- 9 months ago
With the Premier League title wrapped up and relegation all but settled, all eyes turn to the fight for European football. Paul Coyte and Clive Allen return with their weekly predictions, breaking down each of the ten matches and offering their thoughts on form, fatigue, and big-game pressure.
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00:00Right, time for our Premier League predictions with the great Clive Allen. Clive, not a bad week for us last week. We're getting towards the end now and we've got 10 games. This is the start of the season, well, the point of the season. It's really about Champions League. Well, that's all it is, isn't it? Really? Because, you know, the relegation's done. Liverpool have won the title.
00:22Well, there was something that Mikel Arteta was saying earlier on this week and he was banging on about the fact that Arsenal would have won the title in the last two years. It's not even worse. It's a moot point, isn't it? There's actually no reason because it just doesn't work that way.
00:38No, you've got to win the league by gaining the most points in that particular season. And, you know, Liverpool worthy winners. I think everybody has seen that the way that they've gone about it. Arne Schlott has had a magnificent first season. So, yeah, disappointment for Arsenal, obviously. But I have to say that I felt that Liverpool have deserved to win the Premier League.
01:03I agree. And also, as far as Arsenal are concerned, it's not over yet because they've got some tough fixtures coming up in this Man City that could. There was a thing said about Spurs, you know, coming third in a two-horse race. Well, we'll see. Let's look at these games anyway this weekend.
01:20First one is Fulham versus Everton. So, Fulham, they're in 11th, Everton and 14th. They've beat Forest. We lost two and drawn one. Fulham lost to Villa and Chelsea and they've beaten Bournemouth. Oh, no, they're in Arsenal and Bournemouth. It's Fulham. We've said this before. You don't really know what you're going to get with them, do you?
01:39No, they can be very good. I do think that they're very good at Craven Cottage. They're difficult to beat on their own patch. Everton, we know how they've done. David Moyes has done the job. We'll take them into the new stadium as a Premier League club. I think looking up rather than down. So, he needs to have great credit for what he's done. But I think Fulham at home will just edge this one, I think, to be close. 1-0 for Fulham.
02:071-0. I'm going to go for 1-1. I'm going to give Everton the draw going into that final game at Goodison. So, I reckon 1-1 for that one. Ipswich against Brentford. So, Ipswich are down, of course. Brentford 9th. They've had a very good season, haven't they, Brentford?
02:23I think they have. And I think they're finishing strong. I think you see a very well-run club with an excellent coach. I think Kieran's got the most out of his team.
02:37Ipswich have given a good account of themselves, but unfortunately have just fallen a little short come the end of the season. I'm going to go Ipswich 1, Brentford 2.
02:46OK. I'm going to go Ipswich 0, Brentford 2. Brentford have won the last three. Man United, Forest Brighton. They're unbeaten now in five.
02:55So, I think we agree. A Brentford win, but just how many? So, I reckon two. So, you're saying 1-0, aren't you, Brentford?
03:002-1. 2-1 Brentford.
03:022-1. OK. Right. Southampton versus Manchester City. I imagine the odds on a Southampton winner are probably going to be quite high on this one, Clive, aren't they?
03:10What do you reckon? Yeah. 100? 200? 300? Yeah. I think, obviously, Southampton now, their only thoughts are on next season, who they'll maybe be recruiting, who will be leaving.
03:25So, it's a whole new approach for Southampton. Whereas for City, they're still fighting and, as you rightly say, Paul, can still attain second spot.
03:35So, I don't think there'll be any letting up. They've got the FA Cup final to come. I think we all know how Pep works.
03:43It's relentless when they get to this stage of the season. They've been there before. They know what they've got to do, and invariably, they do it.
03:50So, I see this being a comfortable win for Manchester City 2-0.
03:55Two. I'm going to go three. I think it's going to be more. So, why now? I mean, we know that they come into form, don't we, at the start of the year?
04:04And that's when it really starts steamrolling, doesn't it? But it's just happened late.
04:11So, why do you think this is now happening, and it's just taken this long for them to fall into place? Because it seems like it has now.
04:19Yeah, I think there's been change. I think, obviously, a number of younger players have been introduced.
