I genuinely thought that things were finally going to take a turn for the better.
That everything was picking up.
Maybe I was wrong.
I tried to pull you closer, only succeeding in widening the gap.
I tried to understand you better, only succeeding in being further shrouded in mystery.
I tried to relate to you, only succeeding in causing more friction.
Maybe its just destined to be.
That this life im living.
Will only be simply about me.
Mr Paokaliao
Sunday, 20 September 2015
Saturday, 21 March 2015
Soccer Saturdate Pt 2: Liverpool vs Manchester United
The 2nd part of Soccer Saturdate sees the huge clash between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield, with 2 other matches following suit, one of which sees league leaders Chelsea travelling to the KC Stadium to take on Hull City. and QPR facing off against Everton. I will be providing my bite-sized analysis and my predictions, and if you do disagree with them, do comment and let me know. Have a great week ahead :)

Liverpool (5th) vs Manchester United
(4th), SingTel TV Ch 102, StarHub TV Chn 227, 2130
Form
|
|
Liverpool
(16-6-7)
|
Manchester
United (6-8-5)
|
Last 5 games: WWWWW
Last 5 home games: WWWWD
|
Last 5 games: WLWWW
Last 5 away games: DDWLW
|
Injuries/Suspensions
|
|
Liverpool
|
Manchester
United
|
Injuries: None
|
Injuries: Van Persie (ankle)
Suspended: Evans
|
Midfielder Lucas
Leiva's fitness will be assessed ahead after he returned to training this week
following a groin problem sustained six weeks ago, but he may not be ready to
go straight into the squad. Striker Mario Balotelli has recovered from the bout
of illness which saw him miss Monday's win at Swansea.
Midfielder Angel di
Maria is available for Sunday's match at Liverpool having served a one-match
suspension for his dismissal against Arsenal. Striker Robin van Persie is still
out with an ankle problem and defender Jonny Evans is suspended. Left-back Luke
Shaw (hamstring) and centre-half Marcos Rojo (groin) are doubts for the
Barclays Premier League match.
Here we have: 5th
vs 4th, with both teams in superb form. Liverpool having won their past 5
league games, and undefeated in their past 13. Who was the last team to win
against them? A certain team called Manchester United. That game was one of the
most comprehensive defeats Liverpool had faced all season, in which that game
marked the start of the experimentation of the 3-4-2-1 formation, which at
first was deemed unlikely to succeed. Louis van Gaal's Man Utd come into this
game having played one of their most convincing match, a 3-0 thrashing of
fellow CL spot challenger Spurs. That game marked the swashbuckling style of
late apparently, with Ashley Young and Wayne Rooney particularly impressive.
With Angel di Maria back from suspension, will LVG put him back into the
starting line-up and risk destroying the momentum from last week? Stay tuned to
find out in this match guaranteed to have your fair share of action and controversies.
This game is too close to call, but I think that Liverpool will shade it, with
the Kop faithful perhaps being the 12th man. A 2-1 win to Pool.
Wayne Rooney will seek to carry on his fine run of late, whereas
Jordan Henderson will be leading
from the midfield if Steven Gerrard starts from the bench.
Prediction: 2-1 win
for Liverpool
Key Men: Wayne Rooney,
Jordan Henderson
Hull City (15th) vs Chelsea (1st),
SingTel TV Ch 102, StarHub Ch 227, 0000 (Monday)
Form
|
|
Hull
City (6-10-13)
|
Chelsea
(19-7-2)
|
Last 5 games: WWLDD
Last 5 home games: WLWWD
|
Last 5 games: WWDWD
Last 5 away games: WDWDW
|
Injuries/Suspensions
|
|
Hull
City
|
Chelsea
|
Injuries: Jelavic (knee), Brady (calf),
Chester (shoulder), Rosenior (hamstring), Diame, Snodgrass (both knee)
Suspended: Huddlestone
|
Injuries: Mikel (knee)
|
Record signing Abel Hernandez is set to return to
Hull's starting line-up after the Tigers lost Nikica Jelavic for six weeks.
Jelavic faces an extended spell on the sidelines after knee surgery. Tom
Huddlestone is suspended after his sending-off against Leicester last week.
Premier League leaders Chelsea have an almost
fully-fit squad. Only John Obi Mikel (knee) is out, with the midfielder likely
to return to contention following the forthcoming international break.
This game could be slightly trickier than paper,
with Hull having an impressive home form of late that has enabled them to life
themselves slightly clear away from the relegation zone, but not totally out of
it yet. Chelsea would seek to bounce back from the disappointment from their
previous 2 matches (knocked out of CL by PSG, and a draw against Southampton)
with a win here that can see them back to being 6 pts clear at the top. Hull
would hope to get something out of this game to go 6 pts clear from 18th spot
Burnley. This could be one of those games where Chelsea might find themselves
slipping, but I doubt Chelsea will go 3 matches without a win. Im going for
Chelsea to win, but just. A 1-0 victory to the Blues.
