Sports Illustrated

It was the chastening 3–1 home defeat to Crystal Palace in March that convinced the bulk of the Tottenham Hotspur fanbase that relegation was no longer a possibility worthy of laughing off.

Even when Spurs were in the midst of Thomas Frank-led purgatory, few projected the most unfathomable of fates. However, their fortune deteriorated with Igor Tudor at the helm. The Croatian’s bizarrely dreadful 44-day reign left the Lilywhites 17th, hovering a point over the drop zone.

West Ham United’s emphatic victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in early April meant Spurs slipped into the bottom three for the first time in a decade, less than 48 hours before Roberto De Zerbi’s managerial bow.

There were few signs of progress on the Italian’s debut at Sunderland, but Spurs have since grown with their gifted head coach on the touchline. Eight points from their four most recent outings leaves the north Londoners on the brink of safety, with the once feared trip to Stamford Bridge against Chelsea considerably less ominous for De Zerbi’s men.

Here‘s how they can preserve their Premier League status when they face beaten FA Cup finalists on Tuesday.

If Spurs Beat Chelsea

Spurs know that victory isn’t paramount in west London, but it would be a significant triumph. The Lilywhites have won just one Premier League game at Stamford Bridge since the competition’s inception—a 3–1 victory in April 2018, with Dele Alli scoring twice.

A rare win can confirm Tottenham as a Premier League team for 2026–27, given that they’ll be five points clear of West Ham with just one game remaining.

Chelsea, meanwhile, would see their faint Champions League hopes fade completely. They may have been dashed by the time the full-time whistle is blown anyway, given that sixth-place Bournemouth kick off against Manchester City 45 minutes prior.

If Spurs Draw With Chelsea

A point at Stamford Bridge for Spurs would also be a collector’s item, and might be enough to keep them in the top flight, albeit not mathematically.

They would move three points clear of West Ham heading into the final day, and it would require a 13-goal swing for the Hammers to usurp De Zerbi’s side. That’s why Opta is convinced that Spurs are safe.

Thus, a draw, no matter how ugly or gritty, would be absolutely huge for the visitors.

If Spurs Lose to Chelsea

Back-to-back defeats for the Hammers have greatly emboldened Tottenham’s chances of avoiding the drop, but the innate pessimism that resides within every single Spurs supporter means few are counting their chickens. This isn’t done just yet.

Moreover, far superior Spurs teams have rocked up at the Bridge and wilted. It’s been a graveyard of a ground for so many Lilywhite iterations, and the fact Chelsea are so poor makes supporters all the more concerned.

The buffer over West Ham eases the pressure on the contest, there’s no doubt about that, but another defeat at the Bridge would take the relegation battle into the final day. Then, they’d need to secure at least a point against a slumping Everton at home, or hope West Ham fail to beat a resilient Leeds United at the London Stadium.

READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

A fixture that’s long been dreaded by Tottenham Hotspur supporters no longer appears so ominous, and the visitors have the chance to enjoy a celebratory night in west London on Tuesday.

While 10th-place Chelsea only have an outside shot of reviving their season and qualifying for the Champions League, Spurs require just a point from their final two games to stay in the Premier League.

West Ham United are still two points back after losing 3–1 at Newcastle United on Sunday. Their woefully inferior goal difference leaves Spurs needing one positive result over the next week to avoid a once-unfathomable fate.

However, trips to Stamford Bridge are seldom productive for the Lilywhites, no matter the quality of the hosts. This Chelsea team has been bad for months, although news of Xavi Alonso’s impending arrival should at least permeate a sense of optimism across a previously apathetic Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

The Blues were beaten in the FA Cup final by Manchester City on Saturday thanks to Antoine Semenyo’s pinpoint flick that’s drawn comparisons to Danny Welbeck’s similar-looking effort for England against Sweden at Euro 2012.

Chelsea vs. Tottenham Score Prediction

Spurs Get Their Point

There was a sense of ambivalence in N17 after Spurs were held to a point by Leeds United on Monday night, but that result could prove critical in keeping them in the division. Few supporters ever expect anything at the Bridge, but Sunday’s result on Tyneside has greatly improved their survival hopes.

While Chelsea will be keen to ensure the relegation scrap veers into the final day, they continue to perform with indifference. Sure, they’ve been relatively spirited in their most recent outings against Liverpool and Man City, but little indication that anything will be majorly different before Alonso takes the reins.

