After a busy midweek schedule which saw Premier League match week 14 take place, the league will have a short turnover as match week 15 arrives this weekend. While Manchester City and Arsenal look to regain footing in the title race, Liverpool dropped points against Newcastle. At the bottom of the table, Everton and Crystal Palace both secured huge victories in their bid to avoid relegation. Here is how we are predicting match week 15 of the 2024/25 Premier League season will play out:
Everton vs. Liverpool
The weekend begins with the Merseyside Derby, and underdogs Everton are coming into this match after an impressive 4-0 win over Wolverhampton on Wednesday, securing their first win in the last six matches. The Blues are currently in 15th and will be eager to not get dragged into a relegation battle, so they will be pleased with their performance. Incredibly, the last time Everton beat their opponent by four goals or more was 16 years ago, when they defeated SK Brann 6-1 in the UEFA Cup Round of 32 in 2008.
Liverpool failed to get the three points at St. James’ Park on Wednesday, drawing to Newcastle United 3-3 and shortening their lead at the top of the table by seven points. Everton will be more than happy to try to put a dent in their rival’s title challenge, so it may prove to be yet another tricky fixture for Liverpool — despite the fact they handily beat the reigning English and European champions the week prior.
Result prediction: Everton 1-2 Liverpool
Aston Villa vs. Southampton
Aston Villa finally got back to winning ways after a solid 3-1 over Brentford on Wednesday, snapping a seven-game winless streak in all competitions. A match against last-place Southampton will give them a perfect opportunity to continue their resurgence especially as a pivotal moment of the season is around the corner. The Villains are currently 9th in the UEFA Champions League (8th and above secures automatic qualification to the knockout rounds) and 7th in the Premier League table after a strong start to the season. If they can continue to build momentum off these results, Unai Emery would ease some of the pressure on the status of his job after such an excellent start to the season.
Southampton’s manager Russell Martin may have less of a leash than Emery when it comes to job security, as the last-place Saints got walloped by Chelsea 5-1 and show little sign of being able to turn it around at this stage. They have conceded the second-most goals in the league (30) and scored the fewest (11), and Aston Villa have not exactly been on fire in front of goal this season. This could easily be a low-scoring, tight affair.
Result prediction: Southampton 1-1 Aston Villa
Brentford vs. Newcastle United
Brentford’s Achilles heel this season has been their away form, with their only win this season coming from the EFL Cup 2nd round against Colchester. This trend continued as they lost 3-1 away to Aston Villa on Wednesday. The game was lost by the 34th minute, by which point Aston Villa were already 3 goals up, and Brentford’s lone second-half goal was merely a consolation. Meanwhile, Newcastle were lucky to get a point from their 3-3 draw with Liverpool, after an error by backup goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher towards the end of the match allowed Newcastle their 3rd goal.
Brentford at home is a different beast, and in three of their last four home matches, they have scored a minimum of 3 goals. It seems entertainment at the Gtech Community Stadium is a guarantee this season, and there’s no reason it won’t live up to the hype here yet again.
Result prediction: Brentford 2-2 Newcastle United
Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City
Manchester City finally returned to its winning ways after beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 midweek. Now they will look to make it two wins on the bounce against a Crystal Palace team that has managed to find their way out of the relegation zone after a poor start to the season. The Eagles have only lost once in their last six games and have picked up nine points in the process, most recently beating Ipswich Town 1-0 last Tuesday. Despite this uptick in form, Crystal Palace’s last victory against Manchester City was in December 2020.
Result prediction: Crystal Palace 1-3 Manchester City
Manchester United vs. Nottingham Forest
Ruben Amorim’s start as manager of Manchester United has been mixed so far. Winning in the Europa League and then beating Everton 4-0 would have given momentum to his side, but drawing to Ipswich and losing 2-0 to Arsenal on Wednesday would have brought the Red Devils back down to Earth. While the result leaves Manchester United in 11th, the congested nature of the table means they are only 4 points off the top five. Nottingham Forest started the season strong, although now have three losses in their last four games. New Manchester United signing Leny Yoro, who made his long-awaited appearance after injury, may be pushing for a start alongside Marcus Rashford who was rested against Arsenal.
Result prediction: Manchester United 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Fulham vs. Arsenal
Arsenal will look to keep the pressure on total favorites Liverpool as they make the short trip to Craven Cottage in London this weekend. The Gunners are currently 7 points off the top spot following their win over Manchester United midweek, while Liverpool only managed a draw against Newcastle. The return of Martin Odegaard has done wonders for Arsenal’s form, and their ability to score on set pieces is almost like a cheat code. Fulham doesn’t have the best form at home, having three wins and two losses from six games played. They have also been unbeaten in their last eight London derbies, winning 4 and drawing 4.
Result prediction: Fulham 1-3 Arsenal
Ipswich vs. Bournemouth
The form between these two teams is stark. Ipswich Town are currently in 18th place and are three points away from climbing out of the relegation zone. Their home form has been concerning, as they are winless in their last six matches there. However, Bournemouth concedes an average 1.9 goals each away game, which may give Ipswich some hope. Both teams feel likely to score here, so a draw may be the most predictable result. However, Bournemouth are typically good against teams lower than them in the table.
Result prediction: Ipswich 1-2 Bournemouth
Leicester vs. Brighton
Leicester City have gotten off to a flying start under new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy by defeating West Ham 3-1 at home. Brighton’s start to the season has been nothing short of fantastic, with the Seagulls flying high at 5th position with 23 points after 13 games played. Brighton have not lost to Leicester in their last five matches, with their most recent match against each other ending in a draw. For Leicester, this is the perfect opportunity to build form and momentum under van Nistelrooy — especially at home.Â
Result prediction: Leicester City 1-1 Brighton
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea
Say it quietly, but Chelsea may be involved in the title race this season. They currently sit 3rd and have gone under the radar compared to Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool. The Blues are experiencing a hot run of form, winning all four of their last matches and outscoring their opponents 12-2. Contrast that with Spurs, who beat Manchester City 4-0, but then drew against Roma and Fulham in the subsequent games. Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou will again be without his stalwart defenders Mickey van de Ven and Christian Romero, who remain injured. Winger Brennan Johnson will be a player to watch, as he has scored in each of his last four games for Spurs.
Result prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2-3 Chelsea
