March means midweek madness as the English Premier League rattles along towards the home strait, with a full set of fixtures between Tuesday and Thursday.
Wednesday hogs much of the spotlight, with five EPL matches seeing several of the top flight’s big guns in action.
Leaders Arsenal will remain top of the Premier League regardless of the outcome of their game at Brighton.
The Gunners maintained their five-point lead at the weekend but will expect a test at the Amex Stadium, after the Seagulls also made it back-to-back victories for the first time since November to ease the pressure on boss Fabian Hurzeler.
It was Chelsea that Mikel Arteta’s side overcame in a Sunday slugfest at the Emirates Stadium, with the Blues now facing another exacting challenge at Aston Villa.
The Villa Park clash pits together two sometime title challengers, both of whom are in the midst of respective wobbles as ambitions refocus on maintaining a push for a top six finish.
Manchester United have been the chief beneficiaries of their rivals’ loss of form.
Four wins in five have also played a large part in the Red Devils’ rise up to third in the EPL table, as calls grow for interim chief Michael Carrick to be handed the Old Trafford job beyond the end of this season.
They’re in Carrick’s home city of Newcastle as they try to keep the run going, taking on a Toon Army outfit that is decidedly out of sorts despite their Uefa Champions League progress.
Manchester City have won four in a row as they remain the sole challengers to Arsenal at the sharp end, with an Etihad Stadium date with Nottingham Forest next on the agenda for Pep Guardiola and Co.
While City hope to pounce on any error from the Gunners, Forest come into the matchweek just two points above the relegation zone and with no discernible improvement since replacing Sean Dyche with Vitor Pereira in the dugout.
It’s West Ham that occupy the final place in the relegation zone and face the unenviable task of a trip to Fulham for a London derby.
The Hammers are without a win in three but remain firmly in the mix for survival, while their hosts have snaffled successive victories to reignite a late push for European qualification come May.
A Craven Cottage success against Tottenham last Sunday deepened the already considerable sense of dread around Spurs.
Igor Tudor’s frazzled charges now lie just four points above the relegation zone and in deep peril, as Crystal Palace arrive for another all-capital city contest on Thursday night.
The Eagles – for all their own upset since the turn of the year – are six points above their hosts in the EPL standings, with Tottenham coming into the match having lost four on the bounce.
Tuesday sees four Premier League fixtures to kick off the midweek round, building towards Liverpool’s game away to Wolves.
Arne Slot’s Reds have won three on the spin and look a decent bet for a top four finish, going to Molineux to face Rob Edwards’ doomed side who nevertheless pulled off a gratifying West Midlands derby shock over Aston Villa last time out.
Leeds go into their home game with Sunderland knowing a return to winning ways would take them a huge step closer to survival in front of a roaring Elland Road crowd.
The visitors are a shadow of their early season selves, although their plunge down the Premier League table looks to have begun too late to spark any major relegation fears.
It can’t be said for last season’s third promoted team Burnley, whose campaign never got going under Scott Parker – and they didn’t need the VAR controversy that led to their heartbreaking 17th league defeat at the weekend.
The Clarets go to Everton approaching win-or-bust mode, while David Moyes’ Toffees are only five points shy of the top six.
Bournemouth and Brentford are both in that conversation, too, with the outcome of their Vitality Stadium meeting potentially playing a pivotal role in deciding their ultimate fate as the run in reaches its climax.
Manchester City v Nottingham Forest
| Result prediction | Manchester City to win |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Manchester City / Manchester City to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City) Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City) |
Brighton & Hove Albion v Arsenal
| Result prediction | Arsenal to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Brighton & Hove Albion / Arsenal to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal) |
Fulham v West Ham United
| Result prediction | Fulham to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Fulham to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | Raul Jimenez (Fulham) |
Aston Villa v Chelsea
| Result prediction | Chelsea to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Chelsea / Chelsea to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | Cole Palmer (Chelsea) Pedro Joao (Chelsea) |
Newcastle United v Manchester United
| Result prediction | draw |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Newcastle United / draw |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | Benjamin Sesko (Manchester United) |
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace
| Result prediction | draw |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Crystal Palace / draw |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |