Is there any chance of Everton playing spoiler to Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby? Will Manchester United continue their winning ways against a tough opponent in Nottingham Forest? How many goals will Chelsea and Tottenham combine for the best match of the week on Sunday? And can Julen Lopetegui close things out with a win for West Ham in a key battle against his former employers, Wolverhampton?
All this and more is on tap this weekend in the Premier League on Matchday 15 after every team was in action in league play during the mid-week fixtures. Here are score predictions for every match.
Everton vs. Liverpool
Everton were torn to shreds by Manchester United last weekend, and if they can’t help but give goals away to one of the Premier League’s average sides, then how can they expect to keep Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah in check?
The fact that Everton will be at Goodison Park could be enough to prevent this from being a blowout, and we all know how unpredictable derbies, especially this specific one, can be.
But Liverpool are the best team in European football right now and will show it again, coming away with a cool 2-0 victory on the road.
Aston Villa vs. Southampton
Aston Villa beat Brentford 3-1 on Wednesday to snap a streak of 8 games without a win, which came subsequently after they had gone 11 straight games without a single defeat.
Currently eighth in the Premier League and behind both Fulham and Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa are several positions below where they would have expected to be, thanks to this losing streak, because they should be competing for a top-four spot again.
Securing Champions League football will be more difficult after both Brighton and Chelsea have rebounded, but this matchup against Southampton should be three more easy points and another 3-1 win for the Lions.
Brentford vs. Newcastle
The Saturday tilt between Brentford and Newcastle should be one of the best of the weekend, and hopefully fans around the world aren’t sleeping on this one with Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United all in action on Saturday.
Brentford right winger Bryan Mbeumo is one of the top right wing targets for Newcastle next summer, and will be a terror in this match, helping Brentford secure an electrifying 3-2 win at home against a Newcastle side that is in 12th.
Newcastle have been very disappointing this season after a poor summer transfer window, and while Brentford are only one place ahead of them in the table, they play a lot more exciting football.
Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City
Crystal Palace are 17th in the Premier League table but have shown signs of turning it around lately with just one loss since Oct. 21. They are better than their record suggests and should do enough to play spoiler to a Manchester City side that is in full-blown crisis mode. Expect a 1-1 draw.
Manchester United vs. Nottingham Forest
Manchester United will be put to the test in Saturday’s marquee fixture, as Nottingham Forest will be Ruben Amorim’s most difficult opponent of his first four – and by some distance.
Forest have upset some of the best teams in the league, including Liverpool at the beginning of the season, as they have an excellent defense and attacking players who can burn top teams on the counter.
Manchester United, by Amorim’s own admission, are miles off being a top team again, but they did show glimpses of their future potential in a 4-0 win over Everton last weekend.
At Old Trafford, Manchester United should do just enough to grind out a 2-1 win over Forest, with Amad Diallo and Diogo Dalot playing starring roles for the Red Devils yet again.
Fulham vs. Arsenal
It snuck on a lot of us, but Fulham are currently in sixth and back in the European conversation after flirting with that status in 2022/23, and they are only six points behind one of their local rivals, Arsenal.
Sunday morning’s matchup will tell us a lot about Fulham, and it almost feels like they have an even chance at beating Arsenal at home, especially if former Gunners Alex Iwobi and Emile-Smith Rowe go off.
But Arsenal have so much more talent than Fulham, particularly in the middle of the park, and that will be enough to control the game and overcome a serious challenge from the Cottagers.
Look for Arsenal to win 2-1 with both goals coming in the second half, courtesy of Premier League Player of the Season favorite Bukayo Saka, who will relish Joachim Andersen’s injury.
Ipswich Town vs. Bournemouth
Bournemouth put up four on Wolves and then upset Dominic Solanke and Tottenham at mid-week, so they are gunning for their third straight victory when they hit the road to face Ipswich Town on Sunday.
Look for Bournemouth to net the 1-0 win, and all eyes will be on breakout star Antoine Semenyo, who is averaging 2.2 dribbles completed and 1.3 key passes per game this season.
Leicester City vs. Brighton
Brighton are coming off two very disappointing results, drawing 1-1 with Southampton and then getting absolutely crushed 3-1 by Fulham at mid-week, so Leicester City will see an opening to take the Seagulls down after a brilliant debut from new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.
There will be a lot of attacking action in this one, and the key performances to watch will be Brighton loanee Facunduo Buonanotte in the playmaker role and then Jamie Vardy ahead of him.
Leicester City will be able to nick a point with a 2-2 draw, courtesy of big performances from those two attackers. Vardy, by the way, has three goals and two assists in his last six games.
Tottenham vs. Chelsea
There is no doubt that Tottenham vs. Chelsea is the biggest game of the weekend, and it feels like these two London powerhouses are moving in opposite directions this season.
After two poor seasons under Todd Boehly, Chelsea are solidifying themselves as a Champions League side again and are actually second in the table, tied on points with rivals Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Tottenham were hoping to reach the top four this season but have fallen all the way down to 10th despite a goal difference that would suggest they are the fourth-best team in the Premier League.
Tottenham have a lot of big injuries, but they still have enough talent to pull off a 1-1 draw at home and make this a very hard-fought battle with the Blues.
West Ham vs. Wolves
Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham will play host to the last team he coached, Wolves, and after beating Newcastle 2-0 in a shock victory that seemed to be enough to save his job, the Spanish coach is back on the hot seat after ensuing losses to Arsenal and Leicester City.
West Ham surrendered a combined eight goals to Leicester and Arsenal, but they will also be facing a team that surrendered eight in their last two games – to Everton and Bournemouth, no less.
Wolves are 19th and West Ham are 14th, and with the magnitude of this matchup for the Hammers at home, look for Lopetegui’s men to do just enough to save their manager on a Monday night yet again, 1-0.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.