Ten big questions for this weekend's EPL matches

Can Forest capitalise on Spurs’ form to end losing streak?

Two defeats on the spin for Nuno Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest side has plunged them into the melee for Uefa Champions League spots.

Forest fans are getting nervous - and Newcastle United's 5-0 midweek victory over Crystal Palace has only increased the tension.

For the first time since Boxing Day, Forest have dropped out of the top three. The gap between them and seventh-placed Aston Villa is a mere three points.

This is a must-win match, not only because Forest cannot afford to fall into a funk but because Tottenham Hotspur are ideal opponents for Nuno’s tactics.

Spurs, faltering badly in the league, are both error-prone (making 35 errors leading to a shot or a goal, the fourth-most in the division) and wide-open to counter-attacks (conceding 36 shots from fast breaks, the fifth-most in the competition).

That should give Forest the advantage. The visitors are piercingly fast both on the break and when winning the ball high up the pitch and against such a wide-open Ange Postecoglou midfield, Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi ought to excel.

But that’s not guaranteed, not when confidence appears to be on the wane. After a long and tiring season, Forest are in danger of letting all their good work go to waste.

Can Villa ride European wave in their most important game of the season?

Villa came agonisingly close to an historic comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek but judging by the reaction to their 3-2 win on the night, Unai Emery's side will enter this weekend’s match more confident than ever.

They know they belong at the elite level – and will be desperate to make sure they get back there next season.

From that perspective, this isn’t a bad time to take on their most difficult, and important, remaining fixture; should Newcastle win at Villa Park, they would pull a huge eight points clear of Emery’s side.

This is a true "six-pointer". It’s all or nothing time for Villa, and although they are in outstanding form – nine wins from 10 in all competitions and 18 matches undefeated at Villa Park – Newcastle are in top form.

Only Liverpool (35) and Arsenal (28) have won more away points this season than the Magpies, while Newcastle have won eight of their last 10 away matches in all competitions.

It should be a brilliant encounter between two of England’s in-form teams at the peak of their powers. But only one of them is under serious pressure.

If Villa want more nights like Tuesday, they simply must get a result.

Will Moyes’ stubborn tactics see Man City’s poor away form continue?

There’s no doubt Manchester City have stabilised significantly since their FA Cup quarter-final win against AFC Bournemouth, a result that was viewed internally as a watershed moment; as the day they rediscovered their spirit.

But for all the talk of their renewed strength, what’s perhaps got lost is that Man City are yet to prove themselves away from the Etihad Stadium.

Since beating Ipswich Town 6-0 in January, City have collected only four points from four away Premier League matches, scoring a meagre two goals.

Pep Guardiola might be a little worried, then, about the prospect of travelling to Goodison Park.

Everton have proven stubborn opponents under David Moyes and since his return, only Liverpool and Arsenal have lost fewer league matches than the Toffees' two.

Man City, who drew 1-1 at home with Everton in December, will know what to expect: a compact midfield that refuses space in the final third, plus long balls and aerial challenges that take the defenders out of their comfort zone.

But just because Man City will know what’s coming doesn’t mean they can stop it.

Can Salah fire Liverpool to a second Premier League crown?

If Arsenal lose to Ipswich in the early kick-off on Sunday then Liverpool will win the Premier League title with a victory over Leicester City.

Should it happen, the Reds will become only the sixth side to win the top-flight title with five matches to spare and the first to do so since Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in 2019/20.

They can’t control what happens at Portman Road but they can surely be relied on to do their part.

Leicester have lost their last eight home Premier League matches without scoring a single goal, a record run in top-flight history.

That dreadful form offers Mohamed Salah a chance to build on his brilliant assist for Luis Diaz last weekend and score his first non-penalty goal for Liverpool since 23 February, nine matches ago.

Salah, who has netted in all five of Liverpool’s Premier League matches against sides promoted to the top flight in 2024/25 (seven goals), is still chasing the all-time Premier League record for goals and assists in a single season.

He needs three more to pass Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer, who hit 47 in 1993/94 and 1994/95 respectively in 42-match seasons.

A hat-trick at Leicester isn’t entirely out of the question.

Will Wolves punish more errors from Amorim’s side?

After playing their energy-sapping Uefa Europa League quarter-final second leg on Thursday evening, Manchester United, already prone to mistakes and misunderstandings this season, could well be vulnerable to a Wolverhampton Wanderers side in peak form.

Wolves have won each of their last four Premier League matches, their best top-flight run since 1972. They will fear nobody – but especially not Man Utd, having won the reverse fixture 2-0 at Molineux on Boxing Day.

A first league double over Man Utd since 1979/80 is in their sights.

