Premier League match previews, team news, stats, predictions, kick-off time and how to follow | Football News

Team news, stats, predictions and how to follow the Premier League on Wednesday as Leeds host Chelsea and Man City face Wolves live on Sky Sports.

Leeds vs Chelsea – Wednesday, kick-off 7.30pm, live on Sky Sports

Team News: Leeds captain Liam Cooper is expected to return but Luke Ayling will miss the home game against Chelsea through suspension.

Cooper had been hoping to be back for Sunday’s defeat at Arsenal after missing the previous home loss to Manchester City due to a knee problem. Ayling misses the rest of the season after his red card at the Emirates.

Patrick Bamford (foot) is still not ready, while Stuart Dallas (broken leg), Adam Forshaw (fractured kneecap), Tyler Roberts (hamstring) and Crysencio Summerville (ankle) are all out.

Jorginho and N’Golo Kante will face late fitness checks for Chelsea ahead of the Elland Road trip.

The midfield duo have been battling knocks in recent weeks and are not yet sure to feature at Leeds.

Romelu Lukaku will be eyeing another start having scored twice in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Leeds.

Jones Knows prediction…

On Sunday, Leeds dropped into the relegation zone for the first time since October 30. The days of beautiful Bielsa-ball are long gone. It’s now time for ugly, win at all costs-ball.

Jesse Marsch should basically plagiarise Frank Lampard’s work at Everton. Leeds need to do to Chelsea what Everton did to Chelsea. Frustrate, defend well, and take their chances when they come.

That task might be easier than the odds suggest too with Thomas Tuchel’s team preparing for an FA Cup final while also being in a poor run of form. Eight points from their last possible 21 has left them just one point ahead of fourth-placed Arsenal. The Blues still need just four points to secure a Champions League place for next season but they will not be panicking just yet with home matches with Leicester and Watford to come after their Wembley trip.

The markets have set the goal-line at around three which leaves the under 2.5 price around 5/4 a bit too bulky to my eyes. Chelsea are not the free-scoring team of earlier this season. Just under 50 per cent of Chelsea’s last 13 games have fallen below the under 2.5 goal line while Leeds will be focused on keeping things ultra-tight at the back in a bid for a result.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1 | BETTING ANGLE: Under 2.5 goals (5/4 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats…

• Leeds are winless in their last seven meetings with Chelsea in all competitions (D2 L5), since a 2-0 home win in December 2002.
• Chelsea have won just 11% of their away league games against Leeds (5/46) – of all sides they’ve travelled to at least 15 times, the Blues’ lowest win rate in their league history is at Leeds.
• Chelsea have scored just three goals in their last 10 Premier League away games against Leeds, failing to score on seven occasions in that run (W1 D4 L5). Their only victory in that time was in April 2000 – 1-0 courtesy of a Jon Harley strike.
• Leeds United have conceded 34 home league goals this season, their most in a league season since 2011-12 in the Championship (41). In the top-flight, it’s their third-most home goals conceded in a single campaign, behind 1934-35 (35) and 1959-60 (46).
• Chelsea have dropped 20 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, last dropping more in a single campaign in 2015-16 (21).

• Since Leeds drew 0-0 with Chelsea at Elland Road in March last year, the Whites have kept just three clean sheets in 22 home Premier League matches, at least two fewer than any other ever-present team has kept on home soil in that time. The Whites are on their longest run of games without a top-flight clean sheet within a single season (10) since an 11-game run between August and December 1966.
• Leeds have only lost one of their last 41 home league matches in the month of May (W25 D15), a 3-1 defeat to Spurs back in May 1996. They are unbeaten in their last 19 at Elland Road in the league in May since (W12 D7).
• Chelsea have only conceded two first half goals in their last 14 Premier League matches, both against Arsenal in April. 13 of the last 15 goals they’ve conceded have come in the second half, with 71% of their overall Premier League goals conceded this season coming after half-time (22/31) – their highest ratio in a single campaign.
• Leeds manager Jesse Marsch has lost two of his first four home league games in charge (W1 D1), with Neil Warnock the last Whites manager to lose as many as three of his first five at Elland Road in 2012. Marsch hasn’t lost consecutive home league games with the same club since May/June 2015 with New York Red Bulls in MLS.
• Romelu Lukaku is Chelsea’s top scorer in all competitions this season with 14 goals, with seven of those coming in the Premier League. Lukaku netted a brace against Wolves last time out, last scoring 2+ goals in back-to-back Premier League appearances in February and March 2019 for Man Utd, against Crystal Palace and Southampton.

