and are another at home.

I am very likely going to have to take one final hit this weekend to just bring in a couple of players that could make the difference for me as I drop two Everton assets with a trip to an angry Manchester City to come. My feeling is that Manchester City will play a strong team with a week to prepare for the Champions League Final and Everton have simply not scored a lot of goals over the last month so there are better options out there to strengthen my eleven for this weekend.

Those three teams are the most likely ones I will target with my final transfers, although I am going to wait until as close to the deadline as possible in case any news is leaked as to who may be given a rest on the final day of the season. You would have to expect the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, West Ham United and Leicester City to play strong teams with something to play for, but it can be a lot of guesswork at play and I can just wish you luck with your final decisions.

And after all is said and done, there will be a short rest period before attention turns to the Euro 2020 Tournament and a summer of Fantasy Football before we all go again in August.

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2020 (July 26th)

The final day of the Premier League season is here... But the decision has already been made that the 2020/21 season will begin on September 12th.

Before that there is the small matter of concluding the Championship Play Offs, the Europa League and Champions League Knock Out ties and the FA Cup Final which will all be played in the next month. It does mean some teams will have a very short amount of time to prepare for the new season and the players will have a limited break before they asked to come back and get ready to go again.

The 2020/21 season looks like it is going to be tightly packed in when you think the Euro 2020 tournament will begin on June 11th and knowing that domestic seasons will have to be wrapped up before then. The FA Cup Final is almost certainly going to be played before the season ends on May 23rd and I think we will soon hear that the Replays have been scrapped and those involved in European competitions will be exempt from taking part in the League Cup for one season.

It has to be done and it is going to be a difficult time for managers especially with the loaded Christmas schedule in England and the likely removal of the Winter Break for a season too. The Champions League and Europa League Group Stage matches are to played on consecutive weeks with the only breaks being for Nations League fixtures and I do wonder if the Euro 2020 tournament will suffer as so many of the top players are effectively going to be played for almost eleven months straight when that event gets going.


Things will shape up interestingly over the coming months, while fans who have Season Tickets for clubs, like myself, are wondering when we will be allowed back in Stadiums. It is almost a certainty that crowds will be limited and phased back, but for a club like Manchester United with over 40,000 Season Ticket Holders it is much more difficult to know how they can appease everybody.

Away fans are almost certainly going to be excluded from Stadiums until the next calendar year and watching on TV is simply not the same experience for many of us.


It is all about safety though and I wouldn't be keen on returning to 70,000 plus spectators packed into Stadiums as soon as October, especially not knowing what a second spike in Coronavirus cases are going to look like before we get a vaccine or at least something that reduces symptoms.

So for now we have to take what we can and simply having sports to enjoy is not something we should be taking for granted after the developments this year.


Onto the final day of the Premier League and the final Fantasy Football GameWeek of the prolonged season- you will see my thoughts about GW38+ below.

Before that you can read how I think the final round of fixtures will progress which is also going to play a huge part on how I use my Free Hit Chip.


Arsenal v Watford Pick: It is a little under three years ago when Troy Deeney questioned the 'cajones' of the Arsenal team that had just blown a lead and lost 2-1 at Vicarage Road. This comment has helped increase the rivalry between the clubs, but Arsenal have responded by beating Watford three times in a row since then and were 0-2 up at Vicarage Road before settling for a 2-2 draw earlier this season.

Some things have changed at the Emirates Stadium, but there are enough players left over from October 2017 who would be looking to show Deeney that Arsenal have got plenty of fight in them.

The bonus is that a home win would likely be good enough to relegate Watford to the Championship and coming off the defeat to Aston Villa it would be ironic for Deeney and his team-mates if Arsenal are the team who effectively sent them down by losing to their relegation rivals and then beating Watford themselves.

There isn't much for Arsenal to play for which is contributing to their price, but Mikel Arteta will be demanding a reaction to the defeat at Villa Park. Poor finishing let them down that day, but Arsenal have been better at the Emirates Stadium where they have won 5 of their last 7 in the Premier League and the players are fighting for FA Cup Final places which should be motivation enough.

Just because Watford 'need' the points more than Arsenal it doesn't mean the motivation is necessarily higher in the away dressing room. The Cup Final is motivation enough for Arsenal and the Watford players have admitted confidence is not in a great place after the 0-4 home defeat to Manchester City and losing manager Nigel Pearson so late in the campaign after he gave them every chance to avoid the drop.

