Premier League Fixtures: Week 26 Schedule, Score Predictions for EPL Matchday

The Premier League's top six could look a lot different after the season's 26th week. Three of its members won't be in action, as Manchester United face Southampton in the EFL Cup final on Sunday, leaving their would-be respective league opponents, Manchester City and Arsenal, without a game.

It means United, City and the Gunners could lose more ground in both the title race and the battle to secure a top-four finish. Much will depend on leaders Chelsea, third-placed Tottenham Hotspur and fifth-placed Liverpool all winning.

Of the three, Chelsea and Spurs seem the surest winners on Matchday 26. Both are at home, with table-topping Blues entertaining relegation-threatened Swansea City at Stamford Bridge, while Spurs host Stoke City at White Hart Lane.

Here is the full list of fixtures, along with the schedule information and a score prediction for each match:

Date	Time (GMT/ET)	Match	Score
Saturday, February 25	3 p.m./10 a.m.	Chelsea vs. Swansea City	2-1
Saturday, February 25	3 p.m./10 a.m.	Crystal Palace vs. Middlesbrough	0-0
Saturday, February 25	3 p.m./10 a.m.	Everton vs. Sunderland	2-0
Saturday, February 25	3 p.m./10 a.m.	Hull City vs. Burnley	2-1
Saturday, February 25	3 p.m./10 a.m.	West Bromwich Albion vs. Bournemouth	2-0
Saturday, February 25	5:30 p.m./12:30 p.m.	Watford vs. West Ham United	2-1
Sunday, February 26	1:30 p.m./8:30 a.m.	Tottenham Hotspur vs. Stoke City	3-1
Monday, February 27	8 p.m./3 p.m.	Leicester City vs. Liverpool	1-2

Preview

It's difficult looking past the idea of Chelsea doing anything other than padding their lead at the top on Saturday, despite the Swans enjoying something of a revival under head coach Paul Clement. Since Carlo Ancelotti's former right-hand man took over, Swansea have won at Liverpool and beaten champions Leicester City.

One of Clement's key contributions has been to get the Welsh club's best players back to top form. In particular, playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson has been exceptional lately. The Icelandic wizard is thriving between the lines and linking superbly with target man Fernando Llorente.

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Former Juventus striker Llorente played for Chelsea's Antonio Conte in Turin and was even linked with a transfer to Stamford Bridge earlier this year, per Chris Davie of Metro. His aerial power should worry his old boss.

Sigurdsson and Llorente are sure to pose problems for a Chelsea back line that could miss David Luiz. The Brazilian suffered an ankle problem during the 1-1 draw at Burnley on February 12 and was rested for Saturday's FA Cup win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Conte indicated Luiz has a strong chance to be ready to face Swansea, per Metro's Evan Bartlett. Yet if the Brazil international isn't fit, the former Italy boss will need to trust youngsters Kurt Zouma or Nathan Ake to take his place.

Clement will have the bigger concerns, though, especially when it comes to stopping Chelsea's lightning-fast counter-attacks.

Nobody is breaking with the pace, ingenuity and class the Blues are producing this season. Striker Diego Costa usually rounds off most moves, but supporting forward Pedro is also a major threat.

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The former Barcelona man is beginning to find his feet after initially struggling with life in England's top flight under previous managers Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink. Pedro has scored 10 times across league and cup action since Conte took the reins, according to WhoScored.com.

Expect Pedro, Costa and Co. to have too much quality in forward areas for Swansea to resist for long.

If Chelsea can be expected to win, so can Spurs—despite their struggles in front of goal recently. Tottenham were blanked by both Liverpool in the Premier League and Belgian side KAA Gent in the UEFA Europa League in two of their last three outings in all contests.

However, star striker Harry Kane struck a hat-trick to help the north London club get past Fulham in the FA Cup on Sunday. Hs goals mean Spurs have rediscovered their scoring touch at the crunch period of the season.

An on-form Kane should scare the rest of the Premier League, because more than anything else, it's the Englishman's movement and shooting power that really make Tottenham credible players at the top end of the table.

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Kane ought to have his way with a Stoke defence breached 36 times this campaign, per the league's official website. If Tottenham get the supply right, they should go above City into second—Danish schemer Christian Eriksen, among others, will have to deliver.

Things may not be as straightforward for Liverpool, though, even if champions Leicester find themselves hovering precariously above the drop zone. The Foxes are just one point clear of the bottom three and are enduring a nightmare run.

All of the magic of last season has disappeared, with star attackers Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez both misfiring each week. The former has scored just five times in the league, and ex-Foxes player Frank McLintock believes Vardy's disappearing act is the main reason his old club is in trouble, according to Peter Edwards of the Sunday Express.

McLintock believes former non-league player Vardy has got carried away with his rapid rise the last few seasons: "The people who fail are the ones who get carried away. You just can't afford to get carried away because if you do, you get bitten on the bum."

Vardy has been below par, but he still has the pace and finishing quality to burn a Liverpool side routinely exposed on the break this season. Manager Jurgen Klopp loves his team to press high and in numbers, but it hasn't always left the Reds solid at the back.

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Vardy and Mahrez were lethal on the counter a year ago, something Liverpool must be wary of. The England international may have gone missing for most of this campaign, but he did hit a hat-trick against Manchester City in December, offering a reminder of his ability to raise his game against marquee opposition.

Still, Klopp's squad is loaded with forward-thinking players capable of punishing the Foxes. Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho should have too much trickery for a Leicester defence gone stale.

It will be a grind, but Liverpool know they must leave the King Power Stadium with all three points to take full advantage of their closest rivals not being in action.

There will be changes in the top six, and they are sure to put extra pressure on those not in action. The likes of United, Arsenal and City must make the most of their games in hand or risk losing out to those maintaining momentum.