Premier League Matchweek 29 Preview and Prediction

With the international break slowing fading in our rearview mirrors, our expert has delivered its latest selection of match predictions ahead of a full weekend of sweet, sweet Premier League football.

Matchday 30 will kick off with a mega Saturday, with no fewer than eight fixtures taking place, before attention turns to the top of the table on Sunday.

Brentford vs Manchester United Preview and Prediction

Manchester United will be hoping to utilise the momentum from their dramatic FA Cup extra-time victory over rivals Liverpool when they visit Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium for Saturday’s late Premier League kick-off.

Despite the positivity surrounding those back-to-back triumphs, Erik ten Hag still has a monumental task at hand as sixth-placed Man Utd sit nine points adrift of Aston Villa in fourth – and the subsequent UEFA Champions League qualification that position would secure – heading into this weekend’s action.


Ten Hag’s plight has not been aided by injury issues, with Lisandro Martínez, Anthony Martial, Tyrell Malacia, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw all out. However, Casemiro, Jonny Evans and backup goalkeeper Altay Bayindir could be fit enough for Saturday’s kick-off in the capital.

Brentford have their own concerns to worry about, though, as Thomas Frank’s 15th-placed side sit just five points clear of Nottingham Forest – who were deducted four points earlier this month for breaches of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules – in the last relegation position.

Saturday’s hosts fell to a 2-1 defeat in their last outing at Burnley, with Kristoffer Ajer’s late header not enough to salvage a point after Sergio Reguilón’s early red card. Clarets duo Jacob Bruun Larsen and David Datro Fofana scored the goals for the hosts.

Brentford had only lost one of their previous 17 league matches in which Wissa found the net (W12 D4), but the forward may miss out, with Neal Maupay waiting for another chance up top. Key attacker Bryan Mbeumo made an encouraging return from injury in a second-half cameo at Burnley.

Brentford have lost seven of their last nine league meetings with Manchester United (W1 D1), though they did win this exact fixture 4-0 last season as Dasilva, Mathias Jensen, Mee and Mbeumo were all on target.

United’s seven league visits to Brentford have also produced a total of 30 goals (F13 A17), an average of 4.3 per game, yet both of their top-flight away defeats to the Bees have been by a 4-0 scoreline (October 1936 and August 2022).

However, Ten Hag’s men have won just one of their last eight Premier League away games against London sides (D2 L5), losing four of their last five. They’ve lost three of their four such visits this season, last losing more in a single top-flight campaign in 1989-90 (four).

It may be that one decisive moment is enough in this clash, though, considering United have won more games by a one-goal margin than any other side in the league this season, with 12 of their 15 wins coming by a single goal.

PREDICTION: Man Utd win or draw @1.37

Liverpool vs Brighton Preview and Prediction

With Premier League title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal facing each other on Sunday, Liverpool will have the chance to put pressure on the pair when they host Brighton at Anfield earlier on a potentially decisive day for the Premier League trophy.

Jürgen Klopp’s men sit level on points but have an inferior goal difference to Mikel Arteta’s league-leading Gunners, with that duo one clear of reigning English champions Man City heading into the weekend’s action, when Pep Guardiola’s side host Arsenal at Etihad Stadium.

Though Salah could make history, Brighton may rely on their own creative king. Coming into this round of games, no player has provided more assists in the Premier League this season than Pascal Groß (10). The German also ranks second for chances created (76) and is one of two players along with Fulham’s Andreas Pereira to create 30+ chances from both open play (46) and set plays (30) this term.

Brighton have managed 12 Premier League goals by players introduced from the bench, more than any other side. Liverpool’s 11 sub goals this season have been worth a league-high 10 points to the Reds.

Having won each of their first six Premier League games against Brighton, Liverpool have now won just one of their last seven against them (D4 L2) – a concerning sign as Klopp’s men chase the title.

Dunk’s late header snatched a point for Brighton in the reverse fixture this term, cancelling out Salah’s brace at Amex Stadium after Simon Adingra’s opener back in October.

