Man City were impressive against the Reds last time out, and the 2-1 scoreline didn’t really do them much justice. They carved out plenty of quality opportunities and had a third goal chalked off late on. 

Guardiola's side will relish a return to the Etihad here, where they have won four matches on the bounce. They were convincing against Newcastle in their last home outing, cruising to a 3-1 win, having gone into that game already with a 2-0 aggregate lead. Man City have won 12 of their 16 home matches this season across all competitions, and will be confident of increasing that rate on Wednesday night. 

Pep Guardiola’s men have won each of their last 19 head-to-head meetings against Fulham, highlighting just how dominant they have been in this matchup. City raced to a 5-1 lead after 54 minutes when these sides last met, before taking their foot off the gas. They will hope to be more convincing on Wednesday night.

Aston Villa have won eight of their 12 home matches this season.

Unai Emery’s side will be confident of collecting another three points when they host Brighton, with the visitors  without a win across their last five Premier League games.

Aston Villa won the initial league meeting between these sides 4-3 and have won the last four head-to-heads at Villa Park.

Wolves have failed to win any of their 12 away matches in the PL this season.

Nottingham Forest ran out 1-0 winners in the most recent head to head meeting between the sides at Molineux in December.

Wolves have lost their last three games in the Premier League by an aggregate score of 7-1.

With Forest only three points clear of West Ham in the relegation zone, this home match against bottom club Wolves is absolutely vital to their survival hopes.

Burnley are winless in 16 Premier League matches and are now 11 points adrift of safety.

Crystal Palace will enter this match with renewed confidence after ending their recent winless run with a 1-0 win over Brighton last time out.

Burnley have only won one of their 12 away games in the PL this season, with this victory coming back in October at Wolves.

Sunderland are unbeaten at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League this season, winning seven and drawing fives of their 12 home matches.

The initial meeting between these sides ended in a 1-1 draw at Anfield back in December.

Sunderland have only conceded nine goals at home in the PL this season, with only Arsenal and City boasting better home defensive records.

Man City were impressive against the Reds last time out, and the 2-1 scoreline didn’t really do them much justice. They carved out plenty of quality opportunities and had a third goal chalked off late on. 

Guardiola's side will relish a return to the Etihad here, where they have won four matches on the bounce. They were convincing against Newcastle in their last home outing, cruising to a 3-1 win, having gone into that game already with a 2-0 aggregate lead. Man City have won 12 of their 16 home matches this season across all competitions, and will be confident of increasing that rate on Wednesday night. 

Pep Guardiola’s men have won each of their last 19 head-to-head meetings against Fulham, highlighting just how dominant they have been in this matchup. City raced to a 5-1 lead after 54 minutes when these sides last met, before taking their foot off the gas. They will hope to be more convincing on Wednesday night.

Fulham were able to pull the score back to 5-4 at Craven Cottage, but were unlucky in the end. Josh King saw his effort cleared off the line by Josko Gvardiol in the dying embers, leaving the home crowd frustrated.

Led by Harry Wilson, The Cottagers have been strong in the final third this season, and have only failed to score once in their last 16 matches across all competitions. 

Given how City haven’t quite been at their best defensively this season, Fulham will be confident they can get on the scoresheet once again. 

However, their main challenge will be keeping the Citizens at bay. The hosts have scored 29 goals in their 12 Premier League games at the Etihad this season, bagging multiple times in nine of those games. They have plenty of attacking firepower, and tend to take things up a gear when they play in front of a home crowd.

Since suffering an ACL injury, Rodri has struggled with fitness, but has been reintroduced to first-team action recently after an extensive hiatus. The Ballon d’Or winner has played a part in eleven of the last 12 matches for Man City, starting each of the last four Premier League games. 

The Spaniard hasn’t looked at his best since returning, and has picked up three yellow cards in those eleven recent appearances. He was also sent off against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League for two bookable offences. 

