Premier League Matchweek 31 Preview and Prediction

Arsenal vs Luton Prediction and Preview

Arsenal will be hoping to, at least temporarily, return to the Premier League summit when they host relegation-threatened Luton Town at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta’s side will have the chance to place some early pressure on leaders Liverpool, who face Sheffield United at Anfield on Thursday, after relinquishing the top spot to Jürgen Klopp’s Reds following a goalless draw at fellow title challengers Manchester City on Sunday.

An injury-hit Luton suffered a gut-wrenching late blow on Matchday 30 as Issa Kaboré’s own goal and Son Heung-min’s 86th-minute strike secured a comeback victory for Tottenham, who had earlier fallen behind to Tahith Chong’s third-minute opener at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last Saturday.

Following Declan Rice’s last-gasp winner in a 4-3 victory at Kenilworth Road in December, Arsenal are looking to complete their first league double over Luton since the 1983-84 campaign.

This will be Luton’s first visit to the Gunners since a 2-0 loss in August 1991, though the away side have conceded at least twice in each of their last 11 away league games at Arsenal, losing the last 10 in a row (D1).

Continue to look away Luton fans… Arsenal have won all five of their league games against promoted sides this season, netting at least three goals each time (23 in total). The most combined goals any side has scored against promoted teams in a Premier League campaign is 24 – also by Arsenal in 2012-13.

In total, Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 38 league home games against teams coming up from the Championship (W33 D5), winning each of the last nine. The only promoted sides to win away at the Gunners in their first-ever season in the competition are Blackburn Rovers (1992-93), West Ham (1993-94) and Hull City (2008-09).

SCORE PREDICTION: 3 - 0

Manchester City vs Aston Villa Prediction and Preview

Defending champions Manchester City lost their tag as favorites with the bookies, but also with our expert preview following their 0-0 draw with Arsenal on Sunday. They will look to make up the three-point gap to leaders Liverpool as well as keep pace with the Gunners when they entertain Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

While they may be playing catch-up in the title race, this is the time of year when City so often shine. They have won 19 of their last 21 Premier League games in April (D1 L1) and are unbeaten in 11 since a 2-1 home loss to Leeds United in 2021.

The visitors will be without top scorer Ollie Watkins, which is a particular shame for them as he has scored nine goals away from home in the Premier League this season. The last Villa player to net double figures on the road in a single top-flight campaign was Tony Hateley in 1965-66 (16).

Guardiola’s men should be confident of victory, with Man City having won 17 of their last 18 Premier League home games against Aston Villa (L1), including the last 13 in a row since a 2-0 defeat in April 2007.

However, Emery’s team did beat City 1-0 in the reverse fixture this season back in December, and it probably should have been more comfortable as they outplayed the champions at Villa Park, having 22 shots at goal to City’s two.

City haven’t lost in any competition since their defeat at Villa Park in early December, winning 19 of those 23 games (D4).

They did, though, drop two points in the title race during a tactically fascinating, albeit achingly dull, 0-0 draw at home to Arsenal on Sunday, having also drawn at Liverpool in the league game before that.

Aston Villa have won four of their last six in the league (D1 L1), including on Saturday when they defeated Wolves 2-0 at home thanks to goals from Diaby and Ezri Konsa.

Villa are unbeaten in their last five Premier League away games (W3 D2), though their last defeat on the road was in Manchester (3-2 vs Manchester United in December). The Villans last had a longer unbeaten run away from home in the competition between November 2008 and February 2009 (7).

SCORE PREDICTION: 2 - 1

Chelsea vs Manchester United Prediction and Preview

Chelsea and Manchester United were once both synonymous with Premier League title contention but the pair have fallen away in recent times, and continue to underwhelm heading into Thursday’s clash at Stamford Bridge.

The Todd Boehly-led Chelsea spending frenzy has resulted in little reward, with head coach Mauricio Pochettino often failing to get a tune out of a costly and chaotically assembled squad. Saturday’s 2-2 draw with relegation-threatened Burnley has seen Chelsea slip to 12th in the league table ahead of Matchday 31, though Cole Palmer once again starred with two goals against the 10-man visitors.

There was late drama aplenty on Man Utd’s last visit to the capital on Saturday as former Chelsea man Mason Mount’s 96th-minute finish – his first goal for the Red Devils – was canceled out by Kristoffer Ajer’s equalizer three minutes later in a 1-1 draw with Brentford.

A point flattered Erik ten Hag’s side, who were up against it for long periods as Ivan Toney had a goal ruled out for offside and hit the post at the Gtech Community Stadium. That draw and Tottenham’s 1-1 draw at West Ham on Tuesday means United are nine points behind fifth-placed Spurs heading into this one.

Pochettino may not be looking forward to this one, considering Chelsea are winless in 12 Premier League meetings with Man Utd, their longest-ever run without victory against the Red Devils.

Chelsea were 2-1 losers in the reverse meeting at Old Trafford this season as Scott McTominay managed a decisive double, scoring either side of Palmer’s 45th-minute strike against the club he supported as a youngster.

United will now be looking to complete the Premier League double over Chelsea for just the second time, previously doing so in the 2019-20 campaign.

Ten Hag’s side will also be aiming to win three consecutive league games against Thursday’s opponents for the first time since September 1965. They’re unbeaten in their last five league visits to Stamford Bridge, though four of these have ended level (W1).

Chelsea are unbeaten in five games in the Premier League (W2 D3). They are also winless in six April Premier League games since beating West Ham in 2022. At home, the Blues have won just one of their last 10 such games (D3 L6), losing five of the last seven at Stamford Bridge.

United have won just one of their last four in the league (D1 L2), but have won more games (80) and boast a greater win percentage (59.7%) in April than any other side in Premier League history. However, they’ve won just one of their last seven away games in the month (D2 L4), beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 last year.

Yet Ten Hag’s men have won just one of their last nine Premier League away games against London sides (D3 L5), losing four of their last six. They’ve lost three of their five such visits this season, last losing more in a single top-flight campaign in 1989-90 (4).

That form against London clubs may be set to extend, considering Chelsea have also won six of their eight evening kick-offs (7 pm or later) in the Premier League this season (L2), having failed to win any of their nine evening games in the competition last term (D3 L6).

SCORE PREDICTION: 2 - 1

* Liverpool FC vs Sheffield United: 3 - 0
* Brentford FC vs Brighton & Hove Albion: 2 - 1