The Premier League title race edges a little closer to the finish line this weekend with favourites Manchester City taking on Everton today at Goodison Park, a ground where they have a poor record.
Andy Gray and Richard Keys, who front beIN Sports’ EPL coverage, give their verdict on this and the other games.
Andy Gray: There will be 40,000 Everton fans, including myself as a former player, who, for one day, and one day only, will not be too concerned if Manchester City should happen to beat Everton.
But I can tell you this – every player who pulls on that blue shirt tonight will go out there and try their very best to win, no matter that beating City may well hand the title to their Merseyside rivals Liverpool.
It’s a bit like 1995 when Kenny Dalglish took Blackburn who were fighting Man United for the title to Anfield and everyone thought Liverpool would do Kenny a favour such was the history they have together but they beat them.
Luckily for Blackburn, United failed to beat West Ham so they won the title but it is just an illustration that doing other teams a favour is not a consideration as far as the players are concerned.
If Man City are not good enough to beat Everton then they will lose, it’s a simple as that.
Everton, having lost to Southampton last week, have finally conceded that fourth place is beyond them and they might have taken their foot off the gas just a touch but the players know the eyes of the football world will be on them and any sign that they are giving anything less than 100 per cent will be jumped on.
There is no doubt in my mind that if City win this match the title is theirs. Their record at Goodison is not great but this is a City side with the smell of a title in their nostrils and that always changes the way a team performs and they are more than good enough win this.
Everton have had a great season, although it has fallen away a bit, and they will want to finish it on a high particularly as this is the last home game of the campaign.
City know they must take nine points from their last three games to be sure of the title. This is their last away match and then they have two at home against Aston Villa and West Ham which you would expect them to win.
They will try and dominate play from the off by keeping possession of the ball and creating chances and having Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero back is a massive boost. Everton are not the side they were a couple of months ago and I can see City wrapping up the title with a 2-1 win.
Richard Keys: If City win this then the title is theirs, but I think they will have to settle for a draw. Everton have a couple of injury problems and they will be without Gareth Barry because he cannot play against his parent club which I think is ridiculous.
This is a title deciding game and Everton’s most influential player can’t play in it. He has been brilliant for Everton this season and the fact that he has to sit this one out is another example of how the loan system is wrong.
They need to either stop lending players to each other in the Premier League or just get on with it and allow them to play in every game. As Andy says, there is no chance of any Everton player not giving 100 per cent today.
If City win the title it will because of their own best efforts not because Everton pulled up short against them.
I think this game will end all square because it is at Goodison Park where City tend to struggle and they remain vulnerable at the back. Joe Hart and their defenders are City’s Achilles heel and I think Everton are good enough to take advantage of that.
On the face of it City should win but what they should have done this season and what they have actually done are two different things. We expected the title race to go to plan last week but Chelsea surprised us at Liverpool and I think there will be another twist.
I’m going for a 2-2 draw which will hold up City’s title charge but not necessarily kill it off.
CHELSEA v NORWICH
AG: It will be interesting to see Chelsea’s reaction after they crashed out of Europe in midweek in a game when I thought they were pretty poor. Norwich will be hoping there is a hangover from that defeat but Jose Mourinho will want his players to bounce back and give the Stamford Bridge crowd something to cheer about. 3-0 Chelsea
RK: This will be the usual, functional, dull but effective performance from Chelsea. For me, this Chelsea team has never been one that Mourinho would enjoy managing and I can see many of the current players leaving in the summer. However, they will have too much for a poor Norwich side. 2-0.
CRYSTAL PALACE v LIVERPOOL
AG: You would expect Liverpool to win this on Monday but one of the things they should be wary of is the fact that Palace were so poor against Man City last week. Tony Pulis will ensure that doesn’t happen again so they will be refocused but Liverpool should have too much for them. 2-1 away win.
RK: I think Palace might have enough to stop Liverpool. This is their last home game of the season and Liverpool may have suffered terminal psychological damage in that defeat against Chelsea. I can see this ending 1-1.
MAN UNITED v SUNDERLAND
AG: Sunderland have had a fabulous run of results and although United were ok last week I don’t buy into claims that they are back to their best. However, I think they are the better team and will see off Sunderland 2-0.
RK: The euphoria that surrounded Ryan Giggs’ debut as interim manager was inevitable but for United fans to actually believe that because they beat Norwich 4-0 he is the answer to all their problems is a nonsense. Sunderland are a gritty bunch and United still aren’t very good so I reckon this has 1-1 written all over it.
WEST HAM v TOTTENHAM
AG: Tim Sherwood will want to finish the season with a couple of wins so he can hand the club over to whoever comes in to replace him knowing he has done a good job. West Ham’s season has drifted a bit but I think they can rough Spurs up a bit and win 1-0.
RK: I think this comes into the category of ‘who cares?’ It’s got nothing riding on it, the farce at Spurs has come to a less than climatic finish and we all know that Sam Allardyce will leave West Ham in the summer. 2-1 Spurs.
ASTON VILLA v HULL
AG: Hull proved last week that the FA Cup final is not really a distraction for them and they are good enough to go to Villa Park and get a draw. 1-1.
RK: Paul Lambert is another manager who will be shown the door at the end of the season. Villa fans are sick of being told that Villa have played well when they haven’t. Hull will win this 1-0.
NEWCASTLE v CARDIFF
AG: Last chance saloon for Cardiff and if they manage to win this you have to wonder about the future of Alan Pardew. I see the fans are planning a walkout protest during the game so Newcastle have to play well enough to stop that happening and I think they will respond with a 2-0 victory.
RK: As Andy says, it is a challenge for the players to stop the fans walking out but the club is a shambles at the moment and it won’t get any better against Hull. 1-0 away win.
STOKE v FULHAM
AG: Losing a two goal lead against Hull last week killed off Fulham’s hopes of surviving. Stoke are a tough side to play against at home and I fancy them to win 2-1.
RK: Mark Hughes left Fulham talking about their lack of ambition so he will enjoy winning this game and sending his former club down. I can’t see Fulham causing any problems for Stoke. 2-0 home win.
SWANSEA v SOUTHAMPTON
AG: This should be an open game between two side who like to pass the ball. I thought Southampton had packed up for the season a couple of weeks ago but they came back in style against Everton last week so I can see an entertaining match ending 2-2.
RK: Southampton are still playing great football and trying to finish what has been a great season for them on a high. Swansea are safe and will try to outplay Saints but I can see a 2-1 away win.
ARSENAL v WEST BROM
AG: It’s important for Arsenal to go into the FA Cup final on a nice run of form and Arsene Wenger has got them playing well again. They will have too much quality for West Brom. 3-1.
RK: I can’t see any surprises here. The Baggies have done enough to secure their safety but they won’t have enough to worry a buoyant Arsenal side. 2-1.