Having broken his run of poor form, do expect Diego Costa to provide the attacking
threat. With Nikica Jelavic out, Abel
Hernandez (their record signing) wiill be tasked to bang in the goals for
the Tigers.
Prediction: 1-0 win
to Hull City
Key Men: Diego
Costa, Abel Hernandez
QPR (19th) vs Everton (14th), SingTel
TV Ch 103, StarHub Ch 228, 0000 (Monday)
Form
|
|
QPR
(6-4-19)
|
Everton
(7-10-12)
|
Last 5 games: WLLLL
Last 5 home games: LLLLL
|
Last 5 games: LDLLW
Last 5 away games: LWLLL
|
Injuries/Suspensions
|
|
QPR
|
Everton
|
Injuries: Dunne,
Fer, Faurlin, Isla (knee), Furlong (calf), Barton (knock)
|
Injuries: Mirallas
(knock), Oviedo (hamstring), Hibbert, Pienaar (both knee)
Suspended:
Barry
|
QPR are hoping to have
midfielder Joey Barton back after he missed his team's last three league games
through suspension. But he sustained a knock in training this week and is
doubtful for the encounter at Loftus Road. QPR coach Chris Ramsey will make a
late decision on Barton, while Mauricio Isla (knee) and Darnell Furlong (calf)
are also doubts
Midfielder Gareth Barry will
have to drop out of the Everton team to face QPR at Loftus Road on Sunday.
Barry started the 5-2 Europa League defeat to Dynamo Kiev on Thursday night but
he has one more game to serve on his two-match domestic suspension after
picking up 10 yellow cards this season. Aiden McGeady (knee) will be in the
squad along with Aaron Lennon, who was cup-tied in the Europa League.
I sensed that Everton can now
finally start to move out of the relegation fight after battling on the
continental front as well. However, that would probably come in the upcoming
games, not this one. Why? With QPR being the fresher of the 2 teams, this game
could see QPR coming up with the goods to emerge victorious here. However, both
teams find themselves in less than impressive form, and this game could be one
cagey affair with rare moments of creativity. Everton would need to start
translating their decent European form into picking up points in the league. I
am going for a 1-1 draw here.
Charlie Austin
would seek to carry on his good league form and show Roy Hodgson what he has
missed out on, with Romelu Lukaku also
looking to start scoring league-wise.
Prediction: 1-1 draw
Key Men: Charlie Austin, Romelu Lukaku
Soccer Saturdate Pt 1: Can Arsenal actually end up 2nd?
Hi everyone! It's Saturday.. and this could only mean that its Soccer Saturdate! This week's big game is definitely the fixture between Liverpool and Manchester United, which will be held tomorrow. Anothr interesting subplot would be the actual possibility for Arsenal to catch Manchester City and finish 2nd ahead of the Citizens. With City going through a disappointing run, can the Gunners roll on and for once not worry about Champions League qualification on the last day? Read on for my predictions as Man City takes on West Brom in the early fixture, and Arsenal travelling to St James Park to take on Newcastle, a fixture that im sure will be full of goals and action. There are 5 other fixtures taking place today as well, so scroll down for my analysis and predictons, and if you disagree with them, do comment and leave me your predictions :) I will be covering tomorrow's games as well, so stay tuned tomorrow for part 2 of Soccer Saturdate.

Newcastle (11th) vs Arsenal (3rd)
SingTel TV Ch 102, SingTel channel 227, 11pm


Manchester
City (2nd) vs West Bromwich (13th) SingTel TV 102, StarHub TV 227, 845pm
Form
|
|
Manchester
City (17-7-5)
|
West
Bromwich (8-9-12)
|
Last 5 games: WWLWL
Last 5 home games: LDWLW
|
Last 5 games: WDWLW
Last 5 away games: WDDLL
|
Injuries/Suspensions
|
|
Manchester
City
|
West
Bromwich
|
Injuries: Toure (Achilles), Milner
(knee)
|
Injuries: Foster (knee)
Suspended: Brunt, Yacob
|
Left-back Aleksandar Kolarov is doubtful with a muscle problem,
with fellow left-black Gael Clichy being available again after being suspended
for the Champions League defeat at Barcelona while fellow defenders Pablo
Zabaleta and Eliaquim Mangala have recovered from minor injuries.
Chris Brunt is banned after accepting a Football
Association charge for verbally abusing a match official. Claudio Yacob is also
suspended as he serves the final game of a ban following his red card in the FA
Cup defeat at Aston Villa. Brown Ideye and
Saido Berahino continue to carry knocks but Victor Anichebe could return from a
groin injury.
This game would definitely be tricker than it looks on
paper, with a deflated Manchester City squad having to face a West Bromwich
team on the rise under Tony Pulis. However, I feel that City's calibre of
players SHOULD pull them through and make the difference. West Brom has a less than
decent away form, and with Man City wanting to go back to winning ways to close
down the ever increasing gap between themselves and Chelsea, as well as to
steer clear away from the chasing pack that is Arsenal, Man Utd and Liverpool,
I do expect Man City to win this game comfortably.
