With just six gameweeks remaining, Gameweek 33 carries significant consequences across the table. Several fixtures will shape the battles for survival, the scramble for European places and the title race.

The west London derby sees Brentford travel to Fulham as both clubs remain in contention for continental qualification. Fulham sit three points behind seventh-placed Brentford and are 12th in the table; their recent run includes one win in four. Brentford have drawn their last four league matches. Prediction: Brentford 2–1 Fulham.

Leeds arrive at Elland Road buoyed by a 2–1 victory at Old Trafford, courtesy of Noah Okafor’s double, and sit six points clear of the drop zone. They host bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers in a fixture that presents a clear opportunity to increase that margin. Prediction: Leeds 1–0 Wolves.

Newcastle look for a response after a late defeat at Selhurst Park that marked their 14th league loss. Bournemouth, unbeaten in 12 Premier League matches and fresh from a win at Arsenal, visit St James’ Park. Recent history between these sides includes a 3–3 FA Cup third-round draw at Newcastle. Prediction: Newcastle 2–3 Bournemouth.

Tottenham remain in the bottom three, two points adrift of safety, after a 1–0 defeat to Sunderland on Roberto De Zerbi’s debut. Brighton have won five of six and travel to a Tottenham side desperate for their first league win of the calendar year. Prediction: Tottenham 0–1 Brighton.

Chelsea host Manchester United in a top-five battle with both sides underwhelming recently; half of the last 10 meetings have finished level. Expect a draw. Prediction: Chelsea 1–1 Man Utd.

Aston Villa face Sunderland after Europa League action; fatigue and Sunderland’s recent run of three wins in four suggest a low-scoring encounter. Prediction: Aston Villa 0–0 Sunderland.

The Merseyside meeting offers Everton a realistic chance to claim bragging rights as Liverpool struggle. Everton have won three of their last five and remain within five points of their rivals. Prediction: Everton 2–1 Liverpool.

Nottingham Forest, three points clear since Vítor Pereira’s appointment, host relegation-bound Burnley. Forest played in the Europa League midweek. Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1–0 Burnley.

Manchester City versus Arsenal is being treated as a pivotal match for the title. City, six points behind Arsenal with a game in hand and fresh from domestic cup success over Arsenal, are marginal favourites. Prediction: Man City 2–1 Arsenal.

Monday’s late kick-off sees Crystal Palace against West Ham, a fixture in which the Hammers will take motivation and expect to grind out a result. Prediction: Crystal Palace 1–1 West Ham United.

Match schedule and all predictions are listed as follows: Brentford 2–1 Fulham; Leeds 1–0 Wolves; Newcastle 2–3 Bournemouth; Tottenham 0–1 Brighton; Chelsea 1–1 Man Utd; Aston Villa 0–0 Sunderland; Everton 2–1 Liverpool; Nott’m Forest 1–0 Burnley; Man City 2–1 Arsenal; Crystal Palace 1–1 West Ham United.

With national teams required to submit World Cup squads to FIFA by May 30, every appearance now carries added weight for American players. The past week produced clear positives and growing concerns for the USMNT pool.

Haji Wright played 28 minutes for Coventry City in a 1–1 draw with Blackburn Rovers as his club secured promotion to the English top flight for the first time in 25 years. Wright entered in the 62nd minute and registered a single shot in that match. Across the Championship campaign he has 16 goals and an assist in 29 games, placing him second in the Golden Boot race behind Žan Vipotnik. That goalscoring return and the prospect of remaining with Coventry for the Premier League step up have strengthened his appeal for a World Cup roster spot, even if he is not a guaranteed starter.

Brenden Aaronson is enjoying one of his best seasons with Leeds United. He played 86 minutes in Monday’s Premier League fixture against Manchester United, creating an assist on a day Noah Okafor netted a brace in a 2–1 victory at Old Trafford. Aaronson now has four goals and four assists in 31 Premier League matches this season and is pushing to make his second World Cup after debuting in Qatar. While Leeds remain concerned about relegation, the club also prepares for an FA Cup semifinal against Chelsea after ousting West Ham United. “The biggest thing was the Premier League, staying up and just having a great season, which I think we’ve done and we’ve put ourselves in a great position,” Aaronson told ESPN . “And then the cherry on top is being in the FA Cup and getting to the semifinals … It’s going to be a massive game for this club and for this team.”

