Premier League Fixtures: Live Stream, TV Schedule and Week 20 EPL Predictions
The Premier League season has reached its halfway point, and there is already a lot of separation at the top of the table.
Not only are Chelsea six points clear at the top, there are nine points separating sixth place and seventh. There is still a lot of time for clubs to move up and down the table, but the time to make a move is now.
Matchday 20 features several exciting battles after a short turnaround from the previous set of matches, which makes this an intriguing few days to follow.
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| Jan. 2 | Middlesbrough vs. Leicester City | 7:30 a.m. | NBC Sports | Leicester, 1-0 |
| Jan. 2 | Everton vs. Southampton | 10 a.m. | - | Everton, 2-1 |
| Jan. 2 | Manchester City vs. Burnley | 10 a.m. | CNBC | Man City, 3-1 |
| Jan. 2 | Sunderland vs. Liverpool | 10 a.m. | NBC Sports | Liverpool, 3-0 |
| Jan. 2 | West Bromwich Albion vs. Hull City | 10 a.m. | - | West Brom, 2-0 |
| Jan. 2 | West Ham United vs. Manchester United | 12:15 p.m. | NBC Sports | Man Utd, 1-0 |
| Jan. 3 | Bournemouth vs. Arsenal | 2:45 p.m. | NBC Sports | Arsenal 1-0 |
| Jan. 3 | Crystal Palace vs. Swansea City | 3 p.m. | - | Draw, 2-2 |
| Jan. 3 | Stoke City vs. Watford | 3 p.m. | - | Draw, 1-1 |
| Jan. 4 | Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea | 3 p.m. | NBC Sports | Tottenham, 2-1 |
All games can be live-streamed at NBCSports.com.
Top Matches to Watch
West Ham United vs. Manchester United
Although Manchester United are sixth in the table, few clubs have been playing as well as them in recent weeks. They have won five EPL matches in a row and are unbeaten in the last 10 Premier League contests.
Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have been worth the expenditure, helping the team score multiple goals in each of the last four matches.
The only question is how the squad will react to playing just two days after last appearing on Saturday.
"It's crazy," Ibrahimovic said about the quick turnaround, per Jamie Jackson of the Guardian. "There is no superman, there is no strength that can recover from a game so fast and I cannot do nothing about it. If the coach wants me to play, I will play. But let’s be realistic, from a game you need to recover two or three days."
The forward will reportedly play, and even at less than 100 percent, he is still capable of making an impact. With 12 goals already this season, the former Sweden international is a major threat in this one.
West Ham United have a quality midfield that can keep up with Manchester United, especially Dimitri Payet. For the team to pull off the upset, the Frenchman will need to outduel his countryman, Pogba, for 90 minutes. The Hammers' inconsistent back line will also have to be near perfect.
In what will likely be a slow match with tired players, one mistake could be the difference.
Bournemouth vs. Arsenal
Arsenal will be another squad playing on just two days of rest, but it helps when you have as much depth as this club.
While players like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are two of the best in the league up top, the team has multiple options at virtually every attacking position. If manager Arsene Wenger wants to make some shifts to rest players—or use quick substitutions for fresh legs—he can do it without losing much production.
Olivier Giroud showed what he can do Sunday with this incredible goal:
When a player who mostly comes off the bench can do that, you are in great shape.
The same cannot be said about Bournemouth, who have an experienced and talented group of players but not a lot of consistency. They are coming off a 3-0 win over Swansea City but allowed six goals combined in the previous two matches.
Although Steve Cook and Simon Francis lead a quality group of defensive players, it's difficult to imagine the back line keeping Arsenal off the scoresheet for the entire match.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea
The London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea is clearly the matchday's most anticipated fixture, with the top team in the EPL facing the fourth-placed side.
Chelsea are the hottest team in the world right now, winning an incredible 13 matches in a row to equal a Premier League record. One more win against Tottenham would set a new milestone for consecutive league victories, and everyone else could probably start thinking about second place.
However, this match will not be an easy one.
Spurs are in great form as well with four straight wins. They have an elite scorer in Harry Kane and playmakers who can get him the ball. It's likely they will hold possession against Chelsea and limit scoring chances.
In November, Tottenham took an early lead against the Blues before giving it up in the second half, and Spurs will be looking for better fortune this time around.
Even Chelsea manager Antonio Conte called this "the biggest test" of the streak, per Liam Twomey of ESPN FC.
Perhaps most importantly, the match will take place at White Hart Lane, where Tottenham have been outstanding this season. They have seven wins and two draws in nine matches, making them one of only two Premier League teams (alongside Liverpool) to be unbeaten at home.
This match will be extremely important for Tottenham as they try to climb up the table, and they could do just enough to pull out a victory.
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