The Premier League will be back on our screens this weekend after three weeks without a fixture. The international break and the FA Cup stole valuable action away from the top tier of English football. But, we return now and there will not be any more pauses until the end of the season. All these teams have roughly seven weeks to define their campaigns and ensure they leave with no regrets. The league table makes for familiar reading with Arsenal still out in front, Manchester City following up behind and Manchester United completing the top three. At the other end; Wolves, Burnley and West Ham complete the bottom three.

This game week will see fixtures stretched across Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. First up we have West Ham hosting Wolves, this will be the only Friday fixture with kick off at 8pm (GMT). We then move into Saturday which will see Arsenal up against Bournemouth as the early kick off. 12:30pm for that one. There’ll be two fixtures at 3pm with Brentford facing Everton and Burnley welcoming Brighton. At 5:30pm we have Fulham travelling to Liverpool. On Sunday we have another four fixtures with three kicking off at 2pm. Crystal Palace against Newcastle, Nottingham Forest will take on Aston Villa and Sunderland will play Tottenham. The final fixture for Sunday will see Chelsea battle Manchester City at 4:30pm. To conclude the return of Premier League football will be a Monday night fixture which will see Manchester United host Leeds. Kick off will be 8pm.

West Ham vs Wolves

The Hammers have made the relegation battle much more interesting over the last couple of months. Form improved and their points tally was also in the ascension. It dragged teams like Nottingham Forest, Leeds and Tottenham into the battle. However, wins have plateaued in the last few fixtures as they’ve only picked up one in the Premiership in their last six. On the other hand, they’ve drawn three and lost two. So, points are still getting picked up. Home form has steadily improved, but it still doesn’t match what they’ve done on the road. 13 points at the London Stadium compared to 16 outside of it. They haven’t actually won at home, in the league, since January 24th when they beat Sunderland 3-1.

Wolves have been rock bottom for as long as memory can serve. But, they’re putting up a hell of a fight to ensure they don’t finish that way. It’s taken a monumental effort, but they’re now three points behind Burnley. At one stage they were double digits behind, so the progress has been phenomenal. It won’t be enough to save them, but football is an odd game and they still have 21 points to play for. The most they can finish with is 38, which puts them well in the mix for survival. But, they have to win every single game and that will be extremely tough. Nevertheless, it’s two wins from five currently. They’ve also only lost four times since December 30th, that’s 13 league games. I don’t have to tell you that they’ve picked up points in nine fixtures. That’s excellent considering where they were in 2025.

I think West Ham have too much to play for to become part of the Wolves fairytale. I think goals will be at a premium, but the East London side will be content with just the one without reply.

Predicted Result: West Ham 1-0 Wolves

Arsenal vs Bournemouth

The last time Arsenal played in the league everything was going to plan. They’d extended their lead at the top with a huge victory over Everton and then watched Manchester City fumble at West Ham. All four competitions were still on the go and the positivity was flowing through the entire club. Fast forward to this game week and Arsenal have lost the EFL Cup final and were also dumped out of the FA Cup. However, the ship was steadied against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League. An extremely important 1-0 win will now be taken back to the Emirates ahead of the second leg. If we’re talking just Premier League action, Arsenal have won their last four and haven’t lost since January 25th. Despite some disappointing results, they’re still in excellent form in the league. A win here would see them go 12 points clear of City before they even kick a ball.

Bournemouth have similar form to Arsenal in that they haven’t been beaten since January. However, the Cherries’ haven’t tasted defeat since January 3rd, against Arsenal. Some would say it would be quite fitting for the Gunners to end the unbeaten run. Despite a monster run of games without defeat, Andoni Iraola’s side have become the ‘draw’ kings. They sit on 15 right now, with the next highest coming in at 12. Just under half of their games have finished in a stalemate. That tells us two things, they’re hard to beat, but they also struggle to get a result over the line. They’ve also drawn their last five games in a row, scoring just three and conceding three also. European football is on the horizon, so they’ll certainly be looking to turn in a victory for the first time since February 10th.

Despite a taxing midweek, I do believe Arsenal have enough in their tank to beat Bournemouth. They certainly won’t make it easy, but the Gunners can win ugly.

Predicted Result: Arsenal 2-0 Bournemouth

Brentford vs Everton

Brentford are having an immense season and they’re so close to closing it out with the significant prize of European football. Something they’ve never done in their history. They sit ahead of the pack chasing Conference League football, but only on goal difference. Three draws in a row have allowed a few sides to catch up and bring them within the same stratosphere. Keith Andrews will want to return to winning ways as he knows that Chelsea and Liverpool aren’t even out of reach. Three points here will see them leapfrog Chelsea and land level with Liverpool. Any major goal difference swing and Brentford could even squeeze past Arne Slot’s men.

