Following the conclusion of an epic weekend of football last time out, we have another weekend of twists and turns. As we head dangerously close to the 30 game mark, we’re starting to see more micro battles emerge up and down the table. Arsenal retained their five point advantage over Manchester City, but the Citizens have a game in hand. Following up behind them is Aston Villa in 3rd. The bottom three remain unchanged with Wolves, Burnley and West Ham occupying those slots.

This game week will see us begin on Friday night and end on Sunday. Wolves will host Aston Villa for our Friday night entertainment, kick off at 8pm (GMT). Moving in to Saturday we have five fixtures. Starting us off is Bournemouth hosting Sunderland at 12:30pm. We then have three fixtures at 3pm. Burnley will welcome Brentford, Liverpool will take on West Ham and Newcastle will face Everton. Our evening tie will be Manchester City travelling to Leeds for a 5:30pm kick off. On Sunday we have four fixtures. Three of them will kick off at 2pm. First on the agenda is Brighton up against Nottingham Forest. We’ll then see Fulham vs Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United vs Crystal Palace. To round off GW28 will be Arsenal versus Chelsea.

Wolves vs Aston Villa

Despite the prospect of Championship football on the horizon, Wolves are having a good go at it for their final few months. They’ve earned seven points since the turn of the year, which is easy enough to work out as 70% of their total points tally. 2026 has still only brought one win, but they’re becoming harder to beat, picking up four draws out of a possible nine. Considering form in 2025, that’s a huge achievement. I think the biggest achievement for them now is to ensure they don’t become the worst side in Premier League history, currently held by Derby County. Who achieved a grand total of 11 points back in the 07/08 campaign. Wolves need just one point to equal it, two to clear it. Considering they were able to draw 2-2 with Arsenal, in their last home fixture, that seems like an entirely achievable task.

However, Villa will be hoping Wolves can wait for another game to beat that 11 point tally. Villa have been dragged into a dogfight at the top end of the table. On the one hand, they have an outside chance of competing for the title. On the other, they’re now firmly in a battle for top four. Recent results have invited Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool to close the gap. United sit just three points behind Unai Emery’s men. Chelsea and Liverpool are a further three points behind that. This game is a chance to create some real daylight between them and the chasing pack. Away form is still alive and kicking as they haven’t lost on the road since December 30th, when they lost 4-1 to Arsenal. Despite the wobble, they still have the third best away form in the league. They’ve lost just three times.

Wolves have a system locked down now and the players are giving more back. They’re still in disarray, but it’s more organised than it ever has been this season. However, Villa should be able to comfortably break them down.

Predicted Result: Wolves 0-2 Villa

Bournemouth vs Sunderland

Bournemouth have officially rose from the ashes. Six games unbeaten now and mounting a serious charge towards Europe. They’re now 8th in the league and sit just two points behind Brentford. They’re certainly not safe from falling down the table as five teams can leapfrog them if they lose. If the Cherries’ didn’t have those couple of months without a win, they’d be seriously challenging for top four. Even just a couple of wins would have them mixing around the current top six. But, that’s in the past now and the club are looking forward. What they will need to do is start tipping some draws in their favour. They have 11 throughout the campaign, which is the most in the league. Andoni Iraola has also developed a strong attacking setup, despite losing Antoine Semenyo. They’ve scored 43 goals this season, only four clubs have more; Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Sunderland were quite some distance ahead of Bournemouth a couple of months ago, but Granit Xhaka’s absence has proved costly for Regis Le Bris’ men. They’re on a three game losing streak, which is their worst spell this season. The Black Cat’s have dropped down to 12th now and have a very outside chance of getting dragged into a relegation scrap. I personally don’t think they will, but they need to stop this spiral and fast. They lost 3-1 to Fulham last time out, which was at the Stadium of Light. The fortress for a majority of the campaign, but it’s two defeats in a row at home. Now they have to try their luck away from home and that makes for awful viewing. They’re 17th in the division for away form, winning just twice. They’ve also only scored six goals, only Wolves have scored less. The last time Sunderland won away from home was against Chelsea on the 25th October.

