EPL Week 31 Predictions: Premier League Picks, Key Players and Fixtures
Chelsea take on Manchester City in the Premier League's most eye-catching Week 31 fixture, as Antonio Conte's men look to bounce back from their shock defeat at home to Crystal Palace.
Manchester United host Everton in the battle for the top four on Tuesday, and Hull City host Middlesbrough in a key clash at the bottom on Wednesday.
Elsewhere during the gameweek, Liverpool welcome Bournemouth to Anfield, Arsenal play host to West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur travel to Swansea City.
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Read on for a look at which players could play key roles, but first here is the complete schedule, including a prediction for each match:
| Tuesday, April 4 | 7:45 p.m./2:45 p.m. | Burnley vs. Stoke City | 1-0 |
| Tuesday, April 4 | 7:45 p.m./2:45 p.m. | Leicester City vs. Sunderland | 2-0 |
| Tuesday, April 4 | 7:45 p.m./2:45 p.m. | Watford vs. West Bromwich Albion | 1-1 |
| Tuesday, April 4 | 8 p.m./3 p.m. | Manchester United vs. Everton | 2-1 |
| Wednesday, April 5 | 7:45 p.m./2:45 p.m. | Arsenal vs. West Ham United | 3-0 |
| Wednesday, April 5 | 7:45 p.m./2:45 p.m. | Hull City vs. Middlesbrough | 1-0 |
| Wednesday, April 5 | 7:45 p.m./2:45 p.m. | Southampton vs. Crystal Palace | 2-2 |
| Wednesday, April 5 | 7:45 p.m./2:45 p.m. | Swansea City vs. Tottenham Hotspur | 1-2 |
| Wednesday, April 5 | 8 p.m./3 p.m. | Chelsea vs. Manchester City | 2-1 |
| Wednesday, April 5 | 8 p.m./3 p.m. | Liverpool vs. Bournemouth | 1-0 |
Diego Costa, Chelsea
Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey will deservedly take plenty of credit for keeping out the Blues on Saturday, but Chelsea could still have got something from the match had Diego Costa been his usually ruthless self.
The Spain international was guilty of wasting several chances, failing to add to his tally of 17 Premier League goals this season.
Bleacher Report UK's Sam Tighe noted as much:
While the Blues are still firm favourites for the Premier League title, a second successive defeat would reopen the race, and they can't afford to be wasteful again against City.
Conte will be hoping Costa can take advantage of the Sky Blues' vulnerability at the back. Football journalist Rafael Hernandez noted Pep Guardiola's team's struggles at the back during their 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday:
If the forward rediscovers his predatory instincts, he could punish City's defence and help Chelsea take another important step toward the title.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Manchester United
After serving the final match of this three-game suspension on Saturday, Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be available for selection once again for United.
The Red Devils demonstrated their struggles in finding the net without him on that day, when West Bromwich Albion held them to a 0-0 draw. They only got three of their 18 efforts on target.
Per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News (h/t the Mirror), manager Jose Mourinho said: "Zlatan, for sure, [is our top scorer]. I think [Juan] Mata will come after him. And if they are not [scoring], the situation gets more difficult."
ESPN's Alex Shaw believes United are unlikely to enjoy a positive end of the season:
A match at home to Everton will be another difficult test, provided the Toffees put in an improved showing on their poor display in Saturday's Merseyside derby.
Ibrahimovic's return could make the difference in what is likely to be a narrow contest.
Kamil Grosicki, Hull City
Perhaps the most crucial fixture of the round takes place at the KCOM Stadium, where Hull will take on relegation rivals Middlesbrough.
The Tigers will be tasked with breaking down one of the best defences in the Premier League, with only Chelsea, Spurs, United and City able to boast a better record than Boro's 33 conceded.
Hull are one of the least creative teams in the league—according to Squawka only Burnley, Sunderland and Boro themselves have created fewer chances this season—but they have a ray of hope heading into the match in Kamil Grosicki.
Grosicki made a match-winning contribution to help Hull come from behind to beat West Ham United 2-1 on Saturday, as the Tigers noted via Twitter:
Per Squawka, the January signing created eight chances in the six matches prior, which is a respectable return from someone playing for a team in Hull's position.
If the Tigers are to claim a vital three points against Boro on Wednesday, the winger will need to be able to carve open their defence with more incisive passing.
