Mid-week Premier League Preview
With European aspirations gone and just 2 games remaining in the season, Brighton will be determined to end with their heads held high. Coming off a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United, Brighton continued their struggle to find the net – having failed to score more than once per game in 14 games across all competitions. Despite this, the Seagulls have been a strong outfit at home – with only three defeats in 17 matches at the Amex Stadium, falling to West Ham United, Arsenal, and Manchester City. They have avoided defeat against Chelsea at the Amex Stadium in their last 2 meetings, however, their concerning scoring form is an alarming factor going into the game.
Chelsea arrive at the Amex Stadium looking to secure their 4 consecutive victories in the Premier League, having denied Nottingham Forest the chance to rubber-stamp their top-flight status. The Blues are now fully in the European race, although Manchester United can crush their dreams if they win the FA Cup. Nevertheless, Chelsea's attack has been formidable, netting an impressive 12 goals in their last four league outings, doing so with entertaining displays. Their defensive abilities can be questioned, as they’ve played 15 games without a clean sheet in the Premier League. Having already triumphed over Brighton twice this season, both in the league and the FA Cup, and considering both teams` form we are leaning towards Chelsea in this one. Therefore, we expect Chelsea to win and both teams to score.
Manchester United vs Newcastle United
Manchester United return to a deteriorating Old Trafford for the final time in the 2023-24 Premier League season. Erik ten Hag outfits suffered a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal – now having just 1 win in their last 8 Premier League games. United remain in 8th place going into this fixture, three points behind Newcastle and Chelsea with two games left to go, meaning that they could officially be eliminated from top-seven contention, but the FA Cup final can be their last entry to European football. Considering their form, the Red Devils could suffer 10 losses in all competitions at Old Trafford for the first time in a single season, which is unlikely with the toothless attacking displays they`ve put on as of late.
Although Newcastle are in a slightly more comfortable spot, they can still miss out on European action if the last 2 fixtures do not go their way. The Magpies travel to Old Trafford in confident form – having lost just 1 of their last 8 Premier League games, and have not been shy of scoring goals, scoring over 3 goals in 3 of their last 5 games. Although the Magpies have not been great on the road, losing 3 of their last 5 away games, they`ve enjoyed a dominant run over Manchester United – having beaten them in their last 3 consecutive meetings and a win for United coming from the beginning of 2023. A major concern for United is not only the form, but a lack of spirit in their play with uncertainty of ten Hag`s future, and we can`t see them pull out enough confidence to take on a Europe-chasing Newcastle side. Therefore, we expect Newcastle United to win and over 2,5 goals in this game.
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