The Gunners host the Cherries on Saturday afternoon in a game I can only see going one way! Arsenal have been in magnificent form of late and currently lead the way in table, sitting five points clear as it stands. They hammered Everton by four goals to nil during the week and I’m expecting them to be in rampant fashion once more. On the other hand, the visitors arrive into this off the back of a thumping by Manchester City at the Vitality last weekend. Things just don’t get any easier, now on the road at the league leaders.

The home side’s front line has been unstoppable of late and with the addition of Leandro Trossard, this has added further depth in attack. Whoever Arteta decides to start with in this particular fixture, I fully envisage them troubling the backline of Bournemouth from the word go. Between the current five stars in attack; Saka, Martinelli, Trossard, Odegaard and Nketiah, they’ve amassed a whopping twelve goal contributions between them in the last three games. Now facing one of the favourites for relegation, they’ll no doubt be licking their lips at the prospect of another dominant showing on home soil. Arsenal have won nine of their twelve games at the Emirates Stadium this season and I’m backing them to make this ten! Of course, we’ll need them to win by a margin of 2+ goals to see the selection home but with such firepower in the team and a potential title on the horizon, I can only see one outcome.

A quick word on Bournemouth, well, they’ve travelled extremely poorly throughout the campaign thus far. It’s now one solitary win away from home in their previous seven, with this coming last time out on the road at Molineux. However, even taking this victory into account, it’s extremely difficult to see them troubling Arsenal at all here. A key area they’ve hugely struggled in is their attack, having only managed to notch once in their last five away games. They also have the worst defensive record in the entire competition, having conceded 48 goals in total. On top of this, unsurprisingly, they have the worst goal difference too, currently at -26 goals. With the Cherries averaging exactly 2 goals per game being conceded, the anticipated onslaught from the Gunners is bound to come.

The Emirates crowd is now fully behind Arteta and his cavalry now, so a bouncing home crowd will no doubt boost the home side too! Take Arsenal on a -1 match handicap here and you’ll have every chance of a winning return come 5pm on Saturday!

Both sides come into this game in similar veins of form, with neither being able to put any sort of consistent run together. However, with Spurs losing their last three on the bounce away from home and looking like a team who rely on Harry Kane so much in attack, I’m happy to side with Wolves to take something from this fixture. The away side may also have half an eye on their Champions League fixture midweek which may have some sort of bearing on this one. Whereas, Wolves will be all guns blazing as they seek to steer further clear of the relegation zone.

Lopetegui has no doubt had a positive impact on this Wolves team since arriving in November. Post World Cup they’ve lost four of their ten fixtures in the Premier League in total. This matchup against Spurs comes at an ideal time too, as I mentioned their recent poor run in all competitions. In terms of our selection here, all we’re after is the home side avoiding defeat, something they’re more than capable of. The recent acquisition of Craig Dawson into the backline has bolstered the quality in their ranks, they’ve obtained two clean sheets in their previous three at home. He’s also well known for being an aerial threat in the opponent’s box, having scored many goals throughout his career from set piece situations. He’s already notched once since his arrival, in the three nil demolition of Liverpool just a few games ago. Admittedly, the home side have struggled in attack throughout the season having looked at the numbers.

However, if they can keep Harry Kane at arm’s length, they’ve every chance of picking up at least a point. This particular selection is a real hunch of mine when it comes to analysing the fixtures and I’m more than happy to get Wolves onside.

Tottenham have been extremely ‘Spursy’ of late, according to numerous media outlets this week. The term has been widely used in relation to their lack of success in relation to results or trophy wins. Anyway, the inconsistency levels in relation to the visitors are there for us all to see. They’ve actually managed to beat the likes of Man City and Chelsea in games of late but then have slumped to defeat in their last three away fixtures. Most worryingly, just this week, Sheffield United punished them at Bramall Lane in the FA Cup 5th Round, as they lost one nil.

A couple of key players who’ve clearly dipped in form this season are two of their main attacking threats, Richarlison and Heung Min Son. The pair have struggled for goals throughout the season so far, compared to what we’ve seen in the past. Of course, Kane has been fabulous as ever, reaching eighteen goals in the PL, however very few others have contributed. Son sits on five goals to his name, alongside defensive midfielder Bentancur, also on the same tally. Essentially, if Kilman and Dawson can nullify Kane in attack, I see this pick landing comfortably.

As I touched on earlier, this is a real hunch of mine with logic and statistics to back up my views, therefore take Wolves Double Chance for a good run for your money!

Both of these teams were in FA Cup action this week but had differing fortunes. Brighton successfully navigated their way to the quarter-finals by narrowly beating Stoke. West Ham performed admirably at Old Trafford but were blown away when the home side brought on a couple of their bigger hitters.

