EPL Preview: Sun 26 July – Leic vs. Man United / Chelsea vs. Wolves

The last day of the 2019/2020 Premier League season is upon us. We have an incredible set of fixtures to look forward to. The battle for Champions League spots has come right down to the wire. The results in these two games will have huge repercussions on what the top of the Premier League table will look like.

Just four points separate Manchester United in third from Wolves in fifth. Chelsea and Leicester are squeezed in third and fourth. Soccer and online sports betting fans will be glued to their TVs to watch what is set to be one of the most exciting races for the top four in Premier League history.

Manchester United go to Leicester on the back of three poor performances. They need just one point to secure their place in Europe’s elite cup competition next season, while Leicester have to take all three points to get back into the top four.

In-form Chelsea put up a spirited display against Liverpool, but ultimately that loss means that they need to take something from their match against the fierce Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Wolves need all three points in order to hold on to the slim lead that they have over Tottenham, who are just one point behind them.

Here’s everything that you need to know about the scintillating season finale action:

Leicester City vs. Manchester United

Date: 26 July 2020

Time: 5:00 PM (UTC)

Leicester City welcome Manchester United to the King Power Stadium. This matchup is set to be the most important game for both clubs in the entire 2019/2020 season. Before the break, Brendan Roger’s Foxes looked as if they were guaranteed a Champions League spot, having been in the top four for most of the season, thanks to Jamie Vardy’s goal scoring exploits. However, they’ve seen a string of poor performances slowly eat away at their points.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s Manchester United came into the restart looking like a new team. Bruno Fernandes in midfield with Paul Pogba and a lethal front three had fans comparing this team to what they were used to expecting under Sir Alex Ferguson. However, the last three games have been below par from the Red Devils. They now find themselves fighting through the fatigue of a congested Premier League schedule to secure a much-coveted UCL spot.

Leicester City vs. Manchester United Premier League odds

Odds:

Leicester City +200

Tie +250

Manchester United +130

In the last five Premier League matches between the Foxes and the Red Devils, Manchester United have taken most of the points, with just four wins for the Manchester side and a draw for Leicester in these meetings.

However, Leicester have consistently finished above them in the league for a few years now. This game is undoubtedly one of the most important ones that we’ve seen in recent times  for both teams.

In the last few games, both teams have thrown away golden opportunities to widen the gap in the top four. Most sportsbook casinos and sports betting sites are going with Manchester United to take all three points.

Previous five EPL results between the two sides

Restart form

Leicester City haven’t been the counter-attacking force we’ve become accustomed to over the season. They have let a guaranteed top-four spot slip through their fingers with particularly poor outings against Tottenham, Bournemouth, and Everton.

Manchester United, on the other hand, came into the season with an intensity that we haven’t seen for many years. They were scoring goals for fun at one stage, but their last couple of games have been below par. A draw against Southampton, a draw to West Ham, and a humbling 3-1 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals seem to have knocked the wind out of their sails.

Leicester City restart results:

Manchester United restart results:

Key players

Key players to keep an eye on:

Leicester City

Ben Chilwell is undoubtedly one of the Foxes’ best defenders and he also has a keen eye for goals, with 9 to his name this season. The midfield is deputized by Harvey Barnes and James Maddison. Both midfielders have 6 goals to their name and have been great with racking up assists.

Jamie Vardy currently has the best tally of goals in the EPL this season. He looks set to take the coveted golden boot with 23 goals. Don’t forget about Ayoze Pérez on 8 goals and Kelechi Iheanacho on 5 goals this season — the two players add an extra threat up front with Vardy.

Manchester United

Mason Greenwood is the striker to watch at the moment. He became the first teenager since Romelu Lukaku to score 10 goals in his maiden EPL campaign. His tally of 17 in all competitions takes him alongside United greats Wayne Rooney, George Best, and Brian Kidd as the only United teenager to achieve this. Keep an eye out as he tries to break this record in the last game and put himself in the United history books.

Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have 17 goals each in the Premier League and are always a danger at the front. Elsewhere, Bruno Fernandes has been impressive since making the transfer to Old Trafford. His partnership with Paul Pogba looks set to be a lethal combination in the middle of the United team.

Conclusion

There is going to be some scintillating soccer on show for fans of both teams and neutrals all around the world. Leicester are going to throw everything they have at United to grab the three points for qualification, which leaves them open to counter attacks. United need only a point from this game, so expect them to be a little cagey and go for that goal when they can. On paper, United should win this game, but you never know what happens when teams have everything on the line. Will United rise to the occasion or are they going to wilt under the pressure? We can’t wait to find out.

