Barclays Premier League Weekend Review Part Four: Manager Comments, Team News, Stats, and Predictions.
By Marc Gingell
30th March 2019
Part Four
| 31.03. 14:05 | Cardiff City Stadium | Cardiff | v | Chelsea | REF: C Pawson |
| 31.03. 16:30 | Anfield | Liverpool | v | Tottenham | REF: M Atkinson |
Cardiff (18) v Chelsea (6)
Both teams need to win this for totally different reasons. Cardiff needs points to stay in touch with the teams above them in the basement battle. The same applies to Chelsea who are fighting with Arsenal, Manchester United, and Tottenham for 3rd and 4th places.
Cardiff Team News
- Unknown Return Date: Sol Bamba Knee injury. Matthew Connolly Ankle injury.Callum Paterson Ankle injury.
- Expected Back 13 Apr: Jazz Richards Hamstring injury.
- 75% Chance of Playing: Joe Bennett Hamstring injury. Harry Arter Knock.
Chelsea Team News
- 75% Chance of Playing: Davide Zappacosta Knock.Ruben Loftus-Cheek Knock. Ethan Ampadu Back injury.
Opta Stats
- Cardiff have lost all three of their Premier League matches against Chelsea, with their only previous meeting at the Cardiff City Stadium coming in May 2014, losing 1-2.
- Chelsea have won seven of their last nine matches against Cardiff in all competitions (D1 L1), with their only defeat in this sequence coming at Ninian Park in the League Cup third round in October 1986 under John Hollins.
- Cardiff City have won 71% of their Premier League points this season in home games (20/28) – only Fulham have a higher percentage (88%).
- Chelsea have lost only one of their 17 Premier League games against Welsh opposition (W12 D4), losing 0-1 at Swansea City in April 2016 under Guus Hiddink.
- Cardiff have lost their last 16 Premier League games against the ‘big six’ sides, last avoiding defeat in November 2013, drawing 2-2 against Manchester United.
- Coming into this matchday, only Fulham (6) have lost more away Premier League games in 2019 than Chelsea, with the Blues losing four of their five games on the road so far.
- Chelsea have already lost against Wolves this season – they’ve not lost against two different promoted sides in a single Premier League season since 2012-13 (vs West Ham and Southampton).
- Chelsea’s Eden Hazard has scored five Premier League goals in three appearances against Cardiff City.
- Chelsea’s Gonzalo Higuain has scored three goals in his seven Premier League games so far, with all of them coming against teams in the relegation zone (2 vs Huddersfield, 1 vs Fulham).
Prediction
Chelsea have been poor on the road and Cardiff can take advantage of that.
Cardiff 1 – 0 Chelsea
Liverpool (2) Tottenham (3)
Liverpool need to win and they need to win well. All the aces are now with City who just have to keep winning. Sadio Mané has been on fire with nine goals in his last nine games. He could be on target again but he needs help from Mo Salah.
Liverpool Team News
- Unknown Return Date: Joseph Gomez Lack of match fitness. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Lack of match fitness.
- 75% Chance of Playing: Trent Alexander-Arnold Back injury. Naby Keita Muscle injury.
Tottenham Team News
- Unknown Return Date: Serge Aurier Hamstring injury. Harry Winks Groin injury. Eric Dier Hip injury.
Opta Stats
- Liverpool have lost just one of their last 24 home Premier League games against Spurs (W15 D8 L1), a 0-2 defeat in May 2011 under Kenny Dalglish.
- Spurs have won just one of their last 12 Premier League games against Liverpool (W1 D4 L7).
- Only Man City (19) have won more points than Liverpool (13) in Premier League meetings between the ‘big six’ this season, while only Man Utd (6) have won fewer points than Tottenham in such matches (7).
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 36 home Premier League matches. If they avoid defeat here, it will be the joint-second longest unbeaten home run in the competition’s history (Chelsea 86 2004-2008, Man City 37 2010-2012).
- Liverpool have conceded six goals in their five Premier League home games in 2019, as many as they had in their previous 17 at Anfield.
- Spurs are winless in their last four Premier League games (D1 L3). They last went five without a win in the same campaign back in February-March 2012 under Harry Redknapp.
- Tottenham’s Harry Kane has been involved in four goals in four Premier League appearances against Liverpool at Anfield (3 goals, 1 assist).
- Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has never won against Jurgen Klopp at Anfield in four meetings in all competitions (W0 D2 L2). His only victory away against Liverpool was as Southampton manager in September 2013 when the Reds were managed by Brendan Rodgers.
- No player has scored more Premier League goals in 2019 than Liverpool’s Sadio Mane (9, level with Sergio Aguero), with the Senegalese star’s nine goals coming in his last nine games.
- After a run that saw him score 11 goals in 12 games in all competitions between December and February, Son Heung-min has failed to score in his last five appearances for Spurs.
Prediction
Mo Salah, blanks in his last six Premier League games, could be getting on track against Tottenham and regain his spot at the top of the Golden Boot league table.
Liverpool 4 Tottenham 0
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