Blackburn vs Wigan

22/3- Blackburn, currently placed on the 9^th spot, is probably one of the few teams that still has the chance of making it to the top 6 as most of the other teams in the top 6 have ensured their position. The difference between Blackburn and the team lying on the sixth position is a mere 4 points and with 8 matches to go before the season ends Blackburn do have a realistic chance but they would have to get back to winning ways and in an attempt to do that they would take on the ever improving Wigan this weekend. Blackburn playing at home would start off as favourites against the visiting team that is placed 12^th on the points table but as per current form there is not much of a difference between the teams. While Wigan have 2 wins, 2 draws and a single loss in their last 5 matches, the home team has 2 wins, 2 losses and a single draw in the last 5 matches. The only advantage that Blackburn would carry is the support of the home fans and playing in a familiar atmosphere.

Blackburn come into this match after they had to face defeat against West Ham last week, this would have impacted their confidence and would like to show some form against Wigan while playing at home this weekend. A victory here can help the climb some places and with regained confidence they can probably look at giving their best to end up in the top 6 by the end of the season.

Wigan on the other hand have come a long way from being a team that featured in the relegation zone and their climb has been based on strong and consistent performances against stronger opponents. They would like to get at least a draw in this away tie as that should be sufficient to help them maintain a safe spot away from the relegation zone.

Prediction: 0-0, draw

Aston Villa vs Sunderland

22/3- Aston Villa are just a point behind the sixth placed team, Portsmouth, and they would like to overtake them in order to grab the as there are nearly 4 teams fighting it out for the spot. In an attempt to get to the top 6 teams of the premiership Aston Villa play hosts to the 17^th placed team from Sunderland. The fact that makes this match even more interesting is that even Sunderland is just a position away from the danger zone or the relegation zone and with the safety margin being just a couple of points they would not like to be defeated. In fact the match can be an open affair where both sides would go for an outright win because they would want to achieve a target, while the home team would like to make it to the top six and are just a position away, the visiting team would like to remain in the top draw. Aston Villa have had a mixed bag form in the last 5 games with 2 draws, 2 victories and a single loss while their opponents, Sunderland, have registered only a single win and a single draw with three losses in the last 5 matches.

Having won 3 of the last 5 home matches and drawn the remaining two Aston Villa would start off as favourites but last week’s loss to Portsmouth in an away tie would have hurt the team and might have also affected the confidence of the players. They would like to put a strong performance against a team like Sunderland so that they can revive the dream of making it to the top 6 before the end of this season.                                                                        

Sunderland on the other hand would want to somehow manage to get some points off this match, even a point in this away tie may be useful as the point difference between teams at the bottom of the table is very less.

Prediction: 2-1, Aston Villa win

Middlesbrough vs Derby

22/3- Middlesbrough are placed at the 13^th position and are a mere 6 points above the relegation zone, they are in a safe zone but looking at their upcoming matches they would rather want to increase this 6 point gap this weekend when they play hosts to the bottom of the table Derby as their next two matches are against Chelsea and Manchester United. Middlesbrough have not been the best team in the tournament but while playing at home they have been a force to reckon with and against a team like Derby they would surely be looking at a full three points, anything lower that that would be an under achievement and a big disappointment as well. While the home team has registered just two defeats in the last 5 matches their performance cannot be said to be bad but the problem is that they have won just one match while the other two matches have been draws while the visiting team has drawn just 1 of its last 5 matches while the other 4 have been losses.

Middlesbrough have this golden opportunity to score 3 points and move further away from the relegation zone and also keep up their confidence before taking on tougher opponents. The home crowd and support would be a definite advantage for Middlesbrough but they would be looking at players like Downing to score and make immense of this easy match. Also Middlesbrough would be happy for a fact that their opponents have no away victories this season.

Derby on the other hand would be happy even if they can manage to take a point from this away tie as they have struggled to get points from matches this season and have been by far the weakest team in the premiership.

