EPL Week 12 Predictions: Premier League Picks, Key Players and Fixture Info
The international break gave Premier League strugglers welcome respite, but now the pressure is on as Matchday 12 ushers in a long, uninterrupted chapter of the season.
Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City all need to regroup in their bids to challenge at the top of the table this term while Burnley may feel the break arrived at a bad time after they posted their first win.
Among the highlight fixtures in Week 12, Manchester United's trip to Arsenal is a tie that promises to tear the two top-four hopefuls apart.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Read on for score predictions for the weekend ahead along with more detailed analysis of which key players to keep an eye on.
| Fixture | Date | Kickoff | Prediction |
| Chelsea vs. West Brom | Nov. 22 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | 3-0 |
| Everton vs. West Ham | Nov. 22 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | 2-2 |
| Leicester City vs. Sunderland | Nov. 22 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | 1-2 |
| Manchester City vs. Swansea City | Nov. 22 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | 3-1 |
| Newcastle United vs. QPR | Nov. 22 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | 2-0 |
| Stoke City vs. Burnley | Nov. 22 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | 2-0 |
| Arsenal vs. Manchester United | Nov. 22 | 5:30 p.m. GMT/12:30 p.m. ET | 2-1 |
| Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool | Nov. 23 | 1:30 p.m. GMT/8:30 a.m. ET | 2-3 |
| Hull City vs. Tottenham | Nov. 23 | 4 p.m. GMT/11 a.m. ET | 1-1 |
| Aston Villa vs. Southampton | Nov. 24 | 8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET | 1-3 |
Diafra Sakho
Manager Sam Allardyce has continued to rely heavily on the scoring exploits of Diafra Sakho in recent weeks, the summer arrival having bagged six goals in his last seven appearances for West Ham.
However, the 24-year-old risks going two successive games without a goal for the first time in his Hammers career with a trip to Goodison Park on Saturday.
Sakho made his debut for Senegal during the international break and has come upon the form of his life in the Premier League, with WhoScored.com noting that his aerial prowess has been particularly impressive:
In contrast to last season, Everton have been susceptible to leaking goals at home this season, conceding an average of 2.20 goals per game at Goodison Park, the worst ratio of any Premier League outfit.
It's apt, therefore, that the Hammers have scored that amount per away game on average this term and will look to Sakho's influence in solidifying their top-four status.
Alexis Sanchez
The man currently pulling Arsenal through their struggles has another task on his hands this weekend, as the Gunners look to pull away from the Red Devils in the hunt for Champions League football.
This is sure to prove a crucial fixture in the race for a top-four finish, and Arsene Wenger's talisman comes into the clash on top form with six goals in his last four Premier League appearances.
The forward opened the scoring for Chile in their 5-0 romp against Venezuela over the weekend, and it seems everything Sanchez touches turns to gold at present, as Sky Sports correspondent Paulo Freitas shows:
Louis van Gaal's defence couldn't hope for poorer timing, either. Daley Blind suffered injury on international duty to join Marcos Rojo, Jonny Evans, Rafael and Phil Jones on the sidelines, giving United a mountainous challenge in restraining Arsenal's talisman.
The Emirates Stadium will be expecting Sanchez to thrive on those absences and pour further hurt on the Red Devils' makeshift back line.
Ayoze Perez
Newcastle's resurgence has seen Alan Pardew's men rise from relegation candidates to top-half powerhouses in the space of five games, and Ayoze Perez is enjoying the rise as much as anyone else.
With three goals in his last three games for the north-east side, Newcastle's summer purchase is currently the pick of their attacking bunch who will hope to maintain stride with the visit of QPR on Saturday.
No team has conceded more goals than Harry Redknapp's team this season (22), and with a five-match winning streak across all competitions, Newcastle can hope to add a sixth consecutive win this weekend.
The striker's goals haven't come in washouts, either, as Perez has bagged winners against Tottenham and Liverpool. MailOnline's Joe Strange details that he sits as one of the best value-per-goal signings from the summer transfer window, currently costing Newcastle £500,000 per finish.
That ratio could well improve against a defence that has kept just two clean sheets this season, and another win for Pardew could move his side as high as fourth.
