Saturday’s Premier League match previews, team news, stats, predictions, kick-off time and how to follow | Football News

Team news, stats, predictions and how to follow the Premier League this weekend as Manchester United host Leicester on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.

Liverpool vs Watford – Saturday; kick-off 12.30pm

Team news: Trent Alexander-Arnold could make a surprise return for Liverpool in their lunchtime clash with Watford.

The full-back has made a quicker-than-expected recovery from a hamstring injury and boss Jurgen Klopp will decide whether to throw him straight back in.

Klopp’s only other concern is over midfielder Naby Keita (knee), who was unable to train on Thursday.

Watford will check on their returning internationals ahead of the trip to Anfield.

Winger Ismaila Sarr – fit again following a hamstring injury – helped Senegal beat Egypt after extra-time and penalties to qualify for the World Cup, while forward Joshua King scored a hat-trick as Norway thrashed Armenia.

Defender Nicolas Nkoulou is set to be available after completing his recovery from a long-term hamstring injury and midfielder Kwadwo Baah (ankle) has been stepping up his fitness work during the international break.

Jones Knows prediction

Roy Hodgson’s style of football has a habit of frustrating the opposition – but Jurgen Klopp’s teams rarely have problems against Roy’s low block.

Klopp has a perfect seven wins from seven matches against Hodgson, winning the last three by an aggregate score of 13-0. With such focus in their eyes in the pursuit of this Premier League title, it’s hard to see how timid Watford can truly trouble the hosts.

My instinct always draws me to opposing goals in the early kick-off on a Saturday as the atmosphere can sometimes take time to get going. The numbers do not overly back that theory up when assessing a large sample size, but seven of the last eight Premier League games to kick off at 12.30pm on a Saturday have seen the game produce under 2.5 goals.

Also, from the last 22 fixtures with a 12.30pm Saturday kick-off, 17 of those have only seen one of the teams score which does add further weight to the low-scoring game argument.

Liverpool’s overall goal output has decreased in the last few weeks, too. In their last seven games across all competitions, they have scored just eight goals as the swaggering, energy-sapping performances have been replaced by ‘job-done’ ones.

Adding the game to produce under 3.5 goals looks a smart way of backing Liverpool at a reasonable price.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-0 | BETTING ANGLE: Liverpool to win and under 3.5 goals (6/4 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats

• Liverpool have won 12 of their 13 home league games against Watford, with the exception being a 1-0 loss in August 1999. They’ve won the last six in a row against the Hornets at Anfield by an aggregate score of 22-1.
• Watford have taken just four points from their last 30 available against Liverpool in the Premier League (W1 D1 L8), drawing 3-3 in August 2017 and winning 3-0 in February 2020 (both at Vicarage Road).
• Liverpool have won each of their last nine Premier League home games, scoring 27 goals and conceding just twice in this run. The Reds are unbeaten in their last 18 league games at Anfield (W14 D4) since a 1-0 loss to Fulham in March 2021.
• Liverpool have won their last nine Premier League games, and victory here would see them become the second club to have five runs of 10+ consecutive wins in the competition, after Manchester City. It would also be Liverpool’s third such run in the Premier League under Jurgen Klopp, with only Pep Guardiola (4) leading his side to 10+ consecutive wins on more occasions in the competition.
• Watford have won eight points from their six Premier League away games under Roy Hodgson (W2 D2 L2), as many as they had from their previous 17 on the road in the competition (W2 D2 L13). The Hornets won 2-1 at Southampton last time out, but haven’t won consecutive away top-flight games since a run of three in September 2017.
• This will be the 19th time a manager who has previously taken charge of Liverpool in the Premier League will face them at Anfield in the competition. Just one of the previous instances has ended in a victory (D3 L14), with that coming for current Watford boss Roy Hodgson while at West Brom in April 2012.

How to follow: Follow Liverpool vs Watford in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

Brighton vs Norwich – Saturday; kick-off 3pm – PLAY £1million SUPER 6 HERE!

Team news: Brighton are still without defender Adam Webster and midfielder Adam Lallana. The pair are nearing returns from groin and hamstring injuries respectively, but the visit of the struggling Canaries, who have lost their last six league games, comes too soon.

Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo is out of contention after returning late from international duty due to illness, but Argentina’s Alexis Mac Allister is fit despite a knock in World Cup qualifying.

Norwich will hand a late fitness test to American striker Josh Sargent, who rolled his ankle in training.

Grant Hanley (Covid-19) and Christoph Zimmermann (eye infection) will be available again, but Brandon Williams (ankle) and Max Aarons (hamstring/illness) are still not fully fit.

