5 Tips for Thursday’s Action - 19/5/22

Everton host Crystal Palace at Goodison Park this Thursday in a game The Toffees have to win to secure Premier League safety.

The Toffees’ painful 3 - 2 loss to Brentford, a game that saw them lose the lead twice and have two men sent off, means that the three points are more important than ever. Sitting 16th, Frank Lampard’s men are only two points ahead of Burnley in 18th and have only two wins in their last five games. The two wins against teams in the top nine, Chelsea and Leicester, haven’t been enough to inspire enough points for guaranteed safety.

Crystal Palace are in 13th, with a comfortable distance from the relegation scrap, but with three points, could leapfrog Brentford and Newcastle. The Eagles have two wins, two draws and a loss in their last five, including a 1 - 0 win that relegated Watford.

Both teams are likely to score, with all the Premier League clashes between the two going back to 2019 seeing the Both Teams to Score market come off. In fact, the previous meeting at Selhurst Park earlier this season saw both teams score, as Crystal Palace won 3 - 1.

Aston Villa and Burnley meet for the second time in two weeks this Thursday, with The Clarets needing all three points to keep themselves in the race for Premier League survival.

Villa were victorious at Turf Moor, winning 3 - 1, and have two wins, two draws and a loss in their last five games. One of these wins was a 2 - 0 victory that saw Norwich’s relegation secured. Villa currently sit in 14th, but with a win could reach as high as 11th.

Burnley still occupies the last relegation spot, just a point behind Leeds and two behind Everton. The Clarets have three wins and two losses in their last five games, with Burnley going on somewhat of a run before meeting Aston Villa and Tottenham.

Over 2.5 goals is a real possibility, with four of the last five meetings between the two clubs producing over three goals.

Chelsea host Leicester at Stamford Bridge this Thursday after yet another painful FA Cup Final loss.

The Blues lost their third FA Cup Final on the bounce, this time to Liverpool on penalties after the game finished 0 - 0 after extra time.

Chelsea only need a point from their last two games to secure Champions League football next season, but have mixed form in the league. Thomas Tuchel’s men have only two wins, two draws and a loss in their last five, with the loss being a surprise 1 - 0 defeat to Everton.

Leicester sits ninth with no real hope of European football next season. The Foxes have two wins, a draw and two losses in their last five games, as well as a painful two-legged loss to Roma which saw Brendan Rodgers’ men miss out on the inaugural Europa Conference League Final.

Both teams have a high likelihood of scoring, as was the case in the last game between the two at Stamford Bridge. Leicester and their various opponents have also both scored in The Foxes’ last six games. Lukaku is also likely to score, with the Belgian finally finding some momentum, scoring three goals in his last two Premier League games.

Port Vale host Swindon Town in the second leg of the League Two play-off Semi-Final on Thursday.

Swindon travels to Vale Park with a marginal 2 - 1 lead from the first leg after two goals from Harry McKirdy. The Robins finished in sixth place, ending their season with four consecutive wins, including a dramatic 2 - 1 win over League 2 champions Forest Green, despite going down to ten men.

Port Vale are still very much in the tie, especially thanks to a late goal from James Wilson. The Valiants finished fifth in the league but went into the play-off Semi-Finals with less than ideal form. Port Vale has two wins and three losses in the last five games of the season. These three losses were back-to-back-to-back, against Newport County, Walsall and Bristol Rovers.

Harry McKirdy is likely to score, with the Englishman already picking up two in the first leg. McKirdy is Swindon’s top scorer and also the third top scorer in the league, with 22 goals in 36 games.

Hertha Berlin faces Hamburg in the first leg of the Bundesliga relegation play-offs this Thursday.

Hertha's torrid form in their last three games in the Bundesliga and the 92nd-minute winner for Stuttgart has left The Old Lady in the Bundesliga relegation play-offs. The final game of the season was a difficult clash with second-place Borussia Dortmund, with BVB winning 2 - 1, compounding the Berlin club’s season-long misery.

Hamburg finished third in the Bundesliga 2, falling three points behind Werder Bremen in the last automatic promotion place. The Red Shorts won all of their last five games, including back-to-back games where they scored four goals, a 4 - 2 win over Jahn Regensburg and a 4 - 0 win over Ingolstadt.