This weekend promises more excitement across Europe, with several twists and turns still to come between now and June. In the Premier League, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Arsenal remain locked in a three-horse race for the title, while this could also be a pivotal weekend in the Bundesliga and La Liga. As always, we’ve previewed the weekend’s biggest games just for you. Enjoy.
**Manchester City vs Luton Town** Manchester City return to Premier League action this weekend after the thrilling 3-3 draw with Real Madrid in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League fixture. Pep Guardiola’s men are embroiled in a three-horse race, trailing both Arsenal and Liverpool by a point, which makes a win over Luton absolutely vital. The defending champions have been in excellent form since the turn of the year, and last weekend’s 4-2 win over Crystal Palace made it 16 league games without defeat (W12, D4). As City are also unbeaten at home in the league since early November 2022 (W21, D6), there’ll be an air of expectation among the fans. For Luton, last weekend’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth could be a pivotal moment as they battle to avoid the drop. They are now 18th in the standings, just behind Nottingham Forest on goal difference with 6 games remaining. The Hatters’ away form has been dreadful this season, as they have not won on the road since their Boxing Day victory over Sheffield United (D3, L4) - and have lost all five trips to EPL top six sides. History also offers little encouragement, as they haven’t beaten City away since 1983. Verdict: There’s no chance City will lose to Luton at home, especially with the title race as tight as it is. Take advantage of our bet of the day and back the champions to score in both halves
**Bournemouth vs Manchester United** Bournemouth’s 2-1 defeat to Luton last week ended the Cherries’ five-match unbeaten run (W4, D1). With 7 games left and 7 points separating them from 7th place West Ham, there’s still a slim chance of European qualification next season for Andoni Iraola’s men. First, they must get past Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium this weekend. Iraola’s men are chasing a fourth consecutive home victory in the Premier League for the first time ever, with all three of their prior wins coming against sides below them in the table. While the Red Devils will pose a formidable threat, the commanding 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture should have the Cherries hopeful of doing the double over United for the first time. That could prove a fatal blow to Erik ten Hag’s tenure at Manchester United after his side dropped seven points from winning positions in eight days - conceding beyond the 80th minute of all three outings (D2, L1). That winless run since the international break has all but ended United’s Champions League hopes, and leaves them clinging to 6th place with the chasing pack behind them gathering momentum. A season-long defensive injury crisis has contributed to the Red Devils having a negative goal difference at this stage of a season for the first time in the Premier League era. However, they will look to build on a strong recent record on this ground (W4, L1) to snap a three-game winless run. Verdict: It’s difficult to know what to expect from a United side who cede so much control and have shown vulnerability on the road. The Cherries are certainly capable of taking advantage and our bet of the day is a draw.
**Newcastle vs Fulham** Things are pretty gloomy for Newcastle fans at the moment. The Magpies have now endured three straight defeats, including a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to AC Milan that condemned them to a bottom-place finish in their UEFA Champions League group. For Eddie Howe, the situation is mitigated somewhat due to the fact that he has had to make do without several key players, severely testing the squad's depth. Despite these setbacks, we are backing Newcastle to turn fortunes around in a home game against Fulham. Why? Because they are incredible at home. They have secured 81% of their league points at home and are on a remarkable six-game winning streak at St James’ Park, the best since the 2002/03 season. They have also lost to Fulham just once in their last 9 meetings and beat the London side 1-0 in January. They are 7th in the league standings (W8, D2, L6) and while their European exit will leave a bitter taste, they no longer have to negotiate a game every three days. Fulham will be no pushovers though, as they are in fine form after back-to-back 5-0 victories. While a third consecutive 5-0 win may be ambitious, especially away at Newcastle, the Cottagers will back themselves to push Howe’s men all the way. After struggling to find the net with any regularity, (5 in their first 7 games) Marco Silva’s men have now scored three or more goals in four successive top-flight games for the first time since October 1961. Despite their away struggles, with no league win since mid-August (D3, L4), this newfound form and ruthlessness in front of goal could make for a compelling clash at St James’s park. Fulham are scoring for fun at the moment, but Newcastle will be tough to beat at home. Take advantage of our professional betting tips by backing Newcastle to win and both teams to score.
**Cadiz vs Barcelona** Cadiz took another step towards avoiding relegation with a 1-0 victory over Granada last weekend, making it eight points from their last five games (W2, D2, L1). Although this accounts for nearly a third of their total points this season, they are still three points away from safety. A game against Barcelona probably comes at a bad time then, especially as the hosts have lost their last three league H2Hs, each of which without scoring. However, the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla could serve as the ideal venue for a breakthrough, as they won their last two home games without conceding. Barcelona, on the other hand, are coming off a thrilling 3-2 triumph over PSG in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, their fifth straight win. Despite this fine run, they are still eight points behind La Liga leaders, Real Madrid with 8 games remaining. Xavi’s men have truly turned the tide in the past two months and are on a 9-game unbeaten streak in the league (W7, D2), looking to finish the season strong. Verdict: Barca have been flying in La Liga, perhaps a little too late but with 8 games left, nothing is impossible. They have also fixed their defensive issues, with 5 clean sheets in their last 5 league games. This is a tall order for Cadiz, and our football prediction for tomorrow is a narrow win for the visitors.
**Arsenal vs Aston Villa** Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal welcome Aston Villa to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday as they continue their Premier League title charge, with just seven matches remaining. The Gunners enter the weekend in top spot, ahead of rivals Liverpool on goal difference and ahead of Manchester City by a single point. Moving forward, every fixture is like a Cup Final for Arteta’s men, who are on a quest to win the club’s first EPL title since 2004. They are still unbeaten in the league in 2024 (W10, D1) with a remarkable 37 goals scored in the process. Despite stumbling in the past week, with draws against Manchester City and Bayern Munich, the Gunners are still unbeaten in the last 8 games. They have the most goals scored and have conceded the fewest goals in the EPL. As a result, they’re heavy favourites to continue their blistering run at home. Aston Villa boss Unai Emery knows what it takes to get the better of Arsenal, as witnessed earlier this season, when his men defeated the Gunners 1-0 at Villa Park. However, the Villans have stumbled recently, with just 3 wins in their last 8 games in all competitions. They have also fallen behind Tottenham in the top-four race, albeit on goal-difference. Spurs have also played a game less, which puts Emery’s men at a disadvantage. They did bounce back from consecutive draws with a 2-1 win over Lille in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night, and that may inspire confidence ahead of such a crucial fixture. Verdict: Arsenal have been on a roll in 2024, especially at home, and Villa’s recent record at the Emirates (L9, W2) means this has been a difficult ground to go to. Take advantage of our free VIP tips today and back the Gunners to stay hot till the end of the season.
It’s crunch time in Europe’s top leagues and BetKing, the best betting site in Nigeria, offers the best odds, and best markets to help you win big. [Sign up](https://m.betking.com/account/registration) today to get started.