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 this Saturday as Aston Villa host Tottenham, live on Sky Sports.

Everton vs Man Utd – Saturday, kick-off 12.30pm

Team News: Everton midfielder Allan and defender Michael Keane return from suspension and are likely to go straight back into the side for the visit of Manchester United.

Right-back Seamus Coleman is also likely to start, having been an unused substitute for the midweek defeat at Burnley because of illness.

Centre-back Yerry Mina, out since early February with a thigh injury, could return for Everton’s next match at home to Leicester on April 20.

Cristiano Ronaldo is available again for Manchester United after illness but Ralf Rangnick will be short of options in key defensive positions with four players ruled out of the match.

England left-back Luke Shaw needs a minor operation to remove metal bolts from his leg and is expected to miss two to three weeks.

Raphael Varane, Scott McTominay and Edinson Cavani are also absent.

Jones Knows prediction…

The results of last week’s betting angles and predictions were profitable but in typical style, the chosen angle that was used as the headline let us down. “Sancho to star in a Man Utd win” was all sorts of wrong with United – and Sancho in particular – turning in a performance that once again sent out alarm bells ringing for the problems behind the scenes at the club.

Up until last weekend, Sancho had been growing in confidence and showing signs of the player we all saw at Borussia Dortmund. I’m willing to forgive him for that bad day at the office and remain convinced he is overpriced in an array of markets involving his performance. The bet that stands out here is his first goalscorer price of 9/1 with Sky Bet.

Everton are a very flaky unit defensively and although you can’t argue with Jonjoe Kenny’s application and enthusiasm levels, question marks remain about his ability as a Premier League defender. He’ll be tasked with keeping a lid on Sancho and that looks a battle the United winger can win.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2 | BETTING ANGLE: Jadon Sancho to score first (9/1 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats…

• Everton have won just one of their last 13 Premier League meetings with Manchester United (D6 L6), beating them 4-0 in April 2019 under Marco Silva.
• Manchester United won this exact fixture 3-1 last season – they’ve not won consecutive away league games against Everton since a run of three between August 2005 and September 2007.
• Manchester United have won 37 Premier League games against Everton – only the Red Devils themselves (38 vs Spurs) have beaten a single opponent more often in the competition’s history.
• Manchester United have scored at least once in each of their last 16 away games in the Premier League (29 goals in total), their longest run of away games without failing to score in the competition since November 2008 (18) – the 17th game in that run was also at Goodison Park, a 1-1 draw.

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

Arsenal vs Brighton – Saturday, kick-off 3pm – PLAY SUPER 6 TO WIN £250,000!

Team News: Arsenal are without both Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney for Saturday’s Premier League visit of Brighton.

The pair will be out for some time after Partey injured his thigh in Monday’s 3-0 loss at Crystal Palace, Tierney having missed the defeat after suffering a knee injury which required surgery.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf) is also expected to miss out with Mikel Arteta’s slim squad being pushed to the limit.

Brighton defender Adam Webster, who has not featured since mid-February due to groin and calf injuries, could return to the visitors’ squad at the Emirates Stadium but will not start.

Midfielders Adam Lallana (hamstring) and Moises Caicedo (illness) may also be involved in north London.

But Poland international Jakub Moder is definitely out after rupturing his ACL during last weekend’s goalless draw against Norwich.

Jones Knows prediction…

Monday evening’s poor outing at Crystal Palace for Arsenal – one I watched first-hand at Selhurst Park – wasn’t a performance I had seen coming. But a closer inspection of their attacking numbers of late does paint a picture that perhaps Arsenal have been overperforming since the turn of the year.

Their troubles are highlighted by the fact they have failed to score a single goal from non-set piece scenarios in their last four matches, dating back to March 6. What is in their favour here is that one goal probably will be enough to beat Brighton, who have failed to score in six of their last seven Premier League matches. However, Arsenal at odds-on against such a well-coached side like the Seagulls just isn’t something I want to invest in. I’ll play the draw.

One player that has quietly slipped under the radar this season for Brighton is Alexis Mac Allister. Much of Brighton’s dynamic play through the centre come via Mac Allister’s crisp and creative passing. His performances have reached another level over the past two months to such an extent he started his first match for Argentina in their World Cup qualifier with Venezuela.

