
Wolves vs. West Ham
Wolverhampton has shown signs of resurgence under coach Vitor Peirera, recording two wins, one draw, and a loss in late February and March. Most of this form has been powered by Matheus Cunha, who has easily been their best player this season. However, the star forward will be suspended following a headbutt on Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez. Wolves are currently in 17th but have a massive nine-point lead over 18th-place Ipswich, all but confirming their survival in the Premier League for next season. West Ham has struggled for consistency under new manager Graham Potter. Major wins against Arsenal and Leicester City were offset by losses against Newcastle and Brentford. On paper, these two are just about as even as you can get, but the absence of Cunha may give the Hammers the edge here.
Arsenal vs. Fulham
The London Derby will see Arsenal in a desperate attempt to keep alive their Premier League title hopes, although are relying heavily on Liverpool to have a catastrophic fall from grace for it to happen. The Reds are 12 points clear of the Gunners, and while they beat Chelsea last match week, it was by the slimmest of margins at 1-0. With Bukayo Saka looking to get back from his injury in early April, they will still be missing him and striker Kai Havertz, forcing defensive midfielder Mikel Merino to play as a makeshift striker. Fulham is a difficult side to beat. They deservedly beat Tottenham 2-0, but are also prone to the occasional lapses such as in their loss against Crystal Palace, and either a win or loss wouldn’t be overly shocking.
Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester United
Despite a rocky start under the Ruben Amorim era, their newfound momentum in the Europa League — a competition they could go on to win — may actually provide a boost for their Premier League form. They got a point against Arsenal, thrashed Leicester and Ipswich, and look to continue this form against Nottingham Forest. This fixture provides the ultimate test for them, as Forest is a considerable level above United’s recent opposition. Forest have two wins on the bounce against Manchester City and Ipswich, and United’s misfiring strikers could struggle against their strong defense.
Southampton vs. Crystal Palace
Bournemouth vs. Ipswich Town
Brighton vs. Aston Villa
Newcastle United vs. Brentford
A shocking Carabao Cup win, snapping their domestic trophy drought which lasted 70 years, will give a major boost to Newcastle. In the Premier League, Alexander Isak’s goal-scoring ability has kept them in the European conversation, but their defense has been shaky at times. Brentford, led by Thomas Frank, continues to punch above their weight. Ivan Toney’s departure hasn’t dulled their attack like many thought, and Bryan Mbeumo has stepped up massively. The Bees thrive on set pieces and quick transitions, which could trouble Newcastle’s backline. Don’t be surprised if both teams score here, but Newcastle being home at St. James Park could make all the difference.
Manchester City vs. Leicester City
This is a down year for Manchester City — but that doesn’t mean they’re still not a juggernaut on the pitch. Erling Haaland remains the league’s second-top goal scorer, and their offensive play has been rejuvenated with the likes of new January window signing Omar Marmoush, continuing his fine form from German club Eintracht Frankfurt. Leicester City currently has a tough fight for survival, sitting in 18th and with a nine-point gap to safety. They have shown spirit at times, but lack the quality to compete with the mid-to-upper teams. Their recent thrashing by Manchester United exposed their frailties, and a trip to the Etihad is unlikely to yield anything positive for the Foxes.
Liverpool vs. Everton
The Reds will need 5 wins out of the 9 remaining to be guaranteed Premier League champions. Cross-town rivals Everton will be giddy at the potential of denying their fellow Merseysiders a league championship. Mohamed Salah, who is having a career-best year with 44 g/a in the league, has primarily kept the Reds atop the table and 12 points clear of Arsenal, and they should be the favorites to be winners here. The previous Merseyside Derby ended as fiery as ever, finishing 2-2 with multiple red cards. Liverpool now knows they can’t get dragged into another emotional affair. Manager David Moyes, now at his second stint as manager at Everton, has gotten the best out of them and is unbeaten in his last 9 games. On recent form, a draw would make sense here, but Liverpool will be treating this as a cup final.
Chelsea vs. Tottenham Hotspur
The third and final derby of the week is the London derby at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge. Star player Cole Palmer has seen a dip in form after an incredible start to the season, and missing a penalty in the previous match won’t do much to help his confidence. At this point, they are relying on Nicolas Jackson who has recently found his scoring form, but are still struggling with teams who aren’t in the bottom half of the table. Tottenham won’t be an easy fixture, but they are coming fresh off an injury crisis, meaning they are forced to rest star players like Heung-min Son and Pedro Porro more often than they would like. Both teams have their issues and for different reasons, and we can see this being a low-scoring affair going either way.