Alan Smith’s Expert Predictions: FA Cup Final & Premier League GW37

The FA Cup’s Status

It’s not as big as it was. It’s bigger than the Carabao Cup, but the Carabao Cup is still important to a lot of teams. Just ask Newcastle fans.

It’s a difficult one, isn’t it? Because for the big clubs, challenging at the top and finishing in those Champions League places, it usurps winning the FA Cup. The magic that we used to experience will never come back. Sometimes I think, the way they spread it over several days, especially during the early rounds, you never quite know who’s playing and when they’re going to play it. That kind of dilutes it a little bit.

Obviously, a lot of that is for TV. But it would be nice still to have them all on the one weekend, if not the Saturday.

In other countries, maybe Germany and others, they do seed those early draws so that the big teams meet the smaller teams. I think we all still would love to see a giant killing act, plus we’d love to see how a big team would get on at a small team’s ground. So that’s still very attractive, so maybe that kind of seeding would be a way forward.

Champions League Qualification for Cup Winners

I’m not sure I would be in favour of that. I mean, it’d certainly be a juicy carrot for those going for the FA Cup, but then again, I don’t think UEFA would be all that keen on it. So it’s probably a non-starter. I still think you should do it based on the best teams in your league, and that means who finishes highest off the table.

Manchester City’s Form

I think once you’ve lost that kind of cloak of invincibility, as it were, clubs playing against you start thinking they have a chance. Teams feel they can have a good go at City and get something from the matches.

They’ve got a lot of players that have been there a long time: Kevin De Bruyne is leaving, Kovacic is in his 30s, and Gundogan is 34. Bernardo Silva, he’s been there a long time, he’s only 30, but I think they’re going to need a refresh. They started trying to do it in the January window. Marmoush has been a good signing. He’s settled really quickly. I’ve been impressed with him.

So that’ll be an interesting one to keep an eye on. I wouldn’t say it’s a given that they are going to bounce straight back to where they were. I think you’ll get a bit more hunger within that dressing room and a bit more of an edge now that they’ve experienced that. You win the title four years on the trot, and human nature, you kind of relax a bit and run out of energy, but it’s up to Pep to bring that energy back into that team.

Phil Foden’s Season

I don’t know whether it’s down to him. I mean, he’s only human. We do expect big things of players like Phil Foden. When you’re playing in a team that’s been struggling and losing games, then you lose a little bit of confidence, and things aren’t coming off for you. I mean, I think he’s still got 10 goals. He’s still in double figures all told. So, it’s not too bad.

I think we expect him to be producing brilliant things every week. It’s been a downtime for him this season, but there’s no doubt about his quality. You would expect him to bounce back next year.

Crystal Palace Standouts

Well, Eze is probably the one that the big clubs will be looking at. Adam Wharton as well, and Mateta. Mateta’s a funny one, really, and I think a lot of clubs will think, well, could he do it at a bigger club where the standards are slightly different? He surprised me with the way he’s continued his goalscoring form.

I think definitely, Eze and Wharton would be the two that other clubs will look at. Oliver Glasner, I’m sure, has had lots of inquiries about them. For him, it’s a balancing act, isn’t it? They sold Michael Olise. Maybe they’ll have to sell one and then try and get one or two more in.

Prediction

Well, given how City played in league, I think they’ll respond. Palace were brilliant against Villa in the semis. Whether they can do that again, I don’t know. I think for the romantics, it’d be great to see them do it. It’s a difficult one to predict, but I’m going to say City 2-1.

Manchester City 2 – 1 Crystal Palace

Jadon Sancho’s Future

It looks like Sancho is going to end up In no man’s land; his future is up in the air. He’s not done enough at Chelsea to persuade them. He’s had little flashes, little jinks where he has created something, scored a few goals, but nowhere near enough to persuade Chelsea to lay out the kind of money they would have to.

So he goes back to Man United. And then what does Amorim do with him? Has he made up his mind about Sancho that he’s not for him in the same way, maybe that he has with Rashford? Maybe he’d have to go back abroad, maybe back to Germany, where he did so well at Dortmund. I don’t know what his feelings are, but certainly he’s not done enough at Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca at Chelsea

I don’t think he’s improved them. Pochettino started slowly, and he built up, and we thought, wow, he’s got them heading in the right direction here at the end of the season. Next year is when they’ll come to the fore, but then he left. He got 63 points last year. Chelsea are on 63 now. So, there’s not much of a difference when it’s black and white in terms of points.

What I would say in the times I’ve been there and the people I know who support them, they’ve been a bit bored with it, just the style of play. Pass, pass along the back. They don’t get it forward quickly enough. I mean, that’s a bit of a symptom of modern-day football in the Premier League anyway, but the Leicester fans got a little bit agitated with Maresca’s style of play. So I don’t think it’s been a step forward, really, from Pochettino. That’s why getting a Champions League place is so vital for them.