Sunderland will welcome Xhaka back for this fixture, but the mentality of the team has shifted and that will play into Bournemouth’s hands. Bournemouth have been excellent lately and I can see that continuing.

Predicted Result: Bournemouth 3-1 Sunderland

Burnley vs Brentford

Burnley have decided to turn up in the Premier League and it could make things interesting. For a while it seemed like Burnley and Wolves were the certainties for the drop, but Scott Parker’s men have the chance to throw a spanner in the works. They’re six points behind West Ham, but eight points behind Forest. A couple of contrasting results and suddenly that gap evaporates. Parker’s men have only lost twice in their last five league fixtures, drawing two and winning the other. One of those draws was earned last weekend when they held Chelsea. However, the win over Crystal Palace and the draw with Chelsea both came on the road for Burnley. They will now return to Turf Moor, so it’s now up to them to translate those positive results to the home crowd.

Brentford have been nothing short of excellent over the last couple of months. They’re one of the most inform teams in the division. However, they stumbled last weekend when Brighton rocked up and delivered their third home defeat of the season. That loss ended a three game unbeaten run. What Keith Andrews needs to do now is ensure his side don’t completely trip up. They have a real shot of making Europe next season. They’re 7th in the table, but are unlikely to climb higher. Liverpool sit five points ahead and it would be a hell of a task trying to catch up to them. What they will want to do is consolidate 7th and make it their own. They have the goal difference over many of the clubs below them, but that won’t matter when the points tally doesn’t increase. Brentford have respectable form away from home with five wins under their belt.

Burnley are fighting for survival and need every single point they can get. They will have had a confidence boost after beating Palace and drawing with Chelsea, so Brentford will be in for a tough afternoon. I can see Burnley escaping with a draw.

Predicted Result: Burnley 1-1 Brentford

Liverpool vs West Ham

Liverpool have had a difficult season so far. Their title defence has been terrible and could struggle to even make top four. However, they’ve now picked up two tough wins away from home. Albeit they weren’t exactly at their premium best, but the three points are what matters. Arne Slot has had trouble’s with injuries and they will continue as the season goes on, but he needs to find a way to consistently deliver results for the Merseyside club. They’re three points behind United, but they’re in incredible form right now and don’t have any other commitments. Home form has improved as the season has progressed. They’re the 7th best team in the division for that metric, winning seven games out of a possible 13.

The Hammers have enjoyed a few weeks of relative success on the pitch. They’re into the 5th round of the FA Cup and have closed the gap with Forest to just two points. Even the gap with Spurs is now just four. There’s every chance that Nuno Espirito Santo can engineer survival for the East London side. They’ve lost just once in their last five league fixtures, winning twice and drawing once. Even in that singular loss they pushed Chelsea all the way to the end, losing in the dying moments. Away form has picked up, but it still looks relatively bleak. Just three wins throughout the entire campaign. Although the six defeats they’ve suffered is the least out of the bottom nine.

Nobody wants to face a side battling relegation, but when you’re battling for top four, the fight balance’s out. I think Liverpool will enjoy this fixture, it’ll just be up to West Ham to move on as quick as possible.

Predicted Result: Liverpool 3-0 West Ham

Newcastle vs Everton

Eddie Howe’s men have had a decent time of it recently. They’re playing a lot of games, but they’re picking up more wins now than across the whole season. They’ve won four of their last five in all competitions, which includes qualifying for the main knockout stage of the Champions League. However, leading up to this decent spell is a stretch of form that has seen them sink to 11th in the table. They’ve lost four out of their last five league fixtures, with the only win coming away at Spurs. So, there’s work to be done in the league for Eddie Howe. The Geordie’s haven’t won at home in the league since January 7th, a 4-3 win over Leeds. St James Park is always a feared stadium to visit, but it’s lost that air of dominance. They need it back and fast.

