Premier League Table 2013 Week 9: Early Predictions for Next Week After Saturday

Saturday’s Premier League action brought a host of surprises and a very welcome 27 goals from its eight top-flight games.

Liverpool were bumped from their perch near the summit of the division after their 2-2 draw at Newcastle, while Arsenal took advantage of that blip, assuming top spot for themselves.

Elsewhere, Manchester United continued their very patchy form, surrendering a 1-0 lead at the death at home to Southampton. With the 1-1 draw, United are no closer to the form worthy of a title defence.

Position	Club	Played	Wins	Draws	Losses	Goal Difference	Points
1	Arsenal	8	6	1	1	9	19
2	Chelsea	8	5	2	1	9	17
3	Liverpool	8	5	2	1	6	17
4	Manchester City	8	5	1	2	11	16
5	Southampton	8	4	3	1	5	15
6	Everton	8	4	3	1	2	15
7	Tottenham Hotspur	7	4	1	2	1	13
8	Manchester United	8	3	2	3	1	11
9	Hull City	8	3	2	3	-2	11
10	Newcastle United	8	3	2	3	-3	11
11	Swansea City	8	3	1	4	1	10
12	Aston Villa	7	3	1	3	1	10
13	West Bromwich Albion	8	2	4	2	1	10
14	West Ham United	8	2	2	4	0	8
15	Stoke City	8	2	2	4	-3	8
16	Cardiff City	8	2	2	4	-5	8
17	Fulham	7	2	1	4	-4	7
18	Norwich City	8	2	1	5	-7	7
19	Crystal Palace	7	1	0	6	-8	3
20	Sunderland	8	0	1	7	-15	1

While it is perhaps still too early to tell, Saturday’s return to Premier League action following the international break gave us a glimpse of how teams will go on as we near the winter period.

Aston Villa vs. Everton

Prediction: 2-2

Since the days of Martin O’Neill, Martin Laursen and Olof Mellberg, Aston Villa haven’t quite been competing for Europe alongside Everton as they were five or six years ago.

However, the Birmingham outfit are steadily getting back to those ways under Paul Lambert and have shown sparks of the pedigree needed to maintain a top 10 challenge this season.

For both Villa and Everton, it’s been a case of attack outshining defence. The pair have kept just five clean sheets between them this term.

In Romelu Lukaku and Christian Benteke, the Toffees and Villans, respectively, have two of Belgium’s finest striking assets. It’s more than likely that duo will have a big say in how tightly this Villa Park encounter is run.

Sunderland vs. Newcastle United

Prediction: 1-2

The first northeast derby of the season will see Newcastle United striving for retribution after being handed a 3-0 defeat at home the last time these two sides met.

There won’t be a better opportunity for Alan Pardew’s side to do just that, either. The Black Cats are without a win so far in this league campaign while the Magpies have won three of their last six.

Gus Poyet’s first game in charge of Sunderland ended in a miserable 4-0 defeat away at Swansea City, but the Uruguayan will be hoping that his first match at the Stadium of Light will end far more jovially.

On one hand, Poyet couldn’t hope for better circumstances in which to make his home debut. On the other, and given the form his side are in, he couldn’t hope for worse.

Chelsea vs. Manchester City

Prediction: 3-2

There hasn’t been much to choose between Chelsea and Manchester City so far this season, the two sides many supposed would be the main candidates for the Premier League title.

On Saturday, the Blue giants of the English top flight netted an impressive seven goals between them while conceding just two and are in promising attacking form heading into their Stamford Bridge clash.

A lot will rest on whether or not Martin Demichelis or Vincent Kompany can regain fitness in time for the match.

The official Manchester City Twitter account gave some brief words from Pellegrini concerning his defensive stars:

The win at West Ham United was Pellegrini’s first triumph away from home this season, but West London will be a far tougher place to travel for the Chilean in a fixture that could quite easily go either way.