Alan Smith’s Expert Predictions: Premier League GW38 and Champions League Qualification

Villa’s Champions League Status

You never really cement being a Champions League club. It’s always a challenge at the start of each season – you know, for example, Man City might not make it this year. But it would be big, it would be very important, given the ambitions at the club.

Financially, they’ve got a high wages-to-turnover ratio, much more than most clubs, I think. So financially, it would be very important for Villa to qualify.

Marcus Rashford’s Future

I’m not sure he’s going to have loads of choices, or whether he can pick and choose at the moment. Number one, because of his huge wages. Number two, because of the form he’s shown over the last few years.

Amorim, you’d have to ask him, but whether he’s made up his mind about Rashford, I suspect that he has. So now, it’s who else out there is going to take a punt? It’s one thing signing him on loan for a few months, which Villa did, but quite another giving him a 3-4 year contract on massive money. If he’s not careful, he’s going to be in the wilderness.

There aren’t many clubs that could afford those wages. It’s normally only the Premier League these days, with one or two exceptions. But he doesn’t justify those massive wages now. You know, he might have when he first signed the contract, but he doesn’t justify them now, and he’s really got to knuckle down, he’s got to live right off the pitch, as well as on the training ground and on match day. He’s got a lot of improving to do.

Cunha to United

I think it’s a good signing. Some players look like Man United players, and he does. He’s got that flair. He was always going to move from Wolves. He’s done some good things there in a team that’s been struggling at the bottom.

You’d see him fitting in there in terms of the profile down the years, that United have had players that can do special things. It’d be interesting seeing him linking up with Bruno Fernandes, but he’s going into a team that has lost direction, so he’s going to have to try and help them find it.

Prediction

I’ve got to go for a Villa win. They want it more, or need it more, I should say. United’s league form has just been pitiful – West Ham beat them. I’m going to go 2-0 Villa.

Aston Villa 2 – 0 Manchester United

Chelsea’s Champions League Qualification

It’s very important. They’ve got a lot of players on the staff as it is, so there’s a big layout in terms of salaries. If you want to make that next step and be challenging right at the top, you’ve got to be in the Champions League and be able to attract the top players.

So it’s a big, big day for them, as it is for Forest, of course. Chelsea beat Man United when they won that game 1-0 end of last week, but this time, they’ve both got the incentive, so it’s going to be interesting how it pans out.

Cole Palmer Under Maresca

If you’re a top player, you can fit into most systems. You’d be mad not to want teammates to give him the ball at every opportunity, and I’m sure Maresca does.

Palmer had a brilliant season last year, started well this year, but then past the calendar year in 2025, he’s really suffered, certainly in terms of goals, and also form – his confidence has dropped. But you’ve got to build a team around him. I know Maresca’s tactics at times have frustrated Chelsea fans with how it’s been a little too patient for their liking, but I don’t see that Maresca is a problem for Cole Palmer. I think he just needs to get back on track.

Forest’s Champions League Hopes

They’re in a different situation at Forest, of course. Nobody expected them to get into the Champions League. Talking about people like Gibbs-White, they’d be desperate to play in the Champions League next season, and we’ll keep a close eye on his movement in the summer.

They’re in Europe already, which is a great achievement in itself. But once you’ve got a chance of getting into the big time, you want to grab it, and they have got a chance.

Prediction

I do think Forest might just edge it. I think there’d be a great atmosphere there. Chelsea will be without Nicholas Jackson and Nkunku, and they struggled to put the ball in the net against Manchester United. That result at West Ham was brilliant for Forest – it reinstated some momentum. So I’ll go 2-1 to Forest.

Nottingham Forest 2 – 1 Chelsea

Newcastle’s European Experience

They’ve had that year’s experience in the Champions League, which, when you go into your debut campaign, it can hit you like a sledgehammer in terms of the quality, and then recovering in time for the Premier League game at the weekend is a lot. You obviously need quite a deep squad, a deep, talented squad to do well.

So that’s what Eddie Howe will be looking at: improving that squad, and hoping that he gets into the Champions League. They’ve won the first trophy, but not to get into the top five now, there’d be a tinge of disappointment in the season, even though they’ve won that first trophy in 70-odd years. The club is set up now for Champions League football, but they’ll feel they’re a little bit better equipped, having had that first year’s experience.

Everton’s Stadium Move

I think they’ve got to have optimism and excitement if you’re moving into a stadium like that. It looks like a fantastic arena down by the water. So there’ll be that initial excitement. If they lose 3-0 on their opening day at home, then that kind of ebbs away a little bit, but there’s a lot of work for David Moyes to do.

He’s the right man in charge – I don’t think you could get better in terms of knowledge of the club and what they need, but they do need a lot. They need to strengthen in attack. Doucoure is going, isn’t he? They’ve struggled to score goals. They’ve got a solid base with the likes of Tarkowski, Branthwaite, and Pickford, obviously, in goal, but they need more quality going forward.

Prediction

3-0 Newcastle.

Newcastle 3 – 0 Everton

Man City Rebuild Depends on Champions League

It is important. It’d be a real blow for them if they didn’t qualify. Obviously got the win last night to help them on the way, and I think they will get in there, but it’s a fairly big rebuild anyway for Guardiola now with Kevin De Bruyne and other players coming to the end of their careers.

So they need to finish in that top 5 without question, and if they didn’t, they’d go into the new campaign feeling not quite the same.

Jack Grealish’s Future

Villa fans would like to see him back there, given what he meant to them, a local boy and that. When he was a big part of that treble season, you thought the only way was up for him, but it’s gone the other way.

He’s a talented boy. He’s got to make sure he’s professional off the pitch – you hear all sorts of stories about his lifestyle, a bit of a party boy, and maybe that puts some managers off. But he wants to do well in the game, there’s no doubt about that. If he is available, he’ll get a club somewhere, if he’s willing to come to an agreement.

I don’t know about Newcastle – they’ve got Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes, haven’t they, on that left-hand side? Whether Unai Emery would want him back at Villa, I’m not sure. It might be another club.

Marco Silva at Fulham

I think he is underrated. Fulham are in that mid-table position, but they’re one of those teams that any manager would fear facing, or be aware that they’re going to face a well-drilled team under Marco Silva.

He went to Everton, didn’t he? He jumped from Watford, went there, and it didn’t work out in the end, but he’s found a home at Fulham. And he’s been well supported in terms of getting players in. So he’s a very good coach, and you wouldn’t be surprised at some stage if he went up a level.

Prediction

Well, given that it’s the last game of the season for Fulham at home and everything, City need to get the win to secure the top 5. I’ll go for a City win, 2-0.

Fulham 0 – 2 Manchester City

Looking at my predictions, Chelsea would miss out. The game at Forest is huge. They might get something out of it, but I think they might just miss out.

There may not be many seasons where the bottom has been decided and the top has not going into the final fixtures. I’ve done a few survival Sundays, you know, relegation ones, and they’re almost better than the ones at the top, because of the tension and everything. But it’s who’s gonna finish in the top 5 we’re looking at now.

As the Premier League season will have concluded, I’ll be back next week to provide expert insights and analysis as we look ahead to the Champions League final between PSG and Inter Milan. I’ll be breaking down the key matchups, tactics, and predictions for this thrilling European showdown — only on Best Betting Sites.