Newcastle United vs. West Ham United

St. James Park, Saturday, 12:30pm Local, 8:30am Eastern

The Magpies slouched into the international break with a bit of a thud, losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup. What caught the eye more than the result was the ease with which the Champions kept Newcastle at arm's length, and it didn’t augur well for the final run in. Eddie Howe’s side is barely clinging onto a top half place, and they’re 4 points off of European qualification. Callum Wilson is missing up top, but Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak should be plenty dangerous. The real issue is in defense, where several fullbacks face late fitness tests and Sven Botman is set to be missing until 2025. This season has been exciting for fans of the North East club, but its wears and tears have left their mark on the Magpies.

West Ham have looked completely revitalized since Lucas Paquetá returned to the pitch, and his dynamism in midfield provides a platform for their purring attack. Jarrod Bowen looked sharp on England duty, and Mohammed Kudus has been a clear candidate for signing of the summer. The Hammers have a chance to strike a decisive blow in the race for Europe by putting distance between themselves and Newcastle, and David Moyes will be quietly confident that his East London squadron has more than enough for Howe’s stretched defense.

Bournemouth vs. Everton

Vitality Stadium, Saturday, 3pm Local, 11am Eastern

It’s been awhile since the Cherries last played, but they’ve produced a steady run and are undefeated in 3 - admittedly against bottom of the table opposition. Their last match was an epic 4-3 comeback victory over Luton, but it’s safe to say that momentum is likely stalled. Everton, their opponents, aren’t exactly free-flowing in front of goal, and it feels as though Andoni Iraola’s side just needs to score to get a result.

The Toffees currently sit outside the bottom 3, but that has less to do with their current form  than their rivals failing to capitalize on the Merseyside club’s poor run. Everton haven’t won in the league since mid December and their difficulty in front of goal is well documented. A strong patch from either Beto or Dominic Calvert-Lewin could change the landscape of their whole season, but there’s only so many times you can try the same solution before admitting it may just not be the right answer.

Chelsea vs. Burnley

Stamford Bridge, Saturday, 3pm Local, 11am Eastern

Despite the raft of bad press around Chelsea this season, the West London club haven’t lost in the league since early February. There have been plenty of draws sprinkled in, but it’s still a vast improvement from a few months ago. With that in mind, it seems like Mauricio Pochettino’s side should be able to handle Burnley easily. The consequence of unpredictability, however, is that it makes it very hard to trust you - and Chelsea need to be more consistent to get more fans and neutrals to believe in them. 

While it’s still a near guarantee that Burnley will return to the Championship, the Clarets closed out the last window of matches with a surprising victory over Brentford. The 3 points don’t exactly close the gap to safety, but with a potential further points deduction for Everton floating around, a good run could potentially hoist Vincent Kompany’s side to 17th. All that said, the most likely result of their campaign is still relegation, and they’ll need to start vacuuming up points quickly to have any other outcome.

Nottingham Forest vs. Crystal Palace

City Ground, Saturday, 3pm Local, 11am Eastern

Crystal Palace are more than likely safe, but this match still has the potential to send ripples through the relegation battle. Forest had a 4 point deduction (which they’re appealing) confirmed before the break, which trapped them in the bottom 3. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side is well in touching distance, and a victory would heap pressure on Luton, who face a tough trip to Tottenham. The Midlands outfit have more than enough quality - particularly in attack - to be much farther up the table, so it’s frustrating to see them struggle for safety. The likes of Taiwo Awoniyi, Anthony Elanga, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Morgan Gibbs-White should be enough on which to build a survival push, but it just hasn’t come together.

The Oliver Glasner era is still buffering in South London, and it’s a bit too early to make any sweeping predictions for the rest of the Eagles’ season. Presumably the international break offered the Austrian boss a chance to settle into his surroundings more, but with Michael Olise still missing, Palace are still far from their best. Glasner has a chance to cause chaos at the City Ground, but Forest clearly come into this showdown with more motivation.

Sheffield United vs. Fulham

Bramall Lane, Saturday, 3pm Local, 11am Eastern

The Blades haven’t played since March 9th - when they earned a creditable draw with Bournemouth - and they sit 8 points from safety with a goal difference 32 worse than Luton in 17th. It would take a miracle for Sheffield United to survive, and Chris Wilder’s side doesn’t seem equipped for this final push. They host Fulham who have sneakily become one of the most consistent sides in the league and who hammered Tottenham 3-0 in their last match. It’s tough to make a case for anything other than a comfortable defeat for the Blades.

Marco Silva’s side look prepared to take on anyone in the league, with their win over Spurs a significant milestone. It’s easy to forget how shoddy the Cottagers looked in their recent Premier League campaigns, so the Portuguese manager deserves immense credit for the performances he’s getting out of a team which didn’t exactly break the bank to improve this summer. They’re not impervious - that win over Spurs followed a defeat to Wolves - but they’ll head to Bramall Lane clear favorites to nab all 3 points.