West Ham have won just one of their 12 league away games this season. They have failed to find the net in half of those matches and are averaging 0.58 goals per game over that period. They are coming up against a solid defence this weekend and chances will be at a premium.

Brighton started the season under Graham Potter and the transition to De Zerbi has been seamless. There is a clear identity at the football club and the players benefit from this structure. The Seagulls have an xGA of 11.24 at the Amex this season; only Manchester City have a lower xGA in front of their own fans. De Zerbi’s side were beaten 1-0 by Fulham in their last home match but have won their other two home league games in 2023.

Brighton beat West Ham 2-0 earlier this season. They also beat them 3-1 at this ground last season. West Ham aren’t looking as sharp this time around so I fancy the home side to take all three points again.

This is a fairly strong stance on both sides in this fixture. Luton are a side that I like and want to get with whilst Swansea could be on a big downturn and confidence in them has faded really quickly.

Though Luton only managed a draw against Millwall in midweek, the manner of getting that point will be a really galvanising one for Rob Edwards’ men. Not many teams go 2-0 down to Millwall and are able to get themselves back into the match, but Luton showed composure under pressure and worked their way back to earn that draw. Luke Berry’s late goal also a great way to induce positivity amongst the players, but also the Kenilworth Road crowd.

The fact that they now have a follow-up home match so quickly off the back of that feeling is a massive positive for the Hatters. There would be a concern if it didn’t give them a spark as actually their recent home form isn’t actually as strong as one would expect from Luton. They haven’t created lots of chances, but on the positive side, they rarely concede many chances either.

There is a terrible malaise around Swansea at the moment though. It has been reported in this column before about the unease around the January transfer dealings and the way that both fans and management have reacted about that seems to have gradually spilled out onto the pitch.

Having watched closely the match against Rotherham on Monday the performance of the Swansea side was pretty abject. They had two shots in the second half of a match that, realistically, they should have been the controlling team in. They were dominated in terms of the corner count by a team that statistically had the lowest corner average in the league, and honestly they looked completely devoid of ideas going forwards.

I don’t see where, in five days, there will be enough of a turnaround, for Swansea to go to Luton and be able to dominate the chances. Luton should be odds on for this match and the current price is a good one for the Hatters.

The case for backing Middlesbrough here is very clear.

Michael Carrick’s men were given a reality check last Saturday with a deserved 2-0 loss at West Brom. This could serve to do one of two things, knock their confidence and begin a period of less emphatic performance and results, or, spur them on to pick their game up again. In Reading, they could barely have picked a better match to get back on the horse and start that winning run again.

The Royals are simply atrocious on the road. There was a period in the middle of the season when I felt as though their away performances just weren’t quite getting the rub of the green and that their away results would probably pick up and get back towards the average, but that simply hasn’t been the case. It is almost as if Paul Ince has challenged himself to get the Royals to stay up on the back of home points alone.

There also came the news this week of a six-point deduction that looks likely to be meted out to Reading next week. That would move the Berkshire side down the table to just outside the relegation zone, but Paul Ince has been fairly defiant and matter-of-fact in the media about the situation, and I doubt whether it will massively affect the team and their work in the immediate future.

The bigger problems in this fixture come on the pitch, where Reading will have to work out how to progress the ball effectively towards Middlesbrough’s final third. Boro are likely to see much more of the ball, and, under Carrick they tend to be much more effective with it. The sharp movement of Cameron Archer has given them another dimension moving forwards and the array of threats in the Teesside team should be too much for Reading to deal with.

Indeed, Boro have recorded the second highest xG of any Championship club since the turn of the year. They have also conceded a big xGA number, but that won’t be as relevant against a Reading side that have a pretty poor xG record themselves, especially away from home.

It would be fair to say that the Mick McCarthy era at Bloomfield Road is not going very well. The impact that we saw McCarthy have at Cardiff when he was brought in there a couple of seasons ago to save them from relegation has not at all kicked in here.

Blackpool have certainly become more direct, and there were signs initially that there was more cohesion and solidity in the set-up of the team, but even that has fallen somewhat by the wayside in the most recent fixtures. It may well just be the realisation that the players aren’t quite good enough for the level, but some Blackpool fans would say that their better players aren’t being used in the right way under this manager. Indeed, when you see that the likes of Josh Bowler, Morgan Rogers, and others are not getting many minutes, it does call into question whether the strategy employed by the manager is the most effective for this group of players.