Prediction: 2-0, Middlesbrough win

Middlesbrough vs Derby

22/3- Middlesbrough are placed at the 13^th position and are a mere 6 points above the relegation zone, they are in a safe zone but looking at their upcoming matches they would rather want to increase this 6 point gap this weekend when they play hosts to the bottom of the table Derby as their next two matches are against Chelsea and Manchester United. Middlesbrough have not been the best team in the tournament but while playing at home they have been a force to reckon with and against a team like Derby they would surely be looking at a full three points, anything lower that that would be an under achievement and a big disappointment as well. While the home team has registered just two defeats in the last 5 matches their performance cannot be said to be bad but the problem is that they have won just one match while the other two matches have been draws while the visiting team has drawn just 1 of its last 5 matches while the other 4 have been losses.

Middlesbrough have this golden opportunity to score 3 points and move further away from the relegation zone and also keep up their confidence before taking on tougher opponents. The home crowd and support would be a definite advantage for Middlesbrough but they would be looking at players like Downing to score and make immense of this easy match. Also Middlesbrough would be happy for a fact that their opponents have no away victories this season.

Derby on the other hand would be happy even if they can manage to take a point from this away tie as they have struggled to get points from matches this season and have been by far the weakest team in the premiership.

Prediction: 2-0, Middlesbrough win

Tottenham vs Portsmouth

22/3- Tottenham, placed eleventh on the points table get prepared this weekend to take on the sixth placed Portsmouth in a home tie after the fantastic performance they put up last week. While the home team is trying to get an entry in the top half of the points table by the end of the season the visiting team would be trying to keep their sixth spot, an improvement would get them a berth to European competitions next year. While Tottenham have won just two of their last five matches, their opponents come into this match after having won 4 of the last 5 matches played by them. Also the two sides have contrasting styles of play while Tottenham have been relying on their forwards to score the goals, Portsmouth have been a team that has defended well and conceded very few goals and are not that heavily dependent on their frontline. The home support that Tottenham would get can be the difference between the two sides as the defensive skills of Portsmouth would be tested against the attacking skills of Tottenham.

Tottenham would be hoping to strike goals and break the Portsmouth defence, Robbie Keane has been their main striker with 14 goals this season and he would be the player who would be expected to deliver for his team. Head coach Juande Ramos would be happy to see an injury free squad and hence could choose his best team to get on the field for the tie.

Portsmouth on the other hand would be aware about the importance of this match, with just 8 more matches to go before the end of the season they would want to keep and improve the sixth position and they cannot afford to lose points in this tie as seventh placed Aston Villa are just a point behind them.

Prediction: 2-2, Draw

Manchester City vs Tottenham

16/3- Manchester City have lost the momentum they had at the beginning of the season and now are placed on the 9^th position on the points table, they still have a chance to make it to the top 6 and book a place for the European competition for the next year but they would have to lift their game like the way it was at the beginning of the season. In an attempt to revive lost form and position they play hosts to Tottenham this weekend. Tottenham are placed 11^th on the points table and have been in good touch for the past few matches and hence the match can be a tight one as well. The last time these two teams faced each other was earlier this season when Tottenham playing at home were able to beat the team from Manchester with a 2-1 score line. Also a look at the head to head records clearly suggest that Tottenham is a superior team as in the last 19 encounters they have managed to win 13 while Manchester City have only a couple of victories to their name while the remaining 4 ended as draws.

Manchester city come into this match with their confidence levels not that great as they were beaten by Reading in an away match last week. The fact that they have only been able to register 2 wins in the last 10 matches is highly disappointing and the team would want to get back to the way they were playing initially.

Tottenham on the other hand have been playing well and they come into this away tie after they were able to defeat West Ham United with a 4-0 margin last week while they were playing at home. The match would be a thrilling and exciting filled encounter.

Prediction: 0-0, draw

Wigan vs Bolton

16/3- Wigan have been a team that has fought adversity and reached a position on the points table where they can be a little relaxed about their future in the premier league.  They were a regular feature of the relegation zone in the first half of the season but a recovery in the last few matches has helped them climb up to the 13^th position on the points table, though only 3 points clear of the relegation zone the 5 positions higher than the relegation zone would boost their confidence. The last match between the two teams that was played earlier this season ended in a victory for the Bolton team and the score sheet read 4-1 in favour of the home team. However the head to head matches put the team at an even level as out of the 5 matches played between the two clubs in the past 15 years both the teams have won twice while there has been a draw as well. But the thing that would matter the most in the match this weekend is the current form of the teams and on that basis Wigan are surely the better team as of now.

