Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle and Liverpool.
Who will take the coveted 4th spot? The race continues this weekend
with Chelsea and Arsenal hoping to get back to winning ways, after their
UEFA Champions League heartaches.
Liverpool and Everton will take no part
in this weekend’s Premier League fixtures as the former will be at
Wembley on Sunday to play Cardiff for the Carling Cup trophy.
Here are previews for the weekends games and predictions for the outcomes:
Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur
The balance of power in north-London is
shifting. Arsenal will go into the north-London derby on the back of a
couple of disappointing results. The Gunners were humiliated in the UEFA
Champions League as they succumbed 4-0 to AC Milan and were
subsequently dumped out of the FA Cup last weekend away at Sunderland.
Things have never been this tough at the
Emirates, the club is on a seven-year run without a trophy and the fans
have been very vocal in the past couple of weeks on their displeasure
at the way results have gone at the club this season, and a loss against
their arch-rivals will be one bitter pill swallow for them.
Tottenham have proven over the course of
the season they are title-contenders. They are third behind the
Manchester clubs and with a 10-point gap from fourth-placed Arsenal,
they can almost cement their top-three place with a result this Sunday.
In their last Premier League match,
Tottenham waltzed past Newcastle with a beautiful display of attacking
football matched with FIVE goals on the night. They were shut out from
scoring last weekend in their FA Cup 5th round tie at Stevanage when
they were held to a goalless draw.
Tottenham won the fixture at the
Emirates last season, storming back from a 2-0 deficit to claim a 3-2
victory. This fixture hasn’t lacked goals in the past meetings so expect
at least a couple on Sunday.
Arsenal are not in the right form at the
moment and much will depend on how much Arsene Wenger can galvanize his
troops after the last couple of poor results. A result means everything
to Arsenal’s season and a victory will all but crown Tottenham as the
best team in London.
The rivalry of course will be intense as
ever. Form is thrown out of the window for derbies, and I think
Arsenal, playing at home can emerge winners – they have more to lose if
they don’t. It would be a fight though, Tottenham are 3rd and they won’t
just roll over.
VERDICT: 2-2
Chelsea vs Bolton Wanderers
Chelsea have now gone five matches
without a win after they were beaten in Naples in the UEFA Champions
League on Tuesday, and it is hard to see them turning the Champions
League tie around unless they can stop the rot, that is threatening to
derail their charge for a top 4 place (as well) this season. Manager
Andre Villas-Boas has overseen the worst Chelsea performances in the
Roman era and personally I’m a little surprised he still has a job.
Chelsea’s poor form at home this season
continued in their last match at Stamford Bridge when Birmingham forced
an FA Cup 5th round replay. The match ended 1-1 and the performance was
the sort we have seen a lot from the Blues this season.
Bolton wanders are 19th in the league
and were beaten at home by fellow relegation fighters Wigan Athletic
their last Premier League outing, but Owen Coyle’s men worked their
socks off and progressed into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after a
2-0 victory over Millwall last weekend.
Chelsea have taken maximum points in the
last six matches between these two sides, and I think they could pull
off a slim victory in front of their fans. Bolton will give Chelsea a
game, but Chelsea are due a good result soon after their poor run of
results.
VERDICT: 2-1
Manchester City vs Blackburn Rovers
League-leaders Manchester City
welcome relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers to the Etihad Stadium,
knowing at the back of their mind, that they can’t afford to drop points
with Manchester United breathing down their neck in second place.
Roberto Mancini’s men recorded an away
victory against Villa, winning 2-1 the last time in the Premier League.
The win was only Manchester City’s second in their last seven away
matches. They then traveled to the Estadio do Dragao to face Porto (who
had not been beaten at home in a major competition all season) in the
Europa League where they secured a 2-1 first leg victory.
Blackburn Rovers responded to their
humiliating 7-1 defeat at Arsenal with a nervy, but precious victory at
home to QPR in their last Premier League outing. The victory moved them
out of the relegation spots and onto 17th place.
Blackburn Rovers have won only once away
all season and guess where they recorded that victory? In Manchester,
at Old Trafford. Can they make another Manchester team pay? I seriously
doubt it as Manchester City are flawless at home in the Premier League,
recording maximum 36 points from their 12 home matches. They would be
very confident about this fixture, especially on their home turf.
VERDICT: 3-0
Norwich City vs Manchester United
Norwich became just the second side,
after Manchester United, to beat Swansea on their own turf this season
when Grant Holt scored a double to help his team to a 3-2 victory over
Swansea at the Liberty stadium, but the Canaries’ high-flying season
took an unexpected jolt at the weekend when Leicester City claimed a 2-1
victory at Carrow Road to dump them out of the FA Cup.
Manchester United kept pace with
League-leaders Manchester City in a composed performance against
Liverpool, winning 2-1. They followed that victory up with a Europa
League triumph away in Holland against Ajax, where they recorded a 2-0
first leg victory.
The return to fitness of a number of
players for Manchester United is a very big boost ahead of this
encounter. Nani, Young, Jones and Smalling all featured in the victory
last Thursday.
Norwich City, bar their FA Cup loss at
the weekend, have been in very good form winning three of their last
five games, including the last two in the Premier League. Manchester
United have won eight times away this season, including three of their
last five away matches.
