Football writer Alex Keble analyses where the midweek fixtures could be won and lost, including:
- Can Postecoglou silence critics with crucial win over Chelsea?
- Can Everton keep Arsenal's slim title dreams alive?
- Will Arsenal end two-year winless run against Fulham?
- Has Villa’s warm weather training had the desired effect?
- How will tired Nottingham Forest respond?
- Can Ferguson solve Potter's goalscoring problems?
- Can Guardiola inspire April recovery and end on a high?
- Will EFL Cup win help or hinder Newcastle?
- Will Eze’s & Sarr’s form continue against Southampton?
- Can Ipswich get a result at Bournemouth?
Can Postecoglou silence critics with crucial win over Chelsea?
Although Tottenham Hotspur’s run-in will only amount to treading water in the bottom half, and although focus is firmly on the UEFA Europa League’s promise of salvation, Spurs still need to find form domestically.
Ange Postecoglou cannot afford the Premier League season to end with a whimper, nor can he afford to lose to Spurs' rivals for the fourth time in a row.
No Spurs manager in the club’s history has lost each of their first four league matches against Chelsea.
It could easily happen on Thursday. Spurs are without a win in three Premier League matches and have won just one of their last five in all competitions, while Chelsea have won each of their last four league matches at Stamford Bridge.
Worse, there is a strong sense Spurs are drifting at the moment, their midfield unbalanced and the team overly-stretched. That is not a good place to be in when facing Chelsea, who have had the second-most shots following a fast break in the Premier League this season (42).
Shots from fast breaks in the PL 24/25
| Club | Shots from fast breaks |
| Liverpool | 56 |
|---|---|
| Chelsea | 42 |
| Bournemouth | 37 |
| West Ham | 36 |
| Newcastle | 30 |
| Crystal Palace | 30 |
| Spurs | 29 |
| Wolves | 28 |
| Fulham | 26 |
| Aston Villa | 25 |
Chelsea haven’t been as good at breaking through wide-open midfields lately, but that’s partly because they haven’t had Nicolas Jackson’s runs to hit – and Jackson, who has scored four goals against Spurs, is set to make his return to action this week.
It should be an open and entertaining match at Stamford Bridge, the sort that Postecoglou has always promised. But at this stage, he needs results.
Can Everton keep Arsenal's slim title dreams alive?
Liverpool supporters aside, everybody would like a title challenge this spring, so maybe it’s just wildly misplaced optimism to say: Everton could win the Merseyside derby on Wednesday and open a small window of opportunity for Arsenal.
Arne Slot’s side have slowed down recently. They look tired, and after losing the EFL Cup final before the international break, there is a risk Liverpool’s confidence is on the wane.
Add to that reports that Trent Alexander-Arnold is to join Real Madrid and suddenly things aren’t quite as rosy at Anfield as they were a few weeks ago.
Imagine, then, that Everton were to win the derby at Anfield, and Arsenal were to cut the gap to nine points just as Bukayo Saka returns from injury and with a head-to-head between the Gunners and Liverpool still to come.
If that was to happen, could we really say the title is over?
Arsenal still probably wouldn’t surge to a title from such a position. In fact, it would require an unprecedented turnaround. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
Certainly a good result for Everton in midweek is on the cards.
David Moyes’ side are unbeaten in nine Premier League matches. They will sit deep and frustrate these jaded-looking Liverpool attackers, a tactic that could easily reduce Slot’s side to another slow and blunt 90 minutes.
From there, who knows? The title isn’t quite won yet.
Will Arsenal end their two-year winless run against Fulham?
Over and over again, it’s Fulham who get in Arsenal’s way.
Arsenal had won three matches in a row and shaken off a poor start to the season when they travelled to Craven Cottage in early December, only to draw 1-1 and fall even further behind leaders Liverpool.
The season before, a 2-1 defeat at Fulham on New Year’s Eve and a 2-2 draw at Emirates Stadium in August – when they conceded a late equaliser despite Fulham being down to 10 men – ultimately cost them the title.
It would be meaningful, then, for Arsenal to beat Fulham for the first time since March 2023. It might even give them a glimmer of hope in the title race.
A win would certainly be helpful to build some momentum before their UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, which will likely be played out before Saka is back to full fitness.
Arsenal will need to be in a good rhythm to get past Carlo Ancelotti’s side. Another draw against Fulham – making it four draws from six in all competitions – is not the preparation Mikel Arteta needs.
Has Villa’s warm-weather training had desired effect?
Of all the supporters whose teams are chasing Europe, Aston Villa’s probably have the most cause for excitement.
With Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford added to the mix, and with the likes of Pau Torres and Boubacar Kamara back from injury, Villa – fresh from warm weather training in Dubai - are set for a strong end to the season.
But they are behind in the race. They need a winning streak, starting at Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday, if they are to squeeze ahead of Chelsea or Manchester City into a Champions League spot.
Brighton have won each of their last three Premier League matches at the Amex Stadium and are looking to win four home matches in a row for the very first time in the top-flight. They have also scored at least two goals in each of their last five in the competition.
In other words, Villa have their work cut out, although Brighton’s nerve-jangling 120 minutes in the FA Cup on Saturday helps the visitors’ cause.
