Derby vs Fulham

29/3- Fulham and Derby are probably the two teams that are set to be relegated from the top league of the English premier league and this weekend they get ready to face each other, both the teams have had a very bad season as per their standards and both teams have been performing not that greatly either. Both these teams have not won a single match away from home and also have found it difficult to hold their opponents for a draw. Derby have in fact not been able to score many points in their past few matches while Fulham have had their ups and downs. The last time both these teams faced each other was earlier this season and Fulham playing at home were held for a draw by the visiting Derby team. The overall record between the two teams shows that in the three times that the teams have faced each other two have been draws and the only victory has been achieved by Fulham. Derby would have the home advantage and they would be hoping that the home support can help them get some points in this match.

Fulham come into this match after they lost out to Newcastle, 2-0 in an away tie last week and they would be hoping to try and register their first away victory of the season. In the last 10 matches played by the team they have managed to get 2 wins, 2 draws and have had to face 6 losses.

Derby on the other hand have just 10 points of 31 matches and in the last 10 matches they have played they have only been able to get three draws where as all other 7 matches have had the ending on the losing side. Their last match was against Middlesbrough and they had to face yet another defeat and hence the players would not be highly confident or optimistic about their chances.

Prediction: 0-1, Fulham 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

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

Wigan vs Derby County

23/2- Wigan can be said to be the most unpredictable team in the league this year, they started of decently but then were a regular part of the relegation zone for the remaining part of the first half of the competition. They started winning after the break and got themselves out of the relegation zone after a string of decent outings and as soon as the fans started thinking that they are safe the club slips again towards the danger zone. They are currently on the 16^th position just a point and a couple of spots above the relegation zone and will have to make the most of their home tie against the bottom placed Derby County this week. Both teams enter the match after facing defeats last week but Wigan are on a better position and have a better form as they have won 4 of the last 10 matches and losing as many whereas Derby have lost 7 of their 10 matches and won non. Also Wigan would have an edge over Derby as they defeated Derby in an away tie earlier this season.

After a disappointing loss last week against Sunderland, away from home was a huge setback to the Wigan’s chances of getting away from the bottom 5 of the table. But while playing at home with the crowd support, Wigan have been a decent team and would be disappointed if they cannot get all the three points against a side like Derby. Bent would be the player the home fans would expect to score as he is the side’s leading scorer this season.

Derby on the other hand have nothing to lose and if they can go all out in these remaining matches they might leave a small impact on the other teams but they are most definitely out of the league for the next season.

Prediction: 2-0, Wigan win

Derby County vs Tottenham

9/2- The last two weeks have been quite difficult for Tottenham in terms of their opponents, while they had to face Manchester United in their last match playing at home the previous match they had to travel to Everton. While Tottenham played well in both the matches and were able to draw both matches and get a couple of points, they would be eager to get a victory under their belt. Derby County on the other hand have tried hard in their last two matches and after a long wait have been able to accumulate some points as both the matches were drawn. Virtually out of the competition Derby would be looking to restore some pride. The last time both teams met that was earlier this season Tottenham routed Derby County 4-0 while playing at home. However playing at home Derby County have won 4 of the 6 matches played between both the sides.

While Derby are placed at the bottom of the bottom half of the table at the 20^th position their opponents Tottenham are on the top of the bottom half at the 11^th position. Derby have not scored on many occasions this season but going by their performances Miller and Oakley seem to be the best scoring options available for the side. In the last 10 matches the side has lost 7 matches while 3 have been draws, they would surely hope for a good result at home and a draw would mean a good result.

Tottenham on the other hand have a long list of injury but the presence of Keane and Berbatov in the side should be good enough for the side to take on derby. They would be looking for an outright victory in an attempt to get in the top half of the table.

Prediction: 0-2, Tottenham win

Derby vs Manchester City

30/1- With every passing match the verdict is getting even stronger, Derby had to have a flawless second half of the season to ensure their stay in the top division but the losing trend has shown no signs of stopping. They have lost their last 5 matches and playing at home or away does not seem to make a difference at all. Hence this week’s tie against Manchester City would be another tester at home. Manchester City placed at 7^th position on the table have been going through a rough patch and this is ideal for them as they can get some form in an away match. In the previous encounters between the sides City have won once of three matches while the other two have been draws. City would be hoping to climb at least 2 spots as their points tally would move to 43 and since they are fighting for a European championship position, this can be very handy.