Spurs should fancy their chances of earning a sacred point.

Tottenham’s Stamford Bridge record: Spurs simply do not show up at Stamford Bridge. They’ve won just once away at Chelsea since the Premier League’s inception, and the Blues have won their five previous league outings against the Lilywhites.

Chelsea’s winless run: The hosts stopped the rot at Anfield by holding Liverpool to a 1–1 draw, but the Blues still haven’t won a league game since the start of March, a run of seven games.

Pressure eased on visitors: Had West Ham earned a result at Newcastle, you’d have fancied the still-depleted Spurs to wilt at the Bridge. However, the Hammers’ defeat should embolden Roberto De Zerbi’s side, who will feel as if they’re ever so close to avoiding humiliation.

Prediction: Chelsea 1–1 Tottenham

Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham

Levi Colwill’s level of performance since recovering from a long-term knee injury may earn him a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, but Chelsea will be wary of overworking him. He’s played back-to-back 90 minutes, and could earn some respite here.

The same goes for captain Reece James, who’s only recently recovered from another hamstring injury.

Estêvão’s hamstring issue will sideline him for the World Cup, and there are no signs of Jamie Gittens returning before the end of the season. Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are both in contention after fighting off their respective knocks, with Marc Cucurella likely to drop back into Chelsea’s defense.

Youngster Jesse Derry is out of action until the summer after sustaining a nasty head injury in the 3–0 defeat to Nottingham Forest earlier this month.

Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Santos; Palmer, Fernández, Neto; Pedro.

Tottenham Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea

De Zerbi has confirmed Guglielmo Vicario’s availability for Tuesday’s game after he recovered from hernia surgery, but Antonín Kinsky deserves to keep his place between the posts. Kinsky’s outstanding save from Sean Longstaff in stoppage time preserved a point against Leeds United last Monday.

Dominic Solanke’s not yet ready to return from a hamstring injury, so Richarlison will continue up top for the visitors. Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani are likely to operate out wide again, although Djed Spence could be a contender to replace the latter down the right-hand side.

James Maddison missed a couple of training sessions after making his first appearance of the season last time out, and won’t return to Tottenham’s starting lineup in west London. However, the Englishman should once again be available for minutes off the bench.

Mohammed Kudus, Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons and Ben Davies are all out injured for the visitors.

Tottenham Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison.

What Time Does Chelsea vs. Tottenham Kick Off?

Location: London, England

Stadium: Stamford Bridge

Date: Tuesday, May 19

Kickoff Time: 8:15 p.m. BST / 3:15 p.m. ET / 12:15 p.m. PT

Referee: Stuart Attwell

VAR: John Brooks

How to Watch Chelsea vs. Tottenham on TV, Live Stream

MORE: Full list of Premier League broadcasters around the world

READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

Chelsea were unable to atone for their Premier League collapse at Wembley, as Manchester City claimed FA Cup glory at the spirited Blues‘ expense.

A six-game losing run was at least brought to an end via a 1–1 draw at Anfield, and Chelsea, as bad as they’ve been over the past couple of months, still have an outside shot of securing Champions League soccer for 2026–27—even if it’d take a minor miracle.

News of Xabi Alonso’s impending arrival should embolden Stamford Bridge ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s midweek arrival, with the visitors needing just a point from their remaining two games to remain in the top flight.

Ensuring that Spurs supporters are sweating on the final day will be among Chelsea’s priorities on Tuesday.

Chelsea Wary About Levi Colwill’s Minutes

Chelsea appear to have come out of Saturday’s FA Cup final unscathed. Still, McFarlane has said a cautious stance will be taken regarding Levi Colwill’s workload after his recovery from a long-term knee injury.

“We need to be careful with Levi. He’s obviously off the back of a very serious injury and has performed well in those two games [vs. Liverpool and Man City]. We’ll see how he looks today [Monday], how he reports, and we’ll make a decision on that,” the Chelsea boss said.

Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo are on stand-by.

Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho were both used off the bench at Wembley and are in contention for midweek starts. However, the hosts are without Estêvão, who’ll miss the World Cup with a hamstring injury, as well as Jamie Gittens.

Jesse Derry’s season is over after sustaining a nasty head injury in the 3–0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

⚠️ Key injuries, doubts, suspended: Levi Colwill, Estêvão, Jamie Gittens, Mykhailo Mudryk, Jesse Derry.

