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Premier League leaders Liverpool were second-best against PSG in the Champions League and still won. The Reds hold an advantage over their Ligue 1 counterparts, but I firmly believe that the tie is far from over. Liverpool are a different beast when they play at Anfield, but they looked a bit open against PSG.
I can't remember Mohamed Salah touching the ball last night, except for that one moment where he kept running even after it went out of play. Alisson made two or three unbelievable saves and that was the difference in the end, easily the best ever performance I've seen from a goalkeeper in a long time!
I don't think Liverpool's performance against PSG will have any sort of impact in the Premier League title race though. It's all done and dusted now. Arsenal have absolutely no chance of catching Liverpool. However, there is still a lot left to play for in the race to finish in the top four and it promises to be intriguing.
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Without further ado, let us dive straight into my predictions for gameweek 28 in the Premier League.
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City
I actually thought Nottingham Forest were fortunate to get a draw against Arsenal last time out. Considering how Arsenal dominated that game, if the Gunners had their strongest team, they would have easily beaten Forest in my opinion.
I always say that things can change quickly in this league. If Forest lose this game and Chelsea win theirs this weekend, the Blues will overtake them in the points table. Forest are also only five points ahead of Bournemouth, who sit outside the European spots in seventh-place. Before you know it, Forest could slip further down the table if a few results go against them!
Manchester City will definitely have a go at Forest. This will suit Forest because of the way they play. Nuno Espirito Santo does not want his opponents to sit behind the ball, he wants to attack teams on the counter. If Forest avoid a loss and beat Ipswich in the next game, they will be in a good position to finish in the top four with 10 games left. But I think City hold the upper hand here and I expect them to get the win.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Manchester City
Liverpool vs Southampton
Liverpool can win this game by whatever scoreline they want! I saw Chelsea beat Southampton 4-0 and they weren't even that good. Cole Palmer missed four chances on his own in that game, so you can just imagine how bad Southampton have been this season. Liverpool will definitely rest some players for this game with one eye on the return leg against PSG. But even then, I can't see anything but a big win for Liverpool.
Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch got run to the ground against PSG. So I understand if Arne Slot wants to ring in changes in midfield this weekend. But if I'm being honest, I would rather choose to play the best team for the first 45 minutes and then slowly take key players off just to ensure the result is in the bag. I don't want it to be sticky at start with a lot of changes.
As I said earlier, the league title is done and dusted. Liverpool will add another three points to their tally this weekend.
Prediction: Liverpool 4-0 Southampton
Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town
Everything depends on whether Jean-Philippe Mateta is playing or not! He's a major player for Crystal Palace. I see this as a huge opportunity for Ipswich because if Mateta is unavailable, Palace won't be the same team. I know Eddie Nketiah came on and scored against Millwall in the FA Cup, but his record otherwise isn't great.
Ipswich have to start picking up points here and there to stay alive in the battle to avoid relegation. These points will start to mount up and they have to reduce that gap between them and safety to three points instead of five. I expect Ipswich to hang in there and get something out of this game.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-1 Ipswich Town
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Fulham
This is a really good game. When you look at these two teams, you'd have to think that whoever wins here has a chance of finishing in the top five and whoever loses, may have no chance in doing the same! That makes it a must win game for both teams if they wish to play in Europe next season. There are only 10 games left and if either Brighton or Fulham can get a win, they will be confident of going on a good run of form.
I must admit I wasn't very impressed by Fulham even though they knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup. Don't get me wrong, Fulham are a great team. But I just think Brighton will be too much for them. Joao Pedro's timely return from injury has offered a new dynamic to their attack. If Brighton can keep playing the same way, they can finish fifth.
Prediction: Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Fulham
Brentford vs Aston Villa
I think Aston Villa will have one eye on the Champions League now. But thanks to their convincing win in the first leg against Club Brugge, they can afford to have a go in this game against Brentford. If Villa don't win this weekend, they won't finish in the top four! The fixtures are not very kind to them from here on and missing out on three points against Brentford could be the end of their aspirations of finishing in a Champions League spot.
