Premier League Week 9 Fixtures: EPL Picks and Predictions for Matchday 9
Chelsea's visit to Old Trafford to face Manchester United is undoubtedly the pick of the Week 9 fixtures in the Premier League with the table-toppers looking to preserve their unbeaten record.
United's neighbours Manchester City can't take the top spot no matter what happens, but they will be eager to keep the pressure on Jose Mourinho's side by claiming three points at in-form West Ham.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, Newcastle will be looking to build on their 1-0 victory over Leicester last time out, but face a tough task away to Tottenham.
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Read on for a full look at the matches on show in Week 9 of the 2014-15 English top-flight season and a closer examination of the biggest clashes on offer.
| Date | Time (BST/ET) | Fixture | Prediction |
| Oct. 25 | 12:45 p.m./7:45 a.m. | West Ham vs. Man City | 1-2 |
| Oct. 25 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Liverpool vs. Hull | 1-1 |
| Oct. 25 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Southampton vs. Stoke | 2-1 |
| Oct. 25 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Sunderland vs. Arsenal | 0-2 |
| Oct. 25 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | West Brom vs. Crystal Palace | 2-2 |
| Oct. 25 | 5:30 p.m./12:30 p.m. | Swansea vs. Leicester | 1-0 |
| Oct. 26 | 1:30 p.m./8:30 a.m. | Burnley vs. Everton | 1-3 |
| Oct. 26 | 1:30 p.m./8:30 a.m. | Tottenham vs. Newcaslte | 2-1 |
| Oct. 26 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Man Utd vs. Chelsea | 2-2 |
| Oct. 27 | 8 p.m./3 p.m. | QPR vs. Aston Villa | 1-1 |
Manchester United vs. Chelsea
Those fans who pack out Old Trafford on Sunday will be hoping there is no repeat of last season's bore-fest which saw these two sides play out a 0-0 draw in Manchester.
Fortunately, another goalless draw does seem highly unlikely considering the amount of attacking talent that will be on show paired with United's poor defensive performances so far this season—the latest example of which came in Monday's 2-2 draw with West Brom.
Whether or not the Premier League's joint top-scorer Diego Costa will be on show remains to be seen—he was left out of the squad that beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at the weekend—but looks unlikely, per Bleacher Report UK:
While a Costa-less Chelsea would still contain the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard and Oscar, the Red Devils would no doubt be delighted if the Spanish striker is unable to play.
Louis van Gaal's side have been inconsistent to say the least so far this season, but the Dutch manager faces his biggest test yet in the United dugout on Sunday, and it is unlikely to be boring.
Prediction: 2-2
Burnley vs. Everton
Burnley's return to the Premier League has, thus far, been something of a nightmare, with Sean Dyche's side yet to register a win in eight games—the only side in the division with such a record.
With only four goals scored they also have the poorest attacking record in front of goal and face an Everton side on an upward curve—having beaten Aston Villa 3-0 at the weekend—after their poor start to the season.
However, Roberto Martinez's Toffees do have a Europa League trip to Lille on Thursday which could give Burnley an opportunity against potentially tired opposition.
With a returning Ross Barkley against Villa, Everton looked impressive, per the BBC's Phil McNulty, and will be hoping to claim back-to-back wins for the first time this season:
But another loss for Burnley would pile on even more misery for Dyche and his men especially with a trip to Arsenal up next on the fixture list.
Prediction: 1-3
Tottenham vs. Newcastle
Spurs continued their horrendous record against top-four sides—and particularly Manchester City—last time out as they were downed 4-1 by the Sky Blues, per The Guardian's Daniel Taylor:
However, there were positive signs in that encounter for Mauricio Pochettino as the north London outfit were very much in the game at 2-1 until Federico Fazio was sent off with 20 minutes to go.
They will be looking to bounce back on Sunday but face a Newcastle side desperately trying to break out of the relegation zone after a poor start to the season.
A 1-0 win over Leicester eased things for Alan Pardew but they still sit in 18th place and need to get a result against Spurs—something they failed to do last season in either league game—if they are to build vital momentum.
Prediction: 2-1
