Tottenham vs Fulham

26/12- With both the teams at a position that is not that stable and are locked with other teams with the same number of points as well as only a small difference between them and the teams below, both would be in search of the elusive victory. Looking at the past record between both teams Fulham proves to be the dominating force and a look at the matches played in Tottenham’s backyard proves the fact even more, out of the 9 matches played there the home team has just won thrice while Fulham have been on the winning side 4 times and twp matches have been drawn. But then a second look at the points table this season quickly reveals that Fulham have been struggling for form and points and lie on the 17th spot just above the relegation zone, that too just because of a better goal difference. Looking at the recent matches, Tottenham put a valiant effort only to end on the losing side against the league leaders, Arsenal in an away tie last week. However, the form of the players looks pretty good as prior to the defeat to Arsenal the team managed to beat good opponents like Portsmouth and Manchester City in away and home encounters respectively. The players that have inspired a comeback after a weak start to the season have been striker Dempsey and the efforts of Kamara. With the home crowd behind them, the spurs would like to get the full points of this match. Fulham have been lucky to feature out of the relegation zone but their recent matches and the game displayed would suggest that luck cannot save them for a longer time, with just a single victory and 5 losses in the last 10 matches they have nothing to showcase this season. Even a point at this stage would be a blessing. Prediction: 1-0, Tottenham

Wigan vs Newcastle

26/12- A home draw against a struggling Derby county and that too after being put under a lot of pressure and being have to come from behind and save face would have rung alarming bells at Newcastle. The team would have felt that they lost out on two points as could only get a draw but Santa looks to be generous as just a day after Christmas they can make up for it against another struggling team, Wigan. Both teams have earned a point last week, while Wigan holding out a solitary goal draw in an away tie at Fulham, Newcastle were held at home by Derby. Wigan have looked a different side after the return of Emilie Heskey a few weeks ago but if we go by records from this season’s performance they have just managed one victory from their last 10 matches and a mere 2 draws but have ended on the losing side 7 times. Also a look at the clubs’ previous encounters, of the 5 matches played at Wigan the home team have won twice while Newcastle have managed to win one more time. Wigan have been mainly riding on the goals scored by Bent this season but for a majority of the season were missing on a few key players. However now they have a side that is fully fit and available for selection. Though lowly placed they have managed to keep close proximity to other teams and good performances now onwards would still give them a chance to remain in the top league. Newcastle on the other hand would be eager and hungry for points after messing up last week they would like to make up with a full 3 points. Martins and Viduka have been extremely good and a win here can help the club cement its place in the top half of the point table. Prediction: 1-2, Newcastle win

Derby County vs Liverpool

26/12- Liverpool would be celebrating Christmas in a different way this time as they would be knowing what Santa has gift wrapped for them, a nice point scoring away tie against Derby County. Liverpool placed 5th on the points table this season were jolted by the defeat against Manchester United at home a couple of weeks ago. They seem to be adrift of the premiership leading pack but last week they showed what they were capable of by thrashing Portsmouth 4-1 at home and now would be more than eager to take on Derby just a day past Christmas. Derby on the other hand has been the weakest team of the season, their Sunday draw against Newcastle was a spirited performance but not much can be said about a team that has lost 8 of its last 10 games and the other two being draws and that leaves no doubt on the reason they are last on the premiership table.

Liverpool on the other hand have won 7 of the past 10 games while losing out only two occasions. Torres and Gerrard seem to be in great form and even in the absence of some key players the side portrays the image of a good settled team, they have played a match less than the other front runners and hence would be looking to wait and watch and jump up the positions at the right time. They have been the second best team in the premiership in terms of away points even though they have played lesser games but in terms of performances gave been the best.

Derby have had a miserable season and the trend would probably continue because Liverpool would be looking at a win with a big margin and hence Derby would have a lot of thinking to do this Christmas.