That experience should only further enhance his authority in midfield for Brighton and he looks overpriced to find the scoresheet at The Emirates. Since scoring a double at Everton in January, he has gone 847 minutes without a goal, but he has been peppering the opposition goal with quality strikes. No player in the Premier League without a goal in that period has managed more shots on goal than Mac Allister (25) with seven of those coming in the 0-0 draw with Norwich. On another day he could have had a couple of goals to his name as two of those efforts were just a whisker away. He has the quality to punish Arsenal if they afford him space to shoot.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1 | BETTING ANGLE: Alexis Mac Allister to score (7/2 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats…

• After a five-game winless streak against Brighton in the Premier League, Arsenal are unbeaten in their last three against the Seagulls (W2 D1), keeping a clean sheet every time.
• The 0-0 draw in the reverse fixture was Brighton’s first clean sheet in 10 league games against Arsenal, since a 1-0 win in September 1982. They’ve never recorded consecutive shutouts against the Gunners before.
• Each of Arsenal’s last six home Premier League defeats have come against teams starting the day above them in the league – they’ve not lost any of their last 14 home Premier League games against sides below them (W10 D4) since a 1-0 defeat to Burnley in December 2020.
• Brighton have drawn nine of their last 13 away Premier League matches in London (W1 L3), recovering points from losing positions in five of those draws, including each of their last three 1-1 draws with Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Chelsea.

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

Southampton vs Chelsea – Saturday, kick-off 3pm – PLAY SUPER 6 TO WIN £250,000!

Team News: Southampton will be without on-loan forward Armando Broja against Chelsea as he cannot face his parent club.

Shane Long is being monitored after he picked up an ankle problem during last weekend’s draw at Leeds.

Defender Lyanco has returned to training following two months out with a hamstring injury, while goalkeeper Alex McCarthy (hamstring) is also stepping up his own recovery.

Romelu Lukaku must shake off an Achilles issue to prove his fitness for Chelsea.

The Belgium hitman has battled a painful Achilles tendon in training.

Hakim Ziyech will be a doubt due to a knock, with Callum Hudson-Odoi missing through lower back trouble and Ben Chilwell a long-term absentee after knee surgery.

Jones Knows prediction…

If you have been backing the over goal-line in Southampton games this season you will be swimming in profit.

There have been two goals or more in their last 23 games across all competitions, producing an overall average of 3.4 goals per game. That is a fair sample size and one we should take huge confidence from when assessing the goal-line in this fixture. Ralph Hasenhuttl isn’t going to change his style for a visit of a top-four side, he’ll encourage his team to press aggressively as they always do which should make for a goal heavy game.

There have been 73 goals in Southampton’s 21 games against the traditional ‘big six’ since the start of the 20/21 season – keeping in line with that 3.4 overall average.

With all that in mind, the chances of this game producing four or more goals must have a better chance of landing than the 12/5 with Sky Bet implies. It’s certainly up there with the best bet of the weekend material.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-3 | BETTING ANGLE: Over 3.5 goals scored (12/5 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats…

• Southampton have won just one of their last 12 Premier League games against Chelsea (D3 L8), winning 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in December 2019.

• Chelsea have lost just one of their 13 Premier League games at St Mary’s Stadium against Southampton (W9 D3) and are unbeaten in their last eight visits since a 2-1 loss in March 2013.

• Southampton have lost their last two home Premier League matches, as many as in their previous 18 at St Mary’s (W8 D8). The Saints last lost three in a row at home in January/February 2021.

• Chelsea suffered a 4-1 home defeat against Brentford in their last Premier League game but have never suffered consecutive league defeats under Thomas Tuchel, last doing so in December 2020 under Frank Lampard. Tuchel has managed the most Premier League matches without losing consecutive games in the history of the competition (48).

How to follow: Follow Southampton vs Chelsea in our dedicated live match blog. 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 Leeds – Saturday, kick-off 3pm – PLAY SUPER 6 TO WIN £250,000!

Team News: Watford manager Roy Hodgson has no fresh selection concerns ahead of the Premier League match against Leeds.

Teenage winger Kwadwo Baah has recovered from an ankle problem and is back in full training with the rest of the first-team squad.

Tom Cleverley, Joshua King and forward Emmanuel Dennis all came off the bench during the second half of the defeat at Liverpool as they press for a return to the side.

Leeds boss Jesse Marsch could choose from an unchanged squad for his sixth game in charge. Striker Joe Gelhardt is expected to recover from a dead leg sustained in action for the under-23s this week.

Kalvin Phillips is hoping to make his first start since December. He stepped off the bench in last week’s draw against Southampton after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Leo Hjelde is available after recovering from knee surgery, but Patrick Bamford (foot), Tyler Roberts (hamstring), Junior Firpo (knee) and Jamie Shackleton are still out.

Jones Knows prediction…

With their survival hopes dwindling by the week, many of Watford’s players will be motivated about keeping their own performances high in order to catch the eye of potential top-level clubs. One of those players who looks a Premier League player all over is Hassane Kamara. The Ivory Coast full-back is an aggressive defender that relishes the one-on-one battle with a winger. He’ll be tested up against Raphinha in this one and I like his price of picking up a card.

