The next game week will come around very quickly as we have a midweek block of fixtures to enjoy. Following the conclusion of GW25, Arsenal still rule the roost and have a six point cushion. Manchester City strengthened their position in 2nd, while Aston Villa slipped further into the top four battle. The bottom three remain unchanged with Wolves, Burnley and West Ham.

The matches will be played from Tuesday to Thursday. On Tuesday we have four fixtures, beginning with Chelsea hosting Leeds at 7:30pm (GMT). There’s two more fixtures at 7:30pm with Everton welcoming Bournemouth and Tottenham up against Newcastle. Then at 8:15pm we have West Ham taking on Manchester United. Moving into Wednesday we have four fixtures at 7:30pm. Villa will take on Brighton, Crystal Palace will battle Burnley, Fulham will travel to Manchester City and Nottingham Forest will be up against Wolves. Sunderland vs Liverpool will conclude Wednesday’s fixtures with kick off at 8:15pm. Thursday will see the final tie of GW26 and we’ll see Brentford versus Arsenal at 8pm.

Chelsea vs Leeds

Chelsea have been excellent under Liam Rosenior since his arrival and that continued against Wolves at the weekend. Cole Palmer guided his side to a 3-1 win, a first half hat-trick. The Blues will certainly need Palmer back to his best if they want to maintain their assault on the top four. They sit 5th in the table, just a single point behind Manchester United, so they’ll be waiting for the Red Devils to slip up. Rosenior has made it four wins in a row in the league and that form looks set to continue against Leeds. But, Stamford Bridge is still a troublesome destination for the West London outfit. For home form they sit 12th in the league, on par with Leeds and worse than teams like Newcastle, Bournemouth and Fulham. Having said that, they have won their previous two home fixtures, so it looks like the new manager has turned that around too.

Leeds had to pick themselves up and dust themselves off after receiving a thrashing from Arsenal last weekend. They had a real six-pointer against Forest on the cards, but Daniel Farke engineered an excellent win. The West Yorkshire side won 3-1, opening up a three point gap over Sean Dyche’s Forest. More importantly, the gap between them and West Ham has remained at six points, following the Hammers beating Burnley. However, away from home is where Leeds really suffer. They sit 18th in the league for that metric, only Burnley and Wolves have a worse record on the road. Farke has only masterminded a singular win outside of the four walls of Elland Road, a terrible record. They’ve also conceded the third most goals, with only Burnley and Bournemouth conceding more. Even Wolves are five goals better off.

Chelsea have been struggling at home this season, but that was under Enzo Maresca. Rosenior has a 100% record at Stamford Bridge in his tenure, so that’s something to consider here. Given the poor record from Leeds in away ties, I’m going with a comfortable win for Chelsea.

Predicted Result: Chelsea 2-0 Leeds

Everton vs Bournemouth

David Moyes has created an Everton side that are tough to beat and will snatch victory from anyone. Fulham were the latest victims, who are in good form themselves. The Evertonian’s managed to turn the game around after going 1-0 down. This means they’re now unbeaten in their last five fixtures. In fact, it’s just one defeat in eight matches for the Merseyside club. Despite all that, they’re still struggling to adjust to life at the Hill-Dickinson Stadium. They’ve won just four games on home soil, dropping points in the other eight. This means there’s only six teams with a worse record. Compare it with their away form and it’s like day and night. If the Toffee’s can improve their home form then they could make a serious challenge for European spots, even an outside chance of top four.

Bournemouth have found some form again after a tumultuous few months. You could argue that maybe Antoine Semenyo was holding them back seeing as they’ve won two of their previous four matches, since his departure. At the weekend the Cherries’ picked up a good draw against Villa, a game they should’ve won. Andoni Iraola has seen his side rise from 15th to 11th with a real shot of breaking into the top 10 again. Away form still needs work as they still sit 14th in the league, much of it comes down to the concession of goals. They’ve conceded 30 goals, the joint lowest in the division. So, while form has improved, the away segment still needs big work.

Bournemouth will likely force a high scoring affair, but I think Everton will emerge on top. Everton have a knack of finding themselves in front and not letting go of their lead.