🔢 Predicted formation: 4-2-3-1

Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham

GK: Robert Sánchez—The headguard-donning Spaniard will once again attempt to channel his inner Petr Čech when Spurs come to town, having failed to keep out Antoine Semenyo’s sublime flick at Wembley.

RB: Malo Gusto—Gusto started in the cup final as Reece James was used in midfield, and the Frenchman is likely to continue in McFarlane’s back four midweek.

CB: Wesley Fofana—It’s been a rather difficult end to the season for the undeniably talented Fofana. He’ll have to prove his worth to the new manager in the summer.

CB: Trevoh Chalobah—Colwill should be available for minutes, but no chances will be taken after he completed back-to-back full 90s. Chalobah is a more than adequate deputy.

LB: Marc Cucurella—His left-wing stint will come to an end here, with McFarlane restoring the eager Spaniard to his back four. Jorrel Hato is emerging as a handy alternative for the Blues.

DM: Andrey Santos—Reece James’s recent fitness setback could mean his minutes are managed against Spurs, with the skipper potentially only playing a role off the bench. In that case, we could see Santos make a rare start under the interim manager.

DM: Moisés Caicedo—The Ecuadorian could probably do with some respite, having started and finished Chelsea’s six previous games. Caicedo has picked up a booking in each of his last four outings, too.

RM: Cole Palmer—Palmer’s meek campaign continued at Wembley, and the Stamford Bridge faithful will be hoping the instinctive playmaker has saved his best work for their final home outing of 2025–26.

AM: Enzo Fernández—The Argentine came closest to equalizing for the Blues at Wembley, and will be particularly keen to hurt the survival hopes of Chelsea’s London rivals.

LM: Pedro Neto—Chelsea supporters will soon have fresh faces to marvel about out wide, and not be subjected to energetic left backs performing critical attacking functions. Assuming Cucurella drops back into defense, there should be an opening for Pedro Neto to return to the XI.

ST: João Pedro—The Brazilian has had a great first season in west London, and he loves playing against Spurs. João Pedro has recorded four Premier League goal contributions in two starts against the Lilywhites and was the match-winner in the reverse fixture.

READ THE LATEST CHELSEA NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

West Ham United’s hopes for survival were greatly hindered by one of the most significant VAR calls in Premier League history, and perhaps crushed by their opening 20 minutes on Tyneside.

The Hammers entered Sunday’s game having been offered a lifeline by Leeds United in the wake of their cruel home defeat to league leaders Arsenal. Leeds’ point at Tottenham Hotspur kept the Lilywhites within grasp, and a victory at Newcastle United would’ve placed immense pressure on Spurs ahead of their trip to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

But instead of producing the sort of performance that has thrust them into a potential position of top-flight security, West Ham reverted to their early-season selves at the worst possible time. Newcastle saved some of their best stuff for their final home outing of a disappointing season, even if West Ham’s sloppiness, set-up and laziness out of possession facilitated their impressive start.

A 2–0 deficit left them chasing the game from almost the very outset, and although there was a window for an unlikely comeback when Taty Castellanos scored brilliantly after William Osula had netted his second, West Ham ultimately fell well short of the result they required at St. James’ Park.

Here’s how their defeat has changed the outlook of the relegation scrap, according to Opta’s supercomputer.

Supercomputer Predicts 2025–26 Final Premier League Standings

Spurs supporters left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night feeling as if they’d missed a huge opportunity to take a giant leap towards safety, even if they were eventually forced to cling on to a point against Leeds.

However, they’ll be feeling considerably better about their chances of staying up after enjoying West Ham succumb up north. The Hammers were dire, with supporters exiting St. James’ Park as early as the 20th minute after goals from Nick Woltemade and the emerging Osula.

Now, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side are all but guaranteed to be playing second tier soccer next season. Their relegation chances have increased to 93.83%, with Spurs now boasting just a 6.17% likelihood of succumbing to a once-unfathomable fate.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side need just one point from their remaining fixtures to survive.

West Ham, Tottenham’s Remaining Fixtures

Despite Sunday’s boost, the innate pessimism that resides within every Spurs supporter means few will be considering summer transfer plans and the exciting future that awaits them with De Zerbi at the helm. There have been marked improvements under the Italian, but two tricky fixtures are left.

