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A huge weekend coming up in the Premier League. I say that because some of these fixtures may well put an end to the title race and even the struggle to avoid relegation.
With Liverpool showing no signs of slowing down in the league, time is quickly running out for the chasing pack. Meanwhile, consecutive wins have helped Everton steer themselves further away from the bottom three. Both Liverpool and Everton are set to play the Merseyside derby soon, but their results this weekend could actually be the defining moments of their respective campaigns.
I'll tell you more about that and the remaining fixtures, including Arsenal vs Manchester City, in my column. So without further ado, let us dive straight into the weekly predictions for gameweek 24 in the Premier League.
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Nottingham Forest vs Brighton & Hove Albion
This is a very difficult game for Nottingham Forest due to that 5-0 defeat against Bournemouth last time out. They were absolutely flying until that loss and it almost felt like their wings were being clipped off. Brighton are a funny team. I actually thought they turned a corner with that win against Manchester United, but they followed that up with a 1-0 loss at home to Everton!
When Forest lost to Arsenal and Manchester City this season, they were very quick to bounce back. That is exactly what they need to do here as well. If they don't get a win against Brighton, they are at risk of this becoming a problematic run of form.
It wouldn't surprise me if Forest fail to win this game. However, I have a feeling that they will do just enough to get the three points.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Newcastle United vs Fulham
I watched Fulham the other day and I must admit I was disappointed. They did not show their true colours and let Manchester United off the hook in that game. In my opinion, they could have easily gotten a point and may look back at that loss as a missed opportunity.
Despite Fulham flattering to deceive in the last game, they will still make life very difficult for Newcastle. This game could go either way, but Newcastle certainly have a bit more quality within their ranks.
We're talking about the best centre-forward in the league right now in Alexander Isak. His goals and contributions have been mightily impressive. The thing with Isak is that he is consistently good. Some players score 10 goals in 10 games and there would have been two hat-tricks in there. But Isak is someone who scores in every single game and that makes him the best out there.
There is no doubt that all the top clubs will want to sign him. With Financial Fair Play (FFP) also coming into the picture, it will be interesting to see if Newcastle can hold on to him. If Arsenal signed Isak, I would be shocked if they don't end up winning the Premier League. The same goes for Chelsea, it will seal that top four place and take them to the next level!
Prediction: Newcastle United 2-1 Fulham
Everton vs Leicester City
Both Everton and Leicester had a great weekend last time out. After consecutive wins under David Moyes, if Everton can now beat Leicester, they will definitely avoid relegation. I can't see any of the teams below them winning three games in a row like that from now until the end of the season!
If you are Wolves and Ipswich, you want Everton to win and make this battle to avoid relegation a three-horse race with Leicester still in it. But I do think Leicester can become a bit of a problem for Everton here. They are a dangerous team and always create chances during their games.
Everton deserve a lot of credit for what they've done in recent weeks. To beat Tottenham and then follow it up with a win away from home at Brighton is quite incredible considering how they were a few months ago. But I just think Leicester will show some fight here, especially after that huge win over Spurs.
Prediction: Everton 1-1 Leicester City
Ipswich Town vs Southampton
I must warn Ipswich Town here because Southampton have nothing to lose and that makes them a dangerous animal! All the pressure is on Ipswich ahead of this game, they must win at home. Even if they do get that win, they could still remain in the relegation zone if other results don't go their way. That's how tight it is at the bottom.
It goes without saying that if Ipswich don't win this game, they will almost definitely get relegated. But home advantage could work in their favour in this game and I expect them to get the better of Southampton.
Prediction: Ipswich Town 2-1 Southampton
Bournemouth vs Liverpool
February will be a defining month in the Premier League for Liverpool. In addition to their upcoming trip to Bournemouth, they face both Everton and Manchester City away from home this month. If Liverpool get seven points from these three fixtures, they will win the Premier League!
But then again, you look at these fixtures and think, 'Bournemouth are bang in form, Everton are a different beast under Moyes and well, Manchester City can beat anyone on their day'. Even though Liverpool have been incredible in the Premier League this season, these games will be tricky to navigate.
I don't see Liverpool beating Bournemouth this weekend! It's one of the toughest stadiums to visit in the Premier League and Bournemouth are absolutely flying at the moment. We saw how Brentford troubled Liverpool and I think Bournemouth can do the same here.
Liverpool are still favorites to win the league. The only problem they could face would be with Virgil van Dijk. If he gets injured, what do they do? Arne Slot has enough options as cover everywhere else but not at centre-back. Van Dijk has played every minute of every single Premier League game this season and that shows how important he is to this team.
Prediction: Bournemouth 1-1 Liverpool
Wolves vs Aston Villa
What a massive game this is for Wolves. I saw them against Arsenal last weekend and I thought them going down to 10 men was unacceptable! They had a numerical advantage and it was quite silly from Joao Neves to get sent off in that game. Wolves looked nervous and lost as Arsenal dominated that game on their way to snatching an important win.
