A penalty deep in stoppage time earned Everton a victory over Fulham last weekend. Not giving up the fight for a Europa League spot, they have every chance of picking up all 3 points here against a Stoke City side who’s form has dipped of late, with safety secured. A 7-0 thrashing at Chelsea last weekend wouldn’t have done the morale any good. Although that may make them more determined to respond in this fixture, I see Everton taking all 3 points with the better ability and having more to gain from it.

Tottenham are a side looking to skip the Europa League and finish in a Champions League qualification spot. They are in that final position, ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference and 1 point ahead of Manchester City. This is set to come down to the final game of the season and Spurs do not want to hurt their chances by dropping points in this one. Bolton dropped points last weekend by throwing away a 2-0 lead to draw with Portsmouth, but they are assured of Premier League survival now. Aaron Lennon will be looking for more time after playing 25 minutes at Old Trafford last weekend. If given the opportunity, expect him to terrorist the clumsy Paul Robinson. Tottenham to win.

Liverpool played 120 minutes on Thursday night which ended in heartbreak. Going out of the Europa League in extra time following some careless defending will have taken a lot of energy out of Liverpool. Champions League qualification looks unlikely leaving little left of a disappointing season. Chelsea have it all to play for. A victory here and the Premier League would almost be theirs. Their odds are good value, they’re playing great and face a Liverpool side that is missing Fernando Torres. Can Liverpool handle Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Frank Lampard and co? One thing to be wary of, this is Liverpool’s final home game of the season. Liverpool have not lost their final home game of the season in the past six years, since Manchester City came to Anfield and won in 2003. This said, I still favour Chelsea to pick up 3 points.

One of the most intriguing matches of the weekend comes at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal host Manchester City in Saturday’s evening kickoff. Arsenal have nothing to play for while Manchester City, in form are fighting to finish directly below them in the league. And City have a good chance to put pressure on Spurs here by picking up 3 points. Arsenal have several key injuries in their team, most notable their two centre backs which will likely leave Sol Campbell and Mikael Silvestre to deal with the likes of Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor and co. To counter Manchester City’s attacks with their own, Arsenal are without Cesc Fabregas, Alex Song and likely Andrei Arshavin too. Robin van Persie isn’t fully fit which may give Theo Walcott another run out. Manchester City’s defence has been a bit shaky this season, but should fare well against this understrength Arsenal side. Expect Arsenal fans to give Adebayor a loud welcoming, but not a welcome one. Can Roberto Mancini really risk Patrick Vieira in this game? An Arsenal legend, but not fit enough for the Premier League any more. He may be risking points by playing the former Arsenal captain here. Otherwise, 16/5 on City to win is fantastic value, as is the +0.5 handicap. A more popular bet will be both teams to score.

On Sunday, Aston Villa host Birmingham City in their big Birmingham derby. A midday kickoff, similar to all of Villa’s rival games this season. They drew both against Wolves, but Gabriel Agbonlahor struck a late winner at St Andrews back in September. Birmingham have a top half finish to seal in their final three games, while Aston Villa will feel they’ll need to win all three of their remaining games to have a chance of finishing 4th. With Manchester City and Tottenham facing tough away games the day before, Martin O’Neill will know in advance how many points his team will enter this game behind the team in 4th place. Regardless, it won’t change his intent for this game as they go for 3 points. On a bit of a roll at the moment, the face a tough defence. While I am edging Aston Villa to win this, the odds don’t represent value, so I am tipping under 2.5 goals for this derby game.

The bookmakers have been clever in shortening Everton’s odds to below halves for their home game with Fulham on Sunday. The Toffees are in good form as they look to qualify for Europe next season, aided by Manchester United’s Carling Cup win and Portsmouth’s inability to play in the Europa League next season. More importantly, Fulham are coming back from a tough goalless draw against Hamburg in the first leg of their Europa League semi final in Germany. That after a long coach journey that included training on the autobahn during a traffic jam. Surely that’s taken too much energy out of them, perhaps enough to persuade Roy Hodgson to rest most, if not all of his first team. With all that in mind, Everton are a good bet to pick up another 3 points on Sunday.

