Southampton are enjoying a minor resurgence. Sunday's game could turn it into a SUPER RESURGENCE.
Sunday's matches will be some of the biggest tests that Premier League teams face this season. This will be the second game in three days for everyone but Liverpool and Swansea, who play in Monday's game. In many cases, teams will play nine or 10 of the same XI and will plan to adapt on the fly to fitness issues. Other teams will change more than half of their players and hope chemistry isn't affected by heavy rotation.
In addition to the difficulty that fixture congestion presents, a lot of these teams are facing very important games against direct rivals. Tottenham Hotspur have creeped far enough up the table that they can start dreaming of Champions League, but that dream might dissipate if they can't grab a result against Manchester United. Meanwhile, Southampton have bounced back from a serious skid and are back to fourth, but will be underdogs against Chelsea.
On the other end of the gable, there are some massive relegation battles. Aston Villa vs. Sunderland, Hull vs. Leicester and QPR vs. Palace could all have massive implications in the relegation race going forward.
Here's a look at the games you can catch on TV.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester United
TV: NBCSN (U.S.), TSN1 (Canada), BT Sport 1 (U.K.)
Don't look now, but Tottenham Hotspur are up into seventh place, very much in contention for top four. They're unlikely to be taken seriously as a contender without some results against big teams and smart transfer deals, but they've won four in a row in all competitions and Harry Kane is absolutely on fire. But United just played their scariest game of the season against Newcastle, with all of Radamel Falcao, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Juan Mata contributing to goals. It looks like they can play together. That's probably going to be a bit overwhelming for Spurs.
Southampton vs. Chelsea
TV: NBCSN (U.S.), Sportsnet regional (Canada), Sky Sports 1 (U.K.)
Two weeks after being written off, Southampton are back in the top four following two impressive wins, in which they scored three goals apiece. However, Chelsea haven't looked at all bothered since their surprise loss to Newcastle, winning five in a row across three different competitions. They're definitely expected to win again, but a trip to St. Mary's is no picnic.
Newcastle vs. Everton
TV: NBCSN (U.S.), Sportsnet One (Canada), Sky Sports 1 (U.K.)
Welcome to the pissed off fans derby! Neither Alan Pardew or Roberto Martinez is going to get sacked on Monday, but there will be decent contingents of their fanbase calling for their heads after a loss on Sunday. These two teams are struggling, playing below their talent level, and their supporters will be completely fed up with another defeat to a similar team. In Everton's case, they could sink all the way down to 14th.
Liverpool vs. Swansea City
TV: NBCSN (U.S.), Sportsnet World(Canada), Sky Sports 1 (U.K.)
Liverpool haven't looked good at all in their new 3-4-3 formation over the last two matches, but they've expected the results their fans would have expected: a home draw against Arsenal and a win over Burnley. Swansea is a step-up in competition, but they're not nearly as good on the road as they are away. They've made a habit of losing 2-1 away this season, and that seems like a likely result here as well.
Schedule (all times ET, scores will be updated as they come in)
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester United - Sunday, 7 a.m.
Southampton vs. Chelsea - Sunday, 9 a.m.
Aston Villa vs. Sunderland - Sunday, 10 a.m.
Hull City vs. Leicester City - Sunday, 10 a.m.
Manchester City vs. Burnley - Sunday, 10 a.m.
Queens Park Rangers vs. Crystal Palace - Sunday, 10 a.m.
Stoke City vs. West Bromwich Albion - Sunday, 10 a.m.
West Ham United vs. Arsenal - Sunday, 10 a.m.
Newcastle vs. Everton - Sunday, 11:15 a.m.
Liverpool vs. Swansea City - Monday, 3 p.m.
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2014/12/27/7456013/epl-2014-week-19-schedule-scores-results
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