So, here it is, folks: the culmination.
After almost 10 months of action and 37 gameweeks, the 2025–26 Premier League season draws to a close with 10 simultaneous kick-offs on Sunday.
We were expecting a title showdown this weekend, but Manchester City’s midweek slip-up means Arsenal have conquered the English top-flight for the first time in 22 years. Their celebrations started on Tuesday night and will continue with similar fervency across the capital on Sunday, beginning in south London and no doubt permeating back towards the north.
The European spots remain a muddle, with far too many permutations to consider, so the key pressure point arrives at the foot of the table. The relegation scrap has drifted into the final day, and Tottenham Hotspur still aren’t safe.
Here are Sports Illustrated‘s predictions for Gameweek 38 of the 2025–26 Premier League season.
- Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Manchester United
- Burnley vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal
- Fulham vs. Newcastle United
- Liverpool vs. Brentford
- Manchester City vs. Aston Villa
- Nottingham Forest vs. Bournemouth
- Sunderland vs. Chelsea
- Tottenham Hotspur vs. Everton
- West Ham United vs. Leeds United
- Premier League Predictions: Gameweek 38
Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Manchester United
- Date: Sunday, May 24
- Time: 4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
Manchester United have officially confirmed Michael Carrick as their new manager on a two-year deal, after the Englishman guided a stagnating Red Devils to third.
Greater challenges beckon for the new boss, who’s undeniably done a stellar job so far. His team can enjoy themselves on the south coast this weekend, and they’ll be pretty happy as long as Bruno Fernandes breaks the Premier League’s single-season assist record. He drew level with Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne last week.
The visitors take on a Brighton & Hove Albion side that may come to rue their defeat at Elland Road last weekend. The Seagulls were woeful in front of goal and conceded late on, thanks to an underhit Jan Paul van Hecke back pass.
Currently in seventh, Brighton could yet finish sixth and potentially play in the Champions League next season, but there’s another scenario which involves them dropping to ninth and missing out on Europe altogether.
Prediction: Brighton 2–1 Man Utd
Burnley vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Date: Sunday, May 24
- Time: 4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
It’s almost too cheap to label this ’El Crápico,’ because that’s what everybody else is doing.
This will be a rather bleak occasion as the Premier League’s bottom two face off at a sparsely-filled Turf Moor. Wolves have perhaps looked a little better than the Clarets in 2026, but any momentum Rob Edwards was starting to build at Molineux has seemingly dissipated.
Still, they’ll finish off the foot of the table by winning on Sunday. Burnley are two points better off after Wolves closed the gap by earning a point at home to Fulham.
Prediction: Burnley 1–0 Wolves
Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal
- Date: Sunday, May 24
- Time: 4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
Oliver Glasner must’ve been pleased with Tuesday’s outcome, as now he won’t be berated by those who have spent the 2025–26 season ’hate watching’ Arsenal for heavily rotating this weekend.
Crystal Palace are playing in the Conference League final next Wednesday; the biggest game in the club’s history. That’s their priority. Stars will get run outs, but that’s about it.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are going to have a great day. Sure, the Champions League final is on the horizon, but their trophy lift at Selhurst Park will doubtless ignite the capital in the scorching Bank Holiday heat.
Few will care about the game itself.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1–1 Arsenal
Fulham vs. Newcastle United
- Date: Sunday, May 24
- Time: 4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
The Toon Army must’ve felt rather ambivalent about last week’s 3–1 victory over West Ham United. Sure, the performance was great (early on, anyway), but why had they waited so long to produce something like that?
It’s been a bitterly disappointing campaign for the Magpies, who have taken a step back after some poor recruitment in the summer. Still, they’re sticking by Eddie Howe and will look to benefit from having no European soccer to enjoy next season.
There’s nothing riding on their final day clash at Craven Cottage, with Fulham far too inconsistent to surmount a charge to finish inside the top eight. They’re tough to beat on home soil, though.
Prediction: Fulham 2–2 Newcastle
Liverpool vs. Brentford
- Date: Sunday, May 24
- Time: 4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
Mohamed Salah’s recent comments raised a debate as to how Arne Slot should go about managing the Egyptian’s Anfield farewell this weekend. Surely the Dutchman has to put his ego to the side and let Salah have his day. Hand him a start and let the Liverpool supporters embrace him one last time.
Anything but, and a rather unimpressed fanbase will seek to cut ties with their title-winning manager from a year ago.
Manchester City’s late goal at Bournemouth failed to save the title race, but it did greatly aid Liverpool’s quest to play Champions League soccer next season. Now, the Reds merely need a point on the final day, and they could yet leapfrog Aston Villa into fourth.
Brentford are currently ninth, thus on the outside looking in. Liverpool’s level of performance down the stretch should be encouraging, but this has the makings of a happy Salah farewell.
