All-Sports Fantasy League
Log In

Premier League Week 31 Preview
11:26 AM on April 18th, 2014 by Nathan Susanto

Message Board

With just under a month of the 2013-2014 English Premier League season remaining, two teams are still in control of their own destiny in the race for the title.

Liverpool took a huge step towards their first championship in 24 years by defeating Manchester City last weekend. In week 31 they're looking to extend their winning streak against relegation-threatened Norwich. Second-placed Chelsea will hope to pressurize Liverpool by gaining a positive result against bottom-of-the-standings Sunderland. Manchester City needs both of the leading two clubs to slip up if they're to regain the title, but this week they need to just concentrate on getting the job done against West Brom, who's looking for points in their fight for survival.

Remember to make your Premier League Pickem predictions before the deadline of each game. Week 31's schedule starts on Saturday at 7:45 AM ET, followed by four 10 AM ET games. Saturday's final match is at 12:30 PM ET. The three fixtures on Sunday are at 7 AM ET, 9:05 AM ET and 11:10 AM ET. The week's final clash is on Monday, kicking off at 3 PM ET.

Here we preview the ten games in the upcoming week of the English Premier League. The title of each game section is a link to pick the result of that game.





Fulham (18th) at Tottenham Hotspur (6th) (Sat, 7:45 AM ET)


When they lost 3-1 to Cardiff, another relegation candidate, at the start of March, things began to look desperate for Fulham. However, they now have real hope for survival after posting three wins from their last five games, including successive victories in their last two outings. Fulham defeated Aston Villa 2-1 in week 29 and Norwich 1-0 last week. Tottenham's chances of finishing in the top 4 or 5 have diminished in recent weeks but perhaps their fightback last time out might trigger a positive response over the last four weeks of the season. Spurs fell 3-0 behind West Brom in week 30 but managed to claim a 3-3 tie. However, it now means they've only picked up two victories in their last six.


Head-to-Head Stats

This season:
Tottenham 2-1 Fulham

Last 6 (all competitions):
Tottenham lead 4-2-0 (includes an FA Cup meeting).

Last 3 at Tottenham (all competitions):
Tottenham lead 2-1-0.

All-time (all competitions):
Tottenham lead 41-13-26.


Team News

Fulham (from):
Etheridge, Stekelenburg, Stockdale, Amorebieta, Briggs, Burn, Hangeland, Heitinga, Riether, Riise, Boateng, Dejagah, Diarra, Kacaniklic, Karagounis, Kasami, Kvist, Parker, Richardson, Sidwell, Tunnicliffe, Zverotic, Bent, Mitroglou, Roberts, Rodallega, Tankovic, Woodrow.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Duff (knee, no date).

Unavailable:
Holtby (loanee).


Tottenham (from):
Friedel, Gomes, Lloris, Chiriches, Kaboul, Naughton, Rose, Chadli, Dembele, Eriksen, Lennon, Paulinho, Sandro, Sigurdsson, Townsend, Adebayor.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Soldado (hamstring, Apr 26), Vertonghen (ankle, Apr 26), Dawson (hamstring, Apr 26), Capoue (ankle, no date), Walker (groin, no date), Lamela (back, no date).





Southampton (8th) at Aston Villa (14th) (Sat, 10 AM ET)


With little on the line right now, Southampton has struggled to find any consistency in their results for a while. The Saints haven't won, lost or tied more than two successive fixtures since week 14, which might bode well as they're looking to snap a two-game losing streak after defeats against Manchester City and Cardiff in their last two matches. One more win could secure Aston Villa's EPL status but that's been the case for a while. Villa was close to safety after two consecutive victories but they're now seeking their first win in five. 4-1 defeats by Stoke and Manchester United have been followed by losses to Fulham and Crystal Palace. Behind the scenes issues will have to be put to one side.


Head-to-Head Stats

This season:
Aston Villa 3-2 Southampton

Last 6 (all competitions):
Aston Villa lead 3-2-1.

Last 3 at Aston Villa (all competitions):
Aston Villa lead 2-1-0.