Everton have had an identical season to Brentford. 13 wins, 7 draws and 11 defeats. The only difference is the goals scored and conceded, with Brentford + 2 better off. We can wax lyrical about the job Keith Andrews has done for Brentford, but David Moyes has equalled that. He deserves a heap of praise, especially as he’s guiding the club into a new era with a new stadium. The Toffee’s have won three of their last five fixtures, picking up an excellent 3-0 win over Chelsea before the international break. Moyes’ men do still have the fourth best away record in the league. They’ve lost just five teams with only; Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United losing less on the road.

The battle for Europe is heating up and this will have a colossal impact on the direction in which European football will go in. Brentford have an amazing record at home, whereas Everton are excellent on their travels. It’s likely they’ll cancel each other out.

Predicted Result: Brentford 1-1 Everton

Burnley vs Brighton

Burnley have had a bit of a torrid time in the league of late. They’re winless in their last five Premier League outings which has invited unwanted pressure from Wolves. Scott Parker can’t afford to finish last. As much as relegation is bad enough, coming second best in what was a one-horse race is dreadful. They’re just three points ahead of Wolves and I can see the bottom placed team not remaining there for too long. They’re only just pipping them for goal difference. The worrying aspect of this fixture is that Turf Moor is not a fortress in any kind of way. They’ve not won on home turf since October 18th. That’s almost six months without a win at home.

At the other end of the spectrum, Brighton are enjoying life right now. They’ve won four of their last five matches and that’s launched them right into contention with European football next season. They currently sit 10th and just three points behind Brentford and Everton. They managed to beat Liverpool before the international break as well. Away form is little on the iffy side, having only won four times in 15 attempts. However, half of those wins have come in the last five games.

Fabian Hurzeler’s men are in the kind of form that could see them overcome the challenge of Burnley. Scott Parker desperately needs to win, but I’m not sure they’ll be able to handle Brighton.

Predicted Result: Burnley 1-2 Brighton

Liverpool vs Fulham

Arne Slot has had a very challenging few weeks at Liverpool. They’ve lost their last three games, in three separate competitions. Brighton beat them in the Premiership, City thumped them 4-0 in the FA Cup and they were then outclassed by PSG this week. They were able to smash Galatasaray 4-0 prior to this, but they’ve had some difficult moments even before that. The 1-1 draw, at Anfield, against a hugely depleted Spurs side summed up the lack of spirit within this group. They’re struggling to compete in the race for Champions League football, although it has now opened up to five spots instead of just the top four. The Merseyside club do sit in the top five, but they have Chelsea breathing down their necks. Brentford and Everton are also ready to pounce should Liverpool slip further.

Fulham can’t seem to stay consistent enough. They’re constantly flipping between excellent form and miserable. They’re currently doing well, picking up three wins in their last five league matches. It seems crazy to say, but they’re not even far behind Liverpool. A win for the Cottagers would see them move within two points of Liverpool. More importantly, it could move them into 7th, which is European football. However, form away from Craven Cottage hasn’t been good at all. They’ve lost eight and only won four, which makes them the fourth worst in the league.

Losing four games in a row is not acceptable for Liverpool, especially with the team they’ve got. It could easily turn into five if they lose to PSG next week. Slot needs to stop the rut and I think they will here.

Predicted Result: Liverpool 3-1 Fulham

Crystal Palace vs Newcastle

Palace have steadily improved their form over recent weeks, which will delight Oliver Glasner. There was a moment in the season where the South London side were a sinking ship. The relegation zone was floating closer and they couldn’t find a win from anywhere. At the time of writing this, they’ve just beaten Fiorentina 3-0 in the Conference League. That win means they’ve now lost just once in their last nine games, in all competitions. They’ve steered themselves clear of the relegation battle and could yet challenge for the European spots. But, if they’re to do that they need to seriously improve their home form. They have just three wins at Selhurst Park, which is awful.

Newcastle bowed out of the Champions League in spectacular fashion. Having originally held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw, they ended up losing 8-3 on aggregate. Following the exit, they were then beaten by Sunderland, their biggest rivals. At St James Park. Eddie Howe has had bad weeks, but none would’ve been as bad as this. Having said that, the wins over Chelsea and Manchester United will have done wonders for their aspirations of European football next season. Three points here could see them jump into 9th. As much as it’s been a hugely disappointing season, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Both sides are more than capable of winning this one, which leads me to think neither of them will. They’ll both cautiously approach this one and I think that’ll result in a tedious draw.

Predicted Result: Palace 1-1 Newcastle

Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa

With a fairly successful first leg under their belts in the Europa League, focus will need to shift back to the Premier League as survival is of the upmost importance. The draw concludes a four match unbeaten streak in all competitions which is important for their season. Before the international break they engaged in a relegation six-pointer with Spurs, one which they came out on top of. The 3-0 win was their first in the league since January 25th, which is unacceptable at this stage of the season. But, they’ll be hoping to kick on now. They’re three points clear of West Ham and have superior goal difference.

