The Premier League returns for its first weekend of action in May, after some dramatic fixtures between Monday and Thursday throughout the division.
We preview three games below.
Manchester City v Leeds – Saturday 15:00
April was a remarkably successful month for Manchester City, even by their unrivalled high standards. Pep Guardiola’s men won all of their five Premier League fixtures – netting 17 goals in the process – and secured qualification to the final and semi-finals of the FA Cup and Champions League respectively, whilst they also started May top of the division after trailing Arsenal for 234 days. Their run-in could certainly be easier with a trip to Brighton on the cards, but the Cityzens should have little difficulty against relegation-threatened Leeds at the Etihad on Saturday, against whom they start as the overwhelming 1/8 favourites.
A run of four defeats in five, with 18 goals conceded, was enough for the recently appointed Javi Gracia to be relieved of his duties as Leeds boss, with the west Yorkshire side level on points with 18th placed Nottingham Forest with four games to go. The appointment of survival expert Sam Allardyce will certainly be a development for Pep Guardiola to consider, though Saturday’s contest may be a bridge too far for Allardyce to negotiate with. His side start as heavy 16/1 underdogs, with a draw priced at 8/1.
Erling Haaland broke the record for the most goals in a Premier League season against West Ham on Wednesday and unsurprisingly leads the goalscorer market for the hosts at 2/9, but we like the look of Phil Foden’s 4/1 price to open the scoring after adding a third in midweek against the Hammers. Kevin De Bruyne has missed the last two fixtures through injury but will be optimistic to return for this one, with the Belgian 11/2 to score from outside the area
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Newcastle v Arsenal – Sunday 16:30
What a huge game in the context of the Premier League season this is! One has to think that a Newcastle victory here will all but confirm participation in the Champions League for the first time since the 2002/03 season, whilst Arsenal will be keen to set the record straight after a chastening 2-0 defeat to the Magpies in this fixture last season.
Newcastle have certainly hit form at the right time after winning eight of their last nine in the league, with their midwinter blip seemingly a thing of the past now. What’s been most impressive about Eddie Howe’s side’s performances recently has been their attacking approach – finding the back of the net 20 times in their last six games – with both Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak beginning to contribute simultaneously to this potent front line. The duo are 11/10 and 23/20 respectively to find the net anytime.
Newcastle start as the slim 29/20 favourites but will have to be weary of an angry looking Arsenal side that dispatched Chelsea at the Emirates on Wednesday, with Mikel Arteta’s men 8/5 in another must-win fixture. A draw, priced at 11/4, will be no good for the visitors, who will be hoping to get a tune out of the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, priced at 29/10 and 13/5 to get on the scoresheet.
West Ham v Manchester United – Sunday 19:00
West Ham certainly aren’t out of trouble yet. Wednesday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City was the third loss on the bounce for David Moyes’ men – the first time that has happened to them in 2023. A four-point buffer still stands between them and the relegation zone and the consensus is that the Hammers are probably too good to go down, but with difficult fixtures against Manchester United and Brentford coming up and two colossal six-pointers against Leicester and Leeds to close out the season, Moyes definitely can’t prioritise their European adventures over domestic survival.
Only a major downturn in form would prevent Manchester United from qualifying for the next year’s Champions League now, but with Liverpool continuing to breathe down their necks, Erik ten Hag will demand maximum concentration for their final half-dozen fixtures. Monday’s 1-0 win against Aston Villa was the first time the Villains have failed to score under Unai Emery. With United now unbeaten in five, whilst keeping four clean sheets in that time, both teams to score at 6/10 seems slightly short given United’s defensive record.
United are perhaps a tad overvalued here, coming in at 21/20 for victory, whilst a much-needed West Ham victory is priced at 9/4. You’d suspect fans of the Hammers would take a draw here – priced at 11/4.
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