Tennis Picks 2021 (March 2nd)

The week started off pretty poorly, but two late winners has at least prevented serious damage being done on Monday as four new tournaments begin.

There are plenty of matches scheduled on Tuesday through the day with the majority of the First Round completed. The Qualifiers are done and those who have made it into the main draws will be looking to keep the upsets going, while those tournaments scheduled in the Middle East are the exception to the rule when it comes to Finals being set for Sunday and that always means a busy week in those events.

I've written down some of my thoughts for the ATP Rotterdam Picks for Tuesday and added the selections from WTA Doha, WTA Lyon and ATP Buenos Aires below.

Alex De Minaur - 4.5 games v John Millman: There are some big decisions that will need to be made by the players who represent Australia as they look to rejoin the Tour in 2021 with many missing the entirety of 2020 following the suspension of the Tours. Quarantine issues back home will mean the majority of those players will be living out of their suitcases for the foreseeable future and two Australians will meet thousands of miles away from home in the First Round in Rotterdam.

Alex De Minaur and John Millman will know all they need to about the other, and it is the higher Ranked Australian who will be heading into this match as the favourite. He enjoyed a much better month than John Millman who has made a stop in Singapore where he suffered his latest loss on the way to Europe.

Both are solid hard court players, but confidence has to be an issue for Millman having lost three matches in a row and the sole win coming against an opponent Ranked outside the top 400 in the World Rankings. Last week in Singapore John Millman was beaten by a fellow Australian Matthew Ebden, and his numbers have been pretty poor from the small sample of matches played on the hard courts in 2021.

Those numbers are considerably weaker than Alex De Minaur's numbers so far this season and I do think that makes a difference in this First Round match. Where Alex De Minaur has held 81% of service games played on the hard courts this season, John Millman is at 70%, while the former has also been the much more efficient returner so far.

Since the beginning of the 2020 season, Alex De Minaur has really been on top of those players he has faced outside of the top 20 in the World Rankings on this surface. His numbers have backed that up and I do think he will be able to get the better of his compatriot who De Minaur beat for the loss of four games in September 2019.

No one will deny how competitive John Millman can be, even when playing some of the stronger players on the Tour, and his return game can be a leveller. However I think Alex De Minaur does everything a little bit better than Millman and that can produce a solid win.

Karen Khachanov v Stan Wawrinka: These two have already faced each other in Rotterdam this week and that came on the Doubles court as Karen Khachanov partnered Andrey Rublev to a win over Stan Wawrinka and Dusan Lajovic. It feels like a good chance for Karen Khachanov to beat Stan Wawrinka on the Singles court too in what is likely to be a big hitting match, but one where the younger player may have too much strength for the former multiple time Grand Slam Champion.

There is no doubting how dangerous Stan Wawrinka can be and his serve continues to be a big weapon for the Swiss player and especially on the hard courts. He will look to put some pressure on Khachanov with a big serving day in conditions where it could be aided by the surface, but Wawrinka will be the first to admit that he needs to be a little more consistent if he is going to get back to the kind of level he once displayed.

The serve is important, but it has some pressure on it because of the way Stan Wawrinka has struggled with the return aspect of his game on the hard courts. In the four matches played so far in 2021 the return hasn't been too bad, but in the last three seasons Stan Wawrinka has struggled to break serve with less than 19% of return games resulting in a break.

It is an aspect of his game which will be severely tested by Karen Khachanov who has consistently won around 66% of service points played on the hard courts. His numbers have been slightly stronger to open 2021 as Khachanov has put a Semi Final run and a Third Round run at the Australian Open in the books.

Like his opponent, Karen Khachanov is pretty comfortable in what he can do behind serve, but he also has his issues when it comes to breaks on the hard courts. It is perhaps the main reason this match has been set as a pick 'em, but in recent years Karen Khachanov has had the slightly superior returning numbers which could prove to be the difference.

Stan Wawrinka does lead the head to head 2-1, but the last of those meetings was won by Karen Khachanov who would have felt hard done by when losing the match prior to the win in Canada. The Russian has had the slightly better success when it comes to the return of serve in their head to head matches and he has created 11 break points compared with Stan Wawrinka's 6 break points in the last two matches.

You can't ignore the fact that Stan Wawrinka has been a little more clinical with his chances when they have come up, but winning their last match will help the Karen Khachanov mindset ahead of this match. I think he can level the head to head with the serving edge going to him in Rotterdam and I will look for Khachanov to win this pick 'em match.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 games v Egor Gerasimov: The defeat in the Australian Open Semi Final would have stung Stefanos Tsitsipas, especially the manner in which he was beaten, but this is a star player in the making. The win over Rafael Nadal in the Quarter Final showed what Stefanos Tsistipas is capable of and he will be looking for a strong final month on the hard courts before moving onto a more favoured clay court season.

He can have a strong run in Rotterdam this week as the Number 2 Seed in the draw and Stefanos Tsitsipas will be up against a Special Entrant in the First Round. You can't take anything for granted with the Qualifiers usually having their eye firmly in as well as a couple of matches in the new conditions that come with a move to a new tournament, but Egor Gerasimov has benefited from direct entry into the Rotterdam tournament thanks to his efforts in Montpellier last week.

The run last week will have given Gerasimov some confidence having seen off Andy Murray on his way to the Semi Final. Unlike his opponent, Egor Gerasimov would not have had many positive memories to take from his trip to Australia as he exited the first Grand Slam of the season in a match in which he won just a single game!

There is definitely more to him than that defeat to Aslan Karatsev would suggest and the Bulgarian has shown off some solid returning to back up what can be a very big serve when he is hitting his spots. It could particularly be a weapon for Gerasimov on an indoor hard court against someone like Stefanos Tsitsipas who has had his returning issues in his early career.

Signs in Australia suggested that Tsitsipas has improved parts of that side of his game, but the small sample means it is going to be a test for the World Number 6 to see if he can maintain his successes. Stefanos Tsitsipas has shown improvement in his game on the hard courts in the last couple of seasons though and so my feeling is that he will be able to improve his return ratings over the course of 2021 compared to where he has been in 2019 and 2020.

These two players did meet on what has traditionally been fast hard courts in Dubai a couple of years ago and it was Stefanos Tsitsipas who blew past Egor Gerasimov. I do think the latter is improved since then, but so is Tsitsipas and he can begin his healing after the disappointing end to his Australian Open campaign by winning this match in good fashion.

MY PICKS: Alex De Minaur - 4.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Karen Khachanov @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Elena Rybakina - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Ons Jabeur - 4.5 Games @ 1.85 Coral (2 Units)

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Paula Badosa  @ 1.72 Bet Fred

Albert Ramos - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Facundo Bagnis @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Federico Delbonis - 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Weekly Update: 2-2, - 0.36 Units (8 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2021 (February 27-March 4)

This is a big week for Fantasy Football players in a strange season and that is largely down to the fact that the traditional Double GameWeeks have been replaced by two relatively early ones.

After a crazy Friday last week, I will get more into the Fantasy plays following the thoughts on the Weekend Football. I will update the thread with thoughts on the fixtures to be played during the week once the weekend results are in the books.

Manchester City v West Ham United Pick: At this stage of the season the biggest hope the rest of the Premier League may have is that the run of fixtures will sap some of the energy out of the Manchester City steam-train driving towards the title for the third time in four season.

With a 10 point gap between themselves and rivals Manchester United and with just 13 League games left to play, Manchester City look like they could be in a position to put the Premier League on the back-burner sooner rather than later. It will mean they can focus on trying to win at least another domestic treble and perhaps even finding a way to win the big one in the Champions League.

Making sure they can win the Premier League as soon as possible has to be the aim for Pep Guardiola and his team have progressed to the League Cup Final and FA Cup Quarter Final. A comfortable win in Budapest means Manchester City are in control of their Champions League Last 16 tie against Borussia Monchengladbach too and everything seems to be going perfectly for Pep Guardiola and his men.

The 19 wins in a row makes it hard to believe Manchester City are going to stumble any time soon and especially not when they continue to pile up the clean sheets. They have won 7 in a row at the Etihad Stadium without conceding a goal and I do think it will be a big challenge for West Ham United to change that trend here.

It might be surprising to read that considering West Ham United have moved up into 4th place in the Premier League table, but David Moyes has a tendency to be a little more cautious against the bigger clubs. His team have some pace and quality in the final third and they should pose a big threat from set pieces, but Manchester City have largely been able to cope with what teams have thrown at them this season and I think they will dominate the ball for long enough to keep their visitors at arm's length.

These teams drew 1-1 at the London Stadium earlier this season, but Manchester City have won 4 in a row at home against West Ham United. They have also kept clean sheets in back to back games against them at the Etihad Stadium, while West Ham United have created very little against Manchester City in the 2 games under David Moyes since he returned as manager of the club.

