A new month is here and, for some clubs, it may be a mad March, a manic March or a marvellous March.
Certainly, the outcome of football games over the next month should determine much.
However, the betting odds may remain just as tight with the race for Europe and the bid to beat the drop are so evenly poised among the teams.
WEEK 29 SATURDAY:
Burnley vs Everton
Burnley’s 1-0 triumph at Goodison Park in early October was one of their most impressive displays of the season.
It came at a time when the since-departed Ronald Koeman was under pressure as Toffees boss and his Claret counterpart Sean Dyche was being touted as his replacement.
That they welcome Everton to Turf Moor three points clear of them in the standings highlights the work the man, dubbed by fans as the ‘Ginger Mourinho’, is undertaking.
Leicester City vs Bournemouth
Having won five of their first eight matches under Claude Puel, Leicester have only had two victories in the last 10.
After a slow start to the season under Eddie Howe, Bournemouth have recovered well and picked up 13 points from losing positions this season, a joint-high along with Everton.
The 2016 champions against Howe’s attacking outfit should make for entertaining viewing.
Southampton vs Stoke City
Stoke City’s survival prospects probably depend on how many points they pick up in fixtures like this.
They may have taken six points from their first five matches under new boss Paul Lambert, but with Man City, Everton, Arsenal and Spurs on the horizon, this fixture offers a potentially less daunting examination.
Likewise for Mauricio Pellegrino and his struggling Saints who, to this observer, seem to have sold one too many of their top players to stay up this time around.
Swansea City vs West Ham United
After developing a swagger since the arrival of Carlos Carvalhal, Swansea are back in the drop zone.
Yet, despite no luck on the injury front from the moment the transfer window closed, they remain with a much better chance of survival than six weeks ago.
West Ham know a defeat at the Liberty Stadium will drag them right back into the relegation quagmire.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield travel to Wembley with back-to-back wins against Bournemouth and West Brom, giving them impetus at a vital time.
Spurs also have plenty of momentum and, for the first time in a while, the destiny of a top-four spot in their own hands.
It is conceivable they will have one eye on their midweek Champions League last-16 clash with Juventus.
Watford FC vs West Bromwich Albion
Three wins in 37 Premier League matches explain why West Brom are surely on the way to losing their Premier League status.
Indeed, lose this and Alan Pardew – a strange choice to replace the harshly sacked Tony Pulis in November – might be sacked. The Baggies may well be on the lookout for a third manager of the campaign.
Watford are the masters at changing managers yet are well on their way to securing safety yet again.
WEEK 29 SUNDAY:
Liverpool vs Newcastle United
For the second weekend in a row, a chance appeared for Liverpool to move into second place before Man Utd play 48 hours later.
Newcastle held the Merseysiders in October, and Rafa Benitez will be keen to impress on his return to Anfield where he is much loved.
Can Dwight Gayle, who ended a run of 11 league appearances without a goal last weekend, embark on a run of form to pull the Toons to safety?
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Arsenal
After the double League Cup Final and Premier League ignominy to Arsenal, Arsene Wenger needs more than a change of fortune.
While talk over his future is bound to rumble on until the end of the season – and this time the Frenchman will surely depart north London – he will continue to ensure the Gunners battle for an increasingly unlikely path into next season’s Champions League.
Despite having surely the weakest squad in the top flight, Brighton’s first season in the Premier League may well yet earn a second. Such is the momentum being generated by Chris Hughton and his close-knit group of players.
WEEK 29 TUESDAY:
Crystal Palace vs Manchester United
This should be a lot closer than the Old Trafford contest in September when newly arrived Roy Hodgson saw his team concede after just three minutes on their way to a 4-0 reverse just seven days after conceding five at Man City.
It took a last-gasp Zlatan Ibrahimovich goal to win this fixture last season, and Jose Mourinho’s men will not take the Eagles for granted.
Depending on weekend results, Palace could start this contest in the relegation zone and need a quick return for the mercurial Wilfried Zaha.
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