Since joining from Nice in January, only John McGinn has won more tackles in the Premier League than Kamara (26) and only Matty Cash and Romain Perraud have committed more fouls than Kamara when analysing just defenders in that period (15). The Leeds winger is a magnet for opposition cards, drawing 15 bookings since the start of last season. Kamara may be about to join that list.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2 | BETTING ANGLE: Hassane Kamara to be carded (3/1 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats…

• Watford have won their last two home league games against Leeds, most recently a 4-1 victory in August 2014. The Hornets had only won one of their first eight against the Whites at Vicarage Road (D3 L4).

• Leeds are looking to complete their first league double over Watford since the 1999-00 season, which was also the last campaign the sides met in the Premier League.

• Watford have lost their last eight home Premier League matches, with Wolves the last side to have a longer home losing streak, losing nine in a row between January and April 2012. The Hornets have only lost nine consecutive home league games once before, between December 1971 and March 1972.

• Since returning to the Premier League last season, Leeds United have picked up 22 points in their eight Premier League matches against promoted clubs (W7 D1), with their 2.75 points per game average the highest of any side in such matches in that time. They are also the only Premier League team not to lose a single game against a promoted side since the start of last season.

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

Aston Villa vs Tottenham – Saturday, kick-off 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports

Team News: Marvelous Nakamba is back for Aston Villa after being out since December.

He had knee surgery but is available for boss Steven Gerrard ahead of the visit of Tottenham.

Emi Buendia and Tyrone Mings are expected to shake off knocks while Lucas Digne (stomach) is fit.

Tottenham will have Sergio Reguilon back available.

The Spaniard missed last weekend’s win over Newcastle with a training ground knock, but has returned to training and is part of Antonio Conte’s plans.

Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring) is also back in training but the game will come too soon, while Japhet Tanganga (knee) and Oliver Skipp (groin) remain out.

Jones Knows prediction…

I remain fully convinced that Tottenham are going places under Antonio Conte.

Some tweaks over the summer in key areas such as goalkeeper, wing-back and perhaps another central midfielder could take Spurs closer to Manchester City and Liverpool than what is foreseen by the markets. Conte has shown he knows how to operate in terms of recruiting players with the right kind of character – just look at the impact of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski.

The balance across the Tottenham backline with Christian Romero, Eric Dier and Ben Davies also has an impressive look to it. Spurs have won five of the last six when all those three have been fit and available – that base has helped them score 22 goals in those fixtures and concede just five. Romero especially looks a player capable of becoming one of the best in the division under the watch of Conte. I think he can help Spurs to another victory in this one, with a clean sheet to boot.

SCORE PREDICTION: 0-2 | BETTING ANGLE: Tottenham to win to nil (3/1 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Opta stats…

• Aston Villa have won just two of their last 20 Premier League games against Spurs (D3 L15), both away from home in April 2015 and May 2021. Their last victory against them at Villa Park was in January 2008.

• Tottenham have won their last six Premier League away games against Aston Villa. Only against the Villans themselves have they had a longer winning away run in their league history (7 between 1950 and 1956).

• Aston Villa have lost their last three Premier League matches, losing each game by a one-goal margin. Indeed, the Villans have lost 12 matches by one goal this season, more than any other side.

• Tottenham Hotspur have scored 21 goals in their last six Premier League matches (W5 L1), scoring four or more goals in three of those games (4-0 vs Leeds, 5-0 vs Everton, 5-1 vs Newcastle). It’s the first time Spurs have scored 21 times in the space of six top-flight games since a run between April and September 1965.

How to follow: Aston Villa vs Tottenham is live on Sky Sports Premier League from 5pm; kick-off 5.30pm. 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.

How the table stands

How to watch Premier League highlights on Sky Sports Digital

Anybody in the UK can watch highlights for free on the Sky Sports app or the Score Centre app on your iPhone or Android:

To watch the highlights on the Sky Sports App, download the app:

Sky Sports’ digital platforms are the home of live blogs for every Premier League game, including commentary, analysis and team line-ups. Users with a free Sky ID can watch in-game clips from Sky live games in our dedicated live blogs.

Jamie Carragher special: Why a Liverpool win at Man City wouldn’t end the title race, where the game will be won and… his big prediction

In a special edition of the Essential Football Podcast, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher joins Ron Walker to discuss this weekend’s crunch title-race clash as leaders Manchester City host second-placed Liverpool live on Sky Sports Premier League this Sunday.

Carra explains why the game may still not act as the title decider even with so little of the season left, why City and Liverpool have the edge in different parts of the pitch, why a draw might be a good result for both managers – and predicts how the Etihad showdown is going to go.