How to follow: Leeds vs Chelsea is live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7pm; kick-off 7.30pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

Wolves vs Man City – Wednesday, kick-off 8.15pm, live on Sky Sports

Team News: Wolves remain hopeful that head coach Bruno Lage will return to the touchline for Wednesday night’s Premier League clash with Manchester City at Molineux.

Lage missed Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea after testing positive for Covid-19, communicating with his coaching staff directly via a telephone link from the club’s training ground.

The 45-year-old, who is understood to be asymptomatic, was due to take further tests on Tuesday and Wednesday in the hope a negative result will allow him to return against the title-chasers.

Wolves could name an unchanged side for the game with Daniel Podence still ruled out with a minor foot injury and Nelson Semedo and Max Kilman sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Man City have three games remaining, starting with Wednesday’s rearranged trip to Wolves, and victories in all of them will ensure the crown is retained.

The task is not entirely plan sailing, however, with City having to deal with a number of injury problems in defence.

John Stones, Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias will all miss the remainder of the campaign, while Nathan Ake is a doubt with an ankle problem.

Guardiola said: “Nothing has changed since the game against Newcastle. We are who we are and we are going into the last three games with the players that we have and we go for it.

“We have problems in one department but the others are going to solve it. Go for it.”

Jones Knows prediction…

I have a lot in common with most teams in the Premier League in that Manchester City have a habit of making us look clueless. I have tipped Pep Guardiola’s boys not to win three times since December, including on Sunday against Newcastle. They have won those games by an aggregate score of 16-0. “You’re getting sacked in the morning,” was the chant from the Twitter trolls. It was hard to argue.

City’s 5-0 victory over Newcastle certainly settles their nerves and looks to have set them on the way to a fourth title in five seasons. With the added backdrop of knowing a draw in either of their next two away games would still leave the title situation in their hands, it’s really hard to make a case of this City side throwing in a stinker of a performance. They are just too professional and relentless for that now the Premier League is their only focus. In a game likely to be quite goal shy – Wolves’ games this season have averaged just 1.97 goals per 90 minutes, a league low – I’m happy to back City to win without conceding.

SCORE PREDICTION: 0-1 | BETTING ANGLE: Man City to win to nil (10/11 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats…

• Wolves lost this exact fixture 3-1 last season – they’ve not lost consecutive home league games against Manchester City since April 1981.
• After losing both league games against Wolves in 2019-20, Man City have won each of their last three against them. They last won four in a row against Wolves between April 1980 and December 1981.
• In 2022, Wolves have alternated between a win and a defeat in all eight of their home Premier League matches – they lost 3-0 at Molineux last time out against Brighton and Hove Albion.
• Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 16 away Premier League games (W13 D3) – it is their longest ever away unbeaten league run in their history, with their 4-0 win at Leeds taking them one ahead of the 15-game run under Joe Royle between December 1998 and September 1999.
• Although Wolves have only recovered four points from losing positions in the Premier League this season (the joint fewest of any team), those four points have all come from being two goals down in matches, winning 3-2 against Aston Villa in October and drawing 2-2 with Chelsea last time out.
• Man City have kept a clean sheet in their last five away Premier League matches, with only three sides ever keeping more than five consecutively in the Premier League: Chelsea (7 in a row, 2008), Manchester United (7, 2008-09) and Liverpool (6, 2014-15).
• Manchester City have won their last four Premier League games while scoring at least three goals each time. Only once have had they had a longer such run, doing so in six consecutive matches between October and November 2011.
• Manchester City have scored 20 goals from set-piece situations in the Premier League this season (excluding penalties), while conceding just one such goal themselves. Their set piece goal difference of +19 is the highest on record in a single Premier League campaign (since 2006-07).
• Wolves winger Chiquinho has assisted three goals in just 69 minutes of Premier League football, all as a substitute. He is only the second player in Premier League history to assist three goals before ever starting a match, along with Hope Akpan for Reading in January 2013.
• Conor Coady has scored four goals from four shots on target in the Premier League this season for Wolves, and five goals from six overall in his Premier League career. He’s the first player to have scored as many as four times and netted every shot on target (excl. penalties) in a Premier League season since Mohamed Diamé in 2014-15 for Hull City (also 4/4).