Prediction: Liverpool 2–1 Brentford
Manchester City vs. Aston Villa
- Date: Sunday, May 24
- Time: 4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
Good luck, Enzo. Follow that.
The former Chelsea manager will be asked with succeeding Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, with the club confirming the departure of the Spaniard on Friday following media reports earlier in the week.
A decade of dominance comes to an end against Aston Villa on Sunday. There’s no league title to play for, nor a Champions League final upcoming, but City did secure a domestic cup double in Guardiola’s final season at the helm. That shouldn’t be scoffed at.
With John Stones and Bernardo Silva also saying their goodbyes, expect plenty of tears when the hungover Villa come to town.
Prediction: Man City 3–0 Aston Villa
Nottingham Forest vs. Bournemouth
- Date: Sunday, May 24
- Time: 4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
Bournemouth’s first-ever venture into Europe beckons, but the Cherries could yet compete in the Champions League next season. Aston Villa’s Europa League success has aided them on that front.
Erling Haaland’s stoppage time strike midweek hurt, not merely because they‘d been brilliant against City, but because Bournemouth could’ve sat just a point behind Liverpool and well clear of Brighton heading into the final day.
Now, they have to worry about the Seagulls, even if a point at Nottingham Forest will be enough to guarantee sixth spot. Andoni Iraola won’t be playing for draws, though. He’ll want to go out on a high before he heads for pastures new.
Forest are very much on the beach, but expect Morgan Gibbs-White to play with extra ferocity after he was overlooked by Thomas Tuchel for the World Cup.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1–1 Bournemouth
Sunderland vs. Chelsea
- Date: Sunday, May 24
- Time: 4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
Chelsea may well have aided the demise of their London rivals, even if the performance at Stamford Bridge was nothing to write home about. Confirmation of Xabi Alonso’s arrival has at least sparked some optimism at Stamford Bridge, with Calum McFarlane’s second (and hopefully last!) interim spell drawing to a close this weekend.
McFarlane has done a decent enough job, and will remain in the club’s set up under the new regime.
Cole Palmer’s World Cup exclusion was one of the shocks of Tuchel’s squad announcement, even if the Englishman has had a mightily difficult campaign disrupted by a nagging groin issue. Levi Colwill also didn’t make it, but Reece James will be England’s starting right back in North America if fit.
On Sunday, Chelsea could reach seventh and the Europa League with a win. Defeat could see them slide into the bottom half. Sunderland are also in contention after winning at Everton last week, but they’ll need some help from Liverpool against Brentford.
Prediction: Sunderland 1–0 Chelsea
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Everton
- Date: Sunday, May 24
- Time: 4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
Judgment Day beckons in N17, as Tottenham Hotspur face Everton needing a point to secure their Premier League status for 2026–27.
Their miserable season could yet culminate in the most humiliating and shocking of fates, and there’s not a single Spurs supporter heading into Sunday’s game with even a semblance of confidence. Everyone is fearing the worst.
They missed a chance to earn the point they needed at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, which proved to be a torturous few hours after Arsenal were confirmed champions. Get through this and their future might be bright with Roberto De Zerbi at the helm.
Fortunately, Everton head into the final day winless in six and out of European contention.
Prediction: Tottenham 2–1 Everton
West Ham United vs. Leeds United
- Date: Sunday, May 24
- Time: 4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
The Hammers are utterly dependent on Everton. Back-to-back defeats should’ve condemned Nuno Espírito Santo’s side, but Chelsea have kept the door ajar for them.
The Toffees aren’t playing for much, but the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could be an unbearable place to play soccer on Sunday. We know how bad Spurs usually are at home, too.
Still, West Ham United have got to take care of business themselves at the London Stadium. Only a win over Leeds United will give them a chance, and the visitors haven’t done much losing at the end of the 2025–26 season.
Prediction: West Ham 3–1 Leeds
Premier League Predictions: Gameweek 38
|
Date |
Kick-Off Time |
Fixture |
Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sunday, May 24 |
4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET |
Brighton vs. Man Utd |
2–1 |
|
Sunday, May 24 |
4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET |
Burnley vs. Wolves |
1–0 |
|
Sunday, May 24 |
4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET |
Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal |
1–1 |
|
Sunday. May 24 |
4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET |
Fulham vs. Newcastle |
2–2 |
|
Sunday, May 24 |
4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET |
Liverpool vs. Brentford |
2–1 |
|
Sunday, May 24 |
4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET |
Man City vs. Aston Villa |
3–0 |
|
Sunday, May 24 |
4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET |
Nottingham Forest vs. Bournemouth |
1–1 |
|
Sunday, May 24 |
4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET |
Sunderland vs. Chelsea |
1–0 |
|
Sunday, May 24 |
4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET |
Tottenham vs. Everton |
2–1 |
|
Sunday, May 24 |
4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET |
West Ham vs. Leeds |
3–1 |
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