Predicted Result: Everton 3-2 Bournemouth

Tottenham vs Newcastle

Spurs have been dreadful in the league and the possibility of fighting a relegation battle is looming ever larger. Injuries have dogged the side, but it’s something they have no choice but to navigate through. The situation isn’t helped when the club captain earns a four match suspension for serious foul play, that rather cost them the match against Manchester United. They sit 15th in the league, but that’s just decorative compared to the situation they’re actually in. The Hammers have picked up form, alongside Leeds and Forest. Leeds sit level on points now, Forest are three behind them and West Ham are now just six behind all of that. With the North London derby around the corner, things could sticky if they end up losing that one. Life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been dreadful, winning just two of the 12 games that have been played there. They’ve suffered six defeats and four draws to make up the other 10 games. Things need to turn around and fast.

Newcastle haven’t been much better though, some slight relief for Spurs. The Geordie’s are on a three game losing streak, having not won a Premier League match since January 7th. They are 11 points off top four, meaning that it’s still mathematically possible, but it’s going to be extremely tough to try and wriggle in there. You also can’t be losing three games on the bounce if you have serious aspirations of playing Champions League football next season. I’d argue they’re going to struggle to play any sort of European football next season, unless Eddie Howe can transform his side in the coming weeks. Outside of St James Park, things have been terrible, winning just two fixtures. They’ve also only scored 11 goals on the road, just Sunderland and Wolves have scored less.

It’s bad vs bad in this fixture. Both sides will be absolutely desperate to get back to winning ways, but I don’t think either of them have enough in the tank to deliver a victory to their fans. A draw would likely be fair.

Predicted Result: Spurs 1-1 Newcastle

West Ham vs Manchester United

The Hammers have been taking survival more seriously recently, ramping up the pressure on the sides above them. They’ve won three of their last four games and have been good value for it. Their latest victory was against Burnley, which has all but confirmed Burnley’s relegation to the Championship. Nuno Espírito Santo has certainly flicked a switch inside these West Ham players and they look like they can compete with anyone. They pushed Chelsea all the way recently too. The East London side will be determined to maintain this form as they push for survival. However, they will have to work on their home form as it’s very underwhelming. They sit 19th in the league, picking up just 10 points. They’ve actually picked up more points when they’re not at the London Stadium.

Manchester United are also a side that have been brought back to life over the last few weeks. Michael Carrick has done a wonderful job so far, beating three of the traditional ‘big six’ in his first four games. This has seen them wrestle 4th spot from the hands of Liverpool and Chelsea. They don’t look like they’ll be stopping anytime soon as they generally have a generous break between fixtures, due to no European fixtures. Carrick does have some challenges in his path and one of them is to solidify form away from home. United have won just four times outside of Old Trafford, dropping points in eight. This will be another test for Carrick, but one he hasn’t dealt with yet. Playing against a side battling relegation always brings different challenges.

With that in mind, it won’t be plain sailing for Carrick. They need to be clinical and make sure the atmosphere and pressure doesn’t get to the players. I don’t think it will on this occasion.

Predicted Result: West Ham 1-2 United

Aston Villa vs Brighton

Villa have certainly been feeling the effects of losing some key players. Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara and John McGinn were an integral part of what made Unai Emery’s system work. Despite beating Newcastle a few games ago, they haven’t won since. Now, it’s not the end of the world as it’s only two games, but they’re not showing the dominance they once had before the start of the year. They’ve only won two of the six league games since the turn of the year. This has seen them fall away as title contenders and get dragged into a top four battle. They only sit three points ahead of United now, who are in sensational form. The fortress, that was once Villa Park, has witnessed two defeats in a row. For context, they only suffered one defeat in the previous 10 at Villa Park. Emery will need to react quickly to stop his side sinking further into the race for the Champions League football, a win can tighten the grip on 3rd.

Brighton have been abysmal for quite a while now. Fabian Hurzeler can perform tactical masterclasses, but his side haven’t been responding in the way he’d like. They’ve not won any of their last five league fixtures. To put things into perspective, they’ve won just one Premier League game since the December 3rd. That’s one win in 12 games. Rightfully so, they now sit 14th in the league. Despite the run of 12 games without a win, Brighton are the frontrunners for draws. No side has more than the Seagulls, who have 10. So while winning games isn’t in their repertoire right now, they can certainly hold teams to a draw. Hurzeler has to find a way to tip the scales in his favour, otherwise his side will resigned to mid-table mediocrity.