Villa also had a successful midweek as they beat Bologna 3-1 away from home, in the Europa League. That success needs to find its consistency again as it’s been tough for Unai Emery over the last few months. In December the Villans had quiet shouts of potentially winning the league. They seemed unstoppable and engaged on a run of wins that stretched into double digits. If they weren’t going to beat Arsenal or Manchester City to the title, they were nailed on to finish top three. However, Emery’s men couldn’t sustain that form and injuries became more prevalent. Prior to beating West Ham, before the break, they’d only won a singular game in seven league matches. This invited pressure from Manchester United which they’ve taken advantage of, slipping down to 4th.

Both sides have the excuse of fatigue as they both had trips into Europe in the week. I don’t think too much will separate these teams. Forest have more to do next Thursday, but survival is imperative. I think they’ll be happy with a draw.

Predicted Result: Forest 2-2 Villa

Sunderland vs Spurs

The Black Cat’s had been on a slippery slope after an incredible start to the season. But, that’s been steadied in the last few weeks. Beating Newcastle at St James Park would’ve been an incredible feeling for the fans and they’ll use that as fuel to charge towards a seat in European football. More importantly for the fans, it means that Newcastle can’t beat them this season. In relation to the Premier League campaign, they sit 11th in the league and only three points behind Brentford and Everton. But, it’s now three home defeats in a row and that’s very concerning. Home form was Sunderland’s biggest weapon, but they can’t find a win from anywhere.

Spurs are now on their third managerial appointment of the season. Roberto De Zerbi has replaced Igor Tudor after an incredibly unsuccessful stint. Tudor lost all but two games, drawing against Liverpool and beating Atletico Madrid. But, that defeat to Forest was the final nail in the coffin. De Zerbi now has an extremely difficult job on his hands in making sure his side don’t get relegated. The North London outfit are the only team in the league not to win a league game in 2026. Even Wolves have picked up a few. The former Brighton manager has seven games to save the club from total embarrassment.

The new manager bounce is real, but Sunderland is a tough ground to pick up points from. Even if they’ve lost three on the bounce at the Stadium of Light, it’s still difficult. I’m going for another draw and it will be hard fought.

Predicted Result: Sunderland 0-0 Spurs

Chelsea vs Manchester City

Chelsea have had a horrible time recently, but did manage to win 7-0 in their last game. The opponent was Port Vale though, but that’s still a huge scoreline. Prior to that, the Blues had lost four in a row. PSG beat them twice with an aggregate of 8-2. They also lost to Newcastle and Everton in the league, conceding four and scoring none. Liam Rosenior started with such positivity, but has been rocked by recent results and there’s no guarantee they’ll play Champions League football next season. Despite expanding to include the fifth placed side, Chelsea are 6th and haven’t shown the desire to break into the top five. They’re a point behind Liverpool and six behind Villa.

City are certainly the underdogs in the title race, but they’ll always believe they can do it. Pep Guardiola has won so many title races that nine points doesn’t even feel like a desperate position. They still have the game in hand and will host Arsenal next weekend. Wins in both will see the nine point gap reduce to just three. City will also have that mental advantage after beating Arsenal in the EFL Cup final. However, while Arsenal have been winning league games, the Citizens have been drawing them. West Ham and Forest both stole points away from Pep’s men. At a time when City need every single point, they’ve dropped points in eight away fixtures, which is an unwanted record.

Chelsea will be missing some key players and City could have found a winning formula after beating Arsenal and smashing Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup. I do think City will make it three in three, even though they could start the game 12 points behind Arsenal.

Predicted Result: Chelsea 1-3 City

Manchester United vs Leeds

United have an unofficial rivalry with Leeds due to the neighbouring counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. These two counties have a rich history of rivalry and that’s continued into the modern world in the shape of Man Utd and Leeds. The last time these sides met, Ruben Amorim was still in charge, but that was his last game. The game ended 1-1, but that kick started the Michael Carrick era. It seems like they’ve grabbed themselves Champions League football for next season and that’s down to the incredible form. United have lost just one game since January 17th. Over the course of the games since that win over Manchester City, they’ve won seven, drawn two and of course lost just once. That run has helped jump them into the top three and solidified their position.

Leeds haven’t yet escaped the perils of the relegation zone and could yet get dragged down further. They sit on top of the other struggler’s, but only a point ahead of Forest. Daniel Farke’s side have drawn their last two league games, both 0-0’s. But, that means they haven’t won any of their last six league games. To make matters worse, Leeds have only scored one goal in their last five. That’s an awful record to have at this point in the season. But, in fairness, the’ve only conceded three. They’re doing a lot of good at one end, but facing some difficulties at the other. The Yorkshire side do also have the third worst away record in the league, winning just once outside of Elland Road.

I can’t see anything other than United winning this one. They’ve had a long amount of time off and will be completely refreshed. Leeds will fight, but I can’t see them matching Carrick’s side.

Predicted Result: Man Utd 3-0 Leeds