On the whole, Everton have had a good season so far. It’s always hard to transition to a new stadium as it doesn’t quite feel like home yet, almost like you’re still the away side. This is proven by Everton’s shocking form at the Hill-Dickinson Stadium. They’ve won just four games on home soil, dropping points in the other 10. This leads on to the next point that Everton are a surprise package away from home. They’re the 6th best in the league for it, winning six times. Which is joint-second behind Arsenal in 1st. They have just four defeats on the road, with none coming this calendar year. December 13th was the last time they were defeated on their travels.

I do think Everton’s ability to pick up points when visiting other grounds is remarkable. For a team that don’t get given much of a chance, they regularly come away with something. I think they can take advantage of Newcastle’s tired legs.

Predicted Result: Newcastle 1-1 Everton

Leeds vs Manchester City

Daniel Farke will be keeping one eye on the developing relegation battle, as his side aren’t entirely safe yet. They’re six points clear of West Ham, four clear of Forest and two ahead of Spurs. So, they have breathing space, but they will want to create some distance. Leeds are unbeaten in three games now and have only lost once in their last five league outings. Which was a 4-0 defeat at Elland Road to Arsenal. That remains just the second loss, in all competitions, since December 3rd. That’s an incredible 16 games and just two defeats within that. They’ve drawn a lot of the 14 games, but it shows the appetite to ensure they don’t lose. They’ve still only lost three times at Elland Road, which is one of the better figures.

The title is now in City’s hands and they didn’t really have to do anything as Arsenal were the ones that stumbled, not taking advantage of their game in hand. However, the gap still remains five points and City need to keep chipping away. It can reduce to two points if they beat Leeds, which then puts the pressure on Arsenal to beat Chelsea. Pep Guardiola will be confident his side can grab victory as his side have won their last five matches in all competitions. In the league, they’re unbeaten in five fixtures now. Cleary City are getting into their groove and victory over Leeds will prove that.

While I think Leeds will provide one of their toughest away tests of the season, City are in business mode. They’re slick, they’re professional and they get the job done. Leeds will show fight, but they’ll get a dagger at some point, despite hard work.

Predicted Result: Leeds 1-2 City

Brighton vs Nottingham Forest

There’s been a lot of misery for Brighton over the past few months. Before last weekend, the Seagulls have won just one Premier League fixture since the start of December. That’s 13 games and just one solitary win. Fabian Hurzeler will be feeling the pressure, but earned a respite against Brentford. It shows they can handle tough games as Brentford are a side that are very much in form. They need more games to go in their favour as they’re languishing a bit too close to the relegation battle. While they are pretty safe, further poor form will allow others to catch up. They’re three points ahead of Leeds and nine ahead of West Ham. But, Brighton still have a very good record at the AMEX Stadium. They’ve only lost twice, picking up points in 11 of the other fixtures.

Forest are one of the teams that can catch Brighton. They’re currently seven points behind their opponents in this tie. But, they’re going to need to start churning out wins in the league. They’re on a four game winless streak, two defeats and two draws. It’s not the end of the world, for form, but it’s not going to be enough to break free from the battle. What will give Vitor Pereira confidence is that Forest are better away from home. They’ve picked up 14 points on the road, compared to the 13 at home. Within the 14 points, they’ve earned four wins which is the best out of the bottom 10.

Brighton grabbed a big win over Brentford, but Forest also beat Brentford away not too long before it. What will work against Forest is their venture in Europe during the week. Those tired legs become even more tired when travelling to a different stadium.

Predicted Result: Brighton 2-1 Forest

Fulham vs Tottenham Hotspur

Fulham’s season has been topsy turvy. It started poor, they revived themselves between December and January and since then, have dropped off. They had climbed to 7th in the table, but they’ve slipped down to 10th. Prior to the 3-1 win over Sunderland last weekend, Fulham were on a three game losing streak. The Premiership is unforgiving and many teams are still vying for a spot in Europe, so it was imperative to end that losing streak. The West London side have got a good record at Craven Cottage this season, losing four times and winning seven. Only Villa, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal have won more in their own stadium.

