Premier League Predictions: Arsenal return to the top, Manchester United and Liverpool enjoy routine wins, while there is finally some relief for troubled Tottenham
There is no letting up in the Premier League, and there are some crunch fixtures this weekend with massive implications at both ends of the table. Manchester City are in FA Cup action, as are managerless Chelsea and Leeds, and they played their round 34 matches in midweek. City’s win at Burnley on Wednesday night moved them to the top of the table, while Chelsea’s abject display at Brighton 24 hours earlier resulted in the dismissal of Liam Rosenior. Here, we take a look at this weekend’s games and give some predictions.
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Friday 24th April
Sunderland v Nottingham Forest (8 pm)
The weekend starts with a huge game for Nottingham Forest. Vitor Pereira’s side have not lost in the Premier League since March 1 and head to Wearside with a five-point cushion over 18th-placed Tottenham. They also boast one of the in-form midfielders in the top-flight, with Morgan Gibbs-White helping himself to a hat-trick against Burnley last weekend.
Sunderland remain in contention for a European place, although their hopes were hit by a last-gasp defeat at Aston Villa last weekend. Boss Regis Le Bris has lifted the handbrake off his side, and they will look to play front-foot football at the Stadium of Light. This should be an entertaining affair.
Prediction: Sunderland 1-2 Nottingham Forest
Saturday 25th April
Fulham v Aston Villa (12.30 pm)
Villa’s win over Sunderland, coupled with defeat for Chelsea, reignited their hopes of a top-five finish and qualification for next season’s Champions League. Another victory at Craven Cottage would almost certainly mean they dine at the top table of European football in 2026/27.
Goalscoring has been a problem for Fulham in recent weeks – Marco Silva’s men have not hit the back of the net in five of their last six games in all competitions, including last week’s snoozefest at Brentford. Villa have quality going forward, so it is likely they will have to change that record if they want to get anything from this.
Prediction: Fulham 0-2 Aston Villa
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (3 pm)
Virgil van Dijk’s late header at Everton last Sunday secured Merseyside bragging rights for Liverpool and, more importantly, put them in a strong position to end the season in the top five. That is reportedly the minimum requirement for Arne Slot if he wishes to keep his job at Anfield. The Dutchman will, therefore, be highly motivated when they take on Palace on Saturday. The Eagles could have one eye on Thursday’s Conference League semi-final, first leg, against Shakhtar Donetsk, and this ought to be a routine win for the Reds.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Crystal Palace
West Ham v Everton (3 pm)
West Ham ground out a draw at Crystal Palace on Monday night, but it felt like a missed opportunity for the East Londoners. They will need to go at full throttle against an Everton side smarting from their derby disappointment. The Hammers start the weekend two points outside the bottom three, knowing there is little room for error over the closing weeks of the season. Everton is still in with an excellent chance of European football next season and is strong on the road with seven wins away from the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Prediction: West Ham 1-1 Everton
Wolves v Tottenham (3 pm)
Tottenham were certainly better against Brighton last weekend, but Georginio Rutter’s late equaliser in a 2-2 draw meant there was still a sense of deflation around Spurs. That needs to be eradicated and quickly ahead of what is a must-win game at Molineux. Wolves’ relegation was confirmed in midweek after just three wins all season. Rob Edwards will still have his players fired up, but the onus is on Spurs here. They have not won any of their last six against Wolves, but, with some tough games to come, there can be no slip-ups in this one.
Prediction: Wolves 0-2 Tottenham
Arsenal v Newcastle (5.30 pm)
Arsenal played well at Manchester City last weekend and, with better finishing, would have come away with a deserved point, but defeat means they are now playing catch-up. The good news is City could only manage a 1-0 win at Burnley and did not leap ahead in the goal difference column with the two teams level on +37. Arsenal can re-establish their three-point advantage, albeit having played a game more, with victory over a Newcastle side that has lost their last four in all competitions, conceding 13 goals in the process. The pressure is very much on Eddie Howe, and it may get worse before it gets better.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle
Monday 26th April
Manchester United v Brentford (8 pm)
United bounced back from defeat to Leeds with a battling win at Chelsea on Saturday. It was a much-needed triumph for Michael Carrick and his players, and they remain firmly on course to secure Champions League qualification. United start the weekend in third and have not lost a home game with Brentford since 1937. The Bees have become the draw specialists in the top flight, having played out stalemates in each of their last five games. That run has seen them slip to ninth, but they are very much in the conversation for European football. Another draw here would not be a bad result.
Prediction: Manchester United 3-1 Brentford
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