Into this high pressure scenario come Vincent Kompany’s Burnley. The exact team that one wouldn’t want to saunter in through the saloon doors at the Alamo. The Clarets have improved of late, which is a pretty scary thought when they had already dominated the first two-thirds of the season, but they currently sit atop of the expected points table since the turn of the year.

This is built on the back of having the best xG against figure in the league, which is proof that they aren’t solely reliant on their attacking prowess to win football matches. There has been enforced changes the the defence as well, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis, the leader of the team in the first half of the season, having been replaced with Hjalmar Ekdal, but there is strength in depth in pretty much every position on the pitch.

Blackpool actually haven’t lost a home match under McCarthy, but their performances in the last two away games has been poor. Burnley haven’t lost an xG battle away from home since the mad 5-2 defeat at Sheffield United back on Bonfire Night. I expect that the better team will be able to impose their style on proceedings and be the ones to come away with the points.

Rotherham have been a side re-born since January transfer dealings. The story of this is told in their xG performance since February 1st. Although still projecting a negative goal difference across the six matches, it is a significant improvement upon what came before when they looked destined for relegation following a big slide down the table, now they are matching most of the midtable sides in performance and above the poorer teams in the division, when they were the poorest of all.

They pass the eye test as well. The performance at Swansea on Monday smacked of a team who knew what they wanted to do and the tactics made a lot of sense to the personnel on the pitch. The use of Jordan Hugill as a focal point obviously suits his style of play, and then Tarique Fosu with his on-ball ability and Cheo Ogbene with his running power really complimented Hugill and gave the Swansea defence all of the problems that they could handle. There’s plenty of balance there as well with Shane Ferguson and Conor Coventry playing vital roles in different areas of the pitch, but definitely providing balance both laterally and vertically in the team.

QPR showed real lapses of individual defending against Blackburn last week. Gareth Ainsworth has now had a full week with his players ahead of this match, so no doubt that he will have managed to get into them and try to get to the bottom of this group and what makes them tick. He used a motivational team builder this week to address the squad, who took part in a Maori-inspired Haka to inspire them ahead of this match. It would be an EFL first if QPR decided to perform the Haka before kick-off here that’s for sure.

However, until there is any evidence of change on the pitch, there is very little to support QPR with going to an improved Rotherham at New York Stadium. QPR don’t carry enough threat at the moment, and their defence is far too porous. They sit rock bottom of the expected points table since February 1st so the backable price that Rotherham are on the double chance is worth taking.

Neil Warnock is one for two back at Huddersfield Town. His Terriers side picked up a crucial 2-1 home win over Birmingham City two weeks ago, and then were seen off 4-0 away at a Burnley team Warnock described as “the best side I’ve seen in 25 years”. Four points away from safety ahead of this weekend, Warnock will know the games to prioritise most as opportunities for points, and the majority of those should be expected to come on home soil at the John Smith’s Stadium. Huddersfield’s poor 2022-23 season is the result of below-par transfer windows. Neil Warnock has been left with no choice than to make use of the tools at his disposal. He is notably without starting Lee Nicholls at the moment due to injury, but needs to make best use of the likes of Josh Koroma, Joseph Hungbo, Jack Rudoni and Danny Ward. Attacking left-back Jaheim Headley has had a positive impact since returning from a good loan at League Two Harrogate Town.

Coventry City are not ruling out the possibility of play-offs as the run-in approaches. Viktor Gyökeres, who has scored three in his last four and has 15 league goals for the season, is arguably the most complete forward outside of the Premier League right now, a constant threat with the likes of Jamie Allen, Matt Godden and Kasey Palmer in frontline support of a 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1.

Midfielder Allen has in turn scored in both of Coventry’s most recent wins, clearly enjoying his best goalscoring season since being with League One Burton Albion in 2018-19. Dutch midfielder Gustavo Hamer is one of the Championship’s most special talents and is on track for his best goalscoring return since joining the Sky Blues from PEC Zwolle.

With Burnley out of the way, the games can only become easier for Neil Warnock and his relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town team. Play-off chasing Coventry City provided a strong challenge, particularly from their star Swedish striker, but it is one the 74-year-old will be keen for his side to take something from.

This is a fixture Sunderland fans will have marked on their calendars for a while. The match at the Stadium of Light sees a reunion with former boss Alex Neil, who departed for Stoke City in late August. The change from Neil to Tony Mowbray hasn’t held Sunderland back. The Black Cats are a side aspiring for a finish in this season’s Championship play-off places. Consecutive defeats against Rotherham United and Coventry City have knocked momentum, but with 12 games to play, a five point gap does not feel impossible to make up. Sunderland continue to have to cope without star Scottish striker Ross Stewart, but his absence has created an exciting, fluid front four of Jack Clarke, Patrick Roberts, Joe Gelhardt and Amad Diallo. The latter has been the particularly standout on loan from Manchester United, a 20-year-old Ivorian who plays out wide or in attacking midfield and has some spectacular strikes in his list of eight league goals this season. Young Paris Saint-Germain loanee Édouard Michut has been an excellent partner to academy product Dan Neil in deep midfield. Aji Alese and Trai Hume often catch the eye at left-back and right-back respectively.

