EPL Preview: Title race, relegation dogfight and other stories

Premier League preview: Villa @ Wolves, Liverpool vs West Ham, Man City @ Leeds, Tottenham @ Fulham, Man Utd vs Palace, Arsenal vs Chelsea.

Wolves' journey to the Championship started a long time ago, with Aston Villa in town on Friday night, is there a twist in waiting? (Photo credit: Opta)

Welcome to the weekend! This is where we dissect the weekend games in the English Premier League, and this time, it's beginning to hit home for most teams. We're approaching the run-in.

All nine English teams that went into European competitions at the start of the season are still flying in their respective competitions. The trio of Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, and Crystal Palace, who all went into the playoffs, came out in flying colors.

What does this mean for the Premier League? Like we have this season, we're close to having five teams approved for the Champions League again from the Premier League. This has a lot to do with how teams approach games from now on.

Where do we start our questions from? Aston Villa knows that fifth place would be enough to play Champions League football next season; a win at Wolves on Friday gets them closer to Manchester City and a little further ahead of Manchester United. They won't miss the opportunity, will they?

Liverpool is at home to West Ham, and it's a tricky one. The Hammers are only two points away from safety; they need points, and they must take life seriously from this point. Will they trouble Liverpool at Anfield?

For the Kops, it's a matter of getting into fifth first. There are Chelsea, Manchester United, and Aston Villa in the three spots above them; can Liverpool squeeze into the top four to avoid stories? or regrets?

Leeds United has made Elland Road a fortress. With Manchester City heading in that direction this weekend, you have a sense of an epic game. Manchester City must win all their remaining games to usurp Arsenal; will they win this one?

Tottenham's season went from bad to worse last weekend when they lost to Arsenal. Igor Tudor must be aware of the level of work he has in front of him, and a trip to Fulham represents a great opportunity to bounce back immediately. Is there a chance they can earn something against Marco Silva's side?

Manchester United is the form team of the Premier League. The 1-0 win at Everton has positioned them greatly for a potential top-four finish. A home game against Crystal Palace looks like a certain three points, considering the Eagles played in midweek and must be tired. Advantage Manchester United?

The final game of the weekend is arguably the biggest one. Arsenal knows that any dropped points invite City into their territory. With Chelsea visiting the Emirates, Liam Rosenior will be eager to be third time lucky, having lost to the Gunners twice already. Is there hope for the Blues away at Arsenal?