Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 25.

It's that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcome of this week's Premier League games. Last week wasn't a complete washout for me, as I managed to move from fifth in my predictions league, up to fourth. That wasn't really too much to do with me doing well, as I only managed one perfect prediction, five correct outcomes, and seven incorrect outcomes. Thankfully some others did worse than that, and I moved up to fourth, but unless there's a drastic improvement very soon, I won't be going much further. Here's a look at how the predictions league stands.

	1 (1)			_Bradley08	1220	+90	20
	2 (2)			essexgooner1965	955	+30	0
	3 (3)			preetgreet	880	+60	5
	4 (5)			aranmichael	780	+60	0
	5 (4)			Nickmc1980	750	-35	0
	6 (6)			COSGOONER	710	+40	0
	7 (7)			billygooner_29	660	+20	0
	8 (8)			oakhamgooner	605	+45	5
	9 (9)			Imjola	555	+35	5
	10 (11)			Sinesladael	485	+20	0

 
TUESDAY
 
ARSENAL v EVERTON
Arsenal are now up to second in the league, but they find themselves five points behind the leaders "Manure". They are on a good run of league form, as they have managed to keep four clean sheets in a row, and take 10 points in those games. When they have their best team out on the pitch they are a force to be reckoned with, and I would imagine they will do just that in this game. The loss of Samir Nasri to a hamstring injury will be a blow, but with Cesc Fabregas, and Robin Van Persie in the team they have players who can beat any team almost on their own.

Everton have done well against the better teams in the Premier League this season, and they will be looking to continue that form in this game. They have only lost three of their twelve away league games so far, but they have only won two of them. I'm sure they would be happy to get a draw, but they will have to defend very well to do so.

I think Arsenal will continue their pursuit of "Manure" with a win in this game.

Prediction 2-1.
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SUNDERLAND v CHELSEA
 
Sunderland have a very good home record in the Premier League this season with only one defeat in 12 games so far. They're only one point behind the fifth placed "Spuds", and four points off a Champions League spot which is held by Chelsea. A win in this game would almost see them considered as genuine contenders for a Champions League spot. It won't be an easy game for them, but they have beaten Chelsea once already this season.

Chelsea have managed only four wins in twelve away games so far this season, and they need to reverse that trend to get back in the title race. In their last league game Didier Drogba showed signs that he is returning to his best form, after his bout of malaria, and that could be just what they need. The title is not beyond them yet, but it will be tough to catch the three teams ahead of them.

I think that Sunderland will manage to get a point out of this game, and remain unbeaten against Chelsea in the league this season.

Prediction 1-1
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MAN UTD v ASTON VILLA
 
"Manure" have a fantastic home record in the league this season, and they are red hot favourites to improve upon it in this game. They have won 11 of their 12 home games, and scored 34 goals in the process. It's meant that their poor away form hasn't cost them too dearly, and with a tough end to the month coming up they know that have to win this game.

Aston Villa have had back to back wins to get them out of the relegation zone, and they now need to push on towards the top end of the table. This is going to be a really tough game for them, as they have the worst defence away from home in the league, and they have lost seven of their 12 away games so far.

I can't see anything other than a "Manure" victory in this game, but I hope I'm wrong. 

Prediction 2-0
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WEST BROM v WIGAN
 
West Brom are just above the relegation zone, but they managed to halt their slide by winning their last home game. Their defence is pretty poor, and they need to start keeping some clean sheets or they will be in real trouble. This is a very big game for them, as a win would see them climb well clear of the relegation zone, and make the problems for Wigan even worse.

Wigan are a hard team to figure out, as they seem capable of playing very well at times, and very poorly all too often as well. They are in the relegation zone, but a win in this game would see them level on points with their opponents. They need to start winning some games very soon, as four wins in 24 games is relegation form.

I think West Brom will have enough about them to just about edge a victory in this game, and ease their relegation worries for a while at least.

Prediction 2-1
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WEDNESDAY:
 
BIRMINGHAM v MAN CITY
 
Amid the excitement of reaching the Carling Cup final, it has to be remembered that Birmingham are only one point, and one place above the relegation places. Their home form has been good in previous seasons, but they have only won three of their 11 home games so far. It will be interesting to see if the players can use their Carling Cup final appearance as a springboard to improve their league position.

Man City have slipped back to third in the table after defeat to Aston Villa in their last league match, but their away form is impressive, and is only bettered by Arsenal. They will be looking to win this game, or they are in danger of losing touch at the top of the table. Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko and David Silva are the key players for them, and if they perform they are a formidable team.

I think Birmingham are going to find themselves in even more relegation trouble after this game, as I think City will win.

Prediction 1-2
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BLACKBURN v TOTTENHAM
 
Blackburn are eighth in the table, with a good home record, and a tight defence at home as well. They will see this game as an ideal opportunity to beat one of the bigger teams in the Premier League, and they are sure to give the Spuds a tough match.

The Spuds need to get a win after drawing their last match, as the teams below them are closing fast on them, and they are falling further behind the Champions League places. Their away form is not very impressive, and they have conceded more goals on their travels than they have scored so far this season.

I think that Blackburn will put a further dent in The Spuds ambitions by holding them to a draw.

Prediction 1-1
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BLACKPOOL v WEST HAM
 
Blackpool have been a revelation since their promotion to the Premier League, but their home form is starting to let them down just a little at the moment. With only three wins in 10 home games they need to reverse the trend of losing at home, or they could find themselves drawn into the relegation dogfight. It looks like they will lose the inspirational Charlie Adam in the transfer window, and if they do that could be a huge problem for them.

West Ham may be still at the foot of the table, but things are so tight down there that a win could see them outside the bottom three. Their defence has been very poor so far, but they will hope that the addition of Robbie Keane will at least help them to score more goals. If they are to avoid relegation, it's games like this one that they need to win.

I think that there will be goals in this game, and it could go either way, but I'm going for a draw.

Prediction 2-2
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BOLTON v WOLVES
 
Bolton had been doing very well in the league until recently, but suddenly they have hit a bad spell, and slipped back to 11th place. Their home form had been the rock that the early part of the season was built on, and with only two defeats in 12 games it's still pretty good. They will see a game against a team in the bottom three as a great chance to get thinks back on tracks, and they have to be favourites for this game.

Wolves have had some very good results this season against some of the better teams in the league, but they still find themselves in the relegation zone. They have the worst away record in the league with only four points in 11 games, but they did manage to win away to Liverpool. Last week Liverpool got their revenge with a 3-0 win at Wolves ground, and they need to bounce back from that result very quickly.

I have a funny feeling that Wolves will manage to take a point from an out of form Bolton team.


Prediction 1-1
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FULHAM v NEWCASTLE
 
Fulham seem to have turned things around, and I expect them to continue to climb the table over the next few weeks. Their 4-0 FA Cup victory over The Spuds will have helped their confidence too, and now they just have to start turning their league draws into wins.

Newcastle have coped pretty well since Andy Carroll has been out injured, and it looks like they will have to cope without him for good as he seems destined to join Liverpool. They have had a good season since regaining their Premier League status, and I'm sure they would happily take their current mid-table position as their finishing one.

I can see this game ending in a draw as well, as it would be a result to suit both sides.