Alex Neil’s move to Stoke City hasn’t worked out as hoped. You begin to wonder if any manager can make the Stoke City job work. The Potters are set for another underwhelming second tier season, sitting in 17th place with the relegation zone closer to them than the play-off places. Positive results are few and far between for a team that has only won three league games since the turn of the year, all of those coming against bottom half opposition. There is little in Stoke’s 4-2-3-1 that provides signs of a team building towards future promotion, instead there are concerns lurking that the Staffordshire outfit could see third tier football before tasting top tier football again.

Sunderland need a reaction from consecutive defeats, and there is no manager they would love to beat more than the man who left them early into the season for supposedly better things. Alex Neil’s decision to leave an exciting project at the Stadium of Light looks a mistake to many. It’ll look an even bigger one if his former side go a further three points ahead of them.

Barnsley travel to Bristol Rovers on Saturday at an enticing odds against price.

The Tykes have been one of the best performing teams in the division since the turn of the year and dismantled Derby County to a 4-1 scoreline last weekend. Luca Connell, Herbie Kane and Adam Phillips are complimenting each other so well in midfield, easily one of the best midfield trios in the division.

Barnsley’s last four matches read: 2-0, 3-1, 4-0 and 4-1, they are still not being priced up like the big-hitters in the league, but they are playing like one, winning 12, drawing two and losing two of their last 16. Sam Finley’s return was a very welcome one for Bristol Rovers last weekend, triggering Karl Robinson’s sacking with a 3-0 win at Oxford United, after the Gas had only taken one point from a possible 18.

This is more of a price play because the Gas always hold a significant threat in the final third with Aaron Collins bagging his 15th of the campaign last weekend.

In tentatively leaning towards Barnsley as we edge towards the business end of the season, I am happy to keep two outcomes onside and take the Tykes at a shorter price.

After doubting Portsmouth for some weeks… I am still not convinced.

However, confidence has increased substantially from a 4-0 win over Cheltenham Town being backed up by a 3-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday evening. Pompey have only conceded one goal in their last four games with Ryley Towler and Sean Raggett building an understanding at centre back.

One huge part of the recent resurgence has been Joe Rafferty’s return from injury, the club’s slide from the early season automatic promotion picture directly coincided with the right back being ruled out and his creativity down the right flank has continued where it left off.

Cambridge have lost four of five in League One, scoring only twice and are without key forward Harvey Knibbs through injury. Mark Bonner’s men are still within touching distance of safety but may be fighting a losing battle. It does seem like Bonner nearly taking the Rotherham United job after a good start to the season has negatively impacted the squad.

Pompey will be very well supported at the Abbey Stadium with plenty to play for as John Mousinho continues to build a reputation in the dugout.

It was a nice surprise to see Derby County at a backable price ahead of hosting Shrewsbury Town this weekend.

The Rams’ Tuesday evening 2-0 win over Cheltenham Town would have had an impact on the price with Paul Warne’s men incredibly strong at home in the last few months. Derby do not have the squad depth of some of the sides around them at the top end, but it is enough to deal with the turnaround.

The Rams have won seven of their last eight home league games while the Shrews have drawn a blank in their last two games on the road. Warne could call on James Collins, Louie Sibley, Tom Barkhuizen and Curtis Davies who were all on the bench in midweek and have proven their durability on numerous occasions since the turn of the year.

Pro-Derby has been a successful stance to take since the back end of last year and there has not been enough in the Shrews’ recent displays to move away that angle in this fixture.

Town are having a wonderful season under Steve Cotterill but having been peaking for some months now and it would not be a surprise to see them run out of steam.

There will not be too many more opportunities this season to back the best team in League One to win at home.

Peterborough United are at a preparation disadvantage after drawing 0-0 with Charlton Athletic on Charlton Athletic. The goalless draw was made more taxing for the Posh by Josh Knight’s 54th minute red card, such that it will definitely see the centre back suspended for the trip to Hillsborough.

Wednesday have won nine and drawn one of their last ten League One games and are closing in on the league title. The Owls only got past Charlton Athletic to a 1-0 scoreline last weekend, but their dominance was clear from very early on in the encounter, winning the shot count 9-0 in the first half, with Liam Palmer getting forward from right wing back to net the only goal of the game.

