Premier League Predictions, Week 24

© Micah Veldkamp, 2025

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Welcome back to the weekly predictions, Premier League fans! The 'league phase' of the Champions League and Europa League wrapped up in the middle of this week, which means no more European football for a couple weeks (and for the Top 8 teams in each competition, for a month-plus), but at least we get back to some Premier League action this weekend!

Last time out, I continued to build on my slowly improving form. It was not a flawless week, as I did not see Tottenham's capitulation to Leicester coming, and while I did predict Bournemouth would take points off Nottingham Forest, I didn't expect it to be all 3 points. But, I did accurately predict wins for the triumvirate of title hopefuls Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City, and even got the scoreline dead on in the latter two. (In fact, had I predicted one more Liverpool goal, I would have had a record three perfectly scoreline predictions). That's good enough for a 4/5 week, updating my season mark to 46.5/92, which gets me back above .500 for the first time in 2025.

But! The matches are less than 12 hours away from kicking back off, so let's not waste any more time with radical optimism. Here are your 5 for Week 24!

Nottingham Forest vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

That Nottingham's 10-match unbeaten run came to an end wasn't a shock by itself; it was always going to end at some point. In fact, it wasn't even a huge surprise that it came to an end at the hands of Bournemouth; Andoni Iraola's squad is in terrific form. What WAS a surprise was how it happened...few could have expected the 5-0 thrashing they received at the vitality Stadium. Now the overachieving unexpected title contenders will have to pick themselves up and try to get back on track against another South Coast "B" team that has a track record of playing fluid attacking football and frustrating favored clubs. Fortunately for the Reds, Nuno Espirito Santo's men have often rebounded well from poor results this season, and Brighton-- winners of just 2 of their last 11 --aren't in nearly as good form.

The Pick: Nottingham, 2-1

Ipswich Town vs. Southampton

They might be the worst two clubs in the league, but there's still a gulf between Ipswich Town and Southampton. The Tractors have been overmatched in the Premier League, but have held their own admirably, currently sitting just 1 point away from safety, with many of their hardest matches (on paper) in the rear view. As much as they would love to pick up 3 valuable points, though, Southampton should be even more desperate: the Saints are in the midst of one of the worst Premier League seasons in modern history, notching just 6 points from 23 matches. Ipswich are the better side, and are at home, but they've come crashing back down to earth after a brief great stretch, and I think Southampton will be eyeing this as a golden opportunity for them to get some much needed points as well.

The Pick: Draw, 1-1

Bournemouth vs. Liverpool

I said it just last week, and spoiler alert, you're going to hear me say it a lot more in these next couple months: this could be a huge weekend in the title race. The top two finishers of the last two Premier League seasons face off, and that will understandably take top billing, but tomorrow morning might sneakily have the most intriguing match of the weekend. The league leaders will take one of the longest possible road trips in the league, to face a team in absolutely red-hot form. Bournemouth's 5-0 demolition of Nottingham was just the cherry on top of an 11-match unbeaten streak that has seen them also conquer the likes of Newcastle, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City, and draw level with 6th-place Chelsea on points. My little brother informed me earlier today that this is the first time since January 2018 (Liverpool, ironically, versus eventual 'centurion' champions Manchester City) that two sides in the midst of an 11+ match unbeaten run will face off. As a fiercely loyal but deeply nervous Red, I truly have no idea how this one will go. Liverpool have historically handled Bournemouth with ease, even some very good Bournemouth sides, but the Cherries are on an absolute tear right now, and the Reds' defense has been leaky enough recently that I cannot feel good about them holding on to a lead in this one.

The Pick: Draw, 2-2

Chelsea vs. West Ham

On Monday night, Graham Potter makes his first return to the home of the club that so unceremoniously dismissed him after less than a season at the helm in 2023. In fairness to the oft-absurdly ruthless Chelsea, the Blues are in a significantly better spot now than they were when they sacked Potter, who has also had a fairly rocky tenure thus far at West Ham. Both teams are in the midst of a subpar stretch, though, and itching for a win. Chelsea had barely finished celebrating the long-awaited end to their winless streak, when they turned around and got roundly beaten by reigning champions Manchester city for the second time this season. West Ham, meanwhile, have done enough this season to avoid serious relegation concerns, but that's about all one can say about their season, which seems to hold some ridiculous 7-1 defeat every other week. The Hammers will occasionally pop up with confoundingly good play and a shock result, and that is not out of the question in this London derby, but I expect Chelsea will right the ship again, and refocus on their Top 4 challenge.

The Pick: Chelsea, 3-2

Arsenal vs. Manchester City

Last Fall, based both off of last season and the early returns from this season, I asserted that the matches between Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City would essentially amount to a 6-leg "Premier League Final." Several months on, it has not played out that way, as Liverpool has opened up a noteworthy-- if not comfortable --lead over Arsenal and the field, while City continues to try and dig themselves out of the massive hole they built for themselves with a stunning November-December slump. Still, as Liverpool have an unexpectedly tall task tomorrow, Arsenal get some key players back from injury, and Manchester City have begun to round into top form, this still has the feel of a huge match. It is, after all, the return leg from a thrilling 2-2 draw the two played last September, and the latest edition of a battle between the league's two best teams from Fall 2022 to Spring 2024. Arsenal have played City better than anyone in the last two seasons, quite possibly need a win here to keep title hopes alive, and will be at home in front of a raucous crowd. But this is still Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, and they look like they're in the early stages of that thing they've done the last several years, where they just decide they're done losing for the season. I'm going honors even in this one.

The Pick: Draw, 1-1