Premier League MatchDay 6 2013 involves all twenty clubs of the Premiership and
kicks off at 12:45 on Saturday with a London derby between Tottenham and Chelsea. It ends on
Monday evening at 20:00. with a match between Everton and Newcastle.
Armchair and far away fans are well catered for with five of the games on BT and
Sky. BT seem to have drawn the plum fixture of Tottenham and Chelsea while Sky win
on volume with four fixtures.
This early in the season league positions can obviously change dramatically however
David Moyes' Man Utd really need a win to escape gathering storm clouds and
join the top five while at the bottom Sunderland need to beat in-form Liverpool
to show that they are more than just relegation fodder.
There is hardly any light between the top five teams so the pressure will be on to avoid defeat as any team down to 12th place could overtake them. A ray of sunshine for any team down to Fulham in 18th spot is that they are just one win away from the top half of the table.
Saturday 28th September 2013
12:45 Tottenham (2) v Chelsea (4) BTSport
The Premier League weekend kicks off at White Hart Lane, with Tottenham Hotspur's
home date with Chelsea expected to see as many eyes fall on the respective dugouts
as events unfolding on the field. Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas learnt his coaching
trade under the watchful eye of Jose Mourinho, but is now very much his own man
and will want to show the self-proclaimed 'Special One' that he took plenty from
the time spent as his go-to scout.
Spurs' record against the Blues is not the best, to put it mildly - winning just
three of 42 Premier League meetings - but they have opened the season in impressive
style and boast the meanest defence in the top flight. Chelsea have also kept things
tight at the back, conceding only twice, but both sides have struggled at the opposite
end of the field and will want to address those issues on derby day.
Left-back Danny Rose is likely to make his return from a toe injury. Defender Younes
Kaboul (adductor) is doubtful, but midfielder Etienne Capoue remains sidelined with
an ankle injury. Spurs will give winger Aaron Lennon (foot) a fitness test while
striker Emmanuel Adebayor is out through illness.
Chelsea will wait to determine whether midfielder Ramires is fit after the Brazilian
suffered a hip injury in Tuesday night's Capital One Cup win at Swindon and was
taken off at half-time. Ramires had replaced Marco van Ginkel, who is out for six
months after undergoing knee surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Last season: Chelsea 2 Spurs 2, Spurs 2 Chelsea 4
Last five league matches: Spurs W W L W W; Chelsea W W D L W
Top scorers: Jermain Defoe (Spurs) 6; Oscar (Chelsea) 3
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).
Verdict Tottenham 2 Chelsea 1
15:00 Aston Villa (13) v Manchester City (3)
Manchester City have no such troubles at present, with 12 goals plundered in their
last three outings in all competitions. Four of those came during last weekend's
derby demolition of Manchester United, with a resounding victory over their fiercest
rivals suggesting that all is well in the City camp under new boss Manuel Pellegrini.
His next challenge is to keep the momentum going during a trip to Aston Villa. The
one criticism of City under Pellegrini would be their performances on the road in
the league, and Villa Park has not always been a happy hunting ground for the Blues.
Villa have, however, come unstuck in each of their two home league games so far
and conceded four in front of their own supporters in a Capital One Cup clash with
Tottenham on Tuesday.
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is hopeful a number of his key players will return.
Gabriel Agbonlahor, Fabian Delph, Andreas Weimann, Ciaran Clark and Antonio Luna
should all be available again after recent knocks and niggles. Lambert remains without
Christian Benteke (hip) and Ashley Westwood (thigh), whilst Jores Okore (knee),
Charles N'Zogbia (Achilles) and Gary Gardner (back) are long-term casualties.
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is to miss the game as the Argentina forward
suffered a knock in the latter stages of the Manchester derby and will not be risked
ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich. Playmaker David
Silva (thigh) is still out but could return against Bayern, while defender Martin
Demichelis (knee) remains on the sidelines.
Last season: Aston Villa 0 Man City 1, Man City 5 Aston Villa 0
Last five league matches: Aston Villa W L L L W; Man City W L W D W
Top scorers: Christian Benteke (Aston Villa) 5; Yaya Toure (Man City) 5
Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire).
