New Delhi: Matchday 26 of Premier League continues and there are some interesting fixtures tonight. Early on, it was Brentford who were up against Leicester and the Bees were simply merciless with their methods as tey managed to thrash the Foxes 4-0 to leap ahead of Brighton at 10th spot. However, the Seagulls do have their chance to win their spot back when they face bottom side Southampton at St. Mary’s. However, evening’s first fixture would be a classi between Everton and Manchester United at the Goodison Park.
Along with Brighton’s game against Southampton which will begin at 8:30 IST, there will be further few games running, with Tottenham facing Ipswich, Fulham welcoming Palace and another big London rivalry where West Ham travel to Emirates. Later in the evening, we have a mouthwatering clash between Chelsea and Aston Villa at Villa Park which will be one to watch for sure.
Your Premier League weekend starts TODAY 🤩 pic.twitter.com/vJO1yPNoyZ
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 21, 2025
Everton vs Manchester United (6:00 P.M. IST)
When Manchester United visits Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, they want to avoid more humiliation. After last weekend’s heartbreaking loss to fellow struggling team Tottenham Hotspur, the Red Devils have now lost three of their past four Premier League games and have fallen to a dismal 15th in the standings. Ruben Amorim is under increasing pressure every week, and the North London setback was his ninth loss as United’s head coach.
The Manchester giants’ morale is at an all-time low, and Amorim’s underperforming team is limited by injuries. The journey to Goodison Park to take on a revitalized and self-assured Everton team has arrived at a terrible moment. Since former United manager David Moyes returned to the dugout, the Toffees have been playing exceptionally well.
A run of outstanding Premier League performances has put the Merseyside team ahead of their opponents in the standings on Saturday. They might finish the weekend in as high as 12th place, now 13 points above the relegation zone.
Predicted lineups:
Everton (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; Harrison, Alcaraz, Lindstrom; Beto.
Manchester United (3-4-3): Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, De Ligt; Dalot, Fernandes, Ugarte, Dorgu; Zirkzee, Hojlund, Garnacho.
Prediction: EVE 2-1 MUN
Bournemouth vs Wolves (8:30 P.M. IST)
This Saturday at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth hopes to maintain their outstanding play and inflict further suffering on Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are currently having a difficult time. The Cherries are in the running to qualify for the Champions League after an incredible season thus far. Since late November, they have only suffered one loss across all competitions, moving up to fifth place in the Premier League standings. With a win this weekend, Andoni Iraola’s men might even surpass defending champion Manchester City.
The Old Gold sit close to the foot of the standings, and Bournemouth’s form contrasts sharply with Wolves’. They have lost five of their previous six Premier League games and have struggled to establish any consistency since their early new manager bounce under Vitor Pereira.
Predicted lineups:
Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Kepa; Cook, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Christie, Adams; Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo; Ouattara.
Wolves (3-4-2-1): Sa; Doherty, Bueno, Toti; Lima, Andre, J. Gomes, Ait-Nouri; Sarabia, Guedes, Cunha.
Prediction: BOU 4-1 WOL
Ipswich Town vs Tottenham Hotspur (8:30 P.M. IST)
On Saturday afternoon, Tottenham will go to Ipswich Town in an attempt to win the Premier League for the third time in a row. Spurs’ 1-0 victory over Manchester United last Sunday raised spirits in N17, despite the fact that they were just eliminated from both domestic cup tournaments in a matter of days. A few weeks before, Ange Postecoglou’s team had earned some respite by defeating Brentford 2-0 on the road.
As a result, the relegation fears have subsided, and Saturday’s visitors are now 12th in the Premier League standings. To make a genuine push for the European slots, the Lilywhites will need to go through a run they haven’t had since Postecolgou’s first ten games as manager. In the reverse fixture back in November, Ipswich won for the first time this season, and Kieran McKenna’s club is now in the best position among the recently promoted teams to battle for their lives.
Despite playing the majority of the match with ten men, the Tractor Boys managed to secure a hard-fought point at Aston Villa last week, ending a four-game losing streak in the Premier League.
Predicted Lineups:
Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Johnson, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis; Cajuste, Phillips; Philogene, Hutchinson, Clarke; Delap.
Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Danso, Spence, Udogie; Bergvall, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son: Tel.