Peterborough may soon have nothing to play for and with Darren Ferguson only in the dugout on a deal until the end of the season, it would not be a surprise to see a dip in performances, they could be a side to oppose in the season’s remaining stretch and certainly in the toughest game of the season on paper.

Ipswich Town come into this weekend following consecutive victories over relegation-threatened Forest Green Rovers and Milton Keynes Dons. It is the first time the Tractor Boys have won back-to-back league matches since October, a damning example of how Ipswich have gone from a position of dominance at the top to playing catch-up with the automatic promotion places. A tendency to drop points against weaker opposition provided regular frustration for supporters and players alike. Ipswich have two further upcoming games against relegation battlers though and simply have to take advantage. Kieran McKenna’s 4-2-3-1 features a plethora of frontline options. Freddie Ladapo and George Hirst are rotated in the striker role. Marcus Harness and Nathan Broadhead occupy the left winger role. Wes Burns, Kayden Jackson and Kyle Edwards are options at right wing. Top scorer Conor Chaplin is always a threat both inside and outside the box in his attacking midfield role. Australian midfielder Massimo Luongo is getting up to match speed and provides an alternative to Sam Morsy and youngster Cameron Humphreys in deeper midfield.

Burton Albion may present a tougher test for Ipswich Town than their previous two matches. A run of four wins in their last six has seen the Brewers climb out of the bottom four and build a four-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone. Dino Maamria’s side are the leading example of how to set up an effective relegation battler. A back three of John Brayford, Sam Hughes and Barnsley loanee Jasper Moon are no-nonsense defenders in front of goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray. Wing-back Tom Hamer is in turn a player best known for his defensive quality, though his long throw is a weapon Burton regularly look to capitalise on when set piece opportunities fall their way. Albion have a handful of technical players who can offer threat in open play, particularly in their frontline where Nottingham Forest loanee Dale Taylor and Charlton Athletic loanee Charlie Kirk have made key impacts. The passing ability of midfielder Terry Taylor will be a miss as he is confirmed out for the rest of the season, likewise striker Sam Winnall who has scored match winners in two of his last three games before injury. Moroccan forward Gassan Ahadme is ineligible for this match as he is on loan from Ipswich Town.

This season has demonstrated a clear gulf in quality between the top end of League One and the bottom end of League One. Ipswich Town, particularly at Portman Road, should be expected to comfortably see off relegation-battling opposition, and Burton Albion are one of those sides. The Brewers do enter this weekend in good nick and with breathing space between themselves and bottom four, but that could prove handy given the challenge that awaits them in Suffolk. Town fans will be wanting a third win in a row, against a team who have never beaten them at Portman Road before, and will want to do it by scoring as many goals as possible.

Plenty of teams in League Two are mathematically in the “play-off chaser” category. Sutton United are undoubtedly one of the genuine chasers though. Matt Gray’s side have won each of their last three and are unbeaten in six, continuing a run of form which has seen them collect 31 points from their last 15 games. No team in the division has collected more during the same period. Doubly impressive is how this run is demonstrating the Amber and Chocolate’s strength in depth. Their most recent squad for instance didn’t include starting centre-back Louis John, starting left-back and set-piece taker Rob Milsom, as well as focal point striker Omar Bugiel. The latter is back this weekend after a two-game suspension for accumulated yellow cards. Coby Rowe, Sam Hart and Lee Angol respectively filled the holes in Sutton’s 4-4-2, and contributed to a 2-0 victory away at Newport County. Sutton regularly find themselves scoring twice in matches, especially at Gander Green Lane where they netted two goals in four of their last five home fixtures. Box-to-box midfielder Alistair Smith, as well as direct wingers Will Randall and David Ajiboye, are key parts of a direct team that has a plethora of ways of getting the ball into the box and into the net.

Crewe Alexandra’s season feels almost done, and fans may be grateful for that. The Railwaymen sit 17th, 12 points above the relegation zone and 15 points away from the play-off places. The threat of a relegation battle has always felt more realistic than a play-off push however. Crewe have been incredibly underwhelming on their return to the fourth tier, not helped by key injuries. Striker Chris Long and top scorer Courtney Baker-Richardson have been long term absentees, Crewe being thankful for the goal output of Dan Agyei in an otherwise lacklustre frontline. Lee Bell has rotated through several formations across this season, currently favouring a 3-5-2 where the most experienced name in midfield is 23-year-old Tariq Uwakwe. The Alex will in turn be without defender Connor O’Riordan for this game after collecting two yellow cards in a 1-1 home draw with Rochdale.