How will tired Nottingham Forest respond?
The Nottingham Forest players celebrating at the Amex Stadium will have felt elated – as well as exhausted following a nervous and bruising penalty shootout win.
We will find out on Tuesday whether going the distance against Brighton will have a knock-on effect on their Premier League campaign.
In theory, a first FA Cup semi-final in 31 years will boost morale as Nottingham Forest look to consolidate their position in the top five, but the international break arguably came at a momentum-sapping time for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team.
The gap to Newcastle in sixth is only seven points, and Eddie Howe’s side have a match in hand.
Should an exhausted Forest drop points at home to a well-rested Manchester United, all of a sudden their grip on the Champions League places won’t look quite so strong.
The international window can be a welcome break for clubs, but not always.
Drawing 0-0 at Brighton didn’t provide evidence either way. A home match against Man Utd will be far more illuminating.
Can Ferguson solve Potter's goalscoring problems?
It isn’t often Premier League managers enjoy watching their players risk injury and fatigue in international matches, but Graham Potter will have been delighted to see Evan Ferguson score his first goal since November last week.
Ferguson scored Ireland’s opener in the second leg of their 4-2 aggregate victory over Bulgaria, a crucial match that kept Ireland in Nations League B.
The 20-year-old has struggled for a long time domestically - “the past year, I’ve learned to deal with frustration,” Ferguson said after the Ireland match – and will hope to use that goal as a springboard at West Ham United.
He is yet to score while on loan at the Hammers despite being reunited with ex-Brighton head coach Potter.
And Potter could really do with Ferguson finding form. Since Potter’s first match in charge in January, no side has averaged fewer shots-per-match in the Premier League than West Ham (9.3, level with bottom side Southampton).
Only Leicester City (two) and Ipswich Town (eight) have scored fewer goals than their nine.
Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers have only conceded eight goals in their last nine matches in all competitions and are quietly building a strong defence under Vitor Pereira.
West Ham and Potter could really do with an in-form Ferguson.
Can Guardiola inspire April recovery and end on a high?
Man City have won each of their last 13 Premier League matches in April. That’s a remarkable record reflecting Pep Guardiola’s historic strength towards the end of seasons.
They could do with something similar this month, because it’s vital that Guardiola’s side don’t peter out in the league and lose a place in next season’s Champions League.
More than that, they don’t want to enter a summer rebuild with the team this muddled. Some momentum – and a reminder of how good they can be – would put City in a position of strength as Guardiola considers how to create another title-winning side.
Leicester are unlikely to put up much resistance this midweek, giving Man City the chance to start April the right way.
Man City have won 21 of their last 22 Premier League matches against newly-promoted opposition, and their last 12 in a row.
Leicester have lost 13 of their last 14 in the competition – and their last six consecutively without scoring a single goal.
A big home win is likely, and just what the hosts need to set up an April of renewal.
Will EFL Cup win help or hinder Newcastle?
It’s often said that the EFL Cup is a springboard to bigger things. Jose Mourinho and Guardiola have famously used it as the driving force behind a strong end to the season.
But that theory doesn’t really hold up to scrutiny. Last year’s winners Liverpool were expected to go on and clean up after lifting the EFL Cup, but it turned out to be Jurgen Klopp’s last trophy at the club.
The season before, in 2022/23, Man Utd won the competition to kick-start the Erik ten Hag era, but we all know how that ended. In fact, Man Utd went on to collect just one point from their next three Premier League matches after beating Newcastle United in the final.
Which way will Newcastle go? It perhaps sems logical to suggest Howe’s side will be spurred on by their success as they bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
But it’s also possible the EFL Cup win will prove to be the culmination of the Howe project.
It could be challenging to deal with coming down from that high, and with an international break having followed straight after it isn’t certain Newcastle will build upon their victory.
We will get a good idea on Wednesday. Victory at home to Brentford, who have won their last five away matches in a row, would signal the EFL Cup win was indeed the beginning – not the end – of the process.
Will Eze and Sarr’s form continue against Southampton?
Crystal Palace’s thumping 3-0 win at Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-final will strike fear into the hearts of Southampton supporters.
Ismaila Sarr has now scored four goals in his last four appearances in all competitions.
Eberechi Eze, buoyed by scoring his first England goal last week, struck a brilliant goal and assisted another at Fulham.
These two are in superb form, which is ominous for a Southampton side who concede shots and goals at an alarming rate.
Saints are facing an average of 17.9 shots per match in the Premier League this season, the most by a side in a campaign in the competition since Cardiff City in 2013/14 (18.2).
They are also conceding an Expected Goals (xG) of 2.4 per Premier League match, which is the highest figure on record (since 2012/13), and have conceded more goals than anyone else (70).
Eze and Sarr will be feeling confident.
Can Ipswich get a result at Bournemouth?
Ipswich’s difficult fixture list means their trip to AFC Bournemouth has become the kind of match they simply have to win.
Bournemouth, having played in such an exhausting FA Cup match at the Etihad Stadium just three days earlier, will certainly be more tired than an Ipswich side that hasn’t played since 15 March.
What’s more, Bournemouth have lost three of their last four Premier League matches and three of their previous four at home.
In a few select ways, Ipswich have the upper hand. They must capitalise.
