Premier League Predictions, Week 34, con't.

© Micah Veldkamp, 2026

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Welcome back to the weekly predictions, everyone! Did you miss me? It's been 72 whole hours since you heard from me last!! How have you managed?!?

What am I doing back so soon, you ask? Well, I couldn't wait any longer! Crystal Palace and West Ham just brought Week 33 to an end with a scintillating 0-0 draw, so let's move on to Week 34!! Okay, I do have a real reason for the immediate turnaround, and it's not just that Liverpool's last-minute victory in the Merseyside Derby has re-instilled a love of football in me. The FA Cup semifinals are coming up this weekend, and all participants have had their league matches bumped up to the midweek as a result, which means that as soon as tomorrow, some teams also involved in significant fixtures for the fate of the Premier League table will be playing their matches. So I'm going to preview a couple of those midweek matches for now, and will hashtag circle back and hashtag connect with you all later on for this weekend's predictions. Watch this space!

And while you're at it, watch my season form plummet like the North London tandem: yes, this past weekend I improved upon my disastrous week prior, but only by the slimmest of margins. Where I went winless 10 days ago, I scored a solitary win this weekend-- although even that required a stoppage-time winner, from Aston Villa over Sunderland. I also whiffed on all scoreline predictions, for a nice clean 1/5 week. I've made joking references to my "slide" towards it, but no more joke: I'm a couple more performances like this away from reaching the dreaded .500 line, now sitting at 80/145 on the season.

But, believe it or not, the matches are kicking back off in less than 24 hours, so let's not waste any more time doom-manifesting. Here are your first couple for Week 34!

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Chelsea

It wasn't all that long ago that things looked pretty peachy for Chelsea's chances in participating in next season's Champions League: they were comfortably in the Top 4, and sitting in the Champions League Round of 16. But a brutal last month has seen them drop four straight league matches and also get bumrushed out of Europe by reigning champions PSG, and now they are running out of time to salvage a return to Europe's premier competition next season. The last two weekends in particular have been damning, as they lost to Top 5 teams Manchesters City and United and 4th-place Liverpool won both of their matches to widen the gap to 7 points. In fact, tomorrow's hosts Brighton have won their last 3 matches and snuck all the way up to a lone point behind the Blues; a win at home for the Gulls would leapfrog them up into 6th place, amazingly. I struggle to see Chelsea dropping a fifth straight match, especially when they know what's at stake. But they're on the road and in such poorer form than their opponents that it would be malpractice to predict a Blues victory, at the same time. One of those where no outcome would shock me, but I suspect honors may be shared.

The Pick: Draw, 1-1

Burnley vs. Manchester City

Arsenal have sat alone atop the Premier League table since the start of October, but with a win in Burnley on Wednesday, Manchester City can knock the Gunners from their perch for the first time since Week 7. (Technically the two would be level on points, but a win would by necessity give City the goal-differential edge.) Poor current form aside, "bottling it" memes aside, it's still pretty stunning that Arsenal are at this point, where we could feasibly enter the last month with a team other than them leading the league. I still think there are plenty of turns left in these last 5 weeks-- this is not the most reliable City team Pep Guardiola's had, by any means, and Arsenal perform much better without the sole target on their backs anyhow. But I don't expect Man City's stumble, should it come, to come against one of the worst teams in the league whose relegation fate is essentially already sealed.

The Pick: Man City, 2-0

4/24 Update: The remainder of the Premier League weekend is upon us now! I barely got right what I thought was a shoo-in as Manchester City outlasted a tough Burley challenge, and wasn't even close to getting the other correct, as Chelsea capitulated at Brighton and sacked their manager immediately afterward. Can I improve upon my 50% clip so far this week? Here are the remaining 3 I break down:

Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace

Arne Slot may be less than two seasons into his tenure as Liverpool manager, but he already has a clear bogey team in Crystal Palace. He has beaten Oliver Glasner's side just once in 5 tries, and Liverpool have lost all 3 matches to them this season: in penalties at the Community Shield match in Wembley to kick off the season, in a 0-3 blowout in the League Cup at Anfield, and on the last kick of the game at Selhurst Park back in September, Liverpool's first loss of the season and arguably the one that kicked off the miserable spell that sunk their repeat title hopes. Speaking of Slot's tenure at Liverpool, unofficial reports came out this week that he will in fact be back next season, which will be of great relief to the boss, but not to a plethora of disgruntled Liverpool fans. He can perhaps win some of them back if the Reds can get their first win over Palace since the late Diogo Jota scored the only goal of the match in a 1-0 win back in October 2024; it would mark a rare three-match winning streak for the reigning champions this season, and push them ever closer to sealing the all-important Champions League qualification for next year. But, despite being the better team on paper, boasting the better current form, and having more to play for... I just won't believe this team can sustain a winning streak (or can beat Palace) until I actually see it.

The Pick: Draw, 2-2

Manchester United vs. Brentford

Not for the first time recently, Manchester United closes out the Premier League weekend with Monday Night Football at Old Trafford. It's a sneaky big fixture for the purposes of the Top 5 race as well, as United sit in 3rd place and visitors Brentford, in a not-so-distant 8th place, fight to keep their own European dreams alive. Michael Carrick's side scored a crucial win at Chelsea last weekend to give themselves a nice 8-point cushion, so it's hard to see them tumbling out of Champions League qualification from here... but boy was that cushion was needed, because it's been an awfully long time since we've seen United look like a solid side, and they have a tough closing run of fixtures awaiting, including this one. Brentford haven't been beaten since February, but they also have left 10 points on the table recently with 5 straight draws, 10 points that could have seen them all the way up in 3rd place right now. I imagine Manchester United will not lose this one at home, but I do think the Bees have enough in them to at least score a sixth consecutive draw, and certainly to cause all kinds of trouble for a shorthanded Red Devils back line.

The Pick: Draw, 2-2

Arsenal vs. Newcastle United

With Manchester City unconvincingly but officially taking top spot on the Premier League table Wednesday, Arsenal enters Sunday's match being neither the league leader nor the betting favorite to win the title for the first time since September. It's still unbelievable that it's gotten to this point for a side that even up until two weeks ago looked like a sure thing to lift the trophy, and it's a bitter pill for a proud but tormented fanbase. But there's no time for being downcast and shellshocked; this race is faaaar from over. There are 5 matches left in this thing, and the margin is razor-thin, and it's not a stretch to say this fixture is Arsenal's most difficult one remaining; clear this hurdle, and the Gunners are back in business. Newcastle have had moments this season-- more so in the Champions League to be honest -- that have reminded everyone of their high potential for quality, but in large part, such as in the midst of their current three-match losing streak, have looked miles off their expectations this season. There's always a chance we see the Magpies of the last couple years make an appearance and add to Arsenal's woes on Sunday, but I think Mikel Arteta and a desperate Emirates crowd will get this squad to refocus and end the Gunners' April woes.

The Pick: Arsenal, 3-1