EPL Week 24 Predictions: Premier League Picks, Key Players and Fixture Info
Two of the Premier League's best derbies headline Week 24 of the 2014-15 campaign, with Tottenham hosting Arsenal on Saturday, just hours before Liverpool take on Everton at Goodison Park.
Just two points separate the Gunners and Spurs in the standings, and with both north London sides in top form, fans should expect plenty of goals at White Hart Lane.
Everton's 2014-15 campaign may not be playing out the way the Toffees wanted so far, but ruining the Reds' chances of Champions League football next season would be almost as sweet as grabbing a ticket for one of the European competitions themselves.
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Here's a look at the full schedule for Week 24, which also includes a tantalising fixture at Boleyn Ground between West Ham United and Manchester United:
| Saturday, Feb. 7 | 12.45 p.m. | 7:45 a.m. | Tottenham | Arsenal | Draw |
| Saturday, Feb. 7 | 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. | Aston Villa | Chelsea | Chelsea |
| Saturday, Feb. 7 | 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. | Leicester | Crystal Palace | Draw |
| Saturday, Feb. 7 | 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. | Manchester City | Hull City | Manchester City |
| Saturday, Feb. 7 | 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. | QPR | Southampton | Southampton |
| Saturday, Feb. 7 | 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. | Swansea | Sunderland | Swansea |
| Saturday, Feb. 7 | 5.30 p.m. | 12:30 p.m. | Everton | Liverpool | Liverpool |
| Sunday, Feb. 8 | 12 p.m. | 7 a.m. | Burnley | WBA | Draw |
| Sunday, Feb. 8 | 2.05 p.m. | 9:05 a.m. | Newcastle | Stoke City | Newcastle |
| Sunday, Feb. 8 | 4.15 p.m. | 11:15 a.m. | West Ham | Manchester United | Draw |
Key Players
Francis Coquelin, Arsenal
Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla stole the spotlight during Arsenal's 5-0 trashing of Aston Villa, and rightfully so. The former was a force in the attacking third, while the latter has been orchestrating the Gunners' attacking motion to perfection so far in 2015.
Manager Arsene Wenger spoke on Ozil's performance, courtesy of Arsenal's official website:
"It’s always, ‘where does he play? On the left, in the middle?’. I think he still lacks a little bit of competitive edge on sharpness but the quality of his game is exceptional and he’s getting back now. He worked very, very hard physically and he’s now ready to play again.
"
Both will play important parts on Saturday, but Francis Coquelin will be key for the Gunners. The 23-year-old Frenchman has emerged as the club's main physical presence in midfield with a series of strong displays, and Sunday's match was no different, via the London Evening Standard's James Olley:
Once an afterthought in Arsenal's deep squad, Coquelin is exactly what fans have wanted since the start of the season: a calming enforcer shielding the back four, capable of contributing further up the pitch with solid technique and passing ability.
Wenger is already working on making sure the young midfielder won't leave the club anytime soon, as reported by football journalist Pete O'Rourke:
Coquelin has held his own against some of the finest attacking midfielders the Premier League has to offer, and on Saturday, he'll face his next challenge in the form of Christian Eriksen.
He and Harry Kane are the heart and soul of Tottenham's attack. The duo have been nothing short of amazing in recent weeks, but—as shared by the Daily Mail—their impact on Spurs has been phenomenal all season long:
Shutting down Kane is difficult—the youngster has a knack for finding even the smallest gap and exploiting it. It's far safer to just keep the ball away from him altogether, which means stopping Eriksen.
The Dane has all the physical tools and the vision to embarrass just about every holding midfielder in the league, so Coquelin will have to be focused for the full 90 minutes. If he keeps Eriksen at bay, Arsenal can commit more players forward and put pressure on an average Spurs defence that has already conceded 30 goals, via WhoScored.com.
Phil Jagielka, Everton
Liverpool fans might still have nightmares about Phil Jagielka's incredible equaliser at Anfield back in September, a cracking effort from just outside the box in stoppage time that gave Reds stopper Simon Mignolet no chance.
If you ask the Liverpool Echo's Phil Kirkbride, the centre-back is a strong bet to repeat his heroics on Saturday:
I'm not saying the 32-year-old defender is going to score another last-minute screamer, but if the Toffees are to have any chance of slowing down Liverpool's versatile attack, Jagielka will have to lead the way.
The Reds can attack you in a multitude of ways, using pace, creativity, raw power and a plethora of runners crashing the box. Anfield HQ shared the squad's impressive collection of attacking players:
Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling are the big names, but one of Liverpool's biggest strengths right now is that every other match, someone new appears to stand up and lead the troops.
We've seen Lazar Markovic and Adam Lallana put in unexpected top performances, taking defences by surprise. Sterling's ability isn't exactly a secret, either, and via Squawka Football, the youngster was just sensational against West Ham:
Everton can't just put their best defender on one attacker and hope he'll slow down Liverpool. The Toffees will have to overcome wave after wave of penetrating runs, and in the midst of all of that, they need a voice to communicate what players have to be doing at all times.
That voice has to be Jagielka's. The experienced veteran has seen it all, and on Saturday, it'll be up to him to guide his troops and keep the pressure off backup goalkeeper Joel Robles.
