Author: Stephen Donovan

I have written for A Different League since May 2013, contributing over 3,000 articles, most notably match previews. I am a Bristol Rovers supporter, and can be found on Twitter @stephen1308

Southampton vs Crystal Palace – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Crystal Palace have the FA Cup final to look forward to, but before that they must look to end their Premier League season with a first away win since December when they take on a Southampton side that is within sight of a top six finish. The unexpected title success of Leicester City and the plight of some of English football’s powerhouses at the other end of the table have combined to ensure that Southampton’s superb form over the second half of the season has gone harshly under the radar.…

Read More

West Brom vs Liverpool – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

With no wins to their name since mid-March, West Bromwich Albion will hope to give their supporters a positive end to the season by beating a Liverpool side that has more than half an eye on Wednesday’s Europa League final. The home side cannot say that they have not had ample opportunity to end the barren run, with two penalties squandered at home to Watford and another last weekend at Bournemouth which would have given them a two-goal lead. The aim was 40 points, and they have achieved that comfortably…

Read More

Chelsea vs Leicester – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Guus Hiddink will say goodbye to Chelsea for the second time on Sunday as their dismal season finally comes to an end, but it is his opposite number Claudio Ranieri who will receive much of the adulation as he brings his title-winning Leicester City side to Stamford Bridge. After dominating their rivals last season, the defence of their crown has been an unmitigated disaster for Chelsea, who threatened to descend into crisis before Hiddink arrived and lifted them to a mid-table position without ever really getting the best out of…

Read More

Newcastle vs Tottenham – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

It promises to be a sombre atmosphere at St. James’ Park on Sunday as after suffering the ultimate kick in the teeth in being sent down by their biggest rivals, take on a Tottenham team that needs just a point to sure of second place. This has been a truly punishing season for the Tyneside club, who are now having to count the full cost of its lack of direction and poor decision making at the top. Progression up the table and ambitions to win that elusive piece of silverware…

Read More

Everton vs Norwich – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Now looking for a new manager, Everton finish a hugely disappointing campaign with a home encounter with a Norwich City side that has already been condemned to an instant return to the Championship. It all began exceptionally well for Roberto Martinez at Everton as he guided the club to its highest Premier League points tally in his first year in 2013-14, but it has been gradually downhill from there despite the quality within the squad never having decreased. The anger towards the Spaniard from supporters reached such a critical point that he…

Read More

Watford vs Sunderland – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

After securing their safety in style during the week, Sunderland are able to enjoy their final outing of the season away to a Watford side who will be looking to ensure that manager Quique Flores leaves off the back of a win. It was a story that had been gaining increasing weight for several weeks, and on Friday it was confirmed that Flores would be leaving after just one season in charge despite defying the odds to achieve a comfortable mid-table position, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the…

Read More

Arsenal vs Aston Villa – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Just a point is what Arsenal need to secure third position and earn a place in the group stage of next season’s Champions League, and it would be a major shock if they fail to do so against an Aston Villa side that plays its last top-flight game for the foreseeable future. While a failure to maintain a significant title challenge has meant that this has been a season of underachievement and has led to some rumblings of discontent among supporters, a resilient performance at Manchester City last weekend has…

Read More

Sunderland vs Everton – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Sunderland have battled their way into a position of immense strength in the battle for survival and can complete the job here, as victory over Everton would see them stay up and condemn Newcastle United and Norwich City to relegation. For some weeks now it has looked as though this game in hand for the Black Cats would be potentially significant, and the celebrations that will ensue on Wearside should they indeed pull off their umpteenth escape from the threat of Championship football would be among the greatest seen in…

Read More

Norwich vs Watford – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Norwich City are fighting to keep their increasingly bleak chance of Premier League survival alive, and they know that even a win at home to Watford on Wednesday evening might not be enough to save them. The current scenario sees the Canaries four points behind 17th-placed Sunderland with just two games remaining, which means that they must win both to have any hope of making an unlikely escape. Sam Allardyce’s side are in action at the same time against Everton, and if they pick up three points they will be…

Read More

Liverpool vs Chelsea – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

It is a fixture that always catches the eye, but this time the upcoming Europa League final is the top priority for Liverpool as they take on a Chelsea side that can finish no higher than the ninth place they currently occupy. The showdown with Sevilla is just a week away for the hosts, who won for the first time in three Premier League matches at the weekend by seeing off the competitive challenge of Watford. There was little to separate the sides on the day except that little bit of…

Read More

West Ham vs Man Utd – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

After 112 wonderful years, West Ham United play their final match at Upton Park on Tuesday as they entertain Champions League hopefuls Manchester United on an evening that promises to be tinged with emotion. There will be real determination among the Londoners to give their home the farewell it deserves before they move to the Olympic Stadium for next season, so a repeat of the performance against Swansea City on Saturday will certainly not be on the agenda. It was a game where they lacked energy and intensity, while as a team…

Read More

Man City vs Arsenal – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

After seeing their hopes of being crowned champions of Europe dashed in midweek, Manchester City now need to refocus their attention on sealing a top four finish in the Premier League and defeat at home to Arsenal will only increase anxiety. Just one goal saw City lose to Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Champions League. That is respectable, but there still must be a tinge of regret at the lack of threat they posed at the Bernabeu on Wednesday. For a match that meant so much to the club,…

