Ten KEY questions for Matchweek 36's fixtures

Is West Ham v Arsenal the most consequential game of the season?

It looks increasingly likely that both the title race and relegation battle will go to the final day but however things shake out at the end of May, we will likely look back on Sunday’s game at the London Stadium as the pivotal moment – at the top and bottom.

For Arsenal supporters every game will be nerve-wracking but for neutrals this looks a lot like the last major hurdle for Mikel Arteta’s side.

West Ham United, fighting for their lives and unbeaten in six home Premier League matches, are by a distance Arsenal’s toughest remaining opponent. After this it’s Burnley at the Emirates followed by Crystal Palace in a game that comes just three days before their Europa Conference League final.

If Arsenal can channel the energy, confidence, and sheer joy of Tuesday’s victory over Atletico Madrid into this weekend, they can maintain (or even extend) their lead at the top of the Premier League table. It won’t be over, of course but the ride would look downhill from there.

As for West Ham, the 3-0 defeat at Brentford plunged them back into the relegation zone, and should Nuno Espirito Santo’s side lose again this weekend they could find themselves four points adrift when they kick off their penultimate game at Newcastle United.

At this late stage, things move fast. At full-time in this game Arsenal fans might feel the title is in sight, or they might feel it has slipped agonisingly through their fingers. West Ham supporters may believe there is an almost insurmountable gap to Tottenham Hotspur, or they might celebrate a monumental victory that shifts the story once again.

At both ends of the table, this has all the ingredients to be the most important match of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

How will Spurs' high press deal with Leeds’ physicality?

The victory at Villa Park last weekend might go down as one of the most significant moments in Spurs' modern history, as big, in its own way, as the Europa League triumph last year.

But for that to be the case Spurs need to build on it. Roberto De Zerbi has got Spurs playing his distinctive brand of high-pressing possession football remarkably quickly, winning seven points from the last three games to put safety back in their own hands.

However, excitement may be tempered by analysis of their recent opponents. The 1-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers was narrow and a little on the fortunate side, while Villa, having made eight changes, were well below their best and particularly vulnerable to being caught by the high press.

Leeds United, by contrast, are a physically-imposing team unlikely to be fazed by Tottenham’s newfound energy and nor will they pass out from the back, falling into the pressing traps that Villa did.

What’s more, since the start of December only six teams have picked up more Premier League points than Leeds (32).

This, then, is a huge test disguised as a match Spurs ought to be winning. That comes with extra pressure. If they cannot rise to it, they could find all the momentum of the last fortnight suddenly evaporates.

Will Brentford’s low block cause Man City problems?

Before Arsenal play, Manchester City have the opportunity to close the gap to two points on Saturday evening. Pep Guardiola will know that anything less than a win would allow Arsenal to beat West Ham and all-but seal the title.

The challenge, as the pressure ramps up on City, is to cope with playing against Brentford’s low block. Keith Andrews will set his team up to sit deep and frustrate, inviting Man City to attempt to break them down.

It often works. Man City’s average of 1.4 goals per game against Brentford (13 goals in nine games) is their lowest against any opponent they’ve faced under Guardiola.

However, as we have seen recently, Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku have the capacity to break teams open without warning and on home soil Man City will expect to get the job done.

They cannot afford not to.

Do Brighton’s European hopes hinge on victory against Wolves?

The 3-1 defeat at Newcastle last weekend abruptly ended what had looked like Brighton & Hove Albion's unstoppable ascent into sixth following four wins from their previous undefeated five.

It puts extra importance on a home game against the Premier League’s bottom club, which, on paper, is therefore the easiest match of Brighton’s season. Of course it isn’t as straightforward as that, with Wolves having improved significantly in 2026 but nevertheless Rob Edwards’ side are winless in their last 19 away Premier League matches.

Fabian Hurzeler will know this is simply a must-win. Anything less and recovering into sixth, with so many other clubs fighting for the same thing, will be very difficult.

Brighton are two points off sixth. They are also three points off 12th. Their season will be judged on their final league position and yet, with three games left, it could go either way.

Will Villa take big opportunity secure Champions League football?

Aston Villa have picked up just seven points from their last eight Premier League matches, the third-fewest in that time behind Chelsea (three) and Burnley (one).

Their form has stuttered and taking on the Clarets – who mutually parted ways with Scott Parker following their relegation last weekend – is Villa’s best opportunity to win the three points they require to confirm a top-five finish and secure Champions League football for next season.

