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Premier League

Bullet point previews of Premier League matches

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Match-by-match facts and statistics ahead of the 31st round of the Premier League from April 2-4 (all times in GMT).

Saturday, April 2

  • Liverpool v Watford (1130)

* Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in 11 goals in seven Premier League matches against Watford, scoring nine and setting up two.

* Liverpool have won 12 of their 13 home league games against Watford.

* Watford have won eight points from their six Premier League away matches under manager Roy Hodgson (W2 D2 L2), as many as they had from their previous 17 on the road in the competition.

  • Brighton & Hove Albion v Norwich City (1400)

* Neal Maupay has scored 26 goals in the Premier League for Brighton and is one goal away from becoming their highest goalscorer in the competition.

* Brighton have kept a clean sheet in all three of their Premier League meetings with Norwich.

* Both Brighton and Norwich have lost their last six Premier League matches.

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  • Burnley v Manchester City (1400)

* City’s Riyad Mahrez has scored more Premier League goals (eight) against Burnley than he has versus any other side in the competition.

* City have won their last nine meetings with Burnley in all competitions, scoring 32 goals during that run.

* Burnley have lost their last three Premier League matches, having conceded eight goals during that run.

  • Chelsea v Brentford (1400)

* Kai Havertz has scored four goals in his last three Premier League matches for Chelsea, as many as he had in his previous 21.

* Chelsea have won six of their seven Premier League London derbies this season, having lost only at West Ham United.

* Brentford are aiming for their first win in nine matches against Chelsea in all competitions (L7 D1), last beating them in 1939.

  • Leeds United v Southampton (1400)

* Leeds have lost only one of their 13 Premier League home matches against Southampton (W7 D5), with that loss coming in 1998.

* Southampton are looking to complete a double over Leeds United for the first time in the Premier League.

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* Leeds forward Rodrigo has scored in each of his last two Premier League appearances.

  • Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa (1400)

* Wolves have won three of their last five Premier League games against Villa (D1 L1), as many as they had in their previous 26 top-flight meetings with Villa.

* Villa won this fixture 1-0 last season. They last won consecutive away matches against Wolves in January 2012.

* Villa’s 20-year-old Jacob Ramsey has scored six Premier League goals this season. Only two men have scored more in a single campaign for the club while under-21.

  • Manchester United v Leicester City (1630)

* Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 12 Premier League goals this season. In the competition’s history, only Gianfranco Zola has scored more in a single campaign while aged 36 or over, with 14 goals in 2002-03.

* United have scored a league-high 10 goals via substitutes this season, with Marcus Rashford netting four of those.

* Leicester are looking to complete their first Premier League double over United after beating them 4-2 in the reverse fixture.

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Sunday, April 3

  • West Ham United v Everton (1300)

* Everton have lost just one of their last 13 Premier League matches at West Ham (W8 D4), going down 3-1 in May 2018.

* West Ham have lost two of their last three Premier League outings (W1), as many as they had in their previous nine.

* Andriy Yarmolenko has scored two goals in his last three matches for West Ham in all competitions, as many as he had in his previous 38 appearances.

  • Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United (1530)

* Spurs striker Son Heung-min has scored eight goals in his last eight Premier League matches at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

* Since their return to the top flight in 2017, Newcastle have won just one of their nine Premier League meetings with Spurs (D2 L6).

* Newcastle have not conceded more than once in any of their last 11 Premier League outings, shipping eight goals in that time.

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Monday, April 4

  • Crystal Palace v Arsenal (1900)

* Bukayo Saka (aged 20) and Emile Smith Rowe (aged 21) are Arsenal’s leading Premier League scorers this season with nine goals each. Only twice has a club had two players reach double figures while aged 21 or younger in a single Premier League campaign.

* Palace have failed to win any of their five Premier League home matches in 2022 so far (D2 L3).

* Arsenal have won each of their last five Premier League away matches.

-Reuters

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Premier League

Maguire handed suspended prison sentence for 2020 brawl 

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Premier League - Manchester United v Aston Villa - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - May 25, 2025 Manchester United's Harry Maguire reacts REUTERS/Chris Radburn/File Photo 

England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been handed a 15-month suspended prison sentence ​by a Greek court over a 2020 ‌incident in Mykonos, Sky Sports reported on Wednesday.

In 2020, Maguire was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted ​bribery and violence against public employees after ​his arrest in a brawl in which ⁠two police officers were assaulted.

Maguire, who was detained ​for two days following the incident and denied ​any wrongdoing, was handed a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days but was granted a full ​retrial after appealing against Greek court convictions on ​multiple charges.