Brighton are also unbeaten in their last three away league games against Liverpool (W1 D2), having only avoided defeat in two of their previous 11 visits to Anfield (W1 D1 L9).

Yet Brighton have taken just five points from 33 available away from home against top-10 sides (W1 D2 L8) since the start of last season. In stark contrast, 11 of the Seagulls’ 12 Premier League away wins in the same period have been teams sides in the bottom half of the table, with the exception being a 3-0 win at second-placed Arsenal last May.

Liverpool will fancy their chances on Sunday, considering they are unbeaten in their last 26 Premier League home games (W20 D6) since a 2-1 loss to Leeds United in October 2022.

It will be a tough ask for Brighton as they haven’t managed to string together consecutive victories in the competition since a run of three in September.

Having beaten Forest last time out, De Zerbi’s side will have a chance to atone for that underwhelming run of form.

PREDICTION: Liverpool to win @1.36

Manchester City vs Arsenal Preview and Prediction

A seismic Premier League clash awaits between title hopefuls Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday as Mikel Arteta takes on former mentor Pep Guardiola for a game that may decide who secures top-flight glory.

Having sat top of the league table throughout the international break, Arsenal head into this weekend’s action clear of Liverpool only on goal difference and with a narrow one-point advantage over reigning English champions City.

Arsenal were 2-1 victors over Brentford in their last league outing, too, albeit that triumph came in somewhat unconvincing circumstances as Kai Havertz produced an 86th-minute winner at the Emirates Stadium, where Yoane Wissa had cancelled out Declan Rice’s opener.

Havertz has found the net in each of his last four Premier League appearances – against Brentford, Sheffield United, Newcastle United and Burnley – to become the only German player to score in four in a row in the competition’s history.

However, Saka left the England international camp early due to a hamstring injury, causing Arsenal concern that their star winger may not feature in Sunday’s lineup. That same issue goes for Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Martinelli, though goalkeeper David Raya will almost certainly return after missing the Brentford clash due to loan agreements with his parent club.

Though a potentially monumental Etihad clash awaits, both sides may also be watching keenly as Liverpool host Brighton earlier in the day, with Jürgen Klopp’s side enjoying the chance to return to the top – at least temporarily.

City have won 12 of their last 13 Premier League games against Arsenal, though the exception was a 1-0 loss at the Emirates in the reverse fixture this season as Martinelli’s late deflected strike proved the difference.

Arsenal have also lost each of their last seven top-flight away games against Man City, last suffering a longer such league run on the road against Leeds United, losing eight in a row between 1958 and 1968.

Yet following the October victory over Guardiola’s men this term, Arsenal will be looking to complete their first Premier League double over Manchester City since the 2007-08 campaign.

To go even further back, Arsenal have not done a league double over the reigning champions since the 2001-02 term against City’s fierce rivals Manchester United.

No one enjoys visiting the Etihad given City are unbeaten in their last 38 home games in all competitions (W33 D5), since a 2-1 loss against Brentford in November 2022.

That streak is Man City’s second longest run without defeat at home in their history, after a run of 42 between December 1919 and November 1921, while they have scored in each of their last 57 home games in all competitions, their longest such scoring streak in club history.

The last Premier League side to score in more consecutive home games was Man Utd (a run of 61 between September 2010 and November 2012), though Arsenal are in free-scoring form as well after winning their last eight top-flight games, managing 33 goals and conceding just four.

The Gunners have had three runs of 9+ consecutive victories within a single season in the competition, with each one coming during their title-winning campaigns – 10 in 1997-98, 13 in 2001-02 and nine in 2003-04 – can they do it again?

PREDICTION: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @1.64

* Newcastle United vs West Ham United: Newcastle United to win @1.84
* Chelsea FC vs Burnley FC: Chelsea to win @1.30
* Sheffield United vs Fulham FC: Fulham FC to win @1.74
* Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Aston Villa to win @ 1.64