Do look out for Sergio
Aguero, who has scored 4 goals in 5 PL appearances against West Brom. As
for West Bromwich, Saido Berahino
would be their go-to guy for goals, and he would have something to prove after
missing out being called up to the England squad for the Euro2016 qualifiers.
Prediction: 2-1 win for City
Key Players: Sergio Aguero, Saido Berhaino
Aston Villa (16th) vs Swansea (9th)
SingTel TV 105, StarHub TV 230, 1053pm
Form
|
|
Aston
Villa (7-7-15)
|
Swansea
(11-7-11)
|
Last 5 games: LLLWW
Last 5 home games: LWLWW
|
Last 5 games: LWWLL
Last 5 away games: LWLWL
|
Injuries/Suspensions
|
|
Aston
Villa
|
Swansea
|
Injuries: Vlaar,
Senderos, Richardson (calf), Baker (knee),
Cissokho (groin)
|
Injuries: Bartley (knee)
|
Alan Hutton will
return after completing a ban. Libor Kozak is
training with the first team after recovering from a broken leg but is not
match fit although Jack Grealish is back from suspension.
Central defender Federico Fernandez is available after
missing Monday night's 1-0 home defeat to Liverpool to return home to Argentina
for what manager Garry Monk described as "family reasons". Garry Monk
has no new injury worries for the Villa Park clash.
What a
turnaround new management can do for a team. Aston Villa sure doesnt look like
the team they have been for most part of the season. 4-0 away victory? That
seemed near impossible a month ago, but Tim Sherwood has shown his managerial
quality with his blend of attacking football, and blooding of youngsters
into the first team setup. Swansea, on the other hand, have been on a bit
of a slide of late, and with PL football virtually a certainty, Garry Monk's
squad might just fall into a bit of a complacent state (having lost 3 of their
past 5 games). I predict Aston Villa to carry on their upward ascent into EPL
safety, and Swansea are the opponents they just need for 3 points.
Christian Benteke has scored in 2 of
his 3 PL appearances against Swansea, and additionally has been a revitalized
striker under Sherwood (3 goals, 1 assist in past 2 games), so do expect him to
have a huge role here. Gylfi Sigurdsson
would provide the attacking threat for the Swans.
Prediction:
Villa to win 2-1
Key Men:
Christian Benteke, Gylfi Sigurdsson
Form
|
|
Newcastle
(9-8-12)
|
Arsenal
(17-6-6)
|
Last 5 games: DLWLL
Last 5 home games: DLDWL
|
Last 5 games: WWWWW
Last 5 away games: LWWWW
|
Injuries/Suspensions
|
|
Newcastle
|
Arsenal
|
Injuries: Taylor (Achilles), Dummett, Haidara,
Tiote (all knee), Abeid (thigh), de Jong (collapsed lung), Aarons (thigh).
Suspended:
Coloccini, Cisse
|
Injuries: Arteta
(ankle), Oxlade-Chamberlain (hamstring), Wilshere (ankle) Debuchy (ankle)
|
Newcastle skipper Fabricio
Coloccini is suspended for three games, joining striker Papiss Cisse on the
sidelines as he serves the second game of his seven-match ban. Newcastle has
also a lengthy injury list depriving them of many first team regulars.
Rosicky is expected to be back
after illness. The Gunners have reported no fresh injury concerns following the
midweek Champions League tie in Monaco, but manager Arsene Wenger will assess
the fatigue levels of his players before deciding on any changes.
This fixture has somehow been a
high scoring fixture regularly, with both teams having great attacking verve
and suicidal defending all at the same time. Given Newcastle's pathetic form of
late and that Arsenal having won their past 5 league games, this (sadly) should
be a given - Arsenal to win convincingly. I really do hope Newcastle will put
up a greater fight and make something out of this fixture, as we somehow always
fail to nullify the threat coming from Arsenal's midfield, but the most I can
hope for is a draw (but that would really be a long shot)
Newcastle will once again have
to rely on Moussa SIssoko to drive
the team forward with his runs from midfield. Olivier Giroud has scored SIX goals in 5 PL appearances against
Newcastle (he somehow loves to play against us..)
Prediction: 3-1 win for Arsenal :(
Key Men: Moussa Sissoko, Olivier Giroud
Southampton (6th) vs Burnley (18th)
SingTel TV 103, StarHub TV 228, 1055pm
Form
|
|
Southampton
(15-5-9)
|
Burnley
(5-10-14)
|
Last 5 games: DLLWD
Last 5 home games: LLDLW
|
Last 5 games: LDLLW
Last 5 away games: LLLDL
|
Injuries/Suspensions
|
|
Southampton
|
Burnley
|
Injuries: Rodriguez
(knee), Mayuka (groin)
|
Injuries: Marney,
Long (both cruciate ligament injuries)
|
Southampton are able to welcome
back Eljero Elia now he has recovered from the ankle injury which saw him miss
last weekend's 1-1 draw at Chelsea. Graziano Pelle started that match from the
bench and will be vying for a start.
