Premier League 2025/26: Gameweek 16 Preview and Predictions
After another round of European action, the Premier League returns this weekend with Gameweek 16.
We have yet another set of exciting games in store for us. From Chelsea hosting the Toffees, Liverpool welcoming the Seagulls, the Eagles taking on the Cityzens, to the Red Devils facing off against the Cherries, thrilling action awaits, with games coming thick and fast in the festive period.
Here, we present our preview and predictions for all matches of Gameweek 16 of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Chelsea vs Everton
Having shared the spoils against Bournemouth last weekend before losing to Atalanta in the Champions League, Chelsea have lost a bit of momentum after their commanding win against Barcelona, having lost two games and drawn one since then.
Everton, on the other hand, have found some form, having lost one and won four of their last five encounters, the latest one being a 3–0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest.
In terms of player availability, Chelsea still have Moisés Caicedo suspended, while Levi Colwill, Liam Delap, Dário Essugo, and Roméo Lavia are also unavailable for this fixture. Everton, meanwhile, have Jarrad Branthwaite, Séamus Coleman, and Merlin Röhl on the sidelines for this one.
The Blues are dominant at home, with their two recent losses arriving on the road. Even though there are defensive vulnerabilities in the Chelsea backline that Everton can expose, Enzo Maresca’s men should still manage to turn up at the Bridge and win this one, though it will be a closely fought battle.
Score prediction: Chelsea 2–1 Everton
Liverpool vs Brighton & Hove Albion
After a period of uncertainty and consecutive losses, Liverpool have finally strung up a few decent results, the most recent one being a morale-boosting win at San Siro in midweek. The Reds gave up a 2–0 lead against Leeds last weekend to draw 3–3 before delivering a resolute defensive performance against a quality Inter Milan side to return home with all three points.
The injury-hit Seagulls, on the other hand, have not been faring too badly either. Barring a 3–4 loss against Aston Villa at home, Brighton have two wins and two draws in their last five. Their latest result was a 1–1 draw against West Ham United at the Amex.
Brighton head coach Fabian Hürzeler has a selection headache coming into this game, with too many first-team players injured. Stefanos Tzimas, Adam Webster, and Solly March are out injured, while James Milner, Yasin Ayari, Kaoru Mitoma, and Tom Watson are doubtful. Liverpool, meanwhile, will miss the services of Federico Chiesa, Giovanni Leoni, Cody Gakpo, Jeremie Frimpong, Stefan Bajcetic, and Wataru Endo, while Conor Bradley is suspended for this game.
During their win in Italy, while they showed significant improvement at the back, Liverpool didn’t look great in attack and struggled to create clear-cut chances. That said, Brighton are decimated by injuries, making this a great opportunity for Arne Slot and Co to secure their first win at Anfield in the league since November, when they beat Aston Villa.
Score prediction: Liverpool 2–1 Brighton
Burnley vs Fulham
Finding life difficult in the top flight, the Clarets are currently in 19th place with just ten points after 15 games. The Cottagers, on the other hand, have been highly inconsistent this season compared to the last one and are 15th in the table with two wins and three losses in their last five games.
To make matters worse for them, Burnley have a few long-term injuries in Connor Roberts, Jordan Beyer, and Zeki Amdouni, with three players further suspended in Kyle Walker, Lucas Pires, and Hannibal Mejbri. Fulham, meanwhile, have three vital players injured in Rodrigo Muniz, Ryan Sessegnon, and Antonee Robinson.
Even with both teams on a poor run of form, Fulham still have a superior squad on paper and should certainly have an edge here. In Raúl Jiménez and Harry Wilson, they have forwards who can cause Burnley trouble and help Marco Silva grab all three points at Turf Moor.
Score prediction: Burnley 0–2 Fulham
Arsenal vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
After going on a superb 18-game unbeaten run, the Gunners finally suffered a late defeat at Villa Park last weekend, which reduced the deficit at the top to two points. However, they returned to winning ways midweek, defeating Club Brugge comfortably in the Champions League.
In complete contrast, Wolves are winless this season with only two draws and 13 losses after 15 games, looking like they may actually beat Derby County’s infamous record of 11 points from 2007/08.
From an injury perspective, Arsenal have a few long-term absentees in Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Max Dowman, while they’ll miss vital players in Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera, and Leandro Trossard in this game. Wolves, meanwhile, will be without Marshall Munetsi, Daniel Bentley, and Rodrigo Gomes here, with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde also doubtful.
Looking at the two sides’ form, league table positions, and squad quality on paper, Arsenal are the overwhelming favourites for this one without a doubt. Wolves may already want to look to the next game to try to grab a point, because there is virtually no hope for them for their Saturday trip to the Emirates.
Score prediction: Arsenal 3–0 Wolves
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City
Palace played midweek in the Conference League and crushed Irish outfit Shelbourne 3–0 away from home. The Eagles have also won their last two league encounters. However, Man City will make for far more challenging opposition on Sunday. Pep Guardiola’s men are riding high, having beaten Real Madrid at the Bernabéu earlier this week after trouncing a tricky Sunderland side in the league last weekend.
Another disadvantage going into this game for the hosts is their long list of players on the sidelines; Ismaïla Sarr, Daniel Muñoz, Cheick Doucouré, Chadi Riad, Caleb Kporha, and Jaydee Canvot are all unavailable. City, meanwhile, are still waiting for Mateo Kovacic and Rodri to return to full fitness, with John Stones now also out with a muscle injury.
