Premier League Matchday 25 Preview and Prediction
Matchday 25 will see seven fixtures take place on Saturday, with the three top contenders – Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City – all in action for what could be a key day in the title race.
Luton hosting in-form Man Utd is one of two clashes taking place on Sunday, while it’s a relegation scrap taking the spotlight on Monday as Everton do battle with Crystal Palace.
Ahead of what looks set to be another entertaining group of Premier League fixtures, let’s check out the best possible outcomes from selected matches.
Brentford vs Liverpool: Prediction and Preview
Liverpool will be hoping to consolidate their leading position in the three-horse Premier League title race alongside Manchester City and Arsenal when they visit Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium for Saturday’s early kick-off.
That position at the top comes after Klopp’s side responded to their setback against Mikel Arteta’s Gunners with a 3-1 home victory over Burnley on MD 24. Diogo Jota, Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez were all on target last Saturday as Dara O’Shea’s second-half response proved redundant for Vincent Kompany’s visitors.
Aside from Salah and Alexander-Arnold, Klopp’s lineup will remain without the injured Joël Matip, Dominik Szoboszlai, Thiago Alcântara and Stefan Bajcetic, though Ibrahima Konaté will return from suspension and likely partner Virgil van Dijk. Conor Bradley could come back to replace Alexander-Arnold, with Joe Gomez and Alisson also available after respective bouts of illness.
As for Saturday’s hosts, Brentford arrested a worrying run of Premier League form with a 2-0 triumph over Wolves at Molineux that lifted Thomas Frank’s side up to 14th in the league table heading into MD 25. Christian Nørgaard capitalised on Sergio Reguilón’s corner to open the scoring last Saturday before Ivan Toney netted once again after his recent return.
Since Toney’s comeback at the end of January, only three players have more goals than his three strikes in four Premier League games. However, Liverpool are one of the four teams he has faced without scoring against in the competition (three games, seven shots, one shot on target).
The home side has never lost a Premier League meeting between Brentford and Liverpool (W4 D1), with the Bees winning this exact fixture 3-1 last season after an own goal from Konaté and strikes from Wissa and Mbeumo. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s second-half reply for the visitors was ultimately meaningless.
However, Liverpool have never lost consecutive league fixtures against Brentford and have both scored and conceded in all seven of their away league games with Saturday’s hosts.
In the reverse fixture with Brentford this term, Klopp’s men were 3-0 winners at Anfield back in November after Salah’s double and another strike from Jota propelled the Premier League title contenders to victory.
Against Wolves, Brentford kept their first clean sheet across their last 13 Premier League games since their 2-0 victory at Chelsea in October – ending their longest such run without a shutout in the competition – though their home form leaves much for Frank to improve.
Brentford have lost four of their last six home Premier League matches – going down to Man City, Wolves, Aston Villa and Arsenal – as many as they had in their previous 30 such home games combined (W15 D11 L4).
Liverpool, meanwhile, have struggled in the capital. The Reds have won just two of their last eight away Premier League games in London, beating Crystal Palace this term and West Ham towards the end of last season. Indeed, both of their league defeats this season have come in such games, against Tottenham in September and Arsenal earlier this month.
PREDICTION: Liverpool to win @1.60
Burnley vs Arsenal: Prediction and Preview
After blowing the Premier League title race wide open with victory over Liverpool and humiliating West Ham last time out, Arsenal will be looking to send another warning to fellow top-flight contenders when they visit struggling Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.
Aside from Arteta’s wealth of attacking riches, Arsenal’s lineup for Saturday’s kick-off could be boosted by numerous returning stars. Gabriel Jesus, Fábio Vieira, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Emile Smith Rowe and Oleksandr Zinchenko could all make comebacks, though Jurriën Timber and Thomas Partey remain out injured.
As for the out-of-form hosts, Burnley manager Vincent Kompany will be fearing an immediate return to the Championship as his side sit 19th in the league table, some seven points adrift of safety and 17th-placed Luton Town, who still have a game in hand heading into MD 25.
There’s not much positive news on the injury front for Kompany either, with Foster potentially unavailable due to a knock, while Jordan Beyer, Luca Koleosho and Nathan Redmond remain as longer-term absentees. However, ever-reliant English defender Charlie Taylor could return from a should injury if he passes a late fitness test. Kompany will be serving a touchline ban after his yellow card at Anfield last week.
Burnley have won just one of their 17 Premier League games against Arsenal (D4 L12), with that victory coming at the Emirates Stadium in December 2020.
The Clarets have scored just nine goals in those 17 top-flight games against Arsenal, never managing to find the net more than once in a single match. It’s the most one side has faced another in the competition without ever netting multiple goals.
Kompany’s men were 3-1 losers in the reverse fixture this season, too, as Saliba and Zinchenko were on target after Josh Brownhill cancelled out Trossard’s opening goal at the Emirates back in November.
The Gunners are also unbeaten in their last 10 away league games against Burnley (W5 D5), with eight of these coming in the Premier League. Only Chelsea have played away against a side more often without ever losing in the competition (nine, also against Burnley).
