EPL Predictions: Picks, Top Players for Week 22 Premier League Fixtures
The most wide-open Premier League season in memory continued its dramatic narrative with a brilliant round of midweek fixtures. For those who cannot get enough of this pulsating competition, this weekend’s set of matches will be most welcome.
League leaders Arsenal face a tricky clash at Stoke City on Sunday, but they could find themselves knocked off the summit when kick-off comes around, with Leicester City, who are level on points, travelling to bottom club Aston Villa on Saturday. Additionally, longstanding rivals Liverpool and Manchester United will lock horns in what’s always a ferocious football match.
Here’s a look at the fixture list in full this weekend, the likely winners in each clash and a couple of players poised to make a major impression.
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| 12:45 p.m | Saturday, Jan. 16 | Tottenham vs. Sunderland | 2-0 |
| 3 p.m. | Saturday, Jan. 16 | Bournemouth vs. Norwich | 1-0 |
| 3 p.m. | Saturday, Jan. 16 | Chelsea vs. Everton | 1-1 |
| 3 p.m. | Saturday, Jan. 16 | Manchester City vs. Crystal Palace | 3-1 |
| 3 p.m. | Saturday, Jan. 16 | Newcastle vs. West Ham | 1-2 |
| 3 p.m. | Saturday, Jan. 16 | Southampton vs. West Brom | 2-1 |
| 5:30 p.m. | Saturday, Jan. 16 | Aston Villa vs. Leicester City | 1-3 |
| 2:05 p.m. | Sunday, Jan. 17 | Liverpool vs. Manchester United | 2-2 |
| 4:15 p.m. | Sunday, Jan. 17 | Stoke City vs. Arsenal | 1-2 |
| 8 p.m. | Monday, Jan. 18 | Swansea vs. Watford | 0-2 |
Romelu Lukaku, Everton
Saturday’s clash between Chelsea and Everton will be a huge chance for Romelu Lukaku to show what a big mistake the Stamford Bridge outfit made letting him leave the club in the summer of 2014.
After an impressive season on loan, Everton parted with £28 million to bring the Belgium international to Merseyside permanently, and after a mixed first full season at Goodison Park, the 22-year-old striker is motoring.
As the Premier League Twitter feed noted ahead of the Toffees’ 0-0 draw with Manchester City on Wednesday, the former Blues man has been banging in the goals this season:
Lukaku is beginning to look like the player Chelsea thought they would eventually have when they signed the striker from Anderlecht back in 2011. He’s a forward who looks after the ball well, can drive at defenders and, most importantly of all, score different kinds of goals, too.
In his two games against Chelsea last season, Lukaku struggled. In the first, a 6-3 win for the champions, he clearly wasn’t fully fit, while the second game saw him foiled by an incredible stop from former Blues goalkeeper Petr Cech. Even in Everton's 3-1 win against the champions this term, he was pretty ineffective.
This time, with the Blues struggling, you can bet their ex-player will be desperate to get his name on the scoresheet.
Roberto Firmino, Liverpool
When Liverpool have played at their best under manager Jurgen Klopp, they have done so without a natural centre-forward, instead using Roberto Firmino at the point of the attack. Against Arsenal in midweek, the Brazilian showed exactly what he’s capable of producing.
As Keith Costigan of FoxSports.com noted after the clash with Arsenal, it wasn’t just the goals that made his performance so encouraging:
Firmino scored two fine goals in the remarkable 3-3 draw between the teams, and although he hasn’t been at his best since joining the Reds, he’s shown an appetite for the big games. Let's not forget, against Manchester City earlier in the season, he was excellent, too, and the Reds faithful will be hopeful he can step up again against Manchester United.
The Red Devils are a team who defend well, although they did capitulate at times away at Newcastle United in a 3-3 draw in midweek. Firmino will need to be on hand to ruthlessly capitalise on any frailties in the back line.
What he’s done well when occupying that position is drop back into gaps between the midfield and back four, picking the ball up on the half-turn and driving into space. Do so against a United team, which has shown a soft centre at times this term, and the Reds should have some joy.
As Bleacher Report’s Karl Matchett notes, the role of Firmino’s team-mates is key to him thriving as well:
Some Liverpool supporters remain undecided on the Brazilian international after his big-money summer move. But a match-winning effort against United would surely go some way to removing any doubts about his pedigree.