Watford have lost 5 away Premier League games in a row and have only scored a single goal in that run, that being a consolation at West Ham United. They were blown away in the first half that day and Arsenal will be hard to pull back if the home team can take advantage of any slow beginning Watford make in this one.

The Hornets have lost their last 2 visits to the Emirates Stadium and I do think Arsenal will be too good for them on Sunday too. There wasn't a lot of fight in the Watford team in their last couple of Premier League games and I do think Arsenal have been stronger at home under Mikel Arteta and they have the strong attacking players that can take this game away from their visitors.


Burnley v Brighton Pick: A strong season comes to a close for both Burnley and Brighton on Sunday and there really isn't a lot to play for.

Games like this can be surprisingly entertaining as neither team has anything to lose, but I think the motivation in the home dressing room may be a touch higher than in normal circumstances. This season there are rumours that Sean Dyche will be managing his last game for Burnley at Turf Moor and that should have the players looking to end the season on a high and let the directors and board know they want Dyche to be kept around.

Burnley are unbeaten in 6 at Turf Moor, although 4 of those fixtures have ended in draws.

The draw might be a big player for those looking at trends considering Brighton have drawn 5 of their last 6 away Premier League games too and it does make this a difficult fixture to get a good read on.

My edge has to be with Burnley who don't concede a lot of goals but seem to create chances at Turf Moor. However Brighton do play attractive football and they will want to get forward and challenge a Burnley team who have conceded a single goal in 3 of their last 4 home games.

Honestly I can see this fixture going a number of different ways, but the home team players look like good shouts for those who want a cheap defender to throw into their Fantasy teams in GW38+.


Chelsea v Wolves Pick: This is a huge game for both Chelsea and Wolves and the onus is largely on Wolves to get on the front foot and try and win the game.

Both teams are chasing European berths, the former in the Champions League and the latter in the Europa League, but Chelsea can afford a draw to achieve their ambitions. A draw is less rewarding for Wolves who would need Tottenham Hotspur to fail to win at Crystal Palace to earn a Europa League spot.

Otherwise a fall into 7th place will mean Wolves will need Chelsea to beat Arsenal in the FA Cup Final or have to win the Europa League next month to return to European Football which is very important to the development of the club.

Wolves won't be intimidated by having to win here and they will be encouraged by some of the recent defensive performances produced by Chelsea. The Blues are susceptible to good set pieces and Wolves are very capable of exposing them there, while Raul Jimenez continues to make use of limited spaces to find the back of the net.

It certainly wouldn't be in Frank Lampard's thinking to play for the draw which would guarantee Chelsea a top half finish. In recent games they might have defended poorly, but they have looked a real menace going forward and I expect Lampard will be looking for his team to take the game to Wolves and secure their place in the premier European competition behind a strong performance.

They created plenty in their 5-3 loss at Liverpool during the week and I do think Chelsea can have some positive moments in this fixture too. The attacking players will feel they can break down what is a stubborn Wolves team and the situation may see both teams having to 'go for broke' at different times during the ninety minutes.

2 of the last 3 games between these clubs have finished with at least three goals shared out and I think that is the direction this fixture will go. Chelsea are plenty short despite the fact they have won 5 in a row at Stamford Bridge, but they do score goals here and Wolves will feel the fact they have scored in 6 of their last 7 away games in all competitions will see them create chances here.

Things may really open up in the second half and I think it will be one of the higher scoring fixtures of the final day.


Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: There might not be much for Crystal Palace to play for in the final game of the 2019/20 season, but Roy Hodgson will be urging his players to produce one more big effort and snap their 7 game losing run in the Premier League.

It is a big ask of a small squad which has been decimated by injury and suspension and the problems in defence have become too much for Crystal Palace to cover up. They have been conceding goals for fun in the last month and Crystal Palace have lost 3 in a row at Selhurst Park while conceding at least twice to Chelsea and Manchester United.

That is not the kind of form you want to be displaying when coming up against Harry Kane and Tottenham Hotspur who are ending the season surging towards the Europa League. A win on Sunday might be enough for Spurs to be back in European competition in the 2020/21 season and Jose Mourinho has made it clear he wants to be involved as it gives him a chance to make use of his squad and offer another avenue back into the Champions League.

