ALEX CROOK PREVIEW: Premier League Weekend

Star Sports ambassador ALEX CROOK previews the pick of the weekend Premier League fixtures…

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🟣 ASTON VILLA V NEWCASTLE ⚫️
Saturday, 5.30pm

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There is an argument to be made that Newcastle are the best team in the country heading into their big European showdown this weekend.

The rampant Magpies continued impressive run of form with a crushing 5-0 win at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday to move up to third in the Premier League table.

The EFL Cup winners have now string together a run of six straight victories and are firmly on course to bring Champions League football back to the north east next season.

It is not just the sequence of wins that have been impressive, more the convincing nature of them as, even without manager Eddie Howe in the dugout following his pneumonia scare, they are simply blowing opposing teams away.

They have also become less reliant on top-scorer Alexander Isak and are sharing the goals around with Harvey Branes and Jacob Murphy enjoying particularly fruitful spells.

Murphy is making a convincing case for a place in Thomas Tuchel’s next England squad after coming with three goals and as many assists in his last four games, netting in each of the last three.

He will fancy his chances of extending that run against a Villa side who come into Saturday’s game between two of the Champions League hopefuls on the back of a mentally and physically draining quarter final exit to PSG in mid-week.

Villa have struggled all season coming off the back of big European nights and Newcastle look in the mood to take advantage in what should be a really good game.

Murphy to continue his well-timed purple patch by getting his name on the scoresheet, over 2.5 goals in the game and Newcastle to make it a magnificent seven wins on the spin returns 9/1 as a build-a-bet with starsports.bet.

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🔵 LEICESTER V LIVERPOOL 🔴
Sunday, 4.30pm

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Ruud van Nistelrooy enjoyed many a duel with Liverpool during his trophy-laden playing days at Manchester United and would love to delay the Reds title celebrations at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.

However, one glance at Leicester’s recent form makes that a forlorn hope for the Foxes boss, who is simply looking to prolong the agony of their impending return to the Championship.

Van Nistelrooy’s men did at last show some spirit – and finally score – in last weekend’s 2-2 at Brighton but their relegation could be sealed this weekend against a backdrop of protests against the club’s owners by home fans.

That unrest will in some ways take the heat off van Nistelrooy, but the Dutchman is hardly putting together a compelling case to avoid the sack taking just one point from the last 30 available.

It is also 28 games and counting since Ruud’s not-so cunning Foxes kept a clean sheet while Liverpool are the Premier League’s leading scorers with 74 goals in their 32 games.

Arne Slot’s side made hard work of last weekend’s win at home to stubborn West Ham and needed a late Virgil van Dijk header to seal the 2-1 win.

That means if Arsenal were to lose at home to Ipswich on Saturday then Slot’s side can wrap up the championship with victory here.

Van Dijk joined star man Mo Salah in putting pen to paper on a new two-year contract this week and is 5/1 with starsports.bet bet to repeat last weekend’s heroics with a goal.

You can also back van Dijk to toast his new deal in style by opening the scoring at 18/1 with starsports.bet

Liverpool will win, it is simply a question of by how many and Leicester have a habit of conceding early, especially at home. I really like Liverpool to win the first half and over 1.5 first half goals at 9/5 with starsports.bet.

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⚪️ TOTTENHAM V NOTTINGHAM FOREST 🌳
Monday, 8pm

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It was do-or-die for Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou in Frankfurt on Thursday, and ultimately his team delivered to keep their dream of lifting the Europa League alive.

That hard-fought 1-0 victory should equal a feel good factor when top-five hopefuls Nottingham Forest visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

Forest are having a wobble at just the wrong time and last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at home to Everton has given the cluster of clubs in behind them hope they can catch Nuno Espirito Santo’s men in the race for a Champions League place.

Losing at home was out of keeping with Forest’s largely solid form at the City Ground, but they have struggled on the road of late with four defeats in the last five on their travels.

Nuno will be keen to end that poor run to ease some of the end-of-season anxiety among the travelling Tricky Trees faithful.

The Spurs players will be thankful of having an extra day to recover from their exertions in Germany and are battling to avoid the humiliation of finishing as low as 17th in the table.

The north Londoners have lost 17 of their 32 league games this season, and it is likely Postecoglou will ring the changes with European glory their only purpose now.

That should at least see Forest avoid another away day loss but Spurs will also be keen to avoid defeat number 18 to start to build momentum ahead of their semi-final with Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt.

My build-a-bet is the match to end in a draw, both teams to score and Forest skipper Ryan Yates to be shown a card which returns 15/1 with starsports.bet.

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RECOMMENDED BETS
Build-a-bet: Newcastle to win, Jacob Murphy to score at any time and over 2.5 goals 1 pt at 9/1 with starsports.bet
BACK Virgil van Dijk to score at any time in Leicester v Liverpool 1pt at 5/1  (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Virgil van Dijk to score first in Leicester v Liverpool 0.5 pt at 18/1  (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Liverpool to win the first half and over 1.5 goals in the first half 1pt at 9/5 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
Build-a-bet: Draw and Ryan Yates to be shown a card in Tottenham v Nottingham Forest 1 pt at 15/1 with starsports.bet

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