Prediction 1-1
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LIVERPOOL v STOKE CITY
 
Liverpool have been incredibly busy in the transfer market, but it seems like they will lose Fernando Torres, and gain a few players who are not as good as him. It may increase the overall quality of the squad, but it's almost impossible to replace a player with the quality of Torres. I still think that they are good enough to finish in the top six, but anything more than that is a mighty big ask for them. Their home record is still pretty impressive this season though, and they should be well capable of beating Stoke RFC.

Stoke RFC have done reasonably well so far, and their current mid-table position is probably where they will finish. They have managed three away wins so far this season which is more than they usually manage, but they have also lost seven of their 11 away league games so far.

It will be interesting to see the reaction of the home fans to all the comings and goings on deadline day, and also how Liverpool manage to play if those players they have signed are in the team. I expect Liverpool to have too much for Stoke RFC, and get their third league win in a row.

Prediction 2-0
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As usual feel free to tell me where I may have gone wrong or right, as the case may be.

That's it for today

See You Tomorrow.

Arsenal Defeat Huddersfield 2-1 Despite A Poor Performance.

Arsenal played Huddersfield Town earlier today in the fourth round of the FA Cup, and despite nearly making a mess of things they managed to get through to the fifth round. The draw for the fifth round has already been made, and Arsenal will play away to Leyton Orient on February 19th or 20th. It's another game that Arsenal will be huge favourites to win, and if they can they will be through to the quarter finals.

That game against Orient will come only a few days after the home game against Barcelona in the Champions League, and a few days before Stoke RFC come to the Emirates for a Premier League game. It's going to be a very busy time for Arsenal at the end of February, as they also have to play the Carling Cup final against Birmingham City on February 27th. It's been a very busy month of January so far, and February looks like it will be even busier, and possibly more exciting. It all starts on Tuesday night with another home game in the Premier League, with Everton as the opponents.

Getting back to today's game, and the boss picked the team that I thought he would, with the exception of Abu Diaby starting for Tomas Rosicky, and of course the surprise inclusion of Manuel Almunia in goals. I genuinely thought that Wojciech Szczesny would continue in goals despite Arsene Wenger's policy of usually playing his second choice keeper in domestic cup games. I thought that it was a game where Szczesny could have gained more experience, and continued his run in the team.

He is the current first choice, and the best thing for him is to keep playing. I can understand that Almunia probably needed a bit of game time, after missing four months through "injury", but surely a reserve game would have been the place to reintroduce him. If Lukasz Fabianski is to remain injured it could mean that Almunia has a role to play before the season is over, despite my misgivings about his ability been the posts.
Arsenal started brightly enough, and after a couple of missed chances they went 1-0 up in the 21st minute.

Samir Nasri played Nicklas Bendtner in, and his shot was deflected by a defender past the keeper, and into the corner of the net. It seemed like the game was there for the taking, and Arsenal would earn their passage to the fifth round, but Huddersfield had other ideas. To their credit they came out of their shell, and went at Arsenal at every opportunity, particularly after Samir Nasri hobbled off with a hamstring injury in the 32nd minute. It looks like he will be out for two or three weeks, and that's something that Arsenal could have done without.

I had said that I thought Nasri would be included in the team as the playmaker, and his departure signalled the end of Arsenal's domination. He was replaced by Rosicky, who also took the captain's armband from him. Rosicky performed well to be fair to him, but it's hard to understand how Arsenal were so poor for the next 40 minutes. Half time arrived with Arsenal still ahead, but down to ten men,and under pressure.

Only a few minutes before the break Sebastien Squillaci was sent off for a professional foul, and he will not be available for Tuesday's game against Everton. He was the last man back, and the ball was played past him for a Huddersfield player to run onto, but he stepped across and blocked the run. The referee had no real option, and with no centre backs on the bench Arsenal pushed Denilson back into that role until half time.


At half time Marouane Chamakh was the player sacrificed by the boss, as he brought Alex Song on to play in Squillaci's position. Huddersfield continued to dominate, and Arsenal had a chance or two of their own at the other end. The equaliser eventually came from a corner when Alan Lee headed home virtually unchallenged in the 66th minute. That sprung Arsenal back into action, and Cesc Fabregas replaced Diaby soon afterwards. He immediately took control of the game, and Arsenal no longer looked to be a man short.

As time ticked by it looked like the winner Arsenal badly wanted wouldn't arrive, but then in the 86th minute they got a lifeline. Cesc passed the ball across the box towards Bendtner, and he went down under a challenge from a Huddersfield defender. It looked to be very harsh, but the referee gave Arsenal a penalty, and the Huddersfield player got a yellow card. I'm not sure it was a penalty, but if a penalty was given, then surely the referee had to send the player off.

Cesc stepped up to take the penalty, and sent the keeper the wrong way to give Arsenal a scarcely deserved 2-1 win. I noticed that he hesitated a couple of times in his run-up to the penalty, and I thought the referee was meant to make him retake the penalty, and give him a yellow card for that. I may be wrong, but I thought the rule was changed at the start of the season to cut out players pausing in their run-up.

It was a poor performance from Arsenal overall, and some of the players really didn't cover themselves in glory. Thankfully Cesc was on hand to rescue them yet again, and it seems like he is on a one man mission to win the FA Cup this season. I'm sure that the team to face Everton on Tuesday night will be completely different, and I hope that the performance will be as well. With Nasri unavailable for a couple of weeks at least I would imagine that Andrey Arshavin will play in the wide left role, and although his form is not very good at the moment, he has at least found the effort that seemed missing earlier in the season. If he continues to work as hard as he is at the moment, I'm sure that his performances will improve, and he will show everybody exactly how good he is.

In other news the afternoon was finished off very nicely when Fulham knocked The Spuds out of the FA Cup with a 4-0 scoreline. It was 4-0 at half time, but luckily for The Spuds Fulham eased off a little in the second half. They face a trip to Blackburn on Wednesday night in the Premier League, and if they don't win that game they will have a mountain to climb if they are to qualify for the Champions League again. The teams behind them are closing quickly, and the teams ahead of them are slowly pulling away from them. The FA Cup was their last real prospect of a trophy this season, and they can only wait until they are knocked out of the Champions League, and technically cannot win the Premier League, before their season is over.

That's it for today.

Here's the highlights from today's game.

See You Tomorrow.

Arsenal's FA Cup Game With huddersfield Previewed.

I haven't written anything about Arsenal in a few days as I decided to take a bit of a break between the Ipswich Town game and tomorrow's game against Huddersfield. Sometimes it can be very difficult to come up with something that you feel is worth writing about, and it can really ruin your night's sleep. I have spent many night's up until the small hours doing my best to finish off what I had started, and ended up going to work after four or five hours sleep. However, the few days rest have done me the world of good, and I'm raring to go.

To be honest there wasn't an awful lot to report during those few days, but there is a match for Arsenal tomorrow. It's back to FA Cup action as Huddersfield come calling to the Emirates for a fourth round clash. In the last round Arsenal had a home game against Championship promotional hopefuls Leeds United, but they made hard work of it, and ended up going through after a replay. That was an extra game that Arsenal could have done without, and there can be no room for any such slip in this game.

