English Premier League: 5 Games to Watch This Weekend

Back to business, then. The stretch run is just around the corner.

The transfer window is closed. The FA Cup is on the back burner. The Champions League is still more than a week out.

That means the English Premier League returns to center stage this weekend. And with a full slate of games Saturday and Sunday, there's plenty of excitement on offer for fans.

Every match promises its share of intrigue, but some games figure to stand out from the others. Today we're picking five games to watch this weekend, complete with analysis and bold predictions.

What do you think? Which game will you be watching this weekend? Let us know in the comments.

1. Manchester United-Liverpool

When: Saturday, 7:45 a.m. Eastern

Where: Old Trafford

TV: ESPN2, ESPN3.com

Why you should watch: Come on. It's Manchester United and Liverpool. It's perhaps the rivalry of English football.

If that's not enough, storylines abound.

The last time these two old rivals met in the league, Chicharito scored a late equalizer and United rescued a 1-1 draw as Liverpool stakeholder LeBron James watched on. What's more, the match included the now-infamous Evra-Suarez incident.

More recently, the teams played out an epic FA Cup match, with Dirk Kuyt grabbing a late winner for Liverpool. Now, Suarez is back from his eight-game ban; United are chasing Manchester City at the top of the table, and Liverpool are desperately trying to stay in the race for fourth place.

Who will win: United. The Red Devils will ride the momentum they created with their three-goal comeback against Chelsea on Sunday. Liverpool, meanwhile, will have one fewer day to prepare after their Monday clash with Tottenham Hotspur. 2-1.

2. Blackburn-QPR

When: Saturday, 10 a.m. Eastern

Where: Ewood Park

TV: Fox Soccer Plus (delayed, 2 p.m.)

Why you should watch: This is a relegation six-pointer that, thanks to QPR's free spending in the transfer market, doesn't feel like anything of the sort.

Don't be fooled, though. Blackburn are 19th, squarely in the relegation zone. QPR are 16th, one point above the drop. So why does it feel so unlike a relegation battle? Probably because QPR signed Bobby Zamora, Djibril Cissé and Nedum Onuoha during the transfer window.

The £11.5 million QPR spent was the most in the league. So will it buy survival?

Saturday's match will tell us a lot. Cissé is suspended after being sent off against Wolves, but Zamora should be available.

Plus, there's always the chance of fireworks when Joey Barton is playing.

Who will win: QPR. Blackburn must be reeling from the 7-1 beating inflicted by Arsenal over the weekend. It's hard to see them rebounding. 0-2.

3. Bolton-Wigan

When: Saturday, 10 a.m. Eastern

Where: Reebok Stadium

TV: Fox Soccer Plus (delayed, 6 p.m.)

Why you should watch: It's another relegation six-pointer, but in this one the stakes are even higher.

Both teams are scuffling. Both are mired in the relegation zone—Bolton 18th with 20 points (one away from safety) and Wigan rock-bottom with 16 points.

A loss for Wigan would make survival—already a long shot—even more unlikely, while defeat for Bolton would represent a missed opportunity to climb out of danger.

Who will win: Bolton. Owen Coyle's team generated plenty of chances in the recent scoreless draw at home to Arsenal. They'll find the net against Wigan, who will have some success against Bolton's transfer-weakened defense. 2-1.

4. Sunderland-Arsenal

When: Saturday, 10 a.m. Eastern

Where: Stadium of Light

TV: Fox Soccer Plus (live)

Why you should watch: Hard as it is to believe, Sunderland are only seven points behind Arsenal (and a not-all-that-unassailable 10 points behind Chelsea for fourth).

After an awful start to the season, the Black Cats are surging under new boss Martin O’Neill. Sunderland resided in the relegation zone as recently as Dec. 10, but now they're pushing for Europe.

How have they done it? Check out this form table (screenshot from Football365.co.uk), which covers the last eight matches for each team in the English Premier League. Sunderland top the league over the last eight games by three points over the Manchester duopoly.

A win over Arsenal on Saturday would make life a lot more interesting—whether good or bad—for both clubs.

Who will win: Draw. Don't forget Arsenal in all this. The psychological boost from the Gunners' 7-1 thumping of Blackburn over the weekend can't be understated. But Sunderland have a solid team that's in great form under the watchful eye of Martin O'Neill. This could be the game of the weekend, or the teams could cancel each other out. 1-1, with Arsenal conceding a late equalizer.

5. Spurs-Newcastle

When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Eastern

Where: White Hart Lane

TV: Fox Soccer (live)

Why you should watch: Both teams need points. And both have been involved in high-scoring games this year.

Harry Redknapp's Tottenham Hotspur trail league-leading Manchester City by eight points with a game in hand (pending Monday's result against Liverpool). Newcastle trail Chelsea by one point in the race for fourth place and England's final Champions League berth.

Spurs have been involved in several high-scoring games this year, including their 5-1 loss to Manchester City and their 4-0 win over Liverpool in September. The same goes for Newcastle, who beat Manchester United 3-0 but lost 4-2 to Norwich and 5-2 to Fulham.

What does it all mean? It means anything can happen. Don't be surprised when it does.

Who will win: Spurs. Harry Redknapp made some interesting signings in the January transfer window, bringing in oft-injured forward Louis Saha and defender Ryan Nelsen. Those new faces will affect Spurs one way or the other, and we think the net result will be positive. 3-2.