Defender Stephen Ward is
expected to be fit after missing training with a niggle this week. Midfielder
Matt Taylor requires another run out with the under-21s before he is deemed fit
enough to return after an Achilless operation.
Southampton needs an uplift in
form to stay in the fight for the Champions League spot, after only winning 1 of
their past 5 games. They face a Burnley side that is brimming with confidence
after their surprise 1-0 win against 2nd place Manchester CIty, and would seek
to carry on from that win with another victory against a top10 side. Both teams
have a below average home and away form respectively, but with Ronald Koeman
having the better squad in terms of talent, do expect Southampton to pull through
with the victory, but this would be a tight game.
Sadio Mane was the
main reason why Southampton has been performing well of late given the
"absence" of Graziano Pelle, so do expect him to figure prominently
here. Similarly to Saido Berahino, Danny
Ings would be raring to go to prove to Roy Hodgson that he deserves to be
called up to the England.
Prediction: 1-0 victory to Saints
Key Men: Sadio Mane, Danny Ings
Stoke (8th) vs Crystal Palace (12th)
SingTel TV 106, StarHub TV 231, 1055pm
Form
|
|
Stoke
(12-6-11)
|
Crystal
Palace (8-9-12)
|
Last 5 games: LWWWL
Last 5 home games: WWLWW
|
Last 5 games: DLWLW
Last 5 away games: WWWWL
|
Injuries/Suspensions
|
|
Stoke
|
Crystal
Palace
|
Injuries: Krkic, Odemwingie (ACL)
|
Injuries: Chamakh (hamstring), Thomas
(muscular injury), Williams (groin/pelvis) Mutch (hip/thigh)
Suspended: Jedinak
|
Stoke
striker Jon Walters could feature in Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash
against Crystal Palace despite suffering a fractured cheekbone last weekend.
Walters had a routine operation to repair the damage and could play wearing a
protective mask but he will be assessed first. Forward Victor Moses (leg) is
unlikely to face his former club while defenders Erik Pieters (thigh) and
Philipp Wollscheid (groin) will undergo fitness tests.
Crystal
Palace will hand late fitness checks to wingers Jason Puncheon and Wilfried
Zaha. Puncheon (dead leg) and Zaha (hip) both suffered knocks during last
weekend's 3-1 win over QPR.
This game sees 2 potential candidates for Manager of
the Season face-off (yes, I'm saying Alan Pardew could well be a viable
candidate for Manager of the season). Stoke continues to punch above its
weight, and this is partly down to the good work that Mark Hughes has put into
place in Stoke. With both teams having only lost once at home and on their
travels respectively, they could well cancel each other out in this tie. Both
teams are relatively safe from the relegation battle, but Palace are not well out
of it yet, so this could be one of those good games that is under the shadows
of a bigger game (tomorrow's Pool-Utd game). I am going for a 1-1 draw here. Peter Crouch will be the target man for
the team, whereas for Crystal Palace Glenn
Murray has been hitting the right notes, and goals could be coming from
him.
Key Men: Peter
Crouch, Glenn Murray
Predcition: 1-1
draw
Tottenham (7th) vs Leicester City (20th)
SingTel TV 104, StarHub TV 229, 1053pm
Form
|
|
Tottenham
(15-5-9)
|
Leicester
(4-7-17)
|
Last 5 games: LDWWL
Last 5 home games: LWDDW
|
Last 5 games: LLDLD
Last 5 away games: LLLDL
|
Injuries/Suspensions
|
|
Tottenham
|
Leicester
City
|
Injuries: Soldado (knee)
|
Injuries: Hammond (calf), Knockaert
(personal reasons)
|
Soldado's
absence means Emmanuel Adebayor is expected to be named among the substitutes
and Pochettino may yet ring the changes after last weekend's 3-0 defeat at
Manchester United.
Dean
Hammond (calf) and Anthony Knockaert (personal reasons) are the only players
out for boss Nigel Pearson. Hammond is back in training but not yet match fit
and Knockaert is in France to be with his ill father while Mark Schwarzer could
keep fit-again Kasper Schmeichel on the bench.
Spurs was sadly
disappointing against Man Utd in a game I thought they would have done much
better in, whereas Leicester would have felt that they should have gotten 3
points in their must win game against fellow strugglers Hull City. From this
point on Leicester would have to win as many games as possible, but it is
unlikely going to come in this game where Spurs would want to get 3 points, and
perhaps rack up the goals in a bid to boost its unimpressive goal difference
(+4). To be honest, I am a little surprised that Leicester has not changed its
management yet, and that Nigel Pearson is still in charge. I predict that Spurs
will win this comfortably, perhaps hitting the final nail in the coffin for
Pearson's Leicester managerial reign (sadly too little too late for Leicester).
