Premier League Table 2015: EPL Standings, Schedule and Predictions for Week 26
The Premier League returns after a short break for Matchday 26 on Saturday, with title favourites Chelsea and Manchester City both hosting clubs well below them in the standings.
Burnley are fighting for their Premier League lives and are winless in four matches, while Newcastle look much improved since parting ways with Alan Pardew and beat City at the Etihad in the League Cup earlier this year.
Elsewhere, Tim Sherwood will manage Aston Villa at home against Stoke City, Tottenham Hotspur host London rivals West Ham United and Liverpool travel to Southampton. The full schedule for Week 26:
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| Saturday, Feb 21 | 3 p.m. | Aston Villa | Stoke | 1-0 |
| Saturday, Feb 21 | 3 p.m. | Chelsea | Burnley | 2-0 |
| Saturday, Feb 21 | 3 p.m. | Crystal Palace | Arsenal | 1-2 |
| Saturday, Feb 21 | 3 p.m. | Hull | QPR | 1-0 |
| Saturday, Feb 21 | 3 p.m. | Sunderland | WBA | 1-1 |
| Saturday, Feb 21 | 3 p.m. | Swansea | Man Utd | 0-2 |
| Saturday, Feb 21 | 5.30 pm. | Man City | Newcastle | 2-0 |
| Sunday, Feb 22 | Noon | Tottenham | West Ham | 1-1 |
| Sunday, Feb 22 | 2.05 p.m. | Everton | Leicester | 2-1 |
| Sunday, Feb 22 | 4.15 p.m. | Southampton | Liverpool | 2-2 |
The current Premier League standings:
| 1 | Chelsea | 25 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 55 | 21 | 34 | 59 |
| 2 | Man City | 25 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 51 | 25 | 26 | 52 |
| 3 | Man Utd | 25 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 43 | 24 | 19 | 47 |
| 4 | Southampton | 25 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 38 | 17 | 21 | 46 |
| 5 | Arsenal | 25 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 47 | 28 | 19 | 45 |
| 6 | Tottenham | 25 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 39 | 34 | 5 | 43 |
| 7 | Liverpool | 25 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 36 | 29 | 7 | 42 |
| 8 | West Ham | 25 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 36 | 28 | 8 | 38 |
| 9 | Swansea | 25 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 28 | 33 | -5 | 34 |
| 10 | Stoke | 25 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 28 | 33 | -5 | 33 |
| 11 | Newcastle | 25 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 31 | 37 | -6 | 32 |
| 12 | Everton | 25 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 31 | 35 | -4 | 27 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 25 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 27 | 35 | -8 | 27 |
| 14 | West Brom | 25 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 24 | 34 | -10 | 26 |
| 15 | Sunderland | 25 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 55 | 21 | 34 | 59 |
| 16 | Hull | 25 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 51 | 25 | 26 | 52 |
| 17 | QPR | 25 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 22 | 36 | -14 | 24 |
| 18 | Aston Villa | 25 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 23 | 34 | -11 | 23 |
| 19 | Burnley | 25 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 26 | 43 | -17 | 22 |
| 20 | Leicester | 25 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 34 | -22 | 22 |
Aston Villa's Losing Streak Will Come to an End
Aston Villa have lost five straight Premier League matches going into Week 26, when they'll host Stoke City at Villa Park. The Potters comfortably sit 10th in the standings and will be eyeing another win on Saturday.
They won't return home victorious, however. New manager Sherwood got his tenure in charge of the club off to a strong start against Leicester City in the FA Cup and will build on that result heading into the relegation battle.
Remember the lethargic, uninspiring side we saw under Paul Lambert? Villa hardly looked any better in the first half against the Foxes, but after a spirited talk from Sherwood, things changed. Just take a look at this statistic, courtesy of WhoScored.com:
In the second half of Sunday's clash, Villa were active and engaged. Sherwood made the necessary changes at half-time, and the results were positive, per the Guardian's Michael Cox:
I'll admit I'm a fan of Sherwood, who was treated like a punching bag during his final weeks in charge of Tottenham Hotspur despite doing very solid work. The 46-year-old is a fiery, passionate manager who has been waiting for a chance like this for months.
You can be sure he's going to grasp it with both hands. Just look at how engaged he was on Sunday, one day after officially being introduced as Lambert's replacement, per Villa's official Twitter feed:
Sherwood's energy and drive are going to feed into the squad, and the Villans will enter Saturday's match against Stoke after a solid week of work on the training ground and the right mentality. Fans shouldn't expect miracles, but I'll be shocked if Villa lose in Week 26.
No Newcastle Upset-Repeat at the Etihad
Manchester City's form has been dreadful in recent weeks, and while the 4-1 win over Stoke City on Matchday 25 looks convincing on paper, Manuel Pellegrini's side once again didn't look as sharp as they did late in 2014.
It's no secret the absence of Yaya Toure had a big impact on City's lack of results, and as shared by the club's official Twitter feed, the wait for his return is over:
The club also shared images of Sergio Aguero engaging in promotional work, a clear sign injury concerns over his back after leaving the pitch against Stoke are well in the past:
With Toure back in the squad and a healthy Aguero, City are primed to look far better than they did while the Ivorian was away on international duty. Newcastle have struggled to draws against Crystal Palace and Stoke in recent weeks, and while they look strong, they're also susceptible to letting in easy goals.
While there is a minor controversy brewing regarding Stevan Jovetic, via FourFourTwo's Adam Digby, the general sense around the Etihad is one of optimism. Toure and Wilfried Bony are back, things are looking up and it's time to make a statement against Newcastle:
Expect it to happen. An in-form Citizens squad is still one of the scariest sights in football, and with a few extra days of rest and their African stars back in the fold, City should be firing on all cylinders when they host the Magpies.
