Premier League Week 25 Fixtures: EPL Picks and Predictions for Matchday 25
As the last days of winter fall upon England, this is the part of the season where Jose Mourinho usually shines the most.
The Special One's Chelsea team extended its lead at the top of the Premier League after champions Manchester City continued their ambivalent home form with a draw against Hull City.
But the big match of Week 25 takes place at Anfield as the race for the top four heats up.
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Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are two of the EPL's in-form sides, and they face one another on Tuesday night.
The Reds once again have Daniel Sturridge back at their disposal, but Spurs' Harry Kane is fast becoming the leading candidate for PFA Players' Player of the Year.
Here, we provide you with all of the midweek fixtures and picks and predictions for each game:
| Tuesday, Feb. 10 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Arsenal | 5-0 | Leicester City |
| Tuesday, Feb. 10 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Hull City | 2-1 | Aston Villa |
| Tuesday, Feb. 10 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Sunderland | 2-0 | QPR |
| Tuesday, Feb. 10 | 8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET | Liverpool | 2-2 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Wednesday, Feb. 11 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Chelsea | 3-1 | Everton |
| Wednesday, Feb. 11 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Manchester United | 1-1 | Burnley |
| Wednesday, Feb. 11 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Southampton | 2-1 | West Ham United |
| Wednesday, Feb. 11 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Stoke City | 1-1 | Manchester City |
| Wednesday, Feb. 11 | 8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET | Crystal Palace | 1-1 | Newcastle |
| Wednesday, Feb. 11 | 8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET | West Brom | 1-0 | Swansea City |
| 1 | Chelsea | 24 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 54 | 21 | +33 | 56 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 24 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 47 | 24 | +23 | 49 |
| 3 | Southampton | 24 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 38 | 17 | +21 | 45 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 24 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 40 | 23 | +17 | 44 |
| 5 | Tottenham | 24 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 37 | 31 | +6 | 43 |
| 6 | Arsenal | 24 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 45 | 27 | +18 | 42 |
| 7 | Liverpool | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 33 | 27 | +6 | 39 |
| 8 | West Ham | 24 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 36 | 28 | +8 | 37 |
| 9 | Swansea | 24 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 28 | 31 | -3 | 34 |
| 10 | Stoke | 24 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 27 | 29 | -2 | 33 |
| 11 | Newcastle United | 24 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 30 | 36 | -6 | 31 |
| 12 | Everton | 24 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 31 | 34 | -3 | 27 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 24 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 26 | 34 | -8 | 26 |
| 14 | Sunderland | 24 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 34 | -12 | 24 |
| 15 | West Bromwich Albion | 24 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 22 | 34 | -12 | 23 |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 24 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 32 | -20 | 22 |
| 17 | Burnley | 24 | 4 | 9 | 11 | 23 | 40 | -17 | 21 |
| 18 | Hull | 24 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 21 | 34 | -13 | 20 |
| 19 | Queens Park Rangers | 24 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 24 | 43 | -19 | 19 |
| 20 | Leicester | 24 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 21 | 38 | -17 | 17 |
Must-Watch Matchups
Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur
The rise of Liverpool up the Premier League table has both been unexpected and to their huge credit. It was only a few weeks ago that it seemed their season was in ruins, caught in a post-Luis Suarez apocalypse they could not escape.
But Brendan Rodgers has turned it around, and he has done so with style. Liverpool are once again trying to attack teams, and they are reaping the rewards for their bold approach.
The Anfield club now sit just five points off the Champions League places and are top of the current EPL form guide.
Liverpool have lost just once in the Premier League since Crystal Palace defeated them at Selhurst Park on November 23, per WhoScored.com, proving they can once again find the performance value they need on a consistent basis.
Liverpool must now face red-hot Tottenham after Spurs' recent wins against Chelsea and Arsenal. In Harry Kane, Tottenham have one of the most exciting English striking talents since the emergence of a young Wayne Rooney.
Kane has displayed no fear or respect to any side he has faced this season, and his goalscoring is astonishing for a young Premier League talent.
In Kane's 25 starts for Spurs this term, the attacker has hit 20 goals in all competitions, per WhoScored, and it is no surprise Real Madrid are watching the player, as reported by Tom Collomosse of the London Evening Standard.
Collomosse claims the Galacticos have scouted Kane on three separate occasions and are suitably impressed by what they have seen.
Sky pundit Jamie Redknapp describes Kane as "my man of the year" in his Daily Mail column, lavishing huge praise on the attacker, who is surely the future of the England football team:
"It’s hard to spot a weakness in his game. He takes up intelligent positions like his hero Teddy Sheringham. He’s got the strength to hold up the ball and hold off opponents. He can link up with team-mates or take the ball and run with it.
He can shoot with either foot, hit them from distance or from close-range and he is outstanding in the air. He takes penalties, free-kicks and he works as hard as anybody on the pitch.
"
Liverpool have found a way of patching up their defence in the past couple of months, but it is debatable whether they can stop Kane in his current form.
The Reds are still a formidable prospect when playing on Merseyside, but Tottenham will offer them one of their stiffest challenges of the campaign so far.
Liverpool's hopes will rest with Raheem Sterling and Sturridge. The return of the latter should see Rodgers have the adequate power he needs to penetrate Spurs' back line.
As quoted by LiverpoolFC.com, Rodgers said:
"Because of the start we had to the season, it's put a little more importance on this game. We'll look to win it as it will just put us a point behind them and also keeps up the momentum. If we don't win the game, it just puts pressure on the other fixtures we'll have in the rest of the run. ...
We played very well against them earlier on in this season and their philosophy is still the same; they want to press the game and dominate the ball, and for us it's similar so it will be a very fascinating game.
"
Prediction: Liverpool 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea va. Everton
It has been a strange few months for Roberto Martinez and Everton as the Spaniard watches his team free fall in the EPL.
The Toffees sit in only 12th place, just seven points above the relegation zone. Had it not been for Martinez's fine performance of last season, he surely would no longer have a job at Goodison Park.
Chelsea are in control of the title race after their tough win at Aston Villa, with Paul Lambert's side pushing the west London outfit all the way to the final whistle.
But Manchester City's failure against Hull City ensured Mourinho had the biggest smile on his face once the weekend's fixtures were complete.
With just one EPL win in six, Everton's form is poor, and it is highly unlikely they will get anything when they travel south.
Chelsea are not playing the most sumptuous of football, but Mourinho knows how to win titles and close down his challengers' chances.
Diego Costa is still serving his suspension for stamping on Emre Can, meaning Didier Drogba may once again deputise. But the legendary striker looked way off the pace at Villa, and Mourinho has different options with Loic Remy and Juan Cuadrado ready.
New signing Cuadrado made his debut for Chelsea at Villa, coming on as a second-half substitute, and it was evident the danger and pace he will bring to Mourinho's wide areas.
It should be a simple day for the Blues if Everton turn up in the same form as in recent weeks, and Martinez's tenure will surely be called into doubt once again.
If Everton want to play with the big boys at the top of the Premier League, they are going to have to start winning points even when they are not playing their best football—just like Chelsea do.
Prediction: Chelsea 3-1 Everton