Ozan Kabak, on a season loan from Schalke, suffered a potentially serious hamstring injury while on international duty. Forward Adam Idah (knee) and centre-half Andrew Omobamidele (back) continue their own rehabilitation.

Jones Knows prediction

If Graham Potter is to reach the places he’s expected to go as a manager by the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, then his Brighton team need to snap out of their current malaise of winning just three of their last 24 Premier League games.

Potter’s side have lost each of their last six games, scoring just one goal in that run and averaging just two shots on target per 90 minutes. Those chances created have equated to an expected goals figure of just 5.8 in those six matches.

It’s a worrying downward trend for Potter, whose team has averaged over 1.2 expected goals per 90 minutes since he took the job. For that average to drop below 1.0 in a run of fixtures that has included Aston Villa, Burnley and Newcastle is a worry.

Even up against the worst team in the Premier League here, they are not to be trusted at 4/9 with Sky Bet.

Norwich are also woeful in front of goal, though, scoring just eight goals on the road in their 14 away games this season. When assessing both teams’ recent fixtures, there have only been five goals scored in their last 12 matches combined. That makes the 0-0 a definite runner.

SCORE PREDICTION: 0-0 (10/1 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats

• Brighton have kept a clean sheet in all three of their Premier League meetings with Norwich, winning two and drawing one.
• Norwich have lost their last two away league games against Brighton, going down 5-0 in October 2016 and 2-0 in November 2019. The Canaries had won their previous four visits to the Seagulls between 2002 and 2015.
• Brighton have never won a Premier League game in April in 14 attempts (D7 L7). Only Hull City (16 in May) have played more games in a specific month without ever winning in the competition’s history.
• For the third time this season, Norwich are on a six-game losing streak in the Premier League. Only twice before have the Canaries lost more consecutive games within a single Premier League campaign – seven in April/May 1995, and 10 between March and July 2020.
• Brighton have lost each of their last six Premier League games, scoring just one goal in that run. The Seagulls haven’t lost seven consecutive league games since a run of 12 between August and October 2002 in the second tier.
• Both Brighton and Norwich have lost their last six Premier League games – this will be the third ever Premier League meeting between two sides on 6+ game losing streaks, after Sunderland 1-2 West Bromwich Albion (April 2003) and Sheffield United 1-1 Fulham (October 2020).

How to follow: Follow Brighton vs Norwich in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

Burnley vs Manchester City – Saturday; kick-off 3pm – PLAY £1million SUPER 6 HERE!

Team news: Burnley skipper Ben Mee will miss out again when Premier League leaders Manchester City visit Turf Moor on Saturday.

Mee continues to recover from the injury that has kept him out of the last two games, while fellow centre-back Nathan Collins serves a one-game ban after his sending off in the 2-0 loss to Brentford.

Full-back Erik Pieters (knee), midfielder Johann Berg Gudmundsson (calf) and forward Matej Vydra (elbow) are also still unavailable.

Manchester City defender John Stones has been passed fit following his withdrawal from the England squad as a precaution last week.

That comes as good news for City with fellow centre-back Ruben Dias still sidelined with a thigh problem.

Youngster Cole Palmer (foot) is City’s only other notable absentee with goalkeeper Ederson having overcome the illness that prevented him linking up with Brazil during the international break.

Jones Knows prediction

In the last nine fixtures between these two teams in all competitions, Manchester City can boast a 32-1 aggregate scoreline. This may seem a fiddly test for Pep Guardiola’s men but they always run the Turf Moor gauntlet with the right attitude.

I’ll be leaving the match markets well alone as City are 1/5 with Sky Bet, and instead I’ll be playing the cards market with Burnley to pick up more cards than Manchester City an odds-on poke (4/5 with Sky Bet) to give serious consideration to.

Burnley’s style of play does not generate much action for opposition players getting booked. They lack any sort of pace on the counter-attack, usually bypassing midfield with their play, so chances for a desperate lunge or a cynical foul are thin on the ground. In their last 16 games, they have drawn 16 yellow cards from their opponents, leaving their average as the lowest for opposition cards won of any team in the Premier League during that period.

City do not exactly rack up the cards either, but in a game where they are bound to dominate possession and get Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling into dangerous positions, just one card for Burnley should be enough for them to win the cards race.