Prediction: 0-3, Liverpool win

Sunderland vs Manchester United

26/12- This would be a contest between two teams with similar injury worries but different fortunes and different forms and hence different end of the premiership points table. Sunderland would have hoped for a better present from Santa as they have to play an inform Man U team at home just a day after Christmas. While Sunderland are in the relegation zone with the 18^th position on the table, Man U stand just a point behind league leaders Arsenal in an impressive second place. Sunderland go into this match after losing 2-1 in and away tie against Reading on Saturday while Man U tamed Everton at home with a 2-1 victory. Manchester United have in fact their last 5 premiership games and are looking really strong with a well balanced side. Though their away form this season has not been as impressive as the other top teams a trip to Sunderland does not appear to be too testing for Sir Alex Fergusson’s side.

 

The home side have just managed 18 goals which is equal to the tally of the top 2 scorers for Man U. Sunderland would also be missing Miller who would be serving a 3 match ban after his actions in the match against Reading on Saturday and this would dampen their already weak midfield. They would be looking at a good home support and some extra work from Chopra and Jones, who have been the top scorers for the team this season.

 

Manchester United on the other end would be hoping for a big victory and with the form of Christiano Ronaldo and Tevez it is highly possible that the team would achieve its target. Though missing on some key players the team would be looking at three points with a steady performance as they need just one slip up from Arsenal and they would be at the top.

 

Prediction: 0-3, Man U win

 

Portsmouth vs Arsenal

26/12- Just a day after Christmas the league leaders travel to face the 8th placed Portsmouth. If we look at the history between the two clubs Arsenal stand out to be clear winners as they have won 4 out of the 9 matches played between the clubs while the other 5 have been draws. Arsenal have been in great form this season and that is why they are seen at the top and also in the recent games they have played it reflects as they have won the last 3 games before this match and looked convincing in their victory against Tottenham last week. Portsmouth on the other hand have been slipping away after a bright start to the premiership this season and have lost their last two matches and the last one being a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool.

 

Portsmouth have struggled to earn points at home this season and a tie against the best team in the league and that too after 2 consecutive defeats could be quite difficult to handle. Mwaruwari and Muntari have been their top goal scorers but Kanu has also shown touches of brilliance. The home crowd would like all three to fire if they are hoping to earn some points against the visiting Gunners. Portsmouth are just a point above Newcastle and Blackburn and this would be disconcerting as a slip in a game could potentially knock them off the top half of the table as West Han are not that far behind either.

 

Arsenal would want to get this one in the kitty as their first position is under constant threat from arch rivals Manchester United. Adebayor, Fabregas and Van Persie are the super threesome and they would be expected to deliver the goods yet again.

 

Prediction: 0-2, Arsenal win

Birmingham City vs Middlesbrough

26/12- This is a classic bottom half tie with team number 15 and 16, separated by a couple of points, facing off each other. Birmingham City play hosts to Middlesbrough, a club that has put up some stunning performances in the past few weeks. Both the clubs enter this match after losses while Birmingham City were dumped 3-0 by the Bolton wanderers Middlesbrough went down fighting against West Ham United in their 1-2 loss. If we take a look at the history between the two clubs, Middlesbrough end up clear favorites as they have won 6 of the 9 matches and the interesting part is that there have been no draws, this would leave the audience gasping for a result. The visitors, Middlebrough have been riding high on form after they managed to defeat Arsenal a couple of weeks ago and they are the only team this season in the premiership that has been able to beat the league leaders and end their unbeaten run. Middlebrough have just one person on the injury list and that is striker Mido or else they have almost the complete squad to choose from. Downing and Sanli have been the top most scorers for the club this season and it appears that they might have to play the again. A win here can potentially help Middlesbrough jump a couple of places in the points table as well. Birmingham City on the other hand have been very poor in their home form as well and rely heavily on Jeremy and Kapo to create opportunities and then convert them in to goals. The club and its supporters are in desperate search of points and they would sooner have to get more of them in order to keep safe distance from the relegation zone. Prediction: 1-2, Middlesbrough win

