The penultimate round of fixtures in this season’s Premier League will take place over the course of the midweek, with the battle to finish in the top four expected to take centre stage.
There will be four matches taking place on Tuesday, with champions Manchester City and second-placed Manchester United both in action, but the standout fixture will undoubtedly come from Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea and Leicester City set to meet in a potential top-four decider.
Foxes to Take Giant Step Towards Champions League
Leicester claimed a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley and the two teams are now set to lock horns once again as they both bid to secure Champions League football for next season.
The Foxes currently sit third in the standings and a victory on Tuesday would see them seal a top-four place, while a draw would leave them in the ascendancy heading into the final day.
Realistically Chelsea must win the match to keep their top-four hopes in their own hands, but the Blues have only triumphed in one of their last seven meetings with Leicester, losing both encounters so far this season.
However, Leicester’s recent record at Stamford Bridge is poor, as they have won on just two of their last 29 league visits, while four of the last six top-flight meetings have ended all square, which makes the draw on Tuesday a tempting proposition at 11/4.
United to Get Back on Track Against Fulham
A run of four matches in the space of eight days seemingly caught up with Manchester United last week, as they suffered back-to-back defeats to Leicester and Liverpool, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side should be fully recharged for Tuesday’s visit of already-relegated Fulham.
United have an impressive recent record against the Cottagers as they are unbeaten in the last 13 meetings between the two sides, winning 11 of those games.
A mid-season revival had moved Fulham to within touching distance of safety, but Scott Parker’s side have since picked up just one point from their last eight games and they now appear to be going down with a whimper.
Scoring goals has been a problem for the Cottagers all season as only bottom of the table Sheffield United have netted fewer top-flight goals, which makes United an intriguing option at 20/21 to win Tuesday’s match to zero.
No Slip-Ups for City on the South Coast
Champions Manchester City have an imperious record against Brighton as they have emerged victorious in all seven previous Premier League meetings between the two sides by an aggregate score of 21-2.
Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester City All-Time Premier League Match Records ahead of tomorrow's game at the AMEX Stadium
Brighton Wins: 0
Draws: 0
City Wins: 7
Goals: Brighton 2-21 City#BHAFC #MCFC https://t.co/hFbE8VDtEe pic.twitter.com/oUQKEoplMX— Soccer Facts (@Soccer_Stats) May 18, 2021
Pep Guardiola’s side have also won each of their last 12 league matches on the road, while they are unbeaten in 23 away games across all competitions, both of which are records for a team in England’s top four divisions.
If that did not make Brighton’s task tough enough, the Seagulls will also be without suspended duo Lewis Dunk and Neal Maupay for Tuesday’s match.
Given City have scored at least four goals on their last two visits to the Amex, it would be no surprise to see them repeat that trick on Tuesday and they can be backed at 19/2 to win by four goals or more.
Saints to Edge Past Leeds on Home Soil
Southampton have endured a disappointing second half of the season, but their campaign could be set to end on a high following back-to-back wins over Crystal Palace and Fulham.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are now unbeaten in their last four home games and they will fancy their chances of adding to that tally on Tuesday, as they have won five of their last six league meetings with Leeds on the south coast.
Leeds United put on a masterclass against Burnley on Saturday and they are flying at the moment, but how will they fare against Southampton? #bbcfootball #LEESOU
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) May 18, 2021
Leeds will also head into fixture seeking a third successive win, while they will be looking to complete a league double over Southampton for the first time in 15 years following their 3-0 victory when the two teams met at Elland Road back in February.
That defeat came when Southampton were in the midst of a poor run of form and it would be no surprise to see the Saints get their revenge on Tuesday, with the home victory priced at 17/10.
*All odds correct at time of writing