EPL Week 9 Predictions: Clubs Guaranteed to Prevail This Weekend

The Premier League returns to the forefront of club football this weekend with 10 intriguing matchups scheduled for Week 9. 

Defending league champions Manchester United, who have appeared lost at times through the first eight weeks of the season, will look to right the ship at Old Trafford against a struggling Stoke City squad.

Elsewhere, contenders such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool will aim to keep up their impressive pace at the top of the league table.

With kickoff right around the corner, here are my predictions for Premier League Week 9.

Home	Score	Away
Crystal Palace	1-3	Arsenal
Aston Villa	2-2	Everton
Liverpool	2-0	West Bromwich Albion
Manchester United	3-0	Stoke City
Norwich City	1-1	Cardiff City
Southampton	1-0	Fulham
Sunderland	0-2	Newcastle United
Chelsea	2-1	Manchester City
Swansea City	2-1	West Ham United
Tottenham Hotspur	1-0	Hull City

Arsenal Will Remain Atop Table with Win Over Crystal Palace

The Gunners will visit Selhurst Park in Week 9 to take on Crystal Palace in a match they are sure to win.

By the time kickoff arrives on Saturday, Arsenal will have had several days to recover from their loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. Therefore, watch for Arsene Wenger's squad to come out energized and in attack mode from the start.

Crystal Palace have won just one of four league matches at home this season, beating the Premier League's only remaining winless club in Sunderland back in August.

Even worse, the Eagles have been outscored 6-1 in their past two league games at home, falling 2-0 to Swansea City and 4-1 to Fulham last week. 

Given the immense firepower at the Gunners' disposal and the lack thereof for the Eagles, it's nearly impossible to imagine Arsenal stumbling this weekend with first place in the league table at stake.

Manchester United Set to Bounce Back vs. Stoke City

Trailing Arsenal by eight points in the league table coming into the weekend, Manchester United have very little room for error moving forward. Fortunately for the Red Devils, they'll be matched up with Stoke City at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The Potters have lost three of their four road matches this season and have mustered just two goals in total in those four matches. Stoke City have scored just four times in total this season.

Although United have looked a different club under David Moyes through the first eight weeks of the season, coming away with anything less than three points against Stoke City at home simply isn't an option.

Plus, with a handful of winnable matches on the horizon, the Red Devils can potentially ignite a rally with a victory this weekend.

Southampton Will Stifle Fulham En Route to Fifth Win

Southampton have been the Premier League's biggest surprise by far through the first two months. But don't expect the Saints to fall back down to earth in Week 9.

Mauricio Pochettino's men will host Fulham this weekend in a very winnable match at St. Mary's Stadium.

And through eight matches, Southampton have been getting the job done with defense. The Saints have only conceded three goals in league play this year, even shutting out Liverpool at Anfield last month. 

What's more, Southampton haven't allowed more than one goal in a match since last April's loss to West Brom. That's terrible news for a Fulham squad that has struggled to find the back of the net this season.

Unlike some of the league's other top teams, Southampton are not a juggernaut on the offensive end. So while many will like the Saints to pick up three more points in Week 9, expect them to do so by a narrow margin.

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