Premier League Week 13 Fixtures: EPL Picks and Predictions
The Premier League returns after the international break on Saturday, with the top four sides sitting within only two points of each other.
Leaders Manchester City have the toughest challenge of the leading pack, welcoming Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Reds grabbed a dramatic win at Chelsea in their last away match and will be hoping to dent City's charge at the summit.
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Arsenal and Manchester United face difficult trips to West Bromwich Albion and Watford respectively, both hoping to take advantage of any City slip if Liverpool grab a result on their travels.
Premier League champions Chelsea will be searching for only their fourth win of their league campaign when they host Norwich City at Stamford Bridge.
Jose Mourinho's team sit in 16th place but could be in the relegation zone by the end of the weekend if they fall to their eighth league loss of the season.
Here are Week 13's Premier League fixtures, including score predictions:
| Nov. 22 | 12:45 p.m./7:45 a.m. | Watford vs. Manchester United | Draw | 1-1 |
| Nov. 22 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Chelsea vs. Norwich City | Chelsea win | 2-1 |
| Nov. 22 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Everton vs. Aston Villa | Everton win | 3-2 |
| Nov. 22 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Newcastle United v Leicester City | Draw | 2-2 |
| Nov. 22 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Southampton vs. Stoke City | Draw | 1-1 |
| Nov. 22 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Swansea City vs. Bournemouth | Swansea win | 2-1 |
| Nov. 22 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | West Bromwich Albion vs. Arsenal | Arsenal win | 1-3 |
| Nov. 22 | 5:30 p.m./12:30 p.m. | Manchester City vs. Liverpool | City win | 1-0 |
| Nov. 23 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Tottenham Hotspur vs. West Ham United | Spurs win | 1-0 |
| Nov. 24 | 8 p.m./3 p.m. | Crystal Palace vs. Sunderland | Palace win | 2-1 |
Manchester City vs. Liverpool
Liverpool's win at Stamford Bridge felt like the true arrival of Klopp to the Premier League, as Blues coach Jose Mourinho looked on in disgust.
The Reds gave their fans a taste of how life could be under the German manager's leadership, but the trip to Manchester City will be a much sterner test.
City have 26 points from their first 12 league matches, compared to Liverpool's 17, and they look like a side that is rejuvenated in attack.
The additions of Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling have added a new dimension to the Sky Blues, who no longer look toothless when Sergio Aguero is unavailable.
Aguero has scored the goals the team needs since his move from Atletico Madrid in 2011, but City's new-look attack, fuelled by the excellent De Bruyne, has seen the side look more balanced as it evolves.
The Belgium international's link-up play with David Silva has brought imagination and flair to the league leaders' ranks, and the former Chelsea player highlighted the joy at their partnership, per City's official Twitter feed:
Liverpool struggled to score in the opening weeks of Klopp's tenure, but they relaxed and performed against Chelsea, exuding the virtues of the manager's natural attacking game.
The Anfield club are certainly short of the wider talent they need to penetrate the top four in the league, but the existing base of players are good enough to make a splash.
Philippe Coutinho has benefited from Klopp's installation on Merseyside, and he plays the kind of expansive game that the German loves.
The Brazilian pointed toward this fact recently in an interview with LFC magazine (h/t B/R UK):
Despite their charge up the table, City have not always looked the most assured in defence. New signing Nicolas Otamendi has settled well in the back four, but the defensive unit is susceptible to pace.
Coutinho is better as a central midfielder but adds value as a No. 10 while Klopp develops his starting XI.
If City fail to recognise the threat of the Brazilian, they could pay the price, just as Mourinho and Chelsea did at the end of October.
Prediction: City win 1-0.
Watford vs. Manchester United
A recently promoted side against a world giant should be a mismatch, but when Manchester United are misfiring, anything can happen.
United travel to Watford for Saturday's lunchtime kick-off, and the Red Devils have struggled to hit the back of the net and create chances of late.
Coach Louis van Gaal has his defence in perfect form at present, and this has been United's saving grace, being the bedrock for effective but dull football.
Wayne Rooney has been the centre of attention for all of the wrong reasons, as fans of the England captain watch on, concerned about their icon's performances.
Former United striker Teddy Sheringham blames LvG's tactics for Rooney's slump, as reported by ESPN FC's Kevin Palmer:
"Rooney will score goals if he is given the right kind of set-up to work in. He has proved that time and again down the years.
All I would say is playing up front on your own is very tough. Not many players can pull that off successfully. I certainly wouldn't have fancied trying to play that role and always had a partner alongside me.
Van Gaal is trying something different at Man Utd and it is not quite suiting Wayne Rooney at the moment. You have a top-quality player there, so you would like to think there is a way of finding a system that will suit him. It is up to the manager to work that out.
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Sheringham's words strike a chord about United's tactics, but Rooney has lost a yard of pace and a tonne of intensity, leaving him a bystander on too many occasions.
Watford have improved hugely since the opening games of the campaign and look comfortable in their Premier League skin.
Odion Ighalo has been one of the surprise packages of the first months of the Premier League season, and his seven goals in 11 appearances will have Van Gaal concerned, per WhoScored.com.
United need to show more cohesion in the final third, and if they sit back against the Hornets on Saturday, they could be stung by a team motivated to take a major scalp.
However, Anthony Martial was fantastic for France against Germany on Friday, and the 19-year-old holds the key to United's season until reinforcements can be acquired in January.
Prediction: 1-1.
