Premier League Predictions, Week 27
© Micah Veldkamp, 2025
Welcome back to the... semi-weekly predictions, Premier League fans? That's right, a whopping four days since you heard from me last, we're back at it again. Even though "Week 26" only ended two days ago, "Week 27" got underway yesterday, and will continue this afternoon. The fixture pileup is real, but thanks to the return of the FA Cup this coming weekend, this is the last league action we'll get for nearly two weeks, so savor it!
Last weekend was a pretty monumental one in the context of the Premier League race: the Top 4 race got even tighter, the relegation battle became even more defined, and the combination of a crucial Liverpool victory and unexpected Arsenal loss led many a pundit to declare the title race essentially over. As such, while half of the league matches for this 'week' were already played, the few truly significant matches are all today, so this will be a short little preview edition.
It was not a banner weekend in the case of my predictions, however. After one of my best showings in 2025, I went right back to losing ways over the weekend by whiffing on Liverpool's big win, West Ham's huge upset over Arsenal, and Manchester United's crazy draw against Everton. Correct calls of an Aston Villa triumph over Chelsea and a Newcastle win over Nottingham Forest served only to spare me from total embarrassment and at least get me a 2/5 week. That drops me to 54.5/107 on the year, teetering dangerously close to the .500 mark again. Thank goodness I have the league leaders to root for, otherwise I'd be in dire straits emotionally right now.
But! The matches for this "week" have already begun, and are mere hours away from kicking back off, so let's not waste any more time coping. Here are your 3 for Week 27!
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City
If there was any lingering doubts over whether Manchester City was actually out of the title race-- a warranted sentiment given the four-time reigning champions' proclivity since 2018 to just not lose matches between January and May --they were also comprehensively silenced by Liverpool's commanding win at the Etihad. There is no chance City, now 20 points back and struggling to find any consistent form, will make it a five-peat in a couple months. The focus for Pep Guardiola and his team in flux now turns to making sure they don't miss out on the Top 4 altogether; such an outcome is almost unimaginable, but the champions' form has been so unreliable and there is such a logjam in this race (only 5 points separate 3rd place Nottingham and 10th place Aston Villa) that we have to recognize it's a legitimate possibility. Their quest to avoid that fate begins in earnest today against another longstanding bogey team for Pep Guardiola and City; Tottenham may be having a nightmarish season of their own, but have still proven to be capable of both incredible attacking highs, and of being a thorn in Man City's side this year. That said, especially given how Spurs embarrassed them at their own place back in November, I do think the Blues will be eager to get back to winning ways and sharp enough to get the job done today.
The Pick: Man City, 3-2
Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal
Even before recent developments, this showdown has long been circled as a crucial tilt between two teams with big dreams. Now, given recent stumbles, the focus of this massive match has shifted from glory to survival. Forest fought back valiantly on Sunday to avoid total humiliation by Newcastle, and even give their hosts a right scare at the end, but 0 points is 0 points, and that loss marked the one-time title contenders' third in 4 matches, and only their second 2-match losing streak this season. Arsenal, meanwhile...well, the less said about that home loss to West Ham on Saturday, the better. For the record, I refuse to join the chorus of declarative calls that the race is over: after all, with a game in hand, Arsenal could very well be back within 5-6 points in just a couple weeks, for all we know. That said, if the Gunners drop points again today, especially if Liverpool concurrently pick up all 3, I will admit it becomes very hard for me to see a way to the top of the podium for them. This is a tough one to predict, another that I could see going any which way
The Pick: Arsenal, 2-1
Liverpool vs. Newcastle United
An 11-point lead in February-- and a de facto 8-point lead if you imagine Arsenal will win their match in hand --is hardly insurmountable, but the fact that the media was ready to call the title race all but won after Sunday, and perhaps even more significantly, that the oft-heartbroken Liverpool fans dared to bellow the "We're gonna win the league!" chorus in the Etihad Stadium, spoke to just how this Reds team wins. While every other team in the league, including their nearest title contenders, lacks the mental sharpness to avoid disappointing stretches and subpar results, Liverpool (save for one truly strange match in September) has continuously found different ways to get results, and refuse to lose. On Sunday, for example, they happily conceded nearly 70% of the possession and a majority of the shots to Manchester City...and yet, their goalie hardly broke a sweat, and on the couple occasions they were able to nick the ball and traverse downfield, they calmly tore apart the defense of the four-time champions for a cruising 2-0 win that felt more like a 4-0 win. Now comes a stern test to start off their final stretch: can they keep focus and get the result needed against the likes of a Newcastle team fighting for a Top 4 spot? The Magpies had one of those performances on Sunday that reminded everyone just how good they can be, and I will confess as a Liverpool fan, their attacking potency leads me to be more worried about them than just about any of the Reds' remaining opponents this season. So regardless of the outcome I would pick here, it's not one I would pick with a lot of confidence. But I am inclined to agree with the sentiment I've seen expressed commonly online that Liverpool's win over City was the type of win that will rejuvenate the locker room and renew the fiery drive to see this title race out, and especially given that this will be played in what is sure to be a raucous Anfield, I'm not sure I can see Newcastle getting the better of the league leaders twice this season.
The Pick: Liverpool, 4-2
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