Harry Kane would look to celebrate
his first England call-up by coming up with the goals. Mark Schwarzer, if he manages to keep his place, would seek to
prevent Spurs from getting anything out of it.
Prediction: 3-0 win
for Spurs
Key Men: Harry
Kane, Mark Schawarzer
West Ham (10th) vs Sunderland (17th),
SingTel TV Ch 102, SingTel channel 227, 0200am
Form
|
|
West
Ham (10-9-10)
|
Sunderland
(4-14-11)
|
Last 5 games: DDLLL
Last 5 home games: DWDLL
|
Last 5 games: LDLDL
Last 5 away games: WDLLD
|
Injuries/Suspensions
|
|
West
Ham
|
Sunderland
|
Injuries: Tomkins (shoulder), Carroll (knee), Valencia (toe)
|
Injuries: Buckley
(knee), Giaccherini (ankle)
|
West Ham are likely to once
again be limited on defensive options. James Tomkins will miss the remainder of
the season after undergoing shoulder surgery whilst Winston Reid (hamstring) is
a major doubt. Carl Jenkinson is back in contention having been ineligible
against parent club Arsenal last weekend.
New Sunderland head coach Dick
Advocaat has revealed winger Adam Johnson is available "in
principle". The 27-year-old midfielder returned to training earlier this
week after a club suspension was lifted, although Advocaat was not planning to
make a decision on his inclusion or otherwise until after his final session. Defender
John O'Shea (knock) and Sebastian Larsson (ankle) are doubts, while fellow
midfielder Lee Cattermole completes a two-match ban
This game will see Dick Advocaat
take charge after Sunderland had sacked Gus Poyet, which in all honesty was
coming for him. Both teams come into this fixture having not win any of their
past 5 games, but Sunderland being in a more perilous position, being just 1
place above the relegation dropzone. The teams will want to see a turnaround in
form, thus do expect plenty of fireworks in this fixture. I do slightly favour
Sam Allardyce's Hammers to emerge victorious here, but only just.
Diafra Sakho will
lead the attack for the beleaguered Hammers, whereas if Adam Johnson does get to play a part, I do expect him to inject
some creative spark into the game.
Prediction: 2-1 win for West Ham
Key Men: Diafra Sakho, Adam Johnson
Labels:
Arsenal,
Aston Villa,
Burnley,
Crystal Palace,
epl,
fantasy league,
Leicester,
Manchester City,
Newcastle,
soccer,
soccer saturdate,
southampton,
Spurs,
Stoke,
Sunderland,
Swansea,
West Bromwich,
west ham
Sunday, 15 March 2015
Soccer Saturdate: The push for Champions League qualification
Hi everyone. Back after a week's absence, this week sees crucial games in the fight for Champions League qualification. As usual, do comment on your own predictions, and see whether it matches against mine, or is somewhat similar. Cheers!
Crystal Palace (12th) vs QPR (18th) SingTel TV 102, StarHub TV 227 845pm
Crystal Palace (12th) vs QPR (18th) SingTel TV 102, StarHub TV 227 845pm
Form
| |
Crystal Palace (7-9-12)
|
QPR (6-4-18)
|
Last 5 games: WDLWL
Last 5 home games: WLLDL
|
Last 5 games: LWLLL
Last 5 away games: LLLWL
|
Injuries/Suspensions
| |
Crystal Palace
|
QPR
|
Injuries: Campbell, Chamakh (hamstring), Mutch (thigh)
Suspension: Jedinak
|
Injuries: Dunne, Fer, Faurlin (knee)
Suspension: Barton
|
Crystal Palace will have on-loan Arsenal forward Yaya Sanogo back from a hamstring injury, with Glenn Murray available again following suspension. Mile Jedinak continues his four-game ban.
QPR are hoping defender Darnell Furlong, midfielder Adel Taarabt and forward Eduardo Vargas will recover in time. Furlong (calf), Taarabt (groin) and Vargas (muscular problem) returned to training this week after missing last weekend's 2-1 home defeat to Tottenham through injuries. The trio will have to pass a late fitness test on Friday afternoon before club coach Chris Ramsey decides to select them. Joey Barton serves his 3rd and final match ban.
This could be one game where QPR might just nick it. I have this feeling that Crystal Palace would feel that they are relatively safe from the relegation dogfight, whereas QPR will give it a go to try and nick 3 points. The form of Charlie Austin would be crucial here, having scored in 3 of their past 5 away games (sadly all ending in defeat). As for Crystal Palace, Alan Pardew would need to remind his team that they are not entirely out of the relegation mire just as yet, and would need to motivate his charges to ensure that they do not get complacent. I see this as a potential cagey game, with the likely result of both teams cancelling each other out.