This should be a familiar feeling for Sutton United this weekend. The Gander Green Lane outfit are in fine form, within firm touching distance of the play-offs, and at home to a poor Crewe Alexandra side whose 2022-23 is all but done. If this game reverts to type, Sutton should win, and they could do so with more than one goal to their name.

Bradford City are in decent form as they look to pick up another three points at home to lowly Colchester United.

The Bantams won 2-0 away at Gillingham on Tuesday evening with striker Andy Cook and midfielder Richie Smallwood on the scoresheet to boost their promotion hopes. That result leaves them 6th in the League Two table and they are just four points off the top three now. Speaking after that useful win, boss Mark Hughes said he was ‘delighted’ with the performance and he will be hoping for the same again this weekend. On the injury front, the Yorkshire club have received a huge boost with midfielder Emmanuel Osadebe making his return off the bench from his lengthy spell on the sidelines in the last two outings and he gives them another useful option in the middle of the park alongside the likes of Smallwood, Adam Clayton and Alex Gilliead. Bradford will be in confident mood and have lost just once in their last eight games, winning four of them, and are finding a knack of picking up points. Their defence is also playing well at the moment and they also kept five clean sheets in their last eight as well which is promising as they head into some winnable matches.

Colchester aren’t safe yet and have seen their results slump over recent times as they sit down in a disappointing 19th position. To make matters worse, they have lost manager Matt Bloomfield to Wycombe Wanderers and are in the hunt for a replacement. The U’s lost 1-0 to Northampton Town at home last time out and their caretaker manager Ross Embleton, who used to manage Leyton Orient, said he wanted the players to take more ‘risks’ in the match. The Essex club are without midfielder Cole Skuse after he picked up a knee injury earlier this month and they seriously miss his experience in the middle of the park with options such as Noah Chilvers and Arthur Read not having the same influence as their teammate. Colchester are lacking a cutting edge up front and their goals have significantly dried up over recent times, having found the net just twice in their last five league games. In addition, they haven’t scored in their last three now which is a real worry as they prepare to take on an in-form Bradford side who have really started to tighten things up in defence.

Salford City are in a good position to make a late push for promotion as they prepare to face 18th position Newport County.

The Ammies drew 1-1 away at Barrow on Tuesday with midfielder Ryan Watson scoring the opener for them in the first-half. That wasn’t a bad point at a tough place to go and boss Neil Wood said he thought his players played ‘really well’ and ‘dominated’ the game so if they can play like that against Newport then they should have too much quality for their opponents. The North West outfit have received a couple of injury boosts with defender Richard Nartey making his return to the bench over the past couple of fixtures and midfielder Ethan Galbraith coming on at Holker Street. They both give Wood more options to pick from as the games start to come thick and fast at this stage of the season which is useful. Salford have only lost once in their last four and will see this campaign as an ideal opportunity to get promoted to League One as they currently sit 7th in the league table inside the play-offs, a point above Mansfield Town. There is no doubting the quality in their ranks with players like Matt Smith, Conor McAleny and Callum Morton, and they will see this weekend as a good chance to pick up another win.

It hasn’t been the best of seasons for Newport and they don’t really have anything to play for now. Graham Coughlan was brought in during October to steady the ship after their tough start under former boss James Rowberry and although he has done a sound job, his side are nothing special and could struggle at the Peninsula Stadium. They were beaten 2-0 at home by Sutton United last time out and their manager said his team lost the ‘middle battle’ and looked ‘tired, lethargic and lacked energy’. Those last three words probably sum up the Exiles’ season so far and they haven’t done much to get their fans off their seats and could do with some reinforcements in the transfer market over the summer to lift the mood at Rodney Parade. The South Wales club have been dealt a blow with left-back Adam Lewis returning to his parent club Liverpool after picking up an injury and they have a few inferior options to pick from in defence at his expense such as James Clarke, Will Evans and youngster Evan Cadwallader. Newport have won only once in their last four and will be in for a tough test on Saturday as they take on promotion chasing Salford.

Northampton Town will fancy their chances of beating a struggling Crawley Town side this weekend.

The Cobblers are 4th in the League Two table and should have too much quality for a team who are in the relegation zone. They are only two points off the top three and could rise into the automatic promotion places with a win on Saturday and other results going their way which is a great incentive. Jon Brady’s side drew 1-1 away at Harrogate Town on Tuesday night with winger Mitch Pinnock scoring their goal and their boss has called for his players to be ‘better’ in front of goal so his players have to show a reaction in their upcoming clash. On the selection front, defender Tyler Magloire is out of action with a knee problem but the club has useful alternative options such as Sam Sherring and Jon Guthrie in the heart of defence which shows their strength in depth. Northampton are a tough team to beat and have lost only once in their last seven games as they hope this is the year they finally get back to League One after missing out on goal difference in the last campaign. They have scored a whopping 46 goals already this term which makes their attack the second best in the division behind Carlisle United and they will have too much for their next opponents if they show up.

