Premier League Week 27 Fixtures: EPL Picks and Predictions

Liverpool can restore a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League if they can secure their first win at Old Trafford since March 2014 when they travel to fourth-place Manchester United on Sunday.

Paris Saint-Germain beat United 2-0 on Tuesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 matchup, halting Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's 11-match unbeaten streak in all competitions. However, avoiding defeat against Liverpool in Week 27 would extend his record to 10 league games unbeaten since his arrival.

Tottenham Hotspur strode to a 3-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League clash in midweek, and they can close to within two points of second spot if they win at Burnley on Saturday.

Arsenal manager Unai Emery will demand a big response from his side when they host Southampton in Sunday's other kick-off, having lost 1-0 at BATE Borisov in their UEFA Europa League round-of-32 first leg.

Week 27 will also feature two Friday evening kick-offs as Cardiff City host a Watford side that's lost only once in their last 10 matches. Fulham travel to West Ham United, the pair of whom have one win between each of their last five matches.

Week 27 Fixtures, Predictions

Friday, February 22

Cardiff City 1-1 Watford, 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET

West Ham United 2-0 Fulham, 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET

Saturday, February 23

Burnley 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur, 12:30 p.m. GMT/7:30 a.m. ET

Newcastle United 2-1 Huddersfield Town, 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET

Bournemouth 1-3 Wolverhampton Wanderers, 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET

Leicester City 2-2 Crystal Palace, 5:30 p.m. GMT/12:30 p.m.ET

Sunday, February 24

Arsenal 3-1 Southampton, 2:05 p.m. GMT/9:05 a.m. ET

Manchester United 1-2 Liverpool, 2:05 p.m. GMT/9:05 a.m. ET

Preview

Liverpool couldn't ask for a more tense fixture to catch up their game in hand over Premier League leaders Manchester City than with a trip to Old Trafford. Win on Sunday and a result over their rivals will lift them back into the lead with morale sky high; defeat would be a crushing way to lose their foothold at the top.

It's been almost five years since the Merseysiders last beat United on their own turf, losing three times and drawing twice in their last five attempts.

Jurgen Klopp might have fancied his side's chances more when Jose Mourinho's sacking came amid a sense of panic in Manchester, but Deji Faremi noted how Solskjaer's reign has restored some equilibrium:

Klopp recently said he was hopeful centre-back Dejan Lovren would be fit for their UEFA Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich at Anfield on Tuesday. 

United travel to Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Monday and will be without Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard in what is a big blow for their attack. Both players look set to miss out on the visit of Liverpool, per Goal's Kris Voakes:

Paul Pogba was sent off at the end of that disappointing defeat to PSG but will be ready to return to domestic action against the Blues at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham's confidence is soaring after they booked a fourth win in a row against Dortmund on Wednesday, but Burnley have rediscovered some of their resilience at Turf Moor recently, conceding twice in their last four home games.

That being said, Mauricio Pochettino's side have shown supreme depth of late to overcome the absences of Harry Kane and Dele Alli, and should be expected to take a fifth successive win if they keep up their form:

Southampton suffered their first league loss in five matches when they leaked a last-minute winner against Cardiff City in Week 26, but Sunday's visit to the Emirates Stadium holds mixed prospects.

Arsenal will be alert after their European defeat in Belarus, where a team of largely first-team players limply fell at BATE. It doesn't help the situation in north London that highest-paid player Mesut Ozil has just left the country to clear his head, per the Mirror's Darren Wells.

Football reporter Raphael Honigstein recently discussed Ozil's tug-of-war against the Arsenal chief on BT Sport Score:

One would think an Arsenal XI with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang restored will have the ammunition to beat a Saints team that's won just two of its last 10 outings in all competitions.

Cardiff, meanwhile, have secured back-to-back wins for the first time this season and should be considered a threat to get at least a point at home to Watford.