Changes are likely to be made by the home team following the Champions League win over Borussia Monchengladbach, but Manchester City should still be too strong for West Ham United. There will be one or two awkward moments through this fixture, but Manchester City can win another game with a clean sheet to boot.

West Brom v Brighton Pick: As we reach the end of February, this is a massive game at the bottom of the Premier League table for both West Brom and Brighton.

It would take something of a miracle for either Sheffield United or West Brom to get back into a position where they could avoid the drop, but both are still putting in a big effort. Sam Allardyce has not had the impact he would have liked, but his West Brom team have created the better chances in their last couple of games against Manchester United and Burnley even if they have had to settle for draws.

That is not good enough any more for West Brom and that means there is some pressure on them to take risks and earn the three points.

They will feel they can have some chances against a Brighton team who have conceded too many goals in games where they have not been giving up a lot of chances. That was plenty evident in the 1-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday night with the visitors scoring their only two shots on target and barely threatening to break the halfway line beyond those moments.

Graham Potter can take some positives out of the performance, but he will be looking for better results. That defeat has left Brighton just 4 points clear of the bottom three and so there has to be a response to seeing their 6 game unbeaten run in the Premier League come to an end.

Brighton did create a lot of good positions against Crystal Palace, but they continue to be a team that lacks composure in the final third. The final pass or shot has been letting them down, but Brighton are unbeaten in 3 away Premier League games and will feel they can create more opportunities against this West Brom team that have conceded 11 more home goals than the next most vulnerable defence in the top flight.

These teams shared a 1-1 result earlier this season and that is perhaps the most likely scoreline in this one too. However I do think the three points are invaluable for both West Brom and Brighton and so the managers are likely going to be taking some risk towards that and I think there is every chance we will see at least three goals shared out here.

If Brighton continue to play as effectively going forward you have to feel things will turn for them on the scoreboard too, while West Brom have created some decent chances in their recent games. An early goal could open this fixture up which means so much to the two teams and I will look for at least three goals to be shared out.

Leeds United v Aston Villa Pick: After the second half performance in securing a 3-0 win over Southampton, Leeds United fans will believe manager Marcelo Bielsa deserves an extension to his contract at the club. His current deal runs out this summer, but Bielsa has Leeds United on course for their best finish in the English Leagues since 2002 when they finished 5th in the Premier League.

A top half finish has to be the ambition for the players who have continued to give their all, although inconsistencies have blighted the season. There have been streaks of positive and negative results and in the last couple of months Leeds United have not been drawing too many games as they produce the ridiculous to the sublime.

More often than not the football has been pleasing on the eye, but defensively Leeds United can be got at and a team like Aston Villa will feel confident on the counter attack. It was fully evident in the 0-1 win at Southampton recently, but Aston Villa looked a little short of creativity without Jack Grealish last weekend.

It feels like he will be missing at least one more game and that poses problems for Aston Villa who have not been at their best since returning from the Covid-19 outbreak that forced two League postponements. The results haven't suffered too much, but the level of performance has and Aston Villa have been beyond fortunate to come away with clean sheets at Southampton and Brighton in their last 2 away games.

Both of those teams created plenty of chances against Aston Villa and Leeds United will feel they can follow suit even through the injuries they are dealing with. Losing Kalvin Phillips is a blow, but the injuries to Jamie Shackleton and Mateusz Klich has compounded the issue.

If Grealish is available I think that is a problem for Leeds United, but without the most influential player the visitors can turn to I do think the home team may edge to the points. Patrick Bamford and Raphinha bring plenty of attacking threat to the table and if Leeds United play at the level they have been, I anticipate they will create a fair few chances in this one too.

They have shown enough clinical finishing in the final third to believe Leeds United can edge to the points here against an Aston Villa team who have just lot their way a little bit of late. It won't be easy because the visitors are plenty confident thanks to their recent away successes, but Leeds United may still have a bit too much and earn the vital three points here.

Newcastle United v Wolves Pick: The late night Saturday offering from the Premier League may not be the most appealing game of the weekend for the neutral to enjoy with both Newcastle United and Wolves missing their first choice Number 9.

Callum Wilson and Raul Jimenez are both on the sidelines for Newcastle United and Wolves respectively and it has meant goals have been something of an issue for both clubs.

The form is certainly with Wolves who have won 3 of their last 4 Premier League games, while Newcastle United have been beaten in 3 of their last 4 League games. Defensively there have been questions against both teams, but I am not sure the other have the capabilities to completely expose the vulnerabilities and this feels like it could be a low-scoring fixture.

It has certainly been the case when Newcastle United and Wolves have met in the Premier League with the last 4 all ending 1-1 and the fixture before that ending 1-2 to Wolves thanks to a goal deep into injury time.

This fixture has all the hallmarks of another tight game, especially with how much it means to Newcastle United. Both teams have talented wingers that have the pace and quality to make the difference, but I don't think there will be much between them and you can't rule out another draw.

Any shared points will likely be the outcome of a low-scoring game, as the last 4 have been between these teams, and I think a moment of magic is going to be needed to separate them on the day. I don't think either team will be dominant in the final third, and both defences will feel they can come out on top in this late evening fixture.

Crystal Palace v Fulham Pick: This London derby is still an important fixture for both Crystal Palace and Fulham, but there may have been even more on the line of the former had not beaten rivals Brighton on Monday Night Football.

That win for Crystal Palace means they have maintained a 10 point gap to Fulham in the Premier League, but Roy Hodgson will want his team to back up the last result earned. They were not at their best that day and punished a wasteful Brighton, but Crystal Palace still look a little short of the quality in the final third to be feeling really comfortable with their current predicament.

Roy Hodgson won't change his system and I do think this is going to be a difficult test for Fulham, although Scott Parker's team have picked up their own level in recent weeks. Over the last month Fulham have earned 8 points from a possible 12 in the Premier League which has seen them get into touching distance of safety, but Parker will recognise that games like this are so important to whether Fulham can avoid the drop or not.

There is pressure on Fulham, but they look to be playing with some confidence and I think that is hard to ignore. In Josh Maja they look to have a focal point that can be relied upon, while Fulham have quality players that can make the difference.

We haven't seen enough of that over the last couple of months, but Fulham's wins over Everton and Sheffield United this past couple of weeks will really help the belief of the entire squad. Defensively Fulham have been solid and limiting the chances being given up, and I do think that gives them the edge in this derby game.

It won't be easy for Fulham who have drawn far too many games of late, but I think they can follow Burnley and that is securing a victory here. Crystal Palace can be very dangerous and the first goal is going to be huge in this fixture, but Fulham look to be playing with belief in their quality, even at this level, and I think they may have enough to secure a vital three points in their battle to avoid relegation.

Crystal Palace did earn a big win on Monday, but they can't really expect to win too many matches unless improving the level produced. Over the last month they have looked vulnerable, but fortune has smiled on them and I simply don't think they are doing enough in the final third without Wilfred Zaha to win this one.

Leicester City v Arsenal Pick: Both of these teams were involved in Europa League action on Thursday, but Leicester City have the benefit of at least being at home while Arsenal will be travelling back from Athens where they 'hosted' the Second Leg of their Last 32 tie.

Confidence will be with Arsenal having seen off Benfica 4-3 on aggregate on the same evening that Leicester City were beaten by Slavia Prague.

Brendan Rodgers admitted he was disappointed, but that the Europa League was the lowest of the priorities for the club that is chasing a top four Premier League finish and remain involved in the League Cup. His selection underlined the point with some key players rested, but Leicester City will really miss the presence of James Maddison if he is going to miss considerable time.

That takes away some of the creativity of the home team, but there is still plenty of quality in the squad and Leicester City have had the Indian sign over Arsenal in recent years. The travel that Arsenal have had to undertake could work against them as well as the lack of rotation that is being used, while the two clubs have been in differing form in the Premier League.

Leicester City have won 3 of their last 4 here in the Premier League, while Arsenal have lost back to back away League games. This will be a tough game for both teams having last played on Thursday, but I think Leicester City may have the slight edge and I think they will have a stronger first eleven than the one seen in the Europa League which makes the difference for them.

The first goal will be very important, but Leicester City can do enough to find that and keep the momentum going as they look to nail down a top four Premier League finish.

Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley Pick: Both teams will be desperate for the Premier League points on offer in this Sunday afternoon fixture as Tottenham Hotspur look to move towards the top four and Burnley look to move away from the bottom three. Both clubs had poor results last weekend, but Burnley seem to be much more firmly behind Sean Dyche than Tottenham Hotspur seem to be behind Jose Mourinho.

There is a clear difference in quality of player available to the two managers, but Tottenham Hotspur have been completely out of form in the League. Cup wins over lower League opposition or weak Europa League competition has not eased the pressure on Mourinho and particularly not after falling 9 points behind West Ham United following a defeat at the London Stadium last Sunday.