SCORE PREDICTION: 0-2 | BETTING ANGLE: Burnley to pick up most booking points (4/5 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats

• After taking five points from their first 12 available against Manchester City in the Premier League (W1 D2 L1), Burnley have taken just one point from their subsequent 33 available against them (D1 L10).
• Manchester City have won their last nine meetings with Burnley in all competitions by an aggregate score of 32-1. The Citizens have had six runs of 10+ consecutive victories against an opponent, with the most recent game in five of those coming during Pep Guardiola’s time in charge.
• Manchester City have won 24 of their last 26 Premier League games against sides starting the day in the relegation zone, with the exceptions being a 3-2 loss at Norwich in September 2019 and a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion in December 2020.
• Burnley have lost their last three Premier League games by an aggregate score of 8-0, despite being level at half-time in all three. They last lost four consecutive league games without scoring a single goal back in May 2015.
• Manchester City’s goalless draw against Crystal Palace last time out was the fourth time this season they’ve failed to score in the Premier League. The Citizens last failed to score in more league games within a single campaign back in 2016-17 (5).
• Manchester City are the only side yet to drop a single point from a winning position in the Premier League this season, winning all 22 games in which they’ve led. No side has ever gone through an entire Premier League campaign without dropping points when ahead before.
• Manchester City have had 685 open play sequences of 10+ passes in the Premier League this season, at least 187 more than any other side. Meanwhile, Burnley are the only side yet to have reached triple figures for such sequences this term (66).

How to follow: Follow Burnley vs Manchester City in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

Chelsea vs Brentford – Saturday; kick-off 3pm – PLAY £1million SUPER 6 HERE!

Team news: Callum Hudson-Odoi will miss Chelsea‘s Premier League clash with Brentford on Saturday.

The Blues winger continues to battle an Achilles issue and has also suffered lower-back pain.

Reece James can return after hamstring issues to boost the Blues, with Christian Pulisic likely to be involved despite a hectic international schedule with the United States.

Brentford remain without Josh Dasilva after he sustained a minor hamstring injury in training.

The midfielder, who only recently returned from a long-term hip issue, was sent off against Newcastle in February but while he has now served his three-match suspension, the Arsenal academy graduate is set for another spell on the sidelines.

Julian Jeanvier (knee) stepped up his recovery with an appearance for the B-team last month but is not yet in contention which is also the case for Tarique Fosu-Henry (hamstring).

Jones Knows prediction

Brentford’s season has sparked back into life with the arrival of Christian Eriksen and return to form of Ivan Toney.

However, Chelsea are peaking at just the right time. The Premier League may have slipped, but such is Thomas Tuchel’s record in cup competitions you would not be surprised to see Chelsea in both FA Cup and Champions League finals come the end of the campaign. Tuchel’s formula is all about structure and Chelsea’s at the moment is rock solid, led by the simply masterful Thiago Silva.

Brentford are going to have to create something very special to score past a defence that has conceded just once in the last five games and just 11 times from open play all season – no team has conceded fewer. A Chelsea win to nil at Evens with Sky Bet makes perfect sense.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-0 | BETTING ANGLE: Chelsea to win to nil (Evens with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

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• Chelsea are unbeaten in their last eight meetings with Brentford in all competitions (W7 D1), since a 3-1 home loss in February 1939.
• This is Brentford’s first visit to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since a 4-0 defeat in the 2016-17 FA Cup fourth round. This will be the Bees’ first away league game against the Blues since November 1946 – a 3-2 defeat.
• Chelsea have won six of their seven Premier League London derbies this season, with the exception being a 3-2 loss at West Ham. That defeat accounts for all goals conceded in London derby matches for the Blues this season.
• Chelsea have won their last five Premier League games, last winning more consecutively between September and November 2019 (6).
• Brentford are averaging 1.3 points-per-game in the Premier League against sides starting the day in the bottom half of the table (W6 D4 L7), compared to 0.4 against sides in the top half (W1 D2 L9). This excludes their opening day victory against Arsenal.
• Having kept two clean sheets and conceding just one goal in their first three Premier League away games, Brentford have now conceded in each of their last 12 on the road – the longest current run without an away clean sheet in the competition.
• No side has scored more goals from outside the box in the Premier League than Chelsea this season (8), while Brentford have conceded more goals from distance than any other side this term (10).

How to follow: Follow Chelsea vs Brentford in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

Leeds vs Southampton – Saturday; kick-off 3pm – PLAY £1million SUPER 6 HERE!

Team news: Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper are both in contention to start Leeds‘ home game against Southampton.

Phillips and skipper Cooper have been out since December with hamstring injuries and it remains to be seen if either will play the full 90 minutes.

