Premier League Week 17 Fixtures: EPL TV Schedule, Live Stream and Picks
Arsenal and Manchester City will go head-to-head in Week 17 of the 2015-16 Premier League season, the marquee matchup of what should be another fine weekend of football.
Liverpool face a tricky trip to Watford, while Manchester United host Norwich City. Slumping Chelsea will host Sunderland without former manager Jose Mourinho on the bench after he was sacked in a desperate attempt to turn around the campaign.
Here's a look at the schedule for Week 17, along with TV and live stream info and picks:
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| Saturday, Dec. 19 | Southampton | Tottenham Hotspur | Spurs | / | Live Extra (U.S.) |
| Saturday, Dec. 19 | Stoke City | Crystal Palace | Draw | / | Live Extra (U.S.) |
| Saturday, Dec. 19 | WBA | Bournemouth | WBA | / | Live Extra (U.S.) |
| Saturday, Dec. 19 | Chelsea | Sunderland | Chelsea | NBCSN (U.S.) | Live Extra (U.S.) |
| Saturday, Dec. 19 | Everton | Leicester City | Draw | / | Live Extra (U.S.) |
| Saturday, Dec. 19 | Manchester United | Norwich City | United | USA (U.S.) | USA Live TV |
| Saturday, Dec. 19 | Newcastle | Aston Villa | Newcastle | Sky Sports 1 (UK)/NBC (U.S.) | Sky Go (UK)/Live Extra (U.S.) |
| Sunday, Dec. 20 | Watford | Liverpool | Draw | Sky Sports 1 (UK)/NBCSN (U.S.) | Sky Go (UK)/Live Extra (U.S.) |
| Sunday, Dec. 20 | Swansea | West Ham | West Ham | Sky Sports 1 (UK)/NBCSN (U.S.) | Sky Go (UK)/Live Extra (U.S.) |
| Monday, Dec. 21 | Arsenal | Manchester City | Draw | Sky Sports 1 (UK)/NBCSN (U.S.) | Sky Go (UK)/Live Extra (U.S.) |
To access the Sky Go app, click here. For USA Live TV, click here. For NBC's Live Extra app, click here.
Preview
Manchester City's strong start to the season has slowed down somewhat in recent weeks, and going into Monday's match against high-flying Arsenal, the Citizens have lost two of their last four Premier League matches.
Manuel Pellegrini's men remain the favourites to win this year's title, but a strong showing against the Gunners is needed to show they are still the team to beat in England.
There's some good news for the visitors in the form of the imminent return of Sergio Aguero, per Sky Sports' Mark Crellin. The Argentina international has been training with the squad and could be in line to make his return at the Emirates Stadium, which would make City's vaunted attack even more dangerous.
Per Arsenal's official Twitter account, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger knows his team will have to be at its best:
Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva have torn apart many defences this season, and with Raheem Sterling capable of running past defenders almost at will and the strong scoring numbers of Aguero and Wilfried Bony, the likes of Laurent Koscielny can't afford to lose their concentration for even a second.
Arsenal have so far dealt well with the absence of Francis Coquelin, but the club's reworked midfield has yet to face a test like this.
Mathieu Flamini and Aaron Ramsey have so far held their own, but Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher (via Nick Wright) wonders whether the Welshman may be a weakness in central midfield against City:
"Every time I see Ramsey and Flamini, one is in front of the other. It looks like Ramsey is at the tip of a diamond at times, ahead of his midfield partner. I've got nothing against midfield players running forward but at certain times of the game you should be more disciplined. In big games you've got to be more careful.
"
Elsewhere, Liverpool face a trip to Watford at the worst possible time. The Reds have been struck by injuries and are winless in their last two Premier League outings, while the Hornets have been in sensational form, winning their last three and climbing all the way up to seventh place.
It may have been easy to dismiss Odion Ighalo's hot start to the season as a fluke, but per football blogger Jonas Giaever, that's no longer the case:
He and Troy Deeney form one of the Premier League's toughest duo's to defend against, and given Liverpool's defensive injury concerns, an upset could be on the cards. Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez are both unavailable for this match, and Mamadou Sakho lacks any form of match rhythm.
The fact he would be playing is impressive to begin with, per ESPN FC's Ben Dinnery:
Manchester United are winless in their last three Premier League outings, and a win at Old Trafford against a slumping Norwich City side is a must at this point.
The Canaries are winless in their last four, losing two, and their defence has already conceded 28 goals, one of the worst marks in the league, per WhoScored.com.
If Louis van Gaal can't direct his squad past this team, he could be in serious trouble.
