The Premier League used to be the highlight of my weekends and a welcome bonus mid-week when there were fixtures. Now all I can think of is Jurgen Klopp fist-pumping 50,000 Scousers as they steamroll their way to a league title – and by proxy, every WhatsApp group I’ve ever been in.
Thankfully Wednesday night is free from this mental oppression and for at least one day, Liverpool can’t closer to their first league triumph in 30 years.
Maybe if this treble lands, we can all pitch in together and crowd-fund Everton’s new squad?
Leicester v West Ham, Wednesday, 19.30
You see, this is a funny one. Not only did these sides play only a few weeks ago, but they did so under very different terms. Leicester actually rested the majority of their starters, as Iheanacho and Dimmy Gray scored the goals for The Foxes.
So, if you’re David Moyes, you don’t even really get to learn lessons from the last day.
This will be a totally different side to the one that turned his charges – and that was at home. There’s absolutely no acceptable rationale for putting up a West Ham win here, so I’ll avoid the low-hanging fruit, even if Leicester’s title charge fell by the wayside as we all expected.
But qualifying for Champions League football is not to be sniffed at and a midweek home game is the ideal remedy for a team struggling to come to terms with a drop off in form.
This one’s a home banker.
Selection: Leicester to Win @ 1/2.
Spurs v Norwich, Thursday, 19.30
Ah, Jose. What started so well has all gone – well – a bit like Jose’s career. They’ve done enough in the relatively recent past, so you just expect more but are ultimately left disappointed.
I won’t criticise the appointment at all. It was cheaper than replacing an entire squad that had evidently grown tired of the previous regime, but you know what you’re getting here. It’s why, in any logical situation, you take the home side here at the price, but you can’t be convinced Spurs are all in on this season anymore.
Especially as Mourinho is likely gets the boot by next Christmas. But you can probably be content in suggesting Son and Moura have enough about them to nab a few goals in Harry Kane’s absence.
Once-famed for his incredible organisational ability, Mourinho’s Spurs now leak more than the sky over the Irish Sea. We’ll go for goals.
Selection: Both Teams to Score: Yes (8/11).
Man United v Burnley, Wednesday, 20.15
There’s no picking these United results anymore. They’re more Jekyll and Hyde than they are Cole and Yorke these days, and the former pairing probably weren’t much use up front.
While they’re generally fine in open play – well, a tad headless given Ole doesn’t appear to actually work on patterns of play – but their big weakness is a lack of command in the penalty area.
I had originally thought about Ben Mee anytime in here at a wild 25/1, but given Burnley are likely chasing a result late in this one, I suspect Chris Wood will be the main beneficiary of those crosses from deep.
Selection: Chris Wood to Score Anytime (3/1).
*Prices correct at time of publication
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