by Ruairi Criscuolo
Norwich City vs Leicester City - Friday, 28 February - 8pm GMT
Norwich continue to find life in The Premier League tough: four games without a win since that home victory over fellow strugglers Bournemouth. Most recently pushed aside by a Wolves team that, despite having the lesser share of possession, managed to rack up a massive 19 shots to Norwich's six. Here lies the problem for The Canaries, they haven't scored in their last three games and have only managed two goals in their last five. The misery doesn't stop there for Daniel Farke's side either, as promising signing Sam Byram, who had started to catch the eye, limped off last weekend in the defeat to Wolves. The last time these two teams met it ended in a 1-1 draw, with only a Tim Krul own goal stopping Norwich from taking all three points back to Carrow Road. This could give City the encouragement they need to pick up some points.
Leicester City come into this game on a similar run of three games without a win and without a goal in the previous two. Leading goalscorer Jamie Vardy is without a goal since 21st December and it's no coincidence that The Foxes' startling form of November and December has faded. Kelechi Iheanacho is an option for Brendan Rodgers, despite being taken off in their 1-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City with a head injury. Finally, key man and midfield shield Wilfried Ndidi could be back in contention, after what seems like an eternity in the physio room. This news could provide a boost as Leicester find themselves 7 points adrift of second place Man City, but a very surprising six points ahead of faltering 4th place Chelsea. With Champions League football seemingly secured for next season, Rodgers' job is to keep his squad motivated and make the second half of the season as memorable as the first half.
So, with both teams currently struggling to find the net I wouldn't expect this game to be a goal-fest. Norwich will most likely want to keep it tight, see if they can sneak a point and maybe get those all important topics right.
Brighton vs Crystal Palace - Saturday, 29 February - 12.30pm GMT
Who doesn't love a derby? Who doesn't love a derby as random and inexplicable as Brighton vs Palace? These games are usually very heated affairs, with the fans reserving a special level of hatred for each other. Nobody is quite sure where the rivalry comes from, with a lot of apocryphal stories regarding either their similar nicknames and chants or two past players having personal issues that eventually spread to the terraces. Regardless, the last time these two teams met it was a 1-1 draw, with moments of individual brilliance from Neil Maupay and Wilfried Zaha ensuring that the points were shared.
Last weekend Roy Hodgson managed to end his team's seven game run without a win with a 1-0 victory over Newcastle. He managed to do so through a beautiful bullet of a free kick from Patrick Van Aanholt, making Martin Dubravka's first half heroics for The Magpies ultimately rewardless. That result also gave Palace their first clean sheet in ten games, so plenty of positives that Roy the Boy will be hoping his side can take encouragement from and cement that mid-table finish.
Brighton need to find some form and quick: they are four points outside the relegation zone and most definitely involved in the fight now. They are seven games without a win and have dropped points to teams that are in the scrap with them to survive relegation. Neil Maupay ending his scoring drought last weekend in the 1-1 draw with high-flying Sheffield United will give Graham Potter encouragement that they can get back to goal-scoring ways, now just to tighten up that once water-tight defence, that also hasn't kept a clean sheet in seven games.
Bournemouth vs Chelsea - Saturday, 29 February - 3pm GMT
Anyone think they can predict what the hell to expect from these teams? Looking at both their runs of results, it looks bipolar to say the least. Both teams are capable of playing beautiful football and wiping the floor with their opponents and both teams are equally capable of being battered and bruised.
Chelsea, after an impressive but VAR-ridden win over Tottenham in an apprentice vs master face-off, were brought back down to earth again by a dominant and terrifying Bayern Munich in mid-week. Goals from Serge Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski and Canadian teenage sensation Alphonso Davies stole all the headlines as they tore Frank Lampard's defence to pieces. Tammy Abraham is a doubt for this weekend as he picked up an injury in the cool down immediately after the Bayern match, so Olivier Giroud, who was reportedly so close to leaving in Januray, now finds himself in contention for a starting place, giving Lampard a fresh option upfront.
Bournemouth come into this game with the ever-smiling Eddie Howe really now starting to look worried and, possibly, like the ideas are starting to run out. Two wins in their last three against fellow strugglers Villa and Brighton looked to give them a lifeline, but falling to defeat against Sheffield United last weekend has put them just two points outside the relegation zone. The Cherries' injury list is slowly shortening, but with only eleven games left to keep their Premier League status, time will tell if Howe can continue his fantastic work and ensure them at least one more season in England's top-flight, ideally by taking advantage of a fellow team that struggles for consistency.
Newcastle United vs Burnley - Saturday, 29 February - 3pm GMT
Two teams who don't exactly thrill their crowds, but two teams who are equally going about their business quietly and comfortably securing mid-table finishes.
At one point, Sean Dyche's men looked doomed to be dragged into the relegation battle and seemed to be sleepwalking into it, but since they have gone back to basics, and to what has kept them in the top-flight for the past four seasons, they have put together an impressive five-game undefeated run, whilst coming up against Arsenal, Manchester United and Leicester. Last weekend saw them come out 3-0 victors over visitors Bournemouth, with Matej Vydra scoring two in two since being brought in to replace injured Chris Woods.