Villa have been very close to confirming their return to Uefa's premier competition for quite some time now but have been unable to quite get over the line. There’s no reason to panic just yet, although if they cannot get the three points against Burnley there will be more than a few jitters.

Liverpool (h) and Man City (a) is a challenging final two fixtures. Lose both, and, should they also fail to beat Burnley, Villa could be caught by one of Brentford, AFC Bournemouth, or Brighton. Technically, they could be caught by all three.

Burnley are winless in 13 home Premier League games, last tasting victory in October. This has to be Villa's moment to seal the deal and end a five-game winless run away from home.

Which of Fulham or Bournemouth will boost their European hopes?

There are a cluster of clubs in the middle of the table looking to make one final lunge for European football. Two of them go head-to-head at Craven Cottage this weekend.

The best-placed right now is Bournemouth, who sit in sixth thanks to an incredible 15-game unbeaten run. But they will probably need to make that 18 to stay in their current league position, such is the strength of the competition behind them.

Certainly with Man City up next, the Cherries have to win at Craven Cottage to stand a chance of being in charge of their own destiny on the final day, when they go to Nottingham Forest.

Fulham are looking to secure their third consecutive home league win (after beating Burnley and Villa) for the first time since December 2023. They have their own European ambitions, and with Newcastle (a) and Wolves (h) to follow, Marco Silva’s side are well-placed to make a late surge.

Will Liverpool seal top-five spot and bump Chelsea into the bottom half?

Truthfully, there isn’t as much riding on this game as either club would have hoped when they first saw the fixture list back in June.

That being said, Liverpool need one more win to confirm their qualification for next season’s Champions League. If they get it on Saturday, then by the end of the weekend Chelsea could be out of the top ten altogether.

Chelsea have lost each of their last six Premier League games and are currently searching for a new manager to begin work this summer. Only once in their league history have they ever lost seven in a row, back in November and December 1952.

But defeat at Anfield wouldn’t just be about wounded pride. Chelsea are still hoping to qualify for European football of some kind, while this games is their last outing before next weekend’s FA Cup final against Man City. They will want to arrive at Wembley in some kind of form.

Do Forest need to beat Newcastle to avoid a nervy end to the season?

Three consecutive Premier League victories appeared to secure Forest’s place in the top flight, given that only one team in the competition’s history has been relegated with 42 points (West Ham in 2002/03). Surely Forest will get one more point from somewhere.

That is still by far the likeliest outcome, although should they lose at home to Newcastle this weekend (and the Magpies are buoyed by a victory over Brighton that ended a four-game losing streak) then Vitor Pereira and his players may begin to look nervously over their shoulders.

Manchester United at Old Trafford is a tough assignment, given that United are top of the Premier League since Michael Carrick’s appointment and then a home game against Europe-chasing Bournemouth is anything but a foregone conclusion.

Should Forest lose all three, and Spurs and West Ham both win two of their final three matches, Pereira's side will be relegated. It’s improbable, but not out of the question.

Can Sesko & Fernandes secure third place for Man Utd at Sunderland?

Man Utd have won 32 points from 14 Premier League matches under Carrick, more than any other Premier League club since his appointment and indeed more than Ruben Amorim managed in 20 games this season.

They can secure third this weekend at the Stadium of Light, where Sunderland have been strong this season, albeit mostly against lower-ranking clubs. They haven’t won any of their last 28 Premier League matches against sides starting the day in the top four of the table (D9 L19) since a 2-1 victory away at Chelsea in April 2014 under Gus Poyet.

United will back themselves to continue their superb run, led by Benjamin Sesko, who is in brilliant form under Carrick, scoring seven goals in 595 minutes. Sesko under Carrick has the best minutes per goal ratio (85) of any player to feature under a Man Utd manager in Premier League history (to have played a minimum of 500 minutes).

Bruno Fernandes, too, has gone up a level. He is just one goal short of equalling the single-season assist record of 20.

Will Palace’s Conference League fatigue help Everton rediscover form?

Everton’s superb performance against Man City may have left them deflated after Doku’s late equaliser denied them a famous result at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

It also denied them a first win in five in the Premier League. Fortunately for David Moyes, Palace playing in the Conference League on Thursday could hand Everton a chance to get the win they crave – and put together a late run for European football.

In fact, Everton might take motivation from watching Palace in action in midweek. Ninth could mean Conference League qualification this season, and Everton are only goal difference shy of that position in the table.

Moyes, who won the Conference League as West Ham manager in 2023, would fancy his chances of lifting the trophy with his beloved Toffees next season.