That looks a big gap to the top four now, but Jose Mourinho is refusing to prioritise one competition over another at this time. The Europa League may eventually become the best route back into the Champions League, but Tottenham Hotspur play two relegation threatened clubs over the next few days at a time when their top four rivals have some difficult looking fixtures to come.

Excuses won't be tolerated as Tottenham Hotspur look to continue what has been a dominance over Burnley in home games in recent years. Last season they hammered Burnley 5-0 here and the visitors are a team that have lacked consistency in the final third.

Burnley will look to make life difficult and will point to recent wins at Liverpool and Crystal Palace to underline what they are capable of, but Chelsea did manage to break them down and dominate. This is a team that do allow teams to come onto them and I would imagine Tottenham Hotspur have enough quality to secure the points like they did when hitting West Brom twice in a few minutes stretch in the second half of the last Premier League game here.

I don't think it will be easy and Tottenham Hotspur have not been as clinical as they would like when the chances have come their way. That was most evident in a 1-1 draw with Fulham last month, but I expect Spurs to do enough to secure the important result they need in what may be a tight game.

Two goals should be enough for Tottenham Hotspur to win this game before they turn their attention to the next Premier League game to be played during the week and a narrow home win looks most likely here.

Chelsea v Manchester United Pick: Games between the 'Big Six' have been a mixed bag in the 2020/21 season with the lack of intensity from the stands meaning a more tactical approach can be employed by the players. That intensity from fans can lead to mistakes or players perhaps doing things they are not supposed to, but I can see why so many have been tight, low-scoring games this campaign with only the Coaching hollering being heard.

Manchester United have been involved in a number of low-scoring games when facing the top teams in the Premier League. In 5 League games against Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, 4 have ended in goalless draws when involving Manchester United and I think this is going to be another tight game.

Thomas Tuchel is a careful manager that will spend a lot of time drilling his players to perform in a certain manner and low-scoring games have been common since he arrived at Stamford Bridge. They have had wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid, both by the same 0-1 scoreline, while Chelsea have been racking up the clean sheets under their new manager.

He won't want Chelsea to give anything away and I think the game plan will be to restrict the spaces for the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial to try and exploit with their speed. Bruno Fernandes can always provide a moment of magic, but Chelsea have been well organised and I am not sure they are going to play risky football as they look to manage the game.

Going forward there have been some positive moments from Chelsea, but they are still learning what Tuchel wants them to do. They can offer threats in different ways which will be a challenge for Manchester United to deal with, but Chelsea have not been creating a lot of chances and I do think this is likely to be another tight 'Big Six' fixture.

An early goal could change it all, but I think the two managers will likely start off cautiously and try and win the game once they are confident the defences are set.

Manchester United haven't defended badly in the bigger games they have played this season and I do think a point suits them a little more than Chelsea in this fixture. That could see Manchester United waiting a little longer to commit as they did against Liverpool and Arsenal in recent away games.

I can't really pick a winner with the first goal likely going to be absolutely massive on the day. It suggests we will see another low-scoring game here as both look to stifle the other and then bring their own attacking qualities to the fore.

Sheffield United v Liverpool Pick: If you were looking at the form guide for both of these teams from January 1st 2021, you would likely expect Sheffield United to be operating much higher up the Premier League table and have Liverpool struggling.

Instead it looks like Sheffield United are inevitably sliding towards the Championship with 3 Premier League defeats in a row ending their positive start to the year. There is no doubt that Liverpool are slumping, but with 13 Premier League games left they can still achieve some of their ambitions for the season and that is simply getting back into the Champions League.

It is hard to imagine how far they have fallen from winning the Premier League title last season, but Liverpool have been having difficulties overcoming injuries. The squad doesn't seem as happy and settled as you would think either and I do think changes are coming at Anfield, although how effective they are may depend on whether they are playing in the Champions League or not.

There is a 5 point gap to the top four, but the two teams immediately above them are playing the current top two this weekend. It should mean Liverpool have an opportunity and for all their poor run of results at home, this is a team that has found their best away from Anfield over the last month.

Liverpool have won at West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, while also beating Leipzig on a neutral field, and even the 3-1 defeat to Leicester City was a harsh reflection on the actual game.

Confidence is in short supply within the squad, but there is still enough quality in the final third to believe Liverpool can get the better of Sheffield United. Even with the defensive injuries you can't make a serious case for the home team who have not created a lot of chances and have plenty of defensive problems of their own to manage.

That could be the difference with the added quality of the Liverpool attackers out-scoring their counterparts in the Sheffield United ranks.

The Blades have been beaten by the six clubs in and around Liverpool at Bramall Lane this season- only Tottenham Hotspur managed a win by more than a one goal margin, although Manchester United would have likely made that two clubs without conceding very late on in their 2-3 win here.

Sheffield United tend to be competitive, but all of Liverpool's away Premier League wins have come by two or more goal margins. They have been creating plenty of chances in their recent games away from Anfield, certainly more than they have been at home, and I think Liverpool may do enough to beat their opponents by a couple of goals as they look to get back on track in the Premier League.

Everton v Southampton Pick: This is going to be an important week for Everton if they have serious ambitions of playing Champions League Football- the side play two clubs in the bottom six before a big game against Chelsea, but those come in a short space of time and it is all about managing the squad.

There can't be too many excuses considering this is the first game Everton have played since the Merseyside derby win at Anfield ten days ago, but there has also been something of a mental block about playing at home.

For all of their recent away successes, Everton have lost 4 of their last 5 Premier League games at Goodison Park. Those have been mixed defeats too with a couple to teams in the top four, while the other two losses have come against teams in the bottom four.

Carlo Ancelotti does have a healthier squad to call upon than he has had in recent weeks, but he will want his team to begin with some intensity which has been missing against Newcastle United and Fulham. Both of those games ended in surprising 0-2 defeats here and more like that will end any chances of getting into the top four.

At least on Monday they are facing a team with perhaps as poor confidence as any in the Premier League at the moment. Southampton have kept themselves focused in the FA Cup ties played despite losing 7 of their last 8 Premier League games and they have been conceding too many goals for anyone's liking.

Away from home Southampton conceded at least three times for the third Premier League game in a row and they have not won any of 16 away games at Everton. 4 of the last 6 have ended 1-1 and that result would not really be a massive surprise in a season like this one, but my feeling is that Everton will ride the momentum out of the win at Anfield and do just enough to earn the three points.

Southampton have been struggling at both ends of the field and I think that shows up here to help Everton earn a vital home win.

Manchester City v Wolves Pick: The layers won't take any chances with Manchester City through the next few weeks and that means some short prices on a team that is doing enough to win games.

They have largely dominated matches, but Manchester City have scored fewer League goals than Manchester United this season. Some of that is down to the confidence they have on their defence to keep clean sheets, although West Ham United certainly gave the team a scare on Saturday.

Wolves have pace in the final third which could make them dangerous, while they will be a threat from set pieces too. Their wingers can earn plenty of free kicks in and around the area which is where they will want to try and expose Manchester City, but the majority of the play will be in the Wolves half.

Without Raul Jimenez you do wonder if Wolves have enough goals in the squad to earn a top half finish in the Premier League, although Nuno Espirito Santo has gotten his team to be a bit more defensively solid in recent games.

They haven't given up a lot of chances for teams, but this is a tough game for Wolves who will know Manchester City will want some revenge for the Premier League double the underdog produced over this opponent last season. Manchester City have already convincingly won at Molineux and I think they will be relatively comfortable in this fixture too.

The run of home clean sheets may have come to an end on Saturday, but Manchester City start a new sequence on Tuesday and I would expect them to be able to keep Wolves at arm's length in another victory.

Burnley v Leicester City Pick: Injuries have hurt the momentum of both Burnley and Leicester City, but both will be desperate to bounce back from heavy losses on Sunday to North London clubs.

The points on offer on Tuesday are vital to both Burnley and Leicester City and I think there will be plenty to motivate the two sets of players. However I do think the injuries in both squads brings some uncertainty to the table and it is very hard to really predict which may this game will go.

Leicester City have been very good away from home all season, but without James Maddison and Harvey Barnes I do think they lose a lot of their attacking threat. Injuries at the back mean Leicester City won't want to overcommit either and that can leave Jamie Vardy isolated at the top of the field.

Burnley have been pretty solid at the back and the performance at Tottenham Hotspur is not really what we come to expect from them. Their own injury issues can't be ignored, but they look to have more players coming back and they may just edge this one.

However neither team is creating a lot of chances at the moment and that could see the defences largely coming out on top. With the creativity missing in the away team and the struggles for goals Burnley have had all season, it would not be a massive surprise to see one of these teams fail to score.

The first goal will be massive in determining where the points go on Tuesday as Burnley and Leicester City look to take a big step towards achieving their ambitions for the season. It may take some time for one of these teams to find the right play to score that and the feeling is that one will earn a clean sheet in this game.

