EPL Week 27 Predictions: Premier League Picks, Key Players and Fixture Info
The Premier League elite will get the chance to cut Chelsea's lead at the top as the Blues contest Sunday's League Cup final at Wembley.
However, second-place Manchester City will face one of their toughest away days of the season as they travel to Anfield to face a Liverpool side who are starting to play sparkling football.
Brendan Rodgers' team are currently top of the Premier League form guide and are threatening to break into the top four in the very near future.
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Here are the full week's fixtures for Week 27, including predictions and our picks for the key players of the weekend:
| Saturday, Feb. 28 | 12:45 p.m. GMT/7:45 a.m. ET | West Ham United | 2-1 | Crystal Palace |
| Saturday, Feb. 28 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Burnley | 1-2 | Swansea City |
| Saturday, Feb. 28 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Manchester United | 2-1 | Sunderland |
| Saturday, Feb. 28 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Newcastle United | 1-0 | Aston Villa |
| Saturday, Feb. 28 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Stoke City | 1-1 | Hull City |
| Saturday, Feb. 28 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | West Brom | 0-0 | Southampton |
| Sunday, March 1 | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET | Liverpool | 2-1 | Manchester City |
| Sunday, March 1 | 2:05 p.m. GMT/9:05 a.m. ET | Arsenal | 3-1 | Everton |
Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge
When Liverpool raced towards the Premier League title last season, with Luis Suarez leading the charge, the influence of Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge was undoubted.
The two England internationals were the perfect foil for the Uruguayan as Rodgers' team played a beautiful style of attacking football. But fast-forward a few months, and the balance achieved last term evaporated as Suarez swapped Merseyside for the sunnier climate of Spain.
Liverpool suddenly looked very ordinary without their talisman, and Sterling was left to hold the fort as Sturridge sat injured on the touchline.
However, to Rodgers' credit, he has transformed his failing unit, somewhat pushing Sterling into Suarez's central pivot role. The 20-year-old has looked comfortable leading the attack while also dropping it wider spaces to exploit the opposition.
The defensive football that suffocated the Reds earlier in the campaign has gone, and they now look favourites to grab one of the Champions League spots for next season—if they continue their form.
Sterling's transformation has been remarkable. He has grown from a boy to a man in just a few short months, seeing him become one of the most exciting talents in European football.
His six goals and five assists in 24 league games—per WhoScored.com—may seem modest, but considering Liverpool have only kicked into gear in recent times, scoring more freely than in the early months of the season, it is likely the player's statistics will improve hugely by May.
Liverpool fans will be hoping the player soon commits his long-term future to the club, per Harry Pratt of the Daily Star, with England under-21 coach Gareth Southgate believing Sterling will put his career first before moving away for the riches of Europe's biggest clubs:
"I don't think money is the issue. They know if they're successful and playing well then that's going to be a product of what they do. There's always a possibility young players get distracted and sometimes make comments they regret. In the end you have focus on the football.
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Sturridge's return is also vital to Liverpool, providing Rodgers with the predator he needs at the top of the attack.
Rodgers was sensible with the player's fitness in the previous match against Southampton, starting him from the bench to avoid physical overload, with Liverpool collecting three much-deserved points at St Mary's.
The potential combination of the two attacking talents places the Reds exactly where they want to be even with the ineffective Mario Balotelli still in their ranks.
But the Italian is looking more comfortable in the team than he has previously, leaving Rodgers with a great set of options.
Manchester City do not look like the imperious footballing side that won the title last year despite winning their last game 5-0 against Newcastle.
Sterling and Sturridge can really hurt the Sky Blues when they visit Anfield, with Liverpool on the crest of a wave and chasing the form that excited the Kop 12 months previous.
Vincent Kompany and his fellow defenders are promised a torrid time on Sunday, with the result potentially costing City their chance of regaining their championship trophy.