Wigan come into this match after they were able to hold Arsenal for a draw last week in a home tie and they would be pretty confident about their chances especially with the home crowd behind them. In their last 5 matches they have won 2, drawn 2 and lost just 1 and a win here would help them get away from the relegation zone as well as move at least a spot or two towards the top half of the table.

Bolton on the other hand would want to get out of the relegation places and since they have played a match less than most other teams they stand a good chance of moving out and climbing positions.

Prediction: 1-1, draw

Sunderland vs Chelsea

15/3- Chelsea have been the silent fighters this season and while Arsenal and Manchester United have been fighting for the top spot they have slowly caught up and now are just three points behind Manchester United. This week they travel to take on the 16^th placed Sunderland and would be hoping to return home with a positive result as they have been winning continuously in the last three matches played. Sunderland on the other hand have done good by moving out of the relegation zone and are two points clear as well. In the last match played between the sides Chelsea defeated Sunderland 2-0 while playing at home. Also looking at the overall record between the two sides Chelsea are the better side as they have won 8 of the 13 matches played while Sunderland have won 4 and the remaining one match was drawn. Sunderland are playing at home and have definitive advantage but against a team with the class of Chelsea the advantage might be negated.

Chelsea come into the match after they managed a 6-1 victory over Derby in the last match while playing at home. Lampard has been highly influential in the performance of the team and has already scored 10 goals this season. A win here can take them level with Manchester United in case the later lose their match. The last away match Chelsea played was against West Ham and they managed to net 4 goals and came victorious with a score sheet of 0-4.

Sunderland on the other hand have been hanging in and around the relegation zone almost throughout this season. With a high number of players on the injury list the club would be hoping for a better performance from the team. Jones with 5 goals is the top scorer and he would be expected to deliver in this crucial home tie.

Prediction: 1-2, Chelsea win

Liverpool vs Reading

15/3- Liverpool have had a great run off late and their performance in the premiership as well as the Champions League has been commendable. They are currently placed on the 4^th position on the premiership points table and the team will be really high on confidence especially after their 0-1 win against Inter Milan last week. This week they get ready to take on Reading while playing at home and the team would be expected to continue their winning run. Reading would not be a walkover for the team from Anfield as in the last encounter between both the sides ended with Reading defeating Liverpool 3-1 while playing at home. But looking at the head to head record between the sides Liverpool have a slight edge as they have won twice out of the three matches played between the sides. The home side is on the 4^th position only due to a better goal difference and hence winning the match would be very important for them.

The last match that Liverpool played in the premiership was against Newcastle and in the home tie they managed a 3-0 victory. Liverpool are in great form as they have won 6 matches in a row and have lost one match in the last ten matches played this season. Torres in the front and Gerrard in the mid field would be the combination that has worked for them throughout the season and the fans would be hoping to see some goals from the two important players. While playing at home they would be hoping to score all the points available from this tie.

Reading on the other hand have managed to register a couple of victories in the last two matches and have managed a spot that is a little clear of the relegation zone and would like to continue scoring points and at least a point from this tie would be of great value for them.

Prediction: 2-1, Liverpool win

Derby County vs Manchester United

15/3- Derby County have probably put up one of the worst performance in an entire season of the English Premier League history and this week they get ready to play hosts to one of the best, if not the best team of the premiership. Manchester United are just a couple of points behind the league leaders and have also played a match less and this opportunity will be highly cherished as they take on the weakest team in the premiership. While the visitors are in prime form and are fresh from their victorious stints in the Champions League and the English Premier League, the home team has not been able to win a single match in their last 10 attempts. The last time both these teams played each other was earlier this season and Manchester United while playing at home had registered 4-1 victory. The overall head to head record also favours the team from Old Trafford as they have won 7 of the 13 matches played between the sides and Derby on the other hand have won only twice.

Manchester United played their last premiership match against Fulham a couple of weeks ago and they managed to register a 0-3 victory while playing away from home. They also beat Lyon in a home match last week and the team is looking to take the lead away from the Gunners and is looking good in doing so. Christiano Ronaldo and Tevez have been in prime form and with good support from Rooney they have caused problems to all opponents. They would be going all out for a victory with a big margin as it could come down to the goal difference at the end of the season. Any points dropped here would annoy the team and the fans.

Derby County can only hope that they can put up a good show this time.

Prediction: 0-4, Manchester United win

« Previous Page — Next Page »