EPL Week 19 Predictions: Premier League Picks, Key Players and Fixtures
Manchester United and Chelsea will each hope to overturn their recent ruts in form when they clash at Old Trafford on Monday in the highlight of the Week 19 Premier League schedule.
Louis van Gaal heads into a clutch encounter having failed to win in his last seven games, while Chelsea's last away victory in league competition came back in August, showing just how far these titans have fallen.
Leaders Leicester City play host to Manchester City on Tuesday and are hoping to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat at Liverpool, while Arsenal take on Eddie Howe's Bournemouth after being humiliated 4-0 by Southampton.
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We provide a look at which key players to keep an eye on in Week 19 of what's already been a topsy-turvy 2015-16 campaign, along with full score predictions for every fixture on the slate.
| Monday, Dec. 28 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Crystal Palace | 3-1 | Swansea City |
| Monday, Dec. 28 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Everton | 2-2 | Stoke City |
| Monday, Dec. 28 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Norwich City | 2-1 | Aston Villa |
| Monday, Dec. 28 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Watford | 1-1 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Monday, Dec. 28 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | West Bromwich Albion | 1-0 | Newcastle United |
| Monday, Dec. 28 | 5:30 p.m. GMT/12:30 p.m. ET | Arsenal | 3-0 | Bournemouth |
| Monday, Dec. 28 | 5:30 p.m. GMT/12:30 p.m. ET | Manchester United | 2-2 | Chelsea |
| Monday, Dec. 28 | 5:30 p.m. GMT/12:30 p.m. ET | West Ham United | 1-2 | Southampton |
| Tuesday, Dec. 29 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Leicester City | 2-3 | Manchester City |
| Wednesday, Dec. 30 | 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET | Sunderland | 0-2 | Liverpool |
Key Players to Watch
Radamel Falcao
Diego Costa picked up his fifth yellow card of the season during Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Watford on Saturday, meaning Radamel Falcao is in line to start up front against former club Manchester United on Monday.
The Telegraph's Sam Wallace previously reported that interim Blues boss Guus Hiddink was looking to bring the out-of-favour forward back into the fold, and what better opportunity to make his impact felt?
It's a daunting task for Falcao, but he'll have the added benefit of knowing how Louis van Gaal's side are set up. That puts him in prime position to embarrass defenders such as Chris Smalling and Phil Jones just as Stoke City did in Saturday's 2-0 win over the Red Devils.
If Falcao's Instagram account has been anything to go by of late, the attacker has been rejuvenated by the arrival of Hiddink and is hoping for a fresh start under the Dutchman:
He'll be motivated to take his chance on Monday should it come, too, after seeing team-mate Costa net two goals against the Hornets last time out, showing he's ready to bounce back out of his rut.
Loic Remy and Eden Hazard could also be in line to start up front for the west Londoners in their trip to Old Trafford, but Falcao's potential clash with some familiar faces makes for an enticing storyline of its own.
Mousa Dembele
Tottenham Hotspur's defence has been the best in the Premier League this season, and the north Londoners have conceded just 14 goals in their 18 games so far, at least two fewer than any other outfit.
Many might attribute that feat solely to the defence, but the truth is a midfield pivot of Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier has been just as important. However, Tom Allnutt of the Press Association quoted Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino confirming Dembele took a knock to the ankle in Saturday's 3-0 win over Norwich City:
One might expect Dier, who had regularly played in the back four, to be the more defensively minded of the two, but no Tottenham player has averaged more tackles per game than Dembele this season (3.9), per WhoScored.com.
His presence will be pivotal if Spurs are to stop the likes of Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney. Unibet highlighted just how impressive Dembele was against the Canaries:
Dembele's average of 2.1 interceptions per game also isn't far from topping Tottenham's charts, and a passing ratio of 88.7 percent is the best of any senior outfield player in Pochettino's squad.
The slightest disruption to Pochettino's preferred XI is likely to have a significant impact on their chances at Vicarage Road.
