Matches:
Bournemouth
Brentford
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Everton
Burnley
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Leeds
Sunderland
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Wolves
Liverpool
Aston Villa
Chelsea
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Brighton
Arsenal
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Fulham
West Ham
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Manchester City
Nottingham Forest
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Newcastle
Manchester Utd
Tottenham
Crystal Palace
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On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we will watch an extraordinary Round 29 of the Premier League, as FA Cup matches are scheduled from Friday to Sunday. Because of that, the league fixtures will be played midweek. This round brings several major clashes: Aston Villa vs Chelsea and Manchester United vs Newcastle — matches that could easily turn into Premier League classics.
Arsenal will have a big opportunity away against a struggling Brighton side, while Manchester City have a strong chance of beating Nottingham Forest, who at this moment do not look strong enough to compete with them. City are offensively far superior, and Forest, who recently changed their manager, have been struggling since. The new manager arrived recently and has not yet found the right formula. They have to be in the right form for key battles in the upcoming weeks.
Wolves will host Liverpool at Molineux, and interestingly, the same teams will meet again at the weekend in the FA Cup, also in Wolverhampton. Liverpool are clear favourites for the three points. Tottenham and Crystal Palace will play a very important London derby, with both sides desperate for points.
Leeds – Sunderland
Leeds have come through a very difficult run of fixtures and are definite favourites here. They had a tough schedule, which is over, and they will play Sunderland now witch is easy for Leeds. Sunderland have not produced a strong performance since December and are in a tough situation. Sunderland does not play proper football and was looking promising only a few months ago.
If Leeds play their normal game and avoid a red card, they should win. A draw is possible, but Leeds are the clear favourites and our pick.
Everton – Burnley
Everton are the favourites. They are far from a brilliant team, but their opponent is not playing well. Burnley will score and can cause problems for Everton here, who are in weak form.
We predict a surprise and Burnley victory; it can be a draw.
Wolves – Liverpool
Liverpool were fortunate against West Ham. Wolves can seriously pressure them, especially at home. Still, even if Liverpool are not fully compact and is missing key players, they know how to play for results and should win. We also expect Wolves to score at least once.
Wolves will score, and Liverpool will win in the end.
Aston Villa – Chelsea
A lot has changed since their last meeting, when Maresca was still in charge of Chelsea. Now, Chelsea are close to welcoming back Cucurella and Estevao, and the squad looks more rested and balanced. However, Chelsea are on a run of three poor matches and have shown problems with discipline and attacking efficiency.
We give a slight advantage to Chelsea, with a draw also possible. Chelsea have already played two or three iconic matches this season, and this one could deliver another memorable clash.
Chelsea wins.
Brighton – Arsenal
Brighton looks like the ideal opponent for Arsenal in this round. They lack the quality to seriously threaten Arsenal for the three points. They have struggled since the start of the season and continue to decline. Arsenal are very effective against them and should win comfortably.
Fulham – West Ham United
Fulham are in better form and look like the stronger team. Three points seem realistic. It is difficult to expect Fulham to drop points here. West Ham’s manager, Santo, appears to lack authority, and the club is fighting to avoid relegation. West Ham do not have enough to surprise Fulham, who should win.
Manchester City – Nottingham Forest
Forest, still adjusting to a new manager, is likely to suffer another defeat against Manchester City. With City’s attacking approach and strong midfield control, they should win. With or without Haaland, it will be a different type of game, but City remain clear favourites.
Newcastle – Manchester United
This will be a tough match. Newcastle are finally playing quality football again, although their Premier League form this season has been inconsistent. They improved at the right moment, and Howe now has more stability within the squad. Eliminating Aston Villa in the FA Cup and demolishing Quarabag, who are out of season and are not playing league, and strong performances have boosted confidence in Newcastle.
However, Manchester United are very effective when playing for results. They will need a disciplined, possession-focused approach. The midfield battle will be decisive. We slightly favour Manchester United, mainly because of doubts about Howe’s record in big matches.
Tottenham – Crystal Palace
This is one of the most important London derbies in recent seasons, with both teams urgently needing three points. In terms of structure and overall play, Crystal Palace currently look stronger. After dropping important points against Manchester United after a red card, Palace are obligated to win and nothing else. Tottenham has still not conceded under new manager Tudor since he arrived at the club two weeks ago.
The timing of the game suits Crystal Palace, who improved extremely in the last two weeks.
Were leading the game against Manchester United at halftime, but got a red card and showed low spirits, an extremely low level of experience and low devotion to the game.
For Bournemouth vs Brentford, we will not give a prediction.
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