Premier League Week 25 Fixtures: EPL Picks and Predictions

Premier League leaders Liverpool host in-form Southampton in Week 25, hoping to increase their 16-point advantage at the table summit by sealing a league double over the Saints.

Leicester City and Chelsea open Week 25 in Saturday's early kick-off at the King Power Stadium, where the third-placed side will host the fourth in what promises to be a critical encounter in shaping the battle for a UEFA Champions League place.

A clash between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford could also weigh heavily in that conversation. Nuno Espirito Santo's side are unbeaten in five of their past six meetings with the Red Devils.

Defending Premier League champions Manchester City also have a difficult test away from home and travel to Tottenham Hotspur, where Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho are set to renew their rivalry.

Week 25 Fixtures, Predictions

Saturday, February 1

Leicester City 2-2 Chelsea, 12:30 p.m. GMT/7:30 a.m. ET

Liverpool 2-0 Southampton, 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET

Bournemouth 1-1 Aston Villa, 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET

Newcastle United 2-0 Norwich City, 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET

Watford 0-0 Everton, 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET

West Ham United 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion, 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET

Crystal Palace 0-1 Sheffield United, 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET

Manchester United 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers, 5:30 p.m. GMT/12:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, February 2

Burnley 2-2 Arsenal, 2 p.m. GMT/9 a.m. ET

Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Manchester City, 4:30 p.m. GMT/11:30 a.m. ET

Under-Strength Leicester Outfox Chelsea

Back-to-back Premier League losses against Southampton and Burnley recently threw Leicester from their previous perch in second, but third still looks all but assured with an eight-point buffer in their favour.

That's the gap separating Chelsea from third travelling to the King Power, a trip made all the more difficult by the Blues' stagnating form in recent weeks.

Chelsea beat Hull City 2-1 on Saturday to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup, but manager Frank Lampard told BT Sport of his need for fresh impetus after the game:

Stand-in strikers Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud have barely been involved this season, but Lampard said on Sunday that first-choice Tammy Abraham still isn't fully fit, per PhysioRoom.com:

Leicester will have played in three competitions in less than one week—the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup—by the time they face the Blues, but Brendan Rodgers has rotated well of late.

Much could depend on the fitness of Foxes frontman Jamie Vardy after he suffered a glute injury during their 4-1 win over West Ham United on Wednesday.

However, Rodgers confirmed the blow—initially interpreted as a hamstring problem—isn't as bad as first feared, per the Mirror's James Nursey:

Leicester haven't looked quite the same during midfield anchor Wilfred Ndidi's injury-forced absence, and their midfield suffered another blow after his replacement, Nampalys Mendy, was injured.

Chelsea lost 1-0 at Newcastle in their most recent away league fixture, but Leicester's own slump of late has exposed a reliance on certain key stars.

Guardiola Edges Mourinho Grudge Match

Two of European football's managerial heavyweights will collide at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday when former Barcelona boss Guardiola lines up opposite ex-Real Madrid coach Mourinho.

While Spurs drew 1-1 at Southampton in the FA Cup on Saturday and will require a replay, City smashed four past 10-man Fulham to easily secure their future in the competition:

Guardiola has lost to Mourinho in only five of their 22 career meetings, per Transfermarkt, and won on 11 occasions.

This will be The Special One's first run-in with the two-time Champions League-winner Guardiola since he was appointed Spurs boss in November, with his team currently sixth.

The chances of doing that against Guardiola seem slim on paper, considering City are unbeaten in eight and the Catalan recently beat his rival's record for quickest to reach 100 Premier League points:

Spurs are still without star striker Harry Kane after he tore his hamstring in early January, and neither Heung-Min Son nor Lucas Moura have been able to replace the threat he provides.

The Citizens have won in their last two league trips to face Spurs, and Guardiola's chances seem promising given Tottenham's recent hard-fought efforts to beat Norwich City and Middlesbrough (both 2-1).