Last Updated on 08/05/2026 by Andy Clark
What are Paul Merson’s Predictions this Weekend?
Updated every Friday with Paul Merson’s latest Sky Sports Premier League predictions for the upcoming weekend’s fixtures.
Merson used to give his weekend football predictions to a Sky Sports column, but now he is back with a new column and each weekend, you will be able to read all of Paul Merson’s predictions for a correct score in each Premier League fixture.
Paul Merson is a former Premier League midfielder and current Sky Sports pundit who writes weekly prediction columns and regularly appears on Sky Sports. His media roles give him insight into team form and tactical trends, though predictions should be considered one of several data points before betting.
He is one of the best-known football pundits and still appears on Sky Sports every weekend, so what are Merson’s score predictions for the next round of Premier League matches? Find out below.
This Week’s Premier League Predictions by Paul Merson
| Match | Prediction |
|---|---|
| Liverpool vs Chelsea | 2-0 |
| Brighton vs Wolves | 3-0 |
| Fulham vs Bournemouth | 1-2 |
| Sunderland vs Man United | 1-2 |
| Man City vs Brentford | 2-1 |
| Burnley vs Aston Villa | 1-2 |
| Crystal Palace vs Everton | 1-2 |
| Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle | 1-1 |
| West Ham vs Arsenal | 0-2 |
| Spurs vs Leeds | 1-2 |
What Paul Merson Said About His Weekend Predictions
Paul Merson has delivered his Premier League predictions for the weekend — backing Liverpool to beat Chelsea 2-0 at Anfield, Manchester United to win at Sunderland, Manchester City to edge Brentford in the title race, and Arsenal to seal it with a 2-0 win at West Ham. Merson’s match-by-match predictions across every Premier League fixture, with our betting angle on each.
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Liverpool vs Chelsea — Anfield, 12:30
Merson’s prediction: 2-0
Merson says this fixture used to be massive but isn’t the same anymore — and with Bournemouth chasing them down, this is now a must-win for Liverpool to protect Champions League qualification. Chelsea, meanwhile, are “completely out of the equation” after six straight defeats. Merson was at Stamford Bridge for the 3-1 loss to Forest and described Chelsea as “absolutely destroyed.” He criticises Cole Palmer being played as a right-winger when he’s a natural number 10, and argues that letting Nicolas Jackson leave was a mistake. Merson backs Liverpool for a crucial home win as their players hopefully refocus before the World Cup. The clean sheet plus Liverpool win is the natural bet builder angle.
Brighton vs Wolves — Amex Stadium, 15:00
Merson’s prediction: 3-0
Wolves did well to draw at Sunderland last weekend, but Merson “just doesn’t think they can cope with Brighton” and is calling nothing but a home win. He highlights Mateus Mane and Joao Gomes as Wolves’ standouts but is cautious about Mane’s transfer value, suggesting Liam Delap from Chelsea might be a smarter option for promoted clubs needing goals. Gomes could attract interest abroad and even feature in a Brazil World Cup squad. Merson’s emphatic 3-0 call points to home-win-and-clean-sheet markets and Brighton over 2.5 goals. Worth checking BTTS-No selections and Brighton player markets like Joao Pedro to score.
Fulham vs Bournemouth — Craven Cottage, 15:00
Merson’s prediction: 1-2
If Fulham win, just one point will separate the two teams — Bournemouth are sixth, Fulham 11th, illustrating how tight the European race is. Merson notes Fulham could overtake Bournemouth next weekend if they win and the Cherries lose at home to Manchester City, but he doesn’t think it’ll happen. Bournemouth are playing well and he’s expecting them to take the three points. The Cherries’ away form makes them strong bet of the day candidates, while Antoine Semenyo or Evanilson on the anytime goalscorer markets are worth a look given Bournemouth’s recent attacking output.
Sunderland vs Manchester United — Stadium of Light, 15:00
Merson’s prediction: 1-2
Sunderland are fizzling out, Merson says, but they’ll fight to finish above Newcastle — an incredible achievement if they pull it off. He uses the matchup to weigh in on the PFA Player of the Year debate, dismissing the comparison between Bruno Fernandes and Declan Rice: “There is no debate when it comes to Rice.” Despite Sunderland’s heart, Merson sees Manchester United outscoring them at the Stadium of Light. Bruno Fernandes anytime goalscorer or assist is the natural angle, particularly given his form across the last five matches. The away win for Carrick’s side fits a Saturday accumulator.
Manchester City vs Brentford — Etihad Stadium, 17:30
Merson’s prediction: 2-1
Drawing at Everton was a big disappointment for City — Merson notes that without Jeremy Doku’s late equaliser it could have been worse. He still backs Arsenal to win the league and says City may not need to win all their remaining games. This is “a dangerous game” because Brentford are still chasing European qualification and capable on their day. On Phil Foden’s new contract, Merson defends the decision: Foden is just 25, has played too many games over recent seasons, and is going through a natural dip. Merson backs City to edge it. Worth pairing with Erling Haaland anytime goalscorer for the bet builder angle.
Sunday
Burnley vs Aston Villa — Turf Moor, 14:00
Merson’s prediction: 1-2
Aston Villa’s mood depends entirely on what happens in their Europa League semi-final with Forest. Win it and they’ll be buzzing; lose and they’ll be demoralised by the missed opportunity. With Bournemouth expected to win, Merson points out Villa cannot afford to let their grip on fifth place slip, especially with Liverpool and Manchester City still to come in the final two games. A win here is “an absolute necessity” for Villa’s Champions League hopes. Merson expects them to get the job done. The Villa away win is a strong accumulator anchor; Ollie Watkins anytime goalscorer is worth checking on the anytime goalscorer market.