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier, Mateusz Klich and Diego Llorente, who were all forced out of the recent win at Wolves, are also available, but Patrick Bamford has been ruled out for six weeks after aggravating a long-term foot injury.

Southampton trio Oriol Romeu, Will Smallbone and Nathan Tella are expected to be in contention at Elland Road.

Midfielders Romeu and Smallbone have overcome a stomach issue and coronavirus respectively, while winger Tella has shrugged off a groin problem.

Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy has returned to light training following a hamstring injury sustained in December but is unlikely to be involved, while defender Lyanco remains sidelined with a similar issue.

Jones Knows prediction

Leeds showed at Wolves why they won’t be going down this season. It was a performance level akin to Everton, Watford, Burnley and Norwich, but what they have in abundance is team unity and spirit to get results out of nothing.

Jesse Marsch has tightened them up slightly, but his workings will be judged next season when he’s had time to shape his squad. This game screams draw to me.

I’ll be once again having an interest in the attacking performance of Kyle Walker-Peters. The full-back is given a huge amount of licence to get forward in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s system and will be feeling good about himself, having made his England debut at Wembley last weekend.

He has managed a shot in six of his last nine starts, including firing three against Manchester City in the FA Cup, three against Everton and four at home to Norwich.

Against Leeds – a team that have shipped the second most shots on goal this season (458) – I will be very surprised if he doesn’t manage at least one shot at a very generous 4/5 with Sky Bet, especially if he plays down the left where he can cut in on his right foot.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1 | BETTING ANGLE: Kyle Walker-Peters to have a shot (4/5 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats

• Leeds have lost just one of their 13 Premier League home games against Southampton (W7 D5), going down 1-0 in February 1998 thanks to a David Hirst goal.
• Southampton are looking to complete the league double over Leeds for the first time in the top-flight since the 1981-82 campaign, winning 4-0 at home and 3-1 away back then.
• After a run of seven defeats in eight league games (D1), Leeds have won their last two, both courtesy of a 90th minute winning goal. It’s the third time Leeds have won consecutive Premier League games thanks to a 90th minute winner, but no side has ever done so in three consecutive games before.
• Southampton have lost each of their last three Premier League games, having lost just two of their 13 before this (W5 D6). They last lost more consecutively in January/February 2021 (6).
• Leeds have lost seven of their 15 Premier League home games this season – only in 1995-96 (8) and 2002-03 (9) have they lost more at Elland Road in a single campaign in the competition.
• Leeds have conceded at least once in each of their last 16 Premier League games, the longest current run without a clean sheet in the competition. It’s the Whites’ longest run without a league shutout since a run of 17 between October 2004 and January 2005.
• Leeds have conceded more goals than any other Premier League side this season (67), though they have an expected goals against tally of 59.8. The Whites have conceded around seven goals more than their xG against suggests, the biggest such difference in the Premier League this season.

How to follow: Follow Leeds vs Southampton in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

Wolves vs Aston Villa – Saturday; kick-off 3pm – PLAY £1million SUPER 6 HERE!

Team news: Wolves are without Raul Jimenez and Ruben Neves for the visit of Aston Villa.

Striker Jimenez is banned after his red card in the defeat to Leeds before the international break while Neves is out until May with a knee injury.

Nelson Semedo is back after a hamstring injury but Ki-Jana Hoever (hamstring) remains sidelined for the hosts.

Aston Villa are nearly at full strength for their derby trip to Molineux.

Marvelous Nakamba remains out with a knee injury but is stepping up his recovery by playing in the U23s.

Lucas Digne played 90 minutes in France’s 5-0 win over South Africa on Tuesday following a hamstring injury and is expected to feature.

Jones Knows prediction

As rivalries go, this one would not hold a candle to many across the world – but with both Birmingham and West Brom down in the Sky Bet Championship, this game does feel a bit spicier. Fans need a derby fix and this clash provides it.

And recent history of meetings at Molineux do paint the picture of some bad blood. In the past two games, there have been 21 yellows and two red cards shown.

Steven Gerrard likes his Villa team to compete aggressively all over the pitch, too. Since his appointment, only Leeds’ games have produced a higher total cards per 90 minutes than Villa’s overall average of 4.5.

