Star Players On Display In Weekend Of English Premier League

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Round 28 saw a huge shock come out of Vicarage Road as relegation-threatened Watford made a lackluster Liverpool pay. The Hornets thumped the Reds 3-0, a scoreline that in no way flattered Watford. It brought Liverpool down to earth with a massive thump.

Eyes will be on both teams this weekend to see if the Reds can bounce back, as they seek another four wins to wrap up the title, and if Watford uses this win a springboard to stay out of the relegation zone for the rest of the season.

Bournemouth and Chelsea played out a cracker, along with Spurs and Wolves. Everton against Manchester United was a great 1-1 draw, and for those asking, it was offside for the disallowed goal at the death, even if it was heartbreaking for the Toffees.

🦅🆚🐝⁣
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These 2️⃣ have got previous…⁣#CRYWAT

— Premier League (@premierleague) March 6, 2020

Round 29 is set up beautifully, as I said, the reaction of Liverpool will be of interest as they kick off early against Bournemouth on Saturday morning, but there are three other fixtures that take center stage for this article’s discussion of round 29.

Burnley v. Tottenham Hotspur

Saturday, 10:30 a.m. MST kick off on NBCSN and this one is absolutely one to keep an eye on. Ninth against seventh, and just two points separate the teams, as Spurs come into Burnley, with the Clarets boasting the second-best record in the EPL over the last six matches, shooting them up the table and all but securing their EPL status for next season.

Top goal scorer Chris Wood is back from injury and will look to add to his 10 goals this season. He was ably replaced by Matej Vydra, who chipped in a couple of goals during Wood’s absence. Winger Dwight McNeil has five assists on the season, same amount as Ashley Westwood. Of course, they’re not always the most attractive team to watch, making full use of being more direct and physical and maximizing their aerial threat but you must, once again, tip the cap to Sean Dyche.

Sonny tucks it away at Turf Moor ⚽#THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/0JNxoJyuBK

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 6, 2020

Every season he tries to build on the season before, first and foremost making sure the survival target is reached. And after their survival is ensured he works to unearth young talent or gives talented players in the Championship (second tier) a shot in the EPL. Just this season, for example, showed the arrival of Josh Brownhill in January from Bristol City, and then the main summer arrival of Jay Rodriguez from West Brom, both Championship players. It’s a model that has worked and a system they’re unlikely to move away from anytime soon, and why should they?

The physicality of the Clarets will be a difficult test for Spurs who are struggling for consistent form and to keep players fit. With the likes of Kane and Son missing, there are some issues, but they do have attacking talent still and can’t be used as an excuse and they’ve not been held goalless in their last 5 EPL games. It does feel a little bit like two steps forward one step back now for the Londoners.

There is genuine concern that the this could derail them, and the possibility of no European soccer next season would no doubt harm Spurs’ chances of attracting new players in, or convincing others to stay. That said, with Jose Mourinho at the helm you still know there is a chance of something special. The squad is still really good when firing. In full flow we’ve seen Spurs play quickly and beautifully, but Burnley is a massive test.

They adopted the 4-4-2 formation and the gap between the defensive four and the midfield four is small and the defensive four drop back deep so the window over the top has to be precise. If Spurs decide that is the way to break down Burnley, of course, they can do it but being compact and difficult to break down is what the Clarets pride themselves on.

It’s going to be a slog and I expect Spurs will see plenty of the ball. I think they just might struggle on Saturday though and we can kick back and watch two teams potentially close the gap on European soccer for next season. Two men to watch out for are Burnley’s Dwight McNeil on the wing, as he’s just starting to find some consistent form on the left-hand side of the midfield. I expect a good battle with Spurs fullback Serge Aurier and for Spurs it’s Dele Alli to keep an eye on, perhaps playing a little higher than usual in the lineup. I expect him to float around the central attacking areas making a nuisance of himself, trying to play in between the lines in cramped spaces, and of course his trademark of arriving in the box late to have a shot or nick a goal.

Prediction: 2-2, tie

Manchester United v. Manchester City

The Manchester Derby, is there a better match this week? I think not. This is a huge one for fans across the world as they kick off on KSL at 10:30 a.m. MST on Sunday. Don’t forget the clocks change on Sunday for Daylight Savings. Second-placed City come into Old Trafford in fine form, and the hosts, United sitting in fifth aren’t in bad form either, with the Red Devils picking up eight points over the last four matches.

This is a great tie with more than just local bragging rights at stake. United are fighting tooth and nail for Champions League football. Something you may have raised an eyebrow at a couple of months ago. But they have found a bit of form, and the arrival of Bruno Fernandes has been a massive boost for them as he almost instantly slotted into the midfield and in turn things have looked a lot better for them. His natural style is fun to watch, long term are they tactically or stylistically better? In talent, yes. In manage? We’ll see come end of the season.