Huddersfield are in third place in League One, and they're only outside the automatic promotion places on goal difference. Their priority this season is obviously their attempt to gain promotion to the Championship, and the FA Cup is nothing more than a good chance to earn a little bit of extra money for their club, and possibly show up one of the big boys. They can approach the game with no fear, as there are no expectations for them to succeed, and that's the one thing that they have in their favour.

Arsenal are overwhelming favourites to win of course, and quite rightly so, as they are in second place in the Premier League, and through to the last 16 of the Champions League, as well as the Carling Cup final. Huddersfield can only dream of achievements like that, but if they could manage any sort of result tomorrow it would be their taste of the big time.

There was a time when Huddersfield were the best team in England, after the won the league title three years in a row from 1924 to 1926 under the management of Herbert Chapman for most of that time. When he left Huddersfield in 1925 he moved to Arsenal, and it was under his guidance that Arsenal became the major force in English football in the 1930s. During that decade Arsenal won five league titles, as well as two FA Cups, and they managed three of those league titles in a row. Sadly Chapman didn't live to see all of those trophies in the Arsenal cabinet, as he died in 1934, but there is no doubt that he laid the groundwork for Arsenal becoming one of England's major football clubs.

There is a current connection between the clubs, as Arsenal youth player Benik Afobe is on loan at Huddersfield until the end of the season, but due to FA regulations he won't be available to play for them against Arsenal. He's one of a host of Arsenal players out on loan at the moment, and the latest player to join that group is Carlos Vela. He has joined West Brom on loan until May, and hopefully he will get a good deal of first team action, as he seems to have slipped very far down the pecking order at Arsenal.

There are a few players returning to the Arsenal squad after injury for this game, and the chances are that some of them will play. Manuel Almunia, Sebastien Squillaci, Abu Diaby and Tomas Rosicky are all available again after various spells out through injury or illness, and I would imagine that at least two of them will play. I can't see Almunia starting, after four months out of the team, and Diaby is a player who gets injured very often, so I think he will be eased back into the team. That will probably mean that both Squillaci and Rosicky will play, along with a lot of other players who wouldn't be considered first choice at the moment.

Arsene Wenger said yesterday that Wojciech Szczesny is Arsenal's first choice keeper, and he has done nothing to be taken out of the team. With Lukasz Fabianski injured, and Almunia just back from injury I think that Szczesny looks set to keep the keeper's shirt for the rest of the season. He looks like he has the makings of a really top class goalkeeper, and hopefully he will be one of the best goalkeepers in the world for years to come. The real tests for him will come when Arsenal play Barcelona, "Manure" and some of the other top teams, but I think he is up to the task, and he will prove it. Of course he's bound to have the odd setback, but the fundamentals of his game are first class, and he has the confidence that goalkeepers need.

For a change I'm not going to go too deeply into what I think the starting 11 will be for Arsenal, but with a Premier League game against Everton on Tuesday night there are bound to be plenty of fringe players on show. I think Kieran Gibbs, Emmanuel Eboue, Laurent Koscielny, Denilson, Samir Nasri, Marouane Chamakh, Nicklas Bendtner and Andrei Arshavin  will all play as well the three others players I mentioned. The reason I think Nasri will play is because Arsenal need a player to pull the strings in midfield, and he sat out the midweek victory over Ipswich.

Arsenal's biggest enemy is complacency, but hopefully they have put that problem behind them, after the poor shows in the first games against both Leeds and Ipswich. Despite the fact that it's a second string Arsenal team there will be enough talent on show to cause Huddersfield more trouble than they can cope with. The players need to use every inch of the pitch, and move the ball at a tempo that the top Premier League clubs find it difficult to cope with. It's usually very easy to tell from an early stage whether Arsenal have turned up or not, as the tempo for the match is usually set in the first 10 minutes by them.

Earlier in the season Chamakh was Arsenal's only fit striker, and he played very well as they stayed in contention at the top of the league. Since the return of Robin Van Persie he has slipped from the first team to the substitutes bench, and when he has played he hasn't looked particularly good. He was originally bought to act as cover for RVP, but the injury that RVP picked up against Blackburn early in the season meant that he had to play in every game. As Bendtner was injured too, it meant that there was no rest at all for him, and I think that the pace of the game in the Premier League took it's toll on him. I hope that he has managed to revive himself enough to come back stronger for the remainder of the season, as I think he still has an important part to play for Arsenal.

Ideally he will get the chance against Huddersfield to score a goal or two, and it's amazing what a goal can do for a striker's confidence. His heading ability is next to none, and he has very good feet too. He can bring other players into the game, and he leads the line excellently. It would seem that the only thing missing from his game is pace, but from what I have seen that has hampered his game quite a bit at times. When he is played through on the keeper he quite often tries to cut back, or looks to play a pass, rather than going for goal. If he could just find that killer instinct in that position, I think he would find himself getting a lot more opportunities.


I'm on a pretty good run of predictions at the moment, as I have got the scoreline right in Arsenal's last three games. Runs like that don't tend to last too long, and the only sure way to get is wrong is for me to place a bet on the result. I won't be doing that though, but I will predict another victory for Arsenal, as I think that they will run out 3-0 victors on the day. I hope that Chamakh plays, as I said above, and if he does I think he will get himself a goal.

This is Arsenal's last game in a very busy month, when they had to play nine games, but they won't be quite so busy in February when they will only play six or seven games. Hopefully they will get a win today, as a draw would mean a replay on the Saturday of the fifth round, and they would possibly be playing catch up on the other teams after that. With a Champions League game at home to Barcelona, and a Carling Cup final against Birmingham Arsenal are going to have some very big games in February, and an FA Cup replay is something that is not needed. The drawn game with Leeds made January that much harder, and hopefully the manager can impress upon the players the importance of winning at the first attempt against Huddersfield.

Arsenal's appearance in that Carling Cup final against Birmingham means that their Premier League game away to the Spuds has been postponed, and as yet it has not been rescheduled. It means that the game will be played later in the season, and that could be very late depending on how far Arsenal go in the Champions League and the FA Cup. It would of course be nice to win the league at their ground, or even to celebrate St. Totteringham's Day, and doing the two of them at the one time would be ideal.


Tomorrow's game starts at mid-day, and even if I wanted to I couldn't watch it in the supporters club, as the pubs in Ireland don't open until 12.30pm on a Sunday. I can only imagine what sort of time Arsenal fans in the USA have to get up at to watch the game, and I don't envy them at all. I'll hopefully be back tomorrow afternoon with a review of the game against Huddersfield, and then on Monday I'll preview the upcoming midweek Premier League fixtures. That's the lot for today.

Here's a look at how good Chamakh was earlier in the season.

See You Tomorrow.

Arsenal 3-0 Ipswich. Wembley Here We come.

Last night saw the visit of Ipswich Town to the Emirates for the second leg of their Carling Cup semi-final with Araenal. The lowly Championship side held a 1-0 lead from the first leg after a very gutsy home performance two weeks ago. Ipswich had something to hold on to, and Arsenal were going to have to work very hard to make it through to the final at Wembley in late February.