However, Rodri has been adept at drawing free-kicks in midfield areas, and he is averaging 1.78 fouls drawn per 90 this season. He has landed this selection in four of his previous seven starts, with one failure coming against Exeter City in the FA Cup. However, Rodri was replaced at half-time in that game, with the game lacking competitiveness.

Rayan Cherki had a field day in that one, as he provided two assists and really seemed to be enjoying himself.

Although he didn’t register a shot in that match, he didn’t really need to - Cherki’s shot volume has been very consistent, and he is averaging 2.89 shots per 90 this season, landing this selection in seven out of ten home matches across all competitions.

Despite only appearing for the final 30 minutes at Anfield off the bench, he did still record one shot, but had a late goal strangely disallowed by VAR. The 22-year-old has been one of the signings of the summer, and already has nine goals and ten assists to his name after just 31 appearances across all competitions.

City should be able to dominate possession midweek, making this a solid matchup to target Cherki.

It was a much-needed win for Crystal Palace at the weekend, who were able to hold on to a 1-0 win at the Amex against their rivals Brighton.

That should provide a confidence boost for the Eagles, who have been lifted to 13th in the league. The presence of Ismaila Sarr has massively increased Palace’s threat in the final third, while Jorgen Strand Larsen also looked sharp on his debut last time out. 

Meanwhile, Burnley are firmly planted in the bottom three, and they are ten points behind Nottingham Forest in 17th. There is still a glimmer of hope that they can pull off a miraculous survival story, but they will realistically need to start winning games.

They should view this as a winnable match, so are likely to be front-footed in their approach. That could leave them exposed at the back, though, which makes goals a target.

The departure of Marc Guehi has been a massive loss, and Palace have shipped six goals in their four games since their captain joined Man City.

However, they have at least still managed to find the back of the net in all of those matches, highlighting how they are still adept in the final third, and the return of Daniel Munoz is another positive.  

Burnley have struggled to limit opposition shots this season, and they rank top of the charts for total shots and shots on target conceded in the Premier League. Because of that, Martin Dubravka has been a key player for the Clarets - he has played every available minute in the Premier League, and has racked up the most saves of any keeper.

He tops the charts by quite some distance, too. Dubravka has accrued 99 saves from 25 appearances this season, and Robin Roefs is second, with 77 saves.

Burnley’s lack of coherence from set-pieces certainly hasn’t helped their cause this campaign. They have conceded 102 shots from dead-ball scenarios this season, which is the fifth-most of any side in the English top flight. 

Maxence Lacroix is averaging 0.59 shots per 90 this season, which is nothing to write home about, but he has notably landed this selection in all four matches without Guehi. Lacroix had two shots against Chelsea in his last home outing, with one of those hitting the target. 

The Frenchman has seen an uptick in shots recently and has landed this selection in seven of his last eight starts overall. Additionally, he seems to have more involvement in the final third at Selhurst Park, where his shots average rises to 0.74 per 90. Lacroix will be Palace’s primary aerial threat here, and draws an excellent matchup to keep his streak going. 

Jaidon Anthony has been a key player for Burnley this season, operating on the left wing. He sees quite a lot of the ball for his side, and often looks to beat his marker.

The winger is averaging 1.98 fouls drawn per 90 this season, and has an excellent matchup to increase that figure on Wednesday night, as he will be primarily up against Munoz out wide.

Anthony’s fouls drawn prospects look solid here, and he has cleared this line alone with multiple fouls drawn in six of his last seven starts, but he is also no stranger to a foul, which adds an extra safety net here. 

Anthony is averaging 1.1 fouls per 90 this season on the road and was booked for a late challenge in his last away outing against Sunderland. That means he has recorded an infringement in each of his last nine away starts. 

Forest come in as decent favourites to take all three points midweek, which makes sense given how poor Wolves have been this season.

However, Rob Edward's side did at least manage to find the back of the net at the weekend, which ended a three-game goalless streak. Tolu Arokodare was the one who scored, although it proved only to be a consolation goal, as Wolves were already 3-0 down in the first half. 