Prediction: 1-1 draw
Key Men: Charlie Austin
Arsenal (3rd) vs West Ham (10th) SingTel TV 102, StarHub TV 227, 1100pm
Form
| |
Arsenal (16-6-6)
|
West Ham (10-9-9)
|
Last 5 games: LWWWW
Last 5 home games: WWWLW
|
Last 5 games: DDDLL
Last 5 away games: WLDLD
|
Injuries/Suspensions
| |
Arsenal
|
West Ham
|
Injuries: Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gabriel (hamstring), Arteta, Wilshere (ankle)
|
Injuries: Tomkins(shoulder), Cole (hamstring), Carroll (knee), Reid (hamstring), Song (knee), Valencia (toe)
Ineligible: Jenkinson
|
Oxlade-Chamberlain faces up to a month out with a hamstring injury, Flamini is back in contention after a hamstring problem. Jack Wilshere (ankle) is still a few weeks away from a return
West Ham are without James Tomkins after the defender dislocated his shoulder in training. Enner Valencia is struggling to be fit having suffered a severe cut to his toe after standing on a broken teacup. Carl Jenkinson cannot feature against his parent club. Morgan Amalfitano is back having served a three-match ban.
As with all London derbies, form should be thrown out of the window, although I can’t see Arsenal losing steam here. One might feel that they could be distracted by the must-win game against Monaco, but Arsene Wenger would want to ensure that they seal up the 3rd spot as early as possible to avoid last-day dramatics from taking place for another season. As for West Ham, they seem to have lost track as of late, and see themselves starting this week in 10th. Sam Allardyce is amazingly in the hot-seat of late, and to be honest if West Ham is really to let him leave after a season of amazing work from their gaffer, I would be at a loss for words. I do see Arsenal winning this, but not before West Ham make them work real hard for it. Arsenal to win by the odd goal, and consign West Ham to their 3rd successive London derby defeat (after Palace & Chelsea) Expect both Olivier Giroud and Diafra Sakho to feature heavily.
Prediction: 2-1 win to Arsenal
Key Men: Olivier Giroud, Diafra Sakho
Leicester (20th) vs Hull (15th) SingTel TV Ch 103, SingTel channel 228, 1053pm
Form
| |
Leicester (4-6-17)
|
Hull (6-9-13)
|
Last 5 games: LLLDL
Last 5 home games: LWWLL
|
Last 5 games: DWWLD
Last 5 away games: LLLDL
|
Injuries/Suspensions
| |
Leicetser
|
Hull
|
Injuries: Hammond (calf)
|
Injuries: Brady(calf), Snodgrass (knee)
|
Kasper Schmeichel may make his return for Leicester after four months out with a broken foot. Anthony Knockaert is omitted from the squard due to personal reasons.
Hull trio Mohamed Diame, Liam Rosenior and James Chester are close to first-team returns but will not be fit for this game. Robert Snodgrass is out for the season.
This game could well see an “upset” in terms of a victory for Leicester City. Hull have not impressed on their travels of late, and I think its due time that Leicester gets a victory to arrest their continuing descent towards Championship football next season. This game is a definite relegaton 6 pointer, and I personally feel that this game would be decided by either a moment of brilliance, or sheer utter mistake/error taking place. Leicester would hope for their major signing Andrej Kramaric to start firing on all cylinders, and the same would go for Hull City’s major buy during the winter transfer window Dame N’Doye. I predict for Leicester to nick a victory, and for Hull to push them all the way for the win.
Prediction: Leicester 2-1 winners
Key Men: Andrej Kramaric, Dame N’Doye
Sunderland (16th) vs Aston Villa (17th) SingTel TV 104, StarHub TV 229, 1053pm
Form
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Sunderland (4-14-10)
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Aston Villa (6-7-15)
|
Last 5 games: DLDLD
Last 5 home games: LDWLD
|
Last 5 games: LLLLW
Last 5 away games: LLLLL
|
Injuries/Suspensions
| |
Sunderland
|
Aston Villa
|
Injuries: Giaccherini (ankle), Buckley (knee)
Suspended: Cattermole, Johnson
|
Injuries: Cissokho (groin), Senderos (calf), Cole (hamstring), Baker (knee), Richardson (calf)
Suspended: Hutton, Grealish
|
Sunderland are without the suspended Lee Cattermole after he picked up his 10th booking of the season in the recent draw at Hull and picked up an automatic two-match ban. Adam Johnson remains suspended by the club.
Christian Benteke will return to the Aston Villa squad after missing the FA Cup win, Ron Vlaar (calf) will be assessed. Libor Kozak is not yet match fit, but has returned to full training.
Is the Aston Villa revival in full flow under Tim Sherwood underway already? We have seen Villa clinching 2 back-to-back wins, but both are against the same opponents (WBA) This game pits 16th against 17th, and with relegation potentially having far-reaching effects for either team, both teams would want to start stringing some positive displays and pick up much needed points. Looking beyond Aston Villa’s pathetic form of late, I feel that they have turned the corner around. With Gus Poyet having escape a touchline ban for his argument with Steve Bruce, Gus would hope his team displays the same fiery brand of passion on the pitch as like what he did off it. However, I feel that both teams would most likely cancel each other out with a tepid display from both teams. A 1-1 draw.
