Preview

May

2025

Preview: Man City play Bournemouth with the focus on Champions League qualification

Manchester City can get over the disappointment of losing Saturday’s FA Cup final by taking another step towards Champions League qualification.

By Graham Ruthven

Top five ambitions

There is no time for Manchester City to linger on what happened at Wembley on Saturday. Indeed, Pep Guardiola and his players must quickly get over defeat in the FA Cup final to secure their place in next season’s Champions League.

Weekend wins for Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest have put pressure on City to beat Bournemouth on Tuesday night. Their spot in the top five could depend on it.

Bournemouth have already beaten Manchester City once this season, but enter Tuesday’s match at the Etihad Stadium on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa over a week ago. The Cherries have won just two of their last 10 games in all competitions.

City need six points from two matches this week to maximise their chances of finishing in the top five. They can’t count on favours elsewhere, making Tuesday’s match one of their most important of the entire campaign.

Key players

Erling Haaland passed on the chance to score from the spot against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final and hasn’t looked as sharp in front of goal since returning from injury two weeks ago. Nonetheless, the Norwegian will lead the line on Tuesday night.

Kevin De Bruyne has found a rich vein of form in recent weeks, scoring a winning goal in his last home match for City against Wolves. The Belgian is still City’s most reliable creative player even as he prepares to leave the club.

Phil Foden could be in line for a start after only coming off the bench for a second half cameo against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final. Jérémy Doku and Savinho did little to impact the match and could be dropped for other options.

Evanilson, Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo will all pose an attacking threat at the Etihad Stadium. Bournemouth are one of the most dangerous vertical teams in the Premier League and City will give them space to exploit in behind.

Tyler Adams and Lewis Cook will start as the double pivot at the base of the Bournemouth midfield while Dean Huijsen will play his first game since his summer transfer to Real Madrid was confirmed. The Spaniard will have another opportunity to demonstrate his level.

Team news

Rodri, John Stones, Nathan Aké and Oscar Bobb are all still sidelined for Manchester City. Otherwise, Guardiola has a fully fit and available squad to choose from.

Guardiola faces a decision over who to play in the wide areas, both in the defence and further forward. Matheus Nunes could come into the lineup at right back while James McAtee could start ahead of him.

Ryan Christie, Dango Ouattarra and Luis Sinisterra will all miss Bournemouth’s trip to the Etihad Stadium with Alex Scott and Enes Ünal also sidelined at the moment for the Cherries.

Prediction

Failing to reach the Champions League, both in its expanded format, and with the amount of places on offer to English teams would be unthinkable. Pep Guardiola must, therefore, be able to rescue something from the season, starting with a win tonight that will set up Sunday’s dramatic final round: Manchester City 2-1 Bournemouth.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Preview: Liverpool visit Brighton on Monday night

The Monday night clash between Brighton and Liverpool is a strange one. The Reds have already wrapped up the title and have nothing to play for while the Seagulls can’t gatecrash the European places, they’re simply looking to finish as high up as possible. Right now, an eighth place finish is their best hope.

By Sam McGuire

There’s not a lot at stake at the Amex, but it still looks set to be an intriguing match-up.

Liverpool have eased up

We’ll address the elephant in the room. Liverpool haven’t won a game since securing the title with a 5-1 victory against Spurs. They lost to Chelsea (3-1) before giving up a 2-0 lead against Arsenal, at Anfield, last Sunday.

The team don’t seem to care though. The title is secured.

They’re enjoying themselves. The squad have been in Dubai all week while Arne Slot was pictured in Ibiza. The Reds really are on the beach. On the pitch they’re going to just be going through the motions.

Well, all but one player, anyway.

Mohamed Salah continues to chase records

Salah needs two assists in the final two matches to become the first player since Thierry Henry to register 20+ goals and 20+ assists in a single season. He’s also just one goal involvement away from matching a record currently held by Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer.