There were just seven corners in that game, with it quickly losing its competitive edge, but Wolves have posed a threat going forward. They have accrued at least four corners in each of their last eight matches across all competitions, even against the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle, and Man City. 

Forest also seem to play with a lot more attacking intent on home turf - they are averaging 6.3 corners per game at the City Ground this season across all competitions, compared to 4.6 corners per game on their travels.

The Tricky Trees are currently in a precarious position, just three points above the drop zone. This is a very winnable game for them, though, and they will have to seize the opportunity of taking maximum points. Realistically, a draw won't do them much good, so Sean Dyche’s men are likely to be front-footed in their approach. 

Wolves have struggled to keep up this season, and they rank top of the charts for total fouls committed in the Premier League. That has translated to the sixth-most yellow cards in the division. 

Wolves are averaging 2.25 cards per game this season, rising to 2.75 when playing away. This selection has landed in 10 out of their 12 away games in total, and Wolves were shown two cards when these sides last met back in December. 

Yerson Mosquera accounted for one of those bookings, and Joao Gomes picked up the other. The Brazilian was heavily involved on the defensive front in that game, racking up a total of nine duels. That resulted in two fouls before he was replaced after 85 minutes. 

Joao Gomes has been a notable contributor to Wolves’ poor disciplinary record, and he has racked up more infringements than any other Premier League player this season. The 24-year-old is averaging an eye-catching 2.7 fouls per 90 when playing away this term, registering multiple infringements in nine out of eleven games overall. 

Gomes should find duels against Elliot Anderson, who is averaging 2.6 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions this season, in the middle of the park. Additionally, Morgan Gibbs-White is averaging 1.1 fouls drawn per 90 and is usually given a frosty reception by Wolves.

However, the Englishman usually uses that as motivation - he spent 14 years at Wolves before leaving for Nottingham Forest in 2022, so he knows all about the club. He usually takes things up a gear against his former employers, and he registered three shots with two on target when he last faced them in Nottingham. 

In fact, Gibbs-White has played against Wolves four times at the City Ground across his career, and he has landed this selection in all four matches. He looks well-poised to keep that streak going, given how his shot volume has remained consistent on home turf, and Wolves’ current situation. 

Gibbs-White is averaging 2.87 shots per 90, and has hit this mark in nine out of 15 home matches this season across all competitions. He has registered at least two shots in 14 of those matches, only failing in a tough matchup against Man City. 

Aston Villa have lost two of their last nine matches across all competitions. Interestingly, both of those defeats came on home turf. Everton ended an eleven-game winning streak at Villa Park with a 1-0 win, and Brentford repeated that feat in Villa’s next home game. 

In between those games, The Villains did manage to secure three points against RB Salzburg to close out their Europa League group phase on a high, but even still, they conceded twice. In fairness, Unai Emery has had to contend without key players in recent weeks, particularly in midfield. Amadou Onana has missed a few matches with injury, while Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara remain unavailable for this match against Brighton. 

Because of that, Villa haven’t been able to exert as much control on games as they would’ve liked, and they have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last six home games. 

There was plenty to talk about when these sides last met, as it finished 4-3 at the Amex back in December. There really could have been more goals, too, as the two goalkeepers combined to make ten saves. Brighton were able to carve out plenty of chances, registering 16 shots and three big chances worth 2.21 xG. Seven of their 17 shots hit the target. 

Andy Madley, who is usually so reserved with his cards, dished out four in total, with two yellows awarded to either team. The Seagulls have seen a notable increase in cards when playing away this season - they are averaging 3.3 cards per game on their travels in the Premier League. 

This selection has landed in 10 out of 12 games overall, and they could struggle to contain Villa once again, given that they are drawing 2.25 cards per game at Villa Park this season.

Georginio Rutter was absent when these sides last met due to injury, allowing Brajan Gruda to start in an advanced midfield spot instead. The German international committed two fouls and was fouled twice, landing this selection comfortably before being replaced after 77 minutes. Rutter looks set to reclaim his starting position here, and he should find duels against Douglas Luiz, Onana, and Morgan Rogers in midfield. 