Villa can have a really good run in the cup though. If they beat Preston North End in the quarter-final, they can book their berth at Wembley and that's huge for this club.
Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford have settled in well at Villa Park. Many scouts will now be looking at Asensio and thinking, 'why didn't we go for him?'. He's been absolutely amazing, what a top player! I think a lot of the credit also goes to Unai Emery. Both Asensio and Rashford were hardly playing at their former clubs and he has been very clever in handling them. Emery has slowly eased them into the squad, while also leaving them on the bench at times to take pressure off.
Villa are now getting the best out of these players and I think they will win here. A draw is an absolute waste of time for both teams, this will be an entertaining game.
Prediction: Brentford 1-2 Aston Villa
Wolves vs Everton
I can't believe what I saw with Matheus Cunha. He's just ruined Wolves' chance of avoiding relegation. The games he's going to miss now, all of them were winnable fixtures if he were part of it. Cunha could have definitely made a difference and I don't see Wolves winning any of the next four games without him! He has basically sold Wolves up the river with that rash behaviour which led to the red card.
I'm going to back Everton to win here because Wolves are missing Cunha. All the big clubs that wanted to sign Cunha will now be looking at his disciplinary record before launching a transfer move for him. It has now happened more than once this season and shows a pattern. If you join a big club, there is a lot more pressure and you don't see players there acting like that.
If he can't find a solution to his disciplinary issues, it will affect his desire to play for one of England's big clubs. It should've been plain sailing for Wolves in the battle to avoid relegation but suddenly they are under pressure after Cunha's suspension. I can't see Everton losing this.
Prediction: Wolves 1-2 Everton
Tottenham Hotspur vs Bournemouth
This is all going to come down to what happens with Tottenham in the Europa League. I don't think Spurs have any interest in this match. Considering their upcoming fixtures, they have no chance of getting into Europe through league standings!
So I won't blame Tottenham if they rest players this weekend. Spurs will have one eye on AZ Alkmaar and I feel Bournemouth will win because of that. Three points here would put Bournemouth in contention for a top four finish, what an incredibly exciting time for this football club.
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Bournemouth
Chelsea vs Leicester City
I can't see anything but a Chelsea win here. Leicester have been poor this season. Even Chelsea have had major issues over the last few weeks, but back-to-back wins against Southampton and Leicester can now put them back on track. If Chelsea lose this game, their aspiration of finishing in the top four will be over. I know Chelsea beat Southampton 4-0, but I can't judge them based on that result.
I would pick Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez to play behind Cole Palmer in this game. When Chelsea face teams like Arsenal, they need Romeo Lavia in that midfield but he's injured. That is why I seem them struggling against Arsenal after this win over Leicester.
There has also been a lot of chopping and changing when it comes to the front-three at Chelsea. Enzo Maresca should stick to two wingers and give them a consistent run of games to find success.
Prediction: Chelsea 3-0 Leicester City
Manchester United vs Arsenal
If we were talking about this fixture 10 years ago, what a game. But still from a fans' perspective, this is still one of the biggest games in English football. I worry for Manchester United if I'm being honest. I can't imagine them blowing Real Sociedad away in the Europa League and then quickly shifting full focus to this game.
I'd be shocked if Arsenal don't win. Their qualification to the Champions League quarter-final is sealed thanks to the 7-1 first leg win and they can now have a real go here. That makes this a dangerous game for United.
Arsenal have to keep winning every single game from now on and hope Liverpool slip up. Historically, Manchester United have always turned up for games against Arsenal. But honestly, I don't see them doing it this weekend!
Prediction: Manchester United 1-3 Arsenal
West Ham United vs Newcastle United
It's a hard game for Newcastle. They are only two points off a European place at the moment, but if the teams around them win like I expect, they will drift further away. Some big players like Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak and Lewis Hall are likely to miss out on this game with injuries and that's a massive blow for Newcastle.
If it weren't for the cup final next week, I would have backed Newcastle. I think they will be cautious about more players picking up injuries and that might hurt them against West Ham.
Prediction: West Ham United 2-0 Newcastle United
