EPL Week 7 Predictions: Premier League Picks, Key Players and Fixtures
The favourites for the 2017-18 Premier League title will travel to the defending champions in Week 7's flagship encounter, as Manchester City make the trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea.
Both sides head into this one off the back of handsome wins in their previous league outings, with City hammering five unanswered goals past Crystal Palace. Chelsea, meanwhile, turned in their best performance of the campaign at Stoke City last time out, as they earned a 4-0 victory.
Elsewhere, Huddersfield Town host Tottenham Hotspur in a potentially entertaining early kick-off on Saturday, while Manchester United welcome rock-bottom Palace to Old Trafford.
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Read on for the Week 7 schedule in full—kick-off times are BST—a pick for each contest and a focus on three players that'll be expected to make a difference for their team.
Saturday, September 30
12:30 p.m.—Huddersfield vs. Tottenham Hotspur (0-2)
3 p.m.—Bournemouth vs. Leicester City (2-2)
3 p.m.—Manchester United vs. Crystal Palace (3-0)
3 p.m.—Stoke City vs. Southampton (1-1)
3 p.m.—West Bromwich Albion vs. Watford (1-1)
3 p.m.—West Ham United vs. Swansea City (2-1)
5:30 p.m.—Chelsea vs. Manchester City (2-2)
Sunday, October 1
12 p.m.—Arsenal vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (3-0)
2:15 p.m.—Everton vs. Burnley (2-1)
4:30 p.m.—Newcastle United vs. Liverpool (1-3)
Alvaro Morata, Chelsea
Often centre-forwards can find it difficult to adapt to English football when coming in from abroad. And for a player like Morata, who arrived for big money, the pressure was on to get off to a fast start, but he has done exactly that.
The performance he turned in against Stoke had everything. Morata worked hard, linked the play well, found space and took his chances when they fell. A hat-trick was the least he deserved, and the Blues look like they have acquired one of the best forwards in European football.
As we can see courtesy of Sky Sports Statto, despite being new to the Premier League Morata fares well in comparison to the division's elite goalscorers:
Now Morata will be desperate to show his class in a huge game, and he'll feel his attributes are tailor made for getting at the City back four.
The Spain international is good at unsettling defenders, and it's been a while since the City defence came up against such a forward. Another big goal here would only further endear Morata to a fanbase already growing to adore him.
Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City
In a galaxy of sky-blue attacking stars it's difficult to pick one City player out as being the key man. But if pushed, few would disagree that it's De Bruyne.
Under manager Pep Guardiola he's settled into a deeper role in midfield. While it may mean we don't see the Belgian on the scoresheet quite as often as in recent years, he's involved in general play so much more, and that's to the benefit of his attacking team-mates.
As noted by Rupert Fryer, it seems as though plenty are beginning to realise just how talented De Bruyne is:
Chelsea didn't deem him talented enough earlier in his career having landed him from Genk in 2012. He left Stamford Bridge for Wolfsburg in 2014 before returning to the Premier League with City, and while he cost £55 million, few have mentioned the price tag since.
De Bruyne will be hungry to show what he can do against his former employers and turn in anther midfield masterclass against one of the division's best teams.
Christian Eriksen, Tottenham Hotspur
Plenty of the focus at Tottenham falls on Harry Kane and Dele Alli, but so often it's Eriksen who unlocks doors for Spurs. He'll need to do exactly that on Saturday when Spurs travel to a cohesive Huddersfield team.
So far this season Eriksen has been brilliant on the road for Tottenham, netting in the wins over Everton and West Ham United, as well as setting up Alli's opener in the victory over Newcastle. His technical ability and the ease with which he finds space makes him such a special footballer.
Football writer Raj Bains paid tribute to the Dane after he netted what proved to be the winning goal against West Ham:
Though Huddersfield are a team that have played an enterprising style under manager David Wagner, they will be wary of Tottenham's attacking talent. Defence will surely be the order of the day as a result.
It's in these positions, when Eriksen picks the ball up 30 yards out in space, when the Tottenham playmaker is so dangerous. His ability to shoot, cross and thread sharp passes into gaps makes him one of the Premier League's elite players.