They always struggle at Stamford Bridge, no matter the quality of the Chelsea team they come up against. Fortunately, victory isn’t necessary on Tuesday night, but it’d be sweet. 10 years on from the ’Battle of the Bridge’ that confirmed Leicester City’s miracle, the Lilywhites could secure safety at the home of their London rivals, who were beaten in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

If their wretched record continues in West London, though, it’ll go to the final day.

West Ham welcome the Leeds team that left the door ajar for Nuno’s men last week, while Spurs face off against a slumping Everton outfit in N17. The Toffees’ European ambitions have dwindled after failing to win any of their previous six games, but traveling teams are ensured plenty of joy when they visit the Lilywhites’ imperious amphitheater.

READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham Hotspur failed to pull themselves clear of West Ham United in the Premier League relegation scrap on Monday night, having directly benefited from perhaps the biggest VAR call in the competition’s history the day before. The Italian backs that decision.

West Ham thought they had snatched a late point against Premier League leaders Arsenal, thus denting the Gunners’ title hopes, when Callum Wilson thumped home after a set-piece melee.

However, Wilson’s strike was ruled out following a lengthy VAR review, as David Raya was deemed to have been fouled by West Ham’s Pablo from the initial corner. The significance of the decision drew widespread debate, with plenty falling on either side of the referendum.

While De Zerbi had no issue with the reversal of Chris Kavanagh’s on-field call, he did suggest that Jarred Gillett’s “frenetic” officiating on Monday night may have been influenced by the drama.

VAR Overturn “200% Correct“

De Zerbi was the most agitated he’s been on the touchline since taking the Tottenham job, as his team toiled against a physical Leeds team and failed to make the most of a huge opportunity.

The 1–1 draw leaves them two points clear of the Hammers with two games remaining, and their relegation rivals can at least temporarily move to a position of safety by beating Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Saturday before Spurs next play on Tuesday.

De Zerbi admitted his team didn’t play well, but he also wasn’t impressed by Gillett’s officiating.

“The first minute until the end of the game, the referee went to me, ‘if you go out, yellow card,’ and I think they were not calm today,” he told reporters . The Italian was booked late in the game for entering the field, having been warned in the first half for leaving his technical area.

“Maybe they suffered the pressure of the West Ham-Arsenal game and VAR. For sure, we suffered the pressure for the speed of the ball, for the order on the pitch and we didn’t play with patience.

“Frenetic and we were rushed, but also the referee was not calm,” he added.

And while he wasn’t directly asked about the incident, unrelentingly discussed in the soccer world since it occurred, given its potential ramifications, De Zerbi weighed in: “I can’t understand the polemic because it was a foul, 200%, not 100%, if you want to talk about football.”

The Tottenham boss refused to get lured into a discussion about the decisions that went against Spurs on Monday night, notably Mathys Tel’s penalty giveaway and the spot-kick they weren’t awarded for Lukas Nmecha’s challenge on James Maddison.

Asked about the latter incident specifically, De Zerbi replied: “No, I don’t want to come inside the polemic. I didn’t see. I didn’t watch again. I don’t know."

READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

Before even taking club rivalries into consideration, local fans of Arsenal, Chelsea and any London team apart from Tottenham Hotspur have been urged to support West Ham United in their battle against Premier League relegation by the capital’s mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.

As Khan pointed out, the taxpayers of the entire city stand to face a cumulative bill of an extra £2.5 million ($3.4 million) should West Ham get relegated due the added costs of their London Stadium hosting Championship fixtures.

With two games of the campaign remaining, the Premier League relegation battle has boiled down to a two-way duel between Spurs and West Ham. While the cost of demotion for Tottenham could exceed $300 million for the club’s billionaire owners, a drop out of the division for the Hammers would hurt the pocket of regular Londoners, according to Khan.

“What I’d say to Londoners who don’t support Spurs is you should probably be cheering on West Ham,” the mayor, who was convinced to support Liverpool after being subjected to racist abuse by fans of multiple capital clubs during his youth, told The Standard.

“The previous mayor, Boris Johnson, did the worst deal that can be imaginable,” Khan explained when referring to the agreement struck between West Ham and the government to rent out the London Stadium in 2016.

“As far as West Ham are concerned, [it’s] a deal of the century where he basically gave them rent free, this amazing stadium for 100 years. Now if West Ham are relegated, we, the taxpayers, we City Hall, could lose up to £2.5 million a year.

“So what I say to Londoners who don’t support Spurs is you should probably be cheering on West Ham, because the taxpayer will lose out if West Ham go down.”