How to follow: Wolves vs Man City is live on Sky Sports Main Event from 8pm; kick-off 8.15pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

Watford vs Everton – Wednesday, kick-off 7.45pm

Team News: Watford manager Roy Hodgson admitted Watford have been gripped by an injury crisis and have nine new injuries following their relegation at Crystal Palace at the weekend.

Ismaila Sarr and Emmanuel Dennis reported knee problems on Tuesday and will be assessed ahead of the game, while Tom Cleverley, Imran Louza, Juraj Kucka, Kiko Femenia, Joshua King, Shaqai Forde and Nicolas Nkoulou are also all either injured or sick.

Cucho Hernandez remains absent and Joao Pedro has only trained once since he was absent from the weekend’s match. Hassane Kamara is also suspended following his red card at Selhurst Park.

Everton centre-back Yerry Mina is unlikely to return until the final match of the season after sustaining a calf injury in Sunday’s win at Leicester.

The Colombia international has only played three matches since coming back from more than two months out with a thigh injury but will not be available for the Toffees’ next three games.

Midfielder Donny Van De Beek (groin) has an outside chance of being ready for both matches next week, with defender Ben Godfrey (thigh) also targeting the final fixture at Arsenal.

Jones Knows prediction…

With absolutely nothing on the line for Watford bar pride, which has failed to provide a motivation for most of the season so looks unlikely to be generated now, Everton simply have to be backed. The problem is many people are thinking along the same lines and the price on an away win has collapsed into odds-on.

I think we can be greedy though and bump that odds-on price up to 5/2 with Sky Bet by backing Everton to win by one goal. No team in the Premier League has lost more games than by a solitary goal than the Hornets with 12 one-goal losing margins falling their way. Meanwhile, Everton’s last three wins under Frank Lampard has been by the odd goal.

SCORE PREDICTION: 0-1 | BETTING ANGLE: Everton to win by one goal (5/2 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats…

• Watford won the reverse fixture against Everton 5-2 in October and are looking to pick up consecutive league victories against the Toffees for the very first time.
• Everton have lost three of their last four Premier League away games against Watford, though they did win 3-2 on their last visit to Vicarage Road in February 2020.
• Watford have lost their last 11 home league matches, the longest run of home defeats in top-flight history. In Football League history, the only side to lose more than 11 in a row at home was Rochdale between November 1931 and August 1932 in the Third Division North, a run of 14 home defeats.
• Watford have been relegated from the Premier League before the final day of the season for the third time; on the previous two occasions, they lost their first match after relegation was confirmed (1-3 v Leeds in 1999-00 and 0-1 v Sheffield United in 2006-07).
• Watford have conceded 41 home Premier League goals this season – only three sides have ever shipped more in a single campaign; Wolves in 2011-12 (43), Derby in 2007-08 (43) and Swindon in 1993-94 (45).
• Everton are looking to win three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since March 2021, while they last won consecutive away league games in May the same year. Indeed, the Toffees’ 2-1 victory at Leicester ended a 15-game winless run on the road.
• Watford have lost each of their last six Premier League games, with the Hornets last having a longer run of consecutive league defeats between December 1972 and February 1973 (9).
• Watford striker Josh King has scored more Premier League goals against Everton than he has vs any other side in the competition (8), including a hat-trick at Goodison Park in the reverse fixture in October.
• Watford’s Samir and Hassane Kamara have ended on the losing side in all seven of their home Premier League appearances so far. No player in Premier League history has lost their first eight home games, with seven the record previously held by David Goodwillie (2011-12, Blackburn), Danny Ward (2009-19, Bolton & Cardiff) and Neeskens Kebano (2018-20, Fulham).
• Everton boss Frank Lampard has won all three of his Premier League meetings with Watford’s Roy Hodgson by an aggregate score of 9-2 – it’s his best 100% win rate as a manager in the top-flight, while only against Jürgen Klopp (8/8) and Mauricio Pochettino (5/5) does Hodgson have a higher 100% loss record.

How to follow: Follow Watford vs Everton on our dedicated live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

Leicester vs Norwich – Wednesday, kick-off 7.45pm

Team News: Leicester will have James Maddison and James Justin back in contention for Wednesday evening’s Premier League clash with relegated Norwich.

