Premier League Predictions: Gameweek 27

We’ve enjoyed FA Cup magic and Champions League knockout stage drama since the Premier League last graced our television screens.

But the English top flight returns with a vengeance this weekend, with its title race emboldened by the division’s worst outfit.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ fightback on Wednesday night has added extra spice and tension to Sunday’s North London Derby, which is the highlight fixture of the round. However, it’s not merely Arsenal’s visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that will intrigue and enthral.

Here’s how Sports Illustrated predicts the upcoming games will play out.

Aston Villa vs. Leeds United
Brentford vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
Chelsea vs. Burnley
West Ham United vs. Bournemouth
Manchester City vs. Newcastle United
Crystal Palace vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Nottingham Forest vs. Liverpool
Sunderland vs. Fulham
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Arsenal
Everton vs. Manchester United
Premier League Predictions: Gameweek 27

Aston Villa vs. Leeds United

Morgan Rogers — This is a big game for both teams at opposite ends of the table. | Visionhaus/Getty Images

Date: Saturday, Feb. 21
Time: 3 p.m. GMT / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT

The absence of a Saturday lunchtime kick-off means the action gets underway at 3 p.m. this weekend, and there’s a significant bout for teams at both ends of the table in the West Midlands.

Aston Villa exited the FA Cup last weekend, so Unai Emery and his depleted unit can focus solely on the Premier League and Europa League for the rest of the way. They aren’t completely out of the title race just yet thanks to Arsenal’s sustained blip, although very few expect the Villans to truly contend, including Emery.

Holding off a resurgent chasing pack is their priority, while Leeds United are aiming to steer clear of the drop zone. Daniel Farke’s side currently boast a six-point buffer, but the dynamic can shift in an instant, especially with Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur changing managers.

They’ve been plucky opposition this calendar year, and will be aiming to make the most of Villa’s injuries.

Prediction: Aston Villa 2–2 Leeds

Brentford vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton are drifting under Fabian Hürzeler. | Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images

Date: Saturday, Feb. 21
Time: 3 p.m. GMT / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT

Brighton & Hove Albion struggled to lay a glove on Liverpool in the FA Cup last weekend, and there’s a sense that the Segulls are drifting under Fabian Hürzeler.

Brighton haven’t won a Premier League game since Jan. 3, and have failed to score in their previous three games. The continuation of their indifferent run could see them involved in the relegation dogfight, with West Ham only seven points back.

They may be a heavy defeat away from Hürzeler finding himself on the hot seat, and Brentford, should they perform as well as they did against the Premier League leaders, could put them to the sword.

The Bees are well-placed to compete in Europe for the first time in their history, currently sitting pretty in seventh, and they’ll leapfrog Liverpool with a victory on Saturday afternoon.

Prediction: Brentford 3–0 Brighton

Chelsea vs. Burnley

Enzo Fernández — Chelsea won the reverse fixture 2–0. | ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP/Getty Images

Date: Saturday, Feb. 21
Time: 3 p.m. GMT / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT

Chelsea eased to a 2–0 victory in the reverse fixture at Turf Moor, having continued their excellent start to life under Liam Rosenior with a comfortable victory at their manager’s former stomping ground, Hull City.

Playing on Friday night has given them an extra day’s rest, although Scott Parker rung the changes for Mansfield Town’s FA Cup shock last Saturday. The Clarets can at least put all their energy into trying to stay in the division, and they claimed their first Premier League win since October at Crystal Palace last time out.

Parker’s men are nine points adrift of safety, so they’re going to have to pull a few rabbits out of several hats to bolster their chances. Chelsea, meanwhile, are aiming to return to winning ways in the top flight after being pegged back by Leeds ten days ago.

Prediction: Chelsea 3–0 Burnley

West Ham United vs. Bournemouth

Crysencio Summerville is in superb form. | West Ham United FC/West Ham United FC/Getty Images

Date: Saturday, Feb. 21
Time: 5:30 p.m. GMT / 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT

The sub-par depth of West Ham United’s squad was laid bare at Burton Albion last weekend, and it’s clear that Nuno Espírito Santo will have to lean on a select few if they’re to preserve their Premier League status.

The in-form Crysencio Summerville is chief among them, and Bournemouth must find a way of containing the Dutchman in east London if they’re to continue their upsurge.

The Cherries are poised for mid-table comfort, but the future beyond this season remains unclear with Andoni Iraola yet to extend his contract on the south coast.

West Ham are unbeaten in their nine previous meetings against Bournemouth, who fought back from 2–0 down to earn a point in the reverse fixture.

Prediction: West Ham 1–1 Bournemouth

Manchester City vs. Newcastle United

Abdukodir Khusanov, Yoane Wissa — Newcastle have never won a Premier League game at the Etihad. | Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Date: Saturday, Feb. 21
Time: 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT

Arsenal’s collapse at Molineux in midweek means Manchester City have the chance to cut their advantage at the summit to just two points.