The Numbers Behind West Ham’s Potential Relegation

West Ham’s home ground, formerly known as the Olympic Stadium which was opened for the summer Games in 2012, is owned by the Greater London Authority (GLA), which is the responsibility of mayor Khan.

In the deal brokered by Boris Johnson—a fact that Khan was keen to get across given he sits on the opposite side of the political divide—West Ham pay £4.4 million per year to rent the stadium, with the rest of the costs to host each fixture taken up by GLA, i.e. the London taxpayer.

Labour assembly member Bassam Mahfouz revealed to The Standard earlier this season that West Ham’s rent will halve should they drop into the Championship—that’s already £2.2 million off the table. Furthermore, there are 23 home fixtures for clubs in England’s second tier compared to 19 in the Premier League, forcing the expenditure which goes on the likes of stewarding to rise.

“It’s a financial fiasco so badly negotiated it could only be described as an own goal,” Mahfouz seethed.

The individual cost for each taxpayer amounts to less than 50 pence—a figure which doesn’t quite grab the attention like £2.5 million. However, it is a very real problem for the government, who warned that they “would need to find additional support” to plug this yawning hole in the budget.

READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

Had a few balls bounced differently, Tottenham Hotspur could already be safe. Don’t concede that stoppage-time equalizer to Brighton & Hove Albion and convince Mathys Tel to refrain from attempting an overhead kick in his own penalty box and Spurs would be out of West Ham United’s reach.

But that’s not how it went.

Georginio Rutter did score in the 95th minute of Roberto De Zerbi’s first home game and Tel did swiftly cancel out his crisp opener against Leeds United on Monday night with a bizarre penalty concession leapt upon by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Fortunately for Spurs, West Ham have endured their own fine-margin fumbles. The dramatic defeat to Arsenal on Sunday ensured that the Premier League relegation battle has been reduced to a straight shootout between these two capital foes. With just a pair of matches remaining, Opta’s supercomputer has offered up its best guess at the outcome of this duel.

Supercomputer Predicts 2025–26 Final Premier League Standings

“It’s going to be tough,” Nuno Espírito Santo admitted when reflecting on West Ham’s chances of survival after Sunday’s bitter reverse against Arsenal. Tough, but not yet impossible. The Hammers are given an 80.46% chance of relegation by Opta’s supercomputer, tumbling out of the division in four out of five scenarios.

Spurs are considerable favorites to keep their head above water but only two points are expected to separate the two sides, theoretically taking this relegation battle down to the final day. De Zerbi would expect nothing less: “It will be tough until the last minute against Everton,” he warned after getting a firm grasp of just how mentally fragile his roster is.

Tottenham could technically wrap it up before that final Sunday in May. Should West Ham fail to defeat Newcastle United at St. James’ Park this weekend, Spurs would mathematically guarantee their survival with a win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, May 19.

West Ham, Tottenham’s Remaining Fixtures

As wretched as Chelsea have been recently, it would be incredibly surprising to see them roll over against their fierce London rivals on home turf. Spurs have recorded just one win at Stamford Bridge in the last 36 years. Danny Drinkwater was on the Chelsea roster which last lost a home game to Tottenham on April Fool’s Day 2018.

If De Zerbi is correct in his assumption that this race against relegation will come down to the final round of fixtures, Spurs can take comfort from their record against Everton. The Toffees have lost their last four trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium by an aggregate score of 9–1.

West Ham host Leeds at the same time on Sunday, May 24. Daniel Farke’s side proved on Monday that they won’t necessarily have their feet up for the rest of the season—De Zerbi is certainly hoping so. “Congratulations to Leeds,” the Italian boss tactfully mused, “they played a great game, they have to play the last game at West Ham and we’ve no doubt that they will play the same way.”

READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

Crunch time has descended upon the 2025–26 Premier League season, and the start of May brought about potentially seismic shifts in the title race and relegation scrap.

While the hotly competitive race for Europe remains a muddle, and likely won’t become clear until it’s all said and done later this month, two teams are gunning for glory, and another two are bidding to survive.

And the pair are inextricably linked this weekend, to the point where North London Forever will be belted across the entirety of north London on Sunday afternoon, not merely the red half.

With so much on the line, here’s how Sports Illustrated thinks Premier League gameweek 36 could pan out.