Maddison has overcome the tight hamstring which caused him to miss the weekend defeat by Everton, while defender Justin has recovered from a shoulder issue.

Ricardo Pereira will once again be absent through injury, along with Ryan Bertrand and Wilfred Ndidi (both knee).

Norwich will be without Mathias Normann for the trip to the King Power Stadium.

The midfielder missed Sunday’s 4-0 home loss to West Ham with a thigh injury.

The Canaries already had Christoph Zimmermann (groin), Adam Idah (knee), Andrew Omobamidele (back), Kenny McLean (ankle), Josh Sargent (ankle) and Ozan Kabak (thigh) out of action.

Jones Knows prediction…

You are thinking of skipping this match, aren’t you? The dead rubber of all dead rubbers. But these end-of-season affairs with nothing on the line do have a­ habit of producing plenty of action as players are given much more licence to express themselves with no jeopardy on the line. Leicester have the attacking players to turn on the style against the Premier League’s worst defence but also offer up opportunities up the other end. Their matches have seen an average of 3.09 goals score per 90 minutes – only Leeds, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool average more.

With a potentially goal heavy game expected, backing the game to produce over 3.5 goals at 6/4 will do just fine.

SCORE PREDICTION: 3-1 | BETTING ANGLE: Back over 3.5 goals (6/4 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats…

• Leicester are unbeaten in all three of their Premier League home games against Norwich (W2 D1), though these games have seen just four goals scored in total (2x 1-0 wins, 1x 1-1 draw).
• Norwich lost the reverse fixture against Leicester 2-1 back in August – only in one of the last seven campaigns in which the sides have met have the Canaries lost both league games against the Foxes (2015-16).
• Leicester are winless in five Premier League games (D2 L3), losing each of the last two. The Foxes haven’t lost three in a row since February 2019, and Claude Puel’s final three games in charge of the club.
• Norwich haven’t won any of their 15 away Premier League matches this season against sides in the division the previous year (D3 L12); their two away wins this season have come at Brentford and Watford, both of whom were promoted alongside the Canaries in 2020-21.
• Leicester have both scored and conceded in a league-high 23 different Premier League games this season, with the Foxes only doing so more in 1994-95 (25) and 2017-18 (24).
• Leicester have conceded a league-high 15 Premier League goals from corners this season. Since 2006-07 (when Opta has full data for goal-type), only two clubs have ever conceded more in a single campaign – Watford in 2016-17 and Brighton in 2017-18 (both 16).
• Coming into the midweek matches, Norwich have conceded a league-high 75 Premier League goals this season. Only in 2004-05 (77) have the Canaries ever shipped more in a single top-flight campaign.
• Leicester striker Jamie Vardy has been involved in 21 goals in his last 14 Premier League appearances against promoted sides, scoring 14 and assisting a further seven. Vardy has registered more than one goal involvement in eight of these 14 games and has only failed to score or assist a goal twice.
• Norwich manager Dean Smith has lost three of his four Premier League meetings with Leicester, though that one win did come at the King Power Stadium (1-0 in October 2020 with Aston Villa).
• All five of Patson Daka’s Premier League goals for Leicester have come at the King Power Stadium, four of which have come in starts. Only Jamie Vardy (6) has netted more often at home for the club in the top-flight in 2021-22.

How to follow: Follow Leicester vs Norwich on our dedicated live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

How the table stands

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Latest Essential Football Podcast

On the latest Essential Football Podcast, host Ron Walker is joined by Sam Blitz and Zinny Boswell to talk the Premier League title race as Man City took advantage of Liverpool’s slip-up to widen the gap at the top of the table, plus the race for Europe, survival and a dramatic final WSL weekend.

PART 1 | Is there still hope for Liverpool, with Manchester City moving three points clear in the title race? Why have Chelsea collapsed, are Arsenal home and dry in the race for Europe or can Spurs get a result in the north London derby to cause a late upset?

PART 2 | Advantage Everton in the Premier League survival race. What’s changed for Frank Lampard? Who should be more worried out of Burnley or Leeds? And we put Sam and Zinny’s knowledge of Man Utd’s woes to the test in a special game of ‘higher or lower’.

PART 3 | After a dramatic final weekend in the WSL, how did Chelsea retain the title and where did it not quite happen for Arsenal? What are the takeaways from the rest of the league table and what can we expect to happen this summer?