Everyone else might be on the beach, mentally, but Salah is still focused on influencing things in the final third. In truth, he should’ve had at least one assist in his last outing. He put it on a plate for Luis Díaz, only to see David Raya pull off a remarkable save to thwart the Liverpool No. 7.

He spent the rest of the game trying to assist teammates, even opting to pass up opportunities to shoot in favour of creating an opportunity instead.

The Liverpool No. 11 is going to be looking to finish the season on an individual high as well as a collective one. He has a good record against the Seagulls, scoring the winner when the two sides met at Anfield last time out.

What will happen with Trent Alexander-Arnold?

For a second successive week, Alexander-Arnold has been a hot topic of debate.

He replaced Conor Bradley at Anfield last weekend and every touch was met by a chorus of boos from the Anfield crowd. This has divided opinion online, but it is quite clear that Liverpool fans are not happy with his decision to leave the club to join Real Madrid.

It soured the atmosphere on Merseyside last weekend.

Does Slot risk ruining the feel good vibe again by naming him in the starting XI? Does the Dutchman risk having him in the squad at all?

There are plenty of unknowns right now.

The Seagulls are soaring, kind of

Brighton are doing well over recently weeks. They’ve taken eight points from a possible 15, losing just one of their last five in the Premier League.

However, they have scored at least two in three of these matches. They beat an in-form Wolves side 2-0 last time out and managed to hold Champions League chasing Newcastle United to a 1-1 draw.

They have the quality and the personnel to cause problems.

Injury issues

The hosts are without some key names in James Milner, Solly March, Ferdi Kadıoğlu and Georginio Rutter. They do, however, still have a talented squad to pick from, so naming a competitive XI to face the champions should not be an issue for Fabian Hürzeler.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have everyone available to them with the exception of Joe Gomez. Slot has some big decisions to make ahead of the game. He has too many players for his matchday squad.

Prediction

We’re going to go with a narrow 2-1 win for the hosts.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Preview: Inter Miami face Orlando City in the Florida Derby

It’s rivalry week in Major League Soccer, and Inter Miami will be looking to turn things around against fellow Floridians Orlando City as they return home after a difficult road trip.

By James Nalton

Rivalry return

On returning from a winless run of away games that saw a heavy defeat to Minnesota United and a 3-3 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes, maybe the last thing Inter Miami would want is a match against a naturally motivated rival, Orlando City.

The game is part of MLS’s rivalry week, a part-forced, part-intensely genuine group of games where rivalries old and new are renewed.

Maybe it will be the spark and motivation Inter Miami need to recover from a disappointing run that has seen them win just three times in 11 games in all competitions.

Orlando will be no pushovers, though, and will be up for this local rivalry as they look to get one over on their high-profile opponents.

Suárez also returns

Despite missing the last two games, Luis Suárez still sits joint top of the league’s assists charts with six.

Inter Miami will be glad to have his guile and experience back in the side, and the Uruguayan is always handy to have around for rivalry games.

Suárez remains a game-changer, and having missed out on the disappointing pair of away games, the 4-1 win at home to New York Red Bulls at the start of the month was his previous Inter Miami experience, and he and his team will be hoping it can be repeated.

Defensive struggles

Inter Miami have never been the most convincing team defensively, but at the beginning of this season it looked like head coach Javier Mascherano had found a way to make them more solid at the back.

At one point, they had one of the best defensive records in the league, but there were always signs they could be got at.

*Inter Miami concede more goals than 20 MLS teams, including Orlando*

They conceded no more than one goal per game for a run of seven earlier in the campaign, but the barriers soon broke, and they have now conceded 12 goals in their last four MLS games.

There isn’t much that Suárez, Lionel Messi, et al can do about this, other than try to outscore the opposition at the other end.

Opposition: Orlando City

Given their opponent’s struggles, Orlando City might be relishing this particular installment of the Florida rivalry.

City’s own Argentine attacker, Martín Ojeda, has been in good form so far this year, netting eight goals and adding three assists in 11 starts, putting him joint-second in the league for goals and assists combined.