04:25There's been a couple of new signings that were introduced that just took them a little while,
04:28just to all come together to understand, you know, the philosophy of Pep, the club, what they expect,
04:35what they have to produce. And it's taken a while to develop, but I just think now they're into the mindset.
04:43They know what they need to do, and yeah, City are finishing strong,
04:47and going to the Club World Championship as well in the summer.
04:50Yeah, of course.
04:50In good form.
04:53And Rodri is that name that so many people are attaching, the fact that they haven't done well,
04:59the fact that he got injured so early on, and was out for the entire season.
05:02Maybe he's going to be back for the summer.
05:04But how much of a difference do you think he has made to what's happened in Manchester City this year?
05:09It was massive. I think it was a massive blow.
05:12So, the spine of your team, as you say, you know, Harlan, they've lost Harlan for a while as well.
05:18So, when you lose that spine of the team, it is so very, very difficult to find the players that fit in
05:26and do the job that the ones that have gone out. And that's happened to Pep. He's had to change it.
05:30But as we know, he finds the answers to these questions, and he certainly has as the end of the season has come along.
05:39It just shows, doesn't it? Because they could end up second, they could end up winning the FA Cup,
05:43and that would be a bad season for them.
05:44A dreadful season.
05:45Yeah, imagine.
05:46Right, Wolves versus Brighton. Wolves, who are just, who have now turned, really,
05:51they're just terrific at the moment. 13th place are in 35.
05:54We've got Brighton, who are 10th on 52. Brighton again, like Fulham.
06:01Draw, win, loss, draw, loss, loss.
06:05Wolves, apart from losing to Manchester City, five on the bounce.
06:08And just completely transformed, aren't they, Wolves?
06:12Yeah, and I think really exciting.
06:14The football they've played to get themselves out of, obviously, the relegation zone initially,
06:19and then move up the table has been pretty breathtaking.
06:22It's a team, really, you haven't wanted to play, certainly in the last month.
06:27And Brighton inconsistent.
06:29I think they've threatened.
06:30It looked like they could go for European football.
06:34They've spluttered.
06:35They could be good, and then they could be poor.
06:38So I see this being a little bit of an end-of-season game.
06:41Wolves happy.
06:42Brighton still trying, and they always will.
06:45We're going to go Wolves one, Brighton one.
06:48See, I'm going to say, I don't think Wolves are going to see it as an end-of-season game,
06:51because I think they're on this run, and I think they're enjoying it,
06:54and they're going to keep it going, and they're just going to see how far they can go.
06:57So I reckon they will win.
06:59I've got two won Wolves.
07:01I've got a friend, Clive, who's a Wolves fan.
07:03And at the start of the season, I mean, we've all been through this,
07:07and there's other supporters that have had it as well.
07:09And he said, that's it, I'm not going anymore.
07:12It's like, I'm not going anymore.
07:14I can't stand it.
07:15It's just such drudgery to go and watch this.
07:18Last week, I spoke to him, and he's like, can't wait.
07:21We've got to go home.
07:22But that's what football's all about.
07:24This is what it does to us, isn't it?
07:26Exactly.
07:27It is a drug, isn't it?
07:28When it's bad, it's horrible.
07:30When it's good, it's absolutely fantastic.
07:32It is.
07:33So well done, Wolves, so far.
07:34Bournemouth against Aston Villa.
07:36So now this is where we've got eighth against seventh.
07:39And this is where that gap is.
07:42So we've got Aston Villa on 50 points.
07:44And then Bournemouth are seven points below that,
07:46although it's just one place.
07:48Because it seems to be these little bunches of teams this year in the Premier League.
07:52Bournemouth then beat Arsenal, of course, last week.
07:56Although, you know, we get as a caveat, isn't there?
07:59I mean, with PSG, and that's probably where their mind was.
08:03Aston Villa then, they won at Fulham.
08:06Is this a good season for Villa?
08:07I mean, they did okay in the Champions League.
08:11It was PSG that saw the end of them.
08:13And semi-final of the FA Cup.
08:16But how would they see this?
08:17Because it's Champions League is obviously what they're after.
