EPL Week 9 Fixtures: TV Schedule, Live Stream Info and Preview for Upcoming Week
The 2013-'14 English Premier League season is still in its early stages, but we are already seeing plenty of separation in the table. Week 9 of play will likely make the divide even greater.
Most of the teams on top of the standings have relatively easy matchups that should see them earn three points. Of course, that is with the exception of the highly anticipated battle between Manchester City and Chelsea.
Still, the weekend will be a showcase for the contending clubs as the pretenders move further away from the top of the table.
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Here is a look at the upcoming matches of the week with a breakdown of the top teams in action. All matches can be seen on either NBC Sports Network or via live stream on NBC Live Extra.
| Oct. 26 | Crystal Palace | Arsenal | 7:45 a.m. | 12:45 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| Oct. 26 | Aston Villa | Everton | 10 a.m. | 3 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| Oct. 26 | Liverpool | West Bromwich Albion | 10 a.m. | 3 p.m. | Live Extra |
| Oct. 26 | Manchester United | Stoke City | 10 a.m. | 3 p.m. | Live Extra |
| Oct. 26 | Norwich City | Cardiff City | 10 a.m. | 3 p.m. | Live Extra |
| Oct. 26 | Southampton | Fulham | 12:30 p.m. | 5:30 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| Oct. 27 | Sunderland | Newcastle United | 9:30 a.m. | 2:30 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| Oct. 27 | Chelsea | Manchester City | 12 p.m. | 5 p.m. | NBC Sports |
| Oct. 27 | Swansea City | West Ham United | 12 p.m. | 5 p.m. | Live Extra |
| Oct. 27 | Tottenham | Hull City | 12 p.m. | 5 p.m. | Live Extra |
Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal
This is a matchup between the best club in the league so far against one of the worst.
Arsenal are red hot lately with six wins and a draw in their last seven league matches. The offense continues to get better as Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey keep finding the back of the net.
Despite a number of injuries in the midfield, the club keeps playing well every time out.
Conversely, Crystal Palace continues to suffer without last season's leading scorer Glenn Murray, who remains out with a knee injury. The summer transfer of Wilfried Zaha leaves the squad even more shorthanded.
There is simply not enough skill in the attack to match Arsenal on the scoresheet, which will lead to an easy win for the Gunners.
Prediction: Arsenal 3, Crystal Palace 0
Liverpool vs. West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion are better than what they have shown to get 10 points through eight matches. After a terrible start, though, they have gone five-straight matches without a loss, including a win over Manchester United and a draw against Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have struggled since its hot start. Easy wins over Sunderland and Crystal Palace do not make up for the fact that they have earned only two total points in matches against Southampton, Swansea City and Newcastle United.
Although these last three squads have a lot of talent, Liverpool needs to get wins if it wants to contend for a title or even a top-four spot in the table.
Fortunately, the Reds should be able to get back on track with this match with the ability to shut down an inconsistent West Brom attack. Liverpool's experienced back line with Simon Mignolet in net will keep this match scoreless, and a single goal by either Luis Suarez or Daniel Sturridge will be enough to win.
Prediction: Liverpool 1, West Bromwich Albion 0
Chelsea vs. Manchester City
This is clearly the match of the week as two of the most talented squads in the Premier League face off in an effort to secure second place for the moment.
The big difference in this match will be its location at Stamford Bridge. Each side has been dominant at home this year with four wins in four matches, although they both have struggled in road matches.
Manchester City have been especially poor with only four points earned in four matches, three of which came against West Ham United in the most recent match. Even with their elite attack, the defense appears to simply lose focus on the road.
Jose Mourinho has never lost a home league match as Chelsea's manager, and that is unlikely to change on Sunday. The Blues will continue to move the ball well and find the men up front enough times to come away with an important victory.
Prediction: Chelsea 2, Manchester City 1
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