Sheffield United v Aston Villa Pick: Relegation may be inevitable for Sheffield United, but Chris Wilder will refuse to have his players down tools for the remaining two months of the season. This is all going to be about rebuilding the confidence for the return to the Championship, while the manager will be looking for his players to try and have a strong finish to the FA Cup run which has taken them through to the Quarter Final.

Those ambitions will be set by the manager, but the injuries are really hurting Sheffield United and they look like they will be without a number of key defenders. That has left them exposed at the back, even more so than earlier this season when they were struggling for clean sheets anyway, and it is hard for Sheffield United to match the quality of some of the teams in the Premier League.

They will give it a go against Aston Villa, but the lack of confidence coupled with those defensive problems means it is hard to look beyond an away win here.

Aston Villa have produced 3 clean sheets in a row away from home and they have won 2 of those games thanks to first half goals. Jack Grealish may be missing, but they were still threatening going forward against Leeds United this past weekend and this is a game in which Aston Villa should find enough spaces for their forward line to exploit.

Defensively they have found a way more often than not and I think Aston Villa can earn a narrow win here which will put them firmly in the mix when it comes to European places that will be handed out later this season.

Crystal Palace v Manchester United Pick: Very few chances have been created by Crystal Palace without Wilfred Zaha in the line up, but that hasn't prevented them from producing 4 points from back to back games against Brighton and Fulham.

They have ridden their luck somewhat considering the chances that teams have created against them and you would have to believe Manchester United will be more clinical if they get into the positions Brighton and Fulham have against Crystal Palace.

Unfortunately we have not seen the best of Manchester United consistently enough since ending a round of fixtures on top of the Premier League. Since that moment they have won 3 of 10 games in all competitions and even the 9 game unbeaten run in all competitions has seen Manchester United draw 6 times.

The latest was the goalless draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, although a point at Chelsea will be appreciated a lot more than a single point from this fixture. That means there is some pressure on Manchester United to produce an attacking performance and take the game to Crystal Palace even though 5 of the last 7 away Premier League games have ended in draws.

Only the draw at The Hawthorns will have really hurt the players though and I think the wins at Burnley and Fulham during that run will suggest Manchester United are good enough here. Barring defensive lapses, Manchester United should be able to restrict Crystal Palace's threat to set pieces.

That should see Manchester United create the chances to win this game and I think their strong recent record at Selhurst Park will be encouraging. Manchester United have scored plenty of goals here and I think they will have too much for Crystal Palace who were recently thumped 0-3 by Burnley.

Crystal Palace will play with grit and look to make life difficult for their visitors, but they put plenty into the goalless draw with Fulham. The squad is stretched as injuries have piled up and Manchester United can match their victory from last season when securing a 0-2 win here.

Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: Two London clubs will be searching for a big three points on Thursday and I think the draw doesn't really do a lot for either Fulham or Tottenham Hotspur.

One is pushing to avoid relegation, while the other is trying to close down the gap to the top four and that should mean plenty of attacking enterprise produced by both teams.

Fulham have competed much better over the last couple of months compared with their start to the Premier League season. A couple of important recent wins has seen them move into a position where they can climb out of the relegation zone with a victory on Thursday, but Fulham have largely come up short against the very best teams in the Premier League.

Since the turn of the calendar year, Fulham have lost to Chelsea, Manchester United and Leicester City in the Premier League at Craven Cottage. The latter two have ended fairly comfortably in favour of the top four chasing teams and Tottenham Hotspur do have the players to hurt Fulham here too.

However Tottenham Hotspur have been in really poor form away from home in the Premier League with 3 losses in a row at Brighton, Manchester City and West Ham United. They have given up some big chances for those clubs, and Fulham do have some decent attacking players that will feel they can exploit any defensive issues Tottenham Hotspur have yet to resolve.

On the other hand Tottenham Hotspur looked very good going forward as they ripped apart Burnley on Sunday and they should be able to create problems for Fulham.

An early goal will open this up, while Tottenham Hotspur will look to be a little more clinical in front of goal than they were in the 1-1 draw with Fulham a couple of months ago. Games between these clubs have tended to produce goals when they have met at Craven Cottage and I think at least three will be shared out here.

West Brom v Everton Pick: Sam Allardyce has not been happy that his time on the training ground to prepare for the home game with Newcastle United has been taken up by another Premier League fixture.

He has been irritated that a fixture scheduled for later this month has been moved forward when there looked to be ample time for place it somewhere else in the calendar. Now he has to focus his West Brom team on putting in an effort to take on Everton, while relegation rivals Newcastle United will be resting and recuperating.

West Brom are in a position where they can't afford to overlook any fixture, but they will be aware how important it is that they beat Newcastle United this weekend. It could take the focus from this Premier League game against an Everton team who have had a lot less time to prepare for the game than their opponents.

While West Brom were beating Brighton on Saturday afternoon, Everton won their last game on Monday evening and that could play a part in the direction this fixture takes. However Everton have tended to save their best for away games this season and I do think they will have enough in the final third to break down West Brom.

The home team were more than fortunate to beat Brighton and defensively there are still some questions to answer for them.

Everton can expose them here and back to back clean sheets will be encouraging for Carlo Ancelotti. His team were not at their best on Monday, but they looked threatening when they got forward and I think Everton will be able to earn the victory with a battling performance here.

Liverpool v Chelsea Pick: The Premier League title looks like it has developed into a one horse race, but there are plenty of contenders to fill up the top four places behind Manchester City.

Two of those meet in a very big Premier League game on Thursday as Liverpool and Chelsea face off at Anfield and the winning team will go into the weekend inside the top four. A draw would open the door for Everton or West Ham United to occupy that position, but both Chelsea and Liverpool know the importance of playing Champions League Football next season.

Both have beaten opponents on neutral fields to become favourites to progress to the Champions League Quarter Final, but winning that competition looks more difficult than earning a top four finish in the Premier League. That means at this stage of the season neither team can really afford to lose ground on those places and it should be an interesting blend to see Jurgen Klopp take on Thomas Tuchel.

Predicting how Liverpool set up is a lot easier than trying to second guess the latter, and I do think Chelsea have an opportunity here. Amazingly Liverpool have lost 4 home Premier League games in succession and confidence in the defence has been lost with injuries piling up, although Alisson is set to be involved.

His presence in goal will help, but Chelsea have looked pretty solid under Thomas Tuchel and they will believe their attacking players can expose the defensive problems Liverpool have been having. Keeping them out won't be easy, but Chelsea will feel they can at least restrict Liverpool like others have done over the last six weeks at Anfield and that may give them a very slight edge.

It won't be easy for either team and a tighter than expected game may develop as it did when Chelsea hosted Manchester United on Sunday. The Blues didn't really give up a lot of good chances in that game, but they are not creating a lot either, although this is a fixture in which they are facing a weaker Liverpool defence than has been seen since before Virgil Van Dijk's time at the club.

Most will be expecting a lot of goals, but I think it may be tighter than that.

I also think Chelsea shouldn't be such an underdog here having won at Tottenham Hotspur and travelling to a neutral field to beat Spanish League leaders Atletico Madrid. Liverpool have created chances, but teams have found it easy to get into good scoring positions against them too and I think Chelsea will likely do enough to avoid defeat.

It will be interesting to see if Chelsea have the confidence to win a big game here, but if they get in front all of the pressure will shift to Liverpool and a narrow away win would not be a massive surprise. Even a point would not be a bad result for Chelsea as they look to stay in touch with the top four places in the League and I think Thomas Tuchel will set his side up to at least avoid a defeat.

MY PICKS: Manchester City Win to Nil

West Brom-Brighton Over 2.5 Goals

Leeds United - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Newcastle Untied-Wolves Under 2.5 Goals

Fulham - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Leicester City 0 Asian Handicap

Tottenham Hotspur & Under 5 Goals

Chelsea-Manchester United Under 2.5 Goals

Liverpool - 1.25 Asian Handicap

Everton - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Manchester City Win to Nil

Burnley-Leicester City Both Teams to Score- NO

Aston Villa - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap

Fulham-Tottenham Hotspur Over 2.5 Goals

Everton

Chelsea + 0.25 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 26

Let me get the frustrations out of the way first.

Somehow a late meeting and a slight distraction meant I missed the deadline for GW25- usually that wouldn't matter, but I had already rolled over a transfer which means I have been left in a position where I may have to take two hits this week rather than the one I was considering.

The reasoning is simple with this being the biggest Double GameWeek left on the schedule as the Premier League looks to ensure they are able to complete the domestic season ahead of the Euro 2020 Finals which had been postponed one year. There is nothing to suggest the Euros won't be played and so the pressure is on to make sure teams are not left with too many games to be scheduled later in the season.

In normal times there would be the big Double GameWeeks later in the season as the League Cup Final would have been played in February and the FA Cup Quarter Finals would create more 'blanks' in the calendar. This year the League Cup Final is played in April and that has allowed the Premier League to move forward a number of matches that were originally scheduled for GameWeek 29 and place them in this week.