All-time (all competitions):
Aston Villa lead 28-22-20.


Team News

Southampton (from):
Boruc, Gazzaniga, Clyne, Fonte, Hooiveld, Lovren, Shaw, Chambers, Cork, S. Davis, Guly, Lallana, Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse, Gallagher, Lambert.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Yoshida (knee, May 17), Ramirez (knock, no date), Rodriguez (knee, no date).


Aston Villa (from):
Guzan, Steer, Baker, Bennett, Bertrand, Clark, Lowton, Luna, Vlaar, Albrighton, Bacuna, Delph, El Ahmadi, Gardner, Herd, Johnson, Sylla, Tonev, Westwood, Agbonlahor, Bowery, Helenius, Holt, Weimann.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Okore (ACL, Apr 26), Benteke (Achilles, no date), Kozák (broken leg, no date), N'Zogbia (Achilles, no date).





Stoke City (10th) at Cardiff City (19th) (Sat, 10 AM ET)


Stoke is suddenly looking comfortable in the top half of the standings, making their brief brush with the relegation battle in late-January a distant memory. The Potters bounced back from their 3-0 loss against Chelsea by defeating Newcastle 1-0 last time out, which was their fourth win in five matches and fifth victory in their last seven contests. Cardiff's unlikely 1-0 victory away to Southampton in their week 30 encounter has suddenly breathed new life into their fight for Premier League survival. It was the Bluebirds' first league win in five attempts and only their third in their last 18 games. However, Cardiff is now just three points away from the safety zone with four matches to play.


Head-to-Head Stats

This season:
Cardiff 0-0 Stoke

Last 6 (all competitions):
Stoke lead 3-0-3 (includes 2 FA Cup meetings).

Last 3 at Cardiff (all competitions):
Stoke lead 2-0-1 (includes an FA Cup meeting).

All-time (all competitions):
Stoke lead 20-15-9.


Team News

Stoke (from):
Begovic, Sorensen, Cameron, Muniesa, Pieters, Shawcross, Shotton, Wilkinson, Wilson, Adam, Ireland, N’Zonzi, Palacios, Shea, Whelan, Arnautovic, Crouch, Odemwingie, Walters, Guidetti.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Huth (knee, no date), Etherington (back, no date), Assaidi (knee, no date).


Cardiff (from):
Lewis, Marshall, Amondarain, Caulker, Connolly, John, Fabio, McNaughton, Taylor, Theophile-Catherine, Turner, Cowie, Daehli, Eikrem, Gunnarsson, Kim, Medel, Mutch, Whittingham, Bellamy, Berget, Campbell, Jones, Smith, Zaha.

Doubts:
Turner (knock), John (knock).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Noone (abdominal injury, May 11), Hudson (hamstring, no date), Jones (kidney, no date).





Swansea City (15th) at Newcastle United (9th) (Sat, 10 AM ET)


Like last season, Swansea is stumbling towards the finishing line. They're still not safe from the drop and wins have been hard to come by since December. The Swans have won three times in their last 20 league games and all were against bottom-4 sides. Swansea is hoping to end a two-match losing streak, as well as some off-field disagreements. Newcastle is in even worse form and there's very little to suggest a change in fortunes any time soon. The Magpies are currently on a four-game losing stretch, primarily due to their lack of goals. They've relied heavily on Loïc Rémy and have scored just two goals when he's been absent. Newcastle has failed to score in four of their last five games.


Head-to-Head Stats

This season:
Newcastle 0-3 Swansea

Last 6 (all competitions):
Swansea lead 3-1-2.

Last 3 at Newcastle (all competitions):
Tied 1-1-1.

All-time (all competitions):
Newcastle lead 22-12-5.


Team News

Swansea (from):
Cornell, Tremmel, Vorm, Zabret, Amat, Davies, Obeng, Rangel, Situ, Taylor, Tiendalli, Williams, Britton, Canas, De Guzman, Dyer, Pablo, Pozuelo, Richards, Routledge, Shelvey, Bony, Emnes, Lita, N’Gog, Vazquez, Michu.