Crawley are at serious risk of dropping into the National League as their dire campaign continues. They are 23rd in the table and are two points after their 1-0 loss to Tranmere Rovers away last time out. Their boss Scott Lindsey, who left fellow League Two outfit Swindon Town to take over earlier this winter, has 14.3% of matches in charge of his new club so far and said he was ‘really disappointed’ with the result. Their players will be short of confidence, especially as they were also thumped 5-2 at home to Carlisle last Saturday as well to dent their survival hopes. Crawley don’t have any fresh injury concerns ahead of their tricky trip to Sixfields but have this week parted company with midfielder Zaid Al-Hussain by mutual consent and he has now become a free agent. The Red Devils are in a rut and have lost their last four on the spin and they need to turn their fortunes around quick if they are to avoid slipping into non-league. In addition, they have lost the ability to win matches and have won just once in their last 11 which means Northampton will be rubbing their hands together.

This tipster is backing Notts County to get straight back on the winning train this weekend and make the most of Bromley’s selection concerns.

Bromley picked up a big win in midweek, seeing off Torquay United 2-1 after a late Adam Marriott penalty. It continued their good form, losing just two of their last 16 league matches. However, the victory came at a cost. They lost star striker Michael Cheek, captain Byron Webster and winger Louis Dennis during the game having already lost Charley Kendall and Billy Bingham in the days before. Losing so much experience before a game of this difficulty is unhelpful, especially when Andy Woodman’s side have struggled against top five sides this season – they’ve lost five and drawn one, the latter being away at Notts County when they conceded 2.34xG and were left thankful for one of the goalkeeping performances of the season.

Notts County saw their 25-game unbeaten run ended last weekend, Dagenham and Redbridge the first side to leave Meadow Lane with all three points this season. It was a shock. Luke Williams’ side responded positively to three hard-fought victories by hitting Barnet, Yeovil Town and Southend United for four and they were dominant at the weekend, mustering over 3xG, 24 shots and hitting the post twice. They have averaged 2.3xG over those last four matches. They also come into the game after a rare week off, meaning Sam Austin, Jodi Jones and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans are available to start having been rested in midweek, as well as Cedwyn Scott likely to return to the squad.

A game between two sides who need a victory if they are to realise their ambitions this season. And they know only one way of playing to do that.

Gateshead were deducted a point in the week for fielding an ineligible player, dropping back into the relegation zone despite having won four and drawn four of their last ten league matches. Their form has coincided with the return of several key players since Boxing Day. Chesterfield come into the game enduring their worst run of the season, nine matches without a victory leaving them in a battle to maintain their spot in the play-off places having previously been in title contention.

Both sides are regularly involved in games where both teams score. Gateshead have seen 72% of their overall league matches and 79% of their home matches finish with both teams scoring. Chesterfield have seen 67% of their league matches and 69% of their away matches finish with both teams scoring. Both sides have scored in six of Gateshead’s last nine matches and five of Chesterfield’s last seven.

Both sides are creating a lot of chances too. In their last ten matches, Gateshead, have averaged 1.87xG while Chesterfield had averaged 1.93xG over the ten league matches prior to their midweek fixture away at league leaders Wrexham. The problem both sides have is they leave gaps defensively due to their attacking approaches, which has the potential to make this an open game.

Boreham Wood come into this game with the intention of moving back into the play-off places after a run of 11 matches unbeaten, including five wins.

However, they are the National League killjoys. Ten of those 11 matches have finished with less than three goals having been scored, The Wood keeping five clean sheets and conceding more than one goal just once (against high-flying Woking). They have conceded more than one goal in a match just six times all season and scored more than once nine times. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that The Wood have seen two or fewer goals scored in 76% of their league matches this season, and in 76% of their away matches.

They face an Oldham Athletic side that have played to suit their opposition in recent times. Their games against Dorking Wanderers, Gateshead and Barnet have been high scoring, the shot counts against Aldershot Town and Chesterfield were high while games against York City, FC Halifax Town and Maidstone United (who have reverted to a more solid shape since George Elokobi took the reins) have been drab affairs.

Notably, David Unsworth has moved to a narrow, four-at-the-back system in an attempt to make them tougher to beat but better on the counter attack than on the front foot. It means neither side will be particularly fussy about having the ball here, preferring to be solid in shape. I can’t see many chances being created as a result.