That seems a fair line for booking points for this encounter, especially with Darren England in charge. In five of his last 15 games, England has dished out six cards or more. I like the look of this one going the same way in a very tight but full-blooded encounter.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1 | BETTING ANGLE: 50 or more booking points (11/10 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

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• Wolves have won three of their last five Premier League games against Aston Villa (D1 L1), as many as they had in their previous 26 top-flight meetings with the Villans (W3 D9 L14).
• Aston Villa won this exact fixture 1-0 last season, last winning consecutive away games against Wolves in January 2012.
• Wolves could become already the fifth club to win both of their Premier League meetings with Aston Villa this season, after Arsenal, Chelsea, Watford and West Ham. Coming into this weekend’s games, only Norwich (5) and Watford (5) have had more teams do the double over them than Aston Villa (4) this term.
• Wolves have lost four of their last six Premier League games (W2), as many as they had in their previous 19 (W11 D4). Wolves have also conceded eight goals in these six games, as many as they’d shipped in their previous 14.
• Aston Villa have lost consecutive Premier League games for the third time under Steven Gerrard, but have yet to lose three in a row since he joined the club in November. Seven of the Villans’ eight league defeats under Gerrard have been by a single goal, with the exception being a 3-1 home loss to Chelsea.
• Since their return to the Premier League in 2018, Wolves have lost more games thanks to 90th minute winning goals than any other side (8). Three of those defeats have been this season, with only Watford in 2017-18 (4) ever losing more such games within a single Premier League campaign.
• Wolves have conceded just 6.9% of their shots faced in the Premier League this season (26 goals conceded from 377 shots), the lowest such rate in the division.

How to follow: Follow Wolves vs Aston Villa in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

Manchester United vs Leicester – Saturday; kick-off 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports from 5pm

Team news: Edinson Cavani will miss Manchester United‘s home match against Leicester on Saturday after picking up a fresh injury problem while on international duty.

Ralf Rangnick said he expected the 35-year-old, who has played only three times since January, to miss a further two weeks after the setback.

Luke Shaw, who was missing with Covid-19 prior to the international break, is expected to be fit after featuring for England in both of their matches, scoring against Switzerland last week.

Wilfred Ndidi has been ruled out for the rest of the season by Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers.

The midfielder suffered a knee injury in the Europa Conference League win over Rennes which has required surgery.

Jamie Vardy, Danny Ward and Ryan Bertrand (all knee) are all out for the Foxes while Luke Thomas (hamstring) is a major doubt. Jonny Evans (hamstring) is available to face his former club and Marc Albrighton (groin) is also fit again.

Jones Knows prediction

The fact Leicester are bigger than 5/1 with Sky Bet to beat a flaky Manchester United side tells you all you need to know about how drastically their numbers have dropped this season. This is a team that have beaten United in their last three meetings but there is absolutely no market confidence behind them.

It’s to do with their staggeringly bad performance metrics, using the expected goals model that have them actually battling relegation this season rather than challenging towards the top six.

Only Burnley have faced more shots per game, and only Norwich have conceded a higher expected goals figure per game this season. The advanced data shows Leicester to be one of the more fortunate teams this season too, picking up 11 more points than their performance data has expected.

Despite winning three of their last four games, performances remain average with Brentford – one of the worst travellers in the Premier League – very unfortunate not to take something from their recent clash, creating an expected goals figure of 1.79 in their 2-1 defeat.

One thing Manchester United do possess is ruthless quality in the final third, so if Leicester continue to offer up chances at their current rate, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes – all of which are in good form – should find a pathway to goal.

Sancho’s shots on target prices have caught my eye.

The United winger looks in fine fettle playing off the left, scoring twice in his last five starts and seems very confident in his role under Ralf Rangnick.

In those five starts, he has managed six shots on target, registering at least one in every game. As mentioned, Leicester are an easy team to open up and in matches against the traditional ‘big six’ this season, they have faced an average of 7.5 shots on target per 90 minutes. I would be quite confident that Sancho can be responsible for one of those at 4/6 with Sky Bet and even his price of 7/2 with Sky Bet for two shots on target is worth chancing.

SCORE PREDICTION: 3-1 | BETTING ANGLE: Jadon Sancho to have a shot on target (4/6 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats

• Manchester United have lost their last three meetings with Leicester in all competitions, as many as they had in their previous 36 against them (W24 D9). They’ve never lost four in a row against the Foxes before.
• Leicester won this exact fixture 2-1 last season – they’ve never won consecutive away league games against Manchester United before.
• Following their 4-2 win against Manchester United in the reverse fixture, Leicester are looking to complete just their second top-flight double over the Red Devils, previously doing so in 1973-74.
• Manchester United have lost two of their last three games in all competitions (W1), having lost just one of their previous 20 following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s departure from the club (W10 D9).
• Leicester City have lost five of their last six Premier League away games (W1), as many as they had in their previous 26 on the road since the start of last season (W13 D8).