Arsene Wenger picked a very strong side for the game, with only Denilson, Andrey Arshavin and Nicklas Bendtner coming in from the team that beat Wigan Athletic 3-0 on Saturday. It meant that Alex Song, Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott dropped to the bench, and also that there was no place in the team for Marouane Chamakh. I thought Chamakh would have been in the team, but the boss showed how much he wanted a trip to Wembley by including Robin Van Persue as the central striker.

From the start Arsenal worked hard to try to create the openings they needed to put Ipswich to the sword, but Ipswich worked even harder to stop them. During the first half Arsenal had a few chances, and RVP hit the bar with a header from a Bendtner cross, with the best of them. Besides that chance Cesc Fabregas also had a couple of good chances, but he failed to take either of them. On 18 minutes a ball whipped into the Arsenal box saw a group of players from both sides go for it, and it led to a nasty collision between Bakary Sagna and Wojciech Szczesny. The big Polish goalkeeper was able to continue, but Sagna had to be substituted by Emmanuel Eboue, with what appeared to be concussion.

It meant there were four extra minutes in the first half, but they were to no avail as Arsenal failed to get a goal. There were suggestions that possibly Walcott or Nasri would come on for the ineffectual Bendtner and Arshavin. However the team emerged for the second half with no more changes to it, and it was up to the same players to get the result that Arsenal wanted so badly.

During the half time interval Alan Hansen told the viewers on BBC how good a player Cesc was, as they replayed his highlights from the first half. There was one incident where Cesc went down after a slight shove in the penalty area, and it was never a penalty. Hansen's view was that it was a shame that "continental players had brought diving to the English game", and I wasn't surprised by his attitude.

I can remember him playing in the Scotish international team against Belgium in the late 1970s I think with Kenny Dalglish, and Dalglish committed one of the most cunning dives I have ever seen. By Hansen's judgement that would make Scotland part of continental Europe, although I'm fairly sure it's not. He also failed to mention that the two main culprits for diving in the Premier League are Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, who are both stalwarts of the English team. Let him call a dive what it is, but he should do it equally for any player, no matter what team he plays for, or what country he comes from. The insistence in some circles that English footballers would never resort to those tactics are a joke, but I don't expect the attitudes of dinosaurs like him to change.

Arsenal did all they could to turn up the pressure in the second half, but Ipswich seemed to be holding out until Bendtner stepped in to change the game in the 61st minute. He had moved to a wide left role when Jack Wilshere found him with a raking pass from his own half. Bendtner took the ball down perfectly with his first touch, and flicked it inside the retreating Carlos Edwards with his second. His third touch pushed it away from him to fifteen yards out, and to the left of the goal. His fourth touch then curled the ball into the far corner of the net, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance at all. It was a fantastic goal, and I was delighted that the boss hadn't heeded the suggestions of myself and many others to replace him.

With Ipswich still reeling from that goal Arsenal turned the screw, and added a second goal in the 64th minute. Arshavin hassled an Ipswich defender into conceding a corner, and he too that corner himself. His corner was met by Laurent Koscielny, who got there before the goalkeeper, and powered a header into the back of the net. The relief was there for all to see, and the fans sensed that Wembley was getting a lot closer.


Ipswich knew that they had to try to attack, or their dreams were over, and to be fair to them they gave it their best shot. It looked like they might leave themselves open to a counter attack, and that proved to be the case. In the 77th minute Denilson made an interception outside the Arsenal box, and fed the ball to Cesc. He ran towards the Ipswich box, and passed the ball to Arshavin, who brought it inside, before passing it back to an overlapping Cesc. As the keeper advanced Cesc slipped it between his legs to make it 3-0 and put the result beyond any doubt.

With six minutes left Arshavin and RVP came off, and they were replaced by Nasri and Walcott, which must have been a very disheartening site for the tired Ipswich players. Ipswich played their part in a good game, but the class of Arsenal was just too much for them in the end. It means that Arsenal will make the short trip to Wembley on February 27th to play either West Ham or Birmingham in the Carling Cup final. They are bound to be favourites to win the game. Thankfully they have the best part of a week off before, and after the game, and that should enable Arsenal to play a full strength team in that game.


I thought that Wilshere was Arsenal's outstanding player on the night, but I was also very impressed with Johan Djourou's defensive performance. They are two players who have got their chance this season, and they seem to have grabbed that chance with both hands. Other players who are on the fringes of the team should take note of how well they have done, and try to emulate it themselves. 

At one stage it appeared that Arsenal were going to have an even better night, as "Manure" were 2-0 down away from home to Blackpool. At the very start of the second half Blackpool were denied a certain penalty to make the score 3-0, and after that things went wrong for them, and "Manure" ran out 3-2 winners. It looked like they wouldn't increase their lead to five points, but they have, and Arsenal now need to keep winning their Premier League games to stay in touch at the top.

They can forget about that Premier League campaign for this weekend, as it's back to the FA Cup with a fourth round game at home to League One side Huddersfield Town. It's a game Arsenal are huge favourites to win, and I think that there will be a few changes for that game, as Everton pay Arsenal a visit in a Premier League game only two days later.

Arsenal are two games into a run of six home games in seven, and if they win all of those six games they will be in a very healthy situation. If they beat Huddersfield, and get a home game in the fifth round of the FA Cup, it will mean that they play eight out of nine games at home, which is quite an odd thing to happen. The only traveling during that time will be a trip to Newcastle in the league. Let's hope they can turn on the style in front of 60,000 fans in all of those home games, as well as beating Newcastle, and see where that leaves their season. I'm looking forward to seeing how far this team can go this season. 

Finally for today you might have noticed that I got my forecast for last night's result right for the third time in a row. I'm on a bit of a roll at the moment, but I don't expect it to last much longer. However, as long as Arsenal keep winning I won't be too far off, as I always predict an Arsenal win.

That's it for today.

Here's the highlights from last night's game.

See You Tomorrow.

Wembley Awaits Arsenal If They Put Their Minds To It.

As Arsenal's impressive Premier League form continues, they have thoughts of a trip to Wembley on their minds tonight. To book their place in the Carling Cup final against either West Ham or Birmingham they have to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Championship strugglers Ipswich Town. In the first leg at Portman Road Arsenal put in a very poor performance, and they paid the price when Tamas Priskin scored the only goal of the game to give Ipswich a famous win. A performance like that tonight will leave Arsenal in the very embarrassing situation of failing to win a tie that they are overwhelming favourites to win.

The first big question is what team will Arsene Wenger pick, as he looks the rotate his team just enough to rest some players, while still having a strong enough team to win the game by a scoreline that will see them make the trip to Wembley. It's a balance that he has to get just right, as anything other than an Arsenal win would be a very poor result. With Arsenal's next game not until noon on Sunday I think we will see a maximum of five or six changes from the team that beat Wigan so well on Saturday.

With Lukasz Fabianski and Manuel Almunia still injured Arsenal have only fit goalkeeper with first team experience. That means that Wojciech Szczesny will play in goals tonight with James Shea on the bench. The longer Fabianski is out injured, the less the likelihood of him regaining his place from Szczesny when he returns in my opinion. Since he has come into the team he has performed very well, and another two or three good games in a row from him will probably see him make the shirt his own. If he was to suffer an injury it would leave Arsenal in a very awkward position though, as they are very quickly running out of fit goalkeepers.