Back to back wins while scoring three times will be a huge confidence boost for Tottenham Hotspur and Harry Kane has scored four times in those wins over Newcastle United and Leicester City. The win at St James' Park ended a poor away run and will have given Tottenham Hotspur plenty of belief they can secure another victory on Sunday.

Playing a team with the issues Crystal Palace have should be perfect for Tottenham Hotspur and Kane being in form should give the visitors a big edge. They have won 4 Premier League games in succession at Selhurst Park and I do think Tottenham Hotspur will have enough attacking outlets to secure a win here while continuing the poor trend of conceding goals that Crystal Palace have had of late.


Everton v Bournemouth Pick: Things have become very clear for Bournemouth after their 0-2 home defeat to Southampton was followed by Aston Villa beating Arsenal at Villa Park.

Now they need both Watford and Aston Villa to lose and at the same time win at Goodison Park- even then it will come down to goal difference.

Ultimately Bournemouth have to get forward and score goals to have any chance of extending their stay in the Premier League and that could leave them very open to an Everton team who have a long unbeaten run at Goodison Park to protect. The home players can't afford to take things easy with Carlo Ancelotti making it clear he is analysing the squad and looking to improve it between seasons.

That should keep Everton interested and they may have spaces to exploit when Bournemouth begin to get desperate and chase the game. I think that will make the difference on the day as Everton use their quality in the final third to just create enough chances against this porous Bournemouth defence to allow them to finish the season with a positive victory behind them.

Everton have not finished the season in the manner the manager would have wanted, but the win at Sheffield United last Monday suggests they have enough motivation to win this one too.


Leicester City v Manchester United Pick: It feels like none of the three teams chasing two Champions League places in the Premier League have really wanted to finish in those places as they keep slipping up when opportunities have been presented to them.

Going into the final day it is Chelsea and Manchester United who control their own destinies, but both clubs are facing difficult fixtures against 'upstarts' who want to get into the European places too.

Manchester United visit the King Power Stadium and I think both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Brendan Rodgers would take being in this position going into the final day.

Brendan Rodgers will know his Leicester City should have secured a top four place, but back in August he would have very much signed up for having to win their final home game to earn Champions League Football. The form over the last several months has not been good enough, but Leicester City have won their last 2 games here as they look to bounce back from a very disappointing 3-0 loss in North London at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

Beating Crystal Palace and Sheffield United with clean sheets will give Leicester City some belief at home, while this is a team who have created some very good chances in recent games. That is a marked improvement to last month when Leicester City were struggling to create chances, and Rodgers will believe his team can expose what has been a vulnerable Manchester United defence over the last two weeks.

In saying that Manchester United have kept 3 away clean sheets in a row in the Premier League and they have scored at least twice in each of those games to secure wins. Those have come at Brighton, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace and Manchester United have had some fortune in those matches to turn things in their favour.

The 1-1 draw with West Ham United during the week does mean the onus is on Leicester City to get forward and that should be something that Manchester United look to exploit. The front three will have more space than they had against The Hammers and it is all about making good decisions in the final third against a Leicester City team who are missing key personnel in defensive areas.

The first goal could be huge and it will open up the game with the teams chasing results barring news coming through that Wolves are winning by a wide margin at Stamford Bridge. In that case they could both settle for a convenient draw, but I would expect the match to start off fairly open as both Leicester City and Manchester United look for the goals to put them in a strong position regardless of what is going on in West London.

Both teams have been creating chances at home/away respectively and there is some tiredness and fatigue which is perhaps making life more difficult for the defenders to contain their attacking opponents.

I do think both will have chances to score and the 1-1 might be suitable if Wolves are winning well going into the final twenty minutes. I do think that is unlikely to be the case so both managers will be looking to secure their top four berth by finding the result they need and I think goals could be the outcome of this one too.

In the last couple of seasons games between these teams have tended to be relatively competitive and low-scoring, but the situation is clear for both and the need to score goals could open things up. A late goal either way is not out of the question if one has to chase and I think there are enough strong attacking players that can make the difference for their team.


Manchester City v Norwich City Pick: This is one of the Premier League games with nothing riding on it on the final day of the season, but Manchester City should be plenty motivated to keep the momentum going before they face Real Madrid in the Champions League.

The 0-4 win over Watford on Tuesday shows the side are not going to ease into the end of the Premier League campaign, while not many associated with the club will have forgotten losing to Norwich City in September 2019.