Fourteen teams play twice this week and I am 100% using my Bench Boost which means I may be able to take a couple of hits if it means shaping my team better. Losing eight points instead of four could be costly come the end of the season in terms of mini-Leagues and final Ranking places, but a strong GW25 has at least made it an easier decision to make.

My Free Hit is almost certainly going to be used in GW29 when four Premier League games are scheduled, while I will use my Wild Card between GW29 and GW31.

The Bench Boost will be used this week and I will then have the Triple Captain Chip remaining which can either be played when Manchester City have a DGW next week, or perhaps later in the season when there should be a couple of smaller DGWs set to be played.

I have long been preparing for this DGW and it does mean I have five players that are not on a Double- last week I wanted to move Aaron Cresswell on for a player who would be playing twice, but missing the deadline means I will have to take a hit to do that.

That is mainly because the two Free Transfers will be used to remove Alex McCarthy and Che Adams from the team- my final decision will be whether I want to remove one of the Leeds United players for any other who is playing twice this week with the focus being on the likes of Everton who could potentially have another DGW before the March internationals.

My feeling is that the Aston Villa vs Everton and Tottenham Hotspur vs Southampton games, the two confirmed postponed matches, will be played in April/May with the pressure off as only one of those four clubs is playing in Europe. Either Aston Villa or Everton will not be playing in the Premier League in GW32 when the FA Cup Semi Final matches are set to take place, but even that is not going to be a big issue with a free midweek to set those Premier League games that need to be re-arranged.

On paper you do have to feel the likes of Leicester City, Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur have the best doubles to go at, but there are going to be some surprising players that will make an impact on things as always seems to be the case.

I am going to be looking for the Bench Boost to help push me into a position where I close in on the top 100K in what has been an inconsistent season, while I am still chasing down players in mini-Leagues and feel this could be an important week towards those ambitions.

By hook or by crook I will not be missing the deadline this week, and I will have my final team on Twitter at the deadline on Saturday in a bid to improve on the 84 points that were produced in GW25.

I expect most people to play a Chip this week whether it is the Bench Boost, Free Hit or Triple Captain so there is an opportunity to make some serious moves in the Rankings over the next week.

Good luck to all... Except those I am directly competing with!

Boxing Picks 2019- Brian Carlos Castano vs Erislandy Lara (March 2nd)

The first Boxing night of the season did not go the way I expected, but it was still a fascinating evening with cards from three different venues.

One losing fighter confirmed his retirement over the last few days after James DeGale released a statement that the defeat to Chris Eubank Jr would be the last of his professional career. It definitely feels like the right decision after DeGale made all his dreams come true over the last twelve years and it was clear last Saturday night that he is not the same fighter as the one that became World Champion on two occasions.

I think DeGale will get the chance to join old rival George Groves for some verbal sparring in the future as I believe he will be picked up by the television companies in the future. It's the end of the era for that generation of Super Middleweights now that both Groves and DeGale have headed into retirement, but the win for Eubank Jr has opened the doors for some big fights for him over the next couple of years.

There has been some talk of a rematch with Billy Joe Saunders either at 160 or 168, while Callum Smith is the man to beat in this Division and a fight between him and Eubank Jr would sell out a big Stadium in the North West.


On the same night Anthony Dirrell won a Technical Decision to become the WBC Super Middleweight Champion to prolong his career, but Brandon Rios was beaten in yet another war and has to be contemplating joining DeGale in retirement. Before the defeat to Humberto Soto Brandon Rios had spoken about fighting for a World Title, but he is miles away from the Champions and I don't see the point of him taking unnecessary punishment at this stage of his career when the reflexes and body are not where they once were.


This week we are going to see a couple of Cuban veterans return to the Boxing ring as Luis Ortiz and Erislandy Lara are both in action in the United States, while a showcase card is being shown on television in the United Kingdom headlined by Jordan Gill.

Both Ortiz and Lara are hoping to get back into the mix of fighting for World Titles, while Jordan Gill is making his way to that level. All three will be hoping 2019 will be a big year for them, but that also depends on them winning on Saturday and being able to move forward.

Richard Riakporhe vs Tommy McCarthy

There is definitely some hype behind Richard Riakporhe who is being mentored by Dillian Whyte and thus getting himself a strong platform to perform on.

The Cruiserweight is being fast tracked up the Rankings and he is now taking a step up in level when he meets up with Tommy McCarthy who is trying to get back into the British Title mix himself.

This is the first time Riakporhe is back in the ring since November when he was on the Tony Bellew-Oleksandr Usyk undercard. That underlines the kind of backing he has and Riakporhe showed some real heart to stop Sam Hyde in a fight he looked to be losing.

Looking at the scorecards after the fight showed that feeling was right, but Riakporhe is an improving fighter and has shown he carries his power through a fight. The damage was done to the Hyde eye which forced a corner stoppage which shows Riakporhe has decent pop in his shots and seven stoppages from his eight wins help.

Stopping Tommy McCarthy won't be easy and this is an opportunity of importance that is not lost on McCarthy. His one sole loss came against former British Champion Matty Askin who had knocked McCarthy down twice in the Fourth Round before winning on points, but he has since recovered to win four fights in a row although the standard of opposition has to be questioned.

He will feel his the better all around boxer in this fight, but the power of Riakporhe could be a difference maker. I think the promotion is behind Riakporhe and I believe he would have learned from the Hyde fight and can perhaps just use his power to make McCarthy a little timid in this one.

Tommy McCarthy did get Eight Rounds in the bank last month when beating Jiri Svacina, but I think Richard Riakporhe's power is going to be telling and I want to back him as the underdog to win this fight and keep moving towards the fight he wants most with Lawrence Okolie.

Anthony Sims Jr vs Mateo Damian Veron

There is no doubting the kind of talent Anthony Sims Jr has, but his career had been flagging before he decided to allow Eddie Hearn to guide him.

Anthony Sims Jr won all three fights he had in 2018 and is looking to be even more active in 2019 as he makes his way up the Light-Heavyweight Rankings. At the moment he is still somewhere between the 168 and 175 pound limits so his future may actually be at Super Middleweight, although Sims Jr may also be working out which Division is going to see him reach a World Title shot the quickest and also has the biggest fights for him.

He is scheduled to be back out in the ring next month, but this will be a sticky night for him if he does not give Mateo Damian Veron the respect he deserves.

Veron is a journeyman, but he has shown toughness at times and the Argentinian is off a big win over Lolenga Mock last month. Mock was only one win away from fighting for a vacant title in the Super Middleweight Division so the win for Veron was an impressive one, but this feels like nothing more than a tick along fight for Sims Jr who won't want to work too long knowing he will have another fight scheduled for less than seven weeks time from now.

I expect the American to have a relatively early night, but Veron may give him a couple of Rounds before being caught. Having a small interest in Sims Jr winning this fight in either Round Three or Four is the play even though fourteen of Sims Jr's seventeen fights have ended before the Third Round.

However his three fights in 2018 ended in Round Four, Round Six and Round Two and I think Veron has shown enough toughness to get past the first couple of Rounds.

Luis Ortiz vs Christian Hammer

Luis Ortiz might have actually enhanced his reputation in his wild defeat to Deontay Wilder when he fought for the WBC Title twelve months ago and King Kong is trying to earn another shot for a belt.

Since losing to Wilder there have been a couple of stoppage wins for Ortiz, but the fight with Christian Hammer represents a step up from the competition he has fought in his last couple of bouts.

Christian Hammer is entering his thirtieth fight as a professional and he has won twenty-four of his previous twenty-nine. There a couple of decent wins on his record with the most notable being the stoppage of David Price, but Hammer has come up short when going up against the best fighters as he was forced to quit against Tyson Fury and was beaten by a Unanimous Decision by Alexander Povetkin.

Much of the outcome of this fight is going to depend on how much punishment Hammer is willing to take as I do think he is going to end up eating some solid shots from Ortiz the longer the fight goes on. I do have a feeling that Ortiz can sometimes fight down to the level of a opponent if he feels comfortable and this is a Ten Rounder which could see Ortiz coasting to an easy points win if he so desires.

However I think Ortiz is going to want to put the foot down and make sure he gets Hammer out of there. The Romanian has shown some durability which makes me think he can last through the first half of the fight before Ortiz starts picking him apart in the second half of the fight as fatigue and the accumulation of the punches begins to take affect.

Hammer has been stopped in three of his five defeats and two of those have come after the Fifth Round. He did go the distance with Alexander Povetkin, but I believe Ortiz is the bigger puncher and he can find a way to earn the stoppage in the second half of the fight to make a statement to the big names in the Heavyweight Division.

Brian Carlos Castano vs Erislandy Lara

An eleventh month lay off following a narrow, tough defeat to Jarrett Hurd may have given Erislandy Lara the chance to recharge his batteries as he returns to the ring this Saturday.