Arsenal are one of only two sides with a 100% Premier League record in 2024 so far, winning all four games – against West Ham, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace – while scoring 16 goals. It’s only the second time they’ve won their first four league games in a year, also doing so in 1935; they’ve never won their opening five league games in a calendar year.
The Gunners have scored 5+ goals in two games in 2024 already, Crystal Palace (5-0) and West Ham (6-0), as many times as they managed in the Premier League in 2023 overall (twice in 42 games). They haven’t done so in three games in one year since 2018 (three times).
In complete contrast to Arsenal’s form, Burnley have taken just five points in their 12 home Premier League matches this season (W1 D2 L9), the fewest of any side. The fewest home games into a season any team has reached 10 defeats is 13, by four different teams: Sunderland (2005-06), Huddersfield Town (2018-19), Sheffield United (2020-21) and Watford (2021-22).
Kompany’s side have also still not won a Premier League game this season against a side starting the day in the top half of the table. Of their nine games against teams in the top 10 on the morning of the game, the Clarets have drawn one and lost eight, conceding 24 goals.
PREDICTION: Arsenal to win @1.30
Manchester City vs Chelsea: Prediction and Preview
Manchester City and Chelsea played out what was surely the game of the Premier League season so far when they last met in November, sharing eight goals in a topsy-turvy draw at Stamford Bridge. They face off again in Saturday’s return fixture, with City in ominous form and Chelsea looking to build on Monday’s morale-boosting victory at Crystal Palace. Is another classic in store?
Man City should certainly be expected to uphold their part of the bargain. Pep Guardiola’s men are in irresistible form, with their current 11-game winning streak across all competitions their longest since a 21-match run between December 2020 and March 2021.
Halting City’s momentum looks a daunting task, but Chelsea enter Saturday’s game in positive spirits after back-to-back road wins over Aston Villa (in the FA Cup) and Crystal Palace (in the Premier League).
The Blues trailed to Jefferson Lerma’s stunning strike at Selhurst Park on Monday, only to rally after the half-time introduction of Christopher Nkunku sparked a change to a 4-2-2-2 formation. Former Palace loanee Conor Gallagher struck twice to put Chelsea ahead, then Enzo Fernández rounded off a 3-1 win in stoppage time.
Cole Palmer recorded two assists, taking him to 16 goal contributions (10 goals, six assists) in a fine first Premier League season with Chelsea. The most memorable moment of his debut campaign with the Blues, though, remains his stoppage-time penalty in the reverse fixture against City.
However, Pochettino has lost more matches against Guardiola (13) than he has against any other manager across all competitions.
Ahead of kick-off, the Argentine’s main selection dilemma is in defence after Thiago Silva appeared to suffer a groin problem against Palace. With the EFL Cup final against Liverpool on the horizon, Pochettino may opt against risking the Brazilian at the Etihad Stadium, though first-choice goalkeeper Robert Sánchez is nearing a return after almost two months out with a knee injury. Reece James, Benoit Badiashile and Marc Cucurella remain long-term absentees.
November’s thrilling 4-4 draw between the sides ended a run of 16 Premier League meetings between them without a stalemate. They last played out two draws in a single campaign in 2014-15.
Meanwhile, the most goals ever scored between City and Chelsea in a single Premier League season was the nine recorded in 2009-10, when City posted 2-1 and 4-2 victories against the eventual champions. That record looks to be under severe threat here.
Indeed, Chelsea have only managed one clean sheet in their last 19 league games against City, with that shutout coming in a 2-0 home win under Maurizio Sarri in December 2018.
City, meanwhile, have won six of their last eight home league outings against the Blues. Julián Álvarez scored the only goal in this exact fixture last May, with Guardiola’s side lifting the Premier League trophy after that game.
Should Chelsea score twice on Saturday, they would make a piece of history, becoming the first team to ever net six league goals against a side managed by Guardiola in a single campaign.
City’s home form has been imperious of late, with the champions going unbeaten throughout their last 22 Premier League fixtures at the Etihad, winning 18 and drawing four.
Saturday’s hosts are also on the longest ongoing scoring run on home soil in the competition, netting in each of their last 44 matches at the Etihad Stadium and bringing up a mammoth tally of 135 goals in those games.
Overall, Man City have won their last six games in England’s top flight in a row, having only won one of their previous six (four draws, one defeat).
The last four of City’s victories have come in 2024, and they could now win their first five Premier League matches in a calendar year for just the second time, having previously started 2021 with 13 straight victories.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have posted back-to-back victories on the road in all competitions, having lost six of their previous seven on their travels (one win).
PREDICTION: Both Team to Score and Over 2.5 @1.94
*Tottenham Hotspur vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (Tottenham to win @1.57)
Newcastle United vs AFC Bournemouth (Newcastle to win @1.85)
Luton Town vs Manchester United (Manchester Untited to win @1.80)
