Paul Merson's predictions for Leicester vs Liverpool and other Premier League GW 24 fixtures

It feels like weeks since we watched the Premier League! It’s finally back now with a set of midweek fixtures and we should be in for a fair share of excitement this month. The race for the top four is beginning to heat up, and it’ll change with every passing week.

Every now and then, teams get winnable fixtures and need to make the most of them. Manchester United and Tottenham have winnable matches this week, and I do worry about Wolves and Arsenal. If they don’t keep up, they could find themselves six points behind their rivals, and that’s a big gap at this stage of the Premier League season.

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The top-four race is a hard one to predict, but I’m still going to go with what I said ages ago. Arsenal should be able to finish in fourth place. They play one game a week, and if they become consistent and don’t pick up injuries, they have a good chance.

The relegation battle is also absolutely amazing at the moment and the next few weeks will be crucial. There’s plenty of action to look forward to in the Premier League this week, and here are my predictions for this week’s games.

Newcastle United vs Everton

Everton v Brentford: The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round

I watched Everton the other day against Brentford, and I thought they were quite impressive. They play at a high tempo under Frank Lampard. They’re playing against a team in the Premier League's bottom three this week, and they will want to win this game.

If Everton get beat, they get dragged into a relegation battle. If Newcastle lose, they’re going to think they’re still in danger despite spending all that money. Everton played quite well against Brentford, and I’d be surprised if Newcastle won this game.

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Everton did well against Brentford in the FA Cup, but I’d be shocked if Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek sat this one out. They spent quite a lot of money on them, and there’s no point resting your best players at this stage of the Premier League season. With Frank at the wheel now, I think Everton will be all right this season

Prediction: Newcastle United 1-1 Everton

West Ham United vs Watford

I was impressed with Watford the other day against Burnley. They were the better team throughout the game and they dominated their opponents. Roy Hodgson was brought in to do a job, and he did exactly that on Saturday. They’ve barely kept a clean sheet all season, but I think they set a base against Burnley and were really solid.

West Ham are stuttering a bit in the Premier League and could find themselves in a bit of trouble here. Watford pass the ball around very well and could give West Ham a run for their money this week.

Prediction: West Ham United 1-1 Watford

Burnley vs Manchester United

Manchester United v Middlesbrough: The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round

Manchester United had a bad result against Middlesbrough, but I thought they played quite well in the first half. They don’t have much of an identity at the moment. If you’re going to play a 4-2-2-2 with a midfield two, you want someone like N'Golo Kante in there.

I think Ralf Rangnick is trying to keep people happy at times. He’ll need to change it up and switch to a 4-3-3 eventually. He’s got a lot of square pegs going into round holes, and they’re all over the place if I’m being honest. He has a squad full of players he doesn’t need.

I’m disappointed with Burnley's Premier League form this season. They manage to keep clean sheets, but they never look like they’re going to score. I’d be amazed at the highest level if Manchester United lost this game.

Prediction: Burnley 0-2 Manchester United

Norwich City vs Crystal Palace

Burnley v Crystal Palace - Premier League

I like Crystal Palace and the way they play – they’re a team that can hurt you. They don’t have anything to play for, really – they’re safe, but they’re hard to play against.

Norwich have won two on the trot in the Premier League and also beat Wolves in the FA Cup. They’ve turned a corner, and this is a must-win game for them. If they’re not beating Palace at home, they’ll likely be relegated because they have harder games coming up.

Crystal Palace are really dangerous on their day, and they’re not a good team to play against. This is a winnable Premier League game for Norwich and I’d like to see them win just to keep it going, but I don’t think it’s happening this week.

Prediction: Norwich City 1-3 Crystal Palace

Tottenham Hotspur vs Southampton

Tottenham Hotspur v Vitesse: Group A - UEFA Europa Conference League

Brighton are a decent Premier League team, and I thought Tottenham played quite well against them the other day. They look fresh, and it looks like Antonio Conte is getting them to play the way he wants them to in the Premier League.

They’ve brought two players in from Juventus, but it isn’t like they were playing for them every week. Tottenham don’t have it in them to mix in with the big boys at the moment, and we’ll have to wait and see. Conte knows his signings well, however, and that’s a big advantage.

Southampton play good football but they haven’t been consistent enough in the Premier League this season. With Harry Kane looking good again, Tottenham should be able to win this game.

Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Southampton

Manchester City vs Brentford

Borussia Dortmund v Manchester City - UEFA Champions League Quarter Final 1: Leg Two

What scoreline do you want? We can make this up as we go along now. I’ll go with 5-0.

Brentford won’t see anything of value in this game, and they need to start boxing clever. They could run around and work their socks off, only to lose comprehensively. If I were Brentford, I’d write this game off. They’re reeling off defeat after defeat at the moment, and could suffer five Premier League defeats on the trot if they lose this week.

Brentford need to pick their battles. They’re playing Crystal Palace this weekend, and that’s a must-win game for them. Manchester City are clearly the better team and should be able to win this game comfortably.

Prediction: Manchester City 5-0 Brentford

Aston Villa vs Leeds United

Leeds won a few Premier League games last month but they lost to Newcastle all of a sudden. They’re back in danger now and they need a couple of wins. I don’t think they’re going to get one here.

Aston Villa have been playing well with Steven Gerrard at the helm. They’ve made quality additions to their squad in the transfer window and hold the upper hand against Leeds this week.

Prediction: Aston Villa 3-1 Leeds United

Leicester City vs Liverpool

Liverpool v Leicester City - Premier League

Leicester City are FA Cup holders. They have absolutely nothing else to play for all season. I couldn’t believe I was watching – they lost to their local rivals. Nottingham Forest outplayed them in the FA Cup, and I think it was the biggest shock of the weekend.

Leicester are not getting relegated – of course they’re not. Their season has started to fizzle out, however, and I worry for them. I don’t see anything but a Liverpool win here.

Prediction: Leicester City 0-3 Liverpool

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Arsenal

Wolves are the Premier League's dark horses at the moment. They’re winning football matches, and they could push for a top-four finish by winning their games in hand. If United and Spurs win their games, Wolves and Arsenal cannot afford to fall behind. This is a massive Premier League match for both teams.

If I were Arteta, I’d start playing Martinelli up front. Arsenal could spend a lot of money on a striker, but the player they’re looking for might already be at the club. Martinelli is lively and quick – he has what it takes. He should get a run till the end of the season, and might save Arsenal £70 million.

Wolves are a very solid team, and they’ve also started to score goals now. They’ve parted ways with Adama Traore in the transfer market and that’s a big loss for them. A draw isn’t a great result for either team, but this fixture may well produce one this week.

Prediction: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Arsenal