Premier League Table: Latest 2014 EPL Standings and Predictions for Matchday 15

The Premier League calendar is as busy as it gets in December, as the top clubs in Britain will return to the pitch just days after completing Matchday 14 with another full slate of fixtures.     

Monday's clash between Manchester United and Southampton will steal the spotlight as this matchday's marquee fixture, but Week 15 will have plenty of interesting matches on the menu.

League-leaders Chelsea face a tricky visit to Newcastle United, while Manchester City will host Roberto Martinez's dangerous Everton squad. Burnley and Queens Park Rangers will lock horns in the battle against relegation, and Arsenal will go up against slumping Stoke City.

Here's the full schedule for Matchday 15 along with predictions for each match:

Date	Home	v	Away	Prediction
Saturday, Dec. 6	Newcastle United	v	Chelsea	0-2
Saturday, Dec. 6	Hull City	v	West Bromwich Albion	1-1
Saturday, Dec. 6	Liverpool	v	Sunderland	1-0
Saturday, Dec. 6	Queens Park Rangers	v	Burnley	1-1
Saturday, Dec. 6	Stoke City	v	Arsenal	1-2
Saturday, Dec. 6	Tottenham Hotspur	v	Crystal Palace	1-0
Saturday, Dec. 6	Manchester City	v	Everton	3-1
Sunday, Dec. 7	West Ham United	v	Swansea City	1-0
Sunday, Dec. 7	Aston Villa	v	Leicester City	0-0
Monday, Dec. 8	Southampton	v	Manchester United	0-2

And here are the current Premier League standings:

Pos	Team	PL	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Chelsea	14	11	3	0	33	11	22	36
2	Manchester City	14	9	3	2	31	14	17	30
3	Southampton	14	8	2	4	24	10	14	26
4	Manchester United	14	7	4	3	24	16	8	25
5	West Ham United	14	7	3	4	23	17	6	24
6	Arsenal	14	6	5	3	22	15	7	23
7	Swansea City	14	6	4	4	19	14	5	22
8	Liverpool	14	6	2	6	19	19	0	20
9	Newcastle United	14	5	5	4	15	17	-2	20
10	Tottenham Hotspur	14	6	2	6	18	21	-3	20
11	Everton	14	4	6	4	24	22	2	18
12	Aston Villa	14	4	4	6	8	18	-10	16
13	Stoke City	14	4	3	7	14	18	-4	15
14	Sunderland	14	2	8	4	13	23	-10	14
15	Crystal Palace	14	3	4	7	18	23	-5	13
16	West Bromwich Albion	14	3	4	7	14	20	-6	13
17	Hull City	14	2	6	6	15	21	-6	12
18	Burnley	14	2	6	6	10	22	-12	12
19	Queens Park Rangers	14	3	2	9	14	27	-13	11
20	Leicester City	14	2	4	8	14	24	-10	10

Sliding Newcastle vs. Surging Chelsea

Scott Heppell/Associated Press

Newcastle United's fantastic run came to an end against West Ham United, and following a disappointing draw against Burnley, the Magpies are suddenly in danger of losing all the momentum they had gathered in the last month or so.

A visit from league-leaders Chelsea is just about the last thing Alan Pardew's squad needs. After taking the match off in the draw against Sunderland, the Blues went right back to dominating the opposition on Wednesday, comfortably beating Tottenham Hotspur.

Watching the match, the Daily Telegraph's Henry Winters was impressed with how efficient Chelsea were:

Newcastle have shocked a lot of people with a number of impressive performances this season, bouncing back after a horrible start to the campaign. A loss of confidence due to consecutive poor results couldn't have come at a worse time, however.

Above all, the Magpies have to avoid a demoralising blowout on Saturday. Another slide like the one they started the season with could result in a swift drop down the standings, with the busiest part of the Premier League calendar upon Pardew's troops.

Manchester United Meet Southampton at Just the Right Time

Michael Steele/Getty Images

Southampton were one of the hottest teams in the Premier League during the early stages of the season, but while manager Ronald Koeman's team shouldn't just be dismissed, a soft schedule certainly did its part.

The losses against Manchester City and Chelsea showed that while the Saints have a very good, talented squad, the gap with the absolute top teams in England is still significant. And with the club's schedule suddenly taking a turn for the worse, United should be ready to pounce.

Perhaps 7amkickoff said it best:

"

Southampton's easy schedule is about to catch up to them.

— 7amkickoff (@7amkickoff) November 30, 2014"

Southampton lost Morgan Schneiderlin against the Citizens, and he couldn't return in time for their trip to London to play Arsenal. Goal's George Ankers doesn't know whether the France international will be fit to face the Red Devils, but even if he is, his effectiveness will be diminished.

His team-mates will play their third match in eight days, and with limited depth available on the bench compared to the likes of United and Chelsea, Koeman's players simply won't be as rested as Louis van Gaal's.

United couldn't have asked for a better time to face Saints, who suddenly look far more vulnerable than they did two weeks ago.

Surging Burnley Means Trouble for Queens Park Rangers

Michael Steele/Getty Images

Some may not have noticed, but Burnley haven't been beaten in their last four fixtures, winning two of those. The newly promoted side have escaped the relegation spots, with Hull City taking their place, and Saturday's trip to west London gives the Clarets the perfect opportunity to continue building on their form.

In comparison, Queens Park Rangers' form has been spotty at best. Of the three promoted sides, QPR made the biggest investments and were supposed to be best prepared for the highly competitive Premier League. Three wins in 14 matches later, that doesn't seem to be the case.     

Charlie Austin's brilliance has saved the club on numerous occasions this season, and the fact Rangers have to rely on one player as heavily as they do is telling for the state of the squad. Steven Caulker believes it's far too early to discuss any team's fate at the end of the season, via the club's official Twitter feed:

He's right, of course, but that won't make Saturday's fixture any less telling. At home, against a direct competitor looking to avoid the drop, QPR simply can't afford any other result than a win.

And with Burnley suddenly surging and QPR losing two of their last three, that will be easier said than done.

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