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CORONATION DAY FOOTBALL
God save the King
BOURNEMOUTH vs CHELSEA (1500)
Just weeks ago, the Cherries were among the favourites for relegation. They’ve done a fantastic job of turning things around and now find themselves on the cusp of survival. One more win will likely do it, if they haven’t already, and who better than Chelsea to mark that milestone? They’ve been utterly and pleasingly dreadful under Frank Jr and there’s nothing to suggest that will change on the Dorset coast. Home win.
MANCHESTER CITY vs LEEDS UNITED (1500)
City march on towards the title and nobody, not even old Big Head himself, will stop them. There’s the sense that King Sam’s coronation has come a few weeks too late for Leeds, but it will be interesting to see how he starts his brief reign against Haaland et al. Home win.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs CRYSTAL PALACE (1500)
Spurs are a club in deep disarray, a rudder with no hand on the tiller. Palace are enjoying the security of safety and will fancy some pickings from up north. Draw.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS vs ASTON VILLA (1500)
Wolves have sweated not a little in recent times, but they’re all but safe now. Villa, meanwhile, are striving for the Euro Conference next season. They were a point above us when they appointed Emery. Away win.
LIVERPOOL vs BRENTFORD (1730)
Liverpool have got themselves into the Europa League spot and their goal for the rest of the season is to stay there. Brentford have little left to play for, having virtually cemented ninth spot. Home win.
*SUNDAY*
NEWCASTLE UNITED vs ARSENAL (1630)
A month ago the title was in Arsenal’s hands, but they’ve gone and done a Spursy with it. The Barcodes have had one heck of a season and if they can hold off the advance of Man U they’ll end it in third spot. Should be a good game. Draw.
WEST HAM UNITED vs MANCHESTER UNITED (1900)
After today, we’ve go to Brentford before hosting Leeds then travelling to Leicester on the final day. None of them are easy games, making it all the more important to get another point at least into the bag today. Man U have their sights set on third, but will have to outperform Newcastle. They were outperformed by Brighton on Thursday night. Does that leave them as a wounded tiger in search of fresh prey or simply ready to accept fourth? Either way, it’s a vital game for both sides. A mystery illness kept four first team players out of the side that lost to Man C on Wednesday, but with luck they will have recovered and be rested for today. At home and under the lights is rarely an appealing prospect for visiting sides and we’ll have to make the most of what is usually a cracking atmosphere for this fixture. The odds will be in Man U’s favour, but perhaps we can defy them – and VAR, which may be more of a challenge – for once and take one more step towards safety. Draw.
*MONDAY*
FULHAM vs LEICESTER CITY (1500)
Fulham seem to have settled for tenth, with little room for manoeuvre up or down. This may offer some encouragement to the visitors, who remain in trouble with a couple of eminently loseable games coming up after today – before the host us on the last day. The Foxes have a better goal difference than Leeds, Forest and Everton, and that’s what might make the difference in the final reckoning. Draw.
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION vs EVERTON (1730)
The Seagulls have a realistic chance of qualifying for Europe and that’s a strong incentive to perform. Everton are deep, very deep, in the brown stuff and it will take something special to keep them from the drop. It’s hard to see anything but the most probable outcome at the Amex this evening. That’ll do nicely. Home win.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST vs SOUTHAMPTON (2000)
The Saints have flirted with relegation for several seasons and now they’re set to consummate that relationship. Forest are in severe danger of joining them and have to win today if they’re to stand a chance of staying up. Their home form has kept them in the running and, with Chelsea (A), Arsenal (H) and Palace (A) coming up, this is their last realistic chance of adding three points to their tally. Home win.
*CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND-UP*
When this season’s history is written, the spotlight will rightly shine on Burnley’s immediate and stylish return to the Premier League. But two other clubs also deserve a share of the limelight: Middlesboro and Coventry, who in one of those curious twists of scheduling meet on Monday.
When Michael Carrick started his first managerial appointment at Boro last October, he walked into a club languishing a point above the relegation zone having accumulated 17 points from 16 games. That’s West Ham form. His first game saw Boro fall to another defeat at Preston. But then things started to change. Turn the clock forward to the present and Boro end the season in fourth place. Whatever happens in the play-offs it’s been an astonishing season for Carrick, and Boro fans might well have witnessed the start of what could be a stellar career in some of football’s most exalted hotseats.
Coventry’s season mirrors Boro’s – you might even say that it eclipses Boro’s. They lost six of their opening eight games, which is worse than West Ham form, and didn’t register a victory until late-October, almost to the day that Michael Carrick took on his Teesside assignment. They’re guaranteed a play-off place if they avoid defeat at Boro. It’s been a really tough few years for the Sky Blues that’s seen them flirt with bankruptcy, lose their stadium, and plunge to the depths of the English professional game: five years ago, they were playing in League Two. But under the stewardship of Mark Robins, another graduate of the Sir Alex School of Management and Hairdressing, they’ve rocketed to the brink of the Premier League. If they don’t make it this time, watch out for them next season.
After a gruelling nine months, the final round of Championship matches takes place on Monday with all games kicking off at a reassuring 3.00pm. The pick of the day is arguably Millwall’s game with Blackburn who are both battling for one of the two play-off places still up for grabs. Other fixtures affecting play-off qualification see Preston hosting Sunderland and West Brom visiting Swansea. At the bottom, Reading, Blackpool and Wigan have taken their leave of this division. Replacing them will be Plymouth, Ipswich and one from Sheff Wed, Barnsley, Bolton, Derby and Peterborough. When did Plymouth last host Everton in a league game?
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