Blackburn vs Chelsea

23/12- The anxious Blackburn would be ready to host a depleted Chelsea side on super Sunday as the teams fight out in their last match before Christmas. Blackburn were buried last week by the Wigan team as they were crushed to a humiliating 5-3 away loss. On the other hand Chelsea faced a similar fortune when they faced defeat at the hands of the league leaders at the Emirates stadium, though the margin was 1-0. Another breaking news for the blues would be the exclusion of John Terry due to injury, Chelsea were already without star striker Drogba and the likes of Ballack, their defense also looks incomplete without Carvalho and this latest exclusion from the mid field could seriously affect their chances.

Blackburn have some reasons to worry as well, their home record this season has not been impressive at all and they have lost 2 out of the last three matches played at home and Chelsea would be eager to gain some points after their last week’s defeat. Another problem for the Rovers could be Chelsea’s away form which has been as good as their form at home and the team has won more than 50% of their matches away from home, that is, they have won 5 of the 9 matches played away from home. Blackburn would be hoping that their inform strikers Santa Cruz and McCarthy would be able to get them an early lead with the crowd behind them. They also do not have any major injury worries and would have the entire squad available for selection, which could be a blessing for the team.

Chelsea on the other hand would be looking at consolidating their 3rd spot on the points table. The main focus would be on Lampard and Joe Cole and the way they are able to combine to get some points for Chelsea. Arsenal have already registered a win this week and have moved 9 points clear of Chelsea in order to keep their championship dream alive a win looks to be very important for Murinho’s side.

Prediction: 0-1, Chelsea win

Napoli vs Torino

Napoli and Torino clash this week in a direct confrontation between clubs that are both coming off of midweek Coppa Italia matches. Torino had a good experience in their midweek match as they beat AS Roma while Napoli lost to Roma’s other Serie A club, SS Lazio. The two sides drew their last Serie A matches a week ago.

The side managed by Reja were held to a 1-1 draw away on their visit to Siena at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in week 16. With the point earned the partenopei are now in 7^th place with 22 points, just 2 points back of Palermo and a UEFA Cup slot. Napoli are winners of just 2 of their last 5 matches with both of those victories coming at home. In fact, they are winners of 3 straight matches at the San Paolo. Their loss to Lazio earlier this week was by a 2-1 score in the away leg which puts them in decent shape to get through to the next round of the Cup if they can take care of business at home. The good news for Reja is that he will be able to count on what pretty much will be a full strength side against Torino. Savini and the Argentine Lavezzi both return from suspension meaning that Marcelo Zalayeta, who leads the club with 7 goals, will be reunited with Lavezzi in attack.

Torino played AS Roma twice over the span of 5 days. In the first meeting they were held to a 0-0 draw at home at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino for their Serie A match. The following match saw them defeat Roma 3-1 behind 2 goals from Uruguayan Alvaro Recoba. Ironically, Recoba’s 2 goals in that match are just 1 shy of matching Torino’s entire offensive output over their last 7 league matches. They are winless over those 7 matches with just 2 draws to show for their efforts with only 3 goals scored. Their last win came back in October at the expense of last place Cagliari. That stretch sees them sit in 15^th place of the league table with 16 points, 1 behind Lazio. The news continues to get worse for the granata as this week manager Novellino will be missing Rubin, Motta, Comotto and Lanna to injury. This leaves Torino without any fullbacks for this match. They will look to improvise by playing Dellafiore and Vailatti out of position.

Napoli appear poised to continue their strong play at home and make it 4 straight victories at the San Paolo. Torino did beat Roma this week but it was by no means the giallorossi’s strongest 11 and the fact that they have only been able to score 3 goals over their past 7 matches only puts more pressure on their back line to play error free football. Look for Napoli to hold serve at home.

