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Before we start off with Premier League predictions, what an incredible result for Arsenal! I did not expect Declan Rice to do that, simply outstanding from him. To be fair, all throughout this Champions League quarter-final fixtures, there have been some quality goals and performances.
I don't think the Arsenal vs Real Madrid tie is over yet though. Real Madrid's front-three will be better in that second leg and if they can find an early goal, the pressure will be on.
For me, PSG look dangerous. They are playing with a confidence we've never seen them have in this competition before. With all due respect to Aston Villa, I expect PSG to go through and whether it's Arsenal or Real Madrid they face in the semi-finals, they will still fancy their chances!
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Alright then, let us dive straight into my predictions for gameweek 32 in the Premier League:
Manchester City vs Crystal Palace
There are a lot of players in this Manchester City team who are now low on confidence. When you're in that situation, playing in Pep Guardiola's system can be difficult. We saw that during the derby against Manchester United.
Manchester City must finish inside the top-four. They cannot go from being champions to finishing sixth, that would be a huge concern. This is a hard game to call because I believe Crystal Palace can cause City some problems.
Kevin De Bruyne is an absolute legend. City owe him a good farewell. He's one of the only players who I've watched that can thread a pass through a needle while running at full steam. Truly one of the all time greats of the Premier League, phenomenal footballer!
I'm backing City to win by a slender margin, but even then I wouldn't be surprised if this ended 1-1. Palace definitely have the ammunition to hurt City and I expect them to score at the Etihad.
Prediction: Manchester City 2-1 Crystal Palace
Southampton vs Aston Villa
I was very impressed by Aston Villa last weekend when they beat Nottingham Forest. Unai Emery has a good squad at his disposal. Even when the subs come on, Villa are not weakened by the changes.
PSG may have knocked the stuffing out of them in the Champions League with that late goal, but I expect them to bounce back here. Villa are in the race to finish inside the top four and they have the perfect fixture this weekend to continue their push for Champions League football next season.
Southampton are unlikely to trouble them too much. I'd be amazed if Villa lost this game, easy win in my opinion.
Prediction: Southampton 1-3 Aston Villa
Nottingham Forest vs Everton
This is a hard game for Nottingham Forest. They are a team that don't lose back-to-back games very often. I remember them bouncing back after losses against Arsenal and Manchester City earlier this season. But Everton have lost just once in their last 11 league games, that is an incredible run of form since David Moyes came in!
We know Everton will make it hard for Forest this weekend. I expect all the other teams in the top four chase to win so it is important for Forest to get three points somehow. The problem here is that Everton play the exact same way as Forest. They will sit back and make it tight at the back.
So I'm not entirely sure if Forest's plan of hitting on the counter-attack would work in this game. Whoever has the ball more here, might even be at a disadvantage! This will be a very close game.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Everton
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Leicester City
No doubt Brighton will win this. Leicester are the worst team in the Premier League! I know the points table will tell you otherwise, but they are never seriously challenging in games. Southampton are at least showing something or trying to put up a fight. I'm one million per cent sure about Brighton winning this game.
I hope Leicester have a plan with Ruud van Nistelrooy. Usually when the form is this bad, the manager doesn't survive this long. If Leicester are planning to sack him on the last day of the season, that would be a bad decision.
Prediction: Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 Leicester City
Arsenal vs Brentford
As I said earlier, I don't think the Arsenal vs Real Madrid tie is over yet. That makes this a tricky game for the Gunners. Brentford are not an easy team to face in the Premier League. I don't think Mikel Arteta believes his team are through to the semi-finals of the Champions League despite the 3-0 win. So I'm expecting him to rest a few players against Brentford.
Arsenal are 10 points clear of Manchester City in sixth-place, so they are in the driving seat for Champions League qualification next season. They have no chance of winning the league title anymore so they will focus on the Champions League.
I wouldn't start Bukayo Saka in this game. He was excellent during midweek and Arsenal will need him fresh for the second leg. The same applies to Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, so I'm expecting a few changes with Raheem Sterling potentially involved from the start. Even with all the changes, I think Arsenal will get the three points.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Brentford
Chelsea vs Ipswich Town
I was flabbergasted by the Chelsea team last week against Brentford. I can't believe Enzo Maresca rested Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson! Playing in the Champions League is bigger than winning the Europa Conference League, so I'm not sure why he did it. With all the money Chelsea have spent, it would be a big concern if they cannot finish inside the top four.
This game against Ipswich is a nice one for Chelsea to bounce back and get back in the groove. If they win this, they have six games left and their fate is still in their own hands. If you're Chelsea, I think you'd take that in their chase for top four.
Chelsea are in action against Legia Warsaw in the Conference League. So I'm not sure if they start both Palmer and Jackson against Ipswich. Irrespective of that, I think they will win this game.
Prediction: Chelsea 3-0 Ipswich Town
Wolves vs Tottenham Hotspur
This is a nothing game for both teams. I'm picking Wolves to win because Tottenham have two season-defining matches, either side of this game, in the Europa League. Spurs' season is on the line and fans must understand that even if they lose against Wolves, all that matters is that they beat Frankfurt in the Europa League!
When Matheus Cunha got the ban, I thought Wolves would be in trouble. But credit to them, they have been decent in recent weeks. Obviously, the fact that the three teams below them have been poor has helped them, but they still had to go out and win games, which they did.
Prediction: Wolves 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool vs West Ham United
Liverpool will win this. West Ham have been so disappointing. Graham Potter has not had that kick-on effect like I expected. But he will only be judged next season, when he get his own players and builds his own system.
Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk renewing their contracts is unbelievable news for Liverpool! It's certainly bad news for Arsenal, Man City and the others though. If you had to lose one of them three players, it would have to be Trent Alexander-Arnold. I don't mean that badly, he's the best passer in the country but Salah and Van Dijk are just more important.
Fair play to both of them as well. They could've easily taken the easy way out by accepting a big pay cheque to go to another league in the latter stages of their career. But they have decided to stay at Liverpool and compete, which is commendable.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 West Ham United
Newcastle United vs Manchester United
Manchester United will frustrate Newcastle, but I still think the Magpies will win this game. Even though United have shown signs of improvement under Ruben Amorim, I don't think they have it in them to get a win here. The race for top four is getting tighter and tighter, meaning Newcastle cannot afford to slip up.
Eddie Howe has done enough already in my opinion. Winning that cup was everything for this club. Now getting a top-five finish would be the icing on the cake and they are so nearly there as well! If they win this game and get another three points in their game in hand, I think they will finish in the top five.
Prediction: Newcastle United 2-0 Manchester United
Bournemouth vs Fulham
What an incredible result it was for Fulham last week. They are now back in the race to get a European berth in my opinion. Before the win over Liverpool, it seemed like they had hit a bit of a lull. Now that they are back on track, this is a huge football match they must win.
Bournemouth have been struggling recently. They have hit a brick wall despite this still being an incredible season for them. A few weeks ago, we would have given Fulham no chance against Liverpool or Bournemouth, but that's not the same anymore. Things change quickly in the Premier League and with Fulham just three points behind Villa in seventh, they will push for a European place in these final few weeks.
Prediction: Bournemouth 1-2 Fulham
