Premier League Predictions, Week 21

Welcome back to the weekly predictions, Premier League fans! Yes, it has been mere days since you last heard from me. These are turning in to more "daily" predictions with how thick and fast the matches are coming. Even though the last mach of Gameweek 20 ended just over 24 hours ago, Gameweek 21 starts tomorrow morning. You know they say, ain't no rest for the injured and COVID-positive!

On a personal level, I finally got some enjoyment this past week as Liverpool broke both their goalscoring and their winless slumps yesterday. Unfortunately, this came at my professional expense, capping off a sharp downturn in last week's predictions. What started so promising, with near-flawless predictions of a Manchester City blowout and Chelsea draw, quickly went south thanks to Liverpool, Leicester City, and a stunning upset by Sheffield United. The 2/5 week takes me to 39.5/85 on the season, which is just not a pretty sight to see.

But, the matches are less than 12 hours away, so let's not waste any more time with self-flagellation. Here are your 5 for Week 21!

Manchester City vs. Sheffield United

If Manchester City's frontrunner credentials weren't boosted enough by their 5-0 destruction of West Brom, Sheffield United did them a solid shortly thereafter by stunning crosstown rivals (and previous league leaders) Manchester United. Now comes the moment of truth: will City pounce on the opportunity to widen their gap at the top by destroying the last-placed team, or will they repay their gratefulness by allowing a desperate Sheffield to grasp some much-needed points? On paper, this should be a blowout of epic proportions. But as many big clubs, most notably ManU, have found this season, Sheffield United under Chris Wilder have a habit of making life difficult. I expect the Blades to hang around for a surprisingly long time in this one, but ultimately City will take care of proceedings down the stretch.

The Pick: Manchester City, 2-0

Arsenal vs. Manchester United

When Arsenal upset Manchester United back in November, I was very self-congratulatory in my accurate prediction. I was always a believer in Arsenal's positive trajectory under Mikel Arteta, and I never was buying the hype about Manchester United. This time around, I don't really know what to make of this matchup. There's no question Arsenal is playing better; the Gunners are in the midst of a 6-match unbeaten streak since Christmas, taking 16 points out of an available 18. But Manchester United has also been playing better-- or at least had been, climbing to a Premier League lead before Wednesday's shock loss vs. Sheffield United. So who wins this matchup between historic and talented clubs whose form this season has made little sense? Well I once again believe in Arsenal's mojo, and it's hard for me to see them taking a loss. But I also can't see them sweeping United this year, not when the latter is coming off such a brutal loss.

The Pick: Draw, 1-1

Chelsea vs. Burnley

Thomas Tuchel's tenure at Chelsea got off, as I thought it might, to a rather unremarkable start with a scoreless draw vs. Wolves. It's funny, I saw ESPN FC lauding the amount of passes Chelsea completed on Wednesday and declaring the arrival of "Tuchel Ball." 'Yeah,' I thought to myself, 'fat lot of good it does if you can't put the ball in the back of the net.' That part will come though. It will be a slow process of learning to play a new manager's signature style-- and time will tell whether the ownership will grant him the patience needed for that --but in time, they can get there. As for the immediate future? Well, we all know Burnley has a knack for catching big clubs when they're at their worst. I'm not sure Chelsea's at their worst, but they're not at their best.

The Pick: Draw, 1-1

Leicester City vs. Leeds United

It might sound harsh, but it's hard to not see Leeds as a little bit of a disappointment. They came into the Premier League riding a storm of pro-Marcel Bielsa hype and dominant play in the Championship, then began the season by taking champions Liverpool down to the wire, and nicking points off Manchester City and Aston Villa shortly thereafter. Yet they can't seem to ever find a consistent foothold, and thus sit in 12th place currently, out of the danger zone but also far away from competing for a spot in European competition. Still, despite the inconsistency, they've shown flashes of their attacking brilliance and capability of hanging with the best in the league. That will be put to the test this weekend against a club that practically formulated the template of punching above its weight via incisive counterattacking. Leicester City has had their own bouts of inconsistency this season, but has showed as much quality as just about anyone in the league this year, and are still not out of title contention. The Foxes romped in this matchup back in November, and though it's hard for me to see them winning so easily again, their midweek draw with Everton will see them all the more eager to get 3 points from this one.

The Pick: Leicester, 3-1

West Ham United vs. Liverpool

Liverpool's slump-busting, dominant win over Tottenham wasn't just mentally or emotionally important for the struggling champions, it had significant standings ramifications. Had they lost, the Reds would have slipped to a scarcely believable 5th place, being jumped by none other than...West Ham. Yes, while most of the attention has been focused on Liverpool's and Chelsea's struggles, the latter's new manager, and the Manchester teams at the top, West Ham have quietly snuck back up the table into European contention. The Hammers are in the midst of a 4-match winning streak, and a 6-match unbeaten streak that stretches back to before Christmas. Their good form will give them confidence heading into this fixture, but really, so will the fact that they took an even stronger Liverpool side down to the wire at Anfield back in October. It's hard for me to see a scenario in which Liverpool goes from such a comprehensive "bounceback" victory to yet another loss in just a 3-day span. But at the same time, the potential loss of both Fabinho and Joel Matip to injury will be desperately tough absences to overcome, to say the least, particularly against a side playing some of its best football at the moment.

The Pick: Draw, 2-2