Sports Blog 22/05/2015: Final Weekend Preview – Premier League, Sunday 24th May 2015

It’s time. The Premier League wraps on Sunday, and with Chelsea winning the title at the start of the month and the top 4 unchallenged for those Champions League spots, all that is left to play for is the avoidance of that final relegation spot.

First, let’s get the least relevant televised match out of the way, as Chelsea host Sunderland at 3pm on Sky 1. This could have been part of a trifecta of nail-biting relegation-based final day games; however, with Sunderland earning a hard-earned point against Arsenal on Wednesday the Black Cats are safe for another season, somewhat removing the excitement that had been building around the fixture.

Yet Sunderland’s performance on Sunday could still have important ramifications as current manager Dick Advocaat remains undecided about his future at the club. A shock win, or at the very least an extension of their 5 game unbeaten run, could be enough to keep the man who led them to safety at the helm next season.



Yet Chelsea will be coming into this final game slightly wounded. A 3-0 defeat to West Brom, complete with pointless sending off for Cesc Fabregas may have only been their third league loss of the season, but was still an embarrassment for a team that had been crowned champions only 2 weeks before.

The Blues won’t want their season to end on such a whimper, and will likely try and put on a show for their sure to be jubilant home crowd. A combination of this, alongside Sunderland’s new lack of urgency, has given the title-holders a comfortable advantage at a Chelsea/Sunderland Goal Supremacy spread betting quote of 1.5-1.7 with a high Total Goals spread of 2.95-3.15.

We then move on to one of the two truly vital matches of the weekend, as a troubled Hull City play host to Manchester United at 3pm on Sky Sports 1. There is no two ways about it: Hull need a win on Sunday to stay up, and even that might not be enough. Sitting in 18th place on 34 points, 2 below Newcastle, the Tigers’ second season back in the Premier League has been a far cry from their first, when they reached an (unsuccessful ) FA Cup final against Arsenal.

Out of all the relegation-circling sides Hull had one of, if not the, hardest run in, facing Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham (as well as Burnley) in their last 4 games before an unenviable final day against United. Yet a win against Liverpool has given them hope, and Hull have managed this season to score 8 goals in their 6 games against the league’s top 3 teams.



Manchester United, for what it’s worth, have little left to play for beyond pride. The Red Devils are guaranteed 4th, but would need a miracle (or a deluge of goals for both them at the KC Stadium AND West Brom at the Emirates) to take 3rd place off of the Gunners. Yet whilst not the complete turnaround United fans would have wanted after the woeful season under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal has effectively secured the lucrative, Champions League spot they gave up in 2013/14. Enough, for now.

Any normal week and United would likely see this game as one of their easier fixtures; however, the importance of this match to Hull complicates matters, leaving the away side at a very narrow Manchester United/Hull (h) Goal Supremacy spread betting quote of 0.15-0.35 with a Total Goals spread of 2.65-2.85.

Finally we come to the Tigers’ relegation rivals, as Newcastle face West Ham at 3pm on Sky Sports 3. Without a win in their last 10 games, Newcastle are currently the worst side in the Premier League, shabbier than both QPR and Burnley, who may have been already relegated but HAVE managed a couple of wins in the last 2 and a half months.

A draw against West Brom has been the Toon’s best performance since a 3-0 victory over Hull at the end of February; yet they still, somewhat miraculously, could avoid relegation with a win on Sunday. In fact, if Hull lose against United, a very real possibility, they could fall to yet another defeat and still stay up. On the other hand, on 36 points to Hull’s 34, but with a much worse goal difference, a draw against the Hammers alongside a win for Hull would see Newcastle back in the Championship.



Like so many teams at this point, West Ham have little to nothing to play for as they sit in mid-table misery. Various configurations of results could either see West Ham remain in 11th, move up to 10th or sink as low as 12th (or more unlikely, 13th). Yet it all could have been so different to this. The start of the season saw the Hammers flying, and they entered the New Year at 6th, 2 points behind Arsenal and a genuine contender for a spot in Europe; cut to now, and West Ham have only managed 3 wins in the league in 2015, all against relegation contenders.

Whilst the game is certainly a must-win for Newcastle, if previous form is anything to go by this fixture might lack the ability to excite. In their past 5 meetings a mere 5 goals have been scored, hardly the stuff of final day fun. Yet Spreadex is offering a high Total Goals spread of 2.9-3.1 on the faith that Newcastle’s supposed urgency should elevate the game. It is the same logic that has led to a Newcastle/West Ham Goal Supremacy spread betting quote of 0.65-0.85 despite their inability to win in their last 10 games.