Premier League
This weekend, all eyes will be on Monday night's game. Top of the table Arsenal look to recover from their 6-3 defeat at Man City when they play Chelsea, who will go above the Gunners with a win. Liverpool will temporarily top the table if they beat Cardiff in the weekend's early kick-off, while Man City can apply extra heat to the title race, if they pick up a win at relegation contenders Fulham. West Brom and Tottenham have their first game without their managers when they play Hull and Southampton respectively, Roberto Martinez returns to Swansea as manager of Everton, as bottom of the table Sunderland will be desperate for a win against an improving Norwich side. Here is the preview to the action.
Liverpool vs. Cardiff
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| Mackay |
A 5-0 win away to Tottenham,
without Gerrard or Sturridge, is a very big result for Liverpool. Jordan
Henderson filled Gerrard’s slot immaculately, and up front… well, it doesn’t
matter if you’ve got Suarez. You would expect the Reds to replicate that performance
on Saturday, because they have won all but one of their home games, and have
not failed to score three or more goals at Anfield since September. September
is the last time Cardiff scored away from home. They have failed to net in each
of their last four matches on the road, as creativity remains a problem for
Malky Mackay’s side. Mackay recently made comments about the need for signings
in January. With the club having spent around £25 million in the summer, and
not in immediate relegation danger, it seems like a bizarre thing to say. More
than anything, the players they have signed need more time to settle, but the
relegationship between board and management will not help that. 3-0.
Crystal Palace vs. Newcastle
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| Cabaye |
Crystal Palace went down to a narrow
2-1 defeat at Chelsea last time out, but Pulis’s chances of saving the Eagles
are still intact with the side one point off safety. They are looking strong
defensively, having kept a clean sheet in each of their last three home games. Despite
improvements over the last few weeks, Palace might get a slight reality check
against Newcastle, who are currently sixth in the table. The Magpies look
forward to a return for Mathieu Debuchy from injury, and Yohan Cabaye from suspension.
Cabaye in particular, will make a big difference, because he can dominate games
with his long-range passing ability. This could be a fifth away win of the
season for Pardew’s side. 0-1.
Fulham vs. Man City
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| Hart |
After an incredible 6-3 win at home
to Arsenal, Man City have what you might expect to be a relatively routine encounter
with relegation strugglers Fulham. They will have to do the business without injured
Argentines Sergio Aguero and Pablo Zabaleta, who have contributed the most number
of goals and assists respectively. Fulham will take heart from the fact that Man
City are still only eleventh in the Premier League away form table, as
ex-United coach Rene Meulensteen approaches his fourth game in charge. The
goalkeeping dilemma remains a problem for City, and it’s something that Fulham
will look to exploit. When either Joe Hart or Costel Pantilimon started for
City in recent weeks, neither have looked convincing, which suggests Fulham
might be able to take a point. 2-2.
Man Utd vs. West Ham
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| Ravel |
Three wins and three clean sheets
for Manchester United will give the team confidence to go on a good run, over
what are some favorable festive fixtures. The Red Devils are by no means back
to the old, vintage United under Ferguson though. The absence of key players
Michael Carrick and Robin van Persie will hurt them, while Rooney is a doubt
with a groin injury. West Ham won at Tottenham for the second time this season.
They came from behind to take a 2-1 victory, which puts them through to the
semi-finals of the Carling Cup. However, there are still problems for West Ham
going forward. With Kevin Nolan now suspended, there is no-one in the team who
have looked particularly threatening, perhaps with the exception of Ravel Morrison who returns to Old Trafford. Both team played in midweek so
substitutions could be key, in what may be a scrappy win for Man United. 1-0.
Stoke vs. Aston Villa
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| Vlaar |
In a rather forgettable game, Stoke
got a reasonable draw at Hull last week, which was just their fifth away point this
season. At home Stoke have been much more impressive, as their only defeat at
the Britannia came in September. Peter Crouch may cause problems for a very
inexperienced Aston Villa defence, with Chris Herd likely to partner Ciaran
Clark, as key defender Ron Vlaar is a doubt for this match. Vlaar has only
missed two Premier League games for Villa, their last two, when they conceded a
total of five goals against Fulham and Man United. The Dutchman is a big player
for the Villains. If he is out of the side, it is difficult to see them getting
a result at Stoke. 2-1.
Sunderland vs. Norwich
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| Poyet |
If you were told that Sunderland
are bottom of the table, five points from safety, and have not won since
mid-November, you would say they are goners. But the Black Cats have only been
beaten by one goal against Chelsea and Tottenham, they have drawn their last
two away games, having had lots of possession at West Ham, and they beat Chelsea
in the cup midweek. Poyet’s side have shown flashes of potential, and that is
why they have a good chance of beating Norwich. The Canaries have lost all but
two of their away games this season. They are relying largely on results at
Carrow Road to keep themselves clear of the relegation dogfight. 2-1.
West Brom vs. Hull
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| Peace |
West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace
made the controversial decision to sack manager Steve Clarke, after the 1-0
defeat at Cardiff. It seemed like a harsh sacking, but the Baggies were on a
poor run of form, and they are now just two points above the relegation zone.