Chris Richards continued his rise with Crystal Palace, producing 10 defensive actions and nine clearances in Conference League action against Fiorentina as Palace advanced 4–2 on aggregate despite a 2–1 loss. He also delivered nine defensive contributions in a league win over Newcastle, a match settled by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 94th-minute penalty.

By contrast, Christian Pulisic’s form remains a concern. The 27-year-old has gone 17 goalless games for AC Milan after a 3–0 loss to Udinese in which he recorded three attempts but no shot on target. Since his last goal he has one assist, versus Torino in March, and he struggled for the USMNT against Portugal and Belgium. Tim Ream’s veteran presence still matters, but recent showings with Charlotte FC raise questions about his level against top attackers.

Cole Palmer has moved to silence speculation over his future, insisting he intends to remain at Chelsea as the club navigates a difficult season. The playmaker addressed persistent transfer talk and explained his focus remains on recovery and the team’s objectives.

On rumours linking him elsewhere, Palmer said: “Everyone just talks,” Palmer said abut the speculation on his future. “When I see it I just laugh. Obviously Manchester is my home. All my family are there, but I don’t miss it. Maybe I’ll miss it if I don’t go for three months or something. But then when I get home I think there’s nothing there for me anyway.

He was clear about his immediate plans: “I’ve got no plans to move from Chelsea . We’ve still got a lot to play for. We’ve got the FA Cup semifinal and if we finish in a Champions League spot it puts us in a good position to sign players that we need.”

The club’s project has faced scrutiny following the departure of former manager Enzo Maresca and a run of disappointing results. Senior players Enzo Fernández and Marc Cucurella publicly questioned the project and hinted at potentially leaving the club, with the former receiving a two-game internal suspension for comments alluding to a move to Real Madrid. Chelsea also dropped out of this season’s Champions League after a last-16 elimination by Paris Saint-Germain and currently sit sixth in the Premier League, four points off the Champions League places after one win in their last seven.

Palmer acknowledged the inconsistency: “It has been an inconsistent season for whatever reason,” Palmer declared. “It’s just about, in my opinion, getting the right players in to help us kick on.

He defended the process around the managerial change: “Bringing a manager in mid-season, you have no preseason, hardly have time to train. You’re just focusing on games. But the manager is good and when he has a proper preseason and gets his ideas across properly and the way he wants to play he’s a top coach.

Palmer also laid out the impact of a prolonged groin problem on his form. “I didn’t know how long I was going to be out for,” Palmer revealed. “I went to see a specialist and he said 10 to 12 weeks. Then I was playing when I was injured because I was out for 12 weeks and it was still not better.

“I’ve never been injured like this before. I’m sat there on the side for over three months. I came back in early December, Leeds away. I came on for 30 minutes, and I couldn’t even sprint. But I wanted to play so much. I was trying to play and it was just too strange. I didn’t know how to manage it.

“I’m all right now. It’s just about finding rhythm and performing again. It’s not just going to disappear. I’ve not lost all my ability. I’ve been injured.”

Since joining Chelsea from Man City in the summer of 2023, Palmer has committed long term to the club with a contract running until 2033. He said talks with ownership, and discussions alongside key team-mates such as Reece James, leave him optimistic that targeted summer additions could return Chelsea to serious trophy contention.

“It’s something we’re working on together [with ownership],” Palmer said. “We’re on the same page. We want to win now and I think if we add right in the summer we can compete for serious trophies next season. I don’t think we’re far off.

“If you sign the right players in the right positions and the right characters and profiles, I think we have more than enough quality to compete and be more consistent than we’ve shown over this season.

“We spoke to the owners and they’re sure of the players that are gonna do it. Reece [James] won’t sign a six-year contract if he’s not spoken to the owners and the directors. Me and Reece spoke a lot. About things we need, players we need to sign and how things need to be. He wouldn’t sign a new contract if he didn’t know what was going on.”