With the Capital One Cup Final happening at Wembley this Sunday there are just two EPL matches to be played, but with three of the top six sides in the Premier League in action we are guaranteed plenty of excitement.
We preview the Manchester United v Arsenal and Tottenham v Swansea matches with online sportsbook WilliamHill.com to provide our top EPL picks from this Sunday’s football.
Man United v Arsenal: 3.10 – 3.10 – 2.40
The home side for this Manchester United v Arsenal clash at Old Trafford have plenty to be upbeat about as they have not lost on home soil to The Gunners in ten years in the Premier League and come into this match having seen the emergence of a new local hero as Marcus Rashford bagged two goals on his United debut during the week as Louis van Gaal’s men defeated Danish side FC Midtjylland 5-1. That moved the EPL side into the last 16 stage of the Europa League where they were drawn against their massive rivals Liverpool and they will be desperate to see off another rival this weekend.
However, they are in the middle of an injury crisis as they missed 14 players during midweek and this will certainly hinder them for this vital clash as they have slipped to sixth in the EPL behind West Ham and they are now six points behind local rivals Man City in the final Champions League spot. If they can play with the same kind of confidence that they showed on Thursday night then there may be something in this match for the home side, no matter how weakened the team they put out is.
Confidence is something that will be in short supply for Arsenal right now as when things go wrong for them in one competition they have historically collapsed in all other competitions too. Their last two matches have seen them held by Hull in the FA Cup before losing at home to Barcelona in the Champions League. They failed to score in either of these games and with them five points behind Leicester in the Premier League failure to win this match will be go a long way towards seeing them missing out on the EPL title, especially with a clash against North London rivals and second in the league Tottenham coming shortly.
United have lost just one of their last four home league games while Arsenal have won just two of seven away EPL matches coming into this game and we see this being a cagey and close game that both sides will want to win, but may struggle as United defend well at home and Arsenal can find themselves without goals on occasion. However, with so much at stake for both sides we can see both teams going for it and we’re backing goals in this match.
Our top Man United v Arsenal tip is back Both Teams to Score – Yes @ 1.95 with William Hill.
Tottenham v Swansea: 1.44 – 4.20 – 8.00
The home team at White Hart Lane put the disappointment of losing to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup last weekend to rest as they progressed to the last 16 stage of the Europa League by thumping Italian side Fiorentina 3-0, and they did this without key striker Harry Kane who broke his nose. The club are hopeful that the England forward will be back for this match as they aim to keep the pressure on Leicester at the top of the table and close the gap back to two points.
Swansea have a fully fit squad for this match and as they have not played for 15 days they will be desperate to get back into competitive action. They have moved themselves three points clear of the relegation zone at the bottom of the league with two wins and two draws in their last five matches, but they were beaten 1-0 at home by Southampton and have been mulling over that defeat for the last two weeks, so they will hope to banish that memory by upsetting the odds in this match.
However, Swansea have never won away to Tottenham and last triumphed against them in 1982, although they did draw 2-2 at home earlier this season. With the way Tottenham are playing right now we expect them to win this match, just as the match odds suggest, and with just two defeats in 13 league games they will be confident of victory too. With Harry Kane the home side’s top goalscorer with 16 in the EPL this season we are backing him to find the net, even with a broken nose, and lead his side to all three points.
Our money is on Tottenham to beat Swansea and Harry Kane to score at odds of 2.50 in the William Hill Sportsbook!
Bonus Pick:
Liverpool v Man City: 3.20 – 3.20 – 2.30
These two sides contest the Capital One Cup Final at Wembley this Sunday in what will be the first of two meetings between the teams in four days. Liverpool have won both of the last two meetings between these sides, including running riot at The Etihad to win 4-1 earlier this season, and they bring a three game unbeaten run into this final that has seen them score seven and concede no goals. Six of those goals scored came against Aston Villa, but they have welcomed back a number of strikers recently and they will believe that they can make it three in a row against City.
However, you can be sure that with Manuel Pellegrini leaving Man City at the end of the season he will want to go out with a bang and a trophy is the perfect way to do so. City have Vincent Kompany back at the heart of their defence and he helped his side end a three game losing streak with a fine 3-1 win in Kiev in the Champions League during the week.
With both sides having so many attacking options and there being at least three goals in all of the last nine meetings between the sides we’re backing this to be a thrilling cup final.
Our best Capital One Cup Final bet is back Over 2.5 goals @ 1.91 at William Hill.