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Luton Town

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Saturday, 3pm Local, 11am Eastern

In a season full of such positivity, it must have stung to go into the break off of one of their worst performances of the campaign. Tottenham have an opportunity to bounce back when Luton come to town. Ange Postecoglou will have a nearly fully-fit squad and few excuses if Spurs can’t earn 3 points. Chiedozie Ogbene could trouble the North London club’s high line, with the Irish speedster very comfortable on the break. It could be a long afternoon for Micky van de Ven, who’s speed has been key to Tottenham’s transformed style.

Luton have ridden their luck a bit in the last few weeks, and - though they’ve earned some last gasp draws - they need to bank a few wins during this run in order to be back in the Premier League next season. The Hatters currently sit in safety, but Rob Edwards will want a much larger buffer to feel comfortable. It should be said that Everton could be looking at a further points deduction, but Luton won’t want to rely on that for their survival. Ross Barkely has been one of the best players in the league this season, and the former England international will be key to Luton’s final push.

Aston Villa vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Villa Park, Saturday, 5:30pm Local, 1:30pm Eastern

The 5:30pm match on Saturday serves up a Midlands clash that could be pivotal in the race for Champions League Football. Aston Villa need to bank results to keep their distance from Tottenham, who - while inconsistent - are only a result away from overtaking Unai Emery’s side. John McGinn is still missing due to suspension, so Villa will need to feed their quick breaking attack without a key facilitator. Moussa Diaby has shown flashes of returning to his early season form; his combination with Ollie Watkins will be crucial if Villa want to take down a tough Wolves side.

Wolves have been a surprise package this season, consistently showing up in big games. They stumbled out of the FA Cup in their last match, but Gary O’Neill has his side well organized and it seems unlikely they’ll play into Villa’s hand by exposing themselves to counter attacks. A concern for O’Neill and Co, however, is their attack, which has been well hollowed out by injuries and departures. It’s not hard to imagine Wolves nicking a win in a close-fought game, but it’s hard to see where their goals come from if it becomes a shoot out.

Brentford vs. Manchester United

Gtech Community Stadium, Saturday, 8pm Local, 4pm Eastern
The Bees lost to Burnley in their last match, which is a result no team scrambling for survival wants on their record. Points deductions and struggling promoted sides have meant that Brentford haven’t been in total danger yet, but Thomas Frank’s side is just 5 points above Nottingham Forest in the final relegation place. Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa are finally all available at the same time, and that dynamic trio will need to get on the scoresheet plenty in the final stretch of the season to keep this season from getting away from the West London outfit.

Fans of Manchester United had one of their best afternoons of the season when their club last played, downing Liverpool in the FA Cup through some extra time heroics. The Red Devils defeated Brentford in their first clash, and the squad - while still inconsistent - has shown signs of overall improvement in the last month. If United can’t grab all 3 points, it becomes harder and harder to see a world where Erik Ten Hag is still the head coach next season, which is, frankly, the main question to be answered in the league for the red half of Manchester.

Liverpool vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

Anfield, Sunday, 2pm Local, 9am Eastern

Sunday truly lifts the curtain on the title raise, bringing 2 matches in the critical run in. Liverpool are up first, hosting Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton at home. If the hosts can claim all 3 points, they’ll ramp up the pressure on the late game and set the tone for the last push of the campaign. The Seagulls have been hard to predict, but Jürgen Klopp will be relying on his team's greater quality and consistency - even though the Reds have a shocking record against the South Coast outfit. Every game is a cliched must win now for Klopp’s men.

There are just the tiniest inklings of trouble in paradise at Brighton. The Seagulls have been dumped unceremoniously out of Europe, De Zerbi is suggesting he won’t sign an extension amid speculation from other clubs, and their goals have dried up. Qualification for next year’s continental competitions is still possible, but Brighton need to find form quickly. De Zerbi’s first match in England was at Anfield, and that high tempo 3-3 draw set the tone for his tenure so far. He’ll need to recapture that magic to come away with a result.

Manchester City vs. Arsenal

Etihad Stadium, 4:30pm Local, 11:30am Eastern

Hands down the biggest matchup of the weekend, Mikel Arteta brings his Gunners north to Manchester to try and keep the Champions at bay. Both sides have some minor injury concerns coming out of the international break, but some seem at best to be precautionary. Ederson, Walker, and Stones are unlikely to make the starting 11, and that changes the shape of Manchester City’s defense pretty dramatically. Can Pep Guardiola’s team contain the speed of Arsenal’s wingers without Walker’s speed? Stones’ forays into midfield are a crucial aspect of City’s build up; can they create as well without him? They’ll still be favorites at home, but there are reasons for supporters to worry.

On paper Arsenal come in better prepared for this critical clash. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli should both recover in time, and the threat they bring will likely be key to breaking down their opponents. Jorginho will start in midfield, and his addition has allowed Declan Rice to operate further up the pitch. The Gunners have a very solid defense which allows them to stream forward. They’ve been absolutely dominant this calendar year, but it remains to be seen if they can translate that quality to the Etihad.