Rutter likes to have the ball at his feet and will often look to beat his marker. Against an aggressive Villa midfield, there is high potential for him to draw fouls. The Frenchman is averaging 1.68 fouls drawn per 90 this season across all competitions. 

In addition to that, Rutter is averaging 1.57 fouls per 90, rising to 1.64 when playing away. That means he is averaging 3.32 fouls involvements per 90 this season when playing away, with good prospects in both markets.

Aston Villa were left frustrated in their last home outing, as Brentford were able to hold on to a slender one-goal lead, despite being reduced to ten men.

Kevin Schade received a first-half red card, but the Bees opened the scoring just a couple of minutes later. It was one-way traffic for the entire second period, but the Villains were somehow unable to find the back of the net. 

Matty Cash racked up four shots in that game. Given the gamestate, he was able to operate in much more advanced positions than usual, but three of his efforts came from the edge of the box.

The Polish international is averaging 1.01 shots per 90 in the Premier League this season, and the vast majority of those tend to come from range. In fact, 15 of his 22 shots in the league have come from outside the box.

There was plenty to talk about when these sides last met, as it finished 4-3 at the Amex back in December. There really could have been more goals, too, as the two goalkeepers combined to make ten saves. Brighton were able to carve out plenty of chances, registering 16 shots and three big chances worth 2.21 xG. Seven of their 17 shots hit the target. 

Andy Madley, who is usually so reserved with his cards, dished out four in total, with two yellows awarded to either team. The Seagulls have seen a notable increase in cards when playing away this season - they are averaging 3.3 cards per game on their travels in the Premier League. 

This selection has landed in 10 out of 12 games overall, and they could struggle to contain Villa once again, given that they are drawing 2.25 cards per game at Villa Park this season.

Jaidon Anthony has been a key player for Burnley this season, operating on the left wing. He sees quite a lot of the ball for his side, and often looks to beat his marker.

The winger is averaging 1.98 fouls drawn per 90 this season, and has an excellent matchup to increase that figure on Wednesday night, as he will be primarily up against Munoz out wide.

Anthony’s fouls drawn prospects look solid here, and he has cleared this line alone with multiple fouls drawn in six of his last seven starts, but he is also no stranger to a foul, which adds an extra safety net here. 

Anthony is averaging 1.1 fouls per 90 this season on the road and was booked for a late challenge in his last away outing against Sunderland. That means he has recorded an infringement in each of his last nine away starts. 

Fulham were able to pull the score back to 5-4 at Craven Cottage, but were unlucky in the end. Josh King saw his effort cleared off the line by Josko Gvardiol in the dying embers, leaving the home crowd frustrated.

Led by Harry Wilson, The Cottagers have been strong in the final third this season, and have only failed to score once in their last 16 matches across all competitions. 

Given how City haven’t quite been at their best defensively this season, Fulham will be confident they can get on the scoresheet once again. 

However, their main challenge will be keeping the Citizens at bay. The hosts have scored 29 goals in their 12 Premier League games at the Etihad this season, bagging multiple times in nine of those games. They have plenty of attacking firepower, and tend to take things up a gear when they play in front of a home crowd.

However, the Englishman usually uses that as motivation - he spent 14 years at Wolves before leaving for Nottingham Forest in 2022, so he knows all about the club. He usually takes things up a gear against his former employers, and he registered three shots with two on target when he last faced them in Nottingham. 

In fact, Gibbs-White has played against Wolves four times at the City Ground across his career, and he has landed this selection in all four matches. He looks well-poised to keep that streak going, given how his shot volume has remained consistent on home turf, and Wolves’ current situation. 

Gibbs-White is averaging 2.87 shots per 90, and has hit this mark in nine out of 15 home matches this season across all competitions. He has registered at least two shots in 14 of those matches, only failing in a tough matchup against Man City. 

