Premier League top four race preview: Free betting tips & predictions on Leicester v Man Utd & Chelsea v Wolves in the battle for Champions League places
We preview the two huge fixtures in the battle for Europe, with Leicester v Man Utd & Chelsea v Wolves taking place on the final day.
So we come down to the final day and we've got two games between four teams who are all challenging for Europe and desperate for victory.
Everything is still up for grabs, which is exactly how we like it on the final day, with Man Utd, Leicester and Chelsea fighting for two Champions League places and Wolves trying to hold off Spurs for the last Europa League berth.
Premier League table as it stands
What do they need?
At least everyone from the two big games is in a win-and-in scenario with Leicester facing Man Utd making that route clearer for all concerned. It's not a must-win though for United and Chelsea, who also find themselves in a draw-and-in situation, as a point will do both of them.
United can even afford to lose and still go through if Chelsea lost to Wolves.
Just needing a point could be tricky though as late on it could provide a stick-or-twist situation. You'd fancy Spurs to win at Crystal Palace so Wolves will most likely need three points themselves.
So there's sure to be plenty of ears on the bench being tuned in to the other game just to see the state of play. That always makes for exciting viewing.
Leicester v Man Utd preview
Leicester's lack of squad depth has been exposed in the restart, taking just nine points from eight games, and they were brushed aside comfortably by a clinical Tottenham in their 3-0 defeat last Sunday.
That 4-1 loss to Bournemouth was perhaps most damaging but at least they go into this final game with a chance, and having had the week off while Man Utd had to play West Ham on Wednesday - when the Hammers held them to a draw.
The Foxes has a poor record against United, winning just one of their 13 Premier League home games against them, while overall the Red Devils are unbeaten in their last 10 league meetings.
It's still probably more important for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to get Champions League football than Brendan Rodgers, but the way the season has panned out has put pressure on the former Liverpool boss with his side seemingly going in reverse while the Red Devils have been finishing strong.
When football resumed, Manchester United were eight points behind Leicester and that has been wiped out. Perhaps more astonishingly, and reflective of the teams' contrasting fortunes is that United's goal difference was inferior by 16 - now they're level.
Leicester v Man Utd betting tips (Joe Townsend)
Match Odds: Home 2/1 | Draw 23/10 | Away 5/4
Like Chelsea, the equation is simple for Manchester United: avoid defeat and they'll finish in the top four. I think they'll win.
For Leicester their two recent home wins have seen tackle king Wilfred Ndidi crunch into six Crystal Palace players and 10 (yes TEN) from Sheffield United. Ndidi 6+ tackles at 21/10 therefore looks inviting. If you really want to chance you're arm, Ndidi 9+ tackles is 14/1 but he's only achieved that twice all season so you'd be being wildly optimistic.
If Ndidi's 4.0 tackles per game average (123 season total) makes him king - really, injured team-mate Ricardo Pereira is on the throne with 4.3 per game (119 season total) - then Man United's Aaron Wan Bissaka is a prince at 3.6 (124 season total). Wan-Bissaka 4+ tackles at evens is a good price.
Stick them together and you've got your best bet.
Prediction: Leicester 1-2 Manchester United (Sky Bet odds: 15/2)
Best bet: Wilfred Ndidi and Aaron Wan-Bissaka 10+ tackles between them at 9/4
Leicester City v Man Utd Opta stats
- Manchester United have opened the scoring within the opening 10 minutes in each of their last three Premier League matches against Leicester.
- Leicester are averaging just 1.1 points-per-game in the Premier League since the restart (9 points from 8 games), compared to 1.8 points-per-game this season before the enforced break (53 points from 29 games).
- Leicester’s Jamie Vardy has 23 Premier League goals this season, just one short of his best ever tally in a top-flight campaign (24 in 2015-16). Vardy has also scored four goals in five appearances on the final day of Premier League campaigns.
Chelsea v Wolves preview
It's still in Chelsea's own hands and just needing a point from a home game against Wolves is a prospects Frank Lampard would certainly have taken at the start of the season.
That 5-3 defeat at Anfield encapsulated this Chelsea side, exciting, young and lethal going forward, inconsistent, ponderous and at times hopeless in defence.
The fact their style of play has resulted in their goal difference being 15 worse than both Leicester and Man Utd could be something that comes back to bite Lampard if they miss out on Champions League football because of their defensive deficiencies.
Chelsea are unbeaten in all five of their Premier League home games against Wolves, and in fact haven't lost against them in the top-flight at Stamford Bridge in March 1979.
Chelsea v Wolves betting tips (Joe Townsend)
Match Odds: Home 5/6 | Draw 5/2 | Away 3/1
Chelsea need a point to clinch a place in the top four while Wolves have already secured a Europa League qualifying spot - they will, however enter a round further on if they can finish in their current position of sixth rather than seventh.
Nuno's side are a naturally cagey team, especially away from home. Even though they're surely banking on Tottenham to beat Crystal Palace, which would mean they have to win to avoid dropping down a place, I don't think they'll change tact.
Stick that altogether and Under 2.5 Goals at a shade below evens (28/29) looks good, despite goal-happy Chelsea.
What looks even better is the draw at 29/10 which I think is priced incredibly generously. Surely though, if Spurs are winning and Wolves aren't then they'd throw caution to the wind in the closing stages?
Maybe. Which is enough for me to instead go for 0-0 at half-time at 2/1. Seven of Wolves past 10 games have been goalless at the break, with the three that didn't quite make it seeing goals scored in the 43rd, 45th and 41st minutes - so don't be scared to cash out!
Prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Wolves (Sky Bet odds: 6/1)
Chelsea v Wolves Opta stats
- Chelsea have conceded 54 Premier League goals this term, only in 1994/95 and 1996/97 have they conceded more in a single campaign in the competition (55 goals conceded on each occasion); indeed, Chelsea have conceded 46% of the shots on target they have faced this season (54/117), the highest ratio in the division.
- Wolves could become the fourth different side to go through an entire Premier League campaign without any English goalscorers (excluding own goals), after Fulham (2001-02 and 2005-06), Arsenal (2006-07) and Stoke (2015-16). Of those other clubs, only Arsenal in 2006-07 (13) had more different goalscorers than Wolves this season (12).
- Raúl Jiménez’s 17 Premier League goals this season have been worth 19 points to Wolves, more than any other player in the competition; indeed, the Mexican has netted eight match-winning goals this campaign, another divisional high.
Odds correct as of 2200 BST on 23/07/20
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