Birmingham City were the latest victims to Manchester City’s form last weekend as they went down 5-1 at Eastlands as their good form faded a long time ago. It’s 6 league games without a win now. They finish the season with 2 favourable home games as they look to hold onto a top half finish for the first time. The first being this Saturday at home to Hull City. Just when you thought they had a chance to stay up, they are on the end of a 4-1 home thrashing by Burnley. Further evidence that Iain Dowie isn’t cut to be a Premier League manager. This team are down now and while they will be looking for something against an out-of-form Birmingham side, hope is all they have. I would have preferred Birmingham to be evens instead of odds-on, but that’s going down the more they are backed this weekend. I’m backing Birmingham too.

Tottenham ended Arsenal’s title race on Wednesday night with an impressive 2-1 victory. It was another game in which Arsenal had plenty of the possession but failed to test the goalkeeper (until it was too late, in the final 10 minutes). With many expecting Arsenal to finish the season with lacklustre performances I don’t see that happening until they are 100% sure they cannot win the title. And even then, second place is still a strong possibility for them and they won’t want to give it up without a fight. Robin van Persie will be wanting more time on the pitch ahead of the World Cup to get back into form and guarantee his place in the Dutch squad. He may be a risky choice this weekend for the fantasy team. I like Arsenal’s odds going into this game.

The value odds of the weekend are on Aston Villa this weekend. Currently at 4/6, I am expecting this to drop significantly before kickoff. Portsmouth made 8 changes for their midweek game for a goalless draw at Wigan midweek. This team influenced by extra payments including bonuses that Portsmouth cannot afford to pay and therefore play a number of players. That leaves Portsmouth with a much-weakened side. While they’re playing for pride it doesn’t counter Aston Villa’s talent. With 4th spot looking out of site, Aston Villa have a number of players still trying to impress their nations manager to take part in this summer’s world cup, so we can be assured of a good performance from them on Sunday. And with these current odds I am not missing out on them this weekend.  Good candidates for win to nil and asian handicap betting too.

Aston Villa versus Everton is a game that can go either way, or if you’re sitting on the fence you predict a draw. One thing this fixture has had over the past 2.5 seasons is excitement and goals. In their last 5 meetings, both sides have scored and I am looking at both times to score on Wednesday for my bet in this match.

Tottenham were embarrassed in extra time by Portsmouth in the FA Cup on Sunday. With that still on their mind and their first team having played 2 hours of gruelling and ultimately disappointing football, expect that to have an impact on them heading into Wednesday’s match with fierce rivals Arsenal. Arsenal with a few key injuries still lingering about are still in the title race; 3 points behind Chelsea. With the Blues likely to be 6 points ahead before this match kicks off, the Gunners will need to pick up 3 points here to keep their hopes alive. With a few injuries still remaining in the Tottenham squad and an FA Cup hangover, don’t be surprised to see the Gunners pick up 3 points here as they did earlier in the season with a comfortable 3-0 victory at the Emirates.

With a full schedule of games this weekend I will be back on Thursday for a larger selection of Premier League Tips to choose from.

Burnley are on wretched form and their performances have matched that under Brian Laws. I would be backing Hull City in this fixture if Phil Brown was still in charge, but Iain Dowie has put doubts in my mind. Still new to the club, I wonder if he knows the best system for his team to beat Burnley here. With their only being one other Premier League game kicking off at 3pm on Saturday, expect a lot of coverage of this game which will better help us make a choice to back Hull in-play.

Manchester United suffered heart break midweek thanks to a late Arjen Robben strike that eliminated them from the Champions League at the quarter final stage, leaving no English sides in the final four of the competition for the first time in 7 years. On course to finish the season with only a League Cup trophy to show, they need to pick up 3 points at Ewood Park to have any chance of regaining top spot in the Premier League. Wayne Rooney’s fitness and participation remains unclear, but with the space of Antonio Valencia and Nani down the wings they can cause Blackburn a number of problems. If Dimitar Berbatov starts this game without Rooney, back him to score anytime. United are good value to win at Ewood Park following their midweek game.

Tottenham come into this weekend in 4th position, 2 points above Manchester City with 7 games remaining. With Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City all to come, this is a must-win game if they have aspirations of finishing in a Champions League position this season. Sunderland were on a bit of form before going down 3-0 at Liverpool last Sunday. Their Premier League status is nearly secured for next season and with easier games than this coming up, points aren’t essential. That’s not to say they’ll lack effort, but if they go a goal down I can see them folding. This game means much more to Spurs, and with their current form that has seen them win their last 4 in all competitions along with a strong squad, expect them to take 3 points from the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Manchester City to have ambitions of a 4th spot. They too have found a bit of form at the right time and with a string of tough games following this, they need 3 points at Burnley on Saturday to maintain their challenge. A Carlos Tevez hattrick on Monday night got the job done over 10 man Wigan. Burnley are heading back to the Championship under Brian Laws. With 1 point from their last 5 games they are unlikely to get anything from this. A 3-3 draw at Eastlands earlier this season was part good form and belief and part lackadaisical on Manchester City’s behalf. Now playing for Champions League football this season, City will be a much tougher prospect in this game. While Burnley’s belief of playing Premier League is thinning by the game. Manchester City are great value to take 3 points home with them and there is fantastic value on the handicap.

Everton host West Ham in the final game of the Premier League weekend. The Toffees have made a fantastic late run for European football, but it does seem to be too late. West Ham meanwhile have collapsed and Gianfranco Zola’s leadership skills have come under question this week, starting with a 3 day break in Italy. 6 straight Premier League defeats looks set to be 7 after this weekend for the Hammers as Championship football next season becomes more and more of a reality with each game. Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar are on form and look set to cause this poor West Ham defence a few problems. Louis Saha also has a good record against West Ham; he played 75 minutes last weekend as he regains his full match fitness. Home win here.

Games at Bolton, Birmingham and Fulham are all good candidates for draws.

Wolves are on a bit of form at the moment. So are the visitors to Molineux on Saturday. Wolves are the only side in the Premier League to have more points away from home than they do on their own soil. Everton are the only side to have won at Manchester City in the league this season also. Hoping they won’t suffer the blues from that result and maintain their outside push for European qualification, Everton are at great value to win on Saturday.

Manchester United need to win to maintain their Premier League title defence ambitions. If Arsenal beat Birmingham at 3pm, United will be in need of 3 points to keep the pressure on their London competitors. Although Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were beaten by Owen Coyle’s former side, the current Bolton manager will have to cause a second shock of the season to pick up 3 points here. Manchester United and Wayne Rooney in particular are on much better form now, and although Bolton have had a few good results recently I cannot see them getting one here. Bolton’s defence is too weak to hold out the likes of Rooney and if Paul Robinson’s lining up at left back, expect United to have success down their right wing and potentially win themselves a penalty against the rash tackling full back. Just under halves, United are a good bet here.

Looking to bounce back from their 2-0 home, Manchester City host a Wigan side who’s late winner against Burnley last weekend set them on course for another season in the Premier League. Battling for 4th place, Manchester City cannot afford to drop points again. Against Wigan they shouldn’t. Roberto Mancini, although he will be looking on from the stands, will want a reaction from his players. We should see this on Monday night. Expect City to pick up 3 points as they continue to push for a European spot under a manager who has a higher win percentage in the Premier League than any other previous manager City have had.

Another side performing well in recent league games is Everton. Hopefully they won’t be hungover from letting slip of a 2-0 lead to draw at Birmingham last weekend. Bolton have won 3 of their last 4 games under Owen Coyle as they look to avoid relegation. Goodison Park is a big ask for Bolton and I see the home side coming out on top here with odds better than I was expecting.

Arsenal are expected to beat West Ham at home but their odds are very short. Manchester United are odds on to beat a Liverpool side who are coming off a very good performance in Europe on Thursday and who have won the last 3 meetings against United. Chelsea coming off a European exit will want to bounce back with a victory in the league at Blackburn. Their pre-match odds are 1/2 and is a prime candidate for some in-play betting.

