English Premier League Fixtures, Preview, Picks, Matchday 13: Everton-Arsenal Highlight Weekend Of Quantity, Not Quality

No Monday match on the English Premier League's fixture list means a busy weekend of matchday 13 action, with eight of the league's 10 games crammed onto Saturday's docket. While there are three Saturday start times (including a 4:45 a.m. one for you West Coast insomniacs), most of the weekend's action will take place at 10:00 a.m. Eastern when the likes of Manchester City, Newcastle, Bolton and Tottenham kick-off.

Unfortunately, none of those teams face each other, leaving the weekend without a marque match-up. The fixture featuring the two best teams is Sunday's late start at Stamford Bridge - Chelsea hosting Sunderland. Manchester United's trip to Villa Park (the early kick-off on Saturday) and Arsenal's annual visit to Goodison (early Sunday) are more likely to divert neutrals. Still, while those fixtures feature match-ups of perennial top-half teams, this weekend could end up less notable for its individual matches than the general effect it has on the table.

With Sunderland (8th) and Aston Villa (10th) facing the league leaders, they could be left on 16 points. Meanwhile, Bolton, Tottenham, Liverpool and West Brom, all favorites (and all sitting on 16), could push on, and with none of Blackburn (15 points), Blackpool (14), Fulham (13) or Stoke City (13) expected to take full points, only Everton looks capable of bridging the gap that would form between the top nine and the next level.

10. Manchester City versus Birmingham City, City of Manchester Stadium (Manchester), 10:00 a.m. Eastern, Saturday - Where every other match offers some reason to hope for entertainment, oh is this going to be terrible. Are there two teams that play more conservatively than the Citizens and Blues? Perhaps Wolverhampton, and while teams like Blackburn and Stoke don't play an attractive brand of soccer, at least they try to go forward. These two sides may just stare at the ball at the opening kickoff, waiting for the other side to pick-it-up and come to them.

9. Tottenham Hotspur versus Blackburn Rovers, White Hart Lane (London), 10:00 a.m. Eastern, Saturday - As direct as these two teams can play, this match could be rather monotonous. Thankfully one side has the likes of Bale, Modric, van der Vaart and Lennon. Even if Spurs spend half the match lobbing crosses at Peter Crouch, that quartet should provide some spark.

7. Wolverhampton Wanderers versus Bolton Wanderers, Molineux Stadium (Wolverhampton), 10:00 a.m. Eastern, Saturday - Whereas Wolves join City and Birmingham as negative Nancy's, at least this match-up presents a contrast in styles. If Bolton truly is a top-half team, they should, like United last week, find a way to get three points.

6. West Ham United versus Blackpool, Upton Park (London), 10:00 a.m. Eastern, Saturday - Avram Grant has set-up very aggressively of late, though I wonder if he'll pull-back against a Blackpool team committed to their progressive approach. If he doesn't, this match will compete with Wigan-Brom for weekend's most entertaining.

5. Chelsea versus Sunderland, Stamford Bridge (London), 11:10 a.m. Eastern, Sunday - Chelsea's midfield absences (Frank Lampard and Michael Essien) should keep this match close, but unless Sunderland can play better than they did on Tuesday at Tottenham, even a weakened Chelsea team will roll through them.

4. Stoke City versus Liverpool, Britannia Stadium (Stone-on-Trent), 12:30 p.m. Eastern, Saturday - Expect Liverpool to bounce back from their midweek slip against Wigan, though that match was more about styles than Liverpool regressing. On Saturday, Steven Gerrard should pick apart a robust Stoke defense Fernando Torres will have no problem out-running.

3. Wigan Athletic versus West Bromwich Albion, DW Stadium (Wigan), 10:00 a.m. Eastern, Saturday - It seems the Latics' entertainment value is inversely proportional to their standing. Though winless in league since October 2, they've rarely failed to provide excitement, be it giving up a two goal lead at Newcastle, providing a brilliant counter goal against Bolton, or Hugo Rodallega's tormenting Liverpool's defense. Against West Brom, they'll face a squad willing to match their open football.

1. Everton versus Arsenal, Goodison Park (Liverpool), 9:00 a.m. Eastern, Sunday - In this fixture last year, Arsenal opened with a 1-6 victory. This year, Everton is through their early-season doldrums, and although Marouane Fellaini (suspension) will be a huge miss in the middle of the pitch, Everton's wide attackers could change the focus of the match and, particularly down their right flank, trouble the Gunners.