I don’t think we’ll see Villa lose three times in a row at Villa Park. Brighton can be troublesome offensively, but I do think Emery will opt for a more pragmatic approach in order to get his team back to winning ways.

Predicted Result: Villa 3-1 Brighton

Crystal Palace vs Burnley

Palace found momentary respite in their sea of misery. The South London side hadn’t won a Premier League game since December 7th. That’s pretty much two months without a win. As I said in previous prediction pieces, losing Marc Guehi has been a monumental setback. He was the captain and probably the most important player in the squad, outside of Adam Wharton. But, they were able to sneak a win past Brighton at the weekend to push the club into 13th. Despite the length of time without a win, they can still break into the top 10 if they beat Burnley. This highlights how good they were at the start of the season. Goals are still at a premium for Oliver Glasner’s side, scoring an average of a goal a game. That doesn’t sound terrible until you realise only three teams have scored less. Home form has also been a huge struggle for Palace, winning just two at Selhurst Park.

Burnley needed a win at the weekend and they couldn’t get it. They’re now 11 points from safety, that mountain is getting bigger and bigger to climb. For me, I can’t see anything else other than relegation for Scott Parker’s men. There’s no form or style of play that suggests they’re going to even remotely survive the drop. When you haven’t won a game in 16 attempts, that is huge alarm bells for any side. They’ve conceded the most amount of goals in the league with 49, that works out to roughly two a game. You can’t be taken seriously as a Premier League outfit if you’re pretty much guaranteed to have two scored against you. Not even Wolves have conceded that many. Turf Moor used to be a challenging place to visit, but they’ve lost seven of the 13 played there. Most recently a 2-0 loss to West Ham, the team they’re trying to catch.

I think it will be more misery for Burnley if I’m being honest. Palace will be thankful to face a side that are in further disarray than them. Even with Palace’s home form, they can give themselves a breather and potentially start to look forward again.

Predicted Result: Palace 2-0 Burnley

Manchester City vs Fulham

City were just a few minutes away from facing a nine point gap between them and Arsenal. However, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland ensured the gap remained just six points. It was a crucial victory at a stadium that they’ve long struggled at, Anfield. That win now makes it two in five for Pep Guardiola’s men and the unbeaten streak has stretched to three games now. They’ll also be thankful to return to the Etihad where they certainly play their best football. Nine wins out of a possible 12 puts them second in the division, just behind Arsenal. They’ll also be happy that Fulham will be their opponents as they’ve won 19 in a row against them. The Citizens have also put to bed the idea that they can’t perform in the 2nd half. Since 2026 rolled around, City hadn’t scored in the 2nd half of any Premier League fixture. They often found their opponents fighting back and rescuing points, the Liverpool result puts those accusations to bed.

Fulham have overseen a jump in their form, but are stuttering a little. They did manage to climb into 7th, but have lost their last two games, seeing them sink to 10th. Marco Silva will be keen to halt the slide as four teams can leapfrog them, he won’t want to see his side back down in 14th, especially after doing so well. Form outside of Craven Cottage is also mediocre, just three wins under their belts while on the road, losing seven. The West London side haven’t won away from home since they beat West Ham on December 27th. Although, their last trip out of London saw them force Manchester United into a last minute winner. Even in their high flying form.

Fulham can make games very difficult for opponents. Despite a tough away game to Liverpool, I do think City will have too much for Fulham. Players like Phil Foden and Tijjani Reijnders didn’t get any minutes at Liverpool, with Rayan Cherki seeing reduced minutes. So, fresh legs will be available. It won’t be a hammering, but it’ll be enough.

Predicted Result: City 2-0 Fulham

Nottingham Forest vs Wolves

Forest had quite a rude awakening after facing Leeds on Friday night. Those that stand a chance of surviving the drop are doing everything in their power to ensure they do. Sean Dyche’s side were comfortably beaten by Leeds, meaning that the West Yorkshire side hold a three point lead over Forest. The defeat also saw West Ham move within three points of the side from Nottinghamshire. There’s no getting away from the fact that wins are imperative now, especially with just over 10 games to go. Dyche will be satisfied with the fact that his team aren’t exactly in a rut, losing just once in their last five fixtures. However, with European matches on the horizon, they’ll be finding less and less time to carefully prepare for each fixture. Leeds and West Ham will have the luxury of having a week’s gap between ties. Form at The City Ground is still patchy, drawing their previous two fixtures. They still have just three wins for the season on home soil.