With assistance from the Colombian former Atalanta and Sampdoria striker Luis Muriel and Croatia international Marco Pašalić, Orlando have one of the best attacks in the Eastern Conference.

Seeing as Inter Miami’s defence looks like one of the worst in the league in recent games, Orlando will fancy their chances, as teams increasingly are against Mascherano’s side, despite the star power they boast in attack.

Prediction

There’s always a chance Messi and the returning Suárez can do enough to win any game, but this could be set for another score draw given Orlando’s own attacking threat.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from MLS live this season with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Preview: Sevilla host Real Madrid in penultimate round of LaLiga

An entire season without a domestic trophy is a rarity for the mighty Real Madrid, but Carlo Ancelotti will now seek only to go out on a high by winning his final games of the season, not by winning silverware.

By Karl Matchett

First is first, second is nowhere

Barcelona’s midweek win at Espanyol means the title is tied up two games early, leaving Real Madrid guaranteed second place. For a team which has been known to sack managers even when they win LaLiga, a runners-up spot is of little pride and no consolation – but Real’s path to improvement is clear, with this game likely being an example.

Ancelotti’s team have been middling on the road this term, winning half of their games but earning fewer points than Villarreal and a full 10 behind Barca in that context. Defeat at the champions last weekend highlights their flaws away from home – where Barca have been the best in the league.

Fallen giant

Hosts Sevilla aren’t exactly having a season to remember themselves. For much of the campaign they battled against the drop; while now clear and officially safe, they are a long way away from the side which continually challenged for European honours, Champions League places and domestic cups. Since Julen Lopetegui’s three-year stay ended in late 2022, new arrival Joaquín Caparrós is their sixth appointment in the dugout. If he can’t lift them at least one place in the table in the last two games, this will be at the very least Sevilla’s joint-worst season since being relegated 25 years ago.

Recent form

Sevilla beat Las Palmas last time out to record a first win in nine matches. On the other hand, they’ve lost only three of their last 12 at home in LaLiga. Real Madrid’s meandering end to the campaign has seen them win five and lose five of their last ten in all competitions. Their last two away wins in the top flight were both 1-0 – at clubs ranked lower than 14th-placed Sevilla.

Team news

The major absentees for Sevilla are Tanguy Nianzou, Rubén Vargas, Diego Hormigo and Akor Adams. Kike Salas is also an injury doubt. Real remain without Éder Militão, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Edu Camavinga and Antonio Rüdiger, with further concerns over Vini Jr., Rodrygo and Lucas Vázquez.

Key Player

It’s a good opportunity for faces to impress for next season, which means Endrick might be handed a rare chance to impress. In few minutes, it’s fair to note, the Brazilian is second in Real’s squad for shots on target per 90, third for goals per 90 and second for xG+xA per 90. He’s not yet played 300 league minutes, which is semi-scandalous, but on a per-90 basis he ticks a lot of boxes. Replicating it far more will be key to him earning a starting spot under a new boss next term, so starting here would be ideal.

Prediction

A fairly typical end-of-season affair with little at stake and lots of action: Sevilla 2-2 Real Madrid.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from LaLiga with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Preview: Champions Barcelona back in action against Villarreal

Barcelona were crowned Spanish champions on Thursday and will want to finish with a flourish in their final home match of the season.

By Graham Ruthven

Officially the best

It was never really in any doubt after victory in El Clásico last week, but Barcelona got the job done against Espanyol on Thursday to secure the title.

The Catalans have been the best team in Spain this season. They are a force of nature in attack and have been unstoppable from start to finish of the 2024/24 campaign, as highlighted by the tally of 97 goals in 36 games.

Hansi Flick could take the opportunity to start some of his fringe players with the title already wrapped up. Nonetheless, Barca will want to finish with a flourish in their final match of the season at Montjuïc.

Villarreal, on the other hand, are still firmly in the race to finish in the top five and qualify for next season’s Champions League. Four points is the difference between The Yellow Submarine and Betis below them so an away win wrap that up for Villarreal with a game to spare.

