Alan Smith’s Expert Predictions: Premier League GW34 & FA Cup Semi-Finals
Last updated: by Alan Smith
I’m Alan Smith – the latest addition to BestBettingSites.co.uk – and I’ve dug deep into this weekend’s fixtures to bring you my expert predictions for use when football betting.
I’ve focused on both the historic FA Cup matchups – where a single win can catapult teams into the final of the world’s oldest football tournament – and some of the most pivotal Premier League encounters this weekend. I’ll also share my thoughts on the gulf between the Premier League and the Championship and Leeds and Burnley’s chances next season now that promotion is secured.
Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur
I don’t think it’s been the most spectacular season from Liverpool; I would say it’s been very efficient, and at the back end of the season, they haven’t been pushed. Maybe that’s taken the edge off their performances because they haven’t had to push themselves, but if you’re winning the title, you’re a very good team.
I was looking at the team from 2019/20 when they last won the league, and they had Sadio Mane, Firmino and Jordan Henderson. I’d probably say that was slightly better than today’s side. Although you can’t take anything away from them, it’s been an amazing debut campaign from Arne Slot.
Going into the Spurs game, it’s going to be a great atmosphere at Anfield, a party atmosphere. They were robbed of it in 2020 with COVID when they lifted the trophy at an empty Anfield, so I’d expect them to win here and win fairly comfortably.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Spurs
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa
It’s been a while since Palace and Villa won silverware. Aston Villa are a very good team these days, as we saw against Newcastle when they were excellent, so they’re the favourite for me. They also have Champions League qualification priority in the league, but I don’t think that’s going to take away from what they put into this semi-final.
What a season Palace have had under Oliver Glasner. I wondered how it would go having lost players like Olise and Andersen, but he’s done so well with the likes of Mateta, Eze, Ismaila Sarr and Adam Wharton. They might struggle to hold onto some of those players going into the summer.
I’d back Villa here to get to the final.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 0-2 Aston Villa
Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest
I was talking about this before—with all due respect, I don’t think Forest are ready for the Champions League. I think it would be a real struggle for them. So I’m wondering here, would they prefer to win the FA Cup and finish in the Europa League spots, which isn’t quite as taxing?
If they could choose, I think they’d rather win the FA Cup and represent themselves better in the Europa League; the owners would love the money from the Champions League, but it would be a fantastic story to win some silverware.
In saying that, it won’t be easy against Man City. I can see them going through despite their troubles this season. Forest aren’t easy to score against, but I can see City getting a couple in this game.
Prediction: Manchester City 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Newcastle United vs Ipswich Town
I think Champions League qualification is extremely important for Newcastle. They’ve got the Carabao Cup already, but I think they would be disappointed if they didn’t finish in the top five. The owners want to be competing at the top level, and like a lot of clubs, they have been restricted with their spending, but if they get Champions League money in, that will loosen the purse strings.
They tripped up at Aston Villa the other day. Playing the same team again for the seventh match in a row, which doesn’t happen often, they looked jaded. However, I can see them going again, and I think they are going to comfortably beat Ipswich at home.
At the start of the season, I thought Ipswich had a good chance of staying up, with Liam Delap up top and playing with a nice bit of freedom, but it’s just not worked out for them.
Prediction: Newcastle 3-0 Ipswich
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Leicester City
To win five on the trot in the Premier League is some feat, for any club really, but especially for one near the bottom who at one stage looked the most likely to get dragged into a relegation battle. Vitor Pereira and his coaching staff have done a great job.
Wolves fans should be looking forward to next season with a lot of optimism. They’ve made a great call with Pereira bringing him in, so more power to their elbow.
Prediction: Wolves 2-0 Leicester
The Gap Between the Premier League and Championship
The Premier League teams are just getting better and better as they amass more money. I think coaching has played a part; look at managers like Iriola at Bournemouth, who’s done wonders as well.
It’s a worrying trend that three promoted teams come up and they find it really difficult. They’re thinking, do we want to spend big and take a risk, or do we not want to risk the finances of the club and just give it a good go?
But it would be a real shame, and not good for the Premier League, if the three promoted teams continuously go back down—it wouldn’t be good at all. If it continues to happen, maybe both parties need to look at how they can narrow the gap a little bit.
However, as they say, turkeys aren’t going to vote for Christmas, and Premier League clubs will want to maintain that status quo.
Leeds and Burnley’s Chances for Next Season
Leeds are a big club, lots of fans week in week out, and I wonder what Daniel Farke is going to do there. I still look at the squad, as well as they’ve done, and think it’s touch and go as to whether they can survive when they come up—I hope they do. Signing Manor Solomon permanently, for example, would help them.
Burnley under Scott Parker have that spectacular goals against record, and if they can just maintain a bit of that in the Premier League, then they give themselves half a chance if they win some games by one goal. It’s good to see Scott Parker doing well; not many English managers about in the top flight these days.
I welcome them both back and hope they can make a mark. Obviously, Burnley struggled last time under Vincent Kompany, but they’ll be hoping for better things. I think they will do better if they can keep the nucleus of the squad together.
When to Expect Alan Smith’s Football Predictions
Alan Smith, our resident football expert and Sky Sports commentator, will be contributing his expert insights on a weekly basis to Best Betting Sites. With decades of experience and a deep understanding of the game, there are few voices in the world of football that know the sport like Alan does.
Each week, Alan will deliver comprehensive predictions and analyses for a variety of fixtures, including:
- FA Cup Matches: Covering the historic clash-ups in the world’s oldest football tournament, where a win propels teams one step closer to the final.
- Premier League Fixtures: Breaking down key match-ups that could determine title races, Champions League qualification, and shifting the balance of power in the league.
- Other Major Fixtures: Keeping an eye on pivotal games across domestic and European competitions that are set to impact the season’s narrative.