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

Man Utd vs Leicester – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

In a season where they have never failed to stop defying the odds and just over a year after propping up the table, Leicester City have the chance to make history as a win away to Manchester United on Sunday would see them win the English league title for the first time ever. There is of course plenty riding on this game for the hosts as they still have major aspirations of finishing in the top four and joining their opponents in next season’s Champions League. Hopes have increased as…

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Swansea vs Liverpool – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Liverpool will be aiming to collect their fourth win in five Premier League matches when they head to South Wales to take on Swansea City, having triumphed in each of the last four meetings between the sides. There was a lot of possession but no penetration for Swansea last weekend as they were beaten heavily by title favourites Leicester City. A lot of the damage inflicted upon them was of their own making as Ashley Williams for an uncharacteristically casual and slack pass resulted in the opening goal, from which…

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Arsenal vs Norwich – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Norwich City have slipped back into the drop zone, and with the pressure on and so few games left to save their season they must take at least a point from what is a very difficult game at top four hopefuls Arsenal. The home side are making immensely hard work of securing a Champions League place, to the extent that they are looking over their shoulders a little. There were few reasons to be encouraged in their last match as they were held by another struggling side in Sunderland, where the likes…

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Newcastle vs Crystal Palace – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Newcastle United are growing in confidence as they continue their battling attempts to avoid dropping into the second tier, and they can give their chances a significant boost by getting the better of FA Cup finalists Crystal Palace. Just one point now separates the Magpies from the safety line and indications are that they are very much in with a chance of hauling themselves out of the mess they have been in for the majority of the season. A marvellous comeback from two goals down at Liverpool shows just how much…

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Stoke vs Sunderland – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Outside of the relegation zone with only four games to go, Sunderland will be looking to make a potentially huge leap towards Premier League survival by winning away to a Stoke City side that has suffered a staggering loss of form in recent weeks. Lying slap bang in the middle of the table with 47 points, Stoke are in a very comfortable position yet manager Mark Hughes currently has plenty to mull over, with four goals having been conceded in the club’s last three games and just one scored in…

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West Brom vs West Ham – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

West Ham United are just about still in the running for a top four place but they need to finish the season with a run of wins if they are to achieve that, beginning on Saturday when they travel north to face West Bromwich Albion. For the home side points have been tough to come by of late, but they got one against all the odds last time out at Tottenham, in all probability ending their opponents’ title aspirations in the process. Craig Dawson was the man at the centre…

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Everton vs Bournemouth – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

It looks set to be a sombre atmosphere at Goodison Park on Saturday as Everton begin to play out their season of dismal underachievement by taking on a Bournemouth side that has lost four of the last five games. After such a miserable showing in being embarrassed at the home of bitter rivals Liverpool just three days prior, credit has to go to Everton for the manner in which they battled so hard in their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. A goal down at half-time, they took the game to…

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Watford vs Aston Villa – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Watford will be hoping to win at home in the league for the first time since January 23 when they take on already relegated Aston Villa, whose run of defeats now stands at a demoralising nine matches. After several weeks of anticipation, it has to be said that Watford were just not good enough in their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace as they struggled to create many meaningful scoring chances and generally lacked a cutting edge from open play. A lot of work went into their performance as the…

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Villarreal vs Liverpool – Match preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Liverpool’s reward for their incredible victory over Borussia Dortmund a fortnight ago is a Europa League semi-final with dark horses Villarreal, one of two Spanish sides left fighting in the competition. Given how that memorable last eight clash panned out, it would be something of a shame if Liverpool do not go on to lift the trophy. They have beaten the tournament favourites, but manager Jurgen Klopp will be ensuring that his players are fully focused and aware of the considerable threat that Villarreal will pose, determined that they can get…

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Man City vs Real Madrid – Match preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Manchester City enter previously unchartered territory as they host the first leg of their maiden Champions League semi-final, coming up against what is in contrast the competition’s most successful ever side in Real Madrid. With holders Barcelona having been eliminated in the last round, the Champions League appears to have a bit more of an open feel to it as it reaches the last-four stage, and it is difficult to pick a clear favourite in this tie. Despite their star-studded squad, Real Madrid have some well-documented vulnerabilities that are capable of…

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Tottenham vs West Brom – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Tottenham are playing like a side that looks more than good enough to win the Premier League title, and on Monday they continue their pursuit of leaders Leicester City with a home clash against West Bromwich Albion. Ahead of their game last week at Stoke City leading scorer Harry Kane posted an image depicting prowling lions, acting as a metaphor for Tottenham’s determined bid to catch Leicester. It may have been interpreted by some as a show of over-confidence in his side’s ability, but they showed totally what they were…

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Crystal Palace vs Watford – Match preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

It is a huge opportunity on Sunday for two sides who have never won the FA Cup to reach the final of this year’s competition as Crystal Palace take on Watford in what promises to be a close encounter as just two points separate them in the league. When Watford reached the final back in 1984 it was something of a fairytale, while Palace were beaten in 1990 in the last ever final to go to a replay, losing to what became an infamous goal from Mark Robins. But these…

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Leicester vs Swansea – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

After seeing their lead at the top of the Premier League cut to five points with four games remaining, Leicester City will be looking to regain the full initiative by seeing off the challenge of Swansea City. There were so many points to discuss following Leicester’s 2-2 draw with West Ham United, unquestionably the most difficult 90 minutes they have had to endure for some time. Leading through Jamie Vardy’s first half goal, their top scorer was sent off after the break and despite manfully holding on to their advantage…

