Man Utd, Newcastle and Chelsea are all desperately trying to keep their seasons alive, with rotten FA Cup ties for two and a no-win for the other. In the Prem, it’s a six-pointer at Luton…
Game to watch: Manchester United v Liverpool
It would be too simplistic to say that Liverpool hold Erik ten Hag’s future in their hands, but the Reds could certainly have a say in deciding the Man Utd manager’s fate.
The FA Cup represents United’s last chance of silverware and while a Champions League place might be viewed as a trophy at Old Trafford, even that looks unlikely given the Red Devils’ inconsistency.
Ten Hag is left relying on moments – which might work out fine in the end because this Man Utd is a ‘moments’ team. Few would logically back them to beat Liverpool, even this injury-hit version, but occasionally, they surprise us.
And it would be a shock to see Man Utd progress at Liverpool’s expense. Which is damning in itself. The way Ten Hag’s side have become subservient to those they consider rivals is one of the biggest indictments, not only on the manager but the club as whole.
If Man Utd go for Liverpool, they could be picked off and torn apart. If they sit in, the manager cops it, as he did when his side held Liverpool at Anfield. It’s on Ten Hag to somehow find a balance while Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his minions sit in judgement.
Team to watch: Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino finds himself in a similar position at Chelsea. At least the Blues were given a kinder draw on paper, but that could prove more perilous for the manager.
On Sunday, Championship leaders Leicester go to Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea fans are yet to be won over by their players or manager. It is the second leg of a four-game home stretch which gives Blues fans the opportunity to fully form an opinion on their side’s prospects as thoughts turn towards possible next steps in the summer.
The early noises aren’t good. Actually, they were vitriolic at Brentford and, for the most part, ambivalent on Monday during a win against Newcastle in which neither side earned much credit.
Pochettino knows his squad is not good enough to fulfil his and the club’s immediate ambitions, but such is the fragility of their confidence, he can only pretend and attempt to build up the players who hold his fate in their hands.
For Chelsea and for Pochettino, this is a must-win tie.
Read more: Premier League xG table: 5) Chelsea 9) Newcastle United
Player to watch: Martin Dubravka
It is hard not to feel sorry for Newcastle’s stand-in stopper. Dubravka has been playing behind a porous defence but the basic numbers don’t reflect well on the Slovakian.
Dubravka and Nick Pope have each now played 14 Premier League games this season. Pope conceded 14 goals before injury and kept five clean sheets. Dubravka has shipped more than double the number of goals – 30 in total – while achieving three shut-outs. Pope conceded one goal per 90 minutes; that number is 2.3 for Dubravka.
Those raw stats have seen Dubravka come under fire as a sub-standard stand-in, but the situation deserves more context. Pope has faced 53 shots on his goal. In just short of the same number of minutes, Dubravka has faced 89 – a 68 per cent increase. Long story short: Newcastle’s defence has folded in on itself.
Were it not for Dubravka, Newcastle would not still be in the FA Cup to face Manchester City on Saturday evening. His heroics saw them scrape through at Blackburn and Eddie Howe needs a similar performance for his goalkeeper if Newcastle are to have any hope of keeping their season alive at the holders of, well, almost everything.
Manager to watch: Nuno Espirito Santo
Amid the FA Cup quarter-finals, there is a Premier League six-pointer taking place at Kenilworth Road where Luton host Nottingham Forest.
The Hatters would be at least level on points with their visitors had they not caved in at Bournemouth. As it is, Luton can match Forest’s present tally with a home win on Saturday afternoon.
Forest are fretting that they could slip below Luton anyway if they are punished with a points deduction for PSR breaches so they desperately need the six-point cushion an away win would bring.
That, and cry-arsing about refereeing decisions, seems to be occupying too much of Forest’s headspace right now, when their focus should be on what they can effect.
Nuno said as much before the defeat at Brighton, when once again the spotlight was shone on officials more than Forest’s failings, which are most prominent in front of goal. The manager has to prompt Forest to fund a cutting edge away from home, with this the first of four trips to relegation rivals in their five remaining away matches.
EFL game to watch: Swansea v Cardiff
You will be stunned to learn the Leeds are on the box again this weekend. But our focus takes us to South Wales for a derby that managers dare not lose.
The last 11 bosses to have lost this fixture were no longer in place by the time the next derby came around. Erol Bulut will enhance his prospects of being kept on at Cardiff by becoming the first Bluebirds boss ever to achieve a league double over the Swans. In doing so, Cardiff could kickstart their play-off hopes with five points and five places separating them from the top six.
Luke Williams needs a win to stave off lingering relegation fears. Swansea are seven places above the bottom three but only five points clear of the drop zone.
With neither side flying or full of confidence, and both managers wary of the consequence of defeat, this is likely to be viewed as must-not-lose, prompting a tight, tense affair. Maybe we should watch Leeds v Millwall after all.
Antoine Griezmann was firing insults from the Atletico Madrid substitutes bench.
European game to watch: Atletico Madrid v Barcelona
Little time for Atletico and Barca to bask in their midweek Champions League triumphs before they clash in Madrid on Sunday evening.
Atletico really needed a last eight place after their domestic season faltered in recent weeks. Diego Simeone’s side lost their Copa del Rey semi-final against Athletic Bilbao and went down 2-0 to lowly Cadiz to sit fourth in La Liga, 14 points behind leaders Real.
They could end the weekend three or nine points off Barca above them. If Atletico lose, they could fall out of the Champions League spots.
Defeat for Barca coupled with a win for Real at Osasuna would effectively end what slim hopes the Catalans retain of bridging the eight-point gap to the leaders.
