Man United, Newcastle and Chelsea are desperately trying to keep their seasons alive with two FA Cup draws and one without a win. In Prem, it was a six pointer at Luton…
Match to watch: Manchester United vs Liverpool
It would be too simplistic to say that Liverpool hold Erik ten Hag's future in their handsHowever, the Reds could certainly have a say in deciding the Manchester United manager's fate.
The FA Cup is United's last chance for a silver medal, and Champions League qualification could be seen as a trophy at Old Trafford, but given the Red Devils' inconsistency, even that is unlikely. Looks low.
Ten Hag will rely on moments, but this Man United are a team of moments, so it might work out in the end. Few would logically back them to beat Liverpool, even in this injury-hit version, but every once in a while, they surprise us.
And it would be a shock to see Man United progress at the expense of Liverpool. That in itself is terrible. The Ten Hag side's subservience to players they consider rivals is one of the biggest accusations against not just the manager but the club as a whole.
If Manchester United were to target Liverpool, they could be targeted and torn apart.If they sit down, the manager will crack it down just like he did When his team played Liverpool at Anfield. It's up to Ten Hag to somehow find a balance while Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his minions make the decisions.
Team to watch: Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino is in a similar position at Chelsea. At least the Blues were given a friendly draw on paper, but it could prove more dangerous for the manager.
Championship leaders Leicester travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, but Chelsea fans are yet to be enamored with the players and manager. This is the second of four consecutive home games, giving Blues fans a chance to fully formulate their opinions on the team's prospects as thoughts turn to possible next steps in the summer.
Initial noise is not good. actually, They were harsh at Brentford. And while neither team took much credit for Monday's win over Newcastle, it was mostly a blur.
Pochettino knows his team is not good enough to realize his and the club's immediate ambitions, but such is the fragility of their trust that he pretends to control his own destiny. All we can do is try to strengthen the players we have.
For both Chelsea and Pochettino, this is a must-win draw.
Read more: Premier League xG table: 5) Chelsea 9) Newcastle United
Player to watch: Martin Dubravka
I can't help but feel sorry for Newcastle's stand-in stopper. Dubravka plays behind a porous defense, but his basic numbers don't reflect well on the Slovakian.
Dubravka and Nick Pope have each made 14 appearances in the Premier League this season. Pope had given up 14 runs before his injury and pitched five scoreless innings. Dubravka scored more than twice as many goals (30 total) while racking up three shutouts. Pope allowed one goal in the 90th minute. In Dubravka his number is 2.3.
These raw statistics have led to Dubravka being criticized as a sub-par replacement, but this situation is worth explaining in more detail. Pope had 53 shots on his own goal. Without reaching the same number of minutes, Dubravka faced his 89th match. This is an increase of 68%. Simply put, Newcastle's defense is folding in on itself.
Without Dubravka, Newcastle would not have remained in the FA Cup, where they face Manchester City on Saturday night. His heroics got the team through against Blackburn, but if Newcastle are to have any hope of keeping their season alive with a team that holds almost every title, Eddie Howe will need a similar performance from his goalkeeper. need.
Featured director: Nuno Espirito Santo
A six-point Premier League clash is being played at Kenilworth Road, with Luton hosting Nottingham Forest during the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Had the Hatters not succumbed at Bournemouth, they would have at least been level with the visitors on points. At this rate, a home win for Luton on Saturday afternoon could equal Forest's current record.
Forest desperately need the six-point cushion provided by an away win, as they fear a point deduction for a PSR breach could see them drop below Luton.
That, and the cries about refereeing decisions, seem to be occupying too much Forest's head space at the moment, when they should be focusing on what impact they will have.
Nuno said the same thing before the loss to Brighton, when the spotlight was once again on those involved, rather than Forest's most glaring failings in front of goal. The manager must urge Forest to fund a state-of-the-art away game, which will be the first of four against their relegation rivals with five games remaining.
EFL fixtures to watch: Swansea vs Cardiff
You would be surprised to know that Leeds will still qualify this weekend. But our focus takes us to South Wales for a derby that the manager has no courage to lose.
The last 11 bosses who lost this match were no longer there by the time the next derby came around. Errol Brutt will increase his chances of staying at Cardiff by becoming the first Bluebirds manager to win a league double against the Swans. Doing so would allow Cardiff to start their play-off hopes with five points and five points adrift of the top six.
Luke Williams needs a win to eliminate any lingering fears of relegation. Swansea are seven places above the bottom three but just five points clear of the drop zone.
With both teams brimming with confidence and both managers wary of the consequences of defeat, it will likely be seen as a game they must not lose, and it will be a tense game. Maybe we should watch Leeds vs. Millwall after all.
Antoine Griezmann was shouted at from the Atletico Madrid substitute bench.
European matches to watch: Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona
There was little time to bask in their midweek Champions League victory before Atlético and Barça clashed in Madrid on Sunday night.
Atlético really needed to make it to the last eight after their domestic season had been sluggish in recent weeks. Diego Simeone's team lost to Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey semi-finals and lost 2-0 to lower-ranked Cadiz, leaving them in fourth place in La Liga, 14 points behind leaders Real.
They could end the weekend three or nine points behind Barça. If Atlético lose, they could be out of the Champions League places.
Barça's defeat and Real's win at Osasuna will effectively end the Catalans' slim hopes of closing the eight-point gap at the top of the table.