Doubts:
Michu (ankle, late fitness test).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Bartley (hamstring, no date).

Suspended:
Chico (final game of two-match ban).


Newcastle (from):
Alnwick, Elliot, Krul, Coloccini, Debuchy, Dummett, Haidara, Streete, S. Taylor, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Anita, Ben Arfa, Bigirimana, Gosling, Marveaux, Tiote, Sh. Ameobi, Cisse, De Jong, Gouffran, Remy.

Doubts:
Ben Arfa (knock, late fitness test), Remy (calf, late fitness test), Debuchy (groin, late fitness test).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Sissoko (hamstring, Apr 28), Santon (hamstring, no date), R. Taylor (ACL, no date), Sammy Ameobi (ankle, no date).





Crystal Palace (11th) at West Ham United (12th) (Sat, 10 AM ET)

Tony Pulis was brought in to save Crystal Palace from relegation and after a brilliant run of results in the last month he's succeeded. Palace heads into this game on the back of a four-game winning streak, astonishing form for a team that was bottom of the standings when Pulis took over. The four-game span includes wins over Chelsea and Everton. West Ham should be just about safe from relegation now but they undoubtedly would want to end the campaign on a high. The Hammers are looking to end a two-game losing streak this week after losing to Liverpool and Arsenal. It's been win or bust for West Ham since the end of January, with their last 11 games producing six wins and five losses.


Head-to-Head Stats

This season:
West Ham 0-1 Crystal Palace

Last 6 (all competitions):
Crystal Palace lead 3-1-2.

Last 3 at West Ham (all competitions):
West Ham lead 2-0-1.

All-time (all competitions):
West Ham lead 13-5-11.


Team News

Crystal Palace (from):
Alexander, Price, Speroni, Hennessey, Dann, Delaney, Gabbidon, Mariappa, McCarthy, Moxey, Parr, Ward, Bannan, Bolasie, Dikgacoi, Guedioura, Ince, Jedinak, Ledley, O'Keefe, Puncheon, Thomas, Chamakh, Gayle, Jerome, Murray.

Doubts:
Dikgacoi (knock) Chamakh (knock, late fitness test), Ward (knock, late fitness test), Bolasie (knock, late fitness test).


West Ham (from):
Adrian, Henderson, Jaaskelainen, Collins, Demel, Johnson, McCartney, O'Brien, Potts, Reid, Tomkins, Armero, J. Cole, Collison, Diame, Diarra, Downing, Jarvis, Noble, Nocerino, Nolan, Razak, Taylor, Borriello, Carroll, C. Cole, Lee, Petric, Vaz Te.

Doubts:
Nolan (hamstring), O'Brien (shoulder).





Sunderland (20th) at Chelsea (2nd) (Sat, 12:30 PM ET)


Victories have dried up for Sunderland since they defeated Newcastle at the start of February, but they came close to upsetting Manchester City in midweek. The Black Cats held City to a 2-2 tie; although they'll be disappointed they conceded a late equalizer. The tie ended a five-match losing run but Sunderland is now without a win in nine games. Despite two slip ups in the last month and having fallen to second in the table, Chelsea's fate is back in their hands. When the Blues lost at struggling sides Aston Villa and Crystal Palace in the space of three weeks they had to rely on Manchester City dropping points. Chelsea has now won two in a row and four more wins would see them take the title.


Head-to-Head Stats

This season:
Chelsea 4-3 Sunderland
Chelsea 1-2 Sunderland (League Cup; after extra-time)

Last 6 (all competitions):
Chelsea lead 5-1-0 (includes a League Cup meeting).

Last 3 at Chelsea (all competitions):
Chelsea lead 2-1-0.

All-time (all competitions):
Chelsea lead 57-40-21.


Team News

Sunderland (from):
Mannone, Pickford, Westwood, Ustari, Alonso, Brown, Celustka, Cuellar, Dossena, O'Shea, Vergini, Roberge, Ba, Bridcutt, Cattermole, Colback, Gardner, Giaccherini, Johnson, Larsson, Mavrias, Altidore, Borini, Fletcher, Scocco, Wickham.