Plenty have suggested that this City side are incapable of producing one of their imperious winning runs, but you’d be foolish to write Pep Guardiola off in what could be his final season at the helm in Manchester.

The Cityzens are facing up against a Newcastle team for the third time in quick succession, and the pair will also face off in the FA Cup fifth round next month. That’s not exactly great news for Eddie Howe, with the Magpies remarkably yet to win a Premier League game at the Etihad.

However, Newcastle have suddenly discovered a level of competence on their travels, and they certainly boast the speed in their frontline to hurt City’s defence. Mikel Arteta will be pleading for a favour from Howe’s men just before derby day.

Prediction: Man City 3–1 Newcastle

Crystal Palace vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Date: Sunday, Feb. 22
Time: 2 p.m. GMT / 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT

Steve Parish called Oliver Glasner’s bluff in the wake of Marc Guéhi’s sale to Man City, with the Crystal Palace chairman intent on having the Austrian see out the remainder of his contract.

However, things are only souring in south London with Glasner in charge. "Sacked in the morning" cries being bellowed from the away end as Palace were held by Zrinjski Mostar in the first leg of their Conference League playoff tie on Thursday night.

Wolves, who certainly haven’t looked like one of the worst teams in Premier League history under Rob Edwards, will be aiming to capitalise on their current dysfunction, having earned a memorable point against Arsenal on Wednesday night.

Back-to-back draws means Wolves are up to ten points, and a victory on Sunday would see them cruise past Derby County’s record-low 11-point haul from 2007–08.

Prediction: Crystal Palace 0–1 Wolves

Nottingham Forest vs. Liverpool

Murillo, Morgan Gibbs-White — Nottingham Forest claimed back-to-back wins at Anfield in November. | Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images

Date: Sunday, Feb. 22
Time: 2 p.m. GMT / 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT

Nottingham Forest have evolved into a bit of a bogey team for Liverpool, having won back-to-back games at Anfield. They won 3–0 on Merseyside with former Everton boss Sean Dyche at the helm, but Evangelos Marinakis opted to part ways with the English coach after a stalemate with the league’s bottom dwellers ten days ago.

So, Liverpool will be facing up against a Forest team led by Vitor Pereira, who helped steady the ship at Molineux last season but had considerably more time to do so. He’s got to hit the ground running right away if Forest are to fight off a resurgent West Ham.

Missing out on Champions League football would be a nightmare scenario for Arne Slot’s side, with the Dutchman surely losing his job if such a scenario plays out, given Xabi Alonso’s availability. The race for a top-five finish is fierce, and dropped points at the City Ground could be costly.

Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1–2 Liverpool

Sunderland vs. Fulham

Josh King — Both teams are set for mid-table finishes. | Glyn KIRK/AFP/Getty Images

Date: Sunday, Feb. 22
Time: 2 p.m. GMT / 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT

There was little to separate Sunderland and Fulham when they met at Craven Cottage earlier in the season, and another tight affair is expected at the Stadium of Light this weekend.

Sunderland had their invincible home record wiped out by Liverpool in the previous gameweek, and they have lost three of their previous four Premier League games.

Nevertheless, the Black Cats are two points better off than the Cottagers in the table, with the away side also enduring a slump. They’ve lost three successive games and are poised to sit in mid-table with their upcoming opponents.

Prediction: Sunderland 1–0 Fulham

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Arsenal

Date: Sunday, Feb. 22
Time: 4:30 p.m. GMT / 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT

Suddenly, there’s an expectation that Tottenham Hotspur, with a manager so many know close to nothing about and barely 11 fit senior players, will turn over a flagging Arsenal in Sunday’s North London Derby.

The gulf between these two teams has been distinct in recent duels, with the Gunners winning six of the seven previous derbies. Their 4–1 win in November was a battering, but Mikel Arteta’s side, in their current state of tension, are unlikely to blow their depleted rivals away this weekend.

Their 2026 slump and Tottenham’s fresh face in the dugout will undoubtedly embolden N17 on Sunday afternoon, and Arsenal will have to work incredibly hard to get their title charge back on track.

This feels like a mammoth fixture, especially if City get the job done on Saturday night.

Prediction: Tottenham 1–2 Arsenal

Everton vs. Manchester United

Joshua Zirkzee — Man Utd were stunned by Everton’s ten men in the reverse fixture. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Date: Monday, Feb. 23
Time: 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT

Gameweek 27 draws to a close on Monday night, as Everton welcome Manchester United to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

This is the Red Devils’ first visit to Everton’s new home, where the Toffees have struggled to settle. They’ve leant on their away form this season, with their happy travels leaving them with an outside shot of qualifying for Europe.

Man Utd dropped points for the first time since Michael Carrick’s return at West Ham last time out, and their early FA Cup exit means they’ll have almost two weeks to prepare for their upcoming away day.

The visitors will hope this game remains 11-vs-11 throughout, given what played out in the reverse fixture. However, United are better prepared to outwit Everton’s stubbornness with Ruben Amorim far away from Manchester.

Prediction: Everton 0–2 Man Utd