Wigan are confounding everyone right now with the way they have started the season, and I'm not sure you would have been taken entirely seriously in the summer if you said they would be odds-on in places to beat Fulham in the Premiership come late October.

Yet this is the reality, with Wigan up to fourth in the table and unbeaten since mid-August. Paul Jewell's side have exceeded all expectations by collecting 19 points from their last seven matches, and on current form you would have to fancy them to beat an indifferent Fulham side.

This last week has summed up Fulham's season. They looked imperious in beating Liverpool and shambolic for long spells in their Carling Cup defeat to West Brom.

Verdict: Wigan 2 Fulham 1

Spurs have a great chance to secure local bragging rights and also condemn Arsenal to an unthinkable fourth away defeat of the season. In theory, Spurs are well placed to follow in the footsteps of Chelsea, Middlesbrough and West Brom. Martin Jol's men are flying high in third place in the table and last weekend gained a deserved 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. That means they've lost just once in their first 10 games in the Premiership.

Had this fixture come a week or two ago, Spurs would have been confident picks. But with key man Edgar Davids suspended and Arsenal welcoming back Thierry Henry, the balance may just have tipped back in Arsenal's favour. It's a tough call though and even the bookies can't decide who to make favourites.

In such circumstances, it's always a reasonable play to default to the draw and a point apiece looks a solid call on past evidence. Before last year's crazy 5-4 win for Arsenal, the previous four White Hart Lane encounters had ended in stalemate.

As for first scorer, Robert Pires has been a real thorn in Tottenham's side, netting seven goals in the last 10 meetings. After his penalty cock-up last week, Pires will be desperate to make amends.

Verdict: Tottenham 1 Arsenal 1

If Premiership fixtures were movies, this one would be Dumb and Dumber. Both sides have been nothing short of abysmal so far this term, with Brum boss Steve Bruce having been backed right in to become the first Premiership manager to get the boot as a result.

David Moyes' job at Goodison Park is hardly the most secure either, with the rock-bottom Toffees having been dumped out of the Champions League and UEFA Cup this year. They gave up another chance of silverware in midweek, losing 1-0 on home soil to Middlesbrough.

Birmingham did scrape through to round four of the competition, but were unconvincing 2-1 winners over Norwich. Birmingham, like Everton, are just not scoring goals, and with this already being talked up as a relegation six-pointer in some circles, I just can't see it being a free-flowing game.

Verdict: Birmingham 0 Everton 0

Bolton are definitely tough nuts to crack, but for me they are over-achieving this season and I'm more than happy to advise a play on Charlton. Alan Curbishley's men play football the right way and are reaping the rewards, with the Addicks currently second in the Premiership table.

If this was August you'd be forgiven for bandying about the old 'flash in the pan' cliches about the Londoners, but history suggests that the table begins to settle down by the end of October and those at the business end tend to stay there.

Both teams were involved in Carling Cup action on Wednesday night and both enjoyed success. Bolton carved out a 1-0 win over West Ham, while Charlton stunned holders Chelsea with a penalty shoot-out victory after a creditable 1-1 draw. As a result Charlton will have their tails up.

Verdict: Charlton 2 Bolton 0

Jose Mourinho's men were stunned by Charlton in midweek, and after their 1-1 draw at Everton they can react one of two ways here.

They can play tentatively against a Blackburn side who with Craig Bellamy in their ranks are always dangerous on the counter-punch, or they can flex their considerable collective muscle by brushing Rovers aside and sending out a clear message that talk of the "wheels coming off" at Stamford Bridge is laughably premature. There is every chance it will be the latter, but many will have a niggling doubt.

Confidence plays such a crucial role in top-level sport, and after the week they have had there may be one or two Chelsea players beginning to question whether they really are the 'New Invincibles'. Blackburn enjoyed a fine 3-0 Carling Cup win against Leeds in midweek, and after winning five out of their last six them winning at the Bridge does look a tempter.

