Aston Villa beat Manchester United in Unai Emery’s first game in charge back in November – can they continue their brilliant run when they go to Old Trafford on Sunday?
“United are well placed to finish in the top four and are in the FA Cup final too but I’m still not convinced by them whenever I watch them,” said BBC Sport’s football expert Chris Sutton. “It’s Villa who have all the momentum right now.”
Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.
This weekend he is taking on rapper and Man City fan Blanco.
Blanco, 24, first came to prominence with his leading role in drill collective Harlem Spartans. His latest singles, Carpe Diem and Londis, were both released in March and he has a full-length project to come later this year – his new mixtape Rebourne is dropping mid-June.
Blanco is from south London but grew up a Blue – mostly because of Robinho.
“When I was in primary school, he was one of my favourite players,” he told BBC Sport. “At that age I wasn’t watching football for the football, I was watching for the skills. He was such a brilliant player, I fell in love with him.
“I remember getting posters of him from the Match of the Day magazine and watching as many highlights of him as I could. He scored some amazing goals and I followed Manchester City because of him.
“No-one believes me, it’s crazy! But I have Facebook posts proving it, even before City won the Premier League in 2012.
“My favourite player now? Well, I’m spoilt for choice.”
City are chasing the Treble this season, and could secure glory in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
“I can see it happening, I’d just like us to get closer to it before I think about it too much,” Blanco added.
“It’s going to be tough to get past Real Madrid [in the semi-finals of the CL] but I’d actually be more scared of them if the tie was being played the same order as last year, when the first leg was at home and then we went away.
“This way, I just think whatever happens at the Bernabeu, we can turn it around.
“In terms of the league, though, I was always confident we were going to beat Arsenal. We just always look like a team that could do it when it mattered.”
I can understand why West Ham’s David Moyes was so upset after his side lost to Liverpool on Wednesday because they should have had that late penalty for Thiago’s handball.
The Hammers have been much improved in recent weeks but I think they still need another win to get to safety and it is asking a lot for them to get it at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace’s unbeaten run under Roy Hodgson ended at Molineux on Tuesday after three wins and a draw but it wasn’t as if they played badly. I’d be surprised if they lost again here, especially because I don’t think West Ham will keep a clean sheet.
Source – BBC Sport
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