Newcastle United vs. Everton

St. James Park, Tuesday, 7:30pm Local, 2:30pm Eastern

This preview was shaping up to be quite different 80 minutes into Newcastle’s clash with West Ham. Eddie Howe’s side were batted about by David Moyes and Co before catching fire and turning a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 win. The Tyneside club will hope to ride that wave of momentum when Everton come to town on Tuesday evening. Alexander Isak and - most notably - Harvey Barnes clocked braces, but the Magpies will be without Anthony Gordon, whose crafty (to put it charitably) play earned him both plaudits and 2 yellow cards. Even without their star man, Newcastle should have more than enough for the Toffees.

Everton got on the board in their loss to Bournemouth, but even a Beto goal couldn’t earn the Merseyside club a point. Some of Sean Dyche’s underlying numbers look alright in terms of expected goals for and against, but they routinely fail the eye test, and it’s hard to believe that their personnel will actually convert opportunities. Add this dynamic to their points penalty (or possibly penalties), and it’s quite easy to see why Everton supporters are fearing the worst. To be slightly positive, Newcastle haven’t been consistent at all this season, so the Toffees have a chance if they can remain resolute in defense.

Nottingham Forest vs. Fulham

City Ground, Tuesday, 7:30pm Local, 2:30pm Eastern

Forest hauled themselves out of the relegation places with a draw over the weekend, but their position is still built on flimsy foundations. The Midlands club remains a frustrating conundrum, full of players that should be higher up the table. Young - somewhat mercurial - forward, Gio Reyna, played for the club for the first time in a while, and the loanee could have a big impact on their run in. His quality, combined with Anthony Elanga, Taiwo Awoniyi, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Callum Hudson-Odoi should make for a potent attack, but Nuno Espírito Santo has so far been unable to make the talented pieces form a cohesive whole.

Fulham notched a surprising draw away to Sheffield United, but will take some solace from their fightback from 3-1 down. Firmly ensconced in midtable, Marco Silva has no pressure on his shoulders, and the Cottagers are playing exciting and open football as a result. Rodrigo Muniz continues to look like a Galáctico, and his scissor kick finish leveled the match on Saturday. The West London outfit will head to the City Ground ready to attack, and more often than not this season that’s been more than enough to earn a result.

Bournemouth vs. Crystal Palace

Vitality Stadium, Tuesday, 7:45pm Local, 2:45pm Eastern

Bournemouth and Crystal Palace are both more than likely already safe, but the Cherries are clearly in better form and have 8 points on the Eagles. Andoni Iraola’s side added another 3 against Everton over the weekend, and - much more importantly - saw one of their big summer signings, USA captain Tyler Adams, start for the first time. The gritty midfielder should add stability and energy to the middle of the park and provide a great base from which to spring counter attacks. On form, the home side are clear favorites against a Palace side that’s still adjusting to a new manager.

Oliver Glasner has the luxury of low expectations. The Eagles are - barring a catastrophic collapse combined with several teams catching fire in a frankly illogical way - safe; this season is over. So their new manager needs to figure out his squad, experiment, and try to convince some of his key players that the project with him at the helm is viable. So far nothing drastic has happened - it seems as though he prefers Eberechi Eze a bit further forward - and the results have been unremarkable. While Bournemouth are no pushovers, this is the sort of match where Glasner might shake things up, and supporters may get a peek at next year’s plan.

Burnley vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Turf Moor, Tuesday, 7:45pm Local, 2:45pm Eastern

Whisper it quietly, but could Burnley stay up? The answer is - unfortunately for the Lancashire side - almost certainly no, but their 10 man draw away to Chelsea (and potential points deductions) makes it a distinct possibility. While the Clarets haven’t exactly been flying, they’ve looked more savvy in recent outings and Aro Muric’s return to goal has added some stability to their leaky defense. Wolves are coming off a loss, but they’ve proven to be more organized than Chelsea this season, so Vincent Kompany will need to prove this mini renaissance has legs.

Gary O’Neill has rightly earned plaudits for his work in Wolverhampton this year, and he has a side that looked to be fighting relegation 3 points off a European place. Their lack of attackers makes it unlikely that Wolves will make it all the way to 7th, but Burnley (despite recent improvements) might be more forgiving in defense. What’s stood out most about the Midlands side is its ability/tendency to adjust to opponents - they’ve toppled top of the table sides but struggled past some lower down the pyramid.

West Ham United vs. Tottenham Hotspur

London Stadium, Tuesday, 8:15pm Local, 3:15pm Eastern

West Ham will be eager to wash the taste of their 4-3 defeat to Newcastle out of their mouths, but they don’t exactly have a friendly fixture on deck with Tottenham making the cross city trip. The Hammers front 3 of Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, and the somewhat resurgent Michail Antonio - all supported by Lucas Paquetá - have been humming in recent games. Scoring isn’t an issue but containing the opposition is. David Moyes knows his team has what it takes to break Spurs down, but he’ll want to see more resiliency from his East London squad.

It took some time, but Ange Postecoglou’s side pulled out a needed victory over Luton in their last match. It was important not just in terms of keeping pace with Aston Villa, but in building a larger buffer over Manchester United. While it’s still an open question as to whether or not 5th will be enough for Champions League, Tottenham will be desperate to keep distance from the chasing pack. Timo Werner has been - perhaps - surprisingly successful for the North London team, and rumors are starting to circulate that his loan will be made permanent. Brennan Johnson - another new addition this season - has also embraced his energizer role, and there are plenty of reasons to be positive if you support Tottenham.

