Premier League 2025/26: Gameweek 36 Preview and Predictions
We are now into the last three games of the 2025/26 Premier League season, and both the title race and the relegation battle are at their peak.
This weekend brings some decisive encounters that may decide the outcome of the title race as well as the relegation scrap.
Here, we present our previews and predictions for all matches of Gameweek 36 of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Liverpool vs Chelsea
Liverpool need a win and a draw from their last three games to confirm Champions League qualification, while Chelsea are currently sitting in ninth place, with hopes of European football next season fast dying.
The Blues have the worst run of form in the last month or so, having lost six consecutive games. There is no identity to their play, and the players visibly lack motivation. As for the Reds, they haven’t had a great season either, but they are still in with a chance for Champions League football and were on a three-game winning streak, which was broken by a close defeat at Old Trafford last weekend.
Injuries have troubled both teams throughout the season, but Liverpool have been particularly unlucky with key players for these last few months. Alisson Becker, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo, Giovanni Leoni, and Stefan Bajcetic are all out for this fixture. Chelsea, meanwhile, now have most of their players back in the squad, with only Estêvão Willian and Jamie Gittens on the sidelines.
On the back of six straight defeats, going away to Anfield to face a Liverpool side looking to seal their Champions League spot will be quite challenging for Chelsea. However, the two teams have always competed well, and there’s no reason this game shouldn’t pan out in a similar manner.
Liverpool will like to dominate the proceedings early and try to score, but Chelsea do have quality in their midfield and frontline; even in poor form, they have players that can hurt Liverpool. Having said that, we believe Liverpool will bag all three points in what should be a tight and cagey encounter.
Score Prediction: Liverpool 2–1 Chelsea
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
The Seagulls have been in top form for the past few months, and even though they suffered an away defeat to the Magpies last weekend, they have bagged some big results against Liverpool and Chelsea in their last two home games. Wolves, on the other hand, have already been relegated but snatched a point against Sunderland last weekend, which was their first point after three straight losses.
Brighton are still in with a chance for Europa League football next season, but they need to win their remaining games. Wolves, meanwhile, will already be thinking about coming back to the top flight. Brighton were unbeaten with three wins and a draw in their last four until last weekend’s defeat to Newcastle, while Wolves have two draws and three defeats from their last five encounters.
Injury-wise, Brighton have a fair few out (Adam Webster, Mats Wieffer, Diego Gómez, James Milner, Solly March, and Stefanos Tzimas), while Wolves will be without Sam Johnstone, Ladislav Krejcí, and Enso González.
Brighton have a dangerous and in-form front line, with Danny Welbeck scoring goals for fun. With Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh on the wings, Wolves defenders could have a torrid time dealing with their skills and pace. That said, Wolves too have a few aces up their sleeve, with Mateus Mané and João Gomes more than capable of troubling a vulnerable Brighton defence. However, we believe this should ultimately be a straightforward win for the south coast side, as they are just too strong for the Old Gold.
Score Prediction: Brighton 2–0 Wolves
Fulham vs Bournemouth
After a decent run of games, Fulham suffered a huge defeat away to Arsenal last weekend. The Cherries, meanwhile, have been in sensational form and are undefeated in their last 15 games, currently sitting in sixth place with a shot at European qualification.
While Fulham lost away to the league leaders, Bournemouth crushed Crystal Palace at home. Barring the defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal away, Fulham have two wins and a draw from their last five, while Bournemouth have three wins and two draws from their last five, which also includes a massive win against Arsenal at the Emirates.
From a personnel-availability perspective, Fulham could be without Sander Berge, Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi, and Kevin, while Bournemouth will miss Matai Akinmboni, Julio Soler, Justin Kluivert, and Lewis Cook for this game.
Andoni Iraola has done a fabulous job with Bournemouth even after losing most of his backline last summer. If they do manage to get into Europe, it would indeed be a sensational achievement for the Spaniard. As for Fulham, they have disappointed this season, having been really inconsistent. However, they did beat Aston Villa at home before the Arsenal game, so it’s not going to be easy for the visitors. Having said that, we do believe this will be an end-to-end, entertaining affair that may end in a draw.