Prediction: IPS 0-2 TOT
Fulham vs Crystal Palace (8:30 P.M. IST)
On Saturday afternoon, Fulham will meet Crystal Palace in the Premier League, an all-London match at Craven Cottage. Fulham’s 2-1 victory over high-flying Nottingham Forest in west London last week increased their chances of competing in Europe the following season. The Cottagers are now in seventh place in the league after winning three of their last four games. With the Premier League’s UEFA coefficient on the rise this season, finishing eighth might be sufficient to earn a spot in the Conference League.
It used to appear much worse for Oliver Glasner’s team, but Palace is now on track for another mid-table finish. The Eagles took a while to adjust to Michael Olise’s departure, and Adam Wharton’s injury problems made it difficult for them to build on their successful finish from the previous season. They are currently 13th in the table, 13 points above the drop zone, after losing to Everton at Selhurst Park last weekend.
Predicted Lineups:
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Cairney, Berge; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez.
Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Lerma, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta.
Prediction: FUL 3-1 CRY
Arsenal vs West Ham (8:30 P.M. IST)
If Arsenal defeats West Ham United on Saturday afternoon, they would close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool by five points. Given that Arne Slot’s team has unable to pull away from two draws in their last three games, the Reds have allowed the Gunners to turn this into a legitimate title chase.
This season, Arsenal has faced many challenges and is currently operating with few offensive options. To get all three points at Leicester last weekend, Mikel Arteta looked to Mikel Merino, a midfielder who is now a center striker. The Gunners’ winning streak in this tournament now stands at 15 games.
Conversely, West Ham is battling to finish near the bottom of the table. With Julen Loptegui’s departure last month, Graham Potter has failed to oversee a significant comeback. The Hammers are currently in 16th place and have lost their last four league games. To allay concerns about falling into the relegation scrap, they could use a few points over the next two weeks.
Predicted Lineups:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Nwaneri, Merino, Trossard.
West Ham (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Alvarez, Soucek; Bowen, Soler, Kudus; Ferguson.
Prediction: ARS 2-0 WHU
Southampton vs Brighton (8:30 P.M. IST)
When Brighton & Hove Albion travels to Southampton, their south coast rivals, they hope to build on their recent wins over Chelsea. Before defeating the Blues 2-1 in the FA Cup fourth round and then crushing Enzo Maresca’s team 3-0 on Valentine’s Day, the Seagulls had dropped their previous two league games.
Despite suffering from several serious injuries this season, Brighton is still in the running for a European spot. Going into Saturday’s match, Fabian Hurzeler’s team is in ninth place in the standings, two points behind Aston Villa and ahead of Fulham. Two weeks back, Southampton were well beaten by Championship powerhouse Burnley in the FA Cup, which might assist Ivan Juric’s team concentrate on their main goal. However, with only nine points under the club’s belt and safety ten points away, staying up will be a tough struggle.
Predicted Lineups:
Southampton (3-4-2-1): Ramsdale; Bree, Bednarek, Stephens; Sugawara, Aribo, Ugochukwu, Walker-Peters; Fernandes; Sulemana; Onuachu.
Brighton (5-4-1): Verbruggen; Minteh, Veltman, Van Hecke, Webster, Lamptey; Rutter, Baleba, Hinshelwood, Mitoma; Welbeck.
Prediction: SOU 0-4 BHA
Aston Villa vs Chelsea (11:00 P.M. IST)
Aston Villa host Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday, and they will be playing their fourth straight home game. Midweek saw Villa play on home soil when they traveled to the West Midlands to play table-toppers Liverpool, securing a respectable draw against Arne Slot’s high-flyers. They have lost their last five Premier League games, though, as a result of their failure to win on Wednesday night.
They have lost ground in the race for Champions League qualifying due to their recent slump in form, but a win at Villa Park would put them within one point of Chelsea. The Blues have also had a tough time at home and have performed poorly when traveling. Enzo Maresca’s team needs a lift of confidence going into the last few months of the season after losing their last six away games across all competitions. If they win all three points this weekend, they could get just that.
Predicted Lineups:
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Ramsey, Rogers, Rashford; Watkins.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Nkunku.
Prediction: AVL 2-2 CHE
The Premier League action continues with some of the biggest clubs in England getting ready for their respective fixtures, as the season heads closer to the final phases. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