I think it will be all change in the full back positions, with Emmanuel Eboue and Kieran Gibbs coming in for Bakary Sagna and Gael Clichy. Both of those players were particularly unimpressive in the away defeat to Ipswich, and they have the chance to make amends tonight. In the wide open spaces of the Emirates pitch I hope to see both of them going forward as often as possible, and causing the Ipswich defence a lot of problems. I have never been overly impressed with Eboue when he plays for Arsenal, and I wish he would stop his theatrics, and just concentrate on playing football.

In the centre of defence Arsenal have no real choices, as Johan Djourou and Laurent Koscielny are the only two centre backs with first team experience that are fit. For me Alex Song should not be played as a central defender, so the two of them will play together yet again. The necessity of having to play the two of them together in every game for the last few weeks has actually meant they have developed a very good understanding, which has benefited the team. With Sebastien Squillaci possibly due to return against Huddersfield on Sunday it looks like Arsenal may have just about survived the last few weeks with their central defensive options so limited. I would still like to see a central defender signed during the transfer window, but it looks like Arsene Wenger will gamble on Thomas Vermaelen recovering from his "procedure" by the end of February.

In midfield I think that the boss will opt for Denilson, Jack Wilshere, and Cesc Fabregas. Denilson seems to play in all of the cup games, and the other two were not included in the starting team against Leeds United in the FA Cup replay last week. I would imagine that Samir Nasri and Alex Song will be on the bench in case they're needed tonight, but I hope they will get to sit the game out. I'm not too fond of Denilson in the defensive role in midfield, but I don't think there will be too much defending to do tonight. Both Cesc and Wilshere should bring the drive to the team that will be needed to progress to the final.

I think that the attacking trio will be the same as it was against Leeds, despite the fact that none of them played particularly well in that game. Andrey Arshavin is going through a very poor spell of form at the moment, and it has meant that he's no longer one of the first names on the team sheet, but he is still a very good player. His touch and finishing were well below his high standards against Leeds, but at least he kept trying all night, and hopefully that effort will be visible again tonight. If he xa regain his form, and add that effort to it, he will be a huge asset to the team.

Nicklas Bendtner will more than likely be deployed in a wide right role tonight, and it's not a role that I think he's suited to. If Arsenal are going to play both him and Marouane Chamakh in the same team I think the formation should switch to 4-4-2. It's not particularly fair on Bendtner to ask him to play as a wide right player, but hopefully he can make the most of his chance tonight. He's a player with a lot of confidence in his own ability, but he doesn't seem to show that ability when he gets the opportunities.

Of the three front players Chamakh is the one that has done the best so far this season. When Robin Van Persie was injured earlier in the season he scored some very important goals to keep Arsenal's season on track, but now that RVP is back he seems to be almost surplus to requirements in the Premier League. That has coincided with a drop on form for him too, but he looked like his form might be on the way back against Leeds last week. I think a goal would do his confidence the world of good, and I hope to see him get one tonight.

There's always the possibility that Theo Walcott will get on from the start, as his pace was a re threat to Ipswich towards the end of the first leg when he came on as a sub. In the wide open spaces of the Emirates pitch there could be a lot of room for him to cause havoc, with Cesc picking out the passes to play him in. I expect to see him come on if things aren't going Arsenal's way in the second half, and RVP could possibly join him from the bench at that stage too.

In the first leg Arsenal never really got going until Ipswich scored, but they made enough chances towards the end of that game to have got a least a draw. They will need to find the attitude and commitment that they showed in the later stages of that game from the start tonight, and keep it going until the tie has been won. The threat that Ipswich posed from long balls over the Arsenal defence has to be guarded against again, but Araenal have better players than them, and they need to show it tonight.

With Cesc hopefully in the team tonight Arsenal should be able to play at a pace that Ipswich will find it hard to cope with. The fast passing and moving game that Arsenal play is difficult for any team to cope with, and the size of the Emirates pitch will make that job even harder. There has been a lot made about Arsenal potentially winning the Carling Cup, and the fact that it could be the launching pad that this team needs to go on and win more trophies. Failure to make it through to that final could be a massive blow to the players' confidence, and it would give Arsenal's critics a chance to have a field day.

There are a lot of permutations and combinations tonight, but Arsenal know that a win by more than one goal puts them into the final no matter what. The away goal rule only comes into effect if scores are level after extra time, and if it's 1-0 to Arsenal at that stage then penalties would be required. I hope it doesn't come to that, and I am fairly confident that Arsenal will get the result they require in normal time.

I predict a 3-0 win for Arsenal with Chamakh getting his name on the score sheet again, which will of course mean that their trip to play the Spuds in the Premier League at the end of February will be postponed to make way for a Carling Cup final appearance. When that game would be rescheduled is anybody's guess, and it's quite possible that it wouldn't be until sometime in May. I know it's far fetched to think that far ahead at this time in the season, but Arsenal have always liked claiming the league title at White Hart Lane.

If the Spuds are to get their way and move to the Olympic stadium, it could spell the end of a local rivalry between the two clubs, as they will no longer be such near neighbors. With the Spuds not having won a league title in 50 years the footballing rivalry isn't really applicable any more, despite their attempts to rise above their mediocrity, and actually challenge Arsenal. It would be a shame if that rivalry was lost, but it would also be nice to round it off by Arsenal winning their third league title at White Hart Lane.

That's it for today.

Here's a look at a player I'm not too fond of, but others are.

See You Tomorrow.

Arsenal Appear To Be The Real Deal At Last.

It's not always easy to know what to write about on a Monday morning/afternoon, but thankfully it's a little easier when Arsenal play twice a week. Having seen the highlights of all of the weekend's games, I have to say that I thought Cesc Fabregas looked by far the best player on view in the Premier League.

The quality of Arsenal's opposition is always called into question when they win easily, but sometimes it can just be down to good play from Arsenal. Last week West Ham were said to be very poor when we beat them 3-0 away from home, but they then went to Everton and got a draw this week. They may have had Scott Parker back in their team, but their performance was that of a team fighting for survival. Surely it can be possible that teams look poor against Arsenal, because Arsenal are simply so good and so difficult to play against.

On Saturday I read comments that Wigan hadn't shown up, but again I think that was down to the way Arsenal played. It will be interesting to see how Wigan fare in their midweek Premier League game against Aston Villa. If Wigan put in a good performance it will go part of the way towards proving my theory that Arsenal are making some of their opponents look bad by playing so well, and wearing them down from the first minute to the last one.

Cesc has only scored three Premier League goals in an injury interrupted season so far, but I'm not quite sure how he managed not to score on Saturday. His ability to make space for himself in the opponent's box is quite incredible, and from what I can see his injury problems seem to be well and truly behind him at last. At times on Saturday he made the Wigan defenders look almost amateur, and they will be very happy that they don't have to play Arsenal again this season. When Cesc wasn't in the opposition penalty area, he was placing 40 yard passes over the heads of the Wigan defenders to set up Arsenal's second and third goals, and his all round game is quite fantastic.