Prediction: Napoli (2-0)

Livorno vs Atalanta

Livorno and Atalanta face off in a match between clubs struggling to find an identity as the season reaches the New Year’s break. Livorno have been playing well of late but are still well within the reach of the pack struggling to stave off relegation, while Atalanta have been impressive at times but remain unable to jump into the UEFA Cup slots of the Serie A table.

Livorno did not play in week 16 as their match against AC Milan was rescheduled given that Milan were participating in the World Club Cup. They remain in 17^th place of the league table with 14 points, just behind 16^th place Siena on goal difference. Camolese’s side last played in Round 15 when they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by AS Roma at the Stadio Armando. They have been playing much better of late however and that draw at home stretched their current unbeaten run to 6 matches of which 3 have been victories. There are a lot of injuries this week for Camolese to deal with including Antonio Filipinni and Amelia. The loss of Amelia means that De Lucia will need to take over in goal. In addition, veteran striker Rossini has been ruled out due to injury and will not be able to face his former side.

The bergamaschi are in 8^th place of the league table with 21 points, just 1 point off of the pace of Napoli. They were beaten at home in week 16 in their match to Palermo at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri D’Italia by a score of 1-3. The loss was their second straight and they have now lost 3 of their last 5 matches. The injuries are beginning to pile up for Gigi Del Neri’s squad and this is taking a huge toll on their performance. This week Talamonti, Costinha, Carrozzieri, Simon Inzaghi, Guarente, Zampagna, and Langella are all expected to miss out. In addition, Doni is out suspended. These absences will force Del Neri to go with a make shift starting eleven. Gaurente is the toughest player to replace and Padoin will be asked to do his best. Muslimovic is set to make his first ever start for the club in attack alongside Floccari as they keep the 4-4-2 formation.

Livorno may be at the bottom looking up at Atalanta but their current form is far superior given Atalanta’s two straight losses. When you factor in that Atalanta will have a number of players missing once more, Livorno look all the more attractive as a choice.

Prediction: Livorno (1-0)

Juventus vs Siena

Juventus return home to host bottom dwellers Siena at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino hoping to continue to keep pace with the league leaders Inter Milan. Siena have been anything but brilliant during the first half of this season but there is some light at the end of the tunnel for Beretta’s side as they are unbeaten over their last 3 matches.

Juventus come into Round 17 in 3^rd place of the Serie A table with 32 points on the season. They are just 1 point behind 2^nd place AS Roma. They picked up a superb road win in their last outing when they defeated SS Lazio by a score of 2-3 at the Stadio Olimpico di Roma. That result extended their current unbeaten run to 7 matches of which that last 2 have been victories. Even more impressive is the fact that Claudio Ranieri’s boys have conceded just 2 goals in their last 4 matches. In attack, David Trezeguet continues to pace the club and the entire Serie A with 12 goals for the season. Mauro German Camoranesi remains out due to injury and Salihamidzic looks set to take over his spot on the right flank once again while Tiago should get the call in place of Nocerino who is suffering from the flu.

Siena are currently in 16^th place of the league table with 14 points and find themselves 2 points back of Genoa. In their last match they were held to a disappointing draw by a score of 1-1 at home to Napoli at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. The result did stretch their unbeaten run to 3 matches but what is worrisome is that they continue to drop points at home. In fact, they actually play better away from home. On the injury front this week it has been confirmed that Chiesa remains out due to injury while Vergassola will return to his place on the right side of midfield after serving suspension last week. Beretta will keep the 4-3-1-2 formation with Locatelli as play maker behind Maccarone and Frick.

Despite the fact that Siena are on a 3 match unbeaten run and have played better on the road than at home, it is still extremely hard to pick against Juventus. They are playing some very intelligent football at the moment and players such as Nedved and Trezeguet still make a difference. The bianconeri have won 19 out of a possible 24 points at home.

Prediction- Juventus (2-0)

« Previous Page — Next Page »