United were in an entertaining 1-1 with Everton last weekend, using a diamond midfield (a nod to RSL fans). It worked, but it was more out of necessity with the absences of Marcus Rashford and Daniel James. The benefit of that was Fernandes had more freedom to roam. United have played some good stuff in fits and starts this season, but I suspect they’ll be a lot more compact coming up against Pep Guardiola’s men.

🙌 THE GENERAL 🙌@Notamendi30 coming in with the derby goods 😏

⚽️ @AvaTrade
🔵 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/jbqhOUwsJk

— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 6, 2020

City are on a massive high, there is an outside chance to put some pressure on Liverpool (although it would take an almighty collapse) but it’s what they’re doing in other competitions whilst under immense pressure. The threat of being banned from Champions League is real (of course they’ll appeal) and the knock-on effects from that. They’re in the next round of the FA Cup, they won the League Cup on Sunday and just last week they went in to the Bernabeu to defeat Real Madrid in the first leg of the first knock out round. Yes, the league title is gone in all probability, but the mental strength this team have shown is a reflection on their manager.

This team is once again playing some of the best soccer in the world. This matchup between these old foes has everything available to watch two heavyweights smash lumps out of each other. Maybe the quality will be missing in this game, but you better believe that some questionable tackles will be made in a fast-paced environment, only egged on by the support behind both teams desperate for all three points, and bragging rights for the city, as you bounce into work on a Monday morning and make a beeline for a Red or Blue mate to rub salt in the wound.

United took all three points in the reverse fixture back in early December in a 2-1 win, it’s not often that Pep’s teams allow you to do the double over them in the league. Even with Kevin De Bruyne possibly missing the match, the two Silva’s will be a handful and help keep them ticking over. It really is a perfect match for a Sunday morning and reminds you why you love the EPL so much.

Prediction: 2-1, City 

Leicester City v. Aston Villa

The last matchup of the round is Monday’s 1:00 p.m. MST affair between the Carabao Cup semifinalists. If you saw those matches you were treated to two fantastic legs, with both teams leaving everything out on the pitch. The repercussions of this match are on the complete opposite end of the scale. Leicester looking to make sure they have Champions League soccer next season, and maybe pip Man City to second place.

For Villa, it’s about EPL survival. The form guide doesn’t make for pretty reading. The foxes picking up two points in their last four games and Villa is marginally better points wise with three in their last four matches.

The absence of Jamie Vardy (even though he’s on a barren run) didn’t help the Foxes last weekend in the loss to Norwich, and to be fair, they didn’t play that bad. They just couldn’t get the little bit of luck to find the back of the net, even though Norwich are good value for the eventual win.

(Sky Sports) Grealish: How I've changed https://t.co/d12JIYDW7p

— Aston Villa FC (@astonvilla) February 28, 2020

Leicester are impressive, they play attractive soccer that is hugely entertaining. They try to play a fluid brand, playing over the top when needed, but for the most part using playmakers in the midfield and using vision to open up teams. They are also solid defensively with a consistent line up in goal and the back four, and then protected by Wilfred Ndidi, or more recently Hamza Choudhury. For all the fluidity, they are well disciplined, which I must admit is a lot different from Brendan Rodgers’ previous teams, and probably why his run as Liverpool manager ended.

Villa are in a dog fight, there is no other way to describe it. They’ll be buoyed by a great showing in the League Cup final last weekend. They’ll have a game in hand over most of their relegation rivals which is nice (if you win that game in hand) but they need to put up results. They’ve had some bitter blows with regards to injuries this season, and Wesley missing the rest of the season has been something they’re only just starting to adapt to, bringing in Samatta from Genk has certainly helped.

One man who will be playing in the EPL next season, whether Villa are in the EPL next season or not, is Jack Grealish. He’s a top-five attacking midfielder in the league. He is an incredible talent that a lot of teams will be sniffing around come the summer. The only thing that is disappointing about him is actually not his fault. I cannot believe he hasn’t represented England at the highest level yet. He played youth international soccer for the Republic of Ireland due to his family ties, but he declared in 2015 he would represent England. Of course, a lot of his soccer has been played in the Championship, but the way he’s adapted to the EPL warrants an international call up, and if it doesn’t then I’m sure Eire will be glad for him to backtrack and commit to The Boys in Green. The 24-year-old captain is an extraordinary talent, a maverick if you will. The Peaky Blinders haircut, the rolled down socks and the ability to put this team on his back time and time again. With seven goals and six assists so far, and he is by far the most fouled player in the EPL with 122 and counting. All those starts will rise before the season is out. He will challenge this resolute Leicester backline, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he raises his stats on Monday, is it enough for a win? I think the Foxes might just have too much.

Prediction: 3-2, Leicester