At the start of last season Arsenal were scoring goals for fun when Robin Van Persie was leading the attack, and they struggled in front of goal just a little when he picked up his injury that just about finished his season. At the start of this season it was hoped that RVP would again be the man to terrorise opposition defences, and lead Arsenal in their hunt for trophies, but he again picked up an injury. Arsene Wenger has brought him back into the team slowly but surely, and it appears that his policy is working very well. His performances have got better with each game, and both West Ham and Wigan learned in Arsenal's last two league games exactly what he's capable of.

If RVP can remain fit for the rest of the season I fully expect him to become Arsenal's top scorer for the season, despite the fact that he will have missed almost half of it. With the business end of the season approaching very quickly it would appear that Arsenal are in a very good position to challenge for all four trophies. The Carling Cup final is within touching distance, Arsenal are second in the Premier League, through to a home tie against Huddersfield in the fourth round of the FA Cup, and up against the favourites in the last 16 of the Champions League.

I would be very surprised if Arsenal don't progress to the Carling Cup final to play against either West Ham or Birmingham, by beating Ipswich Town tomorrow night. The FA Cup fifth round beckons after next Sunday, when Huddersfield pay a visit to the Emirates for a game that Arsenal are massive favourites to win. Regular readers will know that I don't think the current "Manure" team are particularly good, and any of their fans I know are of the same opinion. They might increase their lead over Arsenal to five points if they can win away to Blackpool tomorrow night, but I am fairly confident they will start to slip before the end of February. The Premier League title is there for the taking for Arsenal, and if they can continue to show their current drive and commitment I feel they might just do it.

As Arsenal have improved their overall play recently, their defence has managed to keep four clean sheets in a row. It's no coincidence that the defence has looked better, as Arsenal have had more possession, and more chances against their opponents. It's very difficult for a team to get it's attacking game going when they don't have the ball, and Arsenal are becoming experts at keeping the ball. Only "Manure", Chelsea and Man City have conceded less goals than Arsenal this season, but the best of them have only conceded three goals less. The form of Johan Djourou and Laurent Koscielny as a central defensive partnership has been crucial during the current run, and with no other centre backs currently fit, it is vital that they both remain injury free.

The Champions League games against Barcelona will be a huge test, but I feel that Arsenal need to be able to remove those games from the rest of their season. Barcelona are favourites to win the trophy, and they have set records in terms of points gained, and goals scored in the first half of the Spanish league season. The big difference between this season and last season could well be the fact that Arsenal will possibly be able to field their strongest team against Barcelona. In the away leg of last season's quarter final Arsenal had to play a very much weakened team, and they paid the price by losing 4-1. I'm not saying that they will beat Barcelona this time, but I think they have a much better chance than they did last season.

There's still no news of a possible centre back signing for Arsenal during the January transfer window, and with Sebastien Squillaci now probably only a week away from fitness there probably won't be a signing. I would prefer to see another central defender coming in because there is no certainty that Thomas Vermaelen will return before the end of February. The "procedure" that he underwent will hopefully be cured, and he will hopefully return to full fitness as soon as possible, but considering the fact that he was only meant to be out for a week to start with I am not at all confident of seeing him again this season. I wouldn't like to see Arsenal facing into the run in without Vermaelen available, and I hope that Arsene Wenger is just playing his cards close to his chest. It would be just like him to pull a signing out of the hat on deadline day, but then again it would be similarly like him to ignore the problem, and make do with Arsenal's current options.

That's it for today, but I'll be back tomorrow morning to preview tomorrow's game against Ipswich.

Here's a look at how important Cesc can be.

See You Tomorrow.

Arsenal Beat Wigan 3-0 But It Could Have Been 10.

Arsenal got back to the important business of their attempt to claim their first Premier League title in seven years yesterday. Wigan Athletic were the visitors to the Emirates, and they were expected to put up a bit of a fight, before eventually capitulating to the power of Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger picked his strongest starting line up, despite the fact that he says he doesn't have one, and I was very confident that Arsenal would get the three points to keep in touch with league leaders "Manure". The only change from last week's win over West Ham was the return of Bakary Sagna to the team, after he had missed that game through suspension.

Arsenal started with the pace and drive that I had hoped for, and it seemed just a matter of time before Wigan went behind. As the news came in that "Manure" were ahead early on in their game, and Ali Al Habsi played out of his skin in goal for Wigan, I was getting a little concerned. Yet again Arsenal's fans were treated to an opposition goalkeeper playing absolutely fantastically at The Emirates, and at this stage I'm getting pretty fed up with it.

The breakthrough eventually came in the 21st minute when a very good pass from Alex Song found Robin Van Persie free on the left hand side of the Wigan box, and he finished at the near post as the keeper went down. The relief was there for all to see, as the Wigan defence had finally been breached, and it was surely just a matter of how many goals Arsenal would get. I thought that Wigan would come out of their shell a little at that stage, but Arsenal were so dominant that they offered virtually nothing in return.

Half time arrived with the score somehow still at 1-0, but five or six goals would not have flattered Arsenal at that stage. A combination of fine goalkeeping, last gasp defending, and poor finishing had conspired to keep the Arsenal lead at only one goal, and that's a lead that can be very precarious at times. I wasn't worried though, because I was sure there would be more goals to come in the second half.

Arsenal started off a little slower in that second half, but there was still no attacking threat from Wigan. The second goal came in the 59th minute when a free kick was rolled to Cesc Fabregas, and he played a pass over the top of the Wigan defence for RVP. He met the ball six yards out, and he finished first time past the helpless keeper with his trusty left foot. It looked like the game was over at that stage as Wigan still hadn't even managed a shot on target.

Only 10 minutes later Arsenal looked like they would go three up, when Song played Cesc in, and he was taken down by Gary Caldwell. The referee had no choice in issuing a red card to Caldwell and a penalty to Arsenal. RVP stepped up to take the penalty, and it looked like he would get his first ever hat trick for Arsenal. Unfortunately he blazed his penalty over the bar, and it looked like he had lost his chance of getting that hat trick.

However, that only served to make him try even harder for his hat trick, and he hit the post a short while later with a curling effort from outside the box. As the clock ticked on I thought that he wouldn't get that third goal, but RVP had a different opinion obviously. With five minutes left Cesc played another ball over the top of the Wigan defence, for Theo Walcott to run on to, and as he tussled with the Wigan defender RVP stepped in to sidefoot the ball home from six yards with his "chocolate leg". His hat trick had been completed, and he looked like a very happy man indeed.

The final whistle arrived a short while later, and I think Wigan were more than a little relieved to hear it. Arsenal had managed 10 efforts on target, and Wigan hadn't managed a single one in the 90 minutes. It means that Arsenal have now kept four clean sheets in a row in the Premier League, and that's not bad for a team with a dodgy defence. The result moved Arsenal up to second in the table, after Man City unexpectedly lost 1-0 away to Aston Villa, and there are now seen as the main threat to league leaders "Manure".

I said yesterday that I  thought RVP was back to his best, and ready to be the striker Arsenal need to guide them through the rest of what is a very promising season at the moment. He played very well yesterday, but then again so did the whole Arsenal team. RVP now has six league goals in an injury interrupted season, and if he can remain injury free I think he will be Arsenal's top scorer this season. I have to give a special mention to Cesc though, as he put in a brilliant performance, and I'm not sure how he didn't score a goal. His range of passing was magnificent, and his fleet of foot under pressure was magical at times. If his injury problems are behind him I think he has the capability of making this team good enough to win him the trophies he craves. 

