EPL Week 7 Predictions: Premier League Picks, Key Players and Fixtures
Manchester City will be licking their wounds after their shock home defeat to West Ham United, but they get the chance for redemption in the capital city as they face Tottenham Hotspur in Week 7. The Sky Blues lost 2-1 to the Hammers at the Etihad Stadium, but the match saw the full debut of Kevin De Bruyne—who shone in his first home appearance.
Chelsea got back to winning ways at Stamford Bridge as they beat Arsenal 2-0; the Premier League champions now face a trip to the north east to take on Newcastle United, who have just two points from their first six games.
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Leicester City look to continue their outstanding form from recent months at the King Power Stadium, but visitors Arsenal will be hoping to get their campaign back on track after back-to-back defeats in the league and Europe.
Here is a full list of Premier League fixtures and picks for the coming week, including a look at the key players to watch out for.
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | 12:45 p.m. | Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City | Man City |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | 3 p.m. | Leicester City vs. Arsenal | Draw |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | 3 p.m. | Liverpool vs. Aston Villa | Liverpool |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | 3 p.m. | Manchester United vs. Sunderland | United |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | 3 p.m. | Southampton vs. Swansea City | Draw |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | 3 p.m. | Stoke City vs. Bournemouth | Stoke |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | 3 p.m. | West Ham United vs. Norwich City | West Ham |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | 5:30 p.m. | Newcastle United vs. Chelsea | Chelsea |
| Sunday, Sept. 27 | 4 p.m. | Watford vs. Crystal Palace | Watford |
| Monday, Sept. 28 | 8 p.m. | West Brom vs. Everton | Draw |
Key Players
Kevin De Bruyne And Raheem Sterling
No team in the Premier League will want to welcome West Ham to their ground in the coming weeks, with the Hammers destroying all in front of them on the road. Manchester City were their last victims on De Bruyne's home debut for the Sky Blues, but the defeat didn't mask the world-class talent the Belgium international has.
De Bruyne was impressive as City battered West Ham's defence, but they were unable to grab the necessary second goal to earn the draw.
The Belgian was drafted into the No. 10 role after the late withdrawal of David Silva—injured in the warm-up—and he showed why City laid out an incredible £54 million to acquire his services.
The Etihad Stadium club now have one of the most sumptuous attacking lineups in Europe, with De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling flanking the talents of Silva and Sergio Aguero. Adding Yaya Toure to the mix, the Mancunians have a goal threat that surpasses Premier League champions Chelsea, who have struggled in the early days of their title defence.
Statistics website Squawka displayed the effectiveness and mobility of De Bruyne against West Ham, highlighting how he influences every corner of the opponent's half:
But as the Wolfsburg capture shone, Sterling struggled on the wing, bringing back memories of his Liverpool form from last term.
The England international made way for substitute Wilfried Bony in the second half as City chased the game, with coach Manuel Pellegrini opting to remove his big attacking talent at the point his team needed creativity and goals.
Former team-mate Steven Gerrard recently pointed the finger at Sterling's inconsistency and spoke about his inability to find the back of the net, per MailOnline:
For the money involved, Sterling is a purchase for the future—but he has to perform now to stay in this illustrious attack. The 20-year-old managed just seven goals and seven assists for Liverpool last term, according to WhoScored.com, and it would be a disappointment to Pellegrini if he posted similar stats once again.
Expectations are high for De Bruyne and Sterling, but the pressures are very different for both players. Sterling has to carry the homegrown tag on his shoulders, arriving for an inflated sum from a north west rival, and the spotlight will be firmly shone on him week after week.
De Bruyne will certainly be cut more slack as he is allowed time to readjust to life back in England after his failed stint at Chelsea, but his first full appearance suggests he will hit the ground running.
City face a tricky away tie to Tottenham on Saturday, but the match will allow the Sky Blues to sit and play on the counter-attack. Pellegrini set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 against the Hammers—a move away from his preferred 4-4-1-1—with this formation giving City the chance to exploit their newly purchased pace and guile.
Both players have the potential to be the very best in their positions in Europe in the coming years, but both may take time to settle in their new environments.
Sterling has witnessed and experienced the pressure of being a famous club's main hope, and this may give him the mental edge needed to succeed at a trophy-hunting team such as City.
However, De Bruyne has a point to prove after Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho dumped him from his ranks and sent him to the Bundesliga—and that motivation could propel the attacker to become one of the Premier League's breakout stars of 2015-16.