Doubts:
Fletcher (ankle), Cuéllar (knock).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Ki (tendinitis, no date).

Suspended:
Bardsley (final game of two-match ban).


Chelsea (from):
Blackman, Cech, Hilario, Schwarzer, Ake, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Cole, Ivanovic, Kalas, Luiz, Terry, Lampard, Matic, Mikel, Oscar, Ramires, Van Ginkel, Salah, Willian, Ba, Eto’o, Schurrle, Torres.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Hazard (calf, no date).





Liverpool (1st) at Norwich City (17th) (Sun, 7 AM ET)


After a battling 3-2 victory over title rivals Manchester City last week, Liverpool is genuinely starting to believe they can pick up their first league championship in the Premier League era. That win was the team's tenth in succession and they're now unbeaten in their last 15 matches. Liverpool has scored at least three goals in eight of their last ten. Norwich is still clinging on to 17th position in the standings but it feels like it's only a matter of time before they drop into the relegation zone. The Canaries are currently on a three-match losing stretch and they've recorded a solitary win from their last seven games. Norwich needs to find inspiration against top-7 opposition in their final four fixtures.


Head-to-Head Stats

This season:
Norwich 1-5 Liverpool

Last 6 (all competitions):
Liverpool lead 5-0-1.

Last 3 at Norwich (all competitions):
Liverpool lead 3-0-0.

All-time (all competitions):
Liverpool lead 33-14-14.


Team News

Liverpool (from):
Mignolet, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Flanagan, Gerrard, Allen, Sterling, Suarez, Jones, Sakho, Cissokho, Toure, Lucas, Alberto, Coutinho, Aspas, Teixeira, Moses.

Doubts:
Sturridge (hamstring).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Enrique (knee, no date).

Suspended:
Henderson (first game of three-match ban).


Norwich (from):
Bunn, Nash, Ruddy, Bassong, R. Bennett, Garrido, Martin, Olsson, Turner, Whittaker, Gutierrez, Hoolahan, Howson, Fer, Fox, Johnson, Pilkington, Redmond, Snodgrass, Tettey, Becchio, Elmander, Hooper, Van Wolfswinkel.

Out (reason, expected return date):
E. Bennett (knee, Apr 26), Yobo (calf, no date).





Arsenal (4th) at Hull City (13th) (Sun, 9:05 AM ET)


Over the last month, Arsenal has been stumbling in the league but last week they gained two positive results. At the weekend, the Gunners eventually beat a stubborn Wigan on penalties in the FA Cup semifinals and then in midweek they defeated West Ham 3-1 in the league. That victory for Arsenal ended a run of four games without a league win. Hull could be just a point or two away from securing their Premier League status for next season and they'll probably be eager to wrap things up as quickly as possible now that they've earned their first FA Cup final berth. The Tigers beat Sheffield United 5-3 last weekend in the semis, to go with their 1-0 league win over Swansea the previous week.


Head-to-Head Stats

This season:
Hull 0-2 Hull

Last 6 (all competitions):
Arsenal lead 5-1-0 (includes an FA Cup meeting).

Last 3 at Hull (all competitions):
Arsenal lead 3-0-0 (includes a League Cup meeting).

All-time (all competitions):
Arsenal lead 11-3-3.


Team News

Arsenal (from):
Szczesny, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Sagna, Arteta, Flamini, Ramsey, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud, Fabianski, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rosicky, Kallstrom, Monreal, Sanogo, Ozil.

Doubts:
Özil (hamstring).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Wilshere (foot, May 4), Gibbs (hamstring, Apr 28), Diaby (ACL, no date), Walcott (ACL, no date), Gnabry (knee, no date).


Hull (from):
Harper, Jakupovic, Rosenior, Figueroa, Bruce, Chester, Davies, Meyler, Huddlestone, Koren, Fryatt, Livermore, Boyd, Aluko, Quinn, Koren, Elmohamady, Sagbo, Long, Jelavic.