Liverpool vs. Chelsea

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Fulham vs. Bournemouth

Sunderland vs. Manchester United

Manchester City vs. Brentford

Burnley vs. Aston Villa

Crystal Palace vs. Everton

Nottingham Forest vs. Newcastle United

West Ham United vs. Arsenal

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Leeds United

Premier League Predictions: Gameweek 36

Liverpool vs. Chelsea

Date: Saturday, May 9

Time: 12:30 p.m. BST / 7:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. PT

This is a fixture laden with Premier League heritage, but the upcoming bout is bound to be a rather sorry affair.

Chelsea, off the back of six consecutive league defeats, travel to Anfield with their hopes of playing in next season’s Champions League close to shattered. They were nothing short of dire on Monday afternoon, with a heavily rotated Nottingham Forest team waltzing into Stamford Bridge and prevailing at a canter—almost by accident!

They’ve been so easy to play against, but Arne Slot’s soon-to-be-dethroned champions are guilty are being similarly frail this term.

Still, Liverpool likely need just a point to secure their place among Europe’s elite for next season. Last week’s defeat at Old Trafford left a bitter taste, though, and they shouldn’t be expected to have it all their way against a woefully out-of-sorts Chelsea team.

Prediction: Liverpool 1–1 Chelsea

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Date: Saturday, May 9

Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT

Relegation had been rendered inevitable for months, but Wolverhampton Wanderers at least seemed to be heading in the right direction under Rob Edwards.

However, things have started to sour again at Molineux. A once-positive rapport between previously disgruntled supporters and Edwards is seemingly obsolete.

They did earn a point at home to Sunderland last weekend, having lost three on the bounce. Still, the visitors haven’t won on their travels once in the Premier League this season, and Brighton & Hove Albion will be determined to prove their dismal defeat on Tyneside was merely a blip.

The Seagulls recently extended Fabian Hürzeler’s contract, and qualification for Europe will be swift vindication for the faith they’re showing in the German.

Prediction: Brighton 2–0 Wolves

Fulham vs. Bournemouth

Date: Saturday, May 9

Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT

Bournemouth remarkably remain unbeaten since they parted ways with Antoine Semenyo in January, with their stellar run of form thrusting them up to sixth in the Premier League table.

Should Aston Villa claim Europa League glory later this month, a sixth-place finish will be enough to qualify for the Champions League. Thus, the Cherries are playing for plenty down the stretch, and a potential banana skin is upcoming.

Fulham offered little resistance in north London last weekend and have generally been meek on their travels this season, but they boast the sixth-best home record in the division, winning 10 of their 17 games.

The Cottagers still hold out hope of competing on the continent next season, but they’ve so far been unable to put together a run of positive results.

Prediction: Fulham 1–1 Bournemouth

Sunderland vs. Manchester United

Date: Saturday, May 9

Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT

That was some Sunday for Manchester United, who completed their first Premier League double over arch-rivals Liverpool in a decade to seal their spot in the Champions League.

Thus, Michael Carrick’s side aren’t playing for all that much during the final three weeks of the season, but they’ll want to head into the summer still riding a wave of positivity.

Sunderland surrendered five to Forest on their previous home outing and are winless in three games, hindering their European hopes. Still, the Black Cats are thrilled with the season they’ve had upon their return to the top flight.

United have won the previous three meetings between the pair, including a 2–0 win in the reverse fixture. The hosts will also be without the suspended Dan Ballard.

Prediction: Sunderland 0–1 Man Utd

Manchester City vs. Brentford

Date: Saturday, May 9

Time: 5:30 p.m. BST / 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT

Jérémy Doku’s stoppage-time equalizer surely won’t be enough for Manchester City in the title race, with Arsenal’s recovery post-defeat at the Etihad Stadium likely meaning Pep Guardiola’s side had to be perfect down the stretch.

City seemed to be coasting to a typical triumph on Merseyside, but they were a bundle of nerves in the second half against the Toffees and completely collapsed within a potentially season-crushing 13-minute spell.

Still, Doku’s magic meant they at least departed with something. Now, they have the chance to put the pressure back on Arsenal by beating European hopefuls Brentford. The Bees are one of the very few Premier League teams to win at the Etihad Stadium since Covid.

Prediction: Man City 3–1 Brentford

Burnley vs. Aston Villa

Date: Sunday, May 10

Time: 2 p.m. BST / 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT

Aston Villa’s mood heading into Sunday’s trip to Burnley was always going to depend on the outcome of their Europa League semifinal against Forest.

