Game of the weekend: Liverpool vs. Tottenham (Sunday, 11:30 a.m. EST)
The actual game might not be much, given the barf Spurs have been serving up for...well, all season. But the stakes couldn't be much higher. With only a draw, Liverpool will clinch the league title, the first time they can celebrate it with their fans in 35 years.
It's that aspect that has given this match a sheen, even more than a title-clincher normally would, which is saying something. While Liverpool marched to the 2019-2020 Premier League title even more ruthlessly than this one, the fact that they had to lift the trophy during the pandemic in an empty Anfield has made both the club and fans feel just a little cheated. They have not gotten that roar at the final whistle, they have not gotten to take a victory lap at Anfield, they did not show the trophy to the faithful. All that can be corrected on Sunday (well, except for the trophy bit. That'll have to wait until the last week)
It's Spurs, and if there's a team that could spoil the party out of nowhere, it's a basketcase like this. But Tottenham haven't put on a good performance in the league since the fall at best, and have been wretched recently in losses to Forest, Wolves, Chelsea, and Fulham. Their entire season is hinging on the two Thursdays after this match, their Europa League semifinal against Bodø/Glimt. It wouldn't be a shock to see a rotated Spurs side, even with what's riding on it. Liverpool have absolutely clubbed Spurs twice already this season, once in the league and once in the League Cup. A properly focused Liverpool shouldn't struggle, but stranger things have happened. Like Stonehenge-level strange.
It's party time for Reds all over the world, including this one.
The rest of the slate...
Chelsea vs. Everton (Saturday, 7:30 a.m. EST)
Chelsea don't need to run the table to secure a spot in the top five, but they need to come close. What isn't debatable is that this game and the home game against Manchester United are gotta-have-its. It will probably be trickier than it looks. Everton are coming off a disappointing defeat to City at home, and won't want to pile on themselves. Chelsea against an organized defense that's bunkered in pretty deep sounds like a true slog. They may need another Pedro Neto fairytale to get all three points.
Brighton vs. West Ham (Saturday, 10 a.m. EST)
Here's one with two teams going the wrong way. It was only a month ago that Brighton were on a seven-game unbeaten streak, were actually disappointed with just a draw away to Manchester City, were in the FA Cup quarters, and challengers for the top five. They haven't won a game since, slipped to 10th in the table, and need to put some wins on the board to even get in a spot for any kind of European place.
Which is still miles better than West Ham. They haven't won since February, don't seem particularly interested in scoring more than one goal per game, and their big signing from the summer is telling the media that they have no marbles. If the bottom three weren't so awful, it would be a pretty tense time in East London. As it is, it's just a despondent one.
Newcastle vs. Ipswich (Saturday, 10 a.m. EST)
A get-right game for Newcastle, after getting thwacked by Aston Villa last weekend. A win moves them back up to third.
Southampton vs. Fulham (Saturday, 10 a.m. EST)
Fulham were pretty awful after taking the lead against Chelsea last week, and just handed it back to their West London rivals. They need this one if they're going to overhaul Bournemouth for 8th, which could very well be a European spot. Southampton need just one point to avoid being tied for the worst Premier League team in history. One's goals are one's goals.
Wolves vs. Leicester (Saturday, 10 a.m. EST)
Leicester went poof last week with their loss to Liverpool. Wolves are on a heater, so this one should be pretty rote.
Bournemouth vs. Manchester United (Sunday, 9 a.m. EST)
Bournemouth haven't exactly arrested their late-season slide of late, though they've been able to slow the pace of it enough to keep from crashing down the hill and into the river. They should have beaten a 10-man Crystal Palace last weekend, but didn't look all that dangerous when having most of the ball. It's essentially them, Fulham, and Brighton in the race for 8th. This is their easiest game until the last week of the season, so it's a must. United will be far more worried about Athletic Bilbao on Thursday in their Europa League semifinal.