Premier League Predictions, Week 24

Welcome back to your Premier League predictions! This week, the top clubs got a rude awakening from their Winter Break slumbers as European football returned; will the arrival of shorter weeks wreak any havoc on the fixtures? If any havoc is to be wreaked, this weekend might be a good candidate, with 4 of the Top 5 in the standings playing each other. Oh, and in case you haven't heard, there's now a good chance the 5th-placed spot in the Premier League may be good enough to qualify for Champions League football...

In less chaotic times, my predictions, much like Tottenham and Manchester United's Champions League chances, were starting to trend upwards. Sure, I couldn't match my brilliant week from last month, as I placed too much confidence in Wolverhampton and in Chelsea. But my reliance on Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham paid off, in the form of a 3/5 week. This brings me to 54/85 on the season, which is not ideal, but is at least over halfway.

Now, the matches are less than 12 hours away from kicking back off, so let's not waste any more time self-reflecting. Here are your 5 for Week 23!

Chelsea vs. Tottenham Hotspur

The first match of the weekend is an absolute barnburner. Chelsea and Tottenham aren't just London rivals. They're not just two of the most historic clubs in the league. They're not just two teams that have been managed by Jose Mourinho. They're also in 4th and 5th place, respectively, separated by just 1 point in a suddenly hectic race for Champions League eligibility. For most of this season, Frank Lampard's young Chelsea squad seemed bound for a Top 4 finish, but after going over a month without winning a match, they're now in a very precarious position indeed. Spurs, meanwhile, have won their last 3 and will come into Stamford Bridge high on confidence. Based on form alone, it seems silly to pick against them at the moment. But I keep feeling like Chelsea will regain their early-season form, and in an absolute must-win match, at home, against their old manager, I think this may be the time to do it.

The Pick: Chelsea, 2-1

Sheffield United vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

Sheffield United's surprise success has already been one of the best stories of the Premier League season; now, thanks to Manchester City's financial tomfoolery, the fairytale may get even better. If the Citizens' ban is upheld, and the 5th placed spot is in fact granted access to the 2020-21 Champions League, that means Sheffield is just one point away, in 6th place. What's more, because the teams immediately in front of them are Chelsea and Tottenham, the Blades will automatically jump into the Top 5 (and possibly even the Top 4) in the event of a victory tomorrow. Brighton can be a stodgy opponent, and may especially be so as they look to stay above the relegation zone, but it's hard to see them being the ones to throw a wrench in United's remarkable underdog tale.

The Pick: Sheffield United, 1-0

Leicester City vs. Manchester City

With all due respect to these two great teams, never has a match between the 2nd and 3rd-placed teams felt less consequential. It's hard to see either club's position in the table changing, with how far ahead they are of the Chelsea-led masses, and how farther behind Liverpool they are. All the drama regarding the top tier of the table has to do with when will Liverpool clinch the title, can they go unbeaten, and who will claim the last two spots of Champions League eligibility? So, this fixture, as fun as it may be, comes down to whether Leicester will be inspired by revenge for their December loss to the defending champions, or if Man City, fresh off news of their ban from European football, unleash full fury on their domestic opponents. Because I'm a coward, I'll split the difference, but virtually no result tomorrow would surprise me.

The Pick: Draw, 1-1

Manchester United vs. Watford

With their surprisingly comprehensive, albeit controversy-laden 2-0 win at Chelsea last week, Manchester United continued their remarkable run of good form against sides ranked ahead of them. They're now 5-2-1 against teams ranked 1 through 6, the lone loss coming last month at Liverpool. Despite what can only be described as a tumultuous season, United are now just 3 points outside the Top 4, let alone 2 points out of the now-coveted 5th place spot. The young Red Devils suddenly have a lot to play for, but so do Watford, who is squarely in the relegation zone, their brief run of good form under new manager Nigel Pearson apparently over. Something's gotta give, and Man U have not been particularly inspiring in these "should-win" matchups, but I'm afraid the die may be cast for Watford.

The Pick: Manchester United, 3-1

Liverpool vs. West Ham

If Liverpool wouldn't so absurdly far ahead in the standings, this may be around the time that their fans started to feel a little uneasy. In their two matches since the Winter Break, the league leaders played two ugly 1-0 matches, winning the first away at last-placed Norwich, but losing this week to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League. Combine sloppy play with a horribly-timed injury to captain and possible Player of the Year candidate Jordan Henderson, and normally you'd hear the cries of "Liverpool's gonna bottle it!!!!" from rival fans right about now. Fortunately for the Reds and their supporters, their lead is close to being literally insurmountable, and though a Monday night fixture with a shorthanded squad might typically be a trap game scenario, West Ham isn't good enough to be the ones to end their winning streak. It may not be Liverpool's most memorable match from this season, but they'll get win #26.

The Pick: Liverpool, 2-0

Premier League Predictions, Week 24

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