And we have some teams! Here they all are:
Burnley v Aston Villa
Burnley: Weiss, Walker, Tuanzebe, Esteve, Lucas Pires, Florentino, Ugochukwu, Tchaouna, Mejbri, Anthony, Flemming. Subs: Dubravka, Hartman, Bruun Larsen, Foster, Humphreys, Ward-Prowse, Amdouni, Broja, Laurent.
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Lindelof, Mings, Maatsen, Konsa, Barkley, McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers, Watkins. Subs: Bizot, Buendia, Digne, Torres, Abraham, Sancho, Douglas Luiz, Bogarde, Bailey.
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Crystal Palace v Everton
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell, Johnson, Sarr, Larsen. Subs: Benitez, Lerma, Pino, Mateta, Clyne, Hughes, Riad, Devenny, Cardines.
Everton: Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Iroegbunam, Garner, Rohl, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Beto. Subs: Travers, Patterson, McNeil, Barry, George, Dibling, Coleman, Alcaraz, Armstrong.
Referee: Thomas Bramall.
Nottingham Forest v Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Jair Cunha, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Anderson, Dominguez, Netz, Bakwa, Igor Jesus, Awoniyi. Subs: Ortega, Wood, Moreira, Lucca, Hutchinson, Yates, McAtee, Whitehall, Sinclair.
Newcastle: Pope, Hall, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy, Woltemade, Osula. Subs: Ramsdale, Trippier, Wissa, Gordon, Barnes, Elanga, Willock, Alex Murphy, Ramsey.
Referee: Paul Tierney.
There’s a trio of Sunday afternoonly Premier League fixtures for us to get our teeth into today, which should be enough to keep us busy and is just as well given that there’s not much going on elsewhere in the football world to distract from them. Nottingham Forest, top of a last-six-games Premier League form table, play Newcastle, who would be 16th in that same league, knowing that victory would take them above opponents who were a distant 13 points clear of them as recently as late March – and make them all but safe from relegation. “There’s been no end of season feel to our training ground work, that’s really important,” said Eddie Howe. “While there’s still an opportunity, we’ll try and grab it. We’re prepared for a tough game. It’s always difficult going to the City Ground, a stadium full of good atmosphere and good energy. We’re going to have to be at our very best.”
But not even Newcastle find form tables as depressing as Burnley, who have won only one league game since October and have pocketed a single point from their last six matches. Today they host an Aston Villa side whose own league form is not great and who could do with a point infusion to make their spot in the top five – for all that they still have another route into the Champions League – feel a bit more secure, with Liverpool and Manchester City their remaining opponents after today. Burnley have not won any of their last 13 home games and 14 would equal a club record set across two seasons in 2021. The last time Villa lost to a side that had already been relegated was against Burnley, in 2015. And finally there is Crystal Palace against Everton, a game upon which not a lot rides. Palace have won one (one) of their last 22 (twenty-two) top-flight games against Everton.
Beyond the Premier League the most interesting game the world of football has to offer (so far as I can see) is Cremonese v Pisa in Serie A, in which anything but a win against bottom-of-the-table opponents would surely (but not mathematically) condemn Cremonese to relegation. Plus there’s Fiorentina v Genoa! So strap yourselves in, it’s going to be one helluva ride.