Unai Emery’s indifference last weekend against Tottenham Hotspur infuriated the overwhelming majority who are desperate to lap up a Lilywhite humiliation. Villa supporters were incensed at their team’s passivity, and suddenly, they’re looking over their shoulder regarding a top-five finish.

The Villans should be O.K., given that Bournemouth are six points back with three games left. Moreover, Burnley have long been cannon fodder for the rest of the top flight.

The relegated Clarets, now led by Michael Jackson—not the ’King of Pop’ but rather a 52-year-old from Cheshire—have won just one Premier League game in 2026, and are winless at home since last October.

The sweet release of Championship soccer can’t arrive soon enough.

Prediction: Burnley 0–1 Aston Villa

Crystal Palace vs. Everton

Date: Sunday, May 10

Time: 2 p.m. BST / 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT

Crystal Palace have done just about enough to avoid the relegation scrap, so all their eggs are in the Conference League basket. The remaining Premier League games are merely inconveniences.

They’ve lost back-to-back games in the top flight, and West Ham United could come to rue the stalemate they played out at Selhurst Park against Palace’s reserves last month.

Everton will seek to take advantage of the hosts’ priorities this Sunday, especially after Doku stole two points away from them on Monday. Still, the Toffees would’ve taken a point against the title hopefuls before kick-off.

If they’re able to build on their opportunistic second half showing that hindered Man City’s title charge, starting in south London, Everton could find themselves back in Europe next season.

Prediction: Crystal Palace 0–2 Everton

Nottingham Forest vs. Newcastle United

Date: Sunday, May 10

Time: 2 p.m. BST / 10 p.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT

As bad as Chelsea have been as of late, Vitor Pereira surely wouldn’t have expected his team to blow the Blues away in the manner they did after making eight changes from the XI that bypassed Villa in the first leg of their Europa League semifinal tie.

The victory in west London means Forest are all but safe. West Ham are six points back with a far inferior goal difference.

Thus, the mood should be fairly relaxed at the City Ground when Newcastle United come to town, even if elimination from the Europa League on Thursday came as a blow.

The Magpies stopped their rot last weekend against Brighton, and are committing to Eddie Howe for 2026–27 despite an underwhelming domestic campaign. Remarkably, though, they aren’t out of European contention.

Prediction: Nott’m Forest 2–2 Newcastle

West Ham United vs. Arsenal

Date: Sunday, May 10

Time: 4:30 p.m. BST / 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT

Arsenal and Manchester City seemed to switch personas in Gameweek 34, as the former dispatched Fulham with City-like ruthlessness before Pep Guardiola’s side crumbled on Merseyside in a manner Gooners are all too familiar with.

Everton’s point has handed Arsenal a considerable advantage in the title race with such little time in the season remaining. Given the fixtures they have, many are suggesting that a victory on Sunday will all but seal the title for Mikel Arteta’s men.

The visitors will be in a euphoric mood after grinding their way to the Champions League final, but West Ham are desperate towards the foot of the table. This will be anything but simple for the seemingly liberated Gunners.

The Hammers weren’t all that bad at Brentford last week. Suddenly, though, they’re the overwhelming favorites for the drop. A result would at least put some pressure back on Spurs.

Prediction: West Ham 1–2 Arsenal

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Leeds United

Date: Monday, May 11

Time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT

Sure, Villa were much-changed and woeful last Sunday, but God forbid anyone give Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham Hotspur a bit of credit. They were excellent at Villa Park, with the Italian’s impact keenly felt on a once-broken squad.

In the absence of creativity, De Zerbi’s is embracing Tottenham’s midfield runners. Their effort was dogged in the West Midlands, and it’s evident that the new manager has complete buy-in from this group of players.

Last week felt like a significant turning point in the relegation scrap, but Leeds United will be tough to bypass under the lights on Monday. The visitors are enjoying their best away run in 47 years, when Don Revie’s side went 17 games unbeaten. A 2–2 draw at Bournemouth means Leeds are up to nine.

In addition, a 3–1 win over Burnley last time out all but guaranteed their safety.

Prediction: Tottenham 2–1 Leeds

Premier League Predictions: Gameweek 36

READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

Harry Kane has given Tottenham Hotspur something to smile about by backing Paris Saint-Germain to beat Arsenal in the Champions League final at the end of this month.