Tottenham host Blackburn in the first Premier League game of the weekend. Hosting Blackburn, a team terrible on their travels again this season, Spurs should pick up 3 points here to maintain fourth spot at the end of the weekend. Peter Crouch scored both goals in Tottenham’s 2-0 victory at Ewood Park in December as they come into this game looking to do the double over Rovers. Back-to-back wins in the league have boosted their chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League and they cannot afford to drop points in home games against bottom half sides. I can’t see them dropping points and I’m backing Spurs on Saturday.

Despite being held at Goodison Park in the league and then beat there in the cup, Everton travel to St Andrews as favourites to beat Birmingham for the first time this season. It’s been hard to bet against Birmingham this season, and despite Everton losing their last two away games in the Premier League, I am thinking about backing them here. They are playing well at the moment. Birmingham beat Wigan and Portsmouth in their last two Premier League games after they began to stumble. The level of opposition is much tougher this weekend and Everton have the quality to beat Birmingham. Can they get it right this time?

Manchester United come off a comfortable 4-0 victory at home to AC Milan on Wednesday, while Fulham come into this game at Old Trafford off of a tough trip to Turin on Thursday. United, clear favourites as the odds suggest will win this to finish the Premier League weekend as leaders.

Sunderland finally got a victory midweek to end their 14 game winless streak in the league. The emphasis of a 4-0 victory will have boosted their confidence at home. Manchester City have tougher games than this on their remaining fixture list. They haven’t played since the end of February, a 4-2 victory at Chelsea so may be so starters in this game. But with the talent on their roster and they way they played against Chelsea, as long as they don’t take Sunderland lightly they should win here as well. Victory is required to maintain a competitive chase for 4th spot and I like Manchester City at odds-against going into this match.

Arsenal are what we call in the industry, a sure bet on Saturday. Unfortunately to make significant money from them you’re going to need to stake a substantial amount. And who isn’t expecting Arsenal to slip up at some point soon? They can go joint on points with Chelsea this weekend with the Blues playing in the cup. They’d need a 4 goal victory to go level with the current leaders on goal difference. That isn’t out of the question against this Burnley side who lost at home to Portsmouth last weekend. Arsenal’s odds to win by that margin or more are worth a punt this weekend with the bookmakers willing to pay out nearly 3/1. They’re odds against to win by 3 goals or more too.

I’m disappointed West Ham are odds-on to beat Bolton but what do I have to argue about? The Hammers are unbeaten in their last 5 home league games, winning their last two 2-0 and 3-0 respectively. Bolton have failed to win on the road in their last 10 attempts, losing 7 of them and failing to score in their last 4. Robert Green will be hoping to back up his England starting position with a clean sheet against the Wanderers this weekend and his side are 21/10 to do just that. West Ham to win the game are 5/6; you may be tempted to double them up with Arsenal to get odds-against with 888sport.

The only other Premier League game on Saturday sees Wolves host Manchester United in the evening kickoff. When these two met earlier in the season Mick McCarthy caused a stir by fielding a weakened side that lost 3-0. Personally I thought it was something about nothing, but don’t expect McCarthy to do the same again with Wolves a full week to prepare for Burnley after Manchester United this time. A hard working unit, I can see Wolves holding United out for a while here. If they do so successfully, look to take Manchester United in-play with improved odds. United have been level at half time in 10 games this season so it wouldn’t be out of the question for Wolves to go in on level terms after 45 minutes. But those who don’t want to take the risk, Manchester United’s odds are good enough for a double or treble pre-kickoff.

In the only Premier League game on Sunday this weekend, Everton host struggling Hull City. With the Europa League over for this season, David Moyes’ side need an impressive late run to steal 5th spot to qualify for next season’s tournament. It looks unlikely after last week’s defeat at White Hart Lane, but they should return to winning ways this weekend. Hull have been woeful this season, particularly on their travels where they have picked up just 4 points from 14 attempts (only Burnley have been worse). Lying in the relegation zone they are fighting for survival and Everton should be able to take 3 points off the desperate Tigers. With the return of Mikel Arteta they are more of a threat from set pieces and should cause Hull a number of problems from them in this game. Going forward in open play, Louis Saha, Landon Donovan and Steven Pienaar they will be able to cause problems in open play too. Expect Everton to be victorious this weekend.