The blockbuster clashes continue to keep coming in the English Premier League, with Matchday 28 featuring a battle of 3rd vs 4th with Nottingham Forest taking on Manchester City. There’s plenty of intriguing clashes in store for Premier League fans, and Jack Tobin has you covered with his best bets!
EPL 2024-25: Matchday 28 Preview & Betting Tips
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City
City Ground, Saturday 8th March, 11:30pm AEDT
A crucial fixture in the makeup of the top four kicks off Matchday 28’s slate, with Nottingham Forest hosting Manchester City. Only six points separate third placed Forest from tenth placed Aston Villa, so this clash between City and Forest will have massive implications on the race for a top four place. Nottingham Forest have been on a form slide at the worst time of the year, with just one win from their last five games threatening to derail their Champions League hopes. Manchester City bounced back with a win on Matchday 27, grinding out a 1-0 victory against Tottenham and now have a chance to leapfrog Forest and move into third.
Nottingham Forest did record a clean sheet last week, but their defence over the last three months has been poor. Forest have conceded 13 goals in their last 6 games, after conceding only 19 goals in their first 19 games of the season. Most alarmingly is their capacity to leak big scores, conceding 9 of those 13 goals in two games against Bournemouth and Newcastle. Although Pep Guardiola’s side haven’t been at their best this season, they’ve still scored 53 goals which is the second most of any club in the Premier League this season.
Nottingham Forest’s lack of experience is beginning to show as the season goes on, and despite the excellent football they’ve played this season, they have a fight on their hands to finish in the top four, which looked to be a certainty at the start of 2025. Forest’s record against City doesn’t spark much hope for a return to form, with a 0-1-4 record in their last five Premier League matches against the defending champions. The aggregate scoreline across those five games is 14-1, and Manchester City will continue their form against Nottingham Forest.
Manchester City to Win
$1.90 (1.5 Units)
Manchester United vs Arsenal
Old Trafford, Monday 10th March, 3:30am AEDT
Manchester United and Arsenal face off on Monday morning, with the Gunners looking to keep any slim title hopes alive. Mikel Arteta’s side has dropped points in their last two games, with a loss to West Ham and a draw with Nottingham Forest. Manchester United scraped past relegation bound Ipswich Town in a 3-2 win last week, in a game that summed up their season. The Red Devils are fourteenth on the table, with a 9-6-12 record in what has comfortably been the worst Premier League season in the history of the club.
Manchester United have just one win from their last four games, with all four games coming against teams placed twelfth or lower on the table. It makes the prospect of facing a quality Arsenal outfit all the more daunting, especially given the Gunners are the best defence in the league (23 goals conceded), rank 5th for goals (51) and 5th for possession (56%). The Red Devils rank in the bottom half of the league in both attack and defence, as they struggle to find their identity under Ruben Amorim.
Arsenal have certainly had the wood over Manchester United across the last two years, winning four consecutive league fixtures against the Red Devils, including a 2-0 win over United in December. The Gunners are at excellent value in the head to head markets considering all the above, and they certainly would be worth looking at in the handicap markets given the aggregate score over the last four games between the two sides is 9-4.
Arsenal to Win
$1.75 (2.5 Units)
West Ham vs Newcastle
London Stadium, Tuesday 11th March 7:00am AEDT
Newcastle travel south to London to take on West Ham, with an opportunity to push for a top four place. Newcastle have lost three of their last four games to find themselves in sixth place, however they still only sit three points away from fourth place and could be in the top four by the end of the weekend if results go their way. The Hammers come into this fixture on a two game winning streak, as they look to salvage something from what has been a nightmare season.
The Hammers have scored the fifth fewest goals in the league this season (32) with only the bottom three teams on the table, and 16th placed Everton scoring less goals. West Ham have also been poor at the back, conceding 47 goals, the fifth most in the league. On their day Newcastle are one of the best attacking teams in the league, and could blow West Ham off the park if Eddie Howe’s side can produce their best attacking football.
West Ham have struggled against Newcastle since 2019, winning just two of the last ten Premier League matchups between the two clubs. Alexander Isak has scored 19 goals this season to sit third in the Golden Boot race, and could run riot against a struggling West Ham defence if he gets supply from Newcastle’s midfield. Although West Ham have had some positivity thanks to consecutive wins, it’s about to come back to earth against a Newcastle outfit that will be desperate for a top four place.
Newcastle to Win
$2.20 (1 Unit)