Keith Downing will take charge for the visit of Hull, a side who aren’t in top
form themselves, having taken one win from their last six. Goals remain an
issue for the Tigers, because only Sunderland and Crystal Palace have scored
less, so a tweaking of Steve Bruce’s attacking options could prove useful. Hull
would perhaps take a point given their poor away record, while West Brom are in
limbo until a new manager is appointed, so a draw is on the cards. 1-1.
Southampton vs. Tottenham
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| Sherwood |
Two teams who are not in good
shape. Southampton are without a win in five, and their chances of getting
European football next season are ever-slipping, particularly with a tough run
of games over Christmas. The post match scuffle between certain members of the
Newcastle and Southampton coaching setup has not covered the club in glory, and
on the pitch, things are not looking so rosy for the Saints as they were in the
early weeks of the season. Tottenham are facing difficult times as well. Andre
Villas-Boas was sacked after the 5-0 home loss to Liverpool, and Spurs were
defeated at home to rivals West Ham in the League Cup, under interim boss Tim
Sherwood. Both teams are usually quite defensive-minded, and with neither side
gaining any momentum at the moment, this could be a stalemate. 0-0.
Swansea vs. Everton
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| Deulefeu |
Swansea’s home form has not been
the best. They have only picked up ten points from eight at the Liberty, which
is only the same as their away total. The return from injury of Michu and
Wilfried Bony is a big plus for manager Michael Laudrup, who has recently been
linked with the Tottenham job. Everton will miss impressive Barcelona-loanee
Gerard Deulofeu through hamstring injury, which could be a setback for the
Toffees. A draw would not be a bad result for Roberto Martinez on his return to
Swansea. 1-1.
Arsenal vs. Chelsea
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| Mourinho |
Losing 6-3 to Man City last
Saturday was a setback for Arsenal. It was a strange match, more than for the
fact that nine goals were scored, because Arsenal did not play particularly
badly. The goals they conceded were due to the power of City’s attack rather
than their mistakes, and the Gunners created a number of chances. The problem
is that Liverpool go top ahead of them on goal difference, if Wenger’s side
fail to win against another team competing for the title, Chelsea. The Blues
ambled to the line in their last two home games, against Steaua Bucharest and
Crystal Palace, where they were expected by many to win comfortably. However,
Chelsea have taken four points from games against Man United and Man City this
season. With Mourinho in charge, they will be slightly better equipped than
Arsenal for a big game such as this. 1-2.
The Championship
The key match in the Championship is QPR against Leicester. QPR could go six points clear of the play-offs with a win, but they will need to beat Leicester, a side who have promotion ambitions of their own. Giuseppe Sannino has his first match as manager of Watford at Ipswich, as does Danny Wilson, who prepares his new Barnsley side for a short trip to play Ross McCormack-inspired Leeds. There is a meeting between two of last season's relegated clubs from the Premier League, as Reading host Wigan, who will be preparing a play-off challenge under Uwe Rosler. Here is the preview of all the games.
QPR vs. Leicester
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| Redknapp |
QPR have the chance to put
themselves in a very commanding position in the promotion race. They kept their
thirteenth clean sheet of the season at Blackpool last week, in a performance
of efficiency, which is typical of them this season. The Rs could go six points
clear of the play-offs with a win over Leicester, a side who currently occupy
that third place. The Foxes have taken only one point from their last three
league games, and go into this one with the slight hindrance of having played
in the cup midweek. When they played Burnley, a telling statistic was that
Leicester had nineteen shots but only three on target, so they were not
clinical enough on that occasion. With Harry Redknapp’s managerial experience,
QPR should be well prepared for an important game. 2-0.
Birmingham vs. Nottm Forest
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| Zigic |
Birmingham are unbeaten in six after
a 2-0 win at Bournemouth, although they have not won at home since 1st
October. They have played quite a direct style of play this season, whereas
Nottingham Forest seem to prefer a more possession-based approach. In recent
weeks, they have dominated against Burnley and Millwall but failed to win both
of those games, and could perhaps do with another striker in January. Billy
Davies’s men were held at home by Ipswich last week, in a draw which keeps them
outside the play-off places, but their away form catches the eye. They have
taken ten points from their last five games on the road, and this might be
Forest’s fifth away win of the season. 1-2.
Bolton vs. Charlton
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| Powell |
Bolton lost 3-2 away to Wigan on
Sunday, meaning that they have now lost three of their last four, having been
gaining momentum just a few weeks ago. Dougie Freedman made some comments after
the match, bemoaning the ‘spirit’ of the Wigan players, who pressured the
referee into giving a penalty. Although he was understandably frustrated, it is
perhaps surprising he directed his statement at the Wigan players, rather than
the referee. Charlton went down to a 2-0 home defeat to Derby last week, and
have now lost five of their last seven. They are only one point above Sheffield
Wednesday in the relegation zone, and they have a game in hand, so things are
looking ominous for the Addicks. You might think Chris Powell faces a challenge
to keep his job, although the lack of general communication from Charlton’s
owners suggests he is there to stay - for now. 1-1.