I’m a really big fan of Noah Sadiki who Sunderland really missed when he was away at AFCON. The Black Cats are still expected to be without Xhaka for this clash, so Sadiki’s presence is even more important than it would have been if Xhaka was available for selection.

What is instantly noticeable about Sadiki is how much ground he covers, it’s sometimes like having two players in the middle of the park for Sunderland rolled into one. Sadiki has committed 18 fouls across his 20 Premier League starts this season (0.92 per 90), and has committed a foul in three of his last five matches across all competitions.

Sadiki had three foul involvements when the sides clashed at Anfield a few months ago, being fouled twice and committing one foul himself. He’ll be in for a tough evening here with his main opponent likely to be Ryan Gravenberch, who is very clever when it comes to getting himself out of tight spaces - he is averaging 1.29 fouls won per 90 in the Premier League this term, and was fouled once in the initial head to head clash between the sides.

Rangers matches, and high corner counts often go hand in hand, making over 7.5 corners a sensible selection at Fir Park on Wednesday night in what should be an entertaining encounter.

Moreover, Rangers’ Scottish Premiership fixtures are averaging 10.80 corners per game this season, with the Light Blues responsible for the bulk of that output. In fact, Rangers, as tends to be the case, have been one of the strongest corner performers in the division, averaging 6.64 flag kicks per game.

While Motherwell’s matches haven’t been quite as corner-heavy, largely due to how well they maintain possession, their Scottish Premiership fixtures are still producing an average of 8.21 corners per 90, which would be enough to cover the proposed over 7.5 line.

What’s more, the previous meeting between the pair at Fir Park earlier this season saw both sides combine to deliver 13 corners, which adds further weight to siding with eight or more on Wednesday night. 

Additionally, three of the hosts’ last four Scottish Premiership matches have surpassed the 7.5 corner line, with two of those fixtures notably producing totals of 14 and 17 flag kicks.

While Rangers have shown improvement under Danny Rohl, they remain far from the finished article. Therefore, I wouldn’t be confident in the Light Blues coming away from Fir Park with all three points on Wednesday night, particularly with the hosts looking worthy of support to score at least once.

Many observers of the SPFL would agree that Motherwell have been the most entertaining side to follow in the Scottish Premiership this season, and their fluid attacking style has seen them score at least once in 19 of their 24 top-flight outings. The Steelmen have also struck at least once in 11 of their 12 home league fixtures, including the last time they faced Rangers at Fir Park earlier in the campaign.

It’s also worth noting that Motherwell have found the net at least twice in eight of those 12 home league games, one of which came against Celtic in the not-too-distant past. 

The case for siding with this selection is further strengthened by Rangers’ conceding away at the likes of Dundee United, Celtic, and Hearts in recent times, not to mention their backline was breached last midweek by a relegation-threatened Kilmarnock side that were reduced to ten men.

Tawanda Maswanhise has been one of the standout performers in the Scottish Premiership this season, and I’m keen to back the Motherwell forward to register at least one shot on target on Wednesday night. No player has scored more goals than Maswanhise (13) in the Scottish top-flight this term, with his shot numbers providing plenty of encouragement for this selection. 

The Motherwell ace is averaging a sizeable 2.67 shots per game in the Scottish Premiership this season, with 1.42 of those hitting the target. On closer inspection, Maswanhise has tested the opposition goalkeeper in nine of his last 10 Scottish Premiership appearances, registering multiple shots on target in each of his last four outings.

While Rangers have shown improvement under Danny Rohl, they remain defensively suspect and continue to concede plenty of chances. This is underlined by the fact that the Light Blues are conceding an average of just under five shots on target per away game in the Scottish top-flight this term. 

With all that in mind, Maswanhise looks well placed to work Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland at least once at Fir Park on Wednesday night.

Another Motherwell man I like the look of for a shot on target on Wednesday night is Elijah Just. He has been one of several Motherwell players to impress this season, and one aspect of his game that always catches the eye is the number of shots he likes to fire in on goal.

