Premier League Week 27 Fixtures: EPL Picks and Predictions for Matchday 27
The Premier League workload is lightened on Matchday 27 with the Capital One Cup final being contested between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, March 1, but the English top flight won't suffer as a result.
Last season's top two finishers will clash at Anfield as Liverpool prepare to face reigning champions Manchester City in a bid to gain some redemption for last season's title miss.
Arsenal also look forward to their home fixture against Everton, another two teams who competed fiercely for the same prize last season but are eyeing up wholly different prospects this time around.
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Read on for a discussion of which players will be worth keeping an eye on in the biggest Week 27 matchups, along with fixture details and predictions for the schedule ahead.
| Saturday, Feb. 28 | 12:45 p.m. GMT/7:45 a.m. ET | West Ham United | 3-1 | Crystal Palace |
| Saturday, Feb. 28 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Burnley | 2-2 | Swansea City |
| Saturday, Feb. 28 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Manchester United | 2-0 | 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 | 2-1 | Hull City |
| Saturday, Feb. 28 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | West Brom | 1-2 | Southampton |
| Sunday, March 1 | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET | Liverpool | 2-2 | Manchester City |
| Sunday, March 1 | 2:05 p.m. GMT/9:05 a.m. ET | Arsenal | 3-0 | Everton |
Key Players to Watch in Top Matchups
Manchester United vs. Sunderland: Ander Herrera
Manager Louis van Gaal's Manchester United midfield has been a hotly contested area of debate this season, with some questioning why Ander Herrera hasn't been offered more chances in the starting XI.
Herrera has started seven league games and made seven appearances from the bench since completing a summer switch to Old Trafford, but some argue he should be a more prominent member of the team.
The Spaniard offered his admirers justification on Saturday after scoring the Red Devils' only goal in their 2-1 defeat to Swansea City, bringing his Premier League tally up to three goals and three assists.
Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News picked the midfielder as the standout player en route to their disappointing loss to the Swans:
Sunderland have shown their ability to be an extremely frustrating outfit this season when playing with their backs to the wall and have kept a respectable nine clean sheets, albeit most of those are from 0-0 draws.
The likes of midfielders Lee Cattermole and Seb Larsson have developed an engine-room dynamic that United could find hard to break down, but Match of the Dave details Herrera's encouraging influence across all competitions:
Penetration has been an issue for Van Gaal's men of late, but the helmsman may see fit to place his faith in Herrera once again this Saturday following his bright outing at the Liberty Stadium.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-0 Sunderland
Liverpool vs. Manchester City: Jordan Henderson
As Steven Gerrard's time at Anfield draws to a close, the expectations surrounding midfielder Jordan Henderson as his supposed successor are more rampant than ever.
Sunday's 2-0 triumph over Southampton was a hugely encouraging result for Liverpool, their fifth Premier League clean sheet in succession away from home, leading Henderson to praise his squad, per This Is Anfield:
However, the central star will be required to take on an even bigger leadership role when Gerrard does depart, and it's fixtures such as this Sunday's match against Manchester City that the most will be asked of Henderson.
Following the win over Saints at St. Mary's, the Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel urged those Gerrard comparisons on and hailed Henderson for the guiding hand he played in the victory.
With the threat of Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri and David Silva coming to Merseyside, Henderson will need to be at his best to fend off the Citizens' assault and show he is indeed the talisman many hope him to be.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City
Arsenal vs. Everton: Romelu Lukaku
Expectations will inevitably be high for any player who costs a club £28 million, but one might well be justified in stating striker Romelu Lukaku has failed to meet the standards put ahead of him this season.
The Belgian travels to the Emirates Stadium this Sunday looking to have a more successful time of things than he did during the Toffees' 2-2 draw against Leicester City this past Sunday, per Squawka:
Manager Roberto Martinez will continue to place his faith in his leading frontman in the hope he can summon some of last season's form, disappointing slightly with a return of seven goals in 26 appearances this Premier League campaign.
The Gunners present an ideal opportunity for Lukaku to prove his doubters wrong, and Peter Hall of Sky Sports believes the youngster deserves some reprieve from all of the criticism:
Arsenal haven't kept a clean sheet in their last three Premier League outings, and a win in north London would give Martinez's men a major boost as they seek to regain a place in the table's top half.
Despite his drop in accuracy, Lukaku remains a highly valuable resource for Everton when at his best and still holds the potential for Arsenal's undoing if he can rediscover his confidence in front of goal.
Prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Everton