In accordance with the Greek judicial process, the filing ‌nullified ⁠Maguire’s conviction before a full retrial in a more senior court. His retrial was postponed many times.

Maguire faced allegations of non-serious assault, resisting arrest ​and attempted ​bribery. The ⁠32-year-old was convicted on all three counts but will face no prison time. ​His legal team will appeal against ​the ⁠guilty verdict, Sky Sports reported.

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Maguire’s brother Joe and friend Christopher Sharman were also found guilty of offences ⁠related ​to the incident and received ​suspended prison sentences in 2020. They also denied any wrongdoing.

-Reuters

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Premier League

Timber header earns Arsenal crucial win over Chelsea

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 Arsenal's David Raya celebrates after Jurrien Timber scores their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Arsenal maintained control of the Premier League title race as they chiselled out a nervy 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table on Sunday.

Jurrien Timber’s 66th-minute header from a Declan Rice corner ensured Arsenal took three precious points, but it was a nervy afternoon in north London.

Mikel Arteta’s side moved to 64 points from 29 games, with Manchester City, who have played a game fewer, on 59.

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Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber celebrates scoring their second goal with Gabriel Magalhaes REUTERS/Jaimi Joy 

Defender William Saliba had given Arsenal the lead in the 21st minute from a trademark corner routine.

But it had looked as though an own goal by Piero Hincapie just before halftime would prove costly for the hosts until Timber came to their rescue.

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Chelsea, whose six-match unbeaten league sequence under new manager Liam Rosenior was halted, ended the match with 10 men after Pedro Neto was sent off for a second yellow card.

-Reuters

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Premier League

Manchester United climb to third in Premier League table with come-from-behind win over Palace

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 Premier League - Manchester United v Crystal Palace - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - March 1, 2026 Manchester United's Matheus Cunha in action with Crystal Palace's Daniel Munoz REUTERS/Phil Noble

Manchester United produced a stirring second-half comeback to defeat Crystal Palace 2–1 at Old Trafford on Sunday, with captain Bruno Fernandes inspiring the turnaround that lifted the hosts into third place in the Premier League standings.

Trailing inside four minutes after a dominant start by Palace, United responded through a Fernandes penalty before his pinpoint free-kick was headed home by Benjamin Sesko to seal victory against the 10-man visitors.

The win extended interim manager Michael Carrick’s unbeaten run to seven matches since taking charge in mid-January. United now have 51 points from 28 games and are unbeaten since the January 5 dismissal of Ruben Amorim, climbing into third for the first time since May 2023. Palace remain 14th on 35 points.

“It feels like a big result, we were behind and had to show some character,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “There are a lot of games to go still, and it is important that we don’t feel that we are in the position that we need to be. We need to make as many points as we can.”

Palace, under Oliver Glasner, were electric in the opening half hour, capitalising on sluggish United play. Defender Maxence Lacroix powered home a header from a corner after muscling past Leny Yoro, scoring the earliest goal United have conceded this season.

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The visitors nearly doubled their advantage when Daniel Munoz latched onto an Ismaila Sarr through ball, but goalkeeper Senne Lammens produced a crucial save.

United gradually found their rhythm before the break. Sesko forced Dean Henderson into action with a header from a Fernandes cross, and the Palace keeper also tipped a Fernandes free kick over the bar.

The turning point arrived in the 57th minute when Fernandes converted from the penalty spot after Matheus Cunha was dragged down by Lacroix. Following a lengthy VAR review, Lacroix was shown a red card, reducing Palace to 10 men.

Eight minutes later, Fernandes’ delivery again proved decisive as Sesko rose highest to nod home the winning goal.

United pushed for a third, with Casemiro’s volley drawing a diving save from Henderson and substitute Amad Diallo testing the keeper from distance in stoppage time. Joshua Zirkzee saw efforts blocked, while Kobbie Mainoo’s fierce strike drifted narrowly wide.

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Carrick praised his team’s resilience. “The biggest thing for us to take from the game is really the first time that we have been in that situation going in at halftime,” he said. “Being in that position and how we react and showing that personality and belief… to then come back as we did in the second half is the biggest thing for me today.”

Palace pressed late but could not find an equaliser. Glasner admitted his side had let the game slip. “It feels like there was more possible today. A great first 30 minutes, but the red card changed it completely. The second goal just happened too quickly.”

For United, the victory reinforces growing belief under Carrick that a top-four finish—and a return to Europe’s elite competition—is firmly within reach.

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