Premier League Week 23 Fixtures: EPL Picks and Predictions
Arsenal will host Chelsea in Week 23's Premier League action, a potential banana skin of a game for the table-toppers despite the Blues' continued poor form.
The Gunners lead the league only on goal difference, and if they slip up against manager Guus Hiddink's side, both Leicester City and Manchester City could leapfrog them.
The Foxes will host Stoke City, and manager Manuel Pellegrini's men will travel to West Ham United, while fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur will face out-of-form Crystal Palace.
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Read on for a look at all 10 fixtures for Week 23, picks and predictions as well as a closer examination of the headline clashes:
| Date | Time (GMT/ET) | Fixture | Pick | Prediction |
| Jan. 23 | 12:45 p.m./7:45 a.m. | Norwich City vs. Liverpool | Liverpool | 1-2 |
| Jan. 23 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham Hotspur | Draw | 1-1 |
| Jan. 23 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Leicester City vs. Stoke City | Draw | 1-1 |
| Jan. 23 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Manchester United vs. Southampton | Manchester United | 2-1 |
| Jan. 23 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Sunderland vs. Bournemouth | Bournemouth | 0-1 |
| Jan. 23 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Watford vs. Newcastle United | Newcastle United | 2-3 |
| Jan. 23 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | West Bromwich Albion vs. Aston Villa | West Brom | 1-0 |
| Jan. 23 | 5:30 p.m./12:30 p.m. | West Ham United vs. Manchester City | Draw | 2-2 |
| Jan. 24 | 1:30 p.m./8:30 a.m. | Everton vs. Swansea City | Everton | 3-2 |
| Jan. 24 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Arsenal vs. Chelsea | Draw | 1-1 |
Title Test for Arsenal
Arsenal have looked like title favourites for much of the season, but they have been unable to stretch any kind of lead at the league's summit.
Draws to Liverpool and Stoke City in their last two outings have kept the Gunners within reach for Leicester and City, with Spurs only five points back in fourth.
Bleacher Report's Dean Jones believes, though, that the stalemate at the Britannia Stadium was a sign of Arsenal's newfound resilience:
A victory over Chelsea would be a statement of intent from manager Arsene Wenger's side, as despite Chelsea's struggles—they are 14th in the table—they still represent a tough challenge for Arsenal.
The Gunners have not beaten Chelsea in the league since 2011, and the reverse fixture earlier this season ended in a 2-0 win for the west Londoners in a bad-tempered affair.
Arsenal cannot afford such a result this time around, as it could derail their title challenge and would constitute a third consecutive game without a win in the league.
That is not the kind of form title hopefuls should be displaying in the second half of the season, and Wenger needs to set his team up to win.
A draw would be a disappointing result for Arsenal. They are at home and playing against a side in the bottom half of the table with only six wins in the entire season.
Fortunately, the Gunners look likely to welcome back Mesut Ozil, who sat out of the 0-0 draw at Stoke:
The former Real Madrid man has been Arsenal's best player this season, and his creativity will be a big boost for the Gunners in their attacking exploits.
Having been held by the Potters, Ozil's movement and link-up play should allow Arsenal to be more threatening.
But the Blues will likely turn up at the Emirates with a game plan not to lose the match, and even with Ozil, the Gunners could be frustrated at home.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea
City's Away Form Could Cost Them Again
The Sky Blues' last away trip in the league was a 2-1 victory over Watford on Jan. 2.
Remarkably, it was their first win on the road since September's defeat of Crystal Palace and ended a run of six games without a win away from home.
City will travel to West Ham in Week 23, and the Hammers will take heart from the fact that the Manchester outfit have been poor on the road as well as the 2-1 win they earned in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
West Ham have not lost at home since Aug. 22, and their resilience has keyed their move up into sixth place.
The key concern for Irons manager Slaven Bilic will be dealing with Sergio Aguero, who found some form with a brace the last time out against Crystal Palace, per Squawka:
But West Ham have the organisation and strength to keep the Argentinian quiet, and in Dimitri Payet, they have their own star man who could terrorise the City defence.
The Hammers have been largely excellent this season, and they will be confident of getting something at home against City in what should be an entertaining game.
Prediction: West Ham United 2-2 Manchester City
