• by Sabrina Blanks, writing from Charlotte

After 15 weeks of Premier League matches, the table is settling into a somewhat predictable line-up of sides. There are still a few surprises as far as the standings go, however, and plenty of chances for upsets, both over the coming weekend and in future rounds.

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If current form continues, these three might stay at the bottom of the table. Wigan, slightly ahead of the other two with 14 points and a better record, likely have more of a chance to pull ahead. Wolverhampton had a decent enough start to their season, but racked up enough losses to put them in danger of relegation. West Ham United started the season with three straight losses and are currently in the bottom slot, fighting to get enough wins to avoid relegation.

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Three points currently separate the teams occupying these five slots in the table. Fulham have drawn more matches than any other side this season and won only two, keeping them low in the table. Everton have had a poor run of form recently after a six-game unbeaten streak and a run of no wins at the start of the season. Aston Villa have had losses in November despite an increase in the number of goals scored. Birmingham have been hit or miss lately, including a huge win against a slumping Chelsea and a nil-nil draw with Manchester City in recent fixtures. November has seen Blackburn through two wins and two losses; with their next two fixtures against the current 19th and 20th slots, they could collect more wins before Christmas.

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All six of these clubs currently sit at 19 or 20 points in the table, and the four with 19 points all have a 5-4-6 record. The next few matches could spread the points out a bit, however. West Bromwich Albion have not had a good November, but they rounded out the month with a win against a struggling Everton. Blackpool in 11th a third of the way through the season shows the spirit they've been playing with (and that of their manager), snagging a couple of surprising wins. Liverpool had a mess of a start to their season, showing enough improvement recently despite injury troubles to take them from near the bottom to the middle of the table. Newcastle have had both some big wins and some big losses alongside their six draws. Stoke have fluctuated between chunks of wins and losses, with a recent 4-game unbeaten streak. Sunderland has lost only two out of their last thirteen matches, with a shock 3-0 win at Chelsea in November.

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The top six in the table are currently separated by three points from the next set of teams. These six currently spread from 23 to 31 points. Five out of the top six sides are no surprise after last season's results, but current number six Bolton could be a dark horse for a higher-than-normal-for-them slot in the table at the end of this season. Bolton have had a mostly good run of play lately, including wins against Newcastle and Spurs. They'll need to garner more wins than they have so far to stay ahead. Tottenham have had variable performance in the Premier League, including a couple of suprising losses earlier in the season, perhaps due to their inaugural Champions League efforts. Manchester City have only three losses all season alongside a series of wins and draws. Arsenal, though plagued by variable form, have secured the same 9-2-4 record and 29 points as Chelsea, who started the season strongly enough to remain in 2nd even after only gaining four points from their last five matches. Manchester United topped the table recently for the first time this season after managing to remain unbeaten while drawing nearly every away match.

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This weekend's matches include a couple that have the potential to shake up the current table some (City/Bolton, B'ham/Spurs, and Liverpool/Villa, I am talking to you). I've included my predictions just for fun, feel free to include your thoughts in a comment and we'll see if your guesses are better than mine!

Saturday 4th December

• Arsenal 2 - 1 Fulham

• Wigan 1 - 2 Stoke

• Manchester City 1 - 1 Bolton

• Chelsea 2 - 1 Everton

• Birmingham 1 - 3 Tottenham

• Blackburn 1 - 1 Wolverhampton

(Note: Blackpool/Manchester United match called off due to frozen pitch)

Sunday 5th December

• West Bromwich Albion 0 - 2 Newcastle

• Sunderland 3 - 0 West Ham United

Monday 6th December

• Liverpool 1 - 2 Aston Villa

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