Premier League Predictions: Liverpool and Manchester United to win, Chelsea beaten and more misery for Tottenham
Just a week after cruising past Tottenham, leaders Arsenal face another crunch London derby this weekend. Manchester City take on a Leeds side that continues to impress, while slumping Spurs go to Fulham. Get our thoughts on every Premier League fixture here…
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Friday 27th February
Wolves v Aston Villa (8 pm)
Aston Villa will look to get their quest to finish in the top four back on track when they visit neighbours Wolves tomorrow night. Unai Emery’s third-placed side have picked up one win in their last four league games and have the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool breathing down their necks.
Molineux has not been a happy hunting ground for Villa in recent years, with their last victory coming in 2020. Wolves’ season of misery is nearly at an end. They remain rooted to the foot of the table with last weekend’s defeat at Crystal Palace their eighth league game on the trot without tasting success.
Prediction: Wolves 1-2 Aston Villa
Saturday 28th February
Bournemouth v Sunderland (12.30 pm)
It’s an awful long way from Wearside to the South Coast for a lunchtime kick-off, but that’s the trek Sunderland fans face this weekend. They will travel with a slight sense of trepidation, given the run they are on. The bright start has faded somewhat – a blip was inevitable at some point -, but four defeats in five league games mean relegation fears are not yet eradicated.
Bournemouth have been on topsy-turvy runs for some time, but they are very much a team on the up and again dreaming of European football. They are unbeaten since early January and appear to have regained their attacking flair, thanks largely to the introduction of young Brazilian Rayan.
Prediction: Bournemouth 3-0 Sunderland
Burnley v Brentford (3 pm)
The draw at Chelsea again typified the character in the Burnley squad, but the problem they have is a lack of quality. That will ultimately see them slip back into the Championship and continue their yo-yo existence.
Brentford are a great role model for the Clarets. A smaller club traditionally, they are now a well-established Premier League club due to smart recruitment and a defined plan. Keith Andrews’ well-drilled side should have too much in this one.
Prediction: Burnley 0-2 Brentford
Liverpool v West Ham (3 pm)
West Ham are starting to build momentum, so this is not a great time to be going to resurgent Liverpool. The Hammers have not won at Anfield in 11 years, but their recent fine form means they are starting to make the teams just outside the relegation zone more than a little nervous.
Liverpool rode their luck at Nottingham Forest last weekend, but they are definitely trending in the right direction, particularly defensively. They will have both eyes trained firmly on a top-four finish, and you’d be surprised if they didn’t achieve it.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 West Ham
Newcastle v Everton (3 pm)
A mid-table clash between two teams targeting European football. Newcastle are probably better equipped despite defeats in four of its last five league games. Morale will have been boosted by two wins over Qarabag in the Champions League, and Eddie Howe will be expecting three points.
Everton were toothless against Manchester United on Monday night, and there appears to be a limit to their ambition until they find a way to score more goals. David Moyes’ binary football is fine for stabilisation, but to progress, they need a little more adventure.
Prediction: Newcastle 2-0 Everton
Leeds v Manchester City (5.30 pm)
Leeds’ hard-luck defeat at the Etihad in November had a transformational effect on their season. At the time, the talk was of Daniel Farke being sacked, but the German has masterminded a wonderful run that has seen his side lose just two of their 14 league games since. Relegation worries linger, but Leeds’ form at Elland Road ought to see them safe.
It certainly won’t be a straightforward assignment for title-chasing City. Seven wins and a draw from their last eight in all competitions will mean they travel over the Pennines in a confident mood, but don’t be surprised if Leeds get something from this.
Prediction: Leeds 2-2 Manchester City
Sunday 1st March
Brighton v Nottingham Forest (2 pm)
Forest deserved something from last weekend’s game with Liverpool, but defeat means they remain perilously placed above West Ham. Ending a run of four league games without a win is Vitor Pereira’s challenge, but he has a previous for dragging teams away from trouble.
Forest will see a trip to Brighton as an opportunity. The Seagulls finally ended their long wait for a win at Brentford last time out, but they appear vulnerable in what has been a largely underwhelming season.
Prediction: Brighton 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Fulham v Tottenham (2 pm)
Igor Tudor’s debut game in charge of Tottenham did not go as planned – albeit it went entirely to form – as they were thrashed by Arsenal in the North London derby. Spurs appear short of quality and grit, and Tudor’s primary task will be to instil some fight into a squad of underachievers.
Fulham’s win at Sunderland last weekend enables them to look up, not down, and they will see this as a great opportunity to plunge a fellow London club deeper into the mire.
Prediction: Fulham 2-0 Tottenham
Manchester United v Crystal Palace (2 pm)
Benjamin Sesko’s winner at Everton means the Michael Carrick bandwagon shows no sign of slowing down. Five wins and a draw since he took charge have propelled United up the table, and a top-three finish is now a distinct possibility.
Palace appeared in crisis and sleepwalking to relegation a few weeks back, but two wins in three have pushed them into mid-table. The uncertainty around Oliver Glasner’s immediate future remains, but they should be safe. That’s not to say they will get anything here.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal v Chelsea (4.30 pm)
Arsenal and Chelsea meet for the third time in six weeks after clashing in the EFL Cup semi-finals. The Gunners won both legs, although it was far from straightforward. Last week’s game at Spurs was seen as a test for Mikel Arteta’s side, and they passed it with flying colours.
Chelsea will present a more thorough examination, although home draws with Leeds and Burnley suggest they are still a work in progress under Liam Rosenior. Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres is starting to click, and he could be the key in this one.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea
Responsible Gambling
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