Premier League Predictions, Week 26

© Micah Veldkamp, 2026

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Welcome back to the weekly predictions, Premier League fans! Yes! Yessss!!! I'm already back!!! Hahahahaha!!! You can't escape me!!!! The games are already back, and so am I!!! YESSSS!!!!

I promise I'm not actually losing my mind- league matches are in fact already back tomorrow, an FA Cup weekend bumping the league action to the midweek. Nor am I spinning out after the crazy Liverpool loss- this season has already numbed me to pain 😇 Besides, at long last (for the first time this year), I had the banger week I needed: with Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea's wins, I got off to a 3/3 start, and then Bournemouth and Aston Villa's draw took my to a perfect 4. That left me just with the Liverpool-Manchester City, in which I looked headed for a dead-on 1-1 projection...until the PGMOL had other plans, gifting City a laughably soft penalty in stoppage time to hand them the victory. It ruined my day, and ruined my perfect prediction week, but you know what? I'm still giving myself partial credit. Because only a highly suspect call stood between me and a 1.5er to close out my perfect week, I think I deserve something at least, you know? Let's call it a 5/5 (as opposed to the 5.5 I should have had).

Still a lot of work to undo my poor 2026, but my clip at the century mark is back up to a respectable 64/100. But, the matches are already kicking off, so let's not waste any more time turning a blind eye to clerical errors! Here are your 5 for Week 25!

West Ham United vs. Manchester United

Resurgent Manchester United haven't lost in the league since Christmas, sit in the Top 4, 5 points clear of archrivals Liverpool, and are now on a 4-match winning streak under interim manager Michael Carrick. Can they finally get the evasive 5th win and put this hairy fan out of his misery-- and, more importantly, further their positioning for Champions League football next season? I continue to think the new manager bump can only last so long, but it's not gonna end against one of the league's worst teams. Congrats on your haircut, sir.

The Pick: Man United, 3-1

Aston Villa vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

It's hard not to feel like Aston Villa's big dream of crashing the title race party might be over after the last 5 games, which has seen them take just 5 points out of 15, and slip to 9 points behind Arsenal. That said, there's plenty of football to go, and plenty still to play for: Unai Emery and co. would love to play in the Champions League again next season after reaching the quarterfinals last year, and control their own destiny to do so. Wednesday's opponents were the preseason darlings to be the underdog spoiler, but have totally fallen off, winless in their last 5. That said, every time I think Brighton's done and dusted, they pop up with a surprise result, and every time I'm ready to believe in Aston Villa again, they let me down. In other words, this has "frustrating home draw" written all over it for Villa.

The Pick: Draw, 1-1

Manchester City vs. Fulham

Manchester City's title chase was on life support on Sunday with less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation; at that time, they were staring a 1-0 loss to Liverpool and ensuing 9-point deficit to Arsenal in the face. Then, out of nowhere, everything changed: a scrappy Bernardo Silva goal against the run of play leveled things in the 85th minute, and then in stoppage time, Alisson Becker and referee Craig Pawson conspired to give Erling Haaland a chance to win it with a penalty, and he delivered. All of a sudden, City are back believing again, and their 6-point deficit feels a whole lot more manageable mountain to climb. I will say, the media and neutrals that are breathlessly extolling a more entertaining title race are overlooking the reason City very nearly got beat: they're still a very flawed team. That said, they will win this match at home against overmatched Fulham, yes they will.

The Pick: Man City, 3-1

Brentford vs. Arsenal

The only bigger losers from the final match of last weekend than Liverpool were league leaders Arsenal, who might have already been calling in the trophy engravers before City's stunning turnaround. The Gunners have been the class of the league all year, and still are in perfectly fine position, but the ghosts of heartbreaks past are haunting them a little. A difficult midweek road match against an overachieving opponent is hardly the easiest place to score a key emotional victory, too; if they do, it will be a massive mental win for the would-be champions, but I think a well-coached and experienced Brentford side will extend the Arsenal frustration.

The Pick: Draw, 1-1

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Arsenal

The good news for Arsenal is, even if they DO happen to drop points at Brentford, they have the opportunity to widen their lead atop the table several days before City or any other title rivals play. The Gunners' involvement in the League Cup Final next month bumped that weekend's tie against Wolves all the way up to next Wednesday instead. Wolves gave the league leaders an almighty scare in their first matchup at the Emirates, but the relegation-bound side's form has dipped sharply back down after their brief bump. Arsenal's not losin' this one.

The Pick: Arsenal, 3-0