Premier League Predictions, Week 29

Welcome back to the weekly predictions, Premier League fans! It's been an abnormally long time since you've heard from me. In fact *gasp* over a week! Because our last installment covered two matchweeks, and we also had a return to Champions League and Europa League action earlier this week, there's been a whole lot of football played since our last piece.

What that means is, you probably weren't aware that I had a surprisingly strong outing last time out, at least by own hapless 2020-21 standards. Sure, my bold Brighton upset prediction didn't pan out, and I didn't actually project Manchester United stunning Manchester City. But I did predict United would end City's winning streak (half-credit!), and also got both Chelsea victories correct. This resulted in a 3.5/5 scoreline for the week, tidying up my overall record ever-so-slightly at 57.5/120.

But, the matches are less than 12 hours away from starting back up, so let's not waste any more time putting lipstick on a pig. Here are your 5 for Week 29!

Leeds United vs. Chelsea

In case you haven't heard, Chelsea are still yet to lose a match under Thomas Tuchel. They also have conceded a grand total of 2 goals in 9 Premier League matches since the arrival of their manager. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Blues have risen from dire straits into the Top 4, and amazingly, are just 4 points from 2nd place. All of this is bad news for Leeds, who have downgraded in form from wildly inconsistent to consistently not-great. It's tough to see either teams' fortunes changing any time soon.

The Pick: Chelsea, 2-0

Fulham vs. Manchester City

Something shocking happened last week: Manchester City LOST! I don't know what it is about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but Pep Guardiola just can't beat him, even with a Premier League title on the line, with a win needed to stay in title contention, or this year, with coming into the match on a record-breaking 28-game unbeaten run. The good news for City is that the Premier League race remains all but wrapped up, as they are still 14 points afloat of their crosstown rivals even in the wake of their loss. Fulham, meanwhile, scored a historic win at Anfield over hapless Liverpool to keep their survival bid well and truly alive. A Fulham win tomorrow would be even more historic, but alas, that seems a bridge too far.

The Pick: Manchester City, 3-1

Leicester City vs. Sheffield United

Leicester got a crucial win over Brighton last weekend. I say crucial not because Brighton is the sort of team you'd expect a Top 4-contending team to drop points against, but the Gulls are tricky (hence why I predicted them winning that matchup), and Leicester had started to do that thing they did last season, which is drop matches at the absolute worst time to do so. That the Foxes were able to fight back for all 3 points is a good sign that their mental toughness might be greater than it was this point last season. They now face last-placed Sheffield United, who may be reeling from the sudden departure of manager Chris Wilder. It's always tempting to predict a 'new manager bounce,' but considering how integral Wilder has been to the Sheffield organization, I think we'll see the opposite effect here.

The Pick: Leicester, 3-0

Arsenal vs. Tottenham Hotspur

The latest edition of the North London Derby features the rivals in very different circumstances than where they were in the last meeting. In early December, Tottenham sat atop the league, while Arsenal sat considerably closer to the relegation zone than they did to the Top 4. As expected, Spurs won the first match, 2-0. This time around, we again see Tottenham in good form (winning their last 3) and Arsenal in subpar form (getting just 4 points from their last 9). But on the whole, lots has changed; a mere 7 points separate the two, and now both sit outside the Top 4 but inside the Top 10. This derby showdown holds, potentially, more ramifications than many of the last several matchups have, with European competition placement in serious jeopardy for the loser. And perhaps it's personal bias, because I've made Arsenal's upward trajectory my pet passion, but I'll say it again: I am a believer in brighter days for the Gunners.

The Pick: Arsenal, 2-1

Manchester United vs. West Ham United

There's no rest for Manchester United. Fresh off their massively cathartic rivalry upset of City last weekend, they were rewarded with a difficult Europa League tie against reborn Italian heavyweights Milan. And fresh off that grueling draw, they get... West Ham, who with a game in hand is fighting for Champions League qualification. The Hammers missed a shot to improve their standing with a home loss to otherwise spiralling Liverpool in late January, but other than that, they have been remarkably consistent in the year of 2021, their only other dropped points coming in a competitive loss to champions-elect Manchester City. United are the better team on their day-- as evidenced by the City win and their 2nd place standing --but are also the more inconsistent team at the moment-- as evidenced by their listless 0-0 draws in three of their last five matches. I would not be surprised at all if West Ham catches them out after a short turnaround from their Europa League clash, but I'll give United the ol' "Old Trafford bump" and predict a draw.

The Pick: Draw, 1-1