There are five fixtures scheduled in the Premier League on Tuesday and we have all the action covered, starting with the early kick-off from the City Ground where Nottingham Forest host title hopefuls Arsenal.
The evening’s action concludes in Birmingham, where Unai Emery’s Aston Villa face a Newcastle side in dire need of an uplift in form.
Recommended five-fold: Draw and both teams to score in Nottingham Forest v Arsenal, Fulham to beat Everton, both teams to score in Luton v Brighton, draw and under 2.5 goals in Crystal Palace v Sheffield United and Aston Villa to beat Newcastle.
- Draw and both teams to score in Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
- Fulham to beat Everton
- Both teams to score in Luton v Brighton
- Draw and under 2.5 goals in Crystal Palace v Sheffield United
- Aston Villa to beat Newcastle
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal
Tuesday’s opening match sees Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal travel to Nottingham Forest, who are in need of points to pull clear of the relegation zone.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are four points clear of the bottom three and have won just once at the City Ground under the stewardship of the former Wolves and Tottenham boss.
However, Forest have scored twice in each of their last three home games and they will be confident in finding the back of the net against an Arsenal side who have notoriously struggled at this ground, losing on their last three visits.
The Gunners returned to winning ways after three consecutive defeats in all competitions with an emphatic 5-0 thumping of Crystal Palace last time out, which was also the first clean sheet that Arteta’s side had recorded since mid-December.
But Arsenal may struggle to keep Forest at bay and could have to settle for a score draw.
Fulham vs Everton
Two out-of-form teams lock horns at Craven Cottage with Fulham playing host to Everton.
Marco Silva’s men are winless in four, losing three of those contests, but those results should not spell doom and gloom for their latest tussle with the Toffees.
Fulham’s recent opponents include Chelsea, Newcastle and Liverpool, who they were unfortunate not to progress past over the course of two legs in their EFL Cup semi-final.
Everton, meanwhile, are only one point above the relegation zone although they could have been three points clear of 13th-placed Fulham had it not been for the ten-point deduction they endured earlier in the season.
However, further financial penalties could be on their way for Everton and, with Sean Dyche’s side winless in four games, it may be a difficult second half of the campaign for the blue half of Merseyside.
This encounter ended in a goalless draw last season but, with Fulham amassing 18 of their 24 points at Craven Cottage this term, the Londoners should be able to claim a much-needed victory.
Luton vs Brighton
Rob Edwards’s Luton entertain European hopefuls Brighton in what is their first league meeting at Kenilworth Road since 2008, when both sides were in the third tier of English football.
The Hatters finished rock-bottom of League One that season and, with Luton only one point adrift of safety and having a game in hand over 17th-placed Everton, a positive result could go a long way in their bid to avoid relegation.
The reverse fixture on the opening day saw Brighton run out emphatic 4-1 winners, with the Hatters struggling to adapt in their first ever Premier League fixture.
But Luton have vastly improved since then and are on a four-game unbeaten run across all competitions.
Seven of Luton’s last eight league games has seen both teams score while the same can be said in four of Brighton’s last six league and cup fixtures.
Crystal Palace vs Sheffield United
Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United travel down to London to face Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace, in what could turn out to be a relegation six-pointer.
Palace are in abject form going into this encounter, winning just one of their last 11 league games, and fans are beginning to show some discontent towards Hodgson as he battles to save his job.
Their only victory within this run was against fellow strugglers Brentford in their last league match at Selhurst Park and this could be another opportunity to pull further away from the relegation zone.
The Blades are also in poor form, having collected just six points from a possible 30 across their last ten matches and scoring only eight goals.
However, Oli McBurnie’s 103rd-minute penalty salvaged a 2-2 draw against West Ham in their last league outing and this may be the catalyst to grab another important point.
These two sides have looked short of firepower this season and they could cancel each other out in what is expected to be a low-scoring affair.
Aston Villa vs Newcastle
Tuesday’s Premier League action concludes at Villa Park as Emery’s high-flying Aston Villa host Newcastle.
The Villans have been almost foot perfect in front of their own supporters, winning nine of their ten league games with a 1-1 draw against Sheffield United the only blemish on their home record.
Meanwhile, the Magpies have struggled in recent weeks, losing four of their last five league games, although they have been victorious against bitter rivals Sunderland and Fulham in the FA Cup.
Newcastle’s 8-0 humiliation of Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in September is the last time that Eddie Howe’s men took all three points on the road and they are unlikely to overturn that unfortunate run against a Villa side that have proven so formidable at home.
