Premier League preview: What (definitely) will and won't happen

Everton vs Liverpool (Saturday, 12.30pm)

The big talking point: The second Merseyside derby of the season. Everton were extremely fortunate to take a point at Anfield – under controversial circumstances too – so Liverpool will be determined to enforce their superiority on this one.

What will happen: You do just wonder how the Reds will respond after Wednesday night's thumping of Manchester City. They were so good, so energetic and so full of adrenaline that, just three days on, there will presumably be a cost to pay.

What won't happen: But that doesn't necessarily mean dropped points. Ordinarily, Goodison Park is a difficult, hostile place for Liverpool, but this season being what it has, that's unlikely to be the case. The crowd will still be into it, of course, but most Evertonians just seem eager for the year to end.

Bournemouth vs Crystal Palace (Saturday, 3pm)

The big talking point: The time is now for Palace: Huddersfield are in appalling form, Stoke and Southampton both have difficult games, so three points would go a long way towards survival.

What will happen: Expect Palace's good performances to continue. The trouble is, though, that while they've played well, they've been unable to take points from those games. They should have drawn with Tottenham, probably should have beaten Liverpool, and should have taken at least something from their game with Manchester United.

What won't happen: Eddie Howe's team are basically safe. That doesn't mean that they'll be pushovers, however. Howe is admirable in many ways - he's done a super job at Dean Court while also growing as a manager and a tactician - and those high performance standards he sets are part of this team's identity. They've lost just twice in the league since Christmas.

Brighton vs Huddersfield (Saturday, 3pm)

The big talking point: Outside of the two derbies, this is probably the biggest game of the weekend: a Brighton win leaves them virtually safe, while another defeat for Huddersfield and the future will look bleak indeed.

What will happen: Brighton win. David Wagner is generally excellent, but perhaps he's been too accepting of his side's inferiority this season? Huddersfield, particularly since the turn of the year, have too often been docile and - actually - now look absolutely shattered as a side. They've won just twice in the league in 2018; clearly, that's relegation form.

What won't happen: Anthony Knockaert serves the final game of his ban, while Dale Stephens is an injury doubt for Brighton. The extent of Elias Kachunga's injury was revealed this week and Huddersfield will have to do without him for the rest of the year.

Leicester vs Newcastle (Saturday, 3pm)

The big talking point: Not quite a dead-rubber, because Leicester can still secure a European place, but Newcastle aren't far away from safety now.

What will happen: If Leicester do qualify for the Europa League, that will be some result for Claude Puel. Remember all the bleating when he was appointed? Well, you don't hear much of that anymore - he's done an excellent job.

What won't happen: There'll be no Wilfred Ndidi (suspended), and that will certainly take something away from Leicester's midfield. Matty James is out for the season too, so Adrien Silva will likely start in central midfielder with Vicente Iborra, while Newcastle's Islam Slimani is ineligible to face his parent club.

Stoke vs Tottenham (Saturday, 3pm)

The big talking point: Stoke are running out of time. They enjoyed some good moments against Arsenal, but their lack of a forward eventually caught up with them. They have to find goals from somewhere.

What will happen: Tottenham must beware the day after the night before. They were excellent against Chelsea, fully deserving their points, but this is obviously a trap of a game and Mauricio Pochettino's team will have to ensure that a desperate Stoke aren't taken too lightly.

What won't happen: Again, there'll probably be no Toby Alderweireld. That situation grows ever more opaque and don't expect clarity any time soon. Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen will start as the centre-back pairing; Harry Kane should return after injury confined him to the bench last weekend.

Watford vs Burnley (Saturday, 3pm)

The big talking point: Burnley will feel that a stuttering Arsenal, with attention now on the Europa League, can be caught, so possibly that gives them a greater incentive. Either way, they're well placed for seventh – which, save for Southampton winning the FA Cup, means European football this year. 

What will happen: Sean Dyche has said that Tom Heaton is now back in contention. Interesting, because dropping Nick Pope now would be both harsh and terminal for his World Cup chances.

What won't happen: Richarlison likely won't return to the starting line-up. As good a season as he's had, he's had a very poor few months and seems to have hit the wall in his first Premier League campaign. Miguel Britos, who missed the game with Bournemouth through injury, should return though.

West Brom vs Swansea (Saturday, 3pm)

The big talking point: Alan Pardew has been binned, meaning that Darren Moore will be in charge of West Brom for the rest of the season. What they hope to achieve from here is anyone's guess.

What will happen: Swansea are still only three points above the relegation places, though, so they're far from safe. Carlos Carvalhal will have to be careful, too, because teams liberated from managers they dislike can sometimes bounce dramatically.

What won't happen: Jordan Ayew serves the final game of his ban, so will be missing for Swansea. There are doubts about Gareth Barry's involvement too, with suggestions that the fan base have turned on him after news of his night out before a recent game. Daniel Sturridge, Sam Field and Nacer Chadli all remain sidelined with injury.

Manchester City vs Manchester United (Saturday, 5.30pm)

The big talking point: A Manchester derby, of course, but also City's first attempt at confirming their league title.

What will happen: It's very hard to say, because - now with a mountain to climb against Liverpool - Pep Guardiola will presumably rotate his squad in preparation for the return leg of the Champions League quarter-final. Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho's aims will presumably be limited to ensuring his side don't lose – no party in his presence, thank you very much. Spoiler tactics incoming, then.

What won't happen: Or he'll go the other way: resting all of his integral players in an attempt to shield himself from unfavourable comparisons with Guardiola. If so, expect that to be presented as an attempt to stay fresh for the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham.

Arsenal vs Southampton (Sunday, 2.15pm)

The big talking point: Arsenal's strange mood at home. Yes, their focus is rightly on the Europa League, but they've barely looked bothered domestically for some time. Maybe something for Southampton to take advantage of?

What will happen: That's a big 'maybe', though. Saints haven't improved under Mark Hughes. Actually, they may have got even worse. That's not really Hughes's fault, though, because the suspicion remains that he - like Mauricio Pellegrino before him - is paying the price for a few years of poor recruitment. Whatever happens at the end of the season, Les Reed should consider himself under review.

What won't happen: Danny Welbeck will be very fortunate to retain his place. Arsenal may not be overly concerned with the Premier League, but Alexandre Lacazette has performed well since returning from injury - he was excellent against CSKA on Thursday night - and, long-term, it seems beneficial to see if the Frenchman can operate from wide and potentially in conjunction with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Chelsea vs West Ham (Sunday, 4.30pm)

The big talking point: Chelsea's loss to Tottenham. There's no shame in that result necessarily, but the manner in which Chelsea folded at home was deeply concerning. Champions League qualification already looks remote, but a further slip here and it would be out of the question.

What will happen: But it's hard to see an improvement because, obviously, nobody's quite sure what the problem actually is. Yes, Antonio Conte's tenuous employment status isn't helpful, but the root cause of this slump must go deeper than that. West Ham aren't Spurs, Chelsea should be good enough to win at Stamford Bridge, but then that was also the case with Bournemouth and Burnley.

What won't happen: Davide Zappacosta and Thibaut Courtois are both still injury doubts for the hosts, while David Moyes has a long, long absentee list: Pedro Obiang, Winston Reid and Manuel Lanzini will all be missing, while - most recently - Michail Antonio has now been ruled out for the rest of the season.

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Seb Stafford-Bloor is a football writer at Tifo Football and member of the Football Writers' Association. He was formerly a regularly columnist for the FourFourTwo website, covering all aspects of the game, including tactical analysis, reaction pieces, longer-term trends and critiquing the increasingly shady business of football's financial side and authorities' decision-making.