Rafa Benitez has set about making Liverpool a much harder team to beat this season and the results are already there to see. Games Liverpool lost last year - away to Middlesbrough and home to Manchester United - they've taken a point from this time and the Reds get another chance to show their greater resilience at St Andrews.

Liverpool lost this fixture 2-0 last year and it typified their problems on the road. However, with avoiding defeat the first priority, Liverpool have forgotten how to score goals so they need to crank up their attacking intent to turn 0-0s into victories.

Steve Bruce and Birmingham had Liverpool's measure last season, doing the double over the Merseysiders, but so far this term they've lost three out of three at home - to Manchester City (1-2), Middlesbrough (0-3) and Charlton (0-1). Thanks to five points on the road, Bruce has avoided too much heat but another home loss will certainly make the natives restless.

And that's the prediction here. To be honest, Liverpool probably paid too much respect to Manchester United but Benitez, despite last season's defeats, is more likely to see this fixture as one which should yield maximum points.

Match ref - S Bennett

Verdict: Birmingham 0 Liverpool 2

It's hard to look at a Chelsea fixture these days and think anything other than three points for Jose Mourinho's men.

And a home clash with an Aston Villa side which lost 4-0 at West Ham on their last trip to London seems almost certain to result in a sixth win out of sixth for the champions.

It may just be a tougher test than most imagine though. With the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge disconcertingly quiet at times, Chelsea can often fail to spark and at home this season they've hardly put rivals to the sword.

So far this term, a fluke goal from Didier Droga secured a 1-0 win over Arsenal, Sunderland lasted 53 minutes at 0-0 before losing 2-0 and Anderlecht were the thickness of a post away from snatching a 1-1 draw in the Champions League.

Despite Villa recording a 1954 World Cup-style scoreline by beating Wycombe 8-3 in midweek, expect everything to tighten up back in the Premiership.

Chelsea should win the game but Villa may go close.

Match ref - B Knight

Verdict: Chelsea 1 Aston Villa 0

Are Everton turning into Ipswich circa 2001/2? As fans of the Portman Road side know all too well, a season of massive overachievement can so easily be followed by a spectacular crash.

It was so pronounced in Ipswich's case that they went from fifth in 2001 to a relegated 18th in 2002. Everton may well arrest their slump but it's hard to climb back up a slippery slope and things could just take another dreadful turn for the worse on Saturday.

Wigan are relishing their first taste of Premiership football and seven points out of the last nine suggests they'll go to nearby Goodison Park full of confidence. The bubble is bound to burst soon for Paul Jewell's men but at this present moment in time they're more than capable of ruffling the feathers of struggling teams like Everton.

However Wigan find winning away days hard to come by so, although Everton are vulnerable, the more pragmatic option might be the draw.

Match ref - R Styles

Verdict: Everton 1 Wigan 1

Blackburn's status as a hard to beat side who give little away has taken a few knocks this season with three goals conceded in defeats to West Ham on opening day and Newcastle last time out. However, the four games between those fixtures saw the Blackburn defence concede just twice and they'll have to show that sort of resolve at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson was fairly philosophical about his team's 0-0 draw at Liverpool, reflecting that at this stage of the season players are so fit and quick to close down space that it's hard to create chances.

Former Old Trafford favourite Mark Hughes will ensure that his team give it just that little bit extra in defence against United so once again the Red Devils will have to work extremely hard to batter the door down. Hughes masterminded a 0-0 stalemate at Old Trafford last season and Rovers have only let in one goal against United in the last three meetings.

With United also firing blanks away to Villareal and netting just once in the derby draw against City, the pattern of low-scoring could well continue here.

Match ref - P Dowd

Verdict: Man Utd 1 Blackburn 0

Newcastle's 3-0 victory at Blackburn might be just the kickstart their season needed and having rested up since then (thanks to a Carling Cup exemption), they could be dangerous here.

The problem with that theory is that we've heard it all before - just two weeks ago Michael Owen's arrival was expected to inspire them to an emphatic win over Fulham in front of the St James' Park faithful. It didn't happen then and it probably won't happen now.

City have been a top six side judged on their form under Stuart Pearce and there's no reason to revise that view despite them somehow losing to Bolton last Sunday in a game they bossed from the start to a minute or so before the finish. The Carling Cup exit to Doncaster in midweek was slightly more worrying - as was the fact they had to play 120 minutes of football.

Newcastle though have been in the bottom half of the table ever since Graeme Souness' arrival and have managed just five points from their opening six games this term. By all means believe that they are about to turn things around but we'd want far more evidence before tipping them.

This fixture last season was goalless at half-time but 4-3 in Newcastle's favour at the final whistle so plenty of goals on Saturday is possible.

Match ref - G Poll

Verdict: Newcastle 2 Man City 2

A Charlton win seems to be likely in this clash. The Addicks have won every match this season apart from last Saturday's Valley clash with champions Chelsea - form which is a step-up even on their customary fast starts.

Contrast that with a Baggies side which is just one place above the relegation zone and which last weekend became the first team in 21 Premiership matches not to beat Sunderland.

Charlton's recent displays at the Hawthorns have also been excellent - with three 1-0 wins in their last three visits there.

Plenty has been made about West Brom's attacking options but it's the defence that's the real worry. Bradford, Sunderland, Wigan, Birmingham (3), Chelsea (4) and Portsmouth have all netted against them in their last six and that spells trouble for Bryan Robson.

Charlton have let in just three goals themselves in the Premiership (and two of those came from Chelsea) so, with a real cutting edge up front in the top flight's leading marksman Darren Bent and a 100% record on their travels, they have the ideal credentials to snaffle three more points here.

Match ref - C Foy

Verdict: West Brom 1 Charlton 3

West Ham may have returned to the Premiership via the back door but now they're back amongst the elite they look like they really belong. A 10 point haul from their opening five games is an excellent return for Alan Pardew's men and a 4-2 win at Sheffield Wednesday in midweek was another boost.

Now comes the real test though. A home clash against one of the big guns. Arsenal have found Upton Park a difficult place to go to in recent years, winning just one of their last four in the Premiership. And away defeats at Chelsea and Middlesbrough suggests that Arsene Wenger's men are more brittle than usual on the road this term.

The return of Sol Campbell should help that and the England defender also proved his worth at the other end with two headed goals in the routine home win over Everton on Monday night.

But Campbell is likely to have his hands full against in-form Hammers striker Marlon Harewood. The former Nottingham Forest frontman bagged a hat-trick in the 4-0 win over Aston Villa and added another in the win at Sheffield Wednesday.

However, the favoured prediction here is the draw as it's hard to see Arsenal losing a third game so early in the season. In addition, this fixture has ended in stalemate the last two times it's been played so recent history helps sway us towards another hard-fought London derby finishing all square.

Match ref - M Dean

Verdict: West Ham 1 Arsenal 1

Bolton pulled off the ultimate smash and grab victory at Manchester City last week, making it two games running that they've grabbed victory in the dying stages. The boot used to be on the other foot with Bolton so it's another sign of their progression that they can now nick games at the death rather than throw them away.

Bolton have taken 10 points out of the last 12 in the Premiership so it's no surprise to see them as favourite to add another three against a struggling Pompey side.

Portsmouth have been more miss than hit this season with even their 1-0 win at Everton now looking slightly devalued following the Toffees' hideous start to the season. Aside from that win on Merseyside, Pompey's three other away days have ended in defeat - the latest a 3-2 loss to Gillingham in the Carling Cup.

While Sam Allardyce has his side all fighting tooth and nail for the Bolton cause, Alain Perrin is having trouble lifting team spirit at Fratton Park. A trip to a tough, uncompromising Bolton side will reveal any flaws and, although Portsmouth pinched the points last time, expect a very different outcome on Saturday.

Match ref - M Clattenburg

Verdict: Bolton 2 Portsmouth 0

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