Selhurst Park isn’t an easy place to go to, but right now Man City seem too strong even for this Palace side. In-form Sky Blue forwards Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Jérémy Doku are likely to be a handful for the Palace defence and should be able to grab all three points and put further pressure on Arsenal.
Score prediction: Crystal Palace 0–2 Man City
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur
Forest are still flirting with danger in the league and lie just two points above the drop zone. Even though their midweek away win against Utrecht would have given them a shot of confidence, in the Premier League they’ve been far too inconsistent this season, while injuries haven’t helped their cause either.
Similar issues have been plaguing Spurs as well. The Lilywhites are currently on a three-game unbeaten run after two successive defeats, their most recent result being a commanding 3–0 victory over Slavia Praha in the Champions League earlier this week.
Both teams have injuries aplenty, with Forest set to miss Ryan Yates, Angus Gunn, Ola Aina, Chris Wood, and Taiwo Awoniyi, while Spurs’ current injury list includes Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Kota Takai, Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma, and Dominic Solanke.
Given Spurs’ away form has been the third best in the league this season, and how inconsistent Forest have been, Thomas Frank and Co certainly have the edge here. Sean Dyche’s men have struggled for form both home and away, and even though they won in Europe, Premier League games tend to be more challenging. This is likely to be a close encounter, but one Spurs should be able to win.
Score prediction: Forest 1–2 Spurs
Sunderland vs Newcastle United
Sunderland will face Newcastle United this weekend to end a nine-year hiatus of the Tyne–Wear derby in the English top flight, and there isn’t much to choose between the two sides. Both play a similar style of football, mostly relying on long balls, transitions, and set pieces to score.
Sunderland only have one win from their last five games, with two defeats and two draws. The Magpies have one defeat, two wins, and two draws from their last five, with the most recent result being an away draw against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. Sunderland will therefore have fresher legs when they host Newcastle at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
Sunderland’s injury list comprises Reinildo Mandava, Aji Alese, Leo Hjelde, and Habib Diarra, with Luke O’Nien suspended. Newcastle also have a fair few players out in Joelinton, Nick Pope, Emil Krafth, Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman, and William Osula, all of whom are sidelined with injuries.
Backed by a vociferous crowd at the Stadium of Light, the Black Cats have been formidable hosts this season, while Newcastle’s away results have been particularly poor. This could be a feisty affair involving a fair few tough tackles and duels, and one that could end in an entertaining, hard-fought draw.
Score prediction: Sunderland 2–2 Newcastle
West Ham vs Aston Villa
Though West Ham have improved their form slightly, here they’re up against an in-form and dangerous opposition. Villa haven’t dropped a point in their last five games, though they have conceded a goal in almost every game.
Last weekend, the Villans grabbed a late winner against table-toppers Arsenal, while in midweek they beat Swiss heavyweights Basel in the Europa League. The Hammers have only lost one game in their last five, but they also have just one win in that time and are currently in the drop zone.
From an injury perspective, the hosts are fortunate to only have Oliver Scarles out with injury, while Aston Villa have Tyrone Mings and Ross Barkley unavailable for this game.
Looking at the form and quality of the two teams, Aston Villa are the overwhelming favourites for this game. Playing at home and having not played in midweek are the only positives for Nuno Espírito Santo’s men coming into this game, though Villa should still prove too strong for them.
Score prediction: West Ham 1–3 Aston Villa
Brentford vs Leeds United
After away defeats to Arsenal and Spurs, Brentford host Leeds United at home, where they are a formidable side. Leeds have somewhat turned around their form after a streak of defeats with a win and a draw against Chelsea and Liverpool, respectively. Their 3–3 draw against the defending champions was particularly encouraging, as they came back from 2–0 down to rescue a point in stoppage time.
Brentford have Fábio Carvalho out for the season and Joshua Dasilva out until early January. Reiss Nelson is doubtful for this game, while Kevin Schade is suspended. Leeds, on the other hand, will be without Sean Longstaff, Daniel James, and Lukas Nmecha at the Gtech Community Stadium.
This is a difficult one to call, as both teams have been inconsistent. On the basis of their home form, though, the Bees have the edge here. Leeds’ away form has been concerning as well, with Daniel Farke and Co having won just once on the road so far in the league. This is likely to be a close Brentford win.
Score prediction: Brentford 2–1 Leeds United
Manchester United vs Bournemouth
Man United come into this game on the back of a three-game unbeaten run, their most recent result being a dominant 4–1 win away at Wolves.
Bournemouth, on the other hand, have lost their way in recent weeks and are without a win in their last five games, having registered three defeats and two draws. Their most recent fixture was a goalless draw against Chelsea.
For this game, the Red Devils will miss Harry Maguire and Benjamin Šeško, while the Cherries have Marcos Senesi, Ryan Christie, Ben Doak, Veljko Milosavljevic, and Matai Akinmboni out injured, with Lewis Cook suspended.
United’s last two games at home have resulted in a draw and a loss, which shows that they aren’t really a dominant force at home. This is an encouraging sign for Andoni Iraola’s men. That said, United have a slight edge here given Bournemouth’s poor recent form, though the latter’s attackers are lethal enough to trouble the United backline. A hard-fought draw is very much on the cards.
Score prediction: Man United 1–1 Bournemouth