08:21But where they're going to make it on, I'm not really sure,
08:22because they're going to be top five.
08:24Well, that now is the goal.
08:26There's no doubt.
08:27I think Unai Emery will be disappointed.
08:30I think they had some good performances in the Champions League.
08:32A disappointing exit from the, obviously, from the FA Cup with Crystal Palace beat them in the semi-final.
08:41So, they've got very close.
08:43And at this moment in time, Paul, they're very close to the Champions League qualifications next season,
08:48which they experienced this season.
08:50I tell you what, that is a massive, massive pressure.
08:53Because they know what they've experienced this season.
08:56They know what they want to do again.
08:58And they'll be desperate to get a result.
09:01But I see Bournemouth as a...
09:02I've seen them a few times.
09:04We're really impressed with them when they played at Spurs.
09:07And I've got to say, Iriola's done a magnificent job.
09:10They're probably not going to close the gap to Villa.
09:13But I see them beating Villa.
09:15And almost, almost, maybe that could be the end of Villa's qualifying for Europe next season themselves.
09:24So, I'm going to go Bournemouth 2, Villa 1.
09:26Big call.
09:27I'm going to go the other way.
09:28I think Villa will win it.
09:30But I think it'll be 2-1 as well the other way.
09:32I don't think we've agreed on one, Clive.
09:33What's happening to us?
09:34Usually, we're all the same.
09:36Newcastle versus Chelsea.
09:37What a huge game this is.
09:39I mean, this is probably the game of the weekend, isn't it?
09:41But fourth on 63 points, Newcastle.
09:45Chelsea, fifth, 63 points.
09:48So, Newcastle, they drew it bright.
09:52Four on the bounce for Chelsea.
09:53They're turning it on at the right time.
09:56So, where do you see this one going?
09:59It's Satch and James' Park.
10:00So, that's going to make a difference to you.
10:02That makes a massive difference for the way that I see this game going.
10:06Paul, this is an enormous game in terms of qualifying for Champions League, the finances that that generates, the season that you're looking at next season, once you've guaranteed that Champions League place.
10:20Both clubs want to be there.
10:22There's absolutely no doubt.
10:23Will they be happy with a point when they're looking at maybe what Forrest are doing, what City are going to do?
10:29They'll be looking at it thinking, well, City are going to win.
10:32Arsenal have got a tricky game.
10:34Forrest have got a game against Leicester.
10:36So, as a coach, when you're with a club, you're looking at what could happen there.
10:42I wonder what might happen there.
10:43Do you think a draw, though?
10:45I mean, if you're Chelsea, are you thinking, I'd be happy with a draw, but we're not going to play for a draw, right?
10:50No, I'm thinking I'm not happy with a draw.
10:53We need, this is a cup final.
10:55This is a cup final because of where Newcastle are, where we are, it's three points gained on Newcastle, if we win, or vice versa.
11:04Newcastle, three points gained on Chelsea and give you that nice little buffer to the cut-off point for Champions League.
11:12I think Newcastle have done brilliantly since winning the Cowbell Cup.
11:17I think their end to the season has been absolutely fantastic.
11:21I'm going to go Newcastle with home advantage to beat Chelsea 2-1.
11:27I agree.
11:28I'm going to say the same.
11:29But you know what?
11:30You wouldn't be surprised if it was the other way, would you?
11:33No, be no surprise.
11:35It should be a really good game.
11:36I think that's the game.
11:37Paul, this is a cup final.
11:39It really is.
11:40It really is.
11:40The magnitude of it is, I'd almost say, win a take-all.
11:45Win a take-all in respect of qualifying for the Champions League.
11:49Huge game.
11:51Let's go to a, not a huge game, Manchester United versus West Ham.
11:56Man United then.
11:58Obviously, with what happened in the Europa League, West Ham.
12:04West Ham are just bad, aren't they?
12:06What is that down to?
12:07I mean, let's be honest.
12:09The West Ham-Spurs game, whatever reason, it was one of the worst games of football I've seen in a very long time.
12:15Yeah, I thought it was very, very poor.
12:18It really was.
12:19Two teams who were struggling.