Arsenal vs. Luton Town

Emirates Stadium, Wednesday, 7:30pm Local, 2:30pm Eastern

Arsenal’s clash with Manchester City wasn’t exactly a blockbuster, but Mikel Arteta will be quietly happy that his side avoided a loss. That may be tough for some to stomach, but the real work starts in this run in when Luton comes to the Emirates. With the top of the table so tight, winning is paramount for all the title chasers, and the Gunners can’t afford to lose to a promoted side at home. There have been questions raised about Arsenal’s attack, which largely went silent in their latest run. However, after not really producing a threat against the Champions, Arteta will want to see goals and lots of them.

Rob Edwards’ side took the lead away to Tottenham but just couldn’t hold on. The last thing the Hatters would have wanted was another trip to North London, but the scheduling computer was unkind to Luton. They’ll start the match in the relegation places, but, with another potential points penalty looming for Everton, the Hatters will know that a solid end to the season could be more than enough for survival. Just don’t be surprised if that run doesn’t start away to Arsenal… 

Brentford vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

Gtech Community Stadium, Wednesday, 7:30pm Local, 2:30pm Eastern

The Bees narrowly avoided embarrassment in their last match, quickly equalizing after Manchester United nabbed a late goal. More significantly, that result came on the heels of an excellent performance in which Brentford looked far more confident and fluent than they have in months. Ivan Toney and Yoane Wissa led the line well, with Bryan Mbeumo and Neal Maupay held in reserve. Thomas Frank’s side may not be hitting the heights of previous seasons, but that last performance will boost confidence in West London, and he’ll see this match as winnable.

Brighton may have lost their last match from a winning position, but the Seagulls were far from dominated by top of the table Liverpool. The South Coast outfit still has plenty to play for this season, but they’re desperately in need of some consistent scoring. Evan Ferguson in particular hasn’t had the breakout campaign many predicted, and with so many injuries to attacking players, Roberto De Zerbi could use a hot streak from a forward. Brentford are inconsistent in defense, so this may be an opportunity to start ramping up their scoring output.

Manchester City vs. Aston Villa

Etihad Stadium, Wednesday, 8:15pm Local, 3:15pm Eastern

After their stodgy draw against Arsenal, City sit 3rd in the table with the worst goal difference of the title-chasers. The Champions never looked truly vulnerable in their weekend clash, but there was a staleness in their chance creation that made for both a dire and concerning watch for neutrals and fans alike. They have more than enough talent to bounce back, but Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Kyle Walker, Ederson, and Nathan Aké will miss the match with John Stones a late call. That means City will be fielding a makeshift defense against a side that absolutely humbled them in their first meeting. Home field advantage may make all the difference, but it’s possible Pep’s men will need to score several to tame Villa.

Unai Emery is too smart to assume his side will be able to dominate City like they did in the winter - a game which saw City held to just 2 shots - but it would be illogical to think that the Spanish manager doesn’t feel that he has a promising game plan to stifle the Champions. John McGinn is still missing due to suspension, and he’s a critical cog in the Villa machine, but Moussa Diaby, Leon Bailey, and Ollie Watkins are all in good form. The Birmingham side will be especially excited to face a Walker-less Manchester City, as the speedy right back often uses his excellent pace to snuff out the sort of counter attacks which fuel Villa’s offense. City are still favorites, but Unai Emery has proved his side can stand up to any opposition.

Liverpool vs. Sheffield United

Anfield, Thursday, 7:30pm Local, 2:30pm Eastern

Liverpool were the main beneficiaries of City and Arsenal’s vanilla draw, and the Reds are back on top of the table. This midweek sees Sheffield United make the trip to Anfield, and the hosts are hugely favored to snag all 3 points. Jürgen Klopp will be preaching a professional approach, and the experienced heads around Merseyside will know the dangers of complacency, but it would take a massive surprise to keep Liverpool from victory. There are still some injury concerns around the club, but Curtis Jones and Andy Robertson could be in contention to play with several more key players getting closer every day.

Sheffield United need points to power an unlikely survival push, and Chris Wilder would love to spoil the party at Anfield. The reality however, is that the Blades have won just 3 matches all season, and - even though they’re coming off of a draw - they’ve looked out of their depth all campaign. Ben Brereton Díaz has been a positive influence on the squad since his January arrival, and Oli McBurnie doesn’t look out of place in the top flight, but there’s just not enough quality around the Yorkshire club to imagine them truly troubling Klopp’s men.

Chelsea vs. Manchester United

Stamford Bridge, Thursday, 8:15pm Local, 3:15pm Eastern

In years past this match would have been a must watch, box office clash. This season, however, both of these sides have scuttled and struggled and look miles away from their dominant bests. Both clubs are coming off of disappointing draws - Chelsea at home to 10 man Burnley, and United away to Brentford, who thoroughly dominated Erik Ten Hag’s team. Mauricio Pochettino must be wondering how things have gone so wrong, and only Cole Palmer - a late signing over the summer - has been consistent for the Blues. United are unlikely to stifle Chelsea, and the Argentinian manager will certainly feel that his crew has the potential to create offensively. Turning that potential into real output has been the challenge all season, and it’s no different this midweek.

Erik Ten Hag’s United have an unhealthy love of conceding shots, a pattern which was on show in their lucky draw away to Brentford. The flimsiness of their midfield combined with injuries at the back has been a huge challenge, and even the talented Kobbie Mainoo hasn’t been able to stop the bleeding. United have shown that they have the talent to snatch results from poor performances, but their last draw highlighted the limitations of that strategy. This match is a chance to perform against a similarly flawed side, and it could be crucial for Ten Hag’s future in Manchester.