English Premier League Power Rankings: Week 17
Only three games were played this weekend in the English Premier League with the rest of the fixtures being postponed due to snow.
In the games that were played, Sunderland took down Bolton, Everton shocked Manchester City, and there was also a draw between Blackburn and West Ham.
The next week is just like heaven for any EPL fan as matches take place on five days out of seven starting on Boxing Day with a full slate of matches scheduled.
20. West Ham (20)
1 of 20
The Hammers took a point from their match with Blackburn on Saturday thanks to a goal from Junior Stanislas in the 78th minute.
The draw puts the Hammers on thirteen points but they still lay last in the table.
Transfer target Robbie Keane looks like he will not be making the trip across London from Spurs.
The good news is Steve Sidwell should be joining the club from Aston Villa and an Emmanuel Adebayor loan move has not been counted out yet.
19. Wigan (19)
2 of 20
Wigan were one of the many teams snowed out over the weekend.
Sitting in 18th place, the Latics have a huge relegation battle on Boxing Day at the Molineux with Wolves, followed by a home match with Arsenal next Wednesday.
18. Fulham (18)
3 of 20
Fulham do not have many things going their way this season and the holiday schedule could be a way to boost the Cottagers up the table from 17th place.
A Boxing Day visit from West Ham, followed by trips to Stoke and Tottenham is how the schedule works out for Mark Hughes' club in the next week.
In transfer news, Hughes has said Clint Dempsey is not for sale, while rumors are swirling about American Landon Donovan possibly joining on loan and Mexico keeper Guillermo Ochoa is on trial with the London club.
17. Wolverhampton (15)
4 of 20
Wolves' game with West Brom was postponed over the weekend.
Sitting at 19th in the table, Mick McCarthy's men will have a handful of difficult games in the near future with two against Liverpool, and a game against Chelsea and Manchester City within the next month, as well as a key Boxing Day fixture with Wigan at home.
Wolves lost out on American forward Robbie Findley after he chose to join Nottingham Forest after being on trial at Wolves.
16. Birmingham (16)
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Birmingham have only won one game since the beginning of November and that streak is still intact after the postponement of their game with Newcastle over the weekend.
Alex McLeish's club will look to get help from Alexander Hleb, who has failed to make an impact on loan from Barcelona and will have to fight to keep Sebastian Larsson from leaving with rumors that he may move to Stoke in January.
15. West Brom (14)
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West Brom's relegation battle with Wolves was postponed this weekend, giving the club a chance to rest for the upcoming holiday schedule.
The Baggies will visit Bolton on Boxing Day, followed by a Tuesday home match with Blackburn and then a visit from Manchester United on New Year's Day at The Hawthorns.
14. Everton (17)
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Tim Cahill and Leighton Baines powered Everton's 2-1 win over Manchester City on Monday night.
The win propelled the Toffees up to 14th place in the table with 21 points.
David Moyes' club face a fairly easy holiday schedule next week with Birmingham, West Ham and Stoke in line to face the Toffees.
In Everton transfer news, Moyes is looking to bring in Landon Donovan or David Beckham on loan from LA Galaxy and will look to keep Steven Pienaar around due to the loss of Tim Cahill to the Asian Cup finals.
13. Aston Villa (13)
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Aston Villa are one of the surprises of this season, in a bad way.
With the departure of Martin O'Neill right before the season and the appointment of Gerard Houllier as manager, the Villans have been caught in a slump.
Now with the departure of Steve Sidwell and Stephen Ireland imminent, the return of Fabian Delph from injury and any transfers that come in will be well needed for the club.
12. Stoke (10)
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Stoke's trip to London to face Arsenal was postponed over the weekend.
The Potters' next match is a road trip to Ewood Park to face Blackburn on Boxing Day.
Home matches with Fulham and Everton will conclude the three-match week for Tony Pulis and company.
Rumors are flying that Sebastian Larsson will join the club in January and there is a possibility Wayne Bridge could make the Britannia Stadium his new home.
11. Blackburn (12)
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Blackburn's match with West Ham ended in a draw at Ewood Park on Saturday.
Ryan Nelsen scored the only goal in Steve Kean's first game in charge of the club.
Stoke, West Brom and Sunderland are all on Rovers' schedule for the next week as Kean looks to lead the club back into the top half of the table from 12th place.
10. Liverpool (9)
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Roy Hodgson has claimed that this is not "his team" yet and that the January transfer window will give him the chance to do that.
The Reds have a chance to pick up some much-needed points this week with a trip to Blackpool on Boxing Day, followed by a home match with Wolves and then another home match on New Year's Day against Bolton.
9. Blackpool (8)
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Blackpool have been the pleasant surprise of the season so far, and with having not played a match in two weeks due to postponements, Ian Holloway's club should be well rested for a difficult holiday schedule.
The Tangerines will host Liverpool on Boxing Day, and then will make trips to Sunderland and Manchester City to complete their week.
8. Newcastle (7)
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Newcastle will have a chance to prove that they are here to stay in the top half of the table as they get to face Manchester City at home on Boxing Day, followed by a Tuesday trip to White Hart Lane.
New manager Alan Pardew has claimed that they may need to add a player or two to the club, but he will not do a huge makeover of the club that sits in eighth in the table.
7. Bolton (3)
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Bolton suffered a loss on Saturday to Sunderland, which moved them down to seventh in the table.
Owen Coyle has his club set up for a run at a European slot with Sunderland and Tottenham being the main competition for fifth place right now.
The holiday schedule will give the Trotters some tough tests with road matches at Chelsea and Liverpool coming up after the Boxing Day match with West Brom at the Reebok.
6. Sunderland (11)
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Danny Welbeck's 32nd-minute diving header into the back of the net gave Sunderland a big 1-0 win over Bolton.
Manager Steve Bruce is looking to keep Welbeck and Nedum Onuoha permanently, but that may not happen with Manchester United wanting Welbeck back after the season ends.
Bruce will go back to his old playing ground as the Black Cats visit Old Trafford on Boxing Day.
5. Manchester City (2)
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With a chance to go top of the table, City flopped and lost 2-1 to Everton on Monday.
The good news for City is that as of right now, Carlos Tevez looks to be staying with the club.
Man City will visit St. James' Park to play Newcastle on Boxing Day, followed by home matches with Aston Villa at midweek and Blackpool on New Year's Day.
4. Chelsea (5)
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The big matchup with Manchester United on Sunday was postponed due to snow, but that does not mean Chelsea can relax.
The London derby match with Arsenal at the Emirates awaits on Monday night for the Blues, followed by two home matches at Stamford Bridge against Bolton and Aston Villa.
3. Arsenal (6)
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Arsenal jumps three spots in the rankings thanks to losses from Manchester City and Bolton, in a week where the Gunners did not play thanks to the snow.
A crucial London derby match with Chelsea is up next on Monday at the Emirates, followed by road trips to the DW Stadium and St. Andrews' Stadium to face bottom-dwellers Wigan and Birmingham.
2. Tottenham (4)
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Tottenham's trip to Bloomfield Road was postponed thanks to the snow.
With an outside chance of breaking into the top four in the next week, Spurs will look to take advantage of the holiday schedule that includes Aston Villa, Newcastle, and Fulham.
1. Manchester United (1)
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Another postponement means another game in hand for United after their clash with Chelsea was postponed.
United are two points clear of Chelsea and Arsenal in the table and have a fairly easy holiday schedule.
Sunderland makes a visit to Old Trafford on Boxing Day, then two on the road at Birmingham and West Brom await the unbeaten Red Devils.
