Gameweek 19 will span across two calendar years as a host of Premier League clubs play their final match of 2025 and the remaining sides kick off 2026.
Tuesday will stage six matches as an array of teams seek to end the year on a high, while four more games will grace the schedule on New Year’s Day. All fixtures are repeats of those in Gameweek 15.
Aston Villa’s trip to fellow title rivals Arsenal is the obvious standout fixture of the round, but there are intriguing battles elsewhere. Liverpool and Manchester City face challenging clashes with promoted opposition, while Chelsea and Manchester United welcome struggling visitors.
With all that in mind, here are Sports Illustrated’s predictions for Gameweek 19.
Burnley vs. Newcastle United
- Date: Tuesday, Dec. 30
- Time: 7:30 p.m. GMT / 2.30 p.m. ET / 11.30 a.m. PT
Burnley have now secured back-to-back points in the Premier League, but sooner or later victories will become non-negotiable. The Clarets are six points from safety and have failed to replicate the standards set by fellow promoted outfits Sunderland and Leeds United.
The arrival of Newcastle United will not send shivers down the spine considering the disappointing away record of Eddie Howe’s side, but the Magpies certainly have the arsenal to hurt the third leakiest defence in the division.
Nick Woltemade, Anthony Gordon and Co. will be aiming to fire Newcastle up the table, with pressure rising on Howe as his side languish in 14th.
Prediction: Burnley 0–1 Newcastle
Chelsea vs. Bournemouth
- Date: Tuesday, Dec. 30
- Time: 7.30 p.m. GMT / 2.30 p.m. ET / 11.30 a.m. PT
Chelsea looked set to be the team to end Aston Villa’s ludicrous winning streak at the weekend, but Ollie Watkins had other ideas. The striker’s second-half brace condemned the Blues to their third Stamford Bridge defeat of the season and saw them surrender their top four berth.
The Blues have been too inconsistent this season to keep pace with the trio leading the title charge and Enzo Maresca has not been free from scrutiny. The Italian will be desperate for a morale-boosting win against Bournemouth.
The Cherries are in disastrous form as their 4–1 humiliation at Brentford made it nine games without a win for Andoni Iraola’s men, who have tumbled to 15th in the Premier League standings.
Prediction: Chelsea 2–1 Bournemouth
Nottingham Forest vs. Everton
- Date: Tuesday, Dec. 30
- Time: 7.30 p.m. GMT / 2.30 p.m. ET / 11.30 a.m. PT
One of multiple Sean Dyche derbies in the Premier League this season will be contested between Nottingham Forest and Everton at the City Ground. The reverse fixture ended 3–0 in the favour of his former employers, with revenge on the cards this Tuesday.
Dyche has won half of his 14 matches since arriving in the Midlands and will be eager to clinch three points against Everton that will lift them further from the drop zone. If they play as well as they did for large parts against Manchester City last time out, they should be fine.
Everton’s goalless draw with Burnley sums up their goalscoring issues and while their defence is generally resilient under David Moyes, they could find it tough to break Forest down having blanked in their previous three.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1–0 Everton
West Ham United vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
- Date: Tuesday, Dec. 30
- Time: 7.30 p.m. GMT / 2.30 p.m. ET / 11.30 a.m. PT
West Ham United are in an increasingly perilous position in their fight for survival as their mini resurgence under Nuno Espírito Santo wears off. Defeat at home to Fulham at the weekend means they are still five points from safety.
West Ham have won just twice since the beginning of September and have been beaten in seven of their nine Premier League home matches, with another loss on the cards this Tuesday.
Brighton & Hove Albion are not in inspiring form themselves, winless in five matches, but they have that extra layer of quality capable of piling more misery on the Irons.
Prediction: West Ham 1–2 Brighton
Arsenal vs. Aston Villa
- Date: Tuesday, Dec. 30
- Time: 8.15 p.m. GMT / 3.15 p.m. ET / 12.15 p.m. PT
Few would have predicted Villa to be genuine title contenders post-Christmas, but here we are. Victories over Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and most recently Chelsea have thrust them into the conversation and they find themselves just three points off the league-leading Gunners.
While Villa’s underlying expected goals data hints at unsustainable overperformance, their confidence levels are sky high for the trip to the Emirates.
Arsenal, who have won two of their last three home games against the Villans, will need to be incredibly cautious heading into Tuesday’s blockbuster affair, with narrow wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton and Brighton highlighting the need for laser-beam focus.
Mikel Arteta’s men have been imperious on home soil this season, but they have faced few sterner tests.
Prediction: Arsenal 1–2 Aston Villa
Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Date: Tuesday, Dec. 30
- Time: 8.15 p.m. GMT / 3.15 p.m. ET / 12.15 p.m. PT
Wolves set a new Premier League record for longest winless run to start a campaign in defeat at Liverpool and while they did themselves proud in their loss at Anfield, they are destined for the drop. Even an unlikely win at Old Trafford won’t change that.