From here Arsenal go on to play Ipswich Town on Tuesday night in the second leg of their Carling Cup semi final. It's a game that they have to win, as they trail 1-0 from the first leg, and there are bound to be quite a few changes to the team that played so well yesterday. I'll preview that game on Tuesday morning, and it's the first of three big games for Arsenal in eight days. It's followed by home games against Huddersfield Town and Everton in the FA Cup and Premier League, as the pressure of two games a week continues for a team that are still chasing four trophies.


That's it for today.

Here's the highlights from yesterday's game.

See You Tomorrow.

Arsenal Need To Beat Wigan Today.

Arsenal get back ho Premier League action today with a home game against Wigan Athletic. It's a game that they have to win to keep up the pressure on the two Manchester teams that are above them in the league. With "Manure" playing their game in hand away to Blackpool in midweek, Arsenal have to take three points to make sure that they don't stretch their lead too much. I am very confident that "Manure" will slip during a tough run of games they have in February, and Arsenal need to be ready to take advantage of that.

When Arsenal played away to Wigan only a couple of weeks ago, they only managed a 2-2 draw. In that game they started poorly, and went behind when Charles N'Zogbia dived for a penalty, but they came back to lead 2-1. N'Zogbia was sent off towards the end, after head butting Jack Wilshere, and Arsenal looked like the three points would be theirs. However, Sebastien Squillaci managed to head into his own goal, and Arsenal dropped two points from a position where they should not have.

I wasn't overly happy with the team selected in that game by Arsene Wenger, as it had too many changes from the previous game. As it turned out the team that was selected put in an inadequete performance, but it has hopefully made the boss realise that he needs to play his best team available to him in every single Premier League game. With that in mind I hope that he plays the same team that beat West Ham in today's game, with the exception of Bakary Sagna returning to replace Emmanuel Eboue.

I know there is a Carling Cup semi final second leg to play on Tuesday night, but the Premier League needs to take priority for today. I think the boss will play a fairly strong team against Ipswich Town on Tuesday night, and Arsenal will progress to the Carling Cup final. There is a school of thought that Arsenal should rest a few players today, to ensure a victory against Ipswich, but as long as the team put in the right effort I'm sure they will get the win.

Arsenal's form hasn't been great at home in the Premier League this season with only six wins in ten games, and the three defeats they have suffered are a real worry. At times they have struggled to play their best football at home, but against both Chelsea and Man City they managed to play a lot better. I know they didn't beat City, but it wasn't for lack of trying, and on any other day they might have scored three or four goals.

As usual Arsenal need to start the game with crisp passing, and real tempo to their game. Wigan try to play good football, and given the chance they will cause Arsenal problems occasionally. If Arsenal can get Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri on the ball, and involve Robin Van Persie in the play as much as possible I think that they will have too much for Wigan. The way Arsenal have played in some of their recent league games points to the possibility of them giving some team a real hiding very soon, but I don't think it will be Wigan today.

I'm predicting a 3-0 win for Arsenal, and I'm hoping that RVP keeps up the form that he has shown, with 3 goals in little more than 110 minutes, in his last two games. His return from injury is a huge boost to the team, as he is a top class striker, and as long as he stays fit he could well be the difference between Arsenal winning a trophy, or being runners up again. I just hope that he can stay injury free for the last four months of the season, as it's an awful long time for him to manage to do so.

In other news Aaron Ramsey has apparently returned to his former club on loan, until just before the end of February. He will join Jay Emmanuel Thomas, who is already on loan there, and I hope to see them both get plenty of game time. Cardiff City are pushing hard for automatic promotion, and if those two players can play to their potential I think they could help Cardiff to achieve that goal. Ramsey needs to play some games, after his loan spell at Nottingham Forest was badly affected by the bad weather in December. JET is a player who needs to be playing first team football, and I think that he can grab the opportunity with both hands.

Here's a look at what JET can do.

That's it for today.

See You Tomorrow

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 24.

It's that time of the week again where I attempt to make my predictions for the upcoming Premier League games. Regular readers will know I've being running a predictions league, but I'm not doing too well in it, as so many games have been so hard to predict this season. I managed to get 120 points last week, but unfortunately everybody else did very well too. I'll need another few weeks of scores like that if I'm even going to challenge for second place in my league. From the table below you can see I'm currently in fifth place.

	1 (1)			_Bradley08	1130	+125	15
	2 (2)			essexgooner1965	925	+150	0
	3 (3)			preetgreet	820	+120	0
	4 (6)			Nickmc1980	785	+220	0
	5 (5)			aranmichael	720	+120	0
	6 (4)			COSGOONER	670	+50	0
	7 (7)			billygooner_29	640	+110	0
	8 (10)			oakhamgooner	560	+140	0
	9 (11)			Imjola	520	+110	0
	10 (13)			Tibiux	470	+100	0

SATURDAY
Wolves v Liverpool 
Wolves put up a great performance in losing 4-3 away to Man City last week, and they will be hoping for a familiar performance this week, with a better outcome of course. The return of Kevin Doyle from injury seems to have helped them find their goalscoring form, and it might be enough to keep them in the Premier League again.

Liverpool have been very poor away from home this season, and they have won only one of their 11 away league games so far. They will be looking to extract some revenge from this game, after losing at home to Wolves a few weeks ago. Since Kenny Dalglish returned to manage them it seems like nothing has changed, and they need some new players to revive their season, before they are dragged into the relegation fight.

If Wolves win this game they will move out of the bottom three, and be only two points behind Liverpool, which is a frightening thought for Liverpool fans. I think that Liverpool will manage a draw , but it won't be easy without the suspended Steven Gerrard.


Prediction: 1-1

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Arsenal v Wigan
Arsenal may have had a few minor hic-cups in cup games in the last couple of weeks, but they appear to be back on track now. Their best team is capable of beating any team, and I expect Arsene Wenger to play his best team in this game to try to keep pace with the two Manchester teams that are ahead of them. With Robin Van Persie looking like he is back to his best, the goals could start to flow from here on in for Arsenal.

Wigan have been a very difficult team to predict this season, as their form has been so erratic, but they are not an easy team to beat. They try their best to play good football, and I'm sure that they will approach this game in that manner as well. They need a result to get out of the bottom three, but it won't be easy for them against the leading scorers in the Premier League.


I think Wigan will give this game all they have, but the class of Arsenal will shine through in the end.


Prediction: 3-0

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Blackpool v Sunderland
Blackpool continue to defy the odds week after week, as they punch above their weight on a very limited budget. Their home form could prove to be crucial for them, as they have so many home games left, and they need to make sure that Charlie Adam doesn't leave during the transfer window too. They will attack Sunderland from the first minute, as they always do, and it usually pays off for them.Darren Bent's departure to Aston Villa for an initial £18m might not be the end of the world for Sunderland because, in the last couple of months, Danny Welbeck and Asamoah Gyan have looked like better players anyway.

