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Premier League Primer Getty/GOAL
Tom Hindle

Premier League Primer: Liverpool's title procession Manchester United's tactical dilemma, Fulham's push to keep European dreams alive

GOAL US looks at Liverpool's inevitable trophy lift, Fulham's European ambitions, and selection dilemmas ahead of a busy week

And so we get to the obligatory bit. Has a Premier League title ever felt so processional? So unsurprising? Tell a Liverpool fan nine months ago that they were going to win the league, and they might have laughed. Tell them in February that they would have to wait until the end of April, and they might have been slightly peeved. We have, as Jamie Carragher told GOAL earlier this month, been slightly spoiled in recent years.

Title races have brought jeopardy, drama, and expectations. Most leagues are won pretty comfortably by a decent margin. And Liverpool, barring a mad Tottenham result at Anfield, will wrap theirs up on Sunday.

Midweek European clashes ahead for Spurs, Arsenal and Man United have rather distracted from domestic football. Perhaps the most drama is to be found in the sort of mid-table areas that would normally be irrelevant at this point. If results go a certain way, the Premier League could have 10 clubs in Europe next year. That really feels like too many.

That is, unless you're one of the fringe clubs that are now in with a shot. Such is the case of Fulham, who, with a few wins, could find themselves in some sort of European football next year - an undoubtedly massive achievement for the club.

GOAL looks at Liverpool's inevitable title lift, Fulham's European ambitions, and the selection dilemmas plaguing the league in the Premier League Primer, a weekly rundown of what to watch from an American perspective in England's top flight.

  • FBL-ENG-PR-LEICESTER-LIVERPOOLAFP

    Liverpool, and the slow march to the title

    This has never been particularly fun. Title races, in recent years, have been dramatic things. Even if Man City's wins have felt both inevitable and cold-blooded, they have usually come with a sense of jeopardy - second halves of the season defined by Pep Guardiola's machines chugging into life. The result may be tiresome, but the content is always enthralling.

    By comparison, 2025 has been a bore. Liverpool are the best team by some distance. Arsenal have done a pretty good job of beating themselves at various points over the course of the season. But Arne Slot's men have seldom been emphatic. Everything has been controlled, death by 10,000 Mo Salah-sized papercuts.

    And this weekend, they will almost certainly seal the thing for good. Spurs - maddeningly inconsistent and entirely unpredictable - are the opponent. A draw on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET will get them over the line. At this point, it seems more of an obligation.

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  • Ruben AmorimGOAL

    Ruben Amorim's tactical dilemmas get worse

    What can Ruben Amorim really do with the remainder of the Prem season? Man United are not going to get relegated. They are not going to make European football without the help of winning the Europa League, either. It leaves Amorim with a difficult decision. He doesn't want to drop points and shred morale. But he also needs to keep legs fresh ahead of a semifinal in which, by most measures, they are thoroughly outmatched against Real Sociedad.

    The manager changed things up against Wolves, benching half of his starting XI - leading to an entirely predictable 1-0 loss. They are now on their worst run of form at home in 60 years. The good news, at least, is that they're playing away this weekend. The bad news is a well-drilled and expansive Bournemouth side are their opponent.

    It will be an interesting tactical game Sunday at 9 a.m. ET, at least. Odds are, he gives the big guns a brief cameo - but will that be enough to bring the vibes back?

  • Raul Jimenez Fulham Arsenal 2024-25Getty

    Fulham try to stop the slide

    There was a time, just a few weeks ago, when it looked as if Fulham could push for a Champions League spot. U.S. international Antonee Robinson was the best left back we had all ever seen. Raul Jimenez was banging in goals for fun. Alex Iwobi was making good on years of promise. The good times were rolling in full.

    Funny how soccer changes. Consecutive losses - including a mightily harsh defeat to Chelsea - have them on the outside looking in. They now need to pretty much win out - and hope that either United or Spurs push their way to Europa League glory. It must be admitted that neither of those things look particularly likely for the Cottagers.

    All they can do, then, is try to pick up points on their own terms. And in that sense, they have been handed a friendly fixture this weekend. Southampton are officially not the worst team in Premier League history after picking up their 11th point earlier this month. But they're a close second. If there ever was a team to play when you need a win, this is it. Saturday morning at 10 a.m .ET. is their chance to get it done.

  • American ties

    + Antonee Robinson faces a big game for Fulham this week. A win against Southampton would propel the Cottagers back into the European picture.

    + Chris Richards isn't in Premier League action. Instead, he will likely be in the XI as Crystal Palace take on Aston Villa in the FA Cup semifinal. If Palace pull off an upset, he would become one of just a handful of Americans to play in an FA Cup final.

  • Cody Gakpo Trent Alexander-Arnold Arne SlotGetty

    Premier League Predictions

    Match

    Selection

    Odds

    Brighton vs West Ham

    Brighton

    -150

    Southampton vs Fulham

    Fulham

    -155

    Wolves vs Leicester

    Wolves

    -175

    Bournemouth vs Manchester United

    Draw

    +310

    Liverpool vs Tottenham

    Liverpool

    -380

    Chris Wilson provides Premier League Predictions for Matchday 34. True value is hard to come by this weekend. The bookmakers have marked several sides out as huge favorites. Brighton, Fulham, Wolves and Liverpool all fall into that category.A draw in Bournemouth vs Manchester United is a more realistic longer-odds bet.

    Odds via bet365, correct as at time of publishing and subject to change.

  • Where to watch? Los Angeles

    It's time to head out west. This week we feature Los Angeles.

    The Fox and Hounds has been a stalwart of the LA British community for years. A "proper British pub" that serves the kind of pints you might find in the U.K., it has long been a gathering spot for Premier League fans of all clubs - 15 TVs, good vibes, a full English, and loads of footy. What more could you want?