Out (reason, expected return date):
McGregor (kidney, no date), McShane (ankle, no date), Dudgeon (knee, no date).





Manchester United (7th) at Everton (5th) (Sun, 11:10 AM ET)


Manchester United is back in EPL action after having last weekend off. They'll be looking to continue where they left off as they enter this game with David Moyes' former charges on the back of two consecutive league wins where they score four goals against Aston Villa and Newcastle. United has since lost to Bayern in the Champions League, though. Heading into their week 30 double gameweek, Everton was the league's second-best team on current form, boasting a six-game winning streak. The Toffees increased that winning streak to seven games after a 1-0 win at Sunderland, lifting them to fourth in the standings. However, Everton was then shocked by Crystal Palace in midweek, losing 3-2.


Head-to-Head Stats

This season:
Everton 1-0 Manchester United

Last 6 (all competitions):
Manchester United lead 3-2-1.

Last 3 at Everton (all competitions):
Tied 1-1-1.

All-time (all competitions):
Manchester United lead 82-66-42.


Team News

Manchester United (from):
Amos, De Gea, Lindegaard, Buttner, Evans, Evra, Ferdinand, Jones, Smalling, Varela, Vidic, Carrick, Cleverley, Fellaini, Fletcher, Giggs, Januzaj, Kagawa, Mata, Nani, Valencia, Young, Hernandez, Rooney, Welbeck.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Evans (calf, Apr 26), Van Persie (knee, no date), Rafael (hamstring, no date).


Everton (from):
Howard, Coleman, Distin, Stones, Baines, Barry, McCarthy, Osman, Barkley, Naismith, Lukaku, Robles, Browning, Garbutt, Alcaraz, McGeady, Mirallas, Deulofeu, Hibbert.

Out (reason, expected return date):
Pienaar (knee, May 3), Gibson (ACL, May 3), Oviedo (broken leg, no date), Traore (hamstring, no date), Jagielka (hamstring, no date).





West Bromwich Albion (16th) at Manchester City (3rd) (Mon, 3 PM ET)


If West Brom eventually ends up being relegated they'll probably pinpoint conceding late goals as a major reason for their downfall. A quarter of the goals the Baggies have conceded have come in the final ten minutes and five have come in stoppage time, including last week against Tottenham and two weeks earlier against Cardiff, both in 3-3 ties. Heading into week 30, Manchester City's title ambitions were in their own hands but their double gameweek might ultimately prove to be their undoing. On Sunday, City took on championship rivals Liverpool and was defeated 3-2. In midweek, the Citizens stumbled to a 2-2 tie with last-placed Sunderland. City has one win in their last four games.


Head-to-Head Stats

This season:
Manchester City 3-2 West Brom

Last 6 (all competitions):
Manchester City lead 5-0-1.

Last 3 at Manchester City (all competitions):
Manchester City lead 3-0-0.

All-time (all competitions):
Manchester City lead 61-54-29.


Team News

West Brom (from):
Foster, Myhill, Reid, Ridgewell, McAuley, Dawson, Olsson, Morrison, Brunt, Dorrans, Mulumbu, Sessegnon, Anichebe, Vydra, Berahino, Bifouma, Amalfitano, Lugano, Jones, Yacob.

Doubts:
Olsson (Achilles), Morrison (ankle).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Gera (hamstring, no date).

Unavailable:
Sinclair (loanee).


Manchester City (from):
Hart, Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Richards, Kompany, Demichelis, Lescott, Boyata, Clichy, Kolarov, Milner, Nasri, Silva, Garcia, Fernandinho, Rodwell, Aguero, Negredo, Dzeko, Jovetic.

Doubts:
Silva (ankle), Navas (ankle).

Out (reason, expected return date):
Yaya (groin, Apr 27), Nastasic (knee, no date).

Sections: Main, Fantasy Games
Tags: Premier_League_Talk, Soccer_Talk, Fantasy_Premier_League, ASFL2_Fantasy_Games, Premier_League_Pickem, Unofficial_Games, Bonus_Points

ASFL2 Home | ASFL2 News Home