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Sunderland vs Arsenal – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

A big game for two sides at opposite ends of the  table sees Sunderland look to escape the bottom three with victory against Arsenal, who can strengthen their position in the Champions League places by taking the points. There is still plenty of work to do, but it all came together for the Black Cats on an excellent afternoon at fellow strugglers Norwich City, possessing the greater degree of cutting edge and proving solid at the back to keep a welcome clean sheet. It was a huge boost for the…

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Everton vs Man Utd – Match preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Everton and Manchester United have both fallen well below expectations in the Premier League this season, but on Saturday they meet at Wembley and have the chance to move to within 90 minutes of lifting the FA Cup. This is a do or die encounter for Everton boss Roberto Martinez, who is desperately hoping that his side can salvage something from this competition and take a slight amount of the emphasis away from a woeful run in the league that culminated in the embarrassing Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool. The Spaniard is…

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Liverpool vs Newcastle – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Newcastle United can move out of the relegation zone for 24 hours at least if Rafael Benitez can mastermind a victory away to his former club Liverpool, who are finishing the season exceptionally strongly. If the dramatic Europa League victory over Borussia Dortmund was not enough, Liverpool supporters were given even more to savour as they breezed to a 4-0 success in what has to be one of, if not the most one-sided match in Merseyside derby history. The second half of that match was spent simply toying with Everton…

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Aston Villa vs Southampton – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

The inevitable demotion of Aston Villa has finally been confirmed with four matches to spare, and the first of those sees them take on a Southampton team that needs points to remain in contention for a European place. From a very early stage this season, there was little doubting Aston Villa’s fate as a squad with varying levels of experience has looked well below the standard required to compete in the Premier League. They have lacked intensity, application and indeed quality as a nine-game losing streak has underlined their inferiority,…

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Bournemouth vs Chelsea – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Bournemouth go in search of a famous league double against a Chelsea side that will be determined to recover from successive Premier League defeats in which they have failed to score. With the exception of a trip to bottom club Aston Villa, it has been a difficult few weeks for Bournemouth. Heavy losses have been suffered against high-flying duo Tottenham and Manchester City, while last time out they came away with nothing despite a spirited showing against Liverpool, so Eddie Howe will be hoping his side have better luck here.…

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Man City vs Stoke – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Manchester City will be aiming to re-cement their place in the top four of the Premier League by beating mid-table Stoke City, whose season is in severe danger of fizzling out as a result of their poor form. There will clearly be an emphasis from Man City boss Manuel Pellegrini on his side’s upcoming Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid, but domestic football still ought to be high on his list of priorities as a place in Europe’s premier competition for next season is still far from assured. They have…

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Arsenal vs West Brom – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Arsenal are now facing an inexplicable battle to ensure a top four finish, and their latest test sees them take on a West Bromwich Albion side that has taken only one point from their last four Premier League outings. It must be incredibly frustrating to be an Arsenal supporter at this moment in time. Their team continues to flatter to deceive and lack the killer instinct to be in the title reckoning, while the sight of bitter rivals Tottenham lying above them in the table and showing all the characteristics…

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Liverpool vs Everton – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

The latest in a sequence of big games for Liverpool sees them welcome bitter rivals Everton to Anfield for the Merseyside derby, where both sides will be determined to take the spoils in a fixture that has failed to produce a winner in the last three meetings. In the wake of such a special and dramatic victory in the Europa League against Borussia Dortmund, it was impressive stuff from Liverpool on Sunday as their much-changed team still had too much for Bournemouth. It was their greater intricacy in the final third…

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Man Utd vs Crystal Palace – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Manchester United must now feel they have every opportunity of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League, and will seek to maintain their challenge with victory over Crystal Palace. Both clubs have FA Cup semi-finals at the weekend to look forward to, but United will desperate to follow up their unconvincing success over bottom club Aston Villa with another three points and increase the pressure on fourth-placed Arsenal, who play on Thursday. The gap between the sides now stands at four points, so anything dropped here would be a massive missed opportunity,…

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West Ham vs Watford – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

West Ham United will be hoping to win for the first time in five matches in all competitions when they take on Watford, who can now play out the season with the satisfaction of having broken the 40-point barrier. There was a lot to dissect from West Ham’s game at leaders Leicester City on Sunday, where two quick-fire goals in the dying minutes saw them go ahead and make their one-man advantage count, only for a disputed penalty at the death to deny them all three points. Overall the performance…

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Newcastle vs Man City – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Newcastle United have renewed hope in their battle to avoid relegation to the Championship, and they can wipe out the three-point gap to the safety line by producing a big performance to get the better of in-form Manchester City. There was a last something for the masses to cheer about at St. James’ Park on Saturday as Newcastle hit three goals without reply to brush aside Swansea City, a game where they played with a much greater degree of intensity, and more importantly quality in the final third. Such a…

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Stoke vs Tottenham – Premier League preview and team news

Stephen Donovan

Tottenham continue their brave attempts to maintain any faint hope of wresting the Premier League title away from Leicester City with a Monday evening trip to an injury-hit Stoke City side, whose European hopes now appear over. In general play Stoke looked reasonably neat and tidy in their last match at Liverpool, with increasingly influential midfielder Giannelli Imbula showing his off his delicate touch and all-round ball skills, but unfortunately when it came to defending they proved badly lacking and that was ultimately what led them to suffering a heavy…

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