The fixture list came thick and fast, and the predictions had a nice mix of logic, bias and mischief. Some games produced identical scorelines. Others opened up the usual space for side-eye, accusations of copying, and a lot of looking over each other’s shoulders.
### Friday night starts with West Ham vs Wolves
The standout feeling around **West Ham vs Wolves** was rustiness. Wolves had been left waiting for what felt like an age, with Dave saying it felt more like a full pre-season than a normal break. Wolves had not played for 25 days, and they also have no home match until 25 April. Add in the FA Cup, the international break, and the moved Arsenal fixture, and it was easy to see why both were treating this one with caution.
Emma still backed Wolves to win. She admitted she was tempted by a West Ham result because Wolves often struggle after breaks, but she stuck with a positive call in the end. Dave held his final score back for the separate match preview.
There was also a brief nod to the behind-closed-doors friendly with Aston Villa, which Wolves reportedly won 3-1, although both noted there were plenty of youngsters involved.
For the Friday opener, the calls were:
* West Ham vs Wolves, **Emma: West Ham 1, Wolves 2**
* West Ham vs Wolves, **Dave: no final score given in this show, saved for the separate match preview**
Emma also pointed out that Wolves and West Ham do not draw often in the Premier League, which helped explain why she leaned away from a stalemate.
### Saturday’s predictions brought wobble talk, Brighton confidence and claims of copying
Saturday began with **Arsenal vs Bournemouth**, and Dave could not resist the “wobble” angle. Arsenal were still chasing the title, but the mood was that a wobble might be on the way after cup disappointment and a testing schedule. Emma still backed the Gunners to edge it. Dave, partly because he found the idea entertaining, went for dropped points.
The rest of Saturday featured one of the easiest agreements of the week in **Brentford vs Everton**, with both calling a 1-1 draw and agreeing the sides looked fairly even. Then came **Burnley vs Brighton**, where neither had much faith in Burnley. The conversation drifted into relegation maths and whether Wolves could still catch them, with a last-day trip to Burnley already being framed as a possible “relegation party”.
At **Liverpool vs Fulham**, both backed Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield. Emma had considered giving Liverpool three goals, while Dave floated the idea that Liverpool might yet run into trouble elsewhere. None of that changed the final scoreline. The only real disagreement was over who was copying whom, which arrived right on cue.
Saturday’s predictions were:
Arsenal vs Bournemouth,
**Emma: Arsenal 2, Bournemouth 1**
**Dave: Arsenal 2, Bournemouth 2**
Brentford vs Everton,
**Emma: Brentford 1, Everton 1**
**Dave: Brentford 1, Everton 1**
Burnley vs Brighton,
**Emma: Burnley 1, Brighton 2**
**Dave: Burnley 1, Brighton 3**
Liverpool vs Fulham,
**E****mma: Liverpool 2, Fulham 1**
**Dave: Liverpool 2, Fulham 1**
The Liverpool call produced one of the funnier moments of the episode, because Emma immediately accused Dave of copying her.
### Sunday and Monday leaned towards draws, Villa edge and a rough day for Spurs
Sunday began with another shared scoreline in **Crystal Palace vs Newcastle**. Neither side had impressed as much as expected this season, so both landed on an “even Stevens” 1-1 draw. From there, **Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa** split them. Emma said she originally had 1-1 but changed her mind, deciding Villa had more firepower and would nick it 2-1. Dave stayed with the draw and immediately accused her of changing it after peeking.
The Spurs chat was more mischievous. The fixture discussed was **Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur**, and the pair were not exactly brimming with confidence in Spurs. Emma called Tottenham “very spursy” and wanted relegation drama to hang over them for as long as possible. Both backed a home win, with Dave going 2-1 and Emma going 2-0.
Then came **Chelsea vs Manchester City**, a match framed as a possible FA Cup final preview. Dave complained about City’s luck in cup draws, mentioning how they always seem to pull favourable ties. Emma still thought Chelsea could get something and went 2-2. Dave trusted City’s form more and backed an away win.
The final call was **Manchester United vs Leeds United**, always a feisty fixture. Old Trafford was the deciding factor for both, with United tipped to come through.
Those predictions were:
Crystal Palace vs Newcastle,
**Emma: Crystal Palace 1, Newcastle 1**
**Dave: Crystal Palace 1, Newcastle 1**
Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa
**Emma: Nottingham Forest 1, Aston Villa 2**
**Dave: Nottingham Forest 1, Aston Villa 1**
Sunderland vs Tottenham Hotspur,
**Emma:Sunderland 2, Tottenham 1**
**Dave: Sunderland 2, Tottenham 0**
Chelsea vs Manchester City,
**Emma: Chelsea 2, Manchester City 2**
**Dave: Chelsea 1, Manchester City 2**
Manchester United vs Leeds United,
**Emma: Manchester United 2, Leeds United 1**
**Dave: Manchester United 2, Leeds United 0**
Taken together, the list says plenty. They saw goals at Stamford Bridge, caution at Selhurst Park, and another painful chapter for Spurs.
Match Bingo returns for the West Ham game
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Alongside the predictions, there was another push for **Match Bingo**, which sponsors the show. The pitch was simple. You can play along with each match, and there is a **£250 prize pot on every game**. For this round, Dave and Emma highlighted the West Ham vs Wolves match as a good one to try if you were watching on television rather than travelling.
They also mentioned the current offer on the app. New users can get a **100 per cent deposit bonus**, with a minimum £10 deposit, by using the code **always**. As said on the show, it’s for **UK residents aged 18+**, and it should always be treated as a bit of fun, not something to chase.
Wolves Q&A, survival maths and the players worth keeping
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The second half of the show shifted into fan questions, and this is where the season-wide mood around Wolves came through most clearly. There is still hope in the chat, but it is cautious hope.
The first question asked how many points Wolves might take from their final seven games. Emma worked through them one by one: West Ham away, Leeds away, Spurs at home, Southampton at home, Brighton away, Fulham at home and Burnley away. Her total came to **14 points**, built from wins over West Ham, Spurs, Southampton and Burnley, plus draws with Leeds and Fulham, and a defeat at Brighton.
Even with that fairly upbeat total, the conclusion was bleak. Emma did not think it would be enough to stay up. That tells you everything about where Wolves were sitting and how hard the task felt.
Another question asked what mattered most for the rest of the season. The answer was straightforward. Wolves had to **perform**, pick up some points, and avoid going down with a whimper. That is the sort of line supporters remember, because relegation hurts more when the fight disappears.
When the talk turned to squad building, João Gomes was named as the player you would most want to keep “on paper”. At the same time, Emma made the point that trapping players is never ideal. If someone stays, they need to want to be there. She expanded that answer and said he would like to keep the back line together, because the defensive unit could be a big asset moving forward.
A later question asked who might be Wolves’ most influential player next season, and Emma refused to pretend she knew. Fair enough. Too much depends on who stays, who goes, and what division Wolves are in. She did mention Armstrong, and also Tolu, as players she would like to see around next season because they could become useful assets in the Championship if that is where Wolves end up.
### Finally…
There is still plenty riding on the next few fixtures, especially for Wolves. A strong finish might not change everything, but it would change the feel of the season.
If you have your own Week 32 picks, or a better toast topping, now is the time to say it.
_Always Wolves._