Predicton: 1-1 draw
Key Men: Gus Poyet, Tim Sherwood (LOL) but really, both teams dont exactly have 1 player on decent form of late.
West Bromwich (13th) vs Stoke (8th) SingTel TV 107, StarHub TV 230, 1053pm
Form
| |
West Bromwich (7-9-12)
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Stoke (12-6-10)
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Last 5 games: DWDWL
Last 5 home games: WLWWW
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Last 5 games: DLWWW
Last 5 away games: WWDLW
|
Injuries/Suspensions
| |
West Bromwich
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Stoke
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Injuries: McManaman (foot)
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Injuries: Krkic, Odemwingie (both knee), Ireland (gashed leg)
|
West Brom have doubts over strikers Saido Berahino, Brown Ideye and Victor Anichebe. Berahino and Ideye have been playing through the pain barrier recently while Anichebe has a groin problem.
Ryan Shawcross is available after recovering from a back problem, but boss Mark Hughes must make a decision whether to throw him straight back in.. Stephen Ireland is likely to sit out with a gashed leg while Philipp Wollscheid (groin) is struggling.
Tony Pulis welcomes the arrival of the team that he manages for nearly 7 years, with him leaving Stoke due to a disagreement with the chairman. Stoke has made significant strides since Tony Pulis’ departure with Mark Hughes most likely going to steer Stoke to a 2nd straight top10 season. West Bromwich find themselves with the possibility of 3 strikers missing in action, and with Peter Crouch in good form of late, Tony Pulis might find himself not having such a great welcome. However, given West Bromwich’s good home form, this could well be a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
Key Men: Peter Crouch
Burnley (19th) vs Manchester City (2nd) SingTel TV 102, StarHub TV 227, 130
Form
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Burnley (4-10-14)
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Manchester City(17-7-4)
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Last 5 games: DLDLL
Last 5 home games:DWLDL
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Last 5 games: DWWLW
Last 5 away games: DWDWL
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Injuries/Suspensions
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Burnley
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Manchester City
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Injuries: Marney, Long (cruciate)
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Injuries: None
|
Burnley wont have Matt Taylor or new signing Fredrik Ulvestad in the Burnley squad. Taylor continues his slow recovery from Achilles surgery but is not yet ready for the first-team squad
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany will hope to be recalled for the champions. The Belgium defender was dropped for City's last game against Leicester after a spell of indifferent form, while midfielders Fernandinho and Samir Nasri also missed out. Striker Wilfried Bony will hope to retain his spot after a first start for the club in the victory over the Foxes
Burnley will have their work cut for them against a Manchester City squad hoping to start closing the gap between them and league leaders Chelsea, who are already 5 points behind with Chelsea having a game to spare. However Burnley are no pushovers, although their league positions speaks otherwise. Burnley have done pretty well against the bigger teams, and with both teams having their own agenda in getting the 3 points, this could be a tighter game than expected. I am going for a Man City victory, but only just.
Prediction: 1-0 to Man City
Key Men: David Silva
Form
| |
Chelsea
|
Southampton
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Last 5 games: DWWDW
Last 5 home games:DWDWD
|
Last 5 games: WDLLW
Last 5 away games: WWWWL
|
Injuries/Suspensions
| |
Chelsea
| Southampton |
Injuries: Mikel (knee)
|
Injuries: Rodriguez (knee), Mayuka (groin)
|
Jose Mourinho will resist wholesale changes on Sunday following the midweek Champions League exit. The Blues boss insists "everyone wants to play" and has Nemanja Matic available for domestic duty
Toby Alderweireld is set to make his first appearance in nine weeks. The Belgium defender has been out since picking up a hamstring complaint at Manchester United on Jan. 11 and is likely to start at Stamford Bridge.
After Chelsea's painful exit to PSG at Champions League, and with Man City's loss to Burnley, I believed that Chelsea will have double the motivation to do well against a Southampton side that has gone a little off steam as of yet. However, Southampton do still have a realistic chance of finishing in the top 4 this season, and they definitely will not be easy to deal with. Their previous encounter finished in a fiery 1-1 draw in which Mourinho felt that a penalty decision involving Cesc Fabregas didnt go their way, and I believe that this match will also provide the same amount of fireworks and controversial moments as well. I would honestly hope for the Saints to come up with an upset and at the very least make the league slightly more interesting, but I doubt Mourinho will let slip at the chance of going 8 points ahead of City with a game in hand. Chelsea to win this by 1 goal.