Chelsea vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Date: 26 July 2020

Time: 5:00 PM (UCT)

We have another top-four battle on our hands as Chelsea take on Wolves at Stamford Bridge in their last game in the 2019/2020 season. Chelsea have had an admirable first season under Frank Lampard, with an FA Cup final to look forward to. However, losses against West Ham, Sheffield United, and Liverpool in recent games have made them slip down to the fourth spot. They are fighting to stay up in UCL places against Wolves on the last day of the EPL season.

Nuno Espirito Santo has done great things with this Wolves team since coming to the helm in 2017. They are desperately looking for a win to have any hope of retaining the sixth spot ahead of Tottenham for a Europa league ticket. They have had a decent restart but slipped up against Arsenal, Sheffield, and Burnley, which slowed down their ascent.

With Chelsea needing a draw and Wolves needing all three points, we are expecting some exciting soccer in this make or break game.

Chelsea vs. Wolves latest Premier League odds

Odds:

Chelsea -121
Tie +280

Wolves +310

Chelsea put on a spirited display at Anfield on Wednesday night to come from 3-0 down to lose 5-3 against the champions. Despite the loss, Lampard’s team can take confidence from their performance and go into this game believing that they have what it takes to get all three points. They were sublime in their FA Cup win over a poor Manchester United side. It’s hard to imagine that the Blues are going to let their top-four spot slip away.

That being said, there are plenty of teams that Lampard would have preferred to be facing on the last day instead of Nuno Espirito Santo’s team. Wolves have been fearless during this campaign and have been amongst the top four-pack throughout the season. If they find the right gears and really turn up for the occasion, there is a good chance that they could cause an upset.

Previous three results between the two teams

Wolves hadn’t been in the EPL for decades before getting promoted in 2018. The last three games between the two sides have seen both sides win once, and draw once. Both teams are about attacking football and it’s going to be incredibly exciting to see how they approach this game in order to nullify the dangerous players on each team.

Restart form

Chelsea have looked dangerous since the restart in both the Premier League and the FA Cup. However, shock losses to Sheffield United and West Ham have put serious pressure on the Blues. Wednesday night’s loss to Liverpool has furthered their woes and they now go into the last game of the season in fourth spot, one point behind Manchester United.

Wolves have been fairly consistent in their restart form but dropped points against Arsenal, Sheffield, and Burnley. They find themselves on the periphery of the top four spots on 59 points, but they will need a win to stay ahead of Tottenham in sixth spot.

Chelsea restart results:

Wolves restart results:

Key players

Key players to keep an eye on:

Chelsea

Christian Pulisic is undoubtedly one of the most exciting players in Lampard’s team. After coming on and immediately setting up a goal and scoring one himself, he transformed the game against Liverpool. The American midfielder has 9 goals in his first season for the Blues. He is an incredibly fast and creative player that is a nightmare for defenders. Mason Mount is a young player with an abundance of talent and his speed easily gets him behind the backline in attacking play. Matteo Kovacic provides the steel in midfield for this Chelsea team.

Up front, Olivier Giroud is having a resurgence of goal scoring form of late and can’t seem to miss the back of the net. Tammy Abraham is in the form of his life with 15 goals this season and William also brings in a tricky attacking element with 9 goals.

Wolves

In the heart of the Wolves defense, Willy Bolly is an absolute force to be reckoned with and Wolves struggled when he was out injured. He has 12 clean sheets and he’ll be looking to keep the Chelsea forwards as quiet as can be. Matt Doherty is another astute defender that has an eye for goals too.

In the Wolves midfield, we have João Moutinho who is a maestro at moving the ball around the center of the park, alongside Leander Dendoncker and Rúben Neves, who provide a much-needed goal-scoring threat.

At the front of the Wolves team, we have two very different but outstanding players in Adama Traoré and Raúl Jiménez. Traoré is a beast of a forward who pops up in the right place at the right time. He has electrifying pace, dribbling skills, and the ability to push defenders on the ball. He only has 4 goals this season but has provided an essential 9 assists. Jiménez is a direct, silky forward that can’t seem to stop scoring. With 17 goals and 6 assists, he leads this Wolves team in their fearless attacking play.

Conclusion

This is looking like it could turn out to be an absolute mammoth of a match. Wolves are known for their hard-tackling, bullish play on the ball, while the Blues are all about fast, attacking, and quite intricate soccer at this stage. The Wolves are going to lay themselves on the line to get this win, but ultimately Chelsea may just prove too much for their defense. Both teams need a result from this game to consider their season a success.

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