Saturday

stoke    3-1 southampton             4pm

Jay Rodriguez is back in first team training but I doubt he will be fit to feature in this hard game. Britannia Stadium is not an easy place to visit and pick up wins and the Saints, who are fighting for some slim hope of making it to the top four, will be the favourites for this game. Beating Stoke City will see Southampton leap frog Liverpool – who will be playing in FA Cup semifinal. However, more than anything, Ronald Koeman is aware any chance of making top four lies squarely in the fate of champions Manchester City. The Saints are better fancied but as the league comes to an end, their top players are not focused. Right back Nathaniel Clyne and combative midfielder Mogan Schneiderlin are only two of many currently being in the radars of top sides and they could leave. Such a reality is not good for the team and this is one reason Stoke will have the edge.

Everton               1-2 burnley        4PM

It is never ever a good thing to play a relegation threatened side toward the end of the season. Burnley are that side for the Toffees today which could see the Merseyside lose the fine run of form that has seen them ease any lingering concerns about relegation in recent weeks. Everton manager Roberto Martinez believes Burnley are no pushovers and are too fearless to be good opponents. Everton are poised to include Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku in their squad after he missed the last two games with a hamstring problem. The Clarets manager Sean Dyche has no fresh injury worries ahead of the short trip to Goodison Park and says the secret to a win today is Danny Ings smiling. Dyche says if the striker resumes smiling while playing, he will resume scoring goals. Let’s see that.

leicester      2-0                Swansea 4pm

Call the game against West Bromwich Albion luck, but the Foxes will not give a hoot. What they are seeing now is optimism as they ignite their survival charge. Leicester have won the last two games and will want this home game to be the springboard to their survival quest. A loss will all but sup all the energy they have had recently. Swansea is without striker Bafetimbi Gomis and that will make it harder for them.

Palace      2-2      west brom          4pm

Alan Pardew has been on song at Selhurst Park. This is where he played his football and, as manager, he is making Crystal Palace look like Champions League chasers already. But one man he might not want to meet in the dugout is Tony Pulis, the man whose tenure at Selhurst Park is revered by the fans. West Brom have been hitting dry turfs of recent, with three straight defeats that leave them seven points above the drop. This is a game for Pulis to show why Palace were wrong to let him go.

Chelsea               2-2           Man Utd 7pm

Manchester United take their six-game winning streak to champions-elect Chelsea today, with the Red Devils having found a rare rhythm since Louis van Gaal stopped living in denial and started fielding Ander Herrera and Juan Mata. Chelsea, the champions-elect of sorts, though, have problems. They have been struggling to find the back of the net without Diego Costa. Last week, they were almost resigned to a barren draw when QPR keeper did the unthinkable to gift them a chance.

Mourinho will park the bus for this fixture, hoping to frustrate United and play for a draw. The Red Devils, though, must avoid pushing too hard to break Chelsea least they suffer the same fate as Liverpool last season when the Blues nailed them on counter attacks. If John Terry does not turn up for this game in good stride, then Chelsea will be beaten. I don’t see Man United losing this game.

SUNDAY

Man City              2-0      West Ham 3pm

Manchester City have all but lost the title. They are now fighting for a lifeline in the Champions League. Manuel Pellegrini is all but sacked. He is winding down. All they can avoid is further embarrassment by failing to finish in the top four. Back to back defeats have seen the champions fighting for a crumb of bread with Liverpool and Southampton and the fact that they are welcoming hard-hitting West Ham United to Etihad tomorrow will be an unwelcome news. City must win this game to stay afloat.

OTHER FIXTURES

newcastle             1-1     spurs

barcelona             2-0     valencia

deportivo              0-1     Atletico

madrid                   1-1     malaga

bilbao                     3-1   getafe

bayer                    3-0  hannover

juventus               1-2    lazio    

dortmund             3-0      paderborn

hoffenheim           1-3     bayern

eibar                     2-3    Celta vigo

wolfsburg            2-0      schalke                      

*SEAMAN IS A lIVERPOOL FAN