Crystal Palace vs Everton — Selhurst Park, 14:00
Merson’s prediction: 1-2
Merson reiterates his weekly stance that Palace’s season is now all about winning the Europa Conference League — they hold a 3-1 advantage over Shakhtar in the semi-final. With a Manchester City game coming up on Wednesday, he’d be “shocked” if any Palace main players started against Everton. Merson notes Everton have been “extremely unlucky” — losing to Liverpool, West Ham and City in stoppage time across recent games would have put them sixth had they held on. With a rotated Palace side, Everton get the chance to convert that bad luck. The Everton away win plays naturally into Sunday accumulators, with Beto or Iliman Ndiaye to score worth checking against a weakened Palace defence.
Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle — City Ground, 14:00
Merson’s prediction: 1-1
Forest’s win at Stamford Bridge was a “big” result, with Merson praising the two-strikers approach that destroyed Chelsea’s defenders. The result here depends partly on the Europa League semi-final earlier in the week, with Merson expecting Forest to reach the final. Forest are now six points clear of relegation with a healthy goal difference. Even with potential European fatigue, Merson sees Forest taking a point — and notes that a draw mathematically forces West Ham to win all three of their remaining games, which he doesn’t see happening. He calls 1-1, with the correct score angle at attractive prices for Forest survival believers.
West Ham vs Arsenal — London Stadium, 16:30
Merson’s prediction: 0-2
Merson calls this “the last hope for Manchester City” in the title race. He backs Arsenal to seal the league here. West Ham have to come out and play given they’re trailing Spurs in the relegation race — a setup that “will not suit them” against Arsenal. Bukayo Saka looks fresh, Myles Lewis-Skelly has been incredible. Merson highlights that Lewis-Skelly hasn’t played 50 or 60 games like Declan Rice or Martin Zubimendi, providing fresh legs at a crucial stage. Both Saka and Lewis-Skelly have been “like new signings” for the title run-in. Merson calls a comfortable Arsenal win — “all over for City.” Saka anytime goalscorer plus Arsenal to win to nil is the natural bet builder construction.
Monday
Tottenham vs Leeds — Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 20:00
Merson’s prediction: 1-2
Spurs played well at Aston Villa, but Merson rates Villa’s performance as “a joke” — and notes that the Spurs of six months ago wouldn’t have won the game. Roberto De Zerbi has clearly made progress. Leeds, however, have been outstanding: just one defeat in their last nine games barring the FA Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea. Merson actually feels sorry for West Ham, because Tottenham are playing Leeds “at a favourable time” — if Leeds were still in the relegation fight, this would be a far tougher test for Spurs. He fears Leeds will take the foot off the gas. Despite that, Merson sees Leeds winning this one, citing Tottenham’s wider issues. The 1-2 result is one for correct score backers, and could create huge implications for the Tottenham relegation picture.
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Thatsagoal Expert Takes goes Head to Head with Paul Merson’s Predictions
Each week, our thatsagoal football expert will make their own predictions for the Premier League matches and you can compare them to Paul Merson’s predictions. Who will get more correct score predictions correct? The thatsagoal expert or Paul Merson?
| Fixture | Prediction |
|---|---|
| Liverpool vs Chelsea | 2-0 |
| Brighton vs Wolves | 2-0 |
| Fulham vs Bournemouth | 1-1 |
| Sunderland vs Man United | 1-2 |
| Man City vs Brentford | 2-1 |
| Burnley vs Aston Villa | 1-1 |
| Crystal Palace vs Everton | 0-2 |
| Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle | 1-1 |
| West Ham vs Arsenal | 2-2 |
| Spurs vs Leeds | 2-2 |
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Who is Paul Merson?
Paul Merson was one of the best footballers of his generation and is best known for his time at Arsenal, where his magic feet and fantastic ability earned him the nickname ‘The Magic Man’. Merson has had his troubles off the pitch before with drugs, drink and gambling addiction, but his infectious personality makes him one of the most loved former Premier League players and now football pundits there is.
Merson makes his match predictions every weekend for online websites and newspapers and we will put them together on this page and see how well he gets on.
He played for Arsenal 423 times and scored 99 goals in all competitions. His transfer to Middlesbrough for £5,000,000 was a record fee back then and he also picked up 21 caps for England.
After a tilt at management with Walsall, Merson is now a full-time football pundit predicting the results of Premier League matches on Soccer Saturday and online.
Is Paul Merson a good Pundit?
Paul Merson certainly has his moments where you think he is a terrible pundit and some of his views seem wide of the mark; however, he is much loved and is a great asset to Soccer Saturday for his quick wit and banter. His predictions sometimes do well but it is always worth looking across the other pundits predictions as well where you will see the likes of Lawro and David Prutton giving their thoughts on the weekend football.
Is Paul Merson the best Football Pundit?
Paul Merson is very much a marmite pundit and football fans seem to love or hate him. His weekend EPL predictions are always very popular and he is not afraid to put his neck on the line – famously saying Kevin De Bruyne was a waste of money, for example. Now producing weekly correct score predictions for the Premier League alongside his Sky Sports work, Merson always splits opinion.
More Pundits Predictions
More pundits make predictions for the Premier League each weekend, and you can see the links to them below. We like Lawro and Chris Sutton, and you will see their weekly scores on our football pundits’ predictions page. This will be alongside our own score predictions for the weekend matches, where you can compare our predictions vs the likes of Paul Merson, Chris Sutton and Jones Knows from Sky Sports’ website.
Lawro’s predictions for this weekend.