Verdict Aston Villa 0 Manchester City 1
15:00 Fulham (18) v Cardiff (16)
Fulham could do with finding a spark of their own from somewhere, with a slow start
having dropped them into the bottom three. Goals are proving to be something of
a problem for the Cottagers, which is surprising given the enviable array of attacking
talent they have at their disposal. A welcome victory in League Cup competition
on Tuesday saw them inflict a first defeat on Everton under Roberto Martinez, so
Martin Jol will be hoping that the tide has turned.
Cardiff City are the next visitors to the banks of the River Thames - with the Bluebirds
having been rocked slightly by a testing opening to life among the top flight heavyweights,
but with enough about them to offer hope heading forward that they can start landing
a few crushing blows of their own.
Fulham defender Aaron Hughes and midfielder Bryan Ruiz face fitness tests as they
have been absent with respective thigh and ankle injuries. Ashkan Dejagah (calf),
Matthew Briggs (hernia) and first-choice goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg (shoulder)
are still out.
Cardiff boss Malky Mackay could choose to hand Peter Odemwingie a first Premier
League start for his new club. Odemwingie scored in the midweek Capital One Cup
defeat at West Ham and could replace Fraizer Campbell. Mackay is otherwise expected
to stick with the side that suffered a last-gasp defeat to Tottenham last weekend.
Andrew Taylor will make his 100th appearance for the club, while Kevin McNaughton
has joined Bolton on a month-long emergency loan.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Fulham W L L D L; Cardiff L W D D L
Top scorers: Darren Bent (Fulham) 2; Fraizer Campbell (Cardiff) 2
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire).
Verdict Fulham 2 Cardiff 0
15:00 Hull (11) v West Ham (15)
West Ham United saw off Cardiff for a second time this season in midweek to secure
cup progress, but they have failed to win in the league since ruining the Bluebirds'
big day on the opening weekend. Sam Allardyce has had injury problems to contend
with, and had every reason to feel hard done by after being left empty-handed against
Everton last weekend, but he is in the results business and needs the Hammers to
start showing the steely grit his managerial career has been defined by.
A trip to Hull City on Saturday will provide another stern test of Allardyce's credentials,
with the Tigers unbeaten on home soil so far and buoyed by a productive start to
their first campaign back at English football's top table - with seven points collected
from five games.
Hull welcome back Maynor Figueroa as the Honduran left-back missed the 3-2 win over
Newcastle due to personal reasons. Robert Koren (broken foot) and James Chester
(hamstring) are long-term absentees and Paul McShane is only fit for the bench,
meaning Steve Bruce must choose between Alex Bruce and Abdoulaye Faye at centre-back.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will welcome winger Stewart Downing back into his
squad. The summer signing from Liverpool has been missing with a leg injury. Joe
Cole (hamstring) joins Andy Carroll (heel) on the sidelines whilst defender George
McCartney will not feature despite making his long-awaited comeback from a knee
injury in Tuesday's win over Cardiff.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Hull L W L D W; West Ham W D L D L
Top scorers: Robbie Brady (Hull) 3; Ravel Morrison (West Ham) 3
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).
Verdict Hull 1 West Ham 1
15:00 Manchester United (8) v West Brom (14)
Midweek cup duty was a lot kinder to Manchester United - and it needed to be given
how things have gone for David Moyes so far. The fixture list has done the new Red
Devils boss few favours, but he knows that the expectation at Old Trafford is to
win every game, regardless of the opposition.
Overcoming Liverpool on Wednesday has helped to ease some of the pressure on his
shoulders and United would appear to be a position to really ignite their season.
West Bromwich Albion are next on the calendar, before a number of winnable fixtures
on paper carry the reigning champions through October. Moyes cannot afford to take
the Baggies lightly, though, and a 5-5 draw the last time the two clubs met suggests
there could be more fireworks at the Theatre of Dreams on Saturday.
Manchester United manager David Moyes expects to have Robin van Persie and Tom Cleverley
available. Van Persie has missed the last two games with a groin injury, while Cleverley
was ruled out of the midweek Capital One Cup win over Liverpool with a knee problem.
Marouane Fellaini returns after being cup-tied.
West Brom midfielder Claudio Yacob is set to be available having recovered from
a dead leg, and Albion head coach Steve Clarke is hopeful forwards Victor Anichebe
(ankle) and Nicolas Anelka, who has an unspecified knock, will be able to take part.
Chris Brunt (groin) is expected to be missing for a third successive game. Matej
Vydra, Zoltan Gera (both hamstring), George Thorne (knee) and Ben Foster (foot)
are sidelined.