Oxford head into this game in the midst of some impressive form and inconsistent results. It’s fair to say that they’re likely to be playing in the play-offs this year – although in order to gain an advantage when the time comes, these results are still important. Oxford are currently unbeaten in ten games, they’re last loss coming on Boxing Day. They’ve lost two league games since October which well explains their league position. However, there’s certainly a sense of frustration throughout the fanbase with the Hoops dropping points in games they should be winning. Take for example, draws against Taunton and Hampton & Richmond but then winning 5 games in a row between that. They’ve only gained 2 points from their last two games, although a Josh Parker red card caused them to drop points to Taunton and it’s arguably impressive to get a point away to Dartford with a key player suspended.

Farnborough have been on much more rocky form recently, sitting in 11th place although eagerly chasing play-off positions. They won the reverse fixture 2-1, with Hisham Kasimu bagging both goals. Despite not scoring, he also showed a huge threat against league leaders Ebbsfleet at the weekend where Harry Parsons scored a 95th minute equaliser to get a draw where they were heavily tipped to lose. Their form recently doesn’t necessarily show the momentum around the club right now. They’ve won 4 of their last 7. They lost to Braintree due to a late penalty and lost their structure slightly to Eastbourne meaning they saw a 2-0 loss. However, the momentum is certainly high right now and if they want to get into the play-offs they need points wherever they can – games like this are huge.

I expect both teams to score here. Oxford are the better side and have the home advantage although Farnborough will not be scared to go forward and try to nick something from the game – the draw to Ebbsfleet at the weekend will certainly give them the motivation to do so.

Havant go into this game on shocking form, three losses in a row and dropping from 2nd to 4th place. All three losses have been on the road, they now return to Westleigh to face 21st place Cheshunt who have had 1 win in their last 10; albeit their last game. However, in that win, Ken Charles saw a red card and will be missing for this fixture.

The home side need to win this game. A loss here would not only see a plummet in momentum but also the possibility of dropping down to 6th place depending on other results. There remains some hope for Havant as they have two games in hand over Oxford, they could still finish the season in 3rd or possibly 2nd place (the title is pretty much out of the picture at this point.) You can expect Havant wanting to make a statement here, Cheshunt have only won 2 games away from home this season and I can’t see this one being another addition. However, they have been getting goals recently.

Cheshunt won against Eastbourne at the weekend which may give them some momentum going into this game as they now sit only in the relegation zone on goal difference – with Weymouth just slightly edging them. They won’t be scared to come at Havant on the counter here meaning I’m expecting a really open game.

A selection purely based on Wrexham AFC now being top of the league table and being one of the best sides this level has seen.

Wrexham come into this game having won 26 of their 34 league matches. They have 12 of their last 13, only dropping points against third place Woking and winning all five away matches in that time. They have scored at least two goals in each of their last 13 matches. Over the course of the season, they have won 20 of the 23 matches they have played against sides currently 10th or lower in the table. They have also proven recently that they can continue winning football matches while keeping the side fresh, making several changes in recent games but not letting up on their performances levels – they have had 30 shots to six in their last two matches.

It means that Maidenhead United face a very difficult task. That is despite Alan Devonshire’s side coming into this game on the back three consecutive victories, having a penchant for a shock on home turf and famously beating Wrexham in the first game attended in person by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. However, this will be their fifth game in two weeks, not easy for a part-time outfit coming up against full-time sides. They have failed to win any of their last three home matches against top half sides, coming unstuck against Notts County and Southend United and drawing against Wealdstone. And Wrexham are a different animal to the one they played last season.

It has the potential to be a tight affair but Wrexham have been phenomenal.

Leicester were disappointing as they were beaten by Blackburn in the FA Cup. Brendan Rodgers’ comments indicate that he will be looking for a swift response from his team. His assessment of their performance was damning and it was indicative of the season they are having. The Foxes have blown hot and cold in different periods but they are facing a Southampton side that are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League.

Leicester created a few good chances against Manchester United last weekend but were ultimately beaten 3-0. Rodgers’ side are still far too open at the back and Southampton should have some joy going forward. Despite being in last place, the Saints have scored in eight of their 11 home league games this season.

Leicester’s away matches in the league this season are averaging 4.08 goals per game. Both teams have scored in seven of the 12 and the importance of this fixture should mean that both teams throw everything at it. The Foxes can be dragged into the relegation battle if they are beaten here. The Saints could move off the bottom of the table and closer to safety with a win.

Both teams have scored in their last four meetings between these sides with an average of 3.5 goals per game. The last five meetings at St. Mary’s have seen an average of goals per game; both teams have scored in four of those matches.