Premier League Week 29 Fixtures: EPL Picks and Predictions for Matchday 29
The Premier League returns to normal service this weekend and Week 29 of the campaign promises to once again lay on a delightful slate of fixtures with the potential to blow the standings wide open.
Arsenal can extend their domestic winning streak to five matches on Saturday but face a difficult obstacle in beating London rivals West Ham United, while Chelsea and Manchester City resume their tug of war at the top.
It will be a decisive week in all areas of the English top flight, with those vying for European qualification under the spotlight, as well as those battling against relegation and everyone in between.
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Read on for a preview and prediction of this weekend's most enticing matchups.
| Saturday, March 14 | 12:45 p.m. GMT/7:45 a.m. ET | Crystal Palace | 3-1 | QPR |
| Saturday, March 14 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Arsenal | 2-1 | West Ham United |
| Saturday, March 14 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Leicester City | 1-2 | Hull City |
| Saturday, March 14 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Sunderland | 1-0 | Aston Villa |
| Saturday, March 14 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | West Brom | 1-1 | Stoke City |
| Saturday, March 14 | 5:30 p.m. GMT/12:30 p.m. ET | Burnley | 0-2 | Manchester City |
| Sunday, March 15 | 1:30 p.m. GMT/8:30 a.m. ET | Chelsea | 1-0 | Southampton |
| Sunday, March 15 | 4 p.m. GMT/11 a.m. ET | Everton | 1-1 | Newcastle United |
| Sunday, March 15 | 4 p.m. GMT/11 a.m. ET | Manchester United | 2-2 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Monday, March 16 | 8 p.m. GMT/3 p.m. ET | Swansea City | 1-2 | Liverpool |
Arsenal vs. West Ham United
It wasn't long ago Arsenal and West Ham were eyeing up similar prospects in their Premier League lights, but a drop in form of late has seen the Hammers fall from their once-lofty ambitions of a top-six place.
In quite opposite fashion, Arsene Wenger's side have reaped huge benefits from the return to fitness of Mesut Ozil and January arrival Gabriel Paulista slipping into the starting XI.
The Gunners have now lost just two of their last 10 league games, winning nine of those and looking to take their current streak to five successive wins on the trot.
The Hammers recently received a boost with the news that centre-back Winston Reid has signed a six-and-a-half-year contract at Upton Park, but without a win in six league outings, things look bleak in east London:
With Arsenal in such strong form, it seems unlikely that the West Ham revival—if it comes at all—will start in north London, Wenger's men having last suffered home defeat in the league all the way back in November.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 West Ham United
Chelsea vs. Southampton
A midweek win over West Ham last time out has given Chelsea new confidence in their ability to stave off the threat of Manchester City, but the challenge of Southampton this Sunday gives the Blues no room for respite.
The Saints earned a 1-1 draw against Jose Mourinho's side in December, but as ESPN FC illustrates, the Saints have fallen a long way since that St. Mary's outing:
Before this weekend's trip, however, Chelsea have a second fixture against Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League round-of-16 tie, complicating the west Londoners' schedule somewhat.
Meanwhile, Ronald Koeman chose to treat his players to a skiing trip in Switzerland during their break from the Premier League, a decision the Mirror's Ed Malyon questioned:
Sunday's meeting at Stamford Bridge will prove which of the two outfits is feeling most fresh with their differing demands of late, Southampton having won just two of their last six league games.
It's now been more than a month since Chelsea managed to score more than one goal in a Premier League game, and that sinister streak up front will be something the Blues attempt to rediscover against the Saints.
Prediction: Chelsea 1-0 Southampton
Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur remain two sides very much locked in a battle to finish among the top four, with Arsenal having recently stolen a march in claiming third as their own.
Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs were one of only two teams in Premier League action over the weekend, coming back to win 2-1 at QPR. Per the division's official Twitter account, the manager was full of praise for his troops:
Old Trafford counterpart Louis van Gaal will know the threat Spurs bring and particularly the talents of Harry Kane, who scored twice at Loftus Road to bring his season's tally to 26 across all competitions.
Since losing 1-0 to Southampton early in January, United have failed to drop a single point at home and beat each of Leicester City, Burnley and Sunderland by two-goal margins in their last three outings at Old Trafford.
That being said, Spurs will present an entirely different threat compared to the aforementioned trio of relegation contenders.
What's more, United will have to go without the talents of Angel Di Maria following his red card against Arsenal in Monday's FA Cup quarter-final.
Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News criticised Di Maria after he was shown a second yellow for tugging referee Michael Oliver's shirt:
Van Gaal will be pleased with his team managing to keep clean sheets in each of their last two Premier League wins, but Tottenham haven't failed to score a league goal away from home since early December and will ruffle the hosts' feathers.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