Last season: West Brom 5 Man Utd 5, Man Utd 2 West Brom 0
Last five league matches: Man Utd W D L W L; West Brom L D L D W
Top scorers: Robin van Persie (Man Utd) 6; Saido Berahino (West Brom) 4
Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland).
Verdict Manchester United 2 West Brom 1
15:00 Southampton (7) v Crystal Palace (19)
Southampton are one of only seven sides that can better that return, with heavy
summer investment at St Mary's providing an immediate return. Mauricio Pochettino
will be slightly concerned that his side have mustered just three goals in five
outings, but they have suffered only one defeat and collected back-to-back clean
sheets.
The most recent of those came at Anfield, with Dejan Lovren's header handing the
Saints a first success on the red half of Merseyside in almost 10 years. They will
be confident of replicating those heroics against Crystal Palace, with the Eagles
having been offered a brutal reminder of just how difficult life in the Premier
League can be with four defeats in five.
Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino will assess the recovery of the players
involved in the Capital One Cup. Tadanari Lee and Gaston Ramirez were among those
to impress in the 2-0 defeat of Bristol City, although began to fade in the second
half and the latter limped off late on. Rickie Lambert and Dani Osvaldo are set
to start in attack, while Nathaniel Clyne will face his former club for the first
time since leaving last year.
Crystal Palace will be without defender Damien Delaney because of an ankle problem.
Midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi is set to feature having been suspended for the home
defeat by Swansea. Fit-again winger Jerome Thomas could start. Midfielder Yannick
Bolasie (hamstring) is still sidelined. Captain Paddy McCarthy (groin) continues
his rehabilitation, along with forward Glenn Murray (knee). Midfielder Jonny Williams
and defender Jack Hunt (both ankle) are long-term absentees.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Southampton W D L D W; Crystal Palace L L W L L
Top scorers: Steven Davis & Gaston Ramirez (Southampton) 2; Marouane Chamakh,
Danny Gabbidon, Owen Garvan, Dwight Gayle & Stuart O'Keefe (Crystal Palace) 1
Referee: Martin Atkinson.
Verdict Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 0
17:30 Swansea (9) v Arsenal (1) Sky 1
The final game on Saturday sees Swansea City pitch their neat passing game against
the top flight benchmark when it comes to possession football. Arsenal have taken
up residence at the top of the table after offering the perfect response to a shambolic
opening day showing which saw them end a defeat to Aston Villa with 10 men and with
terrace taunts ringing in the ears of manager Arsene Wenger.
Eight straight victories have been secured in all competitions since then - including
a penalty shoot-out success on Wednesday against West Brom - with the likes of Olivier
Giroud and Aaron Ramsey back to their best and summer signings Mesut Ozil and Mathieu
Flamini highlighting how important they could be to the Gunners cause over the next
few months.
Captain Ashley Williams is a major doubt for Swansea. The Wales defender has been
struggling with an ankle injury and manager Michael Laudrup says he has less than
a 50 per cent chance of featuring against the Gunners, with Jordi Amat set to deputise.
Pablo Hernandez will again miss out to due to a hamstring injury.
Arsenal will give fitness tests to midfielder Aaron Ramsey (thigh) and Mathieu Flamini
(shoulder). England forward Theo Walcott has responded well to surgery on a minor
abdominal problem and faces up to five weeks recovery time. Tomas Rosicky (thigh)
could return for the Champions League game against Napoli, but Santi Cazorla (ankle),
Yaya Sanogo (back), Lukas Podolski (hamstring), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Abou
Diaby (both knee) are all out.
Last season: Swansea 0 Arsenal 2, Arsenal 0 Swansea 2
Last five league matches: Swansea L L W D W; Arsenal L W W W W
Top scorers: Miguel Michu & Wilfried Bony (Swansea) 5; Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
7
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).
Verdict Swansea 1 Arsenal 2
Sunday 29th September 2013
13:30 Stoke v Norwich Sky 1
Turning the attention to Sunday, and Stoke City will want to pile more misery on
Norwich City. Mark Hughes knew it would take time to alter the Potters' public image
upon inheriting the managerial reins from Tony Pulis, but he would appear to have
them heading in the right direction.
