Premier League matches are never a forgone conclusion especially in the tight relegation battle where teams fight till the very end to guarantee their safety. This season we have Newcastle, Sunderland and Norwich trying to avoid the drop and Gameweek 36 will play a massive part in deciding their fate.
All three teams will play on Saturday where Sunderland and Newcastle seem to have the edge over Norwich. The Canaries take on Arsenal at The Emirates while Sunderland take on the struggling Stoke and Newcastle play against the under-performing Crystal Palace.
Whilst Norwich seem to be in tough spot at the moment, we should not write them off just yet. Arsenal were given a stern test by Sunderland last weekend and Alex Neil’s side can take inspiration from that game and look to stifle Gunners at Home.
Emirates will be at their anxious best as they are not sure whether to back Arsene Wenger or go against him. There are rumours of a public walkout this weekend as well which is never the right motivation for players or the manager.
Norwich must take advantage of the situation and make Emirates turn on their players by dominating the game early. By doing so, they will stand the best chance of getting something against Arsenal and go ahead in the survival scrap this season.
As for Newcastle, they look like the most in-form and committed side going in to the relegation run-in. Rafa Benitez has done a fine job at St. James’ Park and the Geordies supporters will once again be at their loudest as they welcome the struggling Crystal Palace.
The Eagles must still be in their Cup hangover after booking a place in the FA Cup final. Wilfried Zaha is a doubt for this game and Yannick Bolasie could be given a rest. This could be the perfect opportunity for Benitez and his team to race ahead and jump out of the bottom-three.
One team who would like to think otherwise will be Sunderland who are coming on the back of a good run of form as well. Their 3-0 win over Norwich was followed by a well-deserved draw against Arsenal which will put them in right state going in to the weekend’s game against Stoke City.
Sam Allardyce would hope for another awful Stoke performance after The Potters have conceded 4 goals in each of their last three games. Jermaine Defoe and Fabio Borini have been in good form lately and Black Cats faithfuls would hope for a decent showing from their strikers this weekend.
Ahead of the relegation Saturday on Gameweek 36, Norwich look certain to be dragged in to bottom-3 while there is an opportunity for Sunderland and Newcastle to breather easy and take a huge step towards guaranteeing their safety this season.
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