Norwich have adjusted well to the pace
of the Premier League. What I especially like about them is that you
never know when or how they will hit you. They are not afraid to go
forward and know when to defend too. But facing champions Manchester
United is another kettle of fish entirely and I think United’s
experience will shine through on Sunday afternoon.
VERDICT: 1-2
Newcastle United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Newcastle were brutally hammered in
their last Premier League outing, losing 5-0 at White Hart Lane to
Tottenham. It was the worst performance I have seen from Alan Pardew’s
team this season, especially in the first half where they were played
off the pack by a fantastic Tottenham side.
Mick McCarthy had to go after Wolves
were beaten 5-1 in the Black Country derby against West Brom two weeks
ago. Wolves sit precariously in 18th place.
Newcastle could go 4th, if Chelsea and
Arsenal both lose their respective matches this weekend. And a win for
Wolves would be the perfect response to their Derby humiliation. Wolves
have been pretty poor on their travels this season and with everything
happening at the club at this point in time, they don’t look like
getting anything away from the Sports Direct Arena. Newcastle have won 7
of their 12 matches at home this season, Wolves won’t stop them
recording an 8th.
VERDICT: 3-1
Queens Park Rangers vs Fulham
Mark Hughes will come up against his
former employers for the first time after his not too pleasant
resignation at Fulham just before the Premier League started. He has
taken up the job at Loftus Road and though results haven’t as expected
since, I think he has got the right blend of players in place, and I
think the team is in the right direction and he will help Rangers to
safety come the end of the season.
In the first meeting between these two
teams back in October, Martin Jol’s men ran the rule over Rangers in a
6-0 rout of the Premier League newcomers. Fulham haven’t lit up the
Premier League this season but still sit a very respectable 12th place.
Their away form has been poor with just one win all season. QPR have
been poor as well, this time at home with just two home victories all
season.
QPR are one of three teams with 21
points and sit precariously in 16th place. They have brought many
players in during the January transfer window and they MUST find their
feet quickly if their top-flight adventure won’t end soon.
QPR need the points badly but with
Fulham drawing five of their 12 Premier League games and QPR are not
always strong at home, so I’m going for a draw in this match up.
VERDICT: 1-1
West Bromwich Albion vs Sunderland
Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie scored
a hat-trick to propel West Brom to their sixth away win of the season
in a 5-1 victory away at Wolves two weeks ago. It was no more than
Albion deserved as they produced some breathtaking football against a
woeful Wolves side on the day.
West Brom quite alarmingly haven’t been
able to replicate their away successes at home as they have won just two
and lost eight in front of their fans this season. In fact, their home
record is so poor that they have recorded four losses in their last five
matches.
Sunderland took on Arsenal twice in a
week as they played the Gunners first in the Premier League where they
lost in the final minute. Martin O’Neill’s men though got their magic
back last weekend as they condemned Arsenal to a seventh successive
trophyless campaign after they recorded a deserved 2-0 win in their FA
Cup 5th round match.
Sunderland have been a much changed side
since O’Neill’s arrival. Sunderland have won four matches away all
season but have won three of their last five away matches since Martin
O’Neill’s arrival. With players like Stephane Sessegnon, Frazier
Campbell and others in good form plus West Brom’s pathetic home record,
it’s hard for me to see past another Sunderland away victory. But the
last few matches between both sides has seen some quite close results so
you can’t rule out the possibility of both teams sharing the spoils.
VERDICT: 1-1
Wigan Athletic vs Aston Villa
How will a team survive relegation after
having just won one match at home all season? I have absolutely no idea
how Roberto Martinez is going to get Wigan out of the trouble, as they
sit with just 19 points. A late winner by James McArthur earned Wigan a
lifeline and a 2-1 victory away at the Reebok Stadium against Bolton two
weeks ago.
Aston Villa have won just three matches
at home all season and their woes were further compounded when
Manchester City came into town and snatch a 1-0 victory at Villa Park 12
days ago to leave them 15th in the table, seven points adrift of the
relegation zone.
Aston Villa have won just six matches
all season and interestingly, their last five travels has recorded three
victories. Alex McLeish’s men can take confidence in their away form of
late and hurt a Wigan side that more often than not falters in front of
their fans.
Aston Villa have won on their last two
travels to face Wigan and coupled with their away form of late, I can’t
see Wigan stopping them from a third consecutive victory on their own
turf.
VERDICT: 1-2
Stoke City vs Swansea City
Stoke City have been very poor in their
last few matches as they are without a win in their last five Premier
League matches and are languishing in 13th place on the standings.
Mehmet Topal’s 30-yard screamer further compounded Stoke City’s woes as
Valencia won 1-0 in their Europa League first leg victory over Stoke
City at the Britannia Stadium last week Thursday. They however returned
to winning ways when they crushed Crawley Town 2-0 at Broadfield Stadium
in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Swansea City registered only their
second Premier League away win of the season when they won 2-1 at West
Brom. This was after they had impressively held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at
home. They were however brought down back to earth when Norwich City
beat them 3-2 in front of their own fans at the Liberty stadium in their
last Premier League outing before the FA Cup break.
Swansea City have lost seven times in
twelve travels in the Premier League this season and Stoke, by their
standards have been woeful this term with just four Premier League wins
at home all season.
This will be a very interesting fixture,
Swansea are bad travelers and Stoke are poor at home. Stoke’s FA Cup
victory could kick start their season, I think they will get their fifth
Premier League home victory in this one.
VERDICT: 2-1
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