12:22You could see lack of confidence.
12:25They performed poorly.
12:27That's the only way you can describe it.
12:29And I see West Ham season, you know, almost just petering out, coming to an end.
12:36They can't go down.
12:37And they need a massive rethink over the summer on where they're going to start at the beginning of next season.
12:46So, I see Manchester United winning this comfortably 2-0.
12:49Yeah, I've got that as well, 2-0.
12:51Although, in the league, they've been bad.
12:55Manchester United is Old Trafford, but West Ham have been worse.
12:58Where's Graham Potter in all this?
13:00How much is he culpable for what's going on?
13:03Because he's come in.
13:04You know, obviously, there must be West Ham fans that are thinking,
13:07oh, David Moyes, oh, they'll be careful what you wish for thing.
13:10Because, oh, we're not playing good enough football.
13:12You know, we need a better manager.
13:14Lopatagy's been in.
13:15It hasn't worked.
13:17Now, under Graham Potter, it's still not working.
13:20Why isn't it working?
13:22What's the difference?
13:23What are you seeing?
13:24Well, I think he's going to want to change it.
13:27He's going to want some new players.
13:28Trust the leadership, right?
13:30Yeah, absolutely.
13:31And, you know, it's a massive summer for West Ham.
13:34A big summer for Graham Potter.
13:36What license does he get to bring the players he wants,
13:39the way he wants the team to play, the way he sees it?
13:42You know, he's had a nice period from taking over to the end of this season,
13:47which he can assess everything and look at exactly what he doesn't like,
13:52what he wants to change.
13:53Will he be allowed to change it in the summer?
13:55I think we'll see that very quickly at the start of next season.
13:59Right.
13:59Okay.
13:59So, there we are.
14:02So, that's Man United-West Ham.
14:03We both agreed on 2-0.
14:05So, United 15th, West Ham 17th.
14:08Nottingham Forest versus Leicester City.
14:10Forest are in sixth.
14:11So, they're still there, rounded about.
14:1419th, Leicester City, we know, are gone.
14:17Forest, although, you know, we've kind of waited for this,
14:20that there was going to be a wobble at some point during the season.
14:23Yeah.
14:23And it seems to have come right at the very end,
14:27because it just hadn't seemed to have arrived.
14:30Everybody was expecting, oh, maybe this is going to be it now.
14:32No, and they kept going, kept going.
14:34But now they've drawn at Palace.
14:35They've lost at Brentford, lost at Man City.
14:37I mean, Man City is Man City.
14:39But they desperately, they have to win this.
14:42And not only that, that there is a local rivalry to go along with that as well.
14:46So, Leicester, I'll...
14:47Paul, you're absolutely right.
14:48Must we?
14:49Must win Forest.
14:50Otherwise, I think, again, because of the Newcastle-Chelsea game,
14:54unless that's a draw and a Forest win,
14:59I think that this might be the weekend where Forest just lose that potential
15:05to qualify for the Champions League.
15:07So, they've got to win.
15:09I think they will.
15:10I think, you know, Leicester season has been horrible.
15:14They're in a different place now.
15:15They're obviously going back to the Championship.
15:17So, I see Forest winning 2-0.
15:192-0.
15:20I'm going to give Leicester a goal.
15:21Because I think local derby, well, fairly local derby.
15:25I don't know how the Leicester fans feel about Forest and vice versa.
15:29So, I think Leicester will score a goal.
15:30So, I think 2-1.
15:31But, yes.
15:32I mean, it would be a disaster, wouldn't it, if Forest didn't beat Leicester,
15:35the way things are going.
15:36It would be the end of the Champions League campaign, I think.
15:40Yeah, of course it would be.
15:41Anyway, two more games.
15:42Spurs in 16th.
15:44Playing Crystal Palace.
15:45You know, it was the reverse fixture that seemed to turn Crystal Palace's season around,
15:49didn't it?
15:50Because they were down the bottom.
15:51You know, they couldn't buy a win.
15:53And there's that old phrase about Dr. Tottenham.
15:55But it kind of worked.
15:56And Crystal Palace won.
15:58Spurs were poor.
15:59And then Palace went on a run after that.