Prediction: Chelsea 1 Saints 0
Key Men: Nemanja Matic, the backline of Southampton
Everton (14th) vs Newcastle (11th), SingTel TV 103, StarHub TV 228, 0000 (Monday)
Form
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Everton (6-10-12)
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Newcastle (9-8-11)
|
Last 5 games: DLDLL
Last 5 home games: DDDWW
|
Last 5 games: DDLWL
Last 5 away games: LLWDL
|
Injuries/Suspensions
| |
Everton
|
Newcastle
|
Injuries: Oviedo (hamstring), Hibbert, Pienaar, McGeady (all knee)
Suspended: Barry
|
Injuries: Haidara, Dummett (knee), Taylor (Achilles),, de Jong (collapsed lung), Tiote (knee)
Suspended: Cisse
|
Everton full-back Leighton Baines (groin) faces a late fitness test. Centre-back John Stones is expected to be available again after missing Thursday's Europa League win over Dynamo Kiev due to a virus.
Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse will miss the game as he begins a seven-match ban. The Senegal international incurred the suspension after accepting an FA improper conduct charge. Jack Colback returns after sitting out the last two games following his 10th booking of the campaign. Rob Elliot returns following his recovery from a long-term thigh injury along with midfielder Remy Cabella, who has shaken off a knee problem.
I really hope for Newcastle to compound Everton’s domestic misery with a win, but with Cisse being suspended for such lengthy duration, Newcastle’s chances of completing a double over Everton doesnt look too rosy. However, given that Everton has a gruelling mid week Europa League game against Dynamo Kiev, I would think that Newcastle would have a decent shot of at least getting a point. Given Lukaku’s lack of form, Steven Naismith could well be the key men to look out for, provided if he starts the game. As for Newcastle, it would be once again up to Moussa Sissoko to come up with the driving force for the Magpies. I am going on a limb, and predicting a tight 2-2 draw.
Prediction: 2-2 draw
Key Men: Steven Naismith, Moussa Sissoko
Manchester Utd (4th) vs Spurs (6th), SingTel TV 102, StarHub 227, 0000 (Monday)
Form
| |
Man Utd (15-8-5)
|
Spurs (15-5-8)
|
Last 5 games: DWLWW
Last 5 home games: WWWWL
|
Last 5 games: WLDWW
Last 5 away games: WLLLW
|
Injuries/Suspensions
| |
Man Utd
|
Spurs
|
Injuries: van Persie (ankle)
Suspended: di Maria, Evans
|
Injuries: None
|
Ashley Young has overcome the leg injury he suffered in the 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Arsenal. Marcos Rojo is doubtful because of a groin problem.
Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino has a fully fit squad to choose from. With only league fixtures remaining, Pochettino has been able to give his squad a two-day break in the lead up to the game at Old Trafford.
Both teams have deceiving form. One would have thought that this would be a easy victory for Man Utd given their impressive home form, and Spurs wretched away form. However, delve deeper and you would realized that Man Utd’s oppnonents have been teams struggling of late whereas for Spurs, they have been playing top-caliber teams like Fiorentina and a Liverpool team steamrolling everyone of late. Man Utd had finally seen their luck ran out when they lost the FA Cup quarter-final tie deservingly to Arsenal, and I believe that Spurs do have the quality to turn the race for 4th up on its head with a victory. With di Maria and van Persie missing, the onus will be on Wayne Rooney once again to step up. As for Spurs, with Harry Kane (or HurriKane) still on that impressive streak, do expect a tight game with plenty of quality on display. I would go for a Spurs victory to further continue Man Utd’s losing streak with tougher games to come.
Prediction: 2-1 Spurs
Key Men: Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane
Swansea (9th) vs Liverpool (5th), SingTel TV 102, StarHub 227, 0400 (Tuesday)
Form
| |
Swansea (11-7-10)
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Liverpool (15-6-7)
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Last 5 games: DLWWL
Last 5 home games: WDLDW
|
Last 5 games: DWWWW
Last 5 away games: WDWWL
|
Injuries/Suspensions
| |
Swansea
|
Liverpool
|
Injuries: Bartley (knee)
|
Injuries: Enrique (knee), Allen (hip)
|
Bafetimbi Gomis should be available after collapsing during the 3-2 defeat at Tottenham on March 4. Gomis suffers from a vasovagal condition which causes low blood pressure and prompts fainting episodes, but he returned to training on Wednesday. Other than that, Garry Monk has a full-strength squad to select from.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is back in contention, having missed the last seven games with a hamstring injury. Defenders Martin Skrtel (head) and Mamadou Sakho (hip) are expected to be fit but there could still be a doubt over midfielder Joe Allen (hip).
This fixture has been synonymous with Jonjo Shelvey. The ex-Liverpool player has netted in the last three league matches between Liverpool and Swansea as a Swans player, though the last of these was an own goal. Liverpool seems to have finally found the balance and the personnel to execute the 3-4-2-1 tactic, and they really have been impressive of late. However, Swansea are no mean pushovers at home, having lost just once in the past 5 home games. I do expect Liverpool to pull through to further spice things in the race for 4th, with Shelvey once again expected to play a big role, and for Philippe Coutinho to finally break out of his mini “slump” and to perform well here.
Prediction: 2-1 win to Liverpool
Key Men: Jonjo Shelvey, Philippe Coutinho
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