Premier League Preview – Gameweek 26
Manchester United are currently in a dominant position in the Barclays Premier League, with a nine point gap at the top to their nearest rivals, neighbours Manchester City. While observers have been very weary to write off the reigning Premier League champions, given the comeback that they were able to launch last season, it seems highly unlikely that a team with the unrivalled experience and knowhow of Manchester United will blow a winning league for two seasons in succession.
United will attempt to cement their strong position on Sunday when they face Everton at Old Trafford. No-one involved in the club at any level will need reminding that this fixture was one of the key factors behind United’s slip up last season, when they threw away a two goal advantage at Old Trafford, conceding two late goals in an unlikelt 4-4 draw. Everton have been one of the most consistent outfits in the Premier League this season, and beat United in their opening fixture, so Sir Alex Ferguson will be weary of the threat posed by the Toffees. City may view this hopefully as a fixture in which United could conceivably come a cropper.
By Sunday, United will know whether or not their gap at the top has been cut to six points, as City will already have played Southampton at St. Mary’s. The home side have been resurgent in recent weeks, and look unlikely to be relegated at this point in time. City will need to be on their guard against a team that can be formidable on their home turf, and who lead them by two goals to one with twenty minutes to go when the two teams met earlier this season at Eastlands. City’s recent away form has been pretty good, and they will be favoured to win, though.
Chelsea will attempt to put their recent dismal run of results behind them when they entertain Wigan at Stamford Bridge. It’s ironic that the team has been struggling in terms of results, as individual players are all in excellent form. Frank Lampard can’t stop scoring, Juan Mata has been imperious, Eden Hazard was flying before his suspension and will be back for this game, Oscar was Brazil’s best player in the mid-week friendly against England, and Demba Ba has made a decent start to his Chelsea career. It’s the continued misfiring of Fernando Torres, and the leaking of goals at the back that have cost the Blues, however, and they will need to improve on both of these elements against the relegation threatened Latics. Anything less than three points and Rafael Benitez will face a genuine threat of being sacked before the end of the season.
Tottenham against Newcastle at White Hart Lane is the Saturday lunchtime kick-off, and looks to be one of the most attractive fixtures of the weekend programme. Spurs remain firmly within the top four, but will be hoping that a dearth of strikers doesn’t cost them against a Newcastle team that finally looks in good shape after a productive January window at the return of some of their top stars. The away side are well capable of getting a result, and I quite fancy them to nick a point.
Arsenal will hope Tottenham do slip up, and that they manage to beat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. With fitness doubts over Theo Walcott, Arsene Wenger will be very concerned, but otherwise the Gunners have good reason to be optimistic, particularly if one looks at the number of their players involved in the mid-week internationals, and the form of the likes of Walcott, Wilshere and Cazorla. If the Gunners give a good performance, they should beat a competitive but inconsistent Sunderland side.
Norwich face Fulham at Carrow Road in a game that could be crucial to both teams’ prospects for the remainder of the season. Both teams need to start picking up some wins to avoid being sucked into the relegation quagmire. Both teams have really struggled in recent weeks, and this is highly unlikely to be a classic.
Three of the teams involved in the relegation battle all have tough fixtures this week. Reading and QPR have differing, but equally difficult, trips to Stoke City and Swansea City respectively, while Aston Villa face the rumbustuous West Ham United at Villa Park. It’s incredibly difficult to predict what will occur in the relegation scrap, as it gets more unpredictable each week, but both the away teams would probably take a point, while Villa will consider a draw to be two points dropped.
Finally, Liverpool will hope to build on their two good away performances at Arsenal and Manchester City when they face West Bromwich Albion at Anfield. The Anfield club still hold out hopes of a Champions League place for next season, but a top six finish looks more realistic.
Saturday Fixtures
Tottenham v Newcastle 12:45
Chelsea v Wigan 15:00
Norwich v Fulham 15:00
Stoke v Reading 15:00
Sunderland v Arsenal 15:00
Swansea v QPR 15:00
Southampton v Man City 17:30
Sunday fixtures
Aston Villa v West Ham 13:30
Man Utd v Everton 16:00
Monday fixtures
Liverpool v West Brom 20:00
