Premier League Week 29 Fixtures: EPL Picks and Predictions

Liverpool's trip to Manchester City headlines a crucial Week 29 in the Premier League as the battle to finish in the top four intensifies once again. 

The Reds' non-involvement in the FA Cup meant they were able to apply pressure to their rivals last weekend with a battling 2-1 win over Burnley. And Jurgen Klopp's side could really turn the screw if they were able to get something at the Etihad Stadium against an improving Manchester City team on Sunday.

Elsewhere, league leaders Chelsea visit Stoke City, while Tottenham Hotspur host Southampton. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger desperately needs a win at West Bromwich Albion, and Manchester United have the chance to recover from their FA Cup exit as they tackle a struggling Middlesbrough side.

Here's the schedule in full for the week and a look ahead to two of the standout games on the Premier League agenda.

Date	Time	Fixture	Prediction
Saturday, March 18	12:30 p.m.	West Brom vs. Arsenal	1-1
Saturday, March 18	3 p.m	Everton vs. Hull City	2-0
Saturday, March 18	3 p.m	Crystal Palace vs. Watford	2-1
Saturday, March 18	3 p.m	Sunderland vs. Burnley	1-1
Saturday, March 18	3 p.m	Stoke City vs. Chelsea	1-2
Saturday, March 18	3 p.m	West Ham vs. Leicester	1-1
Saturday, March 18	5:30 p.m.	Bournemouth vs. Swansea	2-2
Sunday, March 19	12 p.m.	Middlesbrough vs. Manchester United	0-1
Sunday, March 19	2:15 p.m.	Tottenham Hotspur vs. Southampton	2-0
Sunday, March 19	4:30 p.m.	Manchester City vs. Liverpool	2-2

R	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Chelsea	27	21	3	3	57	20	+37	66
2	Tottenham	27	16	8	3	53	20	+33	56
3	Manchester City	27	17	5	5	53	29	+24	56
4	Liverpool	28	16	7	5	60	35	+25	55
5	Arsenal	26	15	5	6	55	31	+24	50
6	Manchester United	26	13	10	3	39	22	+17	49
7	Everton	28	13	8	7	47	30	+17	47
8	West Bromwich Albion	28	11	7	10	36	37	-1	40
9	Stoke	28	9	9	10	32	40	-8	36
10	Southampton	26	9	6	11	32	34	-2	33
11	West Ham	28	9	6	13	38	49	-11	33
12	Burnley	28	9	4	15	31	42	-11	31
13	Watford	27	8	7	12	33	47	-14	31
14	Bournemouth	28	8	6	14	40	54	-14	30
15	Leicester	27	7	6	14	30	45	-15	27
16	Swansea	28	8	3	17	36	61	-25	27
17	Crystal Palace	27	7	4	16	35	46	-11	25
18	Hull	28	6	6	16	26	54	-28	24
19	Middlesbrough	27	4	10	13	19	30	-11	22
20	Sunderland	27	5	4	18	24	50	-26	19

West Bromwich Albion vs. Arsenal

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With so much focus on Wenger over the last couple of weeks, the eyes of the football world will be on him again on Saturday as he takes his Arsenal side to the Hawthorns.

The Frenchman relieved a little pressure with a 5-0 win over Lincoln City in the FA Cup, although it was a game preceded by more protests from the club's fanbase about the manager's position. The 10-2 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League will not be forgotten in a hurry, it seems.

Despite all the flak he's taken in recent weeks, Lincoln boss Dan Cowley offered an insight into the class of the Frenchman following their FA Cup clash:

Still, class is no guarantee of points, and that's exactly what Arsenal need at the moment. They sit in fifth position in the Premier League, five points behind Liverpool in fourth with a couple of games in hand. A win here would put pressure on their rivals before they start their Premier League weekend.

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West Brom will be a testing opponent, though. Tony Pulis' side are up to eighth in the table after an impressive season, and their robust and direct brand of football is tailor-made to cause Arsenal problems.

Pulis will be demanding a performance from his players, as they've been below usual standards in back-to-back losses against Crystal Palace and Everton. Needless to say, Rhodri Cannon of IB Times isn't a fan of their methods:

You sense the home team will be up for this one and will seek to expose the defensive frailties that have been on show in the Gunners defence as of late; expect high balls and crosses aplenty at the Hawthorns on Saturday. It'll be a tough afternoon for Arsenal but one from which they will emerge with a hard-earned point.

Prediction: West Brom 1-1 Arsenal

Manchester City vs. Liverpool

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In theory at least, this should be a massive test for the Reds—going away from home against a talented team and a positional rival. But it's a challenge they've stood up well to in the 2016-17 season.

Indeed, it's against sides like Burnley last time out when Liverpool have struggled. And for long spells they did struggle on home soil against the Premier League's worst away side, with intensity levels and focus evidently short on those showcased a week earlier against Arsenal.

This match should probably take care of itself, as the division's official Twitter feed noted here:

City manager Pep Guardiola will be aware of that. His side turned in one of their worst displays of the season in the 1-0 loss at Anfield in December, although they have turned a corner in 2017.

Initially, that resurgence was triggered by the integration of Gabriel Jesus into the side at the expense of Sergio Aguero. While the young Brazilian has since been sidelined with an injury, City have continued to build momentum, with Aguero back in the side and back among the goals on a regular basis.

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It's City's wide players who have been exhilarating, with Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling leaving many a full-back in a twist.

The match at Anfield between these two sides was an underwhelming affair, with the Reds keeping City at arm's length in a 1-0 win. Expect a more vibrant effort from Guardiola's men this time but for big-game specialists Liverpool to take a point back to Merseyside.

Prediction: Manchester City 2-2 Liverpool