Key players

Lamine Yamal might be the best player in the world on current form. The teenager put Barcelona ahead against Espanyol in trademark fashion, cutting inside and finding the top corner from 18 yards out. He is a constant threat around the edge of the box.

Raphinha is another Barcelona attacker who has enjoyed an exceptional season. The Brazilian has scored 18 goals in LaLiga and could add to his tally should Flick start him over a fringe player against Villarreal.

*Barcelona’s best rated players this season*

Pedri has been the creative heart in the Barca midfield, creating 14 Big Chances in LaLiga this season. However, having played 2,770 minutes this term he is a prime candidate to be rotated out of the side.

Ayoze Pérez bagged a brace against Leganés in midweek and will be a threat in behind Barcelona’s high defensive line. Nicolas Pépé will also be a danger from the right side.

Álex Baena registered an assist during the week and has racked up nine assists in LaLiga this season. If Villarreal can get a foothold in possession, they could have the quality to consistently creative from midfield and into the final third.

Team news

Jules Koundé will be sidelined for the final two games of the season through injury, meaning Héctor Fort or Eric García will be favoured on the right side of the Barcelona defence.

Wojciech Szczęsny has kept his place in the lineup even after the return of Marc-André Ter Stegen from injury. The Polish goalkeeper will likely be afforded a final match at Montjuïc before the end of his short-term contract.

Robert Lewandowski’s fitness is still a concern and so Flick might choose not to risk him at this stage of the season with the title race already settled.

Raúl Albiol will miss Sunday’s match for Villarreal through injury while Ilias Akhomach is also an absentee. Thierno Barry and Kiko Femenía are doubts.

Prediction

With Barcelona ‘on the beach’ after confirming their domestic treble, we’re expecting the recent pattern of conceding goals to continue, while they remain strong going forward. So perhaps expect a score draw, with Villarreal edging themselves towards Champions League football: Barcelona 2-2 Villarreal

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from LaLiga with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Preview: Second take on third as Arsenal host Newcastle

Arsenal and Newcastle United go head-to-head at the Emirates Stadium in the race to qualify for the Champions League. It’s heating up at the top of the table, and a strong second half of the campaign means the Magpies could even finish as runners-up.

By Matt Smith

Eddie Howe’s side could be going into this one with confidence, having beaten Arsenal three times already this campaign. Newcastle beat them in the Premier League earlier in the season, while they also won 2-0 in both legs of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie.

Team news

Mikel Arteta recently confirmed that Kai Havertz has a chance of returning to the squad after a long injury lay-off, with medical staff and the German international to decide whether he’s available. Arteta was more cautious on Leandro Trossard, Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber, and Gabriel Martinelli.

Newcastle could be without Sven Botman this weekend, but Howe has confirmed that he does have a chance of featuring. Kieran Trippier and Joelinton won’t be available for the away side.

Arsenal, the draw specialist

There’s no doubt the Gunners have been difficult to beat this season, losing just four Premier League games, one more than the champions Liverpool. However, only Everton (15) have drawn more times than Arsenal (14) this season, and that’s undoubtedly been the difference between them and Arne Slot’s side.

Being defensively sound hasn’t been enough for the Gunners, who have struggled to create chances compared to their competitors. Arsenal have produced just 58.6 xG this term, fewer than five Premier League sides.

Newcastle are deadly in attack

Having a striker like Alexander Isak is undoubtedly the dream for the majority of clubs in Europe, with the Swedish centre-forward providing 29 goals and assists combined in England’s top flight.

The Magpies have scored 1.9 goals per game this season, with only Liverpool averaging more, and it’s a key reason why they are pushing Arsenal all the way to finish second. Newcastle have been on a sensational run in the second half of the campaign, losing just once in the Premier League since 26th February.