16:01And now, you've got Spurs in 16th.
16:03And you've got Crystal Palace in 12th.
16:05You have.
16:06You've got Crystal Palace finishing the season in form.
16:09Going to a cup final.
16:11I think organised under Oliver Glasner.
16:16Difficult to beat.
16:17I think they've got players.
16:19They've got match winners in their team.
16:20Eze, Mateta, Saar.
16:23They can score goals.
16:25I think Palace have finished the season really well.
16:29Just wonder if they might have an eye on the cup final.
16:33You can't not.
16:34When there's nothing to play for.
16:36And you know the coming.
16:36Exactly.
16:37Is coming.
16:37Surely.
16:38Exactly.
16:39So, I'm just going to go Spurs to edge it 2-1.
16:42Do you rest players?
16:43I mean, they're still a few weeks away from the FA Cup final.
16:46So, do you rest players now?
16:49Do you keep them in cotton wool?
16:51Do you just give them a little run out just to make sure?
16:53Because this is huge for Crystal Palace.
16:55Yeah, quite possibly.
16:56If you've got one or two players who've got little niggles,
16:59you don't want to lose them with longer-term injuries.
17:01So, you might well protect them.
17:04And obviously, that's Oliver Glasner's call.
17:06But I do think he's handled the season really well.
17:09And he's getting the best out of this group of players now.
17:12Right.
17:13And finally then, last game of the weekend.
17:15First against second.
17:16Liverpool have won it.
17:17Arsenal are in second.
17:20They're hanging on.
17:21They've got Man City breathing down their neck.
17:23They've got...
17:24I think they've got Newcastle to play after that,
17:27which is also going to be a really tough game.
17:30Where is this going, do you think?
17:31And also, it's going to be at Anfield too.
17:34Paul, it's a really difficult end to the season for Arsenal.
17:38Out of the Champions League,
17:39all of a sudden, they're looking behind them rather than up.
17:43And they would have hoped maybe that this was the game
17:46where they could have got themselves in front in the Premier League.
17:49Looking back a few months ago,
17:51I think Liverpool, you know, free spirit,
17:54absolutely.
17:56Celebratory times at Anfield.
17:58They're playing the team that are second at the moment.
18:00They'll want to sign off in style, I think, Liverpool.
18:04Me too.
18:04So, I think it will be a Liverpool 2-0 victory.
18:06I think 2-0.
18:07I've got exactly the same 2-0.
18:08If you're an Arsenal player, though,
18:11is it going to affect you,
18:12the whole Champions League situation,
18:14going out to PSG and then going up to Liverpool?
18:17Is it like, you know, I just don't fancy this.
18:20Do you move it away?
18:22I know the perfect thing to be able to do
18:24is just move it away from your mind.
18:26You'll be able to go and play and forget everything.
18:28But does it make a difference?
18:30Will it affect players?
18:31Yeah, it will affect players.
18:32I think there's a massive, massive physical effort
18:36that they've put in over those two legs.
18:38Yeah.
18:38With the disappointment,
18:40the psychological element of actually being defeated
18:42and going out and nothing more to play for this season.
18:46So, yeah, that is very, very tough to deal with
18:49in terms of having to raise yourself to go
18:52and get a result against the champions of all teams
18:55to be playing away from home after you would really say
19:00the season's come to an end now for Arsenal.
19:03Although they're fighting, still fighting
19:05to secure Champions League football,
19:08it's a massive ask for those players
19:10to be at a level that they've been at all season.
19:13It really is.
19:14So, do they do the Guard of Honour?
19:16If you were playing for Arsenal,
19:17would you be happy to do that?
19:19Yes, I think so.
19:20I think so.
19:21Because I think you need to show a mark of respect
19:23for the team that won the league.
19:26And I think they deserve that, Liverpool.
19:28So, they'll do the Guard of Honour,
19:30but Michele Tetsch will probably say,
19:32we were the best team.
19:34Yeah.
19:35We'll see.
19:36Anyway, Clive, have a great weekend.
19:38Thanks.
19:38It's always a pleasure.
19:39Enjoy.
19:40Thank you, Paul.
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