Kane was nine years old when he was released by the Gunners for being “a bit chubby” but went on to join Spurs aged 11 and has become one of the greatest players of his generation.

The England national team captain left Spurs for Bayern Munich in 2023 in pursuit of trophies and fell just short of reaching this season’s Champions League final. Bayern lost 6–4 to PSG over two legs, and Kane is now expecting the French team to lift the cup.

“In my opinion, PSG are slightly favorites in the final,” he told German media.

While PSG are defending European champions, Arsenal are in the final for the first time in 20 years and have never laid hands on the most famous of all of club soccer’s trophies.

The narrative around the match in Budapest’s Puskás Arena on May 30 is offense vs. defense.

PSG have scored 44 times in the Champions League so far in 2025–26, including five each in individual knockout matches against Chelsea and Bayern. Last season, their high-powered offense ran up a record-breaking margin of victory (5–0) in the final against Inter.

Arsenal’s greatest strength lies at the other end of the pitch. The Gunners are unbeaten through 14 matches in Europe this season—the only team to emerge from the league phase unscathed—and have conceded just six times in the competition.

History at Stake for Arsenal

Arsenal could finish this season with a Premier League-Champions League double, ending a 22-year domestic drought in the process. They could also finish it with nothing, or anything in between.

The Premier League title, which Arsenal last won in 2003–04, appears mostly in hand. That comes after Manchester City dropped points unexpectedly in Monday’s draw with Everton.

The Gunners have a five-point advantage, which City can only now cut to two with their game in hand that will be played during the final midweek of the season. Plenty can still change, but Arsenal have their destiny in their own hands and winning the final three matches against West Ham United, Burnley and Crystal Palace would secure the title regardless of whatever else happens.

Winning the Champions League would also be huge for the club, having been legitimately one of the best teams in Europe in the early years of the 21st century but never getting over the line. After sinking away from that elite bracket, Arsenal have rebuilt and returned.

Completing the double would be no mean feat. Of England’s Champions League winners during the Premier League era, only Manchester United (1998–99, 2007–08) and Manchester City (2022–23) have been crowned European champions in the same year they’ve won the domestic title.

None of the rest—Liverpool (2004–05,2018–19) or Chelsea (2011–12, 2020–21)—have managed to win the Premier League during their triumphant European season.

How England’s Champions League Winners Finished in the Premier League

READ THE LATEST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

The latest twist at the bottom of the Premier League standings came on Sunday when Tottenham Hotspur secured a head-turning 2–1 victory over Aston Villa.

Almost as thrilling as the title race between Arsenal and Manchester City has been the chaotic fight to stay up in the English top flight. At one point, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham and West Ham United were all in contention to join Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Championship next season.

As the 2025–26 campaign comes to a close, though, the relegation battle has become a two-horse race between Spurs and the Hammers. Heading into Gameweek 35, the latter had the edge in 17th place over Roberto De Zerbi’s men, but two monumental swings saw the two clubs switch places.

West Ham suffered a lopsided 3–0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday, opening the door for Tottenham to leapfrog them into safety with a win at Villa Park—and they emphatically delivered.

With only three matches left, here’s how the Opta supercomputer predicts the final relegation battle to play out in the Premier League.

Supercomputer Predicts 2025–26 Premier League Relegation Battle

Leeds United are well on their way to safety after securing a 3–1 victory over Burnley on Friday. The three points took Daniel Farke’s side to 14th in the table, seven points clear of the drop zone. Although Opta expects the Whites to finish a place below where they currently sit, the club will have little complaints.

Below them are Nottingham Forest, who must wait until Monday to take on Chelsea. Even just a point at Stamford Bridge would see the Tricky Trees reach the magical 40-point mark that typically is enough to stay up. The supercomputer backs Vítor Pereira’s men to indeed remain safe, giving them just a 2.29% chance of relegation.

The real drama comes with Tottenham. Spurs have now tallied back-to-back league victories to obtain a slight cushion in 17th place. Still, they are by no means out of the woods and have 22.48% odds of being relegation for the first time since 1977.

Tottenham’s biggest competitors are West Ham. This weekend’s stumble put the Hammers in the danger zone, prompting Opta to put an overwhelming 75.09% chance on Nuno Espírito Santo’s side playing in the Championship in 2025–26.

Around just a single point is predicted to be the difference between Tottenham and West Ham, though, which means it could come down to the final matchday to ultimately see which side joins Burnley and Wolves in the second tier next season.

READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC