Tottenham’s Downfall: Liverpool Leads the Chorus of Joy for Arsenal, City, United, Chelsea

In this section, we scrutinize the weekend’s fixtures and present some prognostications.

SATURDAY

Burnley v Bournemouth (3pm)
Burnley’s largely unfortunate campaign in the Premier League is nearing its conclusion, and their oscillating status will persist with a demotion back to the Championship. A solitary league victory since October speaks volumes: the Clarets are simply inadequate for this tier, and they will need to adopt an altered strategy upon their eventual return. Bournemouth has remained undefeated in the league since January 3, though their momentum has been curtailed by an excess of draws (four in their last five outings). It’s hardly a stretch to envision them reclaiming a winning path at Turf Moor.
Prediction: Burnley 1-2 Bournemouth

Sunderland v Brighton (3pm)
Sunderland’s triumph at Leeds in their most recent league game practically secured their spot in the top flight for the next season. Regis Le Bris’ squad swiftly squandered all that positive sentiment with an abysmal loss to League One strugglers Port Vale in the FA Cup. Frankly, the Wearsiders haven’t exhibited their early-season prowess for several weeks, exacerbated by an extensive injury roster. Brighton will perceive this as an opening as they aim to rebound from a frustrating defeat to Arsenal.
Prediction: Sunderland 0-2 Brighton 

Arsenal v Everton (5.30pm)
Arsenal’s late goal in Leverkusen mid-week averted a second loss in 25 matches and sustained their quadruple aspirations quite robustly. The accolade they most covet is the Premier League title, and they have an opportunity to establish a 10-point lead – at least for a few hours – when they compete against Everton at the Emirates. Arsenal has not suffered a home defeat to the Toffees since 2021, and it’s difficult to foresee that trend changing, despite Everton registering consecutive victories over Newcastle and Burnley. However, Everton concedes few goals, so the match could be closely contested.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-0 Everton

Chelsea v Newcastle (5.30pm)
Newcastle exerted their utmost to uphold the standing of the self-proclaimed ‘finest league globally’ with a 1-1 draw against Barcelona, which would have been even more commendable had it not been for Lamine Yamal’s last-second penalty. The Magpies persist in excelling in Europe, but their league performance remains a concern, with merely two wins since January 7. They will encounter a Chelsea squad smarting from their late capitulation in France, meaning they face a formidable task against PSG in the second leg. It is probable that Liam Rosenior will rotate his lineup in an effort to keep players invigorated. Eddie Howe would ideally do likewise but possesses fewer high-quality assets. Chelsea’s squad depth surpasses Newcastle’s, hence…
Prediction: Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle

West Ham v Manchester City (8pm)
On paper, this appears to be an opportune moment to play City. Having suffered a 3-0 loss to Real Madrid yesterday evening, Pep Guardiola is likely to bench several key players and depend on the midweek substitutes to guide his team to victory and maintain pace with Arsenal. Nevertheless, talents such as Phil Foden, John Stones, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Omar Marmoush are still quite formidable! West Ham desperately requires points, but for contrasting reasons. They will commence the evening just within the relegation zone, tied on points with Nottingham Forest and one behind Tottenham. The Hammers have shown considerable improvement lately, and we anticipate they will push City to their limits.
Prediction: West Ham 1-2 Manchester City

SUNDAY

Crystal Palace v Leeds (2pm)
Numerous observers believed Leeds had escaped danger. Daniel Farke seemingly uncovered a successful method to compete in the top division, yet the reality is they have only secured two league victories since Christmas. The West Yorkshire club sits three points above the drop zone and is once again looking over its shoulder. Palace occupied a comparable situation a few weeks prior, but wins against Brighton, Wolves, and Spurs have propelled them to the relative safety of the lower mid-table. Palace possesses too much quality to be relegated, but what about Leeds…?
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-0 Leeds

Manchester United v Aston Villa (2pm)
Who could have imagined United contending for a top-three finish when Ruben Amorim was still experimenting with his 3-4-3 formation? Michael Carrick’s United are a transformed entity, and despite their unfortunate loss to Newcastle in their last outing, they continue on a definite upward trajectory. The absence of European competition is beneficial, and they will approach this match with refreshed legs. Villa travels to Lille tonight and will arrive at Old Trafford feeling fatigued and drained from battle. This factor gives the hosts the advantage.
Prediction: Manchester United 3-1 Aston Villa

Nottingham Forest v Fulham (2pm)
We are not yet at the juncture where a match is deemed ‘unmissable,’ but certain fixtures on the calendar will undoubtedly stand out. This particular game falls into that category for a Forest side that has accumulated just one point from Vitor Pereira’s initial four league games at the helm. That solitary point came from a well-earned 2-2 draw at Manchester City last time out, a result and display that will imbue them with confidence to inflict damage against a Fulham team still nurturing aspirations of European football next season. The Cottagers were defeated by West Ham in their previous fixture but pose a potent threat away from home, where they can more effectively leverage their speed on the counter-attack.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Fulham

Liverpool v Tottenham (4.30pm)
Tottenham… where does one commence? It appears Igor Tudor will be in the dugout this weekend, which is a surprise given the team’s dismal performance since his arrival. Couple this with the shoddy treatment of Antonin Kinsky in the chaotic 5-2 defeat at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday evening, and even the Croatian himself must have anticipated dismissal. Another significant loss at Anfield will surely end his ordeal, and it’s difficult to foresee any other outcome. Micky van de Ven is suspended, while defensive partner Cristian Romero – one Spurs player for whom it is difficult to feel any empathy – sustained a nasty head collision in Spain. If the Argentine is forced out, it will mean another makeshift Spurs defense, which will play directly into the hands of a Liverpool team still striving for peak form. Arne Slot’s side was underwhelming at Galatasaray midweek but will view this match as an excellent opportunity to bolster their top-four ambitions.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Tottenham

MONDAY

Brentford v Wolves (8pm)
Monday night’s FA Cup elimination at West Ham should not detract from what has been an exceptional season for Brentford. Keith Andrews’ squad remains firmly in contention for a Europa League berth and fancies their prospects against a Wolves side that has garnered four points from 14 league matches away from Molineux. Indeed, they have demonstrated recent improvements, with back-to-back home victories over Aston Villa and Liverpool dispelling any fears of being the worst Premier League team in history, yet they still lack considerable quality.
Prediction: Brentford 2-0 Wolves