They will not be the only side to come unstuck at Liverpool and Arsenal this season,
and they appear to have lost none of their ability to grind out results when dogged
determination is required. Norwich showed against Watford on Wednesday that they
also have the ability to dig themselves out of a hole, but they are yet to display
such traits on the Premier League stage and will need no reminding of how important
it is to start putting points on the board if they are to avoid becoming wedged
in a scrap at the wrong end of the division.
Stoke manager Mark Hughes has a doubt over Matthew Etherington after he suffered
whiplash in a traffic incident on Friday morning. Hughes is hopeful the midfielder
will line up against the Canaries. Hughes does not expect to have any more injury
concerns and his only change squad-wise is the absence of goalkeeper Jack Butland
who has moved to Barnsley on a short-term loan.
Norwich captain Sebastien Bassong remains a doubt. The defender missed the midweek
Capital One Cup success over Watford after suffering a hamstring injury in the defeat
to Aston Villa. Record-signing Ricky van Wolfswinkel is fit following a toe injury
and 18-year-old Josh Murphy remains in the squad after scoring on his debut at Watford.
Last season: Stoke 1 Norwich 0, Norwich 1 Stoke 0
Last five league matches: Stoke L W W D L; Norwich D L W L L
Top scorers: Kenwyne Jones (Stoke) 3; Steven Whittaker, Gary Hooper & Johan
Elmander (Norwich) 2
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).
Verdict Stoke 1 Norwich 0
16:00 Sunderland v Liverpool Sky 1
After starting with three successive 1-0 victories, Liverpool have now gone three
games without a win in all competitions and remain without a goal in the second
half of any of their fixtures so far. The return of Luis Suarez to domestic action
against Manchester United in midweek should help to reverse that trend, but he is
still short on match sharpness and needs to play his way back into top form.
He is likely to get another much-needed run-out against Sunderland, making him a
leading character in a Stadium of Light soap opera which opened on Sunday evening
with the dismissal of Paolo Di Canio after just 175 days in charge. Caretaker coach,
and Black Cats legend, Kevin Ball will oversee first team affairs on Sunday, but
Sunderland desperately need to find stability from somewhere if they are to shake
out of an alarming slump which already has them rooted to the foot of the table
with just one point to their name.
Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher will be sidelined for up to six weeks with a
shoulder injury. Defender John O'Shea, who came off with a niggle during Tuesday
night's 2-0 Capital One Cup victory over Peterborough, is expected to be fit and
midfielder Lee Cattermole could also figure after coming through that game unscathed.
Full-back Phil Bardsley is close to returning from a broken bone in his foot.
Liverpool defender Daniel Agger is set to return after being left out of the midweek
Capital One Cup defeat against Manchester United because of a side strain. Right-back
Glen Johnson (ankle) is still out injured. Midfielder Joe Allen (hamstring) is absent
while Philippe Coutinho is still recovering from a shoulder operation.
Last season: Liverpool 3 Sunderland 0, Sunderland 1 Liverpool 1
Last five league matches: Sunderland L D L L L; Liverpool W W W D L
Top scorers: Connor Wickham & Emanuele Giaccherini (Sunderland) 2; Daniel
Sturridge (Liverpool) 6
Referee: Howard Webb.
Verdict Sunderland 0 Liverpool 1
Monday 30th September 2013
20:00 Everton v Newcastle Sky 1
Everton manager Roberto Martinez is set to revert back to his first-choice line-up.
Goalkeeper Tim Howard, Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Gareth Barry, Ross Barkley
and Kevin Mirallas will all come back in. Darron Gibson made his first appearance
of the season in midweek but fellow midfielder Steven Pienaar (hamstring) has missed
the last two games while Leon Osman sat out Wednesday's match with a groin problem.
Manager Alan Pardew will restore his big guns to the Newcastle starting line-up.
Midfielders Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa and striker Loic Remy were rested for
the 2-0 Capital One Cup third-round victory over Leeds. Defender Steven Taylor (hamstring)
could also be involved, as could striker Shola Ameobi following his recovery from
flu, but midfielder Jonas Gutierrez (hamstring) is likely to miss out despite his
return to full training.
Last season: Newcastle 1 Everton 2, Everton 2 Newcastle 2
Last five league matches: Everton D D D W W; Newcastle L D W W L
Top scorers: Leighton Baines & Steven Naismith (Everton) 2; Hatem Ben Arfa,
Loic Remy & Yoan Gouffran (Newcastle) 2
Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).