Premier League Predictions, Week 31

Welcome back to the weekly predictions, Premier League fans! I know we had a long absence in the month of March, and parting was such sweet sorrow, but club soccer has returned in full force and full fury. Another Premier League weekend takes place as usual the next few days, and this is fresh off of Champions League and Europa League quarterfinal matches in the interim.

Last week, I strutted about and very loudly boasted about my first 5/5 week of predictions in months. I should have known that pride goeth before the fall; I was not in fact able to replicate that feat. Fortunately, my fall wasn't as drastic as I feared it might be after the first match of the weekend. Chelsea' shocking capitulation at West Brom got the week off to a silly start, but after that, the only result I missed was Liverpool's resounding victory over Arsenal. In fact, my dead-on analysis and projection for Manchester United's win over Brighton helped me win back a little extra, for a decent 3.5/5 on the week. That brings my season record to 66/130, which, while not great, is above .500 for the first time in a while!

But, the matches are already back underway, so let's not waste any more time with consolation prizes. Here are your 5 for Week 31!

Manchester City vs. Leeds United

Manchester City faced a doubleheader of tricky, attacking opponents within 4 days of each other in Leicester City and Borussia Dortmund. But not only did the champions-elect pass the test with victories in each match, they also (at least against Leicester) displayed a return to form in the calm, impenetrable back line that had been the basis for their absurd winning streak. That spells bad news for this weekend's opponent. Plucky Leeds has gotten back to winning ways in recent weeks, but has continued to struggle to regain their freewheeling attack they had at the start of the season.

The Pick: Manchester City, 2-0

Liverpool vs. Aston Villa

As has been the case really all season, but more drastically so since Christmas, it was one step forward, two steps back for Liverpool this week. The Reds entered the long break off two consecutive wins, and then returned from the long layoff with a dominant victory at Arsenal, their best performance in months. Then came the midweek capitulation at Real Madrid, where they didn't just lose, they turned in arguably the sloppiest, most lackluster effort of Jürgen Klopp's entire tenure. Now they return to Anfield, which has been the furthest thing from friendly confines this calendar year, to face a team that is also fighting for a Top 4 sport. Oh, and said team beat them 7-2 the last time they played. I know the Reds will technically be "favored" in this one, but forgive me if I'm not ready to feel good about their chances again.

The Pick: Aston Villa, 2-1

Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea

Chelsea lost a match under Thomas Tuchel! I promised I would stop starting every Chelsea prediction talking about their undefeated start once it was no longer relevant, and last weekend it became relevant, in a major way. Chelsea completely capsized against relegation-threatened West Brom, losing Thiago Silva to a red card, and then getting blown out to the tune of 5 goals. The good news is the Blues' midweek Champions League victory at Porto was much more the sort of performance we'd come to expect from Chelsea under this manager, and hopefully assuaged fears that the West Brom match was anything but an aberration. Even if the theoretical floodgates had been opened, Crystal Palace doesn't really seem the sort of team that would take advantage.

The Pick: Chelsea, 1-0

West Ham United vs. Leicester City

If you were to ask Premier League fans prior to the season which two clubs would be playing the most crucial match of Week 31, relative to the Top 4 race, I'd bet all the money in my pockets against all the money in your pockets that they wouldn't have predicted those two clubs to be Leicester and West Ham. Yet here we are, with 8 games remaining, and those two are 3rd and 4th place in the league, respectively. It's not exaggeration to say that Leicester have spent the better part of the season looking like the best team in the league not named Manchester City. But they also have had several instances this year of dropping points at the absolute worst time, and though it's probably too early to declare them to be in the midst of the same freefall they ended last season in, taking just 7 points from their last 15 is concerning. West Ham have the same amount of points from their last 5 matches, but their two losses were very competitive ones to the two Manchester clubs, and apart from those losses, they have been one of the most consistent teams in the calendar year. It's hard not to like the Hammers' form more.

The Pick: West Ham, 3-2

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester United

Last weekend, we got the replay of Leicester's stunning trouncing of Manchester City. This weekend, we get the replays of Aston Villa and Tottenham's equally shocking blowout wins over Liverpool and Manchester United, respectively. I'm not sure United will reverse their fortune quite as drastically as their crosstown rivals did, but it's not out of the question. Though Tottenham, sniffing around the Top 4, is more desperate for a win than 2nd-place United, there's no question the Red Devils are the team in better form and they'll be eager to wash the bad taste of that October fixture out of their mouths. But with Mourinho's preference for, ahem, bus-parking in crucial games against big opponents, my hunch is that we'll see a trademark ugly stalemate.

The Pick: Draw, 0-0