That is reflected in the numbers, with Just averaging 2.80 shots per 90 in the Scottish Premiership this season, 0.88 of which are on target.

It’s Just’s on-target output that has been particularly impressive in recent months, though, with the New Zealand ace hitting the target in 5 of his last seven Scottish top-flight outings at Fir Park, including twice against Celtic. It's also worth noting that the 25-year-old registered an on-target effort against Rangers at Ibrox in this season’s reverse fixture.

With Motherwell so adept at controlling possession and putting their opponents under constant pressure, Just should have plenty of chances to force Gers stopper Jack Butland into action on Wednesday night.

The Fresh Legs feature from SBK adds a welcome touch of insurance to this pick, as it does with the above-mentioned Maswanhise selection.

Cody Gakpo has committed 25 fouls across his 19 starts in the Premier League this season, working out to an average of 1.35 per 90. Only Hugo Ekitike (27) has committed more fouls than the Dutchman in the Premier League this term, and he has a particularly interesting battle here against Trai Hume.

Gakpo has committed a foul in three of his last five Premier League appearances, including his most recent assignment against Manchester City. Gakpo doesn’t usually get the benefit of the doubt from the referee due to his large frame and intensity with which Liverpool press from the front. This is evident as even though Liverpool don’t have the greatest fouls record in the division, the majority of them are concentrated in the opposition's half.

Trai Hume has won 24 fouls across his 23 starts in the Premier League this term (1.05 per 90), so he should be an ideal opponent for Gakpo to haul down at least once in this contest, in line with his record across the season as a whole.

I’m a really big fan of Noah Sadiki who Sunderland really missed when he was away at AFCON. The Black Cats are still expected to be without Xhaka for this clash, so Sadiki’s presence is even more important than it would have been if Xhaka was available for selection.

What is instantly noticeable about Sadiki is how much ground he covers, it’s sometimes like having two players in the middle of the park for Sunderland rolled into one. Sadiki has committed 18 fouls across his 20 Premier League starts this season (0.92 per 90), and has committed a foul in three of his last five matches across all competitions.

Sadiki had three foul involvements when the sides clashed at Anfield a few months ago, being fouled twice and committing one foul himself. He’ll be in for a tough evening here with his main opponent likely to be Ryan Gravenberch, who is very clever when it comes to getting himself out of tight spaces - he is averaging 1.29 fouls won per 90 in the Premier League this term, and was fouled once in the initial head to head clash between the sides.

Sunderland are yet to lose at the Stadium of Light this season with seven wins from their 12 home matches. Regis Le Bris’ side have managed to make their home ground a real fortress, and have netted 21 goals across these matches (1.75 per game).

What is particularly notable about this metric is how many of Sunderland’s goals have come at the Stadium of Light this season. 21 of their 27 total goals in the Premier League have come in front of their home fans (77%). Only Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal have picked up more points at home in the Premier League this season than Sunderland.

Liverpool have conceded 21 goals across their 12 away matches in the Premier League this term (1.75 per game) and have only managed to win four of their games on the road. They conceded to Sunderland in the most recent head to head clash, and have only kept one clean sheet in the Premier League across their last five matches.

Liverpool should be the main driving force behind this angle with Arne Slot’s side seeing 9.67 corners per game across their 12 away matches in the Premier League this term. Liverpool themselves are averaging 5.33 corners per game on the road, which is a healthy average when looking to back corners in this clash.

There were 10 match corners in the initial league meeting between the sides, Liverpool were responsible for seven of these corners. This suggests that Liverpool could end up covering this line mostly on their own, though I’d expect Sunderland to improve on their tally of three corners at Anfield given that set pieces are such a weapon for his side.

Sunderland aren’t seeing too many corners at home this season (7.58 per game), but I’d expect that to rise here given the context surrounding this fixture. Liverpool need all three points to stay in the race for a Champions League spot, so I expect the Reds to play with urgency - which could spiral into desperation in the latter stages.