Spurs have had a torrid time, throughout 90% of the campaign. It was compounded last weekend when they lost 4-1 to Arsenal on home soil. That’s resulted in an 8-2 aggregate score against their bitter rivals. It was also Igor Tudor’s first game in charge, so not exactly a good showing. Spurs are still yet to win in 2026, in the league. They’re the only team left without a win, even Wolves have one. The North London side sit four points above the relegation zone and just two ahead of Forest. Something has got to give for Spurs, otherwise they genuinely will be staring relegation in the face. Even if Tudor just sets up for the draw and grinds out those kind of results. Away form is still decent for Spurs, losing just four. Only Arsenal, Chelsea, Villa and United have lost less.

I genuinely think Fulham are a better side than Spurs right now. Individual quality isn’t far off either, but as a unit, Fulham are much better. I can see West London conquering North London here.

Predicted Result: Fulham 2-0 Spurs

Manchester United vs Crystal Palace

United were back to winning ways against Everton and it’s now five wins in six games for Michael Carrick. It’s an extraordinary return and it’s solidifying their spot in the top four. United are now just three points behind Villa in third, which will be the next spot they want to take. City and Arsenal are a bit out of reach. United now have an excellent chance to put the pressure on Villa, especially if they can’t beat Wolves. Without any European competitions, the Red Devils have entire focus on the league campaign. Something that none of their rivals can say. Form at Old Trafford has also vastly improved and it’s salvaging some of that fear factor that it once boasted. Two defeats out of a possible 13 is the 4th best in the league.

Palace have had a catastrophic season. It started with such promise, embarking on an unbeaten run that lasted a couple of months. They’d won the Community Shield and found themselves in the top four for a few weeks. Since then, it’s been a downward spiral. They now sit 13th in the league, which is hugely disappointing. They rescued some pride in the last couple of weeks as they’ve only lost once in their last five fixtures, in all competitions. It included progression in the Conference League and two wins in the league. While Oliver Glasner has some issues to address, there’s still some life in his side. They’ll also be delighted to play away from Selhurst Park as they’re better outside of that ground than in it. 20 points compared to the 15 on home turf.

I can’t see Palace troubling United outside of delaying the opening goal. The South London side will try and keep compact, but United have just found a way to break through consistently over the last month. I think they will again.

Predicted Result: United 3-1 Palace

Arsenal vs Chelsea

The Gunners have stumbled enough to blow the title race wide open. There was opportunities for Mikel Arteta’s side to push double digits clear of City, but those weren’t taken. Instead, the title now sits in City’s hands. However, if Arsenal win all of their remaining league fixtures then they will win the league. First up is Chelsea. The Gunners recently did the double over Chelsea, in the EFL Cup. This was under the tutelage of Liam Rosenior as well. Arsenal were able to get their season back on track with a huge 4-1 win over Spurs last weekend, something they desperately needed. It’ll also be back to the Emirates after three away fixtures in a row. Chelsea haven’t won at the Emirates since 2021, so Rosenior has a huge task on his hands.

Rosenior was doing very well at Chelsea, but two games in a row has seen them draw against newly promoted sides. Leeds were able to grab a 2-2 and Burnley grabbed a late equaliser to make it 1-1. This will trouble Chelsea’s new boss. Both of these results took place at Stamford Bridge, which is notorious for seeing the Blues drop points. Away from home is where Chelsea thrive, they’re 2nd in the division for this metric. They’ve only lost three times, picking up six wins. Only Arsenal have more. They’ve also scored 25 goals which is the joint most in the division, tied with Arsenal. To tie in with those goals scored, Chelsea have created the most xG in the table. They’ve created 52.3 xG, the next highest is Manchester City on 49.1 xG. This shows how freely the West London side can create chances.

Despite Arsenal’s troubles, that win over Spurs will be huge for them. The Emirates will be rocking as the rivalry between the two clubs grows. I think Arsenal can grab a win here, but Chelsea will not make it easy. Spurs were awful against their rivals, but still had the game at 2-2 before the second goal was disallowed.

Predicted Result: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea