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Sunderland manager Roy Keane - Source: Reuters -
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This weekend Arsenal take on Villa, Spurs take on Fulham, Chelsea try to recover from their shock loss to Burnley, Liverpool try to stay top and Roy Keane will try to keep his job in the Barclays Premier League predicts tvnz.co.nz's Sarah Williams.
SATURDAY (SUNDAY NZT)
Who: Arsenal v Aston Villa
Where: The Emirates
After a couple of bumpy weeks Arsenal are back to their sublime best, topped off with a confidence boosting win over Manchester United away last weekend where slick Samir Nasri cut through United's defense to take Arsenal one place above their North-West rivals.
Aston Villa meanwhile suffered a shock defeat to Middlesbrough
at home last weekend and have been fairly inconsistent on the road
this season (winning three and losing three). Arsenal's new winning
form, their big guns midweek rest and the suspected loss of
John Carew for Villa should see a home win this weekend.
Prem pick: Arsenal
Who: Blackburn v Sunderland
Where: Ewood Park
Paul Ince's struggling Blackburn suffered at the hands of Nicolas Anelka's Chelsea on a waterlogged pitch at home last weekend but they have been doing better than Sunderland who are now sitting second from bottom on the Premier League table.
With just three wins this season fans are starting to question
Roy Keane's summer transfer choices (and why he feels the need to
morph himself into some kind of sasquatch?) with some even calling
for the gaffa's head. Nothing but a win for Roy Keane this weekend
will do, but with the return of Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz and
the midweek Carling Cup results suggests that Sunderland may
struggle again this weekend.
Prem pick: Blackburn
Who: Bolton v Liverpool
Where: The Reebok
Bolton were the latest team to add to Hull City's woes last
weekend and this may shape up to be a difficult game away from home
for Liverpool. It will be a tough test for the boys whose defence
got put to shame by Tottenham midweek, but with Robbie Keane
finally breaking his League duck with two brilliant goals against
West Brom, the much anticipated return of goal ace Fernando Torres
(and a much-needed rest for the likes of Gerrard, Reina and
Carragher midweek), there is no reason why Liverpool should not
fight to keep their place at joint top on the top of the table this
weekend.
Prem pick: Liverpool
Who: Fulham v Tottenham
Where: Craven Cottage
Fulham may have bagged an all important win over Newcastle last weekend with goals coming from on-form Andy Johnson but a good run of form may not be enough to stop a newly energized Tottenham Hotspurs who beat an inconsistent and unconvincing Manchester City last weekend, and ripped apart a shoddy b-side Liverpool midweek.
One thing in Fulham's favour is their home form (won four out of
six at home) and just like Tottenham did to Liverpool, someone's
got to put an end to their run of good luck, but I doubt it will
come this weekend.
Prem pick: Tottenham
Who: Man Utd v Stoke
Where: Old Trafford
This weekend Manchester United have the joy of being on the end
of the Rory Delap special as they get their fight for the Premier
League title back on course. Last weekend Arsenal put an end to
United's winning streak, and Stoke have managed to climb their way
out of the relegation zone taking 10 points out of a possible 15,
with surprising wins over Tottenham, Arsenal and a draw with
Liverpool, but with Stoke's terrible away record (no wins this
season) United should be okay, just as long as they manage to
defend the special Stoke set-pieces.
Prem pick: Man Utd
Who: Newcastle v Wigan
Where: St James Park
Lady luck just doesn't seem to be shinning on Newcastle no matter how hard the boys in black and white try. Like Stoke, Newcastle have had a terrible away record this season so will be glad of a home clash against a Wigan side that were destroyed by a teenage Arsenal midweek.
While they still sit in the relegation zone - just -
Newcastle are improving but Wigan can be a strong, overpowering
side when they want to be so I'm going for a draw with this
one.
Prem pick: Draw
Who: West Brom v Chelsea
Where: The Hawthorns
Bottom placed West Brom's defense was torn apart by a clinical Liverpool last week so they will have no chance against a majestic top of the table Chelsea this weekend, even if the Blues were beaten by Burnley midweek!
Scarier still for West Brom is the fact that Chelsea have not been beaten, or drawn on the road this season so it basically comes down to a question of not who, but how many? Prem pick : Chelsea
Who: West Ham v Portsmouth
Where: Upton Park
Poor West Ham. After a great start to Zola's reign the London side are once again struggling with injured players, sale rumors and awful results. Portsmouth meanwhile grabbed an important away win over Sunderland last weekend that will have been a great boost for new manager Tony Adams.
Portsmouth have had a shake up in recent weeks and even through
West Ham have been at their best at home, Pompey should have enough
strike power in Crouch and Defoe to steal another win this weekend
at Upton Park
Prem pick: Portsmouth
SUNDAY (MONDAY NZT)
Who: Everton v Middlesbrough
Where: Goodinson Park
Two currently in form sides clash in Merseyside this weekend as both Everton and Boro defend four-match unbeaten League runs. Boro sit just one place below Everton on the league table and will be looking to overtake their rivals.
But with the return of Tim Cahill, the strength of Arteta and
the newly energized Louis Saha whose pay-as-you-play deal is seeing
the former United man trying for goals left, right and centre, I'm
going for a home win this weekend.
Prem pick: Everton
Who: Hull v Man City
Where: KC Stadium
This is perhaps the game I am most looking forward to this weekend. On one hand you have this season's great hope pitted against the great pretenders. Chelsea, United and Bolton have all put a dampener on Hull's Premier League party in recent weeks helping them slip to sixth place on the table - but still just one point behind Manchester United.
Meanwhile while losses and talk of managerial change at City
might put more of a strain on the inconsistent 13th placed club,
where a top-five finish seems to getting further and further away
and whose brilliant Brazilian Robinho may just be wondering what
the hell he really let himself in for. Hull have been terrible at
home this season while City have been terrible on the road. I'm
going for a draw on this one.
Prem Pick : Draw