Score Prediction: Fulham 2–2 Bournemouth
Sunderland vs Manchester United
Manchester United did the double over fierce rivals Liverpool for the first time in a decade when they beat them at Anfield earlier this season and then at home last weekend. On the other hand, after the crushing defeat against Nottingham Forest prior to last weekend, Sunderland could only manage a draw against relegated Wolves.
Man United come into this game on the back of three straight wins after a draw and a defeat, while the Black Cats have two wins, two defeats, and a draw in their last five fixtures. After a great start to the season, Sunderland have fizzled out, but their prime objective at the start of the season was Premier League survival, which they have achieved.
From an injury viewpoint, Sunderland will miss Simon Moore, Bertrand Traoré, Nilson Angulo, and Romaine Mundle, with Daniel Ballard suspended. Man United, meanwhile, will have an almost fully fit squad to choose from, barring Dutch centre-back Matthijs de Ligt.
Sunderland deploy a solid defensive structure, though it did come undone against Forest. Apart from that, they haven’t really conceded a lot of goals in their home games. United did beat them in the reverse fixture, though it was a narrow win, and playing at the Stadium of Light hasn’t been easy for any opposition teams.
However, the visitors have been performing well in front of goal, with their striker Benjamin Šeško in fine form alongside wingers Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. United do need to watch out for complacency, though, as the Wearside team are excellent on counters. We believe this will be a tight game as well and will be decided by a goal or two, and we back the visitors to come away with all three points.
Score Prediction: Sunderland 1–2 Man United
Manchester City vs Brentford
The Cityzens failed to tighten their grip on the league title when they dropped points away at Everton. However, they did avoid defeat, coming back from a 3–1 deficit to draw the game as Jérémy Doku turned saviour with a brilliant brace.
Their opponents for this game, Brentford, had a great result at the weekend and hammered relegation-threatened West Ham. In their last five encounters, the Bees have lost only one game, won one, and drawn three. City, meanwhile, have three wins and two draws from their last five outings.
Injury-wise, Man City will be without Rúben Dias, Rodri, and Joško Gvardiol, while Brentford will have Vitaly Janelt, Rico Henry, Jordan Henderson, and Fábio Carvalho out for this game.
Man City cannot afford further slip-ups, and with Arsenal playing after them this weekend, they need to close the gap with a win. Looking at Brentford’s away record, a win at the Etihad seems improbable, but City will be under pressure and their defence is vulnerable, as we saw in the game against Everton.
Igor Thiago could be a real danger for the Sky Blues’ defence, with Brentford being brilliant on set pieces, something Pep Guardiola will have to plan for. As for Man City, given Doku, Rayan Cherki, and Erling Haaland are at the top of their game, Brentford could be in for a nightmarish encounter. The hosts are overwhelming favourites for us for the win here despite drawing against Everton.
Score Prediction: Man City 3–1 Brentford
West Ham United vs Arsenal
The league leaders come into this game with great joy, having beaten Atlético Madrid midweek to reach the Champions League final for the first time in two decades. The Gunners now have an opportunity to win a historic double, as they are now back to leading the Premier League table, with Man City having dropped points last weekend. Their fate is in their own hands now.
As for the Hammers, they are desperate for a win as they are currently sitting in 18th place, with the dark clouds of relegation looming over their heads. Before the defeat to Brentford, they had two wins and two draws from their previous four fixtures. Although Arsenal have two defeats and three wins from their last five outings, they have lost to West Ham these last two seasons, one of which cost them dearly in the title race in the 2023/24 season.
The good thing for the hosts is that they are devoid of any injuries going into this game, while Arsenal could miss Myles Lewis-Skelly, Jurriën Timber, and Mikel Merino for this fixture.
The pressure on Arsenal could vary depending on Manchester City’s result a day before. If City close the gap, this could be a nervy affair for the north Londoners. Also, with West Ham desperate for a result, they will come hard at the Gunners. That said, with the visitors boasting a top-class defence, and Bukayo Saka back in the line-up, Arsenal are our strong favourites to win this game. Their only disadvantage will be that they played midweek, while West Ham had ample rest, though they have enough firepower and should be able to secure all three points.
Score Prediction: West Ham 0–2 Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur vs Leeds United
Spurs secured a massive three points against a significantly rotated Aston Villa side last weekend to keep their hopes of Premier League survival alive. Leeds, on the other hand, were in trouble earlier in the season but improved their performances mid-season and are currently sitting in 14th place but are only seven points off the bottom three, so will they will want to grab at least one more point from their final three games.