Throughout his career Lara has been able to give some of the best names in the sport a tough going over and his last bout with Hurd was no different. A knock down in the Twelfth Round was the difference on the night and Lara is very much hoping a win in this bout will set him up for a chance to have a rematch with Swift.

The WBA Title is on the line as Brian Carlos Castano defends the belt for the first time in a bid to announce himself in the Division. The Argentinian is unbeaten through fifteen fights, but this is clearly a significant step up for him and he is fighting someone who can match his amateur experience and in a lot of respects surpass his achievements.

He might be the shorter man, but Lara has the significant reach advantage and he is still the boxer who can use all of his experience and skills to win this one by a comfortable points margin. There are questions to answer as Lara is off a brutal loss which would have been very tough on anyone, let alone someone with a 35 year old body and I do have to wonder if he is going to be the same fighter he was going into the Unification with Jarrett Hurd.

A long lay off is always a concern, but his opponent has actually been out of the ring for longer having last fought back in March 2018. Of course Castano is not quite as battle worn as Lara who has had some tough, tough fights in his career already, but he is going to have to step up a couple of levels if the Cuban is anywhere near his best.

The risk here may be banking on Lara to have left something in the ring in the defeat to Jarrett Hurd, but I believe Lara is back because the fire is still burning within. He has been the victim of some controversial scoring in the past, but I think Lara will make it clear that he is the boxer most in control of this fight and he can use his skills to earn a Decision and move back into contention in the loaded 154 Light Middleweight Division.

MY PICKS: Richard Riakporhe to Win @ 2.10 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Anthony Sims Jr to Win Between 3-4 @ 3.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Luis Ortiz to Win Between 6-10 @ 2.87 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Erislandy Lara to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Boxing 2019: 0-4, - 7 Units (7 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

Boxing 2018: + 5.14 Units (159 Units Staked, + 3.23% Yield)

Weekend Football Picks 2019 (March 2-3)

The third of three rounds of Premier League Football to be played in the space of eight days begins on Saturday with the North London derby and concludes with the Merseyside derby on Sunday afternoon.

Another round means another GameWeek in Fantasy Football and for the most part I have to be pleased with some of the selections I have highlighted over the last couple of GameWeeks.

Romelu Lukaku scoring twice for Manchester United in the win at Crystal Palace would have justified that selection if anyone had taken the risk of bringing him in, while a couple of clean sheets were easily identified as well as good performances from Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Arsenal and James Maddison and Jamie Vardy for Leicester City who combined for their winning goal.

Now I've stopped patting myself on the back I will mention that it wasn't all fun and games.

James Tarkowski missing a sitter would have irritated even more once Burnley conceded twice, while Ben Foster was far from a good choice as an alternative Fantasy star.

Paul Pogba, Leroy Sane and Eden Hazard were higher priced players identified and none of those produced much during the week, while Fabian Delph remains on the sideline with an injury and was a terrible choice to highlight.


Oh well another round is here to make up for it after I had an average GameWeek 28, but things can feel a lot better once we complete the latest round of fixtures in the Premier League.


Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal Pick: The opening Premier League game of the weekend comes from the national Stadium as Tottenham Hotspur look to bounce back from two very poor defeats over the last eight days.

Every time they have gotten into a position to be back in the Premier League title talk Tottenham Hotspur have either not coped with the pressure or not had a bit of fortune on their side, but the narrative has to be getting boring for the fans, players and management.

The defeats at Turf Moor and Stamford Bridge have been compounded by the fact that the three teams immediately below them in the Premier League table have all picked up big points. It means Tottenham Hotspur are no longer looking up at the title race, but instead could be worrying they are being dragged into a battle for the top four places and a defeat on Saturday will really put the cat amongst the pigeons.

Arsenal will believe they can win here having put 3 wins in a row together since the embarrassing 1-0 defeat in Borisov in the Europa League. The Gunners have been firing in front of goal with 10 goals scored in those 3 wins, but all have come at the Emirates Stadium and you can't just ignore how poorly they have played on their travels.

In fact Arsenal have lost 5 of their last 9 away games in all competitions and the only two wins in that time have come against Blackpool and Huddersfield Town. They've been beaten handily by both Liverpool and Manchester City which means Arsenal have lost 3 of their 4 away games at the other top six clubs this season with this one concluding those fixtures.

Tottenham Hotspur have also won 3 of their last 4 North London derbies they have hosted and I think they are about as healthy as they could have hoped for ahead of this one. I do think Arsenal will pose problems on the counter attack with the quality they have in the final third, but defensively Arsenal are very poor and it says something that they have conceded at least twice in visits to Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford, Anfield and the Etihad Stadium this season.

Unai Emery won't change his style and I think Tottenham Hotspur hosting the game makes all the difference on the day. The home team just haven't done draws this season and with that in mind I am going to look for Tottenham Hotspur to bounce back from their poor week and finish off with a win.

Spurs have won 4 in a row at Wembley Stadium in all competitions and can extend that sequence on Saturday morning.

Fantasy Star: Christian Eriksen- Harry Kane and Hueng-Min Son have had a couple of tough outings, but Christian Eriksen needs to pull the strings for Tottenham Hotspur if they are going to win this derby.

Alternative: Henrikh Mkhitaryan- been in good form on his return from injury and could be the key player for Arsenal if they are going to earn a positive result here.


Bournemouth v Manchester City Pick: Over the last couple of months there have not been too many times Manchester City have played before Liverpool and Pep Guardiola will want to avoid the pitfalls that occurred the last time these two leading clubs were playing on consecutive days.

At the end of January Manchester City visited Newcastle United twenty-four hours before Liverpool were going to host Leicester City and were beaten 2-1 at St James' Park which looked to have handed the title initiative to Liverpool.

A stumble from the leaders have allowed Manchester City back in and they will be keen to give Liverpool something to think about by moving to the top of the table. Avoiding defeat will be enough for Manchester City, but the players know they need to put a strong winning run together to test the Liverpool resolve and so anything less than a win would be seen as a negative result.

Bournemouth have been strong at home and deserve respect after crushing Chelsea 4-0 a few weeks ago. They have struggled to some heavy losses away from home since then, but Bournemouth have continued to produce their best at the Vitality Stadium which makes this a tough game for the defending Champions.

However I can't ignore the fact that Bournemouth don't have a great record against the very best Premier League sides. Yes they beat Chelsea who capitulated in the second half, but David Brooks and Callum Wilson are both missing and both Dominic Solanke and Junior Stanislas likely to be sidelined too means attacking options are restricted for the home team.

Add in the fact that Bournemouth's 3 home losses this season have come against Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool and the point about their ability against the top teams is underlined. Only Liverpool won easily, but Arsenal had the chances to win by a higher margin than they did and I do expect Manchester City to get more spaces in this one than they may have done against West Ham United.

If they bring their shooting boots I do think Manchester City can win this one and throw down the gauntlet for Liverpool who head to Goodison Park on Sunday. I expect Manchester City can win by at least two goals here with the way Bournemouth have been defending and I will look for them to cover the Asian Handicap.

Fantasy Star: Raheem Sterling- Sergio Aguero could have his minutes cut into with Gabriel Jesus back. The England international may be the main danger for Manchester City in this one in Aguero's stead and has a fantastic record against Bournemouth.

Alternative: Bernardo Silva- almost the first name on the team sheet for Pep Guardiola and made a big impact off the bench on Wednesday when given a chance to rest.


Brighton v Huddersfield Town Pick: No one associated with Brighton Football Club will have lost faith in Chris Hughton's ability to help them produce the points they need to avoid relegation, but even the manager will know they need to snap their poor run of form sooner rather than later.

While teams like Burnley, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace have been picking up wins, Brighton have lost 5 of their last 6 Premier League games to slip into 16th place in the table. They are now just 2 points clear of Cardiff City in the relegation zone and this is a game Brighton dare not lose.

Even a draw against bottom club Huddersfield Town might not be good enough for the locals, but The Terriers can't be disregarded having won their first game since November during the week. It was a lot of effort produced by Huddersfield Town to edge out Wolves on Tuesday, but they are a team who are struggling at both ends of the field and I think that is an issue for them on their inevitable slide into the Championship.

For all the negatives around Brighton I have to say they have continued to create a lot of chances and only an uncharacteristic lack of composure from Glenn Murray in front of goal prevented them getting more from the game at Leicester City during the week. The Seagulls have perhaps not enjoyed much luck of late either, but I do think they will have their opportunities against Huddersfield Town who have not scored in their last 5 away games in the all competitions.

It is not easy picking a team at odds on in the form that Brighton have been displaying, but I think the performances are better than the results. Huddersfield Town can relax now they have ended their long run of games without a win and have surpassed the lowest points tally in the Premier League era, but ultimately they are lacking some quality.