Sunderland can't be too happy with the departure of Darren Bent to Aston Villa, but it opens the door for Asamoah Gyan to play more often than he has being doing so far. I think that Gyan is a better player than Bent, and with the right partner it could be a very good piece of business for Sunderland. They won't find it easy in this game, as they have only won two out of 11 away games, despite being sixth in the league.


I think that we will see a few goals as usual when Blackpool play, and that it will end in a score draw.


Prediction: 2-2

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Everton v West Ham
Everton seem to be doing better since Tim Cahill went off to play in the Asia Cup with Australia. They have got good results against the better sides in the Premier League, but they have dropped far too many against the so called weaker teams. A home game against the bottom club is a great way for them to add to their points tally.

West Ham are in a bit of a mess, and they showed very little in their home defeat to Arsenal last week. They missed Scott Parker in that game, and they will need him back if they are to stand a chance in this game. The shambles over the proposed sacking of Avram Grant cannot be good for their morale, and it will be interesting to see the players reaction to him retaining his job.

Everton have to start beating the poorer teams in the Premier League, and I think that they will win this game comfortably.


Prediction: 3-0

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Fulham v Stoke
Fulham look like they are too good to be sitting just above the relegation zone, but the fact that they have drawn half of their games doesn't help their cause. They have only lost one game more than fourth placed Chelsea, but they are 15th in the table. Their home form is pretty good though, and they will see this as a chance to improve it.

Stoke RFC have lost 10 games in the league, but their nine wins are keeping them in a very healthy eighth spot. Their away form has been a little better this season with three wins already, but they have lost six away games too.


I think that Stoke RFC are due a draw, and with Fulham being the draw specialists this game will probably end up with the honours shared.


Prediction: 1-1

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Man Utd v Birmingham
"Manure" have the best home record in the Premier League, with 10 wins and a draw, and they have scored more home goals than any other team too. They will be looking to maintain their lead at the top of the table by winning this game, and winning it well.

Birmingham are only just outside the relegation zone, but like Fulham that is mainly down to the fact that they are draw specialists. They will have to do a lot of defending in this game, and I will be very surprised if they manage to get any sort of result.


I can't see anything other than a victory for "Manure", but I hope I'm wrong, and Birmingham somehow manage to get a result.


Prediction: 2-0

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Newcastle v Tottenham
Newcastle's season has been very up and down, but they have scored 25 goals in 11 home league matches. The continued absence of Andy Carroll doesn't seem to have affected their results in the league, but they won't find it easy against The Spuds.

The Spuds slipped out of the top four last week when they could only manage a 0-0 draw at home to "Manure". Their away form has been pretty good, but they need to improve on it if they are to regain that top four spot, and qualify for the Champions League for the second season in a row. In Rafael Van Der Vaart they have a player capable of winning any game on his own, and his contribution could be crucial for them.


I think that Newcastle will give The Spuds a very good game, and emerge with a point to dent their top four aspirations.


Prediction: 2-2

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Aston Villa v Man City 
Aston Villa have signed Darren Bent from Sunderland, but their real problems are in their defence in my opinion. They are only outside the relegation zone on goal difference, and they have conceded 39 goals in 22 games so far. Most of those goals have been conceded away from home, and they will be hoping to get at least a draw from this game.

Man City are very good away from home, and they will see a game against a struggling Villa team as a real opportunity to continue that form. Only Arsenal have scored more goals away from home than City, as the shackles seem to come off them a bit on the road. The addition of Eden Dzeko can only make them stronger, and Villa will have a long hard day.


I think that City will pile the pressure on Villa by winning by a single goal.

Prediction: 1-2

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SUNDAY
Blackburn v West Brom 
Blackburn have a pretty good home record, and they have managed quite well recently with a very long injury list. Their temporary manager Steve Kean has been given the job on a full time basis until 2013, and it will be interesting to see the players' reaction to that.

West Brom halted a very bad run of results last week by winning at home to Blackpool, but they are leaking far too many goals for their own good. With two wins in 11 away league games, and 24 goals conceded they need to try to tighten up at the back, but I don't think that they can. They play an attractive brand of football, but until last week it was costing them, and I think it will again in the future.


I think that Blackburn will have too much for a shaky West Brom defence, and win by a couple of goals.


Prediction: 3-1

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MONDAY
Bolton v Chelsea 
Bolton.s home form has been very good this season with only one defeat in 11 games. They are currently on a poor run, as they have played most of their recent games on the road, and they will be glad to get back home again. If they can overcome their injury problems I think they have a real chance of getting a result in this game

Chelsea managed to climb back into the top four with a hard fought home win over Blackburn last week, but they are really struggling away from home this season. They have won only three,and lost five of their 11 away league games, and if they don't change that record very soon it could destroy their season. Despite their very bad run of results they are still only seven points off the top of the league, and they will feel that a good run of results will put them right back in the mix.

I think that Bolton will make life very tough for Chelsea, but that the game will end in a score draw.


Prediction: 1-1
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TUESDAY
Blackpool v Man Utd  
Blackpool have a few games in hand, and they get to play one of them at home to league leaders "Manure" on Tuesday night. It's games like this that they fought so hard to win promotion for, and I think that they will give the game all that they have.

"Manure" have only won two out of 10 away games in the league so far this season, but they will see a Blackpool side that come at them as an ideal opportunity to win their third one. They will also see this as an ideal opportunity to put some daylight between them, and the chasing pack in the Premier League. With "Manure" having two league games in one fantasy football week, the choice of Nani as a fantasy captain could be a very wise move this week.

I expect another good performance from Blackpool, but I think "Manure" will pick them off on the break, and get a win.


Prediction 2-3

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Wigan v Aston Villa
After a tough trip to Arsenal on Saturday Wigan will be glad to have a home game against a team on a bad run, that are very poor away from home. Depending on the weekend results this game could give Wigan the chance to move above Villa in the table.

Villa have only one win in 11 away games, and if that form continues they could find themselves in even more trouble than they are already. The 26 goals they conceded in those 11 games are a real worry for them as well, and they need to strengthen their defence immediately.

I think that Wigan might just about have enough to beat Villa, and move above them in the table.


Prediction 2-1 

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WEDNESDAY
Liverpool v Fulham
Liverpool's season needs something to turn it around very quickly. They are heading towards the lower reaches of the Premier League, and out of both domestic cup competitions. Luckily for them Fulham do not travel well, and they only have two away victories between this season and last season in the Premier League. Liverpool's home form is still pretty good with six wins in 11 games, and they will be expected to make it seven in this game. The deciding factor for Liverpool could be the fact that Steven Gerrard returns after his suspension in this game.

Fulham just do not travel well in the Premier League, and one away win a season is simply not good enough. They have managed six away draws this season though, and they would be happy to get another one in this game. With only nine away goals so far they are really struggling to score, and they will need to change that to get a result in this game.

I think Liverpool will get back on track, but only just.


Prediction 2-1

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That's it for this week's predictions, but as usual feel free to tell me whether you think I have gone right or wrong in my predictions. Don't forget that six teams have two games each in this fantasy football gameweek, and that's always worth considering when transfers are being made. The next round of Premier League games will be played on the Tuesday and Wednesday following next weekend's FA Cup action, and I'll look at them on the Monday of that week.


See You Tomorrow.