It's the final weekend of Premier League matches and the race for the Champions League is very much wide open! A big thank you to everybody who has been keeping up with these weekly predictions. Hopefully, they have offered some insight from time to time!
All matches will kick-off on Sunday at 16.00 BST.
The Big Three Matches
Aston Villa vs Chelsea: Villa Park (Sky Sports Action)
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace: Anfield (Sky Sports Main Event)
Leicester City vs Tottenham Hotspur: King Power Stadium (Sky Sports Football)
It’s tough to pick a game of the week this week because three of them are enormous!
Liverpool enter this final set of matches in pole position for the Champions League places. They host a Crystal Palace team who have struggled against the bigger teams throughout the campaign; Liverpool actually won 7-0 in the reverse fixture at Selhurst Park. A win all but confirms a top-four finish and, despite this being Roy Hodgson’s final match as a manager, it’s tough to see the visitors upsetting Liverpool in front of their own supporters.
Jurgen Klopp will be feeling confident and so will Thomas Tuchel, but Chelsea’s German manager faces a sterner looking trip to the Midlands. Aston Villa are a different animal when Jack Grealish is available to them. He started in midweek and they overturned Tottenham in London. However, Tuchel has instilled a real grit and resilience since taking up his role at Stamford Bridge.
That leaves Leicester looking down the barrel of a second collapse in two seasons. The Foxes were in pole position for Champions League football but a string of disappointing results has seen them slip out of the top-four at the worst possible time. Nonetheless, Brendan Rodgers will be pleased at how his men have valiantly battled on a domestic and European front, without losing ground in the Premier League.
Predictions:
Aston Villa 0-1 Chelsea
Liverpool 2-0 Crystal Palace
Leicester City 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Arsenal vs Brighton & Hove Albion: Emirates Stadium (Sky Sports Arena)
Arsenal could get into the newly formed UEFA Conference League if results go in their favour and they can overturn Brighton. It has been a tough season for Mikel Arteta but the Spaniard has survived through the challenging moments. He will go into next season with a very exciting group of young and hungry players. With that being said, Brighton is a potential banana skin and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Graham Potter’s team take the points.
Fulham vs Newcastle United: Craven Cottage (Sky Sports Mix)
Fulham will hope to perform in front of their own supporters. They have played some wonderful football over the campaign but everything was just a little lacking. Game management, defensive composure and attacking efficiency wasn’t always there when it was badly needed. There had been similar issues in the Newcastle camp, as well, but Allan Saint-Maximin and Joe Willock have inspired their surge away from the drop.
Prediction: 2-1
Leeds United vs West Bromwich Albion: Elland Road (BT Sport 2)
Mathematically, Leeds could actually sneak into a European spot! What a quite remarkable job Marcelo Bielsa has done in his first Premier League season. Even more impressive is how his team has matured over the course of the campaign. That lovable attacking naivety is a thing of the past. If they don’t get into Europe this time around then they will be well placed to do it next season! Tough to see Sam Allardyce taking anything in his final match in charge of the Baggies.
Manchester City vs Everton: Etihad Stadium (Sky Sports Premier League)
The trophy will be lifted in front of the jubilant City faithful. What a wonderful season this has been. Almost all eyes are now on the Champions League final but this represents a great opportunity for Sergio Aguero to equal Wayne Rooney’s goalscoring record for one club (183 for Rooney; 182 for Aguero). Everton have had a very strange season but the fact that Carlo Ancelotti has kept them in the European hunt should be considered a positive.
Sheffield United vs Burnley: Bramall Lane (BT Sport 3)
Paul Heckingbottom hasn’t done a bad job as the interim coach of the Blades. The club were at rock bottom when Chris Wilder left and, while he hasn’t revived their fortunes, Heckingbottom has kept them relatively competitive in most matches. Whether that will be enough to get the job on a permanent basis remains to be seen. A match against Burnley represents a great chance for victory in front of some home supporters, with the Clarets seemingly on the beaches.
Prediction: 2-1
West Ham United vs Southampton: London Park (Sky One)
This could be the game with the most goals. These two teams are both capable of banging in the goals when they put an emphasis on attacking and, with little to play for, you’d expect both parties to have a real good go. Well, West Ham could slip out of the Europa League places but they would have to lose and Tottenham would have to beat Leicester. Not impossible, but unlikely. Even then, the Hammers would still qualify for the Conference League!
Prediction: 3-2
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester United: Molineux (BT Sport 1/Ultimate)
This was pretty much another dead rubber until the Nuno Espirito Santo news was announced. The Wolves manager has cemented his status as a legend, guiding his team from the Championship into the latter stages of the Europa League, but he will now be leaving at the end of the season. A huge task for whoever takes over, particularly because funds are thought to be of the essence. Nuno will want a positive result in his final game but it doesn't get much tougher than United.