Wolves suffered another defeat to add to the catalogue. 3-1 at home to Chelsea was as most people expected, they still sit on just one win for the season. They had seen a resurgence as we barrelled through January, but it’s now three defeats on the bounce. The Premier League record for lowest amount of points in a single season is 11, achieved by Derby back in the 07/08 campaign. Wolves sit on 8 points, so they need just one win to equal the record. Either that or three draws, which I think is achievable, even by the low standards set by Wolves. That is likely the only thing on the minds of those players, nobody wants to be the worst team in Premier League history.

I do think that Forest will get back to winning ways here, putting the pressure back onto Leeds and West Ham to ensure they win their fixtures.

Predicted Result: Forest 3-1 Wolves

Sunderland vs Liverpool

Sunderland have been going through the motions in recent weeks. It’s not been bad, but not as good as it was towards the start of the season. They’re weaving in and out of victories and defeats. Their last five fixtures show LWLWL. The most recent result was a 3-0 loss away at Arsenal, a game that they actually didn’t play that badly in. They’re winning just enough to stay in the top 10, but they won’t be able to afford many more slip-ups if they are trying for European football next season. Home form has been the bedrock of their season, the only side in the table that haven’t lost a game. It’s an incredible achievement, especially considering the teams they’ve faced. Arsenal, City and Villa being the main three. Liverpool will pose another difficult test. What makes the Stadium of Light so difficult is that teams struggle to score, conceding just nine goals in 12 games. Only City and Arsenal have a better record.

Liverpool will be left with a sour taste in their mouths due to the fashion in which they let City win at the weekend. They were abysmal in the first half, missed crucial chances in the 2nd and then gave it all away in stoppage time. Arne Slot is the struggling party in the top four battle as well. Chelsea have pushed four points ahead, while United have pushed five. At the moment, the Merseyside club sit in a battle with their noisy neighbours for the other European spots. Liverpool are not the same team they were last season and away form has been a factor in their struggles. They’ve lost five out of 12 away games, winning just four. Even Nottingham Forest have won as many as that. If they have serious aspirations about playing Champions League football next season then they need to lock in. No one will give them an inch, not in the Premier League and certainly not in the Champions League.

I think Liverpool will have a hangover from the defeat against City. Mental and physical fatigue will be working its way through the players and a team like Sunderland will put you through the wringer.

Predicted Result: Sunderland 1-1 Liverpool

Brentford vs Arsenal

Brentford have been excellent over the last couple of months. What looked like a purple patch has formulated into something more permanent. They have this ability to pluck a win from any situation and it’s showing in the league table. There was a tiny wobble after losing against Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, but they’ve actually been better over the last five league fixtures compared to Arsenal. Three wins from five has seen them tighten their grip on the top 10, sitting 7th now. They’re level on points with Liverpool, meaning they’re just five points off top four. When you think back to the summer they had and, even the start of the season, this is an incredible transformation. Form on home turf is still one of the best in the division, with only four teams winning more. Keith Andrews has worked wonders and their most recent match, against Newcastle, proves how far they’ve come. That 3-2 win is no joke.

Arsenal will be slightly disappointed they couldn’t see their nine point gap stay that way, after watching Liverpool collapse. However, Mikel Arteta will be less than concerned about what his rivals are up to, his full focus will always remain on what his side can manage. The Gunners are still competing in four competitions, but the results are still flowing in. They suffered a blip in the league in January, but it’s now two for two, scoring seven and conceding none. Sunderland did push the North London side, but it never felt out of control and they got their reward in the end. The Gunners are also the best away force in the division, losing just two games. They’ve conceded the least, but the goals scored record is quite mediocre.

It’ll be a challenging game for Arsenal, as any away fixture is in this competition. But, they’re the side that are the best equipped to subdue away crowds. Brentford are excellent at the Gtech Community Stadium, but so were Leeds at Elland Road. It won’t be a 4-0 deficit for Brentford, but it’ll be a loss.

Predicted Result: Brentford 0-2 Arsenal