Murphy the unlikely hero

The likes of Isak and Anthony Gordon take a lot of the credit for Newcastle’s attacking prowess, but Jacob Murphy has stepped up immensely this season. At the age of 30, Murphy is enjoying his best season of his Premier League career, racking up 20 goals and assists combined.

His form has meant that even when Gordon and Harvey Barnes are both fit, Howe has found a way to fit him in the side. The versatile forward was even deployed as a right wing-back in Newcastle’s previous game, and it will be interesting to see where he plays against the Gunners.

*Murphy’s passing stats, Premier League 2024/25*

Prediction

Arsenal have struggled in recent weeks with little on the line, but the pressure is ramping up with Newcastle able to climb above them this weekend. We’re going for a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Preview: Palace and City go head to head in FA Cup Final

It’s one of the biggest days in the English football calendar, the FA Cup final is here. Crystal Palace are hoping to win their first ever piece of major silverware while Man City want another to add to the pile. It’s anybody’s game.

By Alex Roberts

Palace overcame Aston Villa with a comfortable 3-0 win to get here while Man City beat high-flying Nottingham Forest to reach their third consecutive final, one of which they’ve won.

Kevin de Bruyne’s farewell tour

This will be the great Belgian’s last final as a Man City player. De Bruyne will leave the club he’s spent the past ten years at, winning six Premier League titles, five League Cups, two FA Cups, and a Champions League, once his contract expires at the end of the season.

He will be missed. After several injury issues this season, he’s back and his recent form has been key to City’s push towards Champions League qualification. In the FA Cup, he hasn’t featured as much, bagging two goals and providing one assist in his 254 minutes of action.

*De Bruyne’s numbers still compare well with similar players in the top five leagues*

De Bruyne didn’t play against Forest, but Pep Guardiola has a sentimental side, he will get game time, and he will want to go out with a bang. Don’t be surprised to see his coach with tears in his eyes saying “we cannot replace him” after the final whistle.

A unique opportunity to make history

It’s hard to imagine a club like Palace, with a dedicated fanbase, and stability in the Premier League, have never won a piece of major silverware but it’s true. This current crop of players is arguably the most talented in their history, this is their chance to end that in what is the club’s third FA Cup final appearance.

The previous two came against the other Manchester club, remember Alan Pardew dancing in 2016? That backfired. A lot has happened since then. Marc Guéhi, Eberechi Eze, and Daniel Muñoz are three of the best players in their positions, this isn’t the David and Goliath story many may think it is.

Speaking of Eze, he’s found form at the perfect time. Ten goal contributions in his last ten games across all competitions, including five goals in his last four, make him one of the most in-form players in the land – if he drags Palace to an FA Cup win, they’ll have a statue of him outside the ground the week after.

Man City’s malfunctioning robot

Erling Haaland hasn’t been himself this season, although the same could be said for pretty much everyone at the club. Yes, he’s still scored 30 goals across all competitions but that’s not really what we’ve come to expect.

He’s freshly back from what many believed would be a season ending injury, but he was anonymous in the 0-0 draw with Southampton with only one shot, which was off-target, and 17 touches.

It’s a worrying sign that maybe he was rushed back, although he may well have just had a software update that improved his healing factor. It’s never smart to write Haaland off, he’s proven time and time again to be one of the best in the world, he just seems a little off at the moment.

The low down

Rodri’s long-awaited comeback from an ACL injury is close, but Guardiola has said that he is still waiting on the Doctors for the green light on his selection. So he, along with the likes of John Stones and Nathan Aké are likely to miss the Cup Final.

Palace reported better news in the week, with Adam Wharton back in training and available for selection following his return from an ankle injury. With City possibly eyeing him up a longterm replacement for Rodri, he’ll be keen to have an impact on the game.

Neither side have lost a game in their last five across all competitions but City have won two more. Don’t pay too much attention to that though, form goes out the window for the big one.

Prediction

There aren’t as may cup upsets as there used to be. Experience in these moments is key, City have been there and done it, so we’re going with 2-0 to them.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the FA Cup with FotMob next season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Preview: Aston Villa need a result against Spurs

Aston Villa continue their chase for a Champions League place against out-of-sorts Spurs on Friday night.