How to follow: Watch Manchester United vs Leicester live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, or follow in our dedicated live match blog featuring in-game highlights. Full match highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel at the final whistle.

Saturday 2nd April 5:00pm


Kick off 5:30pm

West Ham vs Everton – Sunday; kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports from 1pm

Team news: West Ham will assess Manuel Lanzini ahead of the visit of Everton.

The Argentina midfielder was involved in a car crash on Thursday but escaped injury.

Jarrod Bowen and Vladimir Coufal could return after spells out injured.

Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is set to make his first start in a month after returning to full fitness.

Midfielder Fabian Delph, who has been out since mid-December with a thigh problem, is still at least a week away from fitness while centre-back Yerry Mina, sidelined for two months also with a thigh issue, will not be back for another fortnight at best.

Allan serves the second game of a three-match suspension and winger Andros Townsend’s season has been ended by a knee injury.

Jones Knows prediction

Regular readers will know I have been keen to take West Ham on in recent weeks due to their lack of strength in depth, over-reliance on Michail Antonio and busy Europa League schedule.

Not this weekend, though. West Ham look a huge price to me at 3/4 with Sky Bet.

Antonio has had a full week to refresh ahead of a big week for the Hammers that sees them play Lyon at the London Stadium on Thursday. He should be at full throttle here, having been left out of Jamaica’s squad over the international break.

Antonio’s impact when well rested for West Ham is gigantic.

On the last 22 occasions where Antonio has had a rest period of seven days or more between games, West Ham have won 17 games, losing just two of those. Those defeats were a totally understandable defeat away at Manchester City and a 3-2 home defeat to Southampton on Boxing Day where Antonio scored and the Hammers won the expected goals battle in a positive performance.

The last time Antonio was afforded some time off and missed meeting up with Jamaica was in September, which subsequently coincided with a four-game winning run for West Ham, that included victories over Tottenham and Liverpool.

Furthermore, Antonio’s personal record after a break seems to spike. In those aforementioned 22 matches, the striker has racked up 18 goal involvements (10 goals, eight assists) suggesting that his performance level increases after being able to rest his overworked limbs.

It takes a well-organised and defensively disciplined side to cause David Moyes’ team problems, which is something Everton are not, and I’m expecting a dominant showing from the Hammers, with Antonio at the forefront.

Everton crumble defensively under minimal pressure and do not possess the backbone to pick up points away from home in the Premier League. They have the worst away record in the Premier League, with just six points taken from 13 games, the only win coming at Brighton. They are without a win in 11 away Premier League games, taking just two points from 33 available.

Frank Lampard has not helped matters, either in terms of defensive structure on the road, conceding 14 goals in his four away games in charge across all competitions. Moyes will have noted that nine of those goals came via crosses into the Everton penalty area. West Ham have scored 13 goals from crosses this season – no team have scored more via that route. Antonio will be licking his lips at ending his 10-game Premier League drought.

SCORE PREDICTION: 3-0 | BETTING ANGLE: Michail Antonio to score first (11/2 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!

JONES KNOWS BEST BET: Michail Antonio to score and West Ham to win (11/4 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats

• Following their 1-0 win at Goodison Park in October, West Ham are looking to complete their first league double over Everton since the 1972-73 campaign.
• Everton have lost just one of their last 13 Premier League away games against West Ham (W8 D4), going down 3-1 in May 2018. Indeed, the Toffees have won more Premier League away games against the Hammers than they have at any other side (12).
• West Ham have lost two of their last three Premier League games (W1), as many as they had in their previous nine. However, at home the Hammers are looking to secure three consecutive league wins for the first time in over a year (March 2021).
• Everton have won fewer away points than any other side in the Premier League this season (6). The Toffees are currently without a win in 11 away league games (D2 L9), their longest such run without a win since a run of 16 between February and December 2017.
• Everton are winless in nine Premier League games played on a Sunday, losing eight of those (D1). Away from home, the Toffees have won just four of their last 36 league games on Sundays (D6 L26), though all of those victories have been against London clubs (QPR, Tottenham, Fulham and West Ham).
• West Ham have scored 49 goals in their 30 Premier League games this season, their most at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 1983-84 (also 49). The Hammers’ next goal will see them net 50+ goals in consecutive top-flight seasons for the first time since doing so in six straight campaigns between 1981-82 and 1986-87.
• Everton have lost their last five away games in all competitions, last losing six in a row in March 2018. They’ve lost their last two by 5-0 and 4-0 scorelines – they’ve never lost three consecutively on the road by 4+ goals before.
• West Ham have won a league-high 13 points from losing positions in the Premier League this season, also winning a league-high four games from behind this term. The Hammers’ haven’t won five Premier League games from behind in a single campaign since 2005-06.

