The weekend was almost dreamland. We kicked off on Saturday night with Manchester United overcoming Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a lovely little winner that paid for the evening wine with Mrs Punter. Then it was an early alarm on Sunday for Adelaide United, who did exactly what I expected and brushed aside Macarthur to keep the momentum rolling.
Then came the Premier League Super Sunday, a monstrous double‑header that promised glory and delivered… almost. Everton put in a hell of a shift in the derby, only for Liverpool to pinch it deep into added time and ruin my draw‑no‑bet punt. And then in the supposed title decider, Manchester City overcame Arsenal in a thriller, a win on the day and a huge step closer to my ante‑post bet on City to win the title. For the record, I don’t see them dropping points from here. In all likelihood it’ll come down to goal difference. Imagine that.
Now we roll into a set of important midweek fixtures in the English top flight, and I’ve got a couple of bets to keep us ticking along as we edge towards the season’s end.
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Brighton v Chelsea
Premier League, American Express Stadium, Falmer, UK, 9pm CET, Tuesday 21st April
Prices: 2.40 Brighton 3.75 Draw 2.70 Chelsea
Chelsea are just rotten at the moment. There’s no polite way to dress it up. They look like a team drifting towards yet another managerial change, and with seven points to make up on Liverpool in fifth, this is a must‑win if they’re to cling to any hope of Champions League football next season.
Brighton, meanwhile, are one of the few sides in the league who still look like they’re enjoying themselves. They’ve got goals from everywhere, creativity in abundance, and they play with a freedom Chelsea can only dream of right now. And speaking of creativity — I’m still buzzing from Kaoru Mitoma’s goal at the weekend, a stunning take on Marco van Basten’s famous volley. That’s the sort of audacity and technique this Brighton side has in its DNA, and it’s exactly why they’re so dangerous at home.
They can actually leapfrog Chelsea with a win here, and on home soil, with the Seagulls buzzing and the Blues beleaguered, I’m more than happy to side with the hosts. Chelsea look like they’re running on fumes; Brighton look like they’re ready to pounce.
Tip: Brighton to win @ 2.40. 1 unit.
Burnley v Manchester City
Premier League, Turf Moor, Burnley, UK, 9.00pm CET, Wednesday 22nd April
Prices: 15.00 Burnley, 8.95 Draw, 1.14 Manchester City
Manchester City beat Arsenal in an absolute barnstormer on Sunday and now head to Turf Moor with the chance to go top of the table for the first time since the opening week of the season. Burnley are almost down and out, and this has all the hallmarks of a routine City win — the only question is how many.
What really excites me about this one is the chance to watch Rayan Cherki go to work again. I love watching him play. He moves like he’s operating in his own private dimension, seeing angles and passes nobody else on the pitch has even begun to compute. If there’s a player built to carve Burnley apart with a single moment of mischief, it’s him. Add Haaland’s hunger, Donnarumma’s authority, and Pep’s obsession with squeezing every drop out of these run‑in fixtures, and it’s hard to picture anything other than a dominant City performance.
With City goal difference now a genuine factor in the title race, this feels like a night where they go hunting for a statement scoreline. They know every goal counts, and Burnley look like the perfect opposition to exploit.
Tip: Manchester City -2 Handicap @ 2.20. 1 unit.
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