- DB
Premier League Predictions | Matchday 38 - Endgame
The final day of the Premier League season is here and I'm glad it's all going to be over soon. This season has been the one to finally sever my love of the 'sport', thanks to horrific 'fans', appalling media coverage and - worst of all - some of the most disgustingly dreadful refereeing I have ever seen.
Honestly, I've never thought that football was free from corruption and some of the absolutely disgraceful and obviously wrong decision-making by so many officials has only cemented that belief more strongly than at any point before. 'Professional' football is nothing of the sort - it's closer to the'sports entertainment' of the WWE now.
And this isn't just whining on behalf of my team either - there have been plenty of occasions this season where it's obvious without replays what a decision should be, yet referees have either not stopped the game or have given the wrong decision. VAR should help - and will hopefully expose the worst match-day officials, but I really think there should be more reviewing of decisions after games have finished.
As for where the title ends, I'm just hoping that Liverpool don't win it. There's a bigger gap in resources from Man City to all other Premier League sides than there is from the Premier League to non-League, so it's easy to write off their success as bought. Which, with the most expensive squad in the history of the sport, it is.
And why not Liverpool? Because, much like with Pochettino at Spurs, I'm sick of the media love-in for someone who is yet to win a single thing since entering English football. There seem to be more ex-Liverpool and ex-Spurs players given airtime to praise their sides than any other, in addition to the journalists and pundits clearly favouring these teams.
Or, to state it most clearly, Man Utd's treble-winning team and Arsenal's Invincibles - as praised as they were - didn't receive anywhere near this level of brown-nosing, masturbatory glorification. Both of those sides played incredible football, were hard as nails, and achieved incredible feats yet to be repeated - yet two sides yet to win a trophy are more highly-regarded.
To stop my ranting, this is going to be the last set of predictions I do, because I simply don't care anymore. With their resources, Man City should never, ever be beaten to the title; the officiating needs a huge overhaul; clubs need to be more harshly punished for the increasingly-disgusting behaviour of their fans; and those in the media need to stop fanning these flames with their undisguised bias and preference for narrative over facts.
Serious stuff over, on with the predictions!
Saturday 12th May 2019, 3pm kick-off
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-2 Manchester City
This should be a routine win for City and a comfortable way to seal the title again.
Burnley 4-1 Arsenal
The Gunners have collapsed in the league recently, are dreadful away from home (bar the odd exception like Valencia), and have a Europe League final to worry about - fun times for Burnley.
Crystal Palace 3-1 Bournemouth
Two teams with little to play for, so I'm just going for the home side here.
Fulham 1-1 Newcastle United
Again, I doubt either of these teams will really care too much, but Benitez is too defensive a coach to let Fulham sign off with a win.
Leicester City 1-1 Chelsea
Like Arsenal, Chelsea will have the Europa League final in mind and will probably be happy to take a point away from home with their top four spot already secured.
Liverpool 4-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves have posed problems for the entire top six this season, but can still see Liverpool thrashing them - even if it means nothing in the end.
Manchester United 1-0 Cardiff City
Home advantage will secure an apathetic United side fifth spot in the league as they leapfrog Arsenal for a kind of happy ending to the season.
Southampton 3-0 Huddersfield Town
The Saints will finish further away from relegation than it originally looked like with a comfy win over already-relegated Huddersfield
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Everton
Spurs should do just enough to grab one last league win and secure their top four spot.
Watford 2-1 West Ham United
The Hornets may have one eye on the FA Cup final, but West Ham have been pretty poor away from home this season and I expect Watford to just about sneak the win.
Here's how my predictions - including those above - would leave the table looking after this set of fixtures and the end of the season.
I have Man City and Liverpool dominant - albeit a little too dominant - and have massively over-rated the likes of Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Still, I don't think I did too badly as far as each team's final positions go, even if how I got there wasn't quite the same...