Steve Bruce must be wondering where on Earth he can find some goals, relying mainly on set pieces and his centre-halves for goals this season. Bruce and the Geordie-faithful have been patiently waiting for £40 million record transfer striker Joelinton to provide the goods and give this team a bit of breathing space, yet the wait continues. The Magpies are without a win in four games, without a goal in three games and have conceded seven in that time. Once again the Newcastle fans may have to make their own entertainment here. How will they involve penis antics this time?
West Ham vs Southampton - Saturday, 29 February - 3pm GMT
Things continue to deteriorate at The London Stadium, despite West Ham very nearly taking the most unlikely of three points away from Anfield and arguably being the team closest to taking all points from a marauding Liverpool team. Goals from Issa Diop and Pablo Fornals brought West Ham from behind to lead, before goals from Momo Salah and Sadio Mane snatched back the points for the Reds. The defeat leaves The Hammers winless in seven, slowly becoming one of the favourites for the drop. Another big blow was the injury picked up by Tomas Soucek, who had shown real quality in his performance at Anfield before having to limp off with a muscle injury that will rule him out for a while.
For The Saints, things look a bit more certain. Sitting 12thin the table, they've put an early season worries of relegation to bed and are now starting to look upwards. Slowly getting themselves into the cluster of teams competing for Europa League or now maybe even Champions League football next year. They ended a run of back-to-back defeats last weekend with a win over Aston Villa featuring an early goal from Shane Long and a late goal from Stuart Armstrong.
Watford vs Liverpool- Saturday, 29 February - 5.30pm GMT
Nigel Pearson's early boost to Watford's form has fallen and needs another bounce soon. Watford are now five games without a win and up against a Liverpool team that want to put quiet any, fair to say, reactionary talk of doubts about them after their mid-week shock defeat to Cholismo in Madrid.
The Hornets suffered a comprehensive defeat at Old Trafford, one of the few to do so this year, with a 3-0 defeat in a game that saw Bruno Fernandes start to give glimpses of what the Old Trafford support can expect. Despite this defeat, Watford are still only one point from safety but with three of the top four teams to come in the next six games. This match really couldn't come at a worse time. Watford are amongst the four... yes, four lowest scoring teams in the league together with Palace, Newcastle, and Norwich, all on 24 goals.
Meanwhile, Jugen Klopp's men are scoring at will and hadn't conceded in three games before their match against West Ham. A game that saw the Redmen pushed close by a surprising West Ham performance, but ultimately showed their near total domination of the league, through goals from Georginio Wijnaldum, Momo Salah and Sadio Mane. This leaves them only four wins from ending their long, long... long 30-year wait for The Premier League trophy. With Everton fans hoping they won't be able to wrap it up at Goodison Park to make it all the sweeter.
Everton vs Manchester United - Sunday, 1 March - 2pm GMT
Carlo Ancelotti has got Everton firing with eight goals in their last three games, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin particularly thriving under The Eyebrow. After a brilliant over-head kick against Arsenal last weekend, he is now finding his name linked with a potential spot in the England squad this summer: with Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane in doubt, his form is looking like a potential alternative. Defensively, however, Everton's woes are casting doubt over England's number one Pickford, who is finding other names being linked with the shirt. No clean sheet in five games, he has conceded five in their last three. Everton let Arsenal take the lead against them twice and ultimately lost the game in a thrilling 3-2 ding dong. Richarlison's late first-half equaliser couldn't prevent Arsenal from taking all three points thanks to a clinical Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Manchester United also seem to have found some goal-scoring form in their last two games, but unlike Everton have managed to keep the back door shut. In fact, they have not conceded in three games. Ole Solskjaer the Terminator of the Premier League seems to have another miraculous rise in him as United manager. Bruno Fernandes has made a promising start to Premier League life with a goal and two assists in his three first full appearances for The Red Devils. The Portuguese really stood out last weekend against an admittedly struggling Watford side, with Anthony Martial also showing remarkable form, scoring again and now making it three goals in his last three games.
Tottenham vs Wolves - Sunday, 1 March - 2pm GMT
Only one point separates these teams, as they both compete for the final guaranteed Champions League spot. Last time these two faced each other, a late Jan Vertonghen header ensured that Spurs took all three points back to London.
Last weekend Spurs were yet again embroiled in VAR controversy as Giovani Lo Celso somehow managed to avoid a red card despite a clear stamp on César Azpilicueta. In their defeat at Stamford Bridge, goals from Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso gave protegé Frank Lampard a much-needed win over mentor José Mourinho. Tottenham now find themselves four points off Lampard's Chelsea, currently in 4th. With Son Heung Min now out injured too, Spurs need someone to provide the goals and will be looking for new boy Steven Bergwijn to continue his promising start.
Finally, Wolves fans, you saw a goal: two back-to-back 0-0 draws were quickly forgotten as Wolves eased to a 3-0 win over basement boys Norwich. Two well-taken goals from Diogo Jota, who has now scored his last five shots on target, gave Wolves a first-half lead before Raul Jimenez tapped in a Jota shot off the post to secure the win. With Nuno Santos' men looking so mean at the back and converting their Premier League form into the Europa League, he will be thinking that they can make this a really special season for the Molyneux support.