 

Derby are playing for a lost cause but good performances can at least earn them respect and give them a reason to fight it out in the first division next year. The team has a lot of injuries and lack of ability at the top level is also quite evident. The biggest problem is that there has been no sign of a determined effort to get back at the opponent and that has led to this situation.

 

Manchester City would strike gold at the right time and anything less than 3 points from this tie would not be acceptable for them. They should try and win with the biggest margin possible as the teams are so closely packed that it could boil down to the goal difference. Only interest that this match could generate is if Derby can upset City.

 

Prediction: 0-2, Manchester City win

Portsmouth vs Derby

19/1- Portsmouth have been the surprise package of the season and their performances have managed to hold them in the top half of the table for a good period of time. In fact for most of the time they gave the top teams a run for their money but the past few matches have changed the course of their season. They have lost 3 of their last 5 matches and just managed to win one with the remainder being a draw. They would be happy to take on the last placed Derby, who have just won a single match in this entire season and in the last 5 matches they have lost 4 and drawn one. Derby are a team that is practically out of the top league and should not pose a threat to Portsmouth, who are playing at home. This is also a good chance for Portsmouth to improve their home record and gain some useful points. Portsmouth are placed on the 9th position and just a couple of points behind the 8th placed Blackburn. Mwaruwari would be their best bet when it comes to the scoring options and Diop is the playmaker in their team. They would try to keep things simple and replicate the performances they delivered in the first half of the season. They would also try and learn from the mistakes they made last week in their loss against a weak team like Sunderland and would like to capitalise for the lost opportunity. Anything less than a win and 3 points would be immensely disappointing for the club, fans and players as well. Derby on the other hand have been isolated by the other teams in terms of points, they would be moving to the first division at the end of the season until something miraculously saves them. Prediction: 2-0, Portsmouth win

Derby vs Wigan

12/1- The two teams that begun this season very similarly, both teams were glued at the bottom of the table for some time and occupied the 19^th and the 20^th spot with the danger of being relegated. But Wigan has risen out of that dull patch while Derby County remains at the bottom. Now the last placed Derby with a mere 7 points take on the 17^th placed Wigan. While Derby have been consistently losing matches and their last 10 matches have recorded 9 loses and a single draw there is no where the team is heading. As for Wigan, they have managed to overcome quite a few odds and have slowly started earning points in a match which is very important. IN the past encounters between the two sides the honors have been evenly shared as both teams has won once and the remainder 2 matches of the 4 played have been draws.

Wigan get into this match after a confidence boosting away draw against a formidable opponent like Liverpool. It appears as though the arrival of Heskey is rubbing off on his team mantes though he is not particularly scoring goals. Bent has been their top goal scorer with 7 goals to his credit already. Wigan have not scored an away win yet and this is their real opportunity to cash 3 points and if they do so they might as well jump a couple of spots to the top.

Derby is a side that is half injured, they have many people with recurring injuries and with such a poor performance in the first half the writing is already on the wall for this side. They would be satisfied even if they can get a point out of this match because they have been able to score only one in the last 10 matches.

Prediction: 0-2, Wigan win

Bolton vs Derby

2/1- If there is one team that is apart from all the teams this season it has been Derby, they have been different for all the wrong reasons but their future seems to be like 2 other teams who would be relegated from the top zone. If they practically stand a chance of still surviving in the premiership is a huge ask but on current form it can be said to be impossible. They have lost 9 of their last 10 matches and the remainder one has been a tame draw, they hardly score and when away from home they can hardly get adequate possession hence it would be a tester for them when they travel to take on the Wanderers at Bolton in the new year. However the only fact that supports Derby is the history, in the last 5 matches between the two clubs 2 have been draws while the remainder 3 have been won by Derby and it will be absolutely great if the Derby players can keep that record alive.

 

Bolton, the home team have had their share of problems this season and have featured just above the relegation zone this season and the only positive aspect for them has been Anelka and the rumors of his transfer to Chelsea may just run a chill down the officials. They enter this match after two consecutive away losses, the last one being a 3-1 loss to Sunderland. They would be looking to cement their place and at least keep safe distance from the relegation zone.

 

Derby have half of their potential squad on their injury list, they have not been able to get going anytime in this season and this would be another trip where the players might take a drubbing. Happy new year is all one can say!!

 

Prediction: 3-0, Bolton win

 

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