Liverpool’s 3-0 triumph against Leicester City and Newcastle United’s 4-1 victory over Brighton have intensified the pressure on Erik ten Hag to secure a win this weekend. Liverpool is trailing the Red Devils by just 1 point, while the Magpies need only one more victory to secure a spot in the Champions League for the next season. Manchester United’s poor form in away matches has made this game even more challenging than anticipated. In their last 10 games outside of Old Trafford, they have suffered 5 defeats and managed only 3 victories, one of which came through a penalty shootout in the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley. To put it in perspective, they have won 8 and drawn 2 of their last 10 matches at home. Manchester United clearly benefited from the seven-day rest they had before their home game against Wolves last weekend. Although it took them over an hour to score the second goal that secured the victory, they never seemed at risk of allowing the visitors to gain anything from the match. The return of their top scorer, Marcus Rashford, to training has provided a significant boost to the club. Despite being sidelined with an injury over the weekend, the 25-year-old is expected to play a role in the upcoming match. In the Premier League, Rashford has scored 16 goals and provided 5 assists, directly contributing to 21 out of the team’s 51 league goals this season (41.2%). Having won 8 of their 11 Premier League games against the Cherries, the Red Devils will aim to grab 3 vital points in their final away game of the campaign, and they’ll hope their Marcus Rashford led attack can deliver that. After securing safety from relegation, Bournemouth appears to have eased off the throttle. Their impressive streak of four league wins in five matches, including a thrilling away victory over Spurs, has been followed by consecutive losses to Chelsea and Crystal Palace. The Cherries haven’t lost more than 2 games in a bounce since New Year’s Day, and interestingly, their third loss during that period came against the Red Devils at Old Trafford, where Casemiro, Luke Shaw, and Marcus Rashford all found the net in a 3-0 triumph. While Bournemouth will likely aim to end their season with a win in their final home game, Manchester United’s determination to secure victory is expected to surpass their opponents’. Bournemouth Form: L-W-W-L-L Manchester United Form: D-W-L-L-W In 14 meetings against Bournemouth in all competitions, Manchester United have only failed to score on one occasion. In those 14 games, the Red Devils have won 10, drawn 2 and lost 2.
Manchester City extended their fantastic home record in 2023 to 15 wins in 15 games. That 15th win came against the reigning European champions, Real Madrid in a proper beat down, with many saying the 4-0 scoreline didn’t do justice to City’s brilliance and dominance. Erling Haaland once again failed to find the back of the net in this game but Bernardo Silva (2), Manuel Akanji and substitute Julián Álvarez all got on the scoresheet. Irrespective of the outcome of Arsenal’s match against Nottingham Forest, if Manchester City secures their 16th consecutive home win this weekend, they will be crowned champions for the third consecutive time. With the possibility of winning a treble now more attainable than ever, Pep Guardiola aims to wrap up the league title as early as possible to ensure his players are fresh for the upcoming Cup finals. Frank Lampard snapped his 6-game losing streak at Chelsea with a 3-1 win at Bournemouth and a 2-2 draw at home to Nottingham Forest. In the last game, Raheem Sterling and Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi traded braces in the game, but the Blues were left frustrated after they dominated possession (77% – 23%) and shots on target (6-2) but just couldn’t get the winner. Chelsea enter this game as significant underdogs, and rightfully so. Their recent away record has been lackluster, with only two wins in their last 15 matches across all competitions. Additionally, they have managed to keep just one clean sheet during that period. Against Manchester City this season, Chelsea has suffered three defeats in three different competitions, conceding a total of seven goals while failing to score any. Not since the 2011/12 season (against Manchester United) have the Blues lost four games to single club in a season. Riyad Mahrez has been a thorn in Chelsea’s side, scoring four of the seven goals conceded by Chelsea in those matches. Having made a substitute appearance against Real Madrid on Wednesday, the former African Player of the Year is expected to start against Chelsea, aiming to extend his scoring streak against them to four consecutive games this season. Manchester City Form: W-W-D-W-W Chelsea Form: L-L-L-W-D Since losing to Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final, Manchester City have won each of their last 5 games against Chelsea in all competitions without conceding a single goal.
In a matter of a few weeks filled with despair, Arsenal’s fortunes took a drastic turn from leading the league by 5 points to facing the possibility of losing the league title by 7 points. The unacceptable 3-0 loss to Brighton at the Emirates Stadium dealt a final blow to the Gunners’ hopes of clinching the title. However, as they strive to end the season on a positive note, Arsenal has the opportunity to achieve their second-ever Premier League double over Nottingham Forest since the 1998/99 season. Earlier this season, the Gunners were 5-0 victors at the Emirates Stadium against Forest. Throughout the match, Forest faced immense pressure, conceding 24 shots, 9 corners, and possessing only 30% of the ball. Arsenal has been the most impressive team on the road this season, securing 12 wins out of 18 matches and averaging 2.17 points per game. Dating back to the 90s, they’ve won their last 4 Premier League games against Forest and will try to make it 5 wins in a row against them for the first time in top flight history. There is a possibility that Martinelli, who was substituted in the first half against Brighton, may not be available for selection, but Arteta can rely on the talents of Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard, both of whom were recently nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award. Interestingly, in their last five league matches, both teams have accumulated the same number of league points (7) and securing a victory in this match would guarantee Nottingham Forest’s safety, and it is expected that they will approach the game with great determination. Forest’s last triumph over Arsenal in a league match dates back to 1996, but as a team from a lower league, they have emerged victorious in their last two encounters against the Gunners at the City Ground: a 4-2 FA Cup win in 2018 and another A Cup win last season (1-0). Over the 4 Premier League games, they’ve won twice and drawn once to create a bit of separation between them and the drop zone. One significant factor contributing to Forest’s late resurgence is the performance of Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi. The former Liverpool striker scored two braces against Southampton and Chelsea, doubling his league goal tally from the previous 23 games. Nottingham Forest Form: L-W-L-W-D Arsenal Form: D-L-W-W-L