Glenn Murray is unlikely to be as generous to Huddersfield Town as he was to Leicester City and I think he can make a key contribution to help Brighton win this fixture. As I said the price is slightly tight considering Brighton's recent results, but I think they have a little more about them and can edge out their visitors in this one.

Fantasy Star: Glenn Murray- an awful miss at Leicester City was so unlike Glenn Murray and I expect him to get a couple of good chances to make up for that in this fixture.

Alternative: Shane Duffy- a threat from set pieces and has a real chance of earning a clean sheet for Brighton who are desperate for the three points.


Burnley v Crystal Palace Pick: When you first think of Burnley and Crystal Palace you don't think of goals, but more about the defensive strength they base their style around. That has not been the case so much over the last couple of months for either team as they have been good at getting forward and scoring the goals that have produced a number of wins to take them away from the bottom three.

It's not been fortune alone that has produced in the final third for the two clubs as both have been creating quite a few chances in recent games too. Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes have been a huge threat for Burnley, while Crystal Palace have been boosted by the signing of Michy Batshuayi and the return of Christian Benteke from injury to provide a threat in the final third.

Neither team has been completely convincing at the back either and I think the layers may have underestimated the chance of seeing at least three goals between the clubs.

Recent fixtures between Burnley and Crystal Palace have tended to be low-scoring with none of the last four producing three or more goals, but in recent games these two clubs have been involved in against other opposition that has not been the case.

Burnley have scored at least twice in 3 of their last 4 games at Turf Moor, but both teams have hit the net in the last 3 here. Crystal Palace have scored two or more goals in 6 of their last 7 away from home, and both teams have scored at least once in 6 of their last 7 away Premier League games too.

The 1-1 could be a real player here, but I think the defensive issues both sides have had coupled with the strong attacking threats out on the field may see this fixture produce a surprising amount of goals. A draw is not the worst result in the world for either, but I think they can go one better and backing three or more goals to be shared out at odds against looks a decent enough price.

Fantasy Star: Chris Wood- Burnley were not so good during the week in their loss to Newcastle United, but still created some big chances. They face a Crystal Palace team with defensive injuries this weekend and one of the front two are sure to have their opportunities.

Alternative: Michy Batshuayi- we should see Crystal Palace cause one or two problems and the on-loan Chelsea striker looks like he will lead the line for the visitors.


Manchester United v Southampton Pick: The race for the top four places looks like it is one that could go down to the wire and it means the top clubs can't afford to drop points from matches like this one.

Manchester United will be hosting a Southampton team who were beaten comfortably by Arsenal last weekend and injuries are not an excuse for a club that know the importance of getting back into the Champions League. The 1-3 win at Crystal Palace shows that Manchester United can battle through their current issues and they should have enough attacking threat to expose the defensive vulnerabilities Southampton continue to show.

There are a couple of concerns for Manchester United- they have not won any of their last 3 at Old Trafford and failed to score in their last 2, while Southampton have only lost 1 of their last 5 visits here. In that time Southampton have won twice too, but this team is perhaps not as strong as previous visitors.

The Saints had also been in decent form away from home before the defeat at the Emirates Stadium and they do carry a threat going forward when they are confident. The 2-0 win over Fulham on Wednesday coupled with having nothing to lose from this fixture could mean Southampton are dangerous, but Manchester United should be able to produce a first win at Old Trafford since the middle of January.

It might not always be easy, but United could have some attacking reinforcements in this one and I think they might have just enough to edge out Southampton. They could catch them chasing the game late on to make sure they get a cover of the Asian Handicap too and I will look for that to be the outcome of this one as it was for Arsenal last Sunday.

Fantasy Star: Paul Pogba- has been immense for Manchester United at Old Trafford and could have a keen influence in this one.

Alternative: Romelu Lukaku- Marcus Rashford is back, but will Ole Gunnar Solskjaer really move the big Belgian striker after he bagged a couple on Wednesday in the win at Crystal Palace?


Wolves v Cardiff City Pick: Even if Wolves are not able to finish in 7th place in the Premier League and/or reach the FA Cup Final this is going to be seen as a very important season for the development of the club. There have been many times I have seen Wolves and been impressed by what they have produced, but inconsistency is a concern for Nuno Espirito Santo.

He is going to want to see a big reaction from the last week when Wolves have drawn at Bournemouth and then followed up with a defeat at Huddersfield Town who had not won since beating Wolves back in November.

Neil Warnock will be expecting the same after watching his Cardiff City team lose back to back home games by wide margins to Watford and Everton. Fans would have expected to pick up points from those fixtures if Cardiff City are going to avoid the drop so the defeats in both games would have really hurt and now Warnock is looking for his players to puff their chests out and show some heart.

Cardiff City have beaten Wolves already this season and won at Molineux in the Championship last season so they should not be intimidated.

However Wolves haven't been in bad form of late and have been playing very well at home. They did disappoint at Huddersfield Town, but Wolves have enjoyed playing here and they are playing a Cardiff City team who are conceding too many goals at the moment.

Wolves are a team that can sometimes overplay, but I think we get a reaction from them this weekend and they can win a game featuring two or more goals as they catch Cardiff City pushing for a way back into the fixture.

Fantasy Star: Diogo Jota- has come close to adding to the goals he has scored in the Premier League this season and plays a Cardiff City defence that has looked lost in recent games.

Alternative: Raul Jimenez- in great form and should also have his chances along with his strike partner.


West Ham United v Newcastle United Pick: The second live game from the Premier League this weekend comes from the London Stadium and both West Ham United and Newcastle United should be coming into the fixture with considerable confidence.

I do know West Ham United are coming in off a defeat, but they have performed much better at the London Stadium in recent weeks and that should have the players believing they can earn a result here.

On the other hand Newcastle United have not put too many wins on the board in recent away games, but 4 wins from their last 6 Premier League games has to have the players believing. They are also playing with considerably more attacking intent than six weeks ago and I think that should help this fixture produce the goods for the neutrals to enjoy.

Generally West Ham United versus Newcastle United games have meant goals and that is including in the Rafael Benitez era as manager of the latter. The last 4 between these clubs have all featured three or more goals being shared out and I think the performances of both teams in the final third over the last month suggests we will see that trend extended for one more game at least.

In recent West Ham United home games, both teams have managed to find the net in 5 of the last 7 Premier League games here, while Newcastle United have seen that outcome happen in 6 of their last 8 on their travels in the League.

The 1-1 scoreline is the one that worries me the most, but at this stage of the season I don't think West Ham United will settle for a point and that means there should be spaces in this fixture as time ticks on. It may be enough to see at least three goals shared out as there hasn't been a draw between these teams in 8 straight fixtures against one another and I think at the prices it can be backed.

Fantasy Star: Miguel Almiron- the new signing has been looking very sharp for Newcastle United and should have spaces to exploit on the counter attack.

Alternative: Michail Antonio- has scored in his last two home starts for West Ham United.


Watford v Leicester City Pick: Games played in the noon slot on a Sunday afternoon don't always spark into life and my slight concern for these two teams is that they may not mesh together that well and make it a stand off kind of fixture.

The weather just north of London is going to be wet by all accounts which may not help as a spectacle, but in general Watford and Leicester City have produced goals when they have played and I think that could continue here.

8 of the last 9 between these clubs at Vicarage Road have produced at least three goals and I do think there is plenty on the line when it comes to potentially finishing 7th in the Premier League table which should keep players motivated.

The arrival of Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City makes it a little harder to predict how the game will go as the players get used to a new voice and a new style of play. I do think Rodgers will want to use the pace Leicester City have on the counter attack to hurt Watford, but he will also be keen on seeing his players impose themselves on their opponents with a high press and passing game that should please the fans no end.

Watford were battered from pillar to post on Wednesday, but they have been in strong form and have shown they can bounce back from setbacks. The Hornets have not lost back to back games since early December and the motivation of a FA Cup Quarter Final to come in two weeks time should see the players wanting to remind Javi Gracia of how much he can rely on them to produce the results the manager will want.

Goals have been lacking in recent Watford games here, but they are facing a Leicester City defence that has struggled to keep clean sheets. The home team have back to back clean sheets here, but I also think Leicester City have shown plenty of attacking enterprise and these teams can produce a good game of football to open a busy Sunday afternoon of Premier League action.

The early start is a slight bother, but hopefully the defenders are sleepier than the strikers and I will back at least three goals to be shared out.

Fantasy Star: Jamie Vardy- I think the England international could have a very strong end to the season now Claude Puel has left and Brendan Rodgers will play to his strengths.

Alternative: Roberto Pereyra- a big influence for Watford in the final third who face a Leicester City defence that has not been playing too well in the last few weeks.


Fulham v Chelsea Pick: For the third time this season a new face will be leading Fulham out in the Premier League and it looks a very difficult period for a rookie manager like Scott Parker to make an impact.

With 10 games to go and Fulham 10 points from safety it is going to be more than a miracle for them to survive. The fixture list is doing them no favours and Parker has a big test when taking charge against one of his former clubs this weekend.