It was the best performance of the season from Daniel Farke's side, but as the months have progressed it has become clear that Norwich City are not really cut out for this level. They are going to finish bottom of the pile and Norwich City have lost 9 Premier League games in a row and only managed to score a single goal in that time.

Expecting them to hurt Manchester City is a big ask, and it is going to be a long day trying to contain a team who are looking to move back into the Champions League with some momentum behind them.

The worry for Norwich City has to be how Manchester City have flowed through the gears when they have gotten in front in games since the resumption of play. The likes of Burnley, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Brighton and Watford have all been seen off by four or more goal margins, while Bournemouth were 2-0 down before half time in the last game at the Etihad Stadium.

Granted Bournemouth at least fought back and deserved more than they got, but Norwich City have not shown an ability to do that in recent months. The Canaries have not been blown away too often and only narrowly lost at Stamford Bridge in their last away Premier League game, but Liverpool, Manchester United, Wolves and Arsenal have all beaten Norwich City by three or more goals at home this season.

On current form it is very difficult to imagine this not being a one-sided home win and I do think Norwich City could have a very long day in the office if they fall behind early in this one. Manchester City will want to earn a measure of revenge for the away loss at Norwich City and they will want to give David Silva a strong sending off in his last Premier League game for the club.

They should have far too much for their visitors on Sunday and Manchester City likely win by a very comfortable margin.


Newcastle United v Liverpool Pick: If this was part of the fixture list in September or October you would likely lean to a comfortable Liverpool win, but the team have not finished the season with a flourish.

A 5-3 home win over Chelsea shows that Liverpool have far from downed tools, but the team have struggled for consistency away from home. That is going to have to be factored into this one, although the injuries in the Newcastle United squad does make the home team vulnerable too.

Tottenham Hotspur recently won 1-3 here and I do think Liverpool will pick a strong team, although it is hard to really select any of their assets for the Fantasy game. Liverpool have not defended well enough to really want to pick one of those players at a premium price, while the front three have been rotated and none are showing consistent form in the final third.

I still think Liverpool will have too much, but it is a more difficult game to read as players begin to think about their short break before they begin preparing for the 2020/21 season. I expect the away team to win pretty handily on the day, but Newcastle United shouldn't roll over and I expect a challenge from them.

Ultimately I expect an away win on the day and likely one by a comfortable enough margin to clear the handicap.


Southampton v Sheffield United Pick: Two teams who have had very strong seasons meet on the final day and both Southampton and Sheffield United should want to produce some football to celebrate how well the season has gone for them.

Both Ralph Hasenhuttl and Chris Wilder will be looking for one more big effort from the players before a short break and the end of season form has been decent enough from both to expect a good outing.

However, Southampton have been a little more consistent and I would give them the edge over a Sheffield United team who have missed out on European Football over the last few days.

Southampton have not played as well at St Mary's as they have away from home which raises some doubts as to whether they can finish the campaign with another win. They are facing a Sheffield United team who have lost their last two games without scoring a goal and who have looked a little leggy in recent games.

It should be competitive and perhaps even a fun fixture with both teams looking to attack, but my narrow lean is with Southampton and Danny Ings perhaps edging close to picking up the Golden Boot.


West Ham United v Aston Villa Pick: For a number of weeks most would have pointed to this final day fixture as being a pivotal one in terms of the relegation places in the Premier League.

Unsurprisingly it has remained the case for Aston Villa, but West Ham United have secured Premier League Football by picking up 11 points from their last 18 available. They are mathematically secure of top flight football after the 1-1 draw at Manchester United during the week, but West Ham United will be looking for a strong end to the campaign with the momentum needed to have a much brighter beginning to the 2020/21 season coming up.

The side have won 3 of their last 5 at the London Stadium and West Ham United have been creating a lot of chances in those fixtures as they built some confidence.

It is not what Aston Villa would want to hear, but Dean Smith has to be very pleased with his team who have secured 7 points from a possible 9 to move out of the bottom three in the Premier League table. That will have given his players confidence as they hold a narrow edge over Watford and will feel matching whatever result achieved by The Hornets at the Emirates Stadium will be enough to secure survival.

A defeat will leave Aston Villa vulnerable to Bournemouth too, but a draw would likely be a result they will take right now. Only a Watford win at Arsenal would relegate Aston Villa in that situation, but I do think the layers are perhaps overestimating the visitors just because they 'need' the points more than their hosts.