Statistically Chelsea have been very slow out of the blocks so far this season. For all their dominance, rarely have they led games at half-time and given that Mark Hughes' men have already won at Manchester United this season, they are not without hope in west London.

Verdict: Chelsea 0 Blackburn 1

Liverpool are really struggling at the moment, to the extent that Hills now go just 100/30 that Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez will be out of his job by the final day of the season. The Reds were unceremoniously dumped out of the Carling Cup by Crystal Palace on Tuesday night, and they are another club desperately struggling for goals.

Liverpool are currently 13th in the Premiership, a position totally unacceptable for many Kopites brought up on a steady diet of European trophies and domestic dominance in the 1970s and 1980s. The Merseyside giants do have quality in their ranks, but I feel their insistence on playing just one up front renders them toothless in the final third far too often.

They remain far too reliant on talisman Steven Gerrard for goals and desperately need men like Fernando Morientes and Peter Crouch to start chipping in. That said I still feel they will be too strong for West Ham with Benitez knowing a solid performance is essential at Anfield.

The Reds have not lost against the Hammers at Anfield since the days of Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst back in 1963.

Verdict: Liverpool 2 West Ham 0

Even at this relatively early stage of the season this looks a 'must win' game for both sides. Sunderland lost 3-0 against Arsenal in midweek but did have several regulars out so won't be too disheartened.

Pompey didn't play in midweek, but will still be smarting after their 2-1 home reverse to Charlton last Saturday. Neither side will be brimming with confidence, but Pompey already seem to have a condemned look about them under Alain Perrin. Not for nothing is the Frenchman the market leader to be first Premiership boss out of a job this term, and a failure to win on Wearside could finally put him out of his misery.

The Black Cats know a win will see them leapfrog their Fratton Park rivals, and with home advantage they don't look unreasonable favourites.

Verdict: Sunderland 2 Portsmouth 1

The Red Devils have won their last two visits to the Riverside, and they have a more than decent shout of making that three from three this weekend. Sir Alex Ferguson's men dropped more points in drawing 1-1 with Spurs last Saturday, but look a better side away from Old Trafford at the moment and they have the personnel to trouble Boro. United enjoyed a routine 4-1 Carling Cup win over Barnet on Wednesday, crucially playing with a reserve side.

Middlesbrough beat Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park on the same night, but had to work hard for their win and so could be jaded. Furthermore, the Boro could be without their two first-choice centre-backs on Teesside. Ugo Ehiogu left Goodison Park on crutches on Wednesday and with Gareth Southgate already ruled out, you would fancy Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy to do some damage.

Middlesbrough have been very hit and miss so far this season at HQ, failing to win four of their five Premiership games. In contrast United have won four and drawn one (at Liverpool) in five games away from Old Trafford and their current formation seems much more suited to facing sides who look to have a go themselves.

Verdict: Middlesbrough 0 Man Utd 2

Sunday's Premiership clash at The Hawthorns looks a hard one to call. The home side, West Brom, appear set for another season-long battle against the drop but have shown they are capable of mixing it with the big boys - their recent victory over Arsenal being a case in point.

Meanwhile the visitors continue to frustrate their followers. Despite having a seemingly bottomless pot of money to spend, Graeme Souness has been unable to lift his side out of what is becoming an increasingly familiar mid-table malaise. Admittedly injuries have hit his side hard this term, but I've met few people who feel this is a squad about to surge up the table once those absentees return.

A key statistic surrounding this fixture has to be Newcastle's terrible away record. In five league games on their travels so far this season the Geordies have failed to score on four occasions, their solitary victory coming at Blackburn where the 3-0 margin flattered them somewhat. They also struggled on another away day in the week, although they eventually beat League Two Grimsby 1-0 in the Carling Cup thanks to a late Alan Shearer goal.That will be music to the ears of goalshy Newcastle, for whom big summer signing Emre is now fit again.

The Turkish star scored last week against Sunderland and in the games he has managed to play so far has clearly been told to get forward as often as possible.

Verdict: West Brom 1 Newcastle 1

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