EPL Week 15 Predictions: Projecting Top Performers and Biggest Surprises

If we have learned anything from the English Premier League season, it is that matches do not always go as expected.

This past week featured a number of surprising results, including Southampton losing at home to Aston Villa, while Everton earned a road win at Old Trafford against Manchester United. Even Sunderland came close to pulling off an upset against Chelsea.

With plenty of interesting matchups set for Week 15, fans should expect a few more surprising results over the weekend.

Here is a look at full predictions for the week, some upsets that could take place, as well as top players who should come through with big individual performances.

Date	Home	Predicted Score	Away
Dec. 7	Manchester United	2-2	Newcastle United
Dec. 7	Crystal Palace	0-1	Cardiff City
Dec. 7	Liverpool	3-1	West Ham United
Dec. 7	Southampton	2-1	Manchester City
Dec. 7	Stoke City	0-3	Chelsea
Dec. 7	West Bromwich Albion	1-1	Norwich City
Dec. 7	Sunderland	0-2	Tottenham
Dec. 8	Fulham	1-0	Aston Villa
Dec. 8	Arsenal	1-0	Everton
Dec. 9	Swansea City	2-1	Hull City

Biggest Surprises

Southampton Will Prevail Against Manchester City

When playing at Etihad Stadium, Manchester City are almost unstoppable. They have won all seven of their matches while outscoring opponents 29-2.

However, things have not gone as well away from home, where they have four losses and a draw in seven matches. The defense tends to make more mistakes, and the offense is not quite as dynamic.

As a result, Southampton will take advantage of this due to their great defensive ability. They will be able to stay disciplined against the opposing attack and keep the match relatively low-scoring.

If the home team can get some scoring, they can come away with a big win.

Manchester United's Woes Will Not End

After losing at home to Everton for the first time since 1992, David Moyes has come under the greatest pressure of his career. Manchester United sit ninth in the league table and are fading fast.

Unfortunately, a home match against Newcastle United will not necessarily ease the tension. This is due to the fact that Newcastle have done a great job of exceeding expectations against top clubs this year.

While the Magpies recently lost to Swansea City, they also have wins over Tottenham and Chelsea. They will be able to focus against Manchester United and come through with another strong performance.

Although Manchester United should be able to take advantage of an inconsistent defense, they will struggle to get more than one point out of the match.

Top Performers

Luis Suarez, Liverpool

After a four-goal performance against Hull City, there is no reason not to expect another big showing for Luis Suarez. 

The forward now leads the EPL with 13 goals and will face West Ham United, which have allowed three goals in four different matches this year. Suarez has the ability to accomplish this feat himself, although he will probably share the ball at least a little bit on Saturday.

Still, you can expect at least one or two goals from the talented scorer.

Roberto Soldado, Tottenham

While Tottenham have struggled to score for most of the season, things have been better in the last two matches as the club have two goals in each. The ball movement has been impressive and it is allowing more opportunities for everyone on the pitch.

Although Roberto Soldado has not gotten into the mix, it is only a matter of time until he finds the back of the net. 

This could come against Sunderland, which have allowed the most goals in the EPL this season. If Soldado can get going, it will be bad news for the rest of the league.

Artur Boruc, Southampton

When facing Manchester City, you can expect a lot of shots on net throughout the match. The good news is that Artur Boruc has proven that he can stop them with consistency. 

Although the past few matches have not been stellar for the keeper, returning home to a place where he feels comfortable will be key. As long as he does not try to dribble around opponents, he should be just fine as he helps lead Southampton to a win over City.

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