EPL Predictions: Picks, Top Players for Week 12 Premier League Fixtures

The north London derby will steal the headlines in Week 12 of the 2017-18 Premier League season, as rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal will go head-to-head on Saturday.

Spurs currently sit four points ahead of the Gunners in the standings, and with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea in fine form of late, neither can afford to drop points and lose touch with the other title contenders.

Elsewhere, City visit Leicester, Manchester United face Newcastle United, Chelsea take on West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool host Southampton.

Here's a look at all matches, complete with predictions:

Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham

Bournemouth 2-0 Huddersfield Town

WBA 1-3 Chelsea

Burnley 1-0 Swansea City

Crystal Palace 2-1 Everton

Leicester 0-3 Manchester City

Liverpool 3-1 Southampton

Manchester United 2-0 Newcastle

Watford 1-1 West Ham United

Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 Stoke City

Key Players

Dele Alli, Tottenham Hotspur

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

As reported by Declan Warrington and Tom Allnutt of the London Evening Standard, manager Mauricio Pochettino expects Alli to be fit in time for the all-important derby after he previously missed time due to injury.

The midfielder didn't feature in the win over Crystal Palace and also didn't join up with the national team during the international break. Harry Winks also suffered an injury, but he too is expected to be back in time.

Injuries have been a major issue during the international break for the club, as Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld both didn't feature for Belgium against Mexico and Harry Kane dropped out of international duty as well.

Per Pochettino, Kane's availability for the Arsenal match is not in doubt, via Sky Sports News:

Alli adds a huge scoring threat to Spurs' team, as well as a healthy dose of physicality in midfield. The Gunners have struggled getting a grip on the midfield battles in plenty of their matches this season, and Spurs are expected to try to overwhelm their rivals. For that, they'll need Alli, who can do plenty of damage with his raw strength.

Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

When Arsene Wenger made the decision to bench Alexandre Lacazette for the match against City, fans couldn't believe it. For the second top match this season, the Frenchman didn't get the start―he was also on the bench against Liverpool―and Arsenal lost both times.

The former Lyon man scored the Gunners' only goal against City, and that only made the fans more upset he had to start from the bench.

Rapper and Arsenal fan Lethal Bizzle was one of them:

One has to assume Wenger has learned his lesson. Lacazette should return from the international break well-rested after playing a part-time role for France, and against a Spurs defence that could well miss several key pieces, his movement could be key.

Alex Iwobi struggled against City and appears to be in need of a lot more seasoning before he's ready to start matches of this magnitude. Lacazette was Arsenal's marquee signing during the summer―he simply has to start in key contests.