New Delhi: Matchday 27 of the Premier League kicked off with thrilling encounters as teams battled for crucial points to climb the table. The race for European football is heating up with Liverpool strengthening their grip at the top after a 2-0 victory over reigning champions Manchester City. Meanwhile, Newcastle United edged past Nottingham Forest in a thrilling 4-3 win on Sunday.
As the action intensifies, midweek matches are set to bring more excitement with four crucial fixtures kicking off tonight. But before the action begins, let’s take a closer look at which teams hold the upper hand.
Brighton vs Bournemouth (1 am IST)
Under the lights for a midweek MATCHDAY! ✨ pic.twitter.com/IWiPWzoKeF
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) February 25, 2025
Brighton are set to welcome Bournemouth at the Amex Stadium tonight. The Seagulls were outstanding against Southampton when they defeated them in a thrilling encounter 4-0. Currently, they are ninth in the standings with 40 points and just are three points behind their today’s opponents. Fabian Hurzeler side bouncedback stronger after 7-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest on February 1. Hurzeler will hope that his team will repeat their performance against the Cherries from earlier this season when they defeated them 2-1 despite Carlos Baleba’s 59th-minute red card.
On the other hand, Bournemouth were beaten 1-0 by relegation-threatened Wolves on Saturday. The Cherries were reduced to 10 men in the 31st minute when Ilya Zabarnyi was sent off. Andoni Iraola’s style of play is direct but his team’s defensive performances have drawn eyebrows as Liverpool and Arsenal have conceded fewer goals per match. The Cherries form have been outstanding in recent weeks. They have triumphed in 10 of their last 16 fixtures in all competitions. The visitors are unbeaten in their past eight away fixtures having won six and scoring 22 goals. They will aim to register one more away win in the upcoming clash.
Brighton: Verbruggen; Hinshelwood, Webster, Van Hecke, Estupinan; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Pedro
Bournemouth: Arrizabalaga; Hill, Cook, Huijsen, Kerkez; Adams, Christie; Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo; Ouattara
Prediction: Brighton 2-1 Bournemouth
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa (1 am IST)
Travelling to the capital — IT’S MATCHDAY 👊 pic.twitter.com/Zl1aRPYxpL
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) February 25, 2025
Both Crystal Palace and Aston Villa will aim to make it successive wins in the Premier League when they lock horns at Selhurst Park. The Eagles are 13th in the league standings with 33 points and have been inconsistent the whole season. They are six points behind their previous game rivals Fulham whom they defeated 2-0 and will look to achieve a similar result this week. Palace have registered just two wins at Selhurst Park but Villa have not been the best travellers only picking just 14 points in 12 away league fixtures from Villa Park which marks their not top-four form.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa came from behind to beat Chelsea in Saturday’s fixture to register a 2-1 victory. The Lions are now unbeaten in their last four fixtures in all competitions moving to seventh spot but Newcastle United’s win got them dropped to eighth spot in the league standings. Villa are just two points behind the defending champions Manchester City and in the race for a Champions League spot while being active in two other competitions. They are winless in their last encounters with Palace and will look to change the results this time.
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Hughes, Lerma, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, Eze
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Disasi, Maatsen; McGinn, Tielemans; Rogers, Asensio, Rashford; Watkins
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-2 Aston Villa
Wolves vs Fulham (1 am IST)
We go again in Wolves. 🐺#WOLFUL pic.twitter.com/Dsp9SrwByh
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) February 25, 2025
Wolves are set to host Fulham at the Molineux Stadium as they eye a third straight win over Fulham. Vitor Pereira has had a strong effect since taking over the manager’s role though they are 17th in the league currently with 22 points in 26 matches. Wolves are just five points clear of the relegation zone. They recently picked up a narrow 1-0 win over Bournemouth and will aim for a similar result tonight.
On the other hand, Fulham suffered a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace last time out and have dropped to 10th place in the standings. Macro Silva’s side remain two points inside the Premier League’s top half and will look to continue their strong away form from home. Before this, Marco Silva’s side enjoyed back-to-back victories over Newcastle and then Nottingham Forest suggesting they were serious European contenders this season. The Cottagers will be determined to bounce back and register three points tonight.
Wolves: Sa; Doherty, Toti, Djiga; Semedo, Gomes, Andre, Lima; Cunha, Munetsi; Strand Larsen
Fulham: Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Traore, Pereira, Iwobi; Jimenez
Prediction: Wolves 2-1 Fulham
Chelsea vs Southampton (1:45 am IST)
Hosting the Saints tonight. ✊#CFC | #CHESOU pic.twitter.com/hSdGJ0Ctbn
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 25, 2025
Both Chelsea and Southampton are driving downwards but will look to restore some parity when the Blues welcome Southampton to Stamford Bridge. Enzo Meresca’s side are reeling on a hat-trick of losses in all competitions going down 2-1 to Aston Villa on Saturday. Chelsea are sixth in the standings and have failed to keep the form after a strong start to their season. The Blues have a point to prove and will have an edge as they have won three of their last four fixtures at Stamford Bridge.
On the other end, Southampton are rooted to the bottom of the table and have struggled to make their mark this season. The Saints slumped to a thrashing 4-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton over the weekend. In Premier League history, only three teams have suffered such a horrific losing run in a single season, with just nine points to their name the visitors need at least three draws or a single victory to surpass Derby County’s infamous 11-point tally from the 2007-08 season. The Saints will need to bounce back in this fixture if they wish to earn points.
Chelsea: Jorgensen; Gusto, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella; Dewsbury-Hall, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Sancho; Neto
Southampton: Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bella-Kotchap, Bree; Sugawara, Gronbaek, Downes, Walker-Peters; Fernandes; Onuachu, Sulemana
Prediction: Chelsea 3-0 Southampton
Where to watch Premier League Matchday 27 fixtures?
As Premier League Matchday 27 enter its second day, fans can enjoy all the action either on television or by streaming. The matches will be available on the Star Sports network and those who prefer to stream can catch the games live on Disney+ Hotstar.
Check out the detailed preview and predicted lineups of Premier League Matchday 27 Tuesday fixtures, where top teams prepare for intense battles. Also, find out where to watch the Premier League’s matchday 27 fixtures. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
