Confession time: I quite like Lucas Leiva, a man who at his peak gave the illusion of a one-man wolfpack, relentlessly hunting down the football and anyone in its vicinity.

A Sunday league Claude Makelele, if you like. And I mean that as a compliment. Sadly, as confirmed on Monday night, he is no centre back, where he proved as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.

Liverpool’s bid for a top-four spot is stuttering in much the same way Lucas did as Jamie Vardy cantered past him for the umpteenth time.

Strangely, Jürgen Klopp’s team have a superb record against the top six, which bodes well when Arsenal — another team struggling to get over the Champions League line — arrive at Anfield tomorrow.

The shine has come off the German’s wonky, slightly deranged smile. Can’t imagine Lucas been smiling much this week, either.

11am kick-off unless stated

Tomorrow

Manchester United v Bournemouth

8.30am

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored only one goal fewer than Bournemouth have this calendar year, apparently. He is odds-on to add to his tally against Eddie Howe’s plummeting side.

Prediction: 3-0

Leicester City v Hull City

Having slapped aside a Liverpool team with more holes than Blackburn Lancashire (Beatles reference for the oldies), this is surely more of a test for the champions and their caretaker manager, Craig Shakespeare.

Can they maintain that intensity against a more defensive side. Yes, in a word.

Prediction: 2-0

Stoke City v Middlesbrough

Boro have failed to score in five of their past six away games and looked toothless against Crystal Palace last weekend. Stoke, though, are gunning to be the first Premier League side to officially be “on the beach”.

Prediction: 1-0

Swansea City v Burnley

Paul Clement’s side have won each of their past two home games in an impressive turnaround. This is a great chance to make it three in a row.

Prediction: 2-1

Watford v Southampton

Post-cup final low for Southampton? It was a dispiriting loss and a trip to Vicarage Road does not look a particularly appealing antidote.

Prediction: 2-1

West Brom v Crystal Palace

This one could come down to motivation ... do WBA have anything to play for now? Palace most certainly do.

One person who will have a ton of motivation will be Tony Pulis, whose legal case with his former club cost him more than Claudio Ranieri’s severance package.

Prediction: 3-2

Liverpool v Arsenal

1.30pm

Liverpool could drop to sixth this weekend, which would be a disaster after the optimism of the first half of the season.

Here’s the thing: Liverpool’s quality has been so up and down, this game is an open book. Neither side is in great form. Let’s sit on the fence.

Prediction: 2-2

Sunday

Tottenham Hotspur v Everton

9.30am

Spurs have won their past eight home games and Harry Kane is in deadly form. He goes head-to-head with Romelu Lukaku, another striker in fine fettle, but I fancy the home side to nick it.

Prediction: 2-1

Sunderland v Manchester City

Noon

As one wag put it in midweek, Claudio Bravo has only one problem: shots on target. Great with his feet, though, in the same way Roger Federer has a sweet left foot.

To be honest, though, City have so much going forward, it’s almost irrelevant. Sunderland will probably park the bus, but I fear for David Moyes’s side.

Prediction: 0-3

Monday

West Ham United v Chelsea

4pm

Hard not to see champions-elect Chelsea not taking advantage of this jaunt across London. Images of Diego Costa taking advantage of wide-open spaces in the whatever-it’s-called athletics stadium abound.

Prediction: 0-2