Man Utd hammered Wolves at the beginning of December and, even without Bruno Fernandes and their Africa Cup of Nations representatives, they should waltz to a second successive victory.
Their hard-fought win over Newcastle saw Ruben Amorim stray from his tactical identity and it certainly worked in the early stages of their win. Whether he will opt for a similar four-at-the-back system against the Old Gold remains to be seen.
Prediction: Man Utd 3–0 Wolves
Crystal Palace vs. Fulham
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 1
- Time: 5.30 p.m. GMT / 12.30 p.m. ET / 9.30 a.m. PT
Crystal Palace started the season in terrific form but their European excursions have drained the batteries within a lightly stocked squad. Injuries and fatigue have resulted in a decline and the Eagles are now winless in five across all competitions.
Defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur last time out means they’re now ninth, but such is the nature of this season’s table, they are only six points from Liverpool in fourth. One win could re-energise Oliver Glasner’s men.
Fulham will prove difficult to stop after three straight wins that have moved them level on points with Palace in mid-table. In-form Harry Wilson and Raúl Jiménez will look to unnerve a previously defiant rearguard.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1–1 Fulham
Liverpool vs. Leeds United
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 1
- Time: 5.30 p.m. GMT / 12.30 p.m. ET / 9.30 a.m. PT
Liverpool have rediscovered some of their mojo following a truly woeful October and November, but they remain far from the swashbuckling side who cantered to the title. They have improved, that’s for certain, but their defensive deficiencies continue to undermine them.
Four straight victories in all competitions, three of which have come in the league, have raised morale, as have the recent displays of Hugo Ekitiké and Florian Wirtz. They welcome Leeds to Anfield having exhibited their best and worst in the reverse fixture.
The Reds twice surrendered leads in the 3–3 draw at Elland Road and will be wary of a Leeds team in encouraging form. Ex-Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has led their recovery with seven goals in his last six, with the Whites five games unbeaten.
Prediction: Liverpool 3–2 Leeds
Brentford vs. Tottenham Hotspur
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 1
- Time: 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
Dyche is not the only manager competing with his former club midweek, with Thomas Frank returning to Brentford for an emotional reunion with the Gtech Community Stadium crowd. The Tottenham manager will be eyeing a repeat of the Gameweek 15 victory over the Bees in which Spurs strolled to three points.
Brentford are an entirely different proposition on home soil as their four-goal demolition of Bournemouth demonstrated, with the Bees fourth in the Premier League based on their home record.
Spurs, however, have an incredible away record despite their struggles under Frank, with no team having accumulated more points on their travels in the Premier League.
Prediction: Brentford 1–1 Tottenham
Sunderland vs. Man City
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 1
- Time: 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
Eight successive victories across all competitions has highlighted that Man City are serious about reasserting themselves as England and Europe’s dominant force. They are just two points behind table toppers Arsenal and will want to take full advantage of dropped points for the Gunners and/or Villa on Tuesday.
City’s 3–0 win over Sunderland at the beginning of December suggests they will waltz to three points on Thursday, but visiting the Stadium of Light will be a much trickier test for Pep Guardiola’s men.
The Black Cats are one of only two teams unbeaten on home soil this term, even taking points off Arsenal, but they might find it too difficult to keep Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki at bay on New Year’s Day.
Premier League Gameweek 19 Predictions
| Date | Kick-Off Time | Fixture | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Dec. 30 | 7.30 p.m. GMT / 2.30 p.m. ET | Burnley vs. Newcastle | 0–1 |
| Tuesday, Dec. 30 | 7.30 p.m. GMT / 2.30 p.m. ET | Chelsea vs. Bournemouth | 2–1 |
| Tuesday, Dec. 30 | 7.30 p.m. GMT / 2.30 p.m. ET | Nottingham Forest vs. Everton | 1–0 |
| Tuesday, Dec. 30 | 7.30 p.m. GMT / 2.30 p.m. ET | West Ham vs, Brighton | 1–2 |
| Tuesday, Dec. 30 | 8.15 p.m. GMT / 3.15 p.m. ET | Arsenal vs. Aston Villa | 1–2 |
| Tuesday, Dec. 30 | 8.15 p.m. GMT / 3.15 p.m. ET | Man Utd vs. Wolves | 3–0 |
| Thursday, Jan. 1 | 5.30 p.m. GMT / 12.30 p.m. ET | Crystal Palace vs. Fulham | 1–1 |
| Thursday, Jan. 1 | 5.30 p.m. GMT / 12.30 p.m. ET | Liverpool vs. Leeds | 3–2 |
| Thursday, Jan. 1 | 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET | Brentford vs. Tottenham | 1–1 |
| Thursday, Jan. 1 | 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET | Sunderland vs. Man City | 0–1 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Premier League Predictions: Gameweek 19.