By Ian King

Villa on the up

Aston Villa arrive for this crucial match in good form. They’ve won seven of their last eight in the League, with the only blot on that copybook being a 2-1 defeat at Manchester City which required a stoppage-time winner to secure all three points. They’re sixth and two points off a Champions League place, with two games of the season left to play.

Spurs’ form is pretty close to the inverse of this. They’ve now won just one of their last ten in the Premier League, and that was against Southampton, more than a month ago. All Spurs eyes are on the Europa League at the moment, but they arrive for this match in 17th place in the Premier League, which is… sub-optimal.

History

Villa have conceded four goals on each of the last two occasions they’ve played Spurs in the League, including a 4-1 win in the reverse of this fixture back in September. But they had won the clubs’ three previous League meetings prior to this, while they also knocked them out of the FA Cup in the Fourth Round with a 2-1 win at Villa Park in February.

Key Players

Injuries have meant that Richarlison has made just 13 appearances for Spurs this season, and nine of them have come from the bench. With just four League goals to his name all season and rumours that he could be leaving once the end finally comes around, both he and Ange Postecoglou could do with a big performance from him in this match.

Aston Villa know that a failure win this match could mean the end of their chances of repeating this season’s Champions League adventure, and Ollie Watkins has been bang on form recently, scoring in the first minute in their 4-1 thrashing of Newcastle four weeks ago and scoring the winner in their last outing versus Bournemouth. Spurs’ brittle defence may provide fertile ground for him to improve on the 16 League goals he’s already scored this season.

*Watkins’ shot map, Premier League 2024/25*

Team News

The latest Spurs injury is Dejan Kulusevski, who will now be missing the remainder of this season alongside James Maddison, Radu Drăgușin and Lucas Bergvall. For Aston Villa, Jacob Ramsey is suspended after his sending off against Bournemouth, while Marcus Rashford is unlikely to start and Youri Tielemans missed the Bournemouth match and faces a fitness test before this one.

Prediction

It’s been a desperate season in the Premier League for Spurs, and there are few reasons to believe that they’ll improve for this trip to an in-form Aston Villa. They’re currently 17th, and finishing in this position would represent their worst top flight appearance since being relegated in 1977. Villa are playing well and have the huge incentive of keeping their Champions League hopes alive with a win. I can’t see past a comfortable home win, so I’ll go 3-0 Villa and for Spurs’ agony to continue unabated.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Preview: European finalists Chelsea and Man United clash on Friday night

Two teams with aspirations of silverware go head-to-head in a different competition entirely, one in which Chelsea still have a major objective to achieve – but Manchester United simply want to finish and forget.

By Karl Matchett

Back among the elite, somehow

Despite both these clubs having been in abysmal form across different parts of the season – especially considering the vast sums spent in the transfer market and the managerial changes they’ve both embarked upon – it seems improbable that both could play in the Champions League next season.

Yet here we are: United have their Europa League final to prepare for, while Chelsea’s focus is on Conference League success but also a top-five finish in the Premier League. At this stage it’s in their hands to do exactly that, but they can’t afford a slip-up in the final home game for their league campaign, particularly against the side in the joint-worst form in the competition.

Historically bad, recently awful

Needless to say this will be Man United’s worst Premier League finish in the modern era – 13th in 1990 was their worst finish since being relegated from the old Division One in 73/74, but 2024/25 will be levels worse than that in position terms. United can’t point to recent improvements either; over the last five league games, nobody has taken fewer points than their grand total of…one. The only potential positive to a side in such dismal form making Europe’s top competition next year may turn out to be that the side they must beat in the final – Tottenham – are in fact the only side below them in the league table who won’t be relegated.