Read More

Liverpool vs Watford – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

With their sights now set on the final of the Europa League, Liverpool will look to end their domestic season in positive fashion over the course of a final week that begins with a home encounter with a Watford side that took them to the cleaners back in December. For the last Premier League outing at Swansea City, manager Jurgen Klopp was clearly prioritising the second leg against Villarreal as he made numerous changes and saw his Liverpool side outplayed for long periods, conceding some sloppy goals along the way. The one plus…

Read More

Tottenham vs Southampton – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

In their first match since seeing their hopes of a first English league title for 55 years bite the dust, Tottenham will now turn their attention towards making absolutely sure of second place and have a tricky game at home to Southampton on Sunday. Although they have just come up short, it has been a terrific season for Tottenham and under the inspired guidance of manager Mauricio Pochettino only look set to progress further. A sustained challenge for the title has been well beyond the expectations the club had back…

Read More

Sunderland vs Chelsea – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

The first of two crucial make-or-break home games for relegation threatened Sunderland in the space of five days sees them take on a Chelsea side that will look to affect matters at the bottom after helping to decide the destiny of the title last time out. For most of their game at Stoke City there was little threat posed by Sunderland and they fell behind to a disputed goal shortly after the interval, but a late onslaught was to prove fruitful as Jermain Defoe once again went some way to underlining…

Read More

Aston Villa vs Newcastle – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Rafael Benitez has successfully lifted Newcastle United out of the bottom three, but in order to stay one step ahead of their rivals they must emerge with maximum points from a visit to already relegated Aston Villa. It will be somewhat bizarre to witness second tier football being played at Villa Park next season, with this being the final Premier League game to be hosted there for the foreseeable future. It is likely to be another sad occasion tinged with considerable sarcasm, with supporters greeting every shot mustered by their…

Read More

Leicester vs Everton – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

There have been few greater stories in the history of English football than Leicester City winning the Premier League title, and their final home game of the season against Everton will be a chance for celebration as the supporters gather to provide their acclaim. While many have felt for several weeks that the Foxes were destined for the top-flight crown, but only when it was confirmed thanks to Tottenham’s draw at Chelsea on Monday evening did the enormity of their achievement really sink in. It is up there with the…

Read More

West Ham vs Swansea – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

West Ham United will be hoping to maintain their wonderful form as they push for European football, and their latest opponents are a Swansea City team that now has the satisfaction of having secured mathematical safety. The hosts are still not totally out of Champions League contention, and their hopes are improved by the fact that they have a game in hand on fourth-placed Manchester City. The first target however will be to make absolutely sure of a top six finish, with pressure coming from both Southampton and Liverpool. But the…

Read More

Crystal Palace vs Stoke – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Crystal Palace will be aiming to end their home season on a high by claiming their fourth consecutive victory over Stoke City in all competitions when they meet in South London on Saturday. Safety is almost secured and there is an FA Cup final to look forward to for Crystal Palace, but one cannot help thinking they have fallen a long way short of their capabilities this season in the league. That certainly was not the case up until the turn of the year, but the manner of their total loss of…

Read More

Bournemouth vs West Brom – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Both Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion are finding wins hard to come by as the Premier League season heads towards its conclusion, so will be equally determined to claim the spoils when they meet at the Vitality Stadium. The game at Everton last weekend will definitely have gone down as one Bournemouth should never have lost as they conceded two goals that were out of keeping with the general pattern of the game, while proving a little too wasteful at the other end. Benik Afobe was the main culprit as…

Read More

Norwich vs Man Utd – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

The odds are beginning to go against Norwich City in their battle to survive relegation from the Premier League, so victory in Saturday’s early kick-off against Manchester United will act as a timely boost as well as a pivotal result. There was every reason for manager Alex Neil to be extremely pleased with Norwich’s performance in their most recent outing at Arsenal, but we have reached a point in the season where results are much more important and some very good chances went to waste as they fell to a…

Read More

Liverpool vs Villarreal – Match preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

In order to reach the final of the Europa League, Liverpool have been set the task of overhauling a one-goal deficit against a solid and resolute Villarreal side who are aiming to move within just one match of winning their first European trophy. Having looked reasonably comfortable at the back for long periods, it was a massive setback for Liverpool to concede a goal right in the dying seconds of the first leg when they were caught on the break thanks to an intricate counter-attacking move from the Spanish side,…

Read More

Real Madrid vs Man City – Match preview and team news

Stephen Donovan
Zinedine Zidane

After battling to a goalless draw at home in the first leg, Manchester City head to the Bernabeu for one of the biggest matches in their history as they aim to overcome Real Madrid and earn a place in the Champions League final. In theory, the match between the sides a little over a week ago had the makings of a classic, but in the end it turned out – for the neutral at least – to be something of a damp squib. It was a game that was moribund…

Read More

Chelsea vs Tottenham – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Tottenham must win away to London rivals Chelsea for the first time since 1990 if they are to keep the title race alive, or else the joyful celebrations can begin at Leicester City as the most unlikely of top-flight triumphs would be confirmed. The home side have made little secret of their desire to help Leicester to win the league, so will certainly not make it easy for their opponents on a night that may see their hold on the trophy disappear, having defended it lamentably this season. After a…

Read More

Southampton vs Man City – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

They may currently be involved in a highly intense Champions League semi-final, but Manchester City still have work to do domestically and their latest assignment is a tricky encounter away to Southampton. Ronald Koeman’s men still retain faint hopes of finishing in the top six as another very satisfactory season draws towards a close, and they were in the goals on their travels last time out as already relegated were beaten 4-2. The game saw Dusan Tadic net a brace as he continues to show signs of rediscovering his best form,…

Read More