Last Updated on 14/05/2026 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 |
|---|---|
| Aston Villa vs Liverpool | 2-1 |
| Man United vs Nottm Forest | 2-1 |
| Brentford vs Crystal Palace | 2-0 |
| Everton vs Sunderland | 2-0 |
| Leeds vs Brighton | 2-2 |
| Wolves vs Fulham | 0-2 |
| Newcastle vs West Ham | 2-0 |
| Arsenal vs Burnley | 3-0 |
| Bournemouth vs Man City | 1-1 |
| Chelsea vs Tottenham | 2-0 |
Paul Merson’s Weekend Premier League Predictions
Paul Merson previews this weekend’s Premier League fixtures with score predictions across all ten matches. Champions League qualification, the title race and relegation are all still up for grabs heading into the penultimate weekend of the season — Merson’s analysis covers every fixture in full below.
Aston Villa vs Liverpool — Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 Liverpool
Merson backs Aston Villa to win what he describes as a “massive” Champions League qualification clash at Villa Park. He acknowledges Unai Emery faces a genuine catch-22 with the Europa League final on Wednesday — rest players and risk losing to Liverpool, or play full-strength and risk fatigue in the final. Despite that selection dilemma, Merson thinks this is a “very winnable game” for Villa given Liverpool’s recent form. He doesn’t think Liverpool have been playing well, and with Villa at home in front of their own supporters, the pundit backs the hosts to secure a vital top-five result here.
Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest — Prediction: Manchester United 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Merson backs Manchester United to come out on top despite an underwhelming display against Sunderland last weekend. He notes Forest are now safe from relegation and have enjoyed a deep Europa League run, but the gap from Champions League contention shows how far they’ve fallen since last season. On the United side, Merson is critical of squad depth — a “shallow” looking side that needs major recruitment — but still expects them to win at Old Trafford. He also raises the intriguing possibility of Luis Enrique becoming available if PSG win the Champions League, suggesting United should pounce.
Brentford vs Crystal Palace — Prediction: Brentford 2-0 Crystal Palace
Merson sees nothing but a Brentford win here. Crystal Palace are clearly focused on the Europa Conference League final and rightfully so, meaning their domestic effort may be limited. Brentford, meanwhile, can still qualify for Europe themselves and need this win to maintain pressure on Brighton in the final European spot. Merson is full of praise for Keith Andrews’ side, calling their season “simply incredible” — he didn’t have them down as relegation candidates at the start of the campaign, and to be challenging for Europe after losing top players is testament to the work done at the club this season.
Leeds United vs Brighton & Hove Albion — Prediction: Leeds United 2-2 Brighton
Merson backs a high-scoring draw with both sides finding the net. It’s Leeds’ last home game of the season and after what he calls a “remarkable campaign”, he can’t see them capitulating at Elland Road — they’ll be up for the fight and can genuinely cause Brighton problems. The away side may sit seventh but still have an outside Champions League chance: if Villa lose and Brighton win their last two, the Seagulls could finish above fifth-placed Villa. It’s a crazy scenario but not impossible — Merson expects goals on both sides in this top-half fixture.
Wolves vs Fulham — Prediction: Wolves 0-2 Fulham
Merson sees a routine away win as Wolves continue what he describes as an “embarrassing” recent run. He believes Wolves have no fight left in them, and their summer recruitment will determine whether they bounce straight back from the Championship — though he doubts the club will be able to retain their best players. The pundit suggests Wolves are still good enough to be around the play-off places in the second tier next season, but their promotion hopes depend entirely on which top performers they keep. Against Fulham, however, this looks like a straightforward away victory in west London.
Everton vs Sunderland — Prediction: Everton 2-0 Sunderland
Merson backs Everton despite their recent run of five matches without a win. The Toffees are playing their final home game of the season at Goodison Park, and that emotional context is enough for the pundit to side with the hosts. He was impressed by Sunderland against Manchester United, calling them the better team in that fixture, and notes a Sunderland win here would boost their chances of finishing above Newcastle — massive for their fans. However, despite the visitors’ improvement, Merson just can’t see them winning at Goodison and backs Everton to sign off at home in style.
Newcastle United vs West Ham United — Prediction: Newcastle United 2-0 West Ham
Merson expects Newcastle to beat West Ham in what is their final home game of the season at St James’ Park. The Magpies sit 13th, but the home crowd will be up for the occasion and Merson sees this as a “nightmare game” for the visitors. On West Ham specifically, the pundit notes they’re not entirely out of the relegation race — he can’t see Tottenham beating Chelsea on Tuesday, meaning West Ham’s relegation fight will go down to the final day. Newcastle’s home form and St James’ Park atmosphere should prove decisive against a struggling visiting side here.
Arsenal vs Burnley — Prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Burnley
Merson backs a comfortable Arsenal win, though with a warning about the Gunners’ goal-scoring patterns. The score could be 4-0 or 3-0, but until Arsenal find a second goal there’s always concern about a comeback — Merson stresses they need that second goal quickly to put the game to bed. He says if Arsenal can’t win the title from here on, they never will. With Burnley already relegated and Crystal Palace focused on Europe, this is the perfect run of fixtures for the league leaders. Merson sees this as an easy win and can’t see Burnley troubling Arsenal at all.
Bournemouth vs Manchester City — Prediction: Bournemouth 1-1 Manchester City
Merson sees a draw at the Vitality Stadium with a Bournemouth performance he describes as “underrated”. He acknowledges the result depends heavily on what happens elsewhere — if Villa lose, Bournemouth may settle; if Villa and Brighton both win, Bournemouth may go all out and try to beat City. The pundit sees no realistic title race outcome other than Arsenal winning from here, which removes some intensity from City’s effort. He has a “strange feeling” this game will be a draw, and praises Bournemouth as a team who play some good football and deserve more recognition than they currently receive.
Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur — Prediction: Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham
Merson backs Chelsea to win and keep a clean sheet in what he describes as “their cup final every season” against Tottenham. He suggests many Chelsea fans would rather beat Spurs on Tuesday than beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final on the weekend. The pundit acknowledges Roberto De Zerbi has genuinely improved Tottenham, and they’ll be confident given Chelsea’s FA Cup commitments. Tottenham may only need a point if West Ham lose, but Merson sees the relegation battle going to the final day. He doesn’t know why he’s backing Chelsea for a clean sheet, but he is.
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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 |
|---|---|
| Aston Villa vs Liverpool | 1-1 |
| Man United vs Nottm Forest | 2-0 |
| Brentford vs Crystal Palace | 2-0 |
| Everton vs Sunderland | 2-0 |
| Leeds vs Brighton | 2-2 |
| Wolves vs Fulham | 0-1 |
| Newcastle vs West Ham | 1-2 |
| Arsenal vs Burnley | 4-0 |
| Bournemouth vs Man City | 2-1 |
| Chelsea vs Tottenham | 3-1 |
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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.