Brighton vs. Huddersfield
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| Conway |
Brighton are one of the
Championship’s form teams, having taken an impressive sixteen points from their
last seven games. They won at Middlesbrough last week, with the set piece delivery
of Craig Conway continuing to prove valuable. Huddersfield looked to have
dominated the match against Reading, and paid the price for not being clinical
enough. Top scorer James Vaughan was left out of the match day squad, even
though he was available to play. It will be interesting to see whether Vaughan
will be included for this match, because if their last match is anything to go
by, the Terriers could do with his composure in front of goal. 2-0.
Burnley vs. Blackpool
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| Ince |
Burnley managed to take a good
point away to Leicester last week, and they are hanging on in the top two. The
Clarets have done well to keep themselves in this position. Rarely do they have
lots of the ball and dominate the opponents, but they have been very good at
weathering opposition’s storms and are clinical with their chances. Blackpool
have offered a new contract to winger Tom Ince on Thursday, but it is difficult
to say whether he will accept it. His current deal runs out in the summer, and if
you’re Ince or his agent, you would receive more money from a club who has been
able to sign you on a free transfer. It creates a worrying dilemma for
Blackpool Football Club, a side who seem to be slipping away from play-off
contention. 1-0.
Derby vs. Doncaster
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| Bryson |
Ipswich vs. Watford
Ipswich picked up a good away
point at Nottingham Forest, and in the last week Mick McCarthy has been re-united with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who signed on a free transfer. It is
difficult to see Ebanks-Blake having much of an impact though, as he has
suffered from a long-term injury and has been without a club since the summer. David
McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy are still likely to be Ipswich’s front pairing.
This is Giuseppe Sannino’s first match as Watford manager and, notably, his
first ever job outside Italy. Though Hornets fans would like to think he can
hit the ground running and push for the play-offs this season, this might be a
settling in period for the ex-Chievo manager. A draw away from home would be a steady
start. 1-1.
 |
| Ebanks-Blake |
Leeds vs. Barnsley
The key selling point of this
game is that it will be Danny Wilson’s first match in his second spell as
manager of Barnsley. The Tykes are only three points away from safety and if
they could pick up a surprise win in the Yorkshire derby, that would make the
relegation battle very interesting indeed. Last week, Ross McCormack summed up
what he brings to Leeds. At Doncaster, the Whites had a vulnerable lead and were
under a lot of pressure. McCormack though, found a moment of magic to beat a
few players and grab a goal out of nowhere. Someone of his quality can change
the dynamics of a match in an instant, and he must be considered the best player
in the Championship right now. Regardless of the new manager factor, Barnsley
will struggle to contain him. 2-1.
 |
| McCormack |
Reading vs. Wigan
Reading got a smash-and-grab away
win at Huddersfield. Importantly, they bounced back from the 2-1 home defeat to
Bournemouth, and Billy Sharp has now scored his first two goals for the club
in quick succession. Sharp has proved at Scunthorpe, Doncaster and Southampton
that he is a natural goalscorer, and if he can gain some consistency in front
of goal that will boost Reading’s promotion chances. Uwe Rosler got exactly the
start he wanted as manager of Wigan, with a win in his first league game in
charge. The Latics have finished their European adventure, and now there are to
be no more excuses, in terms of fatigue or tiredness. Wigan will fancy their
chances of putting a run together to make the play-offs, although they might
have to settle for a draw at the Madjeski. 1-1.
 |
| Sharp |
Sheff Wed vs. Bournemouth
Sheffield Wednesday were
fortunate in their win over Watford last week. The Owls scored with their only
shot on target, and had just 40% possession, but caretaker manager Stuart Gray
will not mind about that. It was a crucial win, and one which takes them to a point
off safety with a game in hand, after their match at Wigan was abandoned. They
face a Bournemouth side who have only won once in their last nine, and failed
to follow up their shock win at Reading, after home defeat to Birmingham. As
seems to be the story for many teams last weekend, Bournemouth had a lot of
ball but were not clinical enough. They are in danger of getting drawn into
relegation trouble. 2-1.
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| Gray |
Yeovil vs. Blackburn
Yeovil are now unbeaten in four,
and are showing that they can compete at this level, having looked like relegation
bankers in the first few months. That is credit to the job Gary Johnson has
done, as his loan signings have freshened the squad. However, avoiding the drop
remains a massive challenge for the Glovers. Blackburn won 3-2 at home to
Millwall last week, with Jordan Rhodes scoring his second goal in three, after
a bit of a dry spell. Given Blackburn’s financial situation, the Scotsman’s
sale in January looks almost inevitable, and a few goals over this Christmas
period will boost his price tag. Blackburn have a particularly poor away
record, so this is an opportunity for Yeovil to take three points, and unsettle
those above them. 2-1.
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| Rhodes |
Millwall vs. Middlesbrough
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| Beevers |
Merry Christmas.
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