The only positive for Fulham could be the potential new manager bounce that many clubs experience as the players looked to have lost all faith in Claudio Ranieri. Add to that the really poor form Chelsea have been on away from home and the inconsistencies with form and performance in any derby game and this could be a competitive fixture.

However it remains a long shot as Fulham have been miserable defensively all season and continue to ship goals at an alarming rate. Chelsea may not have scored in their last 3 away Premier League games, but they should be much more confident after two big performances against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur over the last week.

They are also facing a team much weaker than Arsenal, Bournemouth and Manchester City who have beaten Chelsea in their last 3 away Premier League games. Fulham have lost heavily to Arsenal and Manchester United, while Tottenham Hotspur have also won at Craven Cottage as Fulham have conceded at least twice in each of those games.

Fulham have been more competitive at home in general and I think Parker taking over the club will give them a positive feeling, but Chelsea should be too good. It might be wet in West London on Sunday afternoon, but the attacking players for the visitors should have a strong day in the office and I think Chelsea will win a game featuring three or more goals.

I considered backing them on the Asian Handicap, but Fulham could be more competitive than in recent weeks and a 1-2 scoreline would not surprise me in the slightest.

Fantasy Star: Gonzalo Higuain- has not scored since the double against Huddersfield Town, but he has looked like he is getting sharper all the time.

Alternative: Pedro- scored against Tottenham Hotspur during the week and was the focal point of Chelsea's 2-0 win over Fulham at Stamford Bridge.


Everton v Liverpool Pick: The final game of the Premier League weekend comes from Goodison Park where Everton will be hosting the latest Merseyside derby. Some will suggest this is the biggest game left for Everton as they look to dent their rivals' push for the title, but Everton have things to achieve this season like finishing 7th and possibly getting a spot in the Europa League for the next campaign.

Marco Silva has been under pressure in recent weeks as Everton suffered an upset in the FA Cup Fourth Round at Millwall and have been in pretty miserable form in the Premier League. The win over Cardiff City during the week will have eased some of the tensions at the club and there is no doubt the fans will be fully invested getting behind the team.

Liverpool also earned a morale boosting win during the week as they crushed Watford at home, but they seem to have something of an Indian Sign over that club. It is the third time in a row they have beaten Watford by a five goal margin at Anfield, but games at Goodison Park have been a battle for them in recent years.

They don't lose often here, but Liverpool have had to leave Goodison Park with a point in 5 of their last 7 visits. One of the exceptions was a game in which Sadio Mane scored in injury time to win 0-1 here, while the other was a 0-2 win where Jack Rodwell was sent off after 23 minutes and Liverpool struck twice in the final 20 minutes to win.

It has proven to be hard work and Everton should be fresh having had a 17 day break in the middle of this month and also having had an extra day to prepare for this fixture than Liverpool have had. In recent weeks Liverpool have just had a few issues in the final third in putting teams away and they have only won 1 of their last 5 away games in all competitions.

I would be keener on backing Everton if they had not lost 4 of their last 5 games at Goodison Park in the Premier League. Some of those losses have come by wide margins because they have conceded too many goals, but the squad is perhaps in a better place both mentally and physically for this fixture. They can cause problems for a Liverpool team who have not been entirely convincing defensively and I would be surprised if this is an easy day for the visitors.

Having a full goal start with Everton knowing the stake will be returned if they lose by a one goal margin looks the play here. In recent years they have proven to be a tough team to beat, while Marco Silva has managed Hull City to a home win over Liverpool and Watford to a home draw with this opponent in his time in England.

He has been under pressure at Goodison Park, but Marco Silva can earn himself some leeway from the fans by guiding Everton a big result here. It won't be easy if Liverpool have found their form, but Everton with the start looks the play.

Fantasy Star: Sadio Mane- the last time Liverpool won here it was thanks to a Sadio Mane injury time winner and a change in system could see him leading the line as he did in his two goal performance against Watford on Wednesday.

Alternative: Gylfi Sigurdsson- if Everton are going to dent Liverpool's title hopes, they need the best out of their Icelandic midfielder who also scored twice during the week.

Fantasy Advice

We are down to the final ten GameWeeks in the Official Fantasy Football game and this is the time of the season when mini-Leagues can be won and lost as we have to negotiate blank weeks and Double GameWeeks. Those will begin to have an impact later this month with the FA Cup Sixth Round in two weeks time meaning half of the Premier League fixtures have to be re-arranged for next month so preparation and best use of your Chips in the official game will make all the difference to winning and losing your Leagues.

Below I have identified some options for GameWeek 29 in another busy weekend in the Premier League from Saturday lunchtime through to Sunday late afternoon.

Goalkeeper 4.8 Million and Above

David De Gea (Manchester United- 5.7 Million): He looks the best placed of the top six clubs to earn a clean sheet this weekend.

Tom Heaton (Burnley- 4.8 Million): It was the first game that Tom Heaton has started and been on the losing side for over eighteen months during the week. Burnley have been solid enough at home to believe they can potentially keep a clean sheet this weekend.

Goalkeeper 4.7 Million and Below

Mat Ryan (Brighton- 4.4 Million): A home game with Huddersfield Town is always a good chance for a clean sheet even if Brighton have been struggling of late.

John Ruddy (Wolves- 4.2 Million): Nuno Espirito Santo announced John Ruddy as his starter ahead of Rui Patricio in preparation for his likely FA Cup Sixth Round appearance against Manchester United. Wolves host Cardiff City this weekend so a clean sheet opportunity is here.

Defender 5.1 Million and Above

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool- 5.3 Million): The assists created on Wednesday shows the attacking threat you can have by picking the England full back as well as a spot in the tough Liverpool defence.

Luke Shaw (Manchester United- 5.1 Million): Under the new manager at Manchester United Luke Shaw is finding his attacking potential again.

Defender 5 Million and Below

Ben Chilwell (Leicester City- 5 Million): I think Ben Chilwell could flourish under the system that Brendan Rodgers likes to employ and he could be a real source for assists going forward.

Jose Holebas (Watford- 4.8 Million): Another big source of assists and back in the Watford team after serving a two game suspension.

Lewis Dunk (Brighton- 4.4 Million): Same reason as Mat Ryan in the goalkeeper section, Brighton have a real chance for a rare clean sheet this weekend. His centre back partner Shane Duffy has been amongst the goals, but Lewis Dunk is capable of chipping in too and is a cheaper option.

Jeffrey Schlupp (Crystal Palace- 4.4 Million): A defender playing much further up the pitch and Jeffrey Schlupp has been in fine form with a goal and two assists in his last four Premier League games.

Midfielder 6.7 Million and Above

Raheem Sterling (Manchester City- 11.4 Million): Could be the main attacking option for Manchester City this weekend and has a wonderful record against Bournemouth.

Eden Hazard (Chelsea- 10.8 Million): Playing at Fulham who have been conceding goals for fun.

Midfielder 6.6 Million and Below

Pedro (Chelsea- 6.3 Million): If you don't want to invest too much in the Chelsea midfield and Eden Hazard, Pedro could be a much more reasonable pick having scored in the win over Fulham at Stamford Bridge.

Diogo Jota (Wolves- 6.1 Million): Came close to scoring at Bournemouth last week and will likely have one or two chances against Cardiff City.

Forward 6.8 Million and Above

Gonzalo Higuain (Chelsea- 9.5 Million): Has been looking sharper week by week, game by game and I would expect him to have some opportunities to score against this Fulham defence.

Jamie Vardy (Leicester City- 8.9 Million): Scored during the week and I think he could have a very strong end to this season under Brendan Rodgers.

Forward 6.7 Million and Below

Glenn Murray (Brighton- 6.3 Million): Brighton are still creating chances and I don't anticipate Glenn Murray to lack the composure he did when missing a glaring chance at Leicester City.

Solomon Rondon (Newcastle United- 5.8 Million): His value has been going up over the last couple of GameWeeks, but Solomon Rondon might still be value to free up funds elsewhere.

Troy Deeney (Watford- 5.8 Million): Has been anything but prolific, although I like the chances for Troy Deeney to get on the scoreboard against a Leicester City team who have conceded two or more goals in 3 of their last 4 away games.

MY PICKS: Tottenham Hotspur @ 2.10 Bet Victor
Manchester City - 1.75 Asian Handicap @ 1.80 Bet Fred
Brighton @ 1.85 Bet Victor
Burnley-Crystal Palace Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10 Bet Fred
Manchester United - 1 Asian Handicap @ 1.75 Bet Victor
Wolves & Over 1.5 Goals @ 1.85 Bet Fred
West Ham United-Newcastle United Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.05 Bet Victor
Watford-Leicester City Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.05 Betfair Sportsbook
Chelsea & Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.20 Bet365
Everton + 1 Asian Handicap @ 1.85 Bet Victor