Spurs have been able to get a few positive results since Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival. They now have two wins, a draw, and two defeats from their last five. Leeds, meanwhile, have been unbeaten in their last five outings with three wins and two draws.
Spurs’ injury issues have bothered them all season and have definitely been one of the major factors for their dismal situation. Guglielmo Vicario, Ben Davies, Dejan Kulusevski, Yves Bissouma, Xavi Simons, Dominic Solanke, Mohammed Kudus, and Cristian Romero are all unavailable, while Leeds will miss Gabriel Gudmundsson and Ilia Gruev.
Both teams will be desperate for all three points. It won’t be easy for Spurs, as Leeds have been playing well recently and have produced good results away from home. Spurs did well to beat Villa last weekend, but it was a heavily rotated Villa side as Unai Emery had one eye on his side’s Europa League semi-final tie. Leeds have some really good attacking players, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been a revelation for them. A result is difficult to call, but we believe this could end in an entertaining draw.
Score Prediction: Spurs 2–2 Leeds
Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle United
After the disappointing defeat in the Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa, Forest need to turn their attention to the Premier League, as they are still not completely out of danger.
As for their opponents, the Magpies have endured a relatively underwhelming season this year after qualifying for the Champions League last season. They are currently sitting in 13th place after one win and four defeats from their last five fixtures. Their only win came against an in-form Brighton, which would have given them a lot of confidence.
Forest, on the other hand, have been unbeaten in the league in their last five games with four wins and a draw. Their latest league fixture was an away win at Stamford Bridge. However, they were crushed 4–0 by Aston Villa in the Europa League semi-final second leg, which would have definitely upset them. Forest were also affected by key injuries, which led to their poor performance in the second leg, having won the first one.
From an injury viewpoint, Forest could miss Ola Aina, John Victor, Nicolò Savona, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Willy Boly, and Zach Abbott, while Newcastle could be without Emil Krafth, Fabian Schär, and Tino Livramento.
While Forest played midweek, Newcastle players had a week’s rest and will be fresh for this encounter. Having said that, barring the away result at Villa, Forest have secured some superb results lately and at home they could trouble the Magpies. All things considered, we expect a draw in this game, as both teams will want to keep it tight at the back.
Score Prediction: Forest 1–1 Newcastle
Burnley vs Aston Villa
Aston Villa reached the final of the Europa League midweek after defeating Nottingham Forest 4–1 on aggregate. This weekend, they go to Turf Moor to play an already-relegated Burnley.
The Clarets have lost all five of their last five league fixtures and sit in 19th spot, while Villa are currently in fifth place but have lost back-to-back games to Fulham and Spurs and must return to winning ways to secure Champions League qualification. But even if they don’t end up in the top five, winning the Europa League could give them a passage to the Champions League next season.
As for injury problems, Burnley have struggled all season with several long-term injuries. The players currently out for them are Axel Tuanzebe, Jordan Beyer, and John Cullen. Villa, meanwhile, will miss Amadou Onana, Boubacar Camara, and Alysson for this game.
Looking at the two teams’ form and the quality of their players, Villa are our overwhelming favourites to win this one with the firepower they have up front.
Score Prediction: Burnley 1–3 Villa
Crystal Palace vs Everton
Crystal Palace reached their first European final this midweek as they defeated Shakhtar Donetsk over two legs in the Conference League. However, their league form has been inconsistent as they have lost two back-to-back games. As for Everton, after two straight defeats, they earned a point against Man City last weekend. The Toffees competed well, and if not for a late flurry from City, they could have secured all three points. However, they only have one win in their last five games.
Both teams have a couple of injury issues, with the Eagles set to miss Borna Sosa, Evann Guessand, Cheick Doucouré, and Eddie Nketiah for this game. Everton, meanwhile, will be without Idrissa Gueye, Jack Grealish, and Jarrad Branthwaite.
Crystal Palace’s home record hasn’t been great, and with their players having played midweek, Everton have a great opportunity to climb up the table. Moreover, Everton have a far superior head-to-head record over Palace and also defeated them in the reverse fixture earlier in the season. Hence, we believe the Merseyside Blues could grab all three points here as well.
Score Prediction: Palace 1–2 Everton
