Man Utd v Arsenal
I can't see Arsenal losing this game and if you ask even the
staunchest Manchester United fan then I think they would say they'd be
worried. If you've watched Arsenal and Man United this season then you'd
have to say that. Look at the results - Man United got battered by Man
City, beaten by West Brom at home, drew at home to Southampton, fell
over the line against Sunderland and probably should have lost to Stoke.
They weren't very good in the second half against Fulham last week and
against a not-very-good Real Sociedad they only won 1-0 over two games.
If Arsenal click then I can see no way that Man United can win this.
Their only hope is an unbelievable display from their two genuine
world-class forwards Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney - but will they
get the ball because the midfield will be dominated by Arsenal?
I think Man United have got to change their team to accommodate
Arsenal. David Moyes will be taking a big gamble if he plays 4-4-2
because even though you can beat Arsenal down the flanks, you risk
leaving the two central midfielders exposed and they may not touch the
ball.
Arsenal have had a big week and I don't worry about their physical
fitness, but mentally they could be quite tired because you can't switch
off for a second against a team like Borussia Dortmund. You can afford
lapses against lower Premier League sides but their concentration levels
will have been drained on Wednesday night. Despite that I don't see
Arsenal losing. If Stoke can rip through Man United for 45 minutes then
what can Arsenal do? I'm tipping a 3-1 away win and I honestly think
that's the easiest call I'm making this week.
Sunderland v Man City
This is not a happy hunting ground for Man City. They have lost 1-0
there in each of the last three seasons, but despite the stats I'm sure
Sunderland aren't looking forward to this one. I'm sure they'd rather be
playing Crystal Palace at home, put it that way. I think Man City will
end that run because they are just playing too well at the moment.
I also think it will be impossible for them to stop Sergio Aguero. I
seriously don't know how anybody can stop him at the moment.
I think him
and Alvaro Negredo are looking like a very good partnership, but
they're not the best in the Premier League just yet. I'd still give that
accolade to Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge all day long, but I might
change my mind by the end of the season if they keep up their current
form!
Tottenham v Newcastle
Spurs don't look like letting in a goal - but they don't look like
scoring one either. It will be interesting to see what the crowd are
like for an early kick-off; fans usually need a spark to make them cheer
and sing, but Tottenham play at a very slow tempo and maybe need to
pick their game up. They need to get the ball moving quickly. They were
outstanding in the first-half against Everton and I can't remember a
team dominating the football against Everton like that, but never looked
like scoring and that's the problem.
I think they might just sneak a win here. Newcastle will be on a
massive high after beating Chelsea, but only a few days before that they
lost to Sunderland. That's why making predictions in Premier League
football is impossible. They keep asking me to make predictions though,
so I'll go for a 1-0 win to Spurs!
Norwich v West Ham
This is a massive game for Norwich. Whenever you get beat 7-0 it
comes up as S-E-V-E-N on the vidiprinter and that doesn't help any
manager. The fans will be on Chris Hughton's back a bit and you're
always under pressure when you're near the bottom of the league,
especially when you've just been on the wrong end of a big scoreline. I
hope he is given time because he is a good manager and they've had very
hard fixtures - Liverpool are the only team in the top seven they
haven't played! I think they should be higher in the table. They should
have beat Cardiff the other week and a result there might have made them
feel a little bit different.
West Ham have kept a few clean sheets of late and have one of the
best defensive records in the division away from home. However, I am
going to go for Norwich to win 1-0 because I just feel they need it a
little bit more than West Ham. The first goal in this game will be as
big as any we've seen this season from these teams because it will
probably settle the match.
Swansea v Stoke
Stoke can't pass the ball as well as Swansea can. Swansea have been
doing it for years and Stoke have only just started, but this should be
an attractive game. I don't usually go against Stoke, but I think
Swansea will bounce back from their disappointment against Cardiff last
week. Don't get me wrong, this will be a fiercely-contested game and I'm
tempted to say 1-0, but I can see Stoke getting caught again if they
are chasing the game late on.
Aston Villa v Cardiff
Cardiff are on a mega high after beating Swansea in the big derby
match last week, but I've got to go for Aston Villa here. I don't
normally go for Villa at home, but I think they have got to win this
game and I think Christian Benteke could be the difference. Villa were
unlucky at home to Everton because they started that game well and they
drew 0-0 at West Ham last week, which isn't the worst result in the
world. They haven't scored for four games, which is a worry, but I'll go
for a 1-0 win. I've seen Cardiff play away a couple of times and they
haven't been too impressive.
Chelsea v West Brom
I'm sure Steve Clarke will get a great reception on his return to
Chelsea as he worked with Jose Mourinho during some of their best years.
He has done a great job with West Brom, but I've got to go for Chelsea
here. The Baggies got ripped apart at Liverpool the other week in a game
where I thought they would do better and I think this could be a
similar match. It sounds like Eden Hazard is going to play after missing
the Champions League game, so that will only help their cause.
Crystal Palace v Everton
Everton got absolutely ripped in the first-half against Tottenham
last week, but I think this game will be a walk in the park for them. I
don't know where Crystal Palace are going to win their next game and
it's a worry that they still haven't sorted out their new manager. Why
didn't they ask Ian Holloway to stay a couple more weeks? Games are
starting to run out for them and if the teams above them get a couple of
results then they could be nine points adrift in no time. I have to go
for an away win here.
Liverpool v Fulham
- Liverpool got well beat by Arsenal last week. Luis Suarez had a
couple of chances, but otherwise Arsenal were fairly comfortable in the
game. I reckon they will bounce back and this is quite a nice game for
them to have this week. I'll say they will beat Fulham 4-0 and I think
I'm being kind to Fulham when I say that. I haven't been impressed with
Martin Jol's side when they've played away from home for a long time.
Southampton v Hull
This should be a good game. Hull are one of the most organised teams
in the league, but they played against nine men of Sunderland last week
and didn't put the game to bed. I know they were 1-0 up and didn't need
to chase the game, but they didn't even look like putting the game to
bed. They won't let in a lot of goals, but they won't score many either
and you're always in a game against them. I will just go for Southampton
because Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez will be buzzing after getting
into the England squad. I am a great believer that if you're playing
well for your club then you should get in the squad.
Post a Comment