This article is part of our FPL Best XI series.
Don't look now, but there are only two weekends left in the Premier League season!
As we enter the penultimate gameweek of the campaign, plenty of eyes will be on Anfield, where Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard will play his final game in front of the Kop on Saturday.
Having made his Liverpool debut in 1998 at age 18, Gerrard has gone on to score 119 goals in 502 appearances for the Reds, who he also famously led to the 2005 Champions League title. While Gerrard's Anfield swan song will come against Crystal Palace, six games will precede his Saturday showcase.
First, seventh-place Southampton will play 14th Aston Villa in a match of teams experiencing contrasting form. The hosts - Southampton - have one win in their last five games, while Villa have lost just once over that span.
Enjoying an even better patch, Leicester City has busted out of the relegation zone with five wins from their past six ahead of Saturday's game at Sunderland, who sit one point behind the Foxes at 16th on the table.
Only behind their Tyneside rivals on goal difference, Newcastle is only two points clear of the drop zone and has gone nine games without a win. Fortunately, their opponent this week is last-place Queens Park Rangers, whose relegation fate was clinched last weekend.
Along with the R's, Burnley was confirmed as relegation-bound last round, so their home match versus Stoke City comes with relatively few implications.
Conversely, Hull City's hopes of escaping the drop are still alive ahead of their match at Tottenham, while West Ham versus Everton is another London-based encounter set for Saturday.
Come Sunday, Swansea City hosts now second-place Manchester City following a triumphant victory Monday at Arsenal.
Speaking of the Gunners, they're slated to play twice this week, as they make up their game-in-hand ahead of next weekend's final round.
First, Arsenal will face Manchester United at Old Trafford in this weekend's marquee matchup, before Wednesday's home game against Sunderland marks a lower-profile fixture.
Finally, between those ties, champions Chelsea will head to West Brom on Monday, completing our roundabout preview of the Gameweek 37 pairings.
With that said, it's time to push on and unpack the Best XI for the latest installment of the Premier League.
Goalkeeper
Thibaut Courtois
As teammate Petr Cech deals with a neck injury, Courtois should receive another start in goal Monday at West Brom. However, with Cech on his way out of Chelsea this summer, the long-time goalkeeper could very well take the net one last time for the Blues in next weekend's finale. As a result, Monday could be Courtois' last appearance of this season, and if so, he'll look to end on a strong note. The Belgian has posted 12 clean sheets during his first Premier League campaign, anchoring the league's best defense along the way, and he could improve his totals versus West Brom's fifth-worst attack.
Defenders
Hector Bellerin
With fellow Arsenal right back Mathieu Debuchy (hamstring) already ruled out of Sunday's game at Manchester United, the emergent Bellerin figures to start both of the Gunners' matches this round. While playing United at Old Trafford is never easy, the Spaniard can take comfort from having earned two clean sheets and one goal from Arsenal's last three games against top-five opposition. Additionally, his second appearance of Gameweek 37 will come at home versus Sunderland, who have outscored only one team over the course of this season.
Martin Skrtel
Although Liverpool's defense runs hot and cold, only Chelsea, Southampton and West Brom have secured more than the Reds' 14 clean sheets this season. A snarling center back, Skrtel has been present for 12 of those occasions and is now tasked with keeping Crystal Palace at bay. Along with the inevitable motivation from teammate Steven Gerrard's final Anfield appearance, Saturday's game comes at an opportune time for other reasons. First, Liverpool have won six of their past seven home games. Moreover, Crystal Palace has lost four straight games, going scoreless three times over that span as well.
Erik Pieters
In his second season at Stoke City, Pieters is on the verge of helping the Potters toward a second straight top-half finish. Last weekend, Stoke blanked Tottenham 3-0 at home, giving Pieters his sixth clean sheet of the campaign. This weekend, he is expected to start as the Potters travel to relegation-bound Burnley, presenting a favorable opportunity for another clean sheet. Prior to scoring one goal at lowly Hull City last weekend, Burnley had gone six straight games without scoring.
Midfielders
Eden Hazard
What more can you say about Hazard? The best player on the Premiership's best team, Hazard has been a Best XI regular this season, and for good reason. Along with 14 goals, nine assists and 19 clean sheets, Hazard has started all 36 of Chelsea's Premier League games this season, evidencing remarkable dependability. So even as the Blues have already clinched the title, Hazard will surely want to complete a full season of starts. As a result, the Belgian figures to play his usual role Monday at West Brom, who he scored against earlier this season, as well as in three of Chelsea's past five games against the Baggies.
Steven Gerrard
The only player to have ever scored in an FA Cup final, League Cup final, UEFA Cup final and Champions League final, it would only be fitting for Gerrard to score in his final appearance for Liverpool at Anfield. A big-match player, Gerrard enters Saturday's match against Crystal Palace having scored in back-to-back games, including last weekend at Chelsea. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace has conceded two goals in three of the four games on their current losing streak. All in all, the Liverpool legend should be searching for a final goal at Anfield and his fine form makes that an even more probable proposition Saturday.
Riyad Mahrez
Having bagged a brace versus Southampton's stout defense last weekend, Mahrez extended Leicester's fantastic stretch of six wins from their last seven Premier League matches. The Foxes have netted 14 goals over that successful span and now look ahead to facing Sunderland on the road this weekend. No team has allowed more goals at home than the Black Cats this season, and their 11 goals conceded over the past six games at the Stadium of Light are also the worst in the Premier League. When considering Leicester's flying form and Mahrez's recent outburst, the French-Algerian attacker is an intriguing selection this week.
Alexis Sanchez (C)
Arguably the summer signing of this season, Alexis has registered 24 goals in 48 total appearances for Arsenal this term. That marvelous production includes 16 goals and eight assists in Premier League play, totals boosted in some fantasy formats by Alexis' midfield position designation. Looking ahead to Gameweek 37, the Chilean is slated to play twice, making him an easy selection for the Best XI captain's armband. Although Arsenal's opening match at Manchester United could be a tight affair, Alexis' subsequent appearance is expected to come at home versus Sunderland, who he scored twice against back in October.
Forwards
Olivier Giroud
Like Alexis, Giroud figures to play in both of Arsenal's games this week, making him a stellar fantasy selection. Although the Frenchman hasn't scored for four games in league play, that drought follows a streak of six games with at least one goal. Additionally, Giroud's current total of 14 Premiership goals nearly matches his haul of 16 last season, despite having made 15 fewer starts this term due to injury. Overall, those developments evidence an excellent campaign from Giroud, which he'll look to continue this week at Manchester United and against Sunderland. He scored a wonderfully-placed goal versus Man U earlier this season and has tallied three goals from his past two meetings against the Black Cats.
Harry Kane
A breakout star of this season, Kane still ranks second in the league with 20 goals despite now having gone three games without scoring. As the Englishman aims to get his name back on the scoresheet, Kane will match up against Hull City this weekend. Currently in the drop zone, the Tigers have gone winless from their last six games versus Tottenham. Additionally, Kane was able to score earlier this season against Steve Bruce's side, which should boost his outlook ahead of his upcoming performance.
Sergio Aguero
The Premier League's leading goal scorer, Aguero brought his superb total to 25 through a hat trick against Queens Park Rangers last weekend. On the heels of that showing, Aguero has now notched a goal in five straight games and eight goals in total over that span. With the Argentine on fire, Manchester City has improved its league-high goal mark, which should come in handy as they prepare to face Swansea City on Sunday. The Swans were able to post a clean sheet at Arsenal last round, but considering City have registered eight goals from their last three tries against the Swans, Aguero could be primed to continue his assault to end this season.