Recent form

A defeat at Newcastle last time out was Chelsea’s first following five straight wins in all competitions. At home in the league, they are unbeaten in nine – they’ve largely come through their poor midseason run of six losses in 12 spanning December to February and home form may be the defining factor for a top-five finish. For United, it’s three wins in 11 and all three have come in Europe. Wretched league form has seen them win twice since 26th January – against two relegated sides in Ipswich and Leicester.

Team news

Wesley Fofana, Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu are the most notable injury absences, the latter two more problematic since Jadon Sancho is ineligible against his parent club and Nicolas Jackson is now suspended. United are missing Lisandro Martínez, Matthijs de Ligt and Diogo Dalot from defence, plus Joshua Zirkzee.

Key player

Obviously Cole Palmer will be Chelsea’s main threat but given the lack of striker options they have, Pedro Neto will likely play as the No. 9 and must provide a finishing touch – he has created 45 chances and 10 big chances this term, third in the squad for both, but but manages only 0.7 shots on target and 0.13 xG per 90 in the league.

Prediction

Chelsea to get the result they need, United to get a step closer to closing this ridiculous chapter: Chelsea 2-1 Man United.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Premier League game with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Preview: Barcelona head across town looking to seal the title at rivals Espanyol

Hansi Flick could clinch his first LaLiga title as Barcelona manager with a derby win over Espanyol on Thursday night.

By Graham Ruthven

Title formalities

Barcelona’s thrilling 4-3 win over Real Madrid in Sunday’s Clásico will be remembered as the moment Hansi Flick’s team effectively decided this season’s title race. The Catalans could, however, make it official by beating Espanyol.

Real Madrid’s dramatic win over Mallorca on Wednesday night means that three points is all that Barcelona need to seal the deal with three games left to play, starting with tonight’s trip across town.

The last few weeks have been gruelling for Barcelona. They have beaten Real Madrid twice – once in the Copa del Rey final and once to effectively win the title – and contested a classic Champions League semi-final, losing 7-6 on aggregate to Inter Milan.

While a treble is no longer on the cards for Barca, LaLiga and the Copa del Rey would still represent a remarkable season. Flick and his players have shown themselves as the best in Spain and now it’s just about getting over the line.

Espanyol, meanwhile, need points to secure survival with Manolo’s team just five points above the relegation zone. Three consecutive defeats have raised fears that Los Periquitos could be sucked into trouble.

Key players

Javi Puado has scored more goals (11) than any other Espanyol player this season and has good reason to believe he can add to this tally against a Barcelona defence that has conceded 14 goals in five games in all competitions.

Joan García has been a standout performer for Espanyol this season and the goalkeeper, currently being tracked by big clubs in England and elsewhere, will need to find his best form against Barcelona on Thursday night. Manolo will set up his team to play in a back five to keep the opposition forward line at arm’s length as much as possible.

*García leads a number of goalkeeping metrics in LaLiga this season*

This will be a tricky task considering the firepower in the Barcelona team. Raphinha will be a threat after bagging a brace in El Clásico, taking his tally for the season to 18 league goals. Lamine Yamal is also capable producing a moment of magic at any time.

Pedri has enjoyed the best season of his Barcelona career so far, creating 65 chances in total – only Raphinha (87) has created more. At the back, the de facto champions need the likes of Pau Cubarsí and Andreas Christensen to step up to keep things tight.

Team news

Pol Lozano missed the weekend defeat to Leganés, but could return from a quad injury to feature for Espanyol in Thursday’s derby. Right back Omar El Hilali will also be recalled to the lineup following a one-match suspension.

Robert Lewandowski is expected to start on the bench as he continues his recovery from injury. Iñigo Martínez will miss the match through suspension while Jules Koundé is expected to be unavailable.

Flick faces a decision between Wojciech Szczęsny and Marc-André ter Stegen after the former was favoured for the Clásico win over Real Madrid. The Polish goalkeeper could keep his place.

Prediction

It’s a formality, surely? But perhaps Espanyol can land a few punches before Barcelona’s title procession takes over: Espanyol 2-4 Barcelona.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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