On any other weekend a game between second and third would be a highlight, but such has been the brilliance of Liverpool and such has been the average nature of those below third, that Leicester hosting City in this round quite simply doesn’t have an edge to it because both teams are secure in the top four. Not so secure in fourth however, are Chelsea. Frank Lampard’s men look like they are ill-equipped to deal with a difficult set of fixtures. Having gone winless in four, the chastened Blues welcome their former boss Mourinho to Stamford Bridge, with Spurs now only a point behind. The reverse fixture was lauded as an example of Lampard outthinking Mourinho, but coming up with smart tactics when the chips are down is another kettle of fish altogether. The momentum is with Spurs, though Mourinho’s men are hardly playing with any sort of clarity themselves. Both defences are there for the taking, but which attack is better equipped to take advantage?
There’s also an interesting fixture between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates. The reverse fixture was notable for Messrs Ancelotti and Arteta being in the box, both just being announced as new managers of their clubs. There was a school of thought prevalent back then, that maybe Ancelotti and Arteta were better fits the other way around. As things have panned out since, both have done a good job with improvement in performance evident at Arsenal and Everton. Notwithstanding the results of City’s appeal against their Champions League ban, this game could yet have some European permutations. Here are my picks.
Chelsea 1 Spurs 2
Palace 1 Newcastle 0
Burnley 2 Bournemouth 0
Sheffield Utd 1 Brighton 1
Southampton 2 Villa 1
Leicester 1 City 2
United 2 Watford 2
Wolves 2 Norwich 0
Arsenal 2 Everton 1
Liverpool 3 West Ham 0
Season Score - 40/80