Runners and riders continue to jostle in the English Premier League this weekend, with precious points to play for in the race to next month’s finish line of a marathon football season.
As Grand National weekend marks a shift towards summer in England’s sporting calendar, the hurdles are counting down quickly for the competing clubs.
It’s at the top where we could be heading for a photo finish, with Arsenal expecting to kick off their London derby at West Ham on Sunday with their lead cut to just three points at the top of the EPL table.
Two points dropped last time out allowed that precious gap to narrow, while they go to the London Stadium with the Hammers pulling away from relegation danger with two wins in their last three.
Manchester City are the sole challengers in the two-horse race, with sorry Leicester the visitors to the Etihad Stadium for the Saturday evening kick off.
Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions bolted to a 3-0 Uefa Champions League quarter-final victory over Bayern Munich in midweek, matching their impeccable recent league form to crank up the heat on the Gunners going into the home straight.
Sunday’s second match sees City’s neighbours Manchester United continuing their dash for a top four finish with a trip to Nottingham Forest.
The City Ground side start the weekend the wrong side of the dotted line while United have recovered from a wobble to secure back-to-back Premier League wins.
One big name could be pulling up lame in the Monday night football, meanwhile, as Liverpool tackle Leeds at Elland Road.
The Reds are without a win in four and struggling badly to qualify for any European competition next season under Jurgen Klopp, while their Yorkshire hosts are only just keeping their heads above relegation waters.
But the going is good for the two sides that kick off seven Saturday fixtures in the lunchtime game.
Aston Villa host Newcastle with the away side in fine fettle in the shake up for a third-placed finish, while Unai Emery’s men are coming up on the rails, winning four on the spin and beating the odds to push for continental qualification.
Not so for Chelsea, who have busted the coupons in a bad way all campaign.
The Blues host Brighton, from whom they pinched the now-fired Graham Potter earlier in the season, with the Seagulls seven points and an unthinkable four places above them as the final furlongs head into view.
Mercurial Tottenham burgled a controversial – and VAR assisted – win over the south coast side last weekend, with a supposedly more straightforward assignment against Bournemouth next on their list.
It means Spurs are four unbeaten coming into the tie but they must keep the blinkers on, with the Cherries having won three of their last five.
Just down the road from the National’s Aintree Racecourse home is Goodison Park, where Saturday’s rivals Everton and Fulham both appear to be running backwards.
A drop to the Championship remains a proposition as daunting as it is distinct for Sean Dyche’s side, while their visitors – jockeyed by ex-Toffees chief Marco Silva – have lost four in a row to leave themselves stumbling and falling in their unlikely European bid.
Wolves and Brentford face off with both in need of a late surge to the line, the latter to reignite their top six tilt and the former to make sure of top flight football for next season.
And we could be calling for the vet and the tent at St Mary’s Stadium, as dead last Southampton meet Crystal Palace, who have roared back into life under the old warhorse himself, Roy Hodgson.
English Premier League predictions for 15 – 17 April
Prediction methodology explained: The expected win percentage is based off publicly available odds. For example, if a team’s odds are 2.30, the expected chance of winning is 43%. If the odds are 1.62 the expected chance of winning is 62% and so on. These are accurate at the time of writing but are subject to change. Where there is no value listed, the odds were not available at the time of writing.
Aston Villa v Newcastle United
| Result prediction | draw |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Aston Villa / draw |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | O. Watkins(Aston Villa) C. Wilson(Newcastle United) Joelinton(Newcastle United) A. Isak(Newcastle United) |
Chelsea v Brighton & Hove Albion
| Result prediction | Brighton & Hove Albion to win |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Brighton & Hove Albion / Brighton & Hove Albion to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Everton v Fulham
| Result prediction | Everton to win |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Everton to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Leeds United v Liverpool
| Result prediction | Leeds United to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Leeds United / Leeds United to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | J. Harrison(Leeds United) Mohamed Salah(Liverpool) D. Núñez(Liverpool) |
Manchester City v Leicester City
| Result prediction | Manchester City to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Manchester City / Manchester City to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | E. Haaland(Manchester City) J. Álvarez(Manchester City) |
Nottingham Forest v Manchester United
| Result prediction | Nottingham Forest to win |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Nottingham Forest to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Southampton v Crystal Palace
| Result prediction | Southampton to win |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Southampton to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Tottenham Hotspur v AFC Bournemouth
| Result prediction | Tottenham Hotspur to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Tottenham Hotspur / Tottenham Hotspur to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | H. Kane(Tottenham Hotspur) |
West Ham United v Arsenal
| Result prediction | Arsenal to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Arsenal / Arsenal to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | B. Saka(Arsenal) Gabriel Martinelli(Arsenal) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brentford
| Result prediction | draw |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Brentford / draw |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | I. Toney(Brentford) |