EPL Week 33 Fixtures: Preview and Full Predictions for Upcoming Matches
The 2013-14 Premier League season is drawing to an end, and with the title race and the battle for relegation still raging, every single match between now and Week 38 will be crucial for plenty of teams.
The top title contenders all face trap games that must be won at all cost, while Arsenal and Everton will face off for the right to play in next year's UEFA Champions League.
Cardiff, meanwhile, will host Crystal Palace in a match that will have major consequences on which teams will be relegated at the end of the season.
Read on for full predictions of every single match, as well as previews of this week's most interesting ties.
| April 5 | 12:45 p.m. BST, 8:45 a.m.EDT | Man City v Southampton | 2-1 |
| April 5 | 3 p.m. BST, 11 a.m. EDT | Aston Villa v Fulham | 1-1 |
| April 5 | 3 p.m. BST, 11 a.m. EDT | Cardiff v Crystal Palace | 0-2 |
| April 5 | 3 p.m. BST, 11 a.m. EDT | Hull v Swansea | 0-0 |
| April 5 | 3 p.m. BST, 11 a.m. EDT | Newcastle v Man Utd | 1-1 |
| April 5 | 3 p.m. BST, 11 a.m. EDT | Norwich v Wes Brom | 3-1 |
| April 5 | 5:30 p.m. BST, 1:30 p.m. EDT | Chelsea v Stoke | 2-0 |
| April 6 | 1:30 p.m. BST, 9:30 a.m. EDT | Everton v Arsenal | 1-1 |
| April 6 | 4 p.m. BST, 12 p.m. EDT | West Ham v Liverpool | 0-4 |
| April 7 | 8 p.m. BST, 4 p.m. EDT | Spurs v Sunderland | 3-1 |
Everton v Arsenal
At the start of March, the Gunners were right in the middle of the title hunt, looking solid from top to bottom and gearing up for the stretch run.
Fast forward four weeks, and that title hunt is well and truly over as the team must now fend off Everton's challenge for fourth place and the Champions League ticket that comes with it.
The hosts are winners of five straight and will be coming into this match without a care in the world, while Arsenal are still recovering from the 6-0 loss at the hands of Chelsea with two subsequent draws. The 1-1 against Manchester City should give the team hope for the future though.
The Gunners fell victim to an absurdly difficult schedule and a number of injuries and, as shared by superfan Samuel, things are about to get easier for Arsenal while the path to the finish line will seriously heat up for the hosts:
But momentum certainly belongs to Roberto Martinez's men, and The Whitehouse Address believes in their chances:
The Toffees are red-hot while Arsenal are slowly disintegrating; Arsene Wenger will need to get his club under control, starting with a visit to Goodison Park. The schedule is on his team's side, but Wenger can't afford to lose on Sunday.
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace
Arguably the biggest match of the week will take place between two bottom feeders, as Crystal Palace travel to Wales to take on Cardiff City.
The hosts trail Palace by five points, and they can't afford to lose this match if the club is to have any hope of staying up. The club's first season in the EPL was always going to be a difficult one, but a five-point gap doesn't have to mean the end with six games left to be played.
Crystal Palace are close to safety, with another three points most likely all but guaranteeing the club will be playing in England's top division again next season.
Per WhoScored.com, the club has the league's worst attacking unit with just 20 goals scored all season, and Cardiff's second-worst defense might be on tap at just the right time.
The result of this match will most likely determine how the rest of the relegation battle plays out, so all eyes should be on this one when these two teams square off on Saturday.
Aston Villa v Fulham
Do Fulham still have any chance at avoiding relegation? This particular fan doesn't seem to think so:
Fulham shouldn't be at the bottom of the table with the amount of talent the club has available, but you can't argue with statistics: No team has conceded more goals this season and, as we all know, conceding goals is bad.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, have been very up and down this season. Two consecutive losses have somewhat dampened the team's spirits after the 1-0 win over Chelsea two weeks back.
Paul Lambert will have to go back to the drawing board during the summer, but for now, Villa are safe. Barring a collapse of epic proportions, the club will be playing in the EPL next season.
Fulham trail 17th-placed West Bromwich by only five points, but with the way the team has played this season, relegation seems almost inevitable. Avoiding the drop will begin against Villa, who have struggled enough this season to give every team a fighting chance.