West Ham United are playing well and Aston Villa are a team that can lack goals. If the home team get one you would find it hard to believe they are going to lose this game and I think there may even come a point where Aston Villa would settle for that result, but I do believe the more likely winner is the home team even if the odds don't say the same.

Aston Villa have not won any of their last 11 away games in all competitions and have not beaten West Ham United in East London in their last 4 attempts to do so. Earlier this season it ended in a goalless draw at Villa Park and I do think West Ham United showed enough at Old Trafford to believe they won't be lying down for their visitors on Sunday afternoon.

The home team should be good enough to avoid defeat at the least and that will at least leave the door open for a surprising end to the season in terms of the relegation places.

MY PICKS: Arsenal - 0.25 Asian Handicap
Burnley 0 Asian Handicap
Chelsea-Wolves Over 2.5 Goals
Tottenham Hotspur & Over 1.5 Goals
Everton 0 Asian Handicap
Leicester City-Manchester United Over 2.5 Goals
Manchester City - 2.75 Asian Handicap
Liverpool - 1.5 Asian Handicap
Southampton 0 Asian Handicap
West Ham United + 0.5 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 38+

GameWeek 37+ could not have been much more miserable for the Fantasy team I selected as the prolonged reliance on the Liverpool defence came back to bite me.

Manchester United also were a big letdown and are now involved in a huge game at Leicester City as they bid to return to the Champions League, while the lack of returns from the Manchester City assets despite a 0-4 win at Watford has to sting.

It was frustrating, but I can still win a number of localised Leagues and also want to break back into the top 100K for the season by ending the campaign with the Free Hit Chip being used.

My Free Hit seems to be easy to use- I want to fill up with Manchester City assets playing Norwich City at home and also use the Tottenham Hotspur players at injury hit Crystal Palace in a game they have to win.

Filling in the gaps will determine how much I can invest in other areas, but you can see some of my thinking below in the knowledge that I will be making changes right up until the 3pm deadline on Sunday afternoon.

I did have David Silva in my original thinking, but there is this fear that he could be brought off at 21 minutes with a 'guard of honour' on his final appearance for Manchester City in the Premier League. Otherwise I would expect him to have every chance to take all of the direct free kicks and penalties that may come City's way even though Raheem Sterling is chasing down a milestone in the League.

I think Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne will both play to maintain some rhythm ahead of the big Champions League game against Real Madrid. Riyad Mahrez didn't start on Tuesday and is expected to return, while Gabriel Jesus is another who needs the confidence boost of starting and scoring goals so all four players are in my thinking.

For Tottenham Hotspur the three players I am most considering are Serge Aurier, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane. You have to feel for Aurier who had a personal heartache earlier this month when his brother was killed in France, but he has continued to play and is a potential assist maker, while playing a goal-shy Crystal Palace has to help.

Harry Kane has scored four goals in two League games and will lead the line again, while Lucas Moura could be a cheap option in the midfield against a team who have conceded at least three times in three home games in a row.

Christian Pulisic, Raul Jimenez, Jamie Vardy, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood are all options in what I feel will be high-scoring games.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin could have more spaces to exploit against a Bournemouth team chasing goals, while Michail Antonio and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have home games against relegation threatened clubs that may have to take chances at some point too.

My thinking on the final day is to not spend too much on the defensive players on what is usually a high-scoring round. Teams are not concentrating as much as they would be earlier in the season and with the upcoming break for many I do think there will be less desire to keep the ball out of the net for many.

There are some cheap options out there which enables me to pick a very strong front seven that could at least help produce a big week.

I will update this thread around 2pm on Sunday with a few final thoughts about how the squad is shaping up, but it does look a week in which there are a number of players that could provide big points if at their best.


[UPDATE] As we enter the final hour of the final GW of the 2019/20 season this is the time to try and avoid overthinking things.

There are going to be rumours about 'breaking' team news and you also have to accept there will be some strange selections made by the managers who have less to play for. With that in mind I am trying to keep those having something to play for onside and that includes Manchester City preparing for a Champions League tie in less than two weeks time.

My final decision looks to be going 'weak' at the back with cheap options to make up the three and then hit the front seven as hard as possible. I will keep a couple of good subs on the bench in case of changes by managers and hopefully it will be a strong end to the season.