Premier League Table: Latest 2014 EPL Standings and Predictions for Matchday 13
Some of the top Premier League title contenders have been going head-to-head in the past few weeks, and Matchday 13 will be no different, as Southampton will host defending champions Manchester City on Sunday.
Everton are finally hitting their stride and now face a difficult trip to White Hart Lane to take on Tottenham while Newcastle United and West Ham United face off in an attempt to keep their surprisingly strong campaigns going.
Here's the full schedule for Matchday 13:
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| Saturday, Nov. 29 | 12.45 p.m. BST | West Brom | Arsenal | 0-1 |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | 3 p.m. BST | West Ham | Newcastle | 1-1 |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | 3 p.m. BST | Swansea | Crystal Palace | 1-0 |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | 3 p.m. BST | Burnley | Aston Villa | 0-0 |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | 3 p.m. BST | Liverpool | Stoke | 2-2 |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | 3 p.m. BST | Manchester United | Hull | 1-0 |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | 3 p.m. BST | Queens Park Rangers | Leicester | 0-0 |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | 5.30 p.m. BST | Sunderland | Chelsea | 0-2 |
| Sunday, Nov. 30 | 1.30 p.m. BST | Southampton | Manchester City | 1-2 |
| Sunday, Nov. 30 | 4 p.m. BST | Tottenham | Everton | 1-2 |
The current Premier League standings:
| 1 | Chelsea | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 11 | 19 | 32 |
| 2 | Southampton | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 6 | 18 | 26 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 13 | 11 | 24 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 19 |
| 5 | Newcastle United | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 15 | -1 | 19 |
| 6 | West Ham United | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 18 |
| 7 | Swansea City | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 18 |
| 8 | Arsenal | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 15 | 5 | 17 |
| 9 | Everton | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 19 | 3 | 17 |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 17 | -1 | 17 |
| 11 | Stoke City | 12 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 15 | -2 | 15 |
| 12 | Liverpool | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 18 | -3 | 14 |
| 13 | West Bromwich Albion | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 17 | -4 | 13 |
| 14 | Sunderland | 12 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 19 | -7 | 13 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 21 | -4 | 12 |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 17 | -11 | 12 |
| 17 | Hull City | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 17 | -3 | 11 |
| 18 | Leicester City | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 18 | -7 | 10 |
| 19 | Burnley | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 20 | -12 | 10 |
| 20 | Queens Park Rangers | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 23 | -12 | 8 |
Can Southampton Prove They Belong?
There's no denying Southampton's early-season form has been impressive. Under the guidance of Ronald Koeman, Saints have climbed all the way to second place in the Premier League standings, powered by the best defence in the country.
Going on a run of three or four matches is impressive, but 12 weeks can no longer be considered a fluke—Saints are the real deal, and they'll have a chance to prove that against the defending champions.
The Citizens are nowhere near as good as they were last year, but Manuel Pellegrini's squad is still supremely talented. With attacking firepower to spare, they'll like their chances of putting multiple goals past a defence that has only allowed six all year.
Of course, that number may be a byproduct of Saints' schedule, as shared by World Soccer Talk:
You can't determine what your schedule looks like—only how you'll play whomever you face. That said, a poor start to such a difficult stretch of matches could spell disaster, something Koeman and his troops will wish to avoid.
A poor outing on Sunday could see Southampton drop down the standings in a hurry—another impressive performance will give the team the confidence it needs in the face of a gruesome schedule.
Who Will Seize Control at Boleyn Ground?
As of right now, West Ham and Newcastle are doing battle for the fifth spot in the Premier League standings, a slot that carries with it a ticket to next year's Europa League.
Given the Magpies were dead last just weeks ago and Fox Sports' Martin Gibbes had the Hammers among his favourites for relegation, it's an understatement to say it's a surprise the stakes will be so high for Saturday's match.
Newcastle beat Queens Park Rangers 1-0 in Week 12, and after the match, manager Alan Pardew didn't hide how he felt about his squad, via the Press Association's Damian Spellman (h/t Daily Mail)
"We had Manchester City and Liverpool and Spurs and we sailed through that, so don't look at the fixtures and think that there's anything that we can't deal with.
It is a tough December, there's no doubt about that, but the team is in such a good place today, we were so disciplined today.
I think anybody who recognises Premier League football and watches it on a regular basis would see that as a really powerful performance from a young team, so that was really good for us.
"
Are the Magpies suddenly a top contender in the Premier League? And if so, will the hosts play them like one?
According to WhoScored.com, Newcastle have conceded just once during their five-match win streak. West Ham are winless in three, but given their opponents' defensive proficiency, does it make sense for manager Sam Allardyce to instruct his troops to bombard the Magpies goal?
After all, the Hammers' most impressive win in the season came against Manchester City, where they controlled midfield, played a rugged, physical style of football and produced much of the danger with pace on the counter-attack.
Whether Allardyce uses similar tactics against arguably the most in-form team in the league will go a long way to determining Saturday's result.
Everton to Continue Tottenham's Home Woes
Mauricio Pochettino's first season in charge of Spurs has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride, and Week 12 was no exception. A dreadful showing in the first half turned into a late 2-1 win over Hull City, and somehow, all was well in the dressing room.
The team has performed admirably on the road, but they've lost four of six at White Hart Lane so far. As he told the Premier Leagues official website, Pochettino believes that needs to change.
"We need to find the solution at home," he said. "We need to start getting victories at White Hart Lane. It is a big question for us."
The Toffees had a similar start to the season but have since gone five straight without losing, including a 2-1 win over West Ham last week. It took some time for some of the new signings to get settled in, but now that they have, Roberto Martinez's squad is starting to find their gear.
NBC Soccer's Roger Bennett has been very impressed with veteran Samuel Eto'o:
Everton have found a nice flow, with Eto'o and Romelu Lukaku doing a good job of supporting the advancing midfielders in creating space with their movement. By contrast, Tottenham are only just starting to find their strongest starting XI, with Harry Kane receiving more chances up front.
The Toffees' excellent movement doesn't bode well for Spurs' defence, which has looked susceptible at times this season. Combined with the pressure of performing in front of a demanding home crowd, Everton have to be favourites on Sunday.
