We are in for a midweek treat as the English Premier League resumes from Tuesday with round 26 fixtures as Arsenal seek to maintain their stay at the top.
The Gunners registered back-to-back PL wins with a 3-0 victory against Sunderland at the Emirates on Saturday. Their 17th win of the campaign brings them to 56 points, six ahead of closest challengers Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s side left it late to edge Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday to keep up the pace behind the league leaders. Bernardo Silva scored to cancel out a thunderous free-kick from Dominic Szobozlai, before Erling Haaland confirmed all three points from the spot.
City will look to make it two wins on the bounce when they host Fulham on Wednesday night at the Etihad, while Arsenal will be away at Brentford in the only match scheduled for Thursday.
Manchester United continued their dreamy run under Michael Carrick, bagging a fourth consecutive win for the first time this season with a respectable 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
The win sees them hang on to fourth place on the log with 44 points, one more than Chelsea in fifth.
Chelsea bagged their fourth league consecutive win in a comfortable 3-1 victory away at Wolves, keeping the race for the top four very interesting as we head into match day 26.
With all teams in action this midweek, we have a look at some of the top games that have a direct effect on the top and relegation spots. We offer our predicted outcomes of the matches as well.
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5.0/5
Chelsea vs Leeds – Tuesday, 10:30PM
The Blues are enjoying a renewed sense of life under new manager Liam Rosenior and come into the game seeking a fifth consecutive win. Chelsea are also seeking revenge after losing 3-1 in the reverse fixture last December.
Cole Palmer became the first player to score three first-half hat-tricks against Wolves and will start here full of confidence after the stellar performance.
Leeds are coming off a morale-boosting 3-1 home win against Nottingham Forest. Despite the result, they remain in 16th place with 29 points, just six away from the relegation zone.
A 2-1 loss to Fulham is Chelsea’s only defeat in their last five PL games, while Leeds have two losses in their name during that run. The Blues are tipped as favorites to get their revenge and get a home win here.
Prediction – Chelsea to win
West Ham vs Manchester United – Tuesday, 11:15PM
This has the billing to be arguably the most explosive matches lined up in round 26. Both teams are on improved runs of form, losing just once in their last five games.
The Hammers bounced back from a tough 3-2 loss to Chelsea to beat fellow relegation side Burnley on Saturday. Crysencio Summerville and Taty Castellanos were both on target in the 2-0 win, bringing them to 23 points. Just three away from safety.
They face a United side who are seeking a fifth consecutive win for the first time this season. The 2-0 win against Tottenham saw them keep only a second clean sheet in their last seven league games, further boosting their confidence ahead of this tricky away test.
West Ham have won their last three home league games they have played against United. They also completed a league double over United last season with a 4-1 aggregate score line after both matches.
Despite their recent rapid run of form, United are expected to have a tough day out against a side desperate to avoid the axe. Instead of picking an outright winner, we are going with goals in this game.
Prediction – Both teams to score
Man City silence Anfield – Premier League wrap
Manchester City vs Fulham – Wednesday, 10:30PM
Last time these sides met in December, we were treated to a nine-goal thriller as City edged Fulham 5-4 away from home. A lot has happened since then with City in second place, six points behind leaders Arsenal.
Fulham on the other hand are in 10th place with 34 points, desperate to bounce back to winning ways after back-to-back defeats. They were stunned 2-1 at home by Everton in their last PL outing.
City will be happy that Haaland broke his seven-game goal drought to get the winning goal against Liverpool over the weekend. The Norwegian forward will start here, with Rayan Cherki expected to return to the starting XI after only coming off the bench in the last two matches.
The hosts are unbeaten in their last five league games, winning their last two. The odds favor them to continue their red-hot form and register yet another win here.
Prediction – Man City to win
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5.0/5
Sunderland vs Liverpool – Wednesday, 11:15PM
With both teams coming into this game on the back of tough defeats at the weekend, we can expect them both to put their best foot forward here.
Sunderland’s 3-0 loss to Arsenal was their third in the last five PL games, losing grip on the table as they dropped to ninth place with 36 points. The Black Cats have also conceded 10 goals in their last five games and will need to steady that ship before they face a potent Liverpool attack.
The reds are in sixth place with 39 points after the tough loss to City on Sunday and have now won just one of their last five English Premier League matches. This will not be easy match against a Sunderland side who are the only PL team who have not lost at home this season.
The reverse fixture last December ended in a 1-1 draw, Liverpool earning the point courtesy of an unfortunate Nordi Mukiele own goal. The home team are expected to put up a fight to protect their admirable home record.
Prediction – Over 1.5 goals
