EPL Matchweek 31 preview, best bets & goalscorer picks

The title may be out of reach for 18 of the 20 English Premier League teams, yet Matchweek 31 promises some entertaining football nonetheless. Saturday’s slate features seven games, with the highlight match pitting red-hot Aston Villa against top-four contenders Newcastle United.

Aston Villa vs Newcastle United

Saturday, April 15 – 12:30pm BST – Villa Park, Birmingham

Aston Villa vs Newcastle United

Aston Villa will host Newcastle at Villa Park in the traditional lunchtime kick-off, with both teams riding undefeated streaks, with Villa unbeaten in their last seven games and The Magpies unbeaten in five. With Aston Villa currently in sixth place, just six points behind Tottenham in fifth, three points at home against Newcastle is a must if they want to keep their European hopes alive. Meanwhile, Newcastle is tied for third with Manchester United on points, but with a +20 goal difference, so any points they can get at Villa Park will help them stay in the top four. These teams have combined to concede six goals in their last five games, so this could be a close game.

Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Saturday, April 15 – 3pm BST – Stamford Bridge, London

Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Another intriguing match on Saturday will take place at Stamford Bridge in London, where Chelsea will face Brighton in the first of five 3pm kickoffs. Chelsea would have hoped for a turnaround in form after sacking Graham Potter two weeks ago, but a 0-0 draw with Liverpool and a 1-0 loss to Wolverhampton are anything but. Frank Lampard has taken over as manager of his beloved Blues for the remainder of the season, but he will be hoping for a response from his players in his first home game this weekend. While Brighton is coming off a 2-1 loss to Tottenham last weekend, they have fallen 10 points behind the top four. Both teams will need to win here, but with three draws in their last four meetings, we’re going with the draw again.

Everton vs Fulham

Saturday, April 15 – 3pm BST – Goodison Park, Liverpool

Everton vs Fulham

Everton will host Fulham at Goodison Park this Saturday, with both teams seemingly heading in different directions, as Everton are undefeated in four of their last five, while Fulham losing their last four games. The Toffees sit above the relegation zone on goal difference and with a win over the Cottages on Saturday could see them skip three points clear of the bottom three. As for their opponents, the Cottages have struggled without their talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic, scoring only one goal in their three matches without him.

Southampton vs Crystal Palace

Saturday, April 15 – 3pm BST – St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton

Southampton vs Crystal Palace

Southampton appear destined to be relegated this season, having only managed 23 points from 30 games so far, and their 31st game will see them host a rejuvenated Crystal Palace, who are coming off a massive 5-1 away win over Leeds last weekend. Since Roy Hodgson took over at Palace, they have scored seven goals and conceded two in back-to-back victories. Palace are now six points clear of the relegation zone, and a win on Saturday would almost certainly secure their place in the Premier League for next season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Brentford

Saturday, April 15 – 3pm BST – Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Brentford

Wolverhampton will host Brentford at Molineux Stadium after a huge home win over Chelsea last weekend, while Brentford is coming off a tight 2-1 loss to Newcastle. The Wolves are four points clear of the relegation zone and have won their last two games. Meanwhile, Brentford have lost their last two games against Manchester United and Newcastle, causing them to stumble and jeopardise their chances of playing in Europe next year. Ivan Toney has scored 18 goals for the Hornets this season and has scored in four of his last six games, so Toney appears to be the best bet to score.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Bournemouth

Saturday, April 15 – 3pm BST – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Tottenham Hotspur vs Bournemouth

The final 3pm kick-off will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where fifth-placed Tottenham will face 15th-placed Bournemouth, both teams coming off much-needed wins last weekend. Tottenham have started life without Antonio Conte in fine form, defeating Brighton 2-1 thanks to goals from Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane. Spurs are in fifth place, three points behind Manchester United and Newcastle, with a better goal difference than United but a worse goal difference than Newcastle. Bournemouth are only three points above the relegation zone, so any points gained on Saturday will be crucial in the relegation battle.

Manchester City vs Leicester City

Saturday, April 15 – 5:30pm BST – Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Manchester City vs Leicester City

Manchester City will host Leicester at Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening, looking to extend their unbeaten run to nine games and keep the pressure on league leaders Arsenal. City has scored eight goals and conceded two in their last two games against Liverpool and Southampton, so to say they are on fire is an understatement. Leicester’s sacking of Brendan Rodgers has not resulted in a change in form, as the Foxes extended their winless streak to eight games with a 1-0 loss to Bournemouth last weekend. With Erling Haaland back from injury and scoring goals for fun, City will look to pile on the goals and win by a large margin on Saturday evening.

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