Like I said before, it's a big week for teams at the bottom of the table. If Ipswich and Leicester win, Wolves are in serious trouble. There is also the possibility of Tottenham potentially being dragged into the mix, so that's one more team for Wolves to catch in this race! I'm starting to worry for them if I'm being honest.
Aston Villa capped off an incredible Champions League return by securing direct qualification into the knockout stages with their win against Celtic. The likes of Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG and Real Madrid finishing behind Villa shows how good they were in this round.
Prediction: Wolves 1-2 Aston Villa
Manchester United vs Crystal Palace
You know what? I thought Manchester United were really fortunate to win that game against Fulham. If anybody were to struggle with insomnia, the doctors should just give the DVD of that game to them and they'll be fine, it was that bad!
Manchester United don't press and I expect Eberechi Eze to enjoy a lot of time on the ball. And when he is afforded that kind of time and space, he will cause problems. Jean-Philippe Mateta will also be a handful to the Manchester United defenders and in all honesty, I wouldn't be shocked if Crystal Palace win this game.
The Marcus Rashford situation at Manchester United is a massive problem. If I'm the owner of this club, I'm pulling my hair out thinking what to do next! If Ruben Amorim says he's a good player and he does not fit my system, Manchester United can expect to find buyers. But clearly, that's not the case here. Since Rashford's attitude in training and off the pitch has been questioned, how do you expect to find a buyer now?
I'm not expecting Manchester United to win, this could end up being an entertaining draw.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-2 Crystal Palace
Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur
I'm being kind when I say Tottenham are struggling. They've been atrocious and it could get worse this weekend! I assume Spurs can't help but keep one eye on the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg, where they hold a 1-0 advantage over Liverpool, during their trip to Brentford.
Does Ange Postecoglou recall Micky van de Ven back to his line-up for the Brentford game or does he wait till the cup semi-final to test him for the first time since that injury? The Spurs boss will have to make a big decision here.
I expect Brentford to push Tottenham to their limits in this game. It could even become really painful to watch if you're a Spurs fan! I don't think it's fair to sack Postecoglou now. Tottenham have seven or eight solid players out injured at the moment. If all of them return, Spurs will automatically become a good, competitive team.
Daniel Levy must look to invest in midfield for Tottenham. Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr have been very inconsistent and that's where the main problem lies for them.
I'm not saying Tottenham will get relegated, but they could be involved in a nasty fight at the bottom of the table. If Tottenham fail to beat Brentford after Ipswich and Leicester win their games this weekend, Spurs are in the relegation battle in my opinion! Let's see if Ipswich and Leicester can do it because I think Tottenham are definitely losing against Brentford.
Prediction: Brentford 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Arsenal vs Manchester City
If Liverpool draw or lose, then it is perfectly set up for Arsenal to open up the title race. The crowd at the Emirates will be buzzing and they will demand nothing but a win against Manchester City. Let's not forget that the pressure is always mounting on Arsenal with every passing week. They had to beat Aston Villa after Liverpool won late against Brentford and they ended up blowing a two-goal lead!
Arsenal still have an advantage here because I don't think Manchester City are back to their best yet. They may have improved results wise, but are they ready to trouble Arsenal? I'm not entirely sure. If they had to wait a little longer for that equaliser against Club Brugge, it could have become a messy game in my opinion.
People were saying Brugge were unbeaten in 20 games so it's a massive win. Well, I saw Liverpool beat a Lille team on a 23-game unbeaten run without breaking a sweat. Manchester City and Liverpool are teams in the big league and they should be winning such games comfortably anyway!
If City were the team of old, I would play Jorginho in midfield because he is good at getting out of the press, comfortable on the ball and can pick a pass. But then Manchester City are not the same anymore, they don't close down as quickly as they used to. So I wouldn't really prefer Jorginho for this game.
I personally think Arsenal's bid for Ollie Watkins was just a farce! They knew they aren't getting him for that money and they just put in the offer to show the fans they're trying. Watkins would be an outstanding signing for Arsenal though. He ticks all the boxes. Don't worry about him being 29, it's the here and now that matters the most.
If Arsenal get Watkins, they can win the league this year or maybe in the next. So they shouldn't be worried about where he will be in four years' time.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Manchester City
Chelsea vs West Ham United
Chelsea have to win this game. I thought they were terrible against Manchester City last weekend. It was just like Chelsea were playing to get beaten by City! They should have been 2-0 up early on, but they blew it. I just thought they weren't innovative enough after that and it cost them.
This is a golden opportunity for Chelsea to improve their chances of finishing in the top four though. If West Ham start the first 20 minutes of this game like how they did against Aston Villa last weekend, Chelsea will put them to the sword in no time. But if West Ham can settle down quickly, they have enough individual quality in their ranks to hurt the hosts at Stamford Bridge.
Bit of history in this fixture. Both teams' fans don't like each other and Graham Potter returning to the club where he spent just seven months in charge makes this an interesting watch on Monday night!
Prediction: Chelsea 3-1 West Ham United