Man Utd's 4-1 defeat at Newcastle last weekend was characterised, all-too predictably, by the Magpies crashing forward in the transition and breaking open a United side that couldn’t match them for pace or physicality.

There was symmetry between that result and Wolves’ 4-2 victory over Spurs, suggesting Vitor Pereira already has the game plan to expose a tired United side.

Since Pereira’s appointment on 19 December, Wolves sit eighth in the Premier League form table, behind the current top six and Palace.

In other words, right now they are one of the best teams in the division - and Man Utd under Ruben Amorim have rarely picked up points against clubs in better shape, beating only Ipswich and Leicester across their last nine matches.

Will Chelsea’s away form gift Fulham an advantage in race for eighth?

After months of a chaotic race for Europe when upwards of 10 clubs were in with a shot, the Premier League has finally started to form into a settled pattern over the last week.

With a six-point gap having opened between Villa in seventh and Bournemouth in eighth, it looks as though the current top seven may not budge.

There are too many permutations of European qualification to list here (although here’s a handy guide), but suffice to say as long as someone other than Palace wins the FA Cup and Newcastle don’t drop out of the top six, the team that finishes eighth will qualify for the Uefa Conference League.

Bournemouth, Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion are all on 48 points and appear to be in a new three-team mini-league for that final European spot.

Fulham have arguably the kindest run-in, therefore if they complete the double over rivals Chelsea, they will have all the momentum and arguably sit in the strongest position.

Chelsea are winless in their last eight away matches, with three draws and five losses and have scored only three goals in that time. Meanwhile, Fulham have won three of their last four at home.

It isn’t quite as daunting a task as it might seem and yet victory would still feel like a major scalp.

Fulham’s chances of finishing eighth don’t entirely depend on Sunday’s match but a win would boost their hopes considerably.

Can Brighton get out of their rut at Brentford?

Brighton are in danger of falling out of that race for eighth spot altogether.

They are winless in four Premier League matches, and while the first three were tough, the latest – a 2-2 draw at home to Leicester – suggests they're struggling for form.

Statistical analysis tells us not to expect anything better this weekend.

This season, Brighton have picked up 17 points from 19 Premier League matches in which they have held more than 50% possession and 31 points from 13 games when they have had 50% or less.

That’s an extraordinarily neat – and revealing – pattern, as shown here.

Move that dial slightly and it’s even starker: Brighton have won only one of their 13 matches when holding more than 53% possession and lost just one (while winning 11) of the 19 games when holding 53% or less.

Brentford are happy to sit back, force slow passing and nullify the pace in the Brighton attack.

Thomas Frank will be confident his side can earn at least a point against the Seagulls.

Can Potter’s goal-shy team take golden chance to make some progress?

Graham Potter has been crying out for a game like this.

West Ham United are winless in five Premier League matches, scoring only four goals across that period.

In fact, since Potter’s first match in charge on 14 January, only Southampton (111) and Leicester (112) have attempted fewer shots than the 114 of West Ham, while only Leicester, with 33, have had fewer shots on target than West Ham's total of 34.

Meanwhile, Southampton have faced 567 shots in 2024/25, more than anyone else.

Surely, at last, West Ham can get three points - and a few goals.

How can Arteta successfully juggle Europe with the Premier League?

Should Arsenal go all the way and win their first-ever Champions League trophy, nobody connected with the club will care where they finished in the Premier League table.

But there is a risk that, as the Premier League fades into insignificance and focus switches wholly to Europe, Mikel Arteta’s side slip out of the top two and also fail to win silverware.

It would not be a good look, so Arteta must find a way to balance the two competitions for the last few weeks of the season.

Fortunately for him, it’s a tame start. Arsenal have won each of their last 10 Premier League matches against teams starting the day in the relegation zone, suggesting that even with a few players rotated out of the side, the Gunners can get the job done.

But if they are not at their best, then Ipswich, keen to fight doggedly for their home fans in their final "Big Six’" game at Portman Road, could produce a shock result.

Will Selhurst Park see the most goals on Saturday?

Palace have won each of their last three Premier League matches at Selhurst Park and have been scoring freely at home: 10 in their last four in all competitions.

But after conceding five goals in each of their last two away matches, Bournemouth – who rank second in the Premier League for total away goals, with 32 – will fancy their chances of being just as effective at the other end.

Indeed, this looks set to be the most high-scoring match of the weekend.

Bournemouth have conceded two or more goals in seven away games this season, the joint-most in the competition, but more significant still, both teams have a striker in a purple patch of form.

Jean-Philippe Mateta has netted 18 goals in 22 home matches under Oliver Glasner, while Evanilson has scored six times in his nine away appearances.