Premier League Primer: Can Cole Palmer continue his Cristiano Ronaldo character arc, are Aston Villa losing steam, and can Liverpool officially ruin Arsenal's season?

Gary Neville said something admittedly silly last weekend when he compared Cole Palmer - Premier League goals since January, three - to football legend Cristiano Ronaldo. Anyone who knows anything about the sport could see it was a bit of a throwaway comment from someone who has a laughable bias towards maverick English talent.

But there was a vague layer of truth to his claim. Palmer is capable of carrying a team in the same way that Ronaldo did for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. When he's on song, Chelsea are very hard to beat. Such was the case against Liverpool last Sunday.

And it will have to be the same when Chelsea take on Newcastle Sunday morning at 7 a.m. ET. Eddie Howe has the Magpies playing some fantastic stuff. A win for them would secure Champions League football for good. Chelsea, currently in fifth and level on points, could not only spoil the party but also book a spot of their own. Palmer will be central to that effort.

Let's face it: Aston Villa are perhaps the most likeable team left in that ever-interesting battle for fifth place. Chelsea spend loads. Newcastle are sort of mean. Nottingham Forest, PSR violations and all, aren't quite the fairytale that their fans might have you believe.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, do things "the right way" - whatever that means. They have a clever manager in Unai Emery, well-managed squad, and no bona fide superstar. Most importantly, though, they're good fun to watch. And although sports don't always work that way, it would be nice to see the Birmingham club rewarded for their efforts.

They're currently in seventh place, three points out of a Champions League spot, and well off the pace on goal differential. They need to win - ideally by a lot - and hope that Newcastle or Chelsea take points off each other. Before that happens, though, they face a tricky matchup of their own, taking on Andoni Iraola's tricky Bournemouth.

They, too, have an agenda, and are clinging on to eighth place, which might earn them a spot in the Europa Conference League - a fine achievement for a club of their size. In other words, they won't just roll over. The fixture, at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, could be season-defining for both sides.

It hasn't been the best week for Arsenal. First, their Champions League dreams crumbled with a whimper. And now, things get even worse as they will be forced to give Premier League champions Liverpool a guard of honor at Anfield.

It's not a great one for the Mikel Arteta project, which is now in its sixth year without any silverware. Progress is clear to see, but trophies matter. So far, there isn't one to show for their improvement.

Liverpool, meanwhile, played 90 minutes of brutally hungover soccer against Chelsea last weekend, looking every bit a team that was still a little woozy after celebrating a league win. Ironically, just a few months ago, this game, set for Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET, could have been the biggest of the season. Instead, it feels like a bit of a procession, but one that both teams will really want to win.

Mo Salah, of course, will be the center of attention. The Egyptian winger might have set a new record for Premier League goal contributions in a single season, but he won't want to stop there.

+ Tyler Adams will hope to play spoiler for Bournemouth, who can derail Aston Villa's Champions League push with a home win against the Villains.

+ Crystal Palace might have one eye on the FA Cup final, but manager Oliver Glasner has shown every intention of still trying to stay in form in the league. Chris Richards will be part of that effort when the Eagles take on Spurs on Sunday.

Chris Wilson makes Premier League Predictions for Matchday 36: Aston Villa have seen their form dip since departing the Champions League tournament. Good news for the Cherries looking to secure some more points at home. Goals have been the name of the game for both sides this term, both averaging a total of 2.5+ in 60 percent of their games.

Bournemouth are well placed to defend their patch, unbeaten in their last five. Villa’s visits to the Vitality hardly go well, winless in their last three. Intriguingly, the over 2.5 goals line has been hit in all three of these matches.

Meanwhile, Liverpool became league champions a fortnight ago, but will be back at Anfield this weekend to celebrate with their own. There will be n atmosphere of jubilation and celebration, something the gutted Gunners will not cope well with.

PSG dispatched Arsenal with aplomb, sending the demoralized Gunners back home to face those who took the title from them. Anfield will be bouncing, and a visiting Arsenal will be flat, leaving only one result for Liverpool.

All odds are courtesy of bet365 & BetMGM, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change.

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