Premier League Table: Latest 2015 EPL Standings and Predictions for Matchday 22
This weekend's Premier League schedule aided Chelsea in restoring a two-point lead at the head of the standings thanks to their 2-0 win over Newcastle United, while Manchester City stumbled at Everton.
Jose Mourinho will hope to press ahead with that progress in Matchday 22, with the Blues seeking to improve their 2015 record along with a host of other top-four contenders.
Meanwhile, those teams simmering below the European places will also hope the new year hands them an opportunity to claw back vital points, a transition that the second half of the season can often provide.
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Read on for full fixture details of Matchday 22, along with predictions for each clash and previews of those meetings which promise to have big impact.
| Position | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Chelsea | 21 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 46 | 19 | +27 | 49 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 21 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 45 | 20 | +25 | 47 |
| 3 | Southampton | 21 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 35 | 15 | +20 | 39 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 21 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 34 | 21 | +13 | 37 |
| 5 | Arsenal | 21 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 37 | 25 | +12 | 36 |
| 6 | Tottenham | 21 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 30 | 29 | +1 | 34 |
| 7 | West Ham | 21 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 32 | 25 | +7 | 33 |
| 8 | Liverpool | 21 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 29 | 27 | +2 | 32 |
| 9 | Swansea | 21 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 26 | 25 | +1 | 30 |
| 10 | Newcastle United | 21 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 25 | 33 | -8 | 27 |
| 11 | Stoke | 21 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 22 | 27 | -5 | 26 |
| 12 | Everton | 21 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 30 | 34 | -4 | 22 |
| 13 | Aston Villa | 21 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 23 | -12 | 22 |
| 14 | West Bromwich Albion | 21 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 29 | -9 | 21 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 21 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 22 | 31 | -9 | 20 |
| 16 | Sunderland | 21 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 31 | -13 | 20 |
| 17 | Burnley | 21 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 33 | -14 | 20 |
| 18 | Hull | 21 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 27 | -7 | 19 |
| 19 | Queens Park Rangers | 21 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 23 | 37 | -14 | 19 |
| 20 | Leicester | 21 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 20 | 33 | -13 | 17 |
| Date | Time | Home | Prediction | Away |
| Saturday, Jan. 17 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Aston Villa | 0-1 | Liverpool |
| Saturday, Jan. 17 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Burnley | 1-1 | Crystal Palace |
| Saturday, Jan. 17 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Leicester City | 1-1 | Stoke City |
| Saturday, Jan. 17 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | QPR | 0-2 | Manchester United |
| Saturday, Jan. 17 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Tottenham Hotspur | 2-0 | Sunderland |
| Saturday, Jan. 17 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Swansea City | 1-2 | Chelsea |
| Saturday, Jan. 17 | 5:30 p.m. GMT/12:30 p.m. ET | Newcastle United | 1-2 | Southampton |
| Sunday, Jan. 18 | 1:30 p.m. GMT/8:30 a.m. ET | West Ham United | 3-1 | Hull City |
| Sunday, Jan. 18 | 4 p.m. GMT/11 a.m. ET | Manchester City | 2-2 | Arsenal |
| Monday, Jan. 19 | 8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET | Everton | 2-1 | West Brom |
Aston Villa vs. Liverpool
Aston Villa and Liverpool each played to 1-0 scorelines in Week 21, the Reds emerging as narrow victors at the Stadium of Light while Paul Lambert's men fell short in their trip to face Leicester City.
The Villans are now without a win in six top-flight outings and would appear prime targets for a Liverpool team showing improvement of late.
Brendan Rodgers will have one of his biggest assets back for the trip to Birmingham, too, as the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce revealed Raheem Sterling would return from the trip to Jamaica which caused controversy this weekend:
Although Villa sit in 13th, just three points separates them from the drop zone as things stand, where the slightest pick-up in form from those below could see them fall dangerously close to the relegation scrap.
Lambert's side are the lowest scorers in the division by some distance, having netted just 11 times this campaign, with Ben McAleer of WhoScored.com illustrating their issues up front:
Not since May 2011 have the Reds failed to score at Villa Park, also the month of their last defeat away to Villa, but the Merseysiders encounter a team in truly dreadful form and can hope Sterling's impact will provide a particular boost.
Prediction: Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool
Swansea City vs. Chelsea
Swansea City have failed to beat Chelsea in any of their three home fixtures against the Blues since becoming a Premier League outfit, but the Welsh giants have also conceded just three goals in those games.
Having drawn two of the three top-flight meetings at the Liberty Stadium, Garry Monk will hope his team are capable of once again stunting the west Londoners, who were far from their best in the win over the Magpies this past weekend.
Monk recently received the news that star striker Wilfried Bony could be primed for his exit, too, after Pete O'Rourke of Sky Sports reported the club had agreed a fee with Manchester City for his sale:
Manuel Pellegrini may prefer to wait until after Matchday 22 to seal the deal and see if Bony can help the Swans take points from Mourinho's men, who recently dropped points to Tottenham and Southampton.
With the winter schedule beginning to take its toll, Alexander Netherton of Eurosport argues that a lack of squad rotation may be a big factor in Chelsea's recent falls:
Mourinho's side has the potential to beat Swansea when at full strength, but the question is whether they're able to summon that strength in Matchday 22, the same obstacle awaiting Monk with Bony's exit looming.
Prediction: Swansea City 1-2 Chelsea
Manchester City vs. Arsenal
The star-studded clash of Matchday 22 will see Arsenal travel to the Etihad Stadium with hopes of upsetting the Citizens for the second week in a row—this time in their own backyard.
While Pellegrini watched his team stutter against Everton, Arsene Wenger was pleased to see the Gunners rout Stoke City 3-0 on Sunday. Sky Sports (h/t 101GreatGoals) notes the significance of Laurent Koscielny's presence in Wenger's line-up:
With the Frenchman back, Arsenal may feel more upbeat about their chances of stripping points away from the reigning Premier League champions, Squawka's Match of the Dave revealing no two teams have had more shots this term:
There was bad news for the north Londoners against the Potters, though, as BBC Sport revealed Mathieu Debuchy would once again be sidelined with a dislocated shoulder:
Wenger's place at the club's helm has been hotly debated once again this season, but a result against City would be of huge help in vindicating his position.
With Alexis Sanchez in fine form—the Chilean bagged a brace against Stoke—and Olivier Giroud back in the side, Arsenal are oozing with confidence once more and can look to hit City while they're down.
Prediction: Manchester City 2-2 Arsenal