Ruben Amorim’s Position

Listening to his interviews, he’s just getting increasingly exasperated, isn’t he? I love listening to him. He’s very honest, maybe too honest at times. It looks as if a bit of the faith in the project is draining out of him. Maybe he’s thinking, “actually, I’m not sure I can pull this around”.

He’s got to stay confident and bold. There’s so much work to do in the summer, and I think it’s impossible to do everything in terms of getting players out. I mentioned Sancho and Rashford. He’s got a pre- season to work on that shape that we’ve spoken about for so long. He’s got a few players in who he’ll feel can fill some of the holes.

I mean, if it starts badly next year, I think he’ll be looking at himself, and the hierarchy at United will be looking at him as to whether he is the right man. But it’s been a curious situation with him. It looks as if he’s just losing a little bit of heart for it.

Prediction

It’s going to be an interesting one. No Nicolas Jackson, as he got himself sent off, which will hurt Chelsea as he’s been a source of goals for them. Maybe Chelsea will just have the edge with their Champions League hopes and Manchester United’s priorities on the Europa League final. I don’t think there’ll be many goals. I’ll go for 1-0 Chelsea.

Chelsea 1 – 0 Manchester United

Arsenal’s Second Place Fight

I think not to finish runners up – the optics, as they say, wouldn’t look good, having been the main chaser and challenger all season, then to drift off.

That second-half performance against Liverpool restored a little bit of faith in them because obviously things were just dribbling to an end. So hopefully they can have a strong finish and secure that second place. And then you go into the summer thinking, right, okay, we’ve got to make the next step now. But to finish third would be a bit disheartening.

Alexander Isak’s Future

He’s been linked to Arsenal for a long time. He’s the kind of profile I think that they would want in terms of his technical ability and goal scoring. Such a clever player, such a talent.

If Newcastle are in the Champions League, I can’t see them selling him. Why would you? Especially to a Champions League rival. But he’s a fine player, lovely player to watch. But I would doubt that he’d be coming to the Emirates.

Newcastle’s Ambitions

It’s an interesting one. You want to secure your place now. You want to become a Champions League side and continually finish in that top four, top five. So that’s the first port of call because they did it and then dropped out, didn’t they? Which was a disappointment.

With some acquisitions, they might feel, well, we can have a little go at this. So much depends on Liverpool, City and Arsenal. They are below those levels at the moment, no question. But the momentum up at Newcastle is such a big thing. And they’ve got it at the moment. It’s a heck of a task to win the title next year. But they’ll be aiming, they’ll be looking up rather than down. But another Champions League finish would be the first port of call.

Prediction

I’ll go for an Arsenal win now because I think they’ve kind of got rid of the hangover from going out of the Champions League with that second-half performance at Liverpool. I’ll go for 2-1 Arsenal.

Arsenal 2 – 1 Newcastle

Forest’s Achievements

I think they have massively overachieved, without question, so the drop-off was almost inevitable. I think they couldn’t keep going in that vein. It’d be great to see them have another go next year, but so much depends, as it does with all clubs, on what happens in the summer.

But Nuno is a very good coach. And as long as he can keep on the right side of the owner, they’ll hope to go again. I think that you’re asking a lot for them to have the same kind of season. I really do. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of a mid-table campaign.

Morgan Gibbs-White to City?

If he did move to City, he would have big boots to fill. I mean, he’s not on De Bruyne’s level. He’s that sort of player, maybe a little bit more dynamic in his running, but De Bruyne has been one of the best players we’ve seen in this country. So it’s going to be almost impossible to replace him like for like.

A lot of top clubs are looking at him – if he did go to City, maybe Pep could mould him into the type of player that he wants. You don’t want him to take the edge off Gibbs-White because he plays with emotion, doesn’t he, and that kind of spirit. But I’ve got a lot of time for Gibbs-White. I think he’s an excellent player.

Jarrod Bowen’s Value

If he did move, the West Ham fans would be up in arms, wouldn’t they? Because he’s been a shining light, really. There’s Kudus at times who has done well, but Bowen has been so consistent, and his goal-scoring rate and the way he pops up and gets big goals as well.

I think he is underrated. He’s obviously won England caps, but it’s that consistency. What he feels about it, I don’t know, whether he’d want to move on. But I don’t think West Ham really could afford to let somebody like him go because the fan reaction, it would be a shocker for them.

Prediction

West Ham’s result at United lifted them. I’m going 1-0 West Ham.

West Ham 1 – 0 Nottingham Forest

I’ll be back next week with more tactics, analysis and scorelines as the Premier League finale unfolds and the transfer window approaches — only on Best Betting Sites.