Premier League 2012, Week 35 Preview And Fixtures: The Whole League's Going Down!

Arsenal vs. Chelsea

Saturday, April 20^th; 12:45 GMT/7:45 a.m. ET

Hey, lookie here, a game that matters outside of the relegation battle! This is basically Chelsea's domestic season (though if world football's greatest mindgamer most fortuitous manager [which of these is the troll? I'll never tell!] is to be believed, the domestic season is about to be rendered largely unimportant.)

Even with a win, the Blues still have an uphill battle to climb, but a Gunners win pretty much puts an end to what's been a fairly disastrous season at Stamford Bridge. (Unless they do that whole "winning the Champions League" thing.) For the home side, more-prestigious-but-less-interesting European competition is likely clinched with three points. The bottom of the table will draw the bulk of attention this time around (and rightly so), but this is a pretty compelling way to get the weekend started.

Pick: Arsenal, 3-2

Aston Villa vs. Sunderland

Saturday, April 20^th; 15:00 GMT/10:00 a.m. ET

Aston Villa is the team most neutrals probably want to see go down (even those that have nothing against the club, but like to see things shaken up) and though they're still likely clear enough of the bottom three to ultimately avoid the axe, it's not going to be an especially comfortable next few weeks unless they're able to pick up three points from this game.

So, to summarize: These next few weeks for Villa aren't going to be especially comfortable.

Pick: Draw, 1-1

Blackburn Rovers vs. Norwich City

Saturday, April 20^th; 15:00 GMT/10:00 a.m. ET

Every game is a must win for Blackburn at this point, but this is an especially must-must win. Norwich has been the better side this season, but they're far from unbeatable. Blackburn have alternately looked like the worst team in the league by quite some distance and a team not especially far from challenging from Europe this season; Steve Kean is going to be hoping for the latter to show themselves down the stretch.

Pick: Draw, 2-2

Bolton Wanderers vs. Swansea City

Saturday, April 20^th; 15:00 GMT/10:00 a.m. ET

Has there ever been a season with more teams seemingly far too good to go down in pretty serious danger of going down? Bolton's largely injury-related awful start put them in a pretty terrible position, but they have not really done much to sort it out; they've got the games in hand they need to crawl out of this, but this is the kind of result they're going to have to pick up in order to save themselves.

Pick: Bolton, 3-2

Fulham vs. Wigan Athletic

Saturday, April 20^th; 15:00 GMT/10:00 a.m. ET

If you bet against Wigan in April or May, you're a hopeless fool and I have no idea what to tell you.

Pick: Wigan, 2-1

Newcastle United vs. Stoke City

Saturday, April 20^th; 15:00 GMT/10:00 a.m. ET

This game has nothing to do with the relegation battle and only one of these teams is involved in the Champions League race. Yawn.

Pick: Newcastle, 2-1

Queens Park Rangers vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Saturday, April 20^th; 17:30 GMT/12:30 a.m. ET

A bunch of smartasses are looking at Spurs' performance over the past few months and picking QPR to win this game and pull themselves to safety. That's certainly not impossible, but if you think it's the most likely outcome, we should totally play blackjack sometime.

Draw: 1-1

Manchester United vs. Everton

Sunday April 21^st; 12:30 GMT/7:30 a.m. ET

Okay, I guess this game matters since City isn't dropping points against Wolves, but in reality, it only matters if Everton wins and that would be newsworthy even if every single race in England had already been decided. Largely because it almost certainly won't happen.

Pick: United, 2-1

Liverpool vs. West Bromwich Albion

Sunday April 21^st; 16:00 GMT/11:00 a.m. ET

They should just sim this one on FIFA and call it good.

Pick: Draw, 2-2

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Manchester City

Sunday April 21^st; 16:00 GMT/11:00 a.m. ET

There is no conceivable way this game is at all enjoyable for neutrals. City romps? Well who could have seen that coming. Wolves somehow pull out a win? No way that happens unless they play terrible, negative football. Draw? It's a draw. There won't even be any Balotelli. Gross.

Pick: City, 4-0