Premier League Week 19 Fixtures: EPL Picks and Predictions

Liverpool and Manchester City will soak up the attention in Week 19 of the 2016-17 Premier League season, as two of England's most in-form teams go head-to-head.

Both have won three in a row and are among the favourites to win the title this year, with Chelsea building a significant advantage in the race. The Blues could be major winners based on the outcome of the Saturday evening fixture at Anfield, as they take on lowly Stoke City earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, Arsenal will host Crystal Palace on Sunday, and Manchester United will take on Middlesbrough at home on Saturday.

Here's a look at the schedule for Week 19, complete with picks and predictions:

Date	Home	Away	Prediction
Friday, Dec. 30	Hull City	Everton	1-2
Saturday, Dec. 31	Leicester City	West Ham United	1-1
Saturday, Dec. 31	Burnley	Sunderland	0-0
Saturday, Dec. 31	Chelsea	Stoke	2-0
Saturday, Dec. 31	Manchester United	Middlesbrough	3-1
Saturday, Dec. 31	Southampton	West Bromwich Albion	2-1
Saturday, Dec. 31	Swansea City	Bournemouth	0-1
Saturday, Dec. 31	Liverpool	Manchester City	2-2
Sunday, Jan. 1	Watford	Tottenham Hotspur	0-2
Sunday, Jan. 1	Arsenal	Crystal Palace	2-0

There's little doubt the clash at Anfield is Week 19's main event. City manager Pep Guardiola only added to the anticipation by showing up in person at Liverpool's last match.

BBC Sport's Phil McNulty approved:

When Liverpool colleague Jurgen Klopp was informed, he had this response:

The Reds and Citizens have scored the most and second-most goals in the league this year, respectively, and are both surging with three consecutive wins. City have conceded one fewer goal, but overall, their statistics look similar.

City manager Guardiola will have a big decision to make regarding star striker Sergio Aguero. The Argentinian returns from a four-game suspension, and common sense dictates he'll go straight back into the team.

But the Citizens have won three straight with Kevin De Bruyne in a central role, playing some of their best football of the season in stretches in the process.

James Baylis - AMA/Getty Images

Aguero should be well rested after his lengthy absence, and in the busy festive period, where legs tend to tire quickly, that should be a major factor in Guardiola's decision. Expect the Argentinian to start and be extra motivated upon his return.

For Liverpool, it doesn't appear star midfielder Philippe Coutinho will be fit in time for the match, via Selecao Brasileira:

In his absence, Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana have taken care of much of the creativity in the attacking third, but there's little doubt the Reds would have a far better chance of beating the Citizens with the Brazil international.

Antonio Conte and his Chelsea squad will aim for their 13th straight win at home against Stoke, who put together an embarrassing defensive showing in the 4-1 loss against Liverpool in their last outing.

The Blues are expected to cruise to a win, but with the schedule taking a turn for the worse after Week 19, Conte could opt to rest a few starters.

Per the team's official Twitter account, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois knows the Blues are in for a rough stretch:

Conte never liked resting his starters when he coached Juventus, but he's never had to manage through the festive period before. If the Italian is smart, he'll give two or three of his key players the day off and take his chances against one of the more out-of-form teams in the league.

Arsenal halted their two-match losing skid with a win over West Bromwich Albion in Week 18, but the Gunners didn't impress in the process. Fortunately for manager Arsene Wenger, his side host a slumping Crystal Palace team on Sunday, and another win should follow.