How to follow: Watch West Ham vs Everton live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, or follow in our dedicated live match blog featuring in-game highlights. Full match highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel at the final whistle.

Sunday 3rd April 1:00pm


Kick off 2:00pm

Tottenham vs Newcastle – Sunday; kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports from 4pm

Team news: Tottenham defender Ben Davies will be fit for the visit of Newcastle.

The Wales international cut short his stay with his national team after feeling a muscle injury but he has recovered in time to play.

Oliver Skipp (groin) and Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring) will return to first-team training.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will make late checks on returning international trio Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes and Miguel Almiron.

The New Zealand, Brazil and Paraguay stars all endured gruelling journeys back to Tyneside and will be assessed before the game.

Keeper Martin Dubravka (illness) and defender Fabian Schar (groin) are expected to be fit, while midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has recovered from illness, but there are fresh Covid-19 cases within the camp and defenders Federico Fernandez (muscle), Kieran Tripper (fractured metatarsal) and striker Callum Wilson (Achilles/calf) remain on the sidelines.

Jones Knows prediction

Tottenham know a two-goal win will take them into the top four before Arsenal play Crystal Palace on Monday Night Football. It would be the first time the club have been in the top four in the final two months of a season since finishing fourth in the 18/19 campaign.

He has had bumps in the road, but Antonio Conte is showing why he is one of the best operators in world football. Spurs are proving hard to score against and deadly in attack. It’s a simple combination that looks set to take them closer to the top three next season once Conte adds more quality into understrength areas of his starting XI.

Spurs have taken 21 points from 12 games in 2022 – only Liverpool (28) taken more points this calendar year. And although Newcastle are a tougher nut to crack these days, they are still quite far away from being able to compete with a top Premier League team on the road.

I fancy Spurs to win quite comfortably and Sergio Reguilon to score. The Spaniard doesn’t look to have the trust of Conte just yet, but he’s managed to force his way into the side in the left wing-back slot that does provide plenty of licence for that player to join attacks.

In his last two starts, he has had five shots with two of those on targets which has generated an expected goals figure of 0.74. In a game at home against a team they are 1/2 with Sky Bet to beat, his 6/1 anytime scorer odds are just too big to pass up.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-0 | BETTING ANGLE: Sergio Reguilon to score (6/1 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats

• Tottenham have won just two of their last seven Premier League home games against Newcastle (D1 L4), and haven’t scored more than once in any of these seven meetings.
• Since their return to the Premier League in 2017, Newcastle have won just one of their nine league meetings with Tottenham (D2 L6), though that victory did come away from home in August 2019 (1-0).
• Tottenham have won four of their last five Premier League games (L1), having lost four of their five before that (W1). Spurs have scored at least twice in all five of these games, last doing so in more consecutive league matches between February and April 2017 (7).
• Following a nine-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, Newcastle have now lost their last two. Both of these defeats have been by a 1-0 scoreline, with the winning goals being scored in the 89th and 90th minute respectively.
• Newcastle haven’t conceded more than once in any of their last 11 Premier League games, shipping eight goals in that time. Only twice have they had a longer such run in the competition – 18 games between November 2003-March 2004, and 12 games between March and August 1997.
• Tottenham have benefitted from six own goals in the Premier League this season, at least three times as many as any other side. Only two teams have ever benefitted from more in a single campaign – Swansea City in 2013-14 (8) and Manchester United in 2009-10 (10).

How to follow: Watch Tottenham vs Newcastle live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, or follow in our dedicated live match blog featuring in-game highlights. Full match highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel at the final whistle.

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal – Monday; kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports from 7pm

Team news: Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira could be without Wilfried Zaha for his side’s Premier League clash against Arsenal on Monday.

The Ivory Coast international is a doubt after he was ruled out of his country’s 3-0 defeat against England with a hamstring injury.

Michael Olise could be absent after he withdrew from France’s U21 squad with a foot problem, while Nathan Ferguson (hamstring) is also facing a race against time to be fit for the visit of Mikel Arteta’s side.

Bukayo Saka should be fit to feature for Arsenal after missing England’s friendlies following a positive coronavirus test.

Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was also forced to withdraw from the Three Lions squad with a hip injury which is expected to keep him sidelined this week.

Takehiro Tomiyasu is back in training following a calf issue and could come into the side.

Jones Knows prediction

Since the Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Gabriel axis was formed four games into the season, Arsenal have scored 14 first-half goals in their last 11 away Premier League matches. Only Liverpool have scored more – and that’s despite the Gunners playing two games less than the majority of their rivals.

Mikel Arteta instructs his team to play aggressively from the off and that is seen by 11 of their 14 first-half goals away from home coming before the 30th minute. That is the most scored in that period when assessing away games, along with Liverpool.

Arsenal have won their last five Premier League away games, scoring 14 goals and have led at the break in their last six – the only blip being the second-half collapse at Everton.

Palace are a tough nut to crack at home, but do have a tendency of starting very slowly in matches. They have failed to score in the first half of 10 of their 15 home matches, including against Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea. All of this adds up to Arsenal being in front at the break at 13/8 with Sky Bet looking like a solid play.

Whether they can hold on and remain in pole position to finish in a Champions League place will be all about their ability to see the game out in the second period. I have faith.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2 | BETTING ANGLE: Arsenal to be winning at half-time (7/4 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats

• Crystal Palace have won just one of their last nine Premier League games against Arsenal (D5 L3), with five of the last seven meetings between the sides ending level (W1 L1).
• Arsenal have lost just one of their last 16 away league games against Crystal Palace (W8 D7), though that defeat did come in a Monday night game back in April 2017 (0-3).
• Crystal Palace have won just one of their last 15 Premier League games on a Monday (D6 L8), winning 2-1 at Brighton in February 2021. The Eagles have drawn all three of their Monday games this season, including the reverse fixture against Arsenal in October (2-2).
• Arsenal lost their last Monday league match 2-1 at Everton. The Gunners haven’t lost consecutive Premier League games on a Monday since 2010 (vs Blackburn in May and Man Utd in December), while they last did so in the same season in 1995-96 (vs Bolton and Sheffield Wednesday).
• Crystal Palace have won just one of their last 17 Premier League London derby matches (D8 L8), beating Tottenham 3-0 in September this season. The Eagles have never beaten both Arsenal and Spurs within the same league campaign before.
• After losing their first two London derby matches this season, Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four in the Premier League (W3 D1). The Gunners are looking to win three consecutive London derbies in the league for the first time since March 2015.
• So far in 2022, Crystal Palace have failed to win any of their five Premier League home games (D2 L3), while in the FA Cup the Eagles have won all three at Selhurst Park by an aggregate score of 8-1. Only Watford (8) and Brighton (6) are on longer winless home runs in the Premier League than Palace.
• Arsenal have won each of their last five Premier League away games. They last won more consecutively on the road between March and September 2013 (8), while they last did so within the same season between January and May 2002 (also 8).

Monday 4th April 7:00pm


Kick off 8:00pm

How to follow: Watch Crystal Palace vs Arsenal live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, or follow in our dedicated live match blog featuring in-game highlights. Full match highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel at the final whistle.

How to watch Premier League highlights on Sky Sports Digital

Anybody in the UK can watch highlights for free on the Sky Sports app or the Score Centre app on your iPhone or Android:

To watch the highlights on the Sky Sports App, download the app:

Sky Sports’ digital platforms are the home of live blogs for every Premier League game, including commentary, analysis and team line-ups. Users with a free Sky ID can watch in-game clips from Sky live games in our dedicated live blogs.

Latest Essential Football Podcast

Premier League preview: Can Liverpool make it 10 wins in a row? Is Leicester clash must-win for Man Utd? Will the pressure get to Arsenal?

The Premier League is back! Joining Ron Walker on the Essential Football Podcast this week is Sky Sports senior football journalist Richard Morgan, as well as digital football writer Joe Shread, to discuss the talking points worth keeping an eye on in this weekend’s games.

PART ONE | The panel ponder whether Liverpool’s early start against Watford will hinder them, if Man City should worry about their defensive injuries, whether a partially-filled Stamford Bridge will affect Chelsea, if Leeds can Marsch on again and ask if Man Utd’s Saturday Night Football clash with Leicester is must-win for Ralf Rangnick.

PART TWO | The panel look ahead to Super Sunday and how Everton turn their fortunes around at West Ham, and whether Newcastle will cut short Spurs’ recent good form in north London. The group also preview Arsenal’s trip to Crystal Palace on Monday Night Football, and give us their shouts about who faces the biggest weekend – and a Premier League prediction for the matchday.