Premier League Predictions, Week 35

© Micah Veldkamp, 2026

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Welcome back to the weekly predictions, everyone! And welcome to May! That's right, we are in the last month of the season, and hurtling towards the finish line, somehow with no clearer a sense of who our next champion is than we had all the way back in August.

One thing is clear, though; I will improve on last year's predictions performance. That comes as great relief to me, as last year wasn't good enough from a "predictive pundit" standpoint, my form was starting to slump significantly this year, too. Case in point: I didn't even have a good outing last time out, as Manchester City's and Arsenal's victories were the lone correct calls from my end. But, that 2/5 outing brings me to 150 total games, which is the same number I reached last season before I suspended the rest of the campaign due to my drunken stupor after Liverpool clinched the title with 4 weeks remaining. My final clip at that point was 78.5/150, and my two-fer this week takes me to a noticeably improved 82/150 so far.

Now granted, I intend to see my predictions all the way out to the end this season, so there's a long way to go, and frankly, a much better chance of slipping below last year's 52.3% mark than reaching my personal best of 65% in 2024. So let's not waste any time announcing contract extension, the matches are kicking back off. Here are your 5 for Week 35!

Arsenal vs. Fulham

It's been a big last week for Arsenal fans, at the tail-end of a brutal April. They didn't win in the Champions League, but it's hard not to see them in their first Champions League Final in 20 years after they escaped Madrid with a draw in Leg 1, and on Sunday the Gunners got Bukayo Saka back from injury and finally ended their league losing streak all in one, clinging on to a vital win over Newcastle. It's not at all accurate to say it will be smooth sailing for the longtime league leaders from here on out-- Manchester City still controls their own destiny --but there's no question they have the easier run-in than City do. Case in point: two days before City go on the road for a tough match, the Gunners have a chance to at least temporarily go up 6 points on them, with a home clash against Fulham. Marcos Silva's squad certainly has proven capable of punching above their weight in recent years, but-- especially with nothing except a potential Conference League berth to play for --I don't think they'll be able to land a blow on a refocused Arsenal squad at home.

The Pick: Arsenal, 2-0

Aston Villa vs. Tottenham Hotspur

I don't know what I'm having a harder time comprehending, that this features a team looking to secure Champions League football vs. a team desperately trying to avoid relegation, or that the latter is Tottenham Hotspur. Neither of these clubs have exactly screamed Champions League level for the better part of their modern history, but a Premier League without either certainly doesn't track with recent years, either, and a league without Tottenham seems unfathomable. But if Spurs are going to avoid that fate, they need to start the turnaround immediately; they finally got a vital win last week at Wolves, but they aren't aided by the fact that Nottingham and West Ham suddenly also seem incapable of losing, and the difficulty of their closing fixtures, starting with this one. With Top 5 still not officially secure, and fresh off a loss in Leg 1 of their Europa League semifinal against Nottingham, Aston Villa still have plenty to play for and it's difficult to see them laying an egg in front of a home crowd. That said, their opponents will be desperate for a win in a way they won't; sitting 8 points clear of 6th place Brighton, and with a 2nd leg of their Europa League semifinal coming at Villa Park, I'd say Unai Emery's squad still has a greater than 90% chance of reaching the Champions League next season through at least one of their possible avenues. Meme that their misery is aside, I still won't be able to accept Tottenham going down until I actually see it. I'm calling the upset.

The Pick: Tottenham, 2-1

Manchester United vs. Liverpool

It's the most famous rivalry in Premier League football, and even though it's been close to 20 years since we've seen a matchup featuring high stakes for both teams, there's always something to play for when Manchester United and Liverpool play. Sunday will be no different, as the two teams meet at Old Trafford in a clash between 3rd and 4th place. Despite the trials and tribulations, copious valley and minimal peaks this season for each side, both appear in very good shape to play Champions League football next season. Thanks to 3-match winning streaks by each and Chelsea's own tailspin, they sit 11 and 8 points above the cut line, respectively, and United at least can officially clinch a Top 5 finish with a win this weekend. Call me biased (no really, that might be the simplest explanation) but I do think Liverpool are the better team, both on paper and in current form. And I do struggle to comprehend United completing a season sweep over us. But at the same time, this is their clearest opportunity to do just that in a decade, and I've underestimated them enough in recent weeks. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm going with a famous win for interim-- and perhaps soon full-time --manager Michael Carrick.

The Pick: Man United, 2-1

Chelsea vs. Nottingham Forest

An extremely rare Monday afternoon fixture (it's a bank holiday in England) sees Chelsea host a surprisingly crucial match in the first league match for caretaker manager Calum McFarlane. The Blues have likely fumbled their Champions League hopes, but still have European football aspirations, while Nottingham Forest are in the thick of a relegation battle. And yet? Only 9 points separate the two teams, and ironically, it's Forest fans who are feeling much better at the moment, thanks to a 6-match unbeaten run and a lead in the semifinals of the Europa League. Just a point in this one would be huge for Vitor Pereira's side, but all 3 would allow them to start making plans to remain in the league next season. I've constantly expected a Chelsea turnaround to happen, and it just keeps not happening, so I know I shouldn't... but I just think this will finally be the moment. They looked much improved in the FA Cup semifinal under McFarlane, they're at home, and while it isn't what they wanted, Europa League football is enough of an incentive to lock in for down the stretch, I think.

The Pick: Chelsea, 3-1

Everton vs. Manchester City

The last match of Premier League Week 35 is a big one, as Manchester City head over to Liverpool for Monday Night Football at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium. David Moyes had breathed new life into the Toffees in his return to the helm, but an ill-timed 3-match losing streak has their Cinderella dreams of Champions League qualification slip away, and though they still sit just 3 points out of 6th place, they face an uphill battle to qualify for any European football at all. Manchester City, meanwhile, had only a brief time to celebrate their first stint atop the table; as they spent the weekend qualifying for a 4th consecutive FA Cup Final, Arsenal played and won a league match. Strangely enough, there's a chance City will enter Monday 6 points behind despite not having played since their win over Burnley. It's still all out in front of them to win, of course, with two matches in hand before Monday's match, and you'd always bank on Pep Guardiola and co. in a horse race vs. Arsenal. But it was a weird old week for the Cityzens-- yes, they took the league lead and yes, they reached the FA Cup Final, but both wins over Burnley and Southampton were far more of a slog than anticipated. I've said there are more twists coming in the title race, and I fear this may be one: the challengers' form over the last few matches is not great, and an away match at a hungry Everton will be considerably tougher than their last two.

The Pick: Draw, 1-1