After a weekend where a team won a game and still had the manager fired, a team went to a ground and got utterly shafted for the second season running, and a team refused to actually run away with the title, we simply stepped into a week where Gary ‘I’m the new Peter Kenyon’ Cook much himself look like a liar (in the fast and furious world of football, looking like a liar among numerous liars is indeed a very hard job) and all managers defending Sparky like he was a saint... It had to be the spirit of Christmas. Right?
It’s Christmas!
Actually, by the time you’ll be reading this, it would have been Boxing Day. So enjoy the gifts...
English Premier League Roundup
Birmingham City vs. Chelsea: The home side are exceeding expectations and there is genuine optimism at St. Andrews. And there’s going to be money to spend in January, meaning they will be looking to push on for European qualification. They are the form team in the premier league and will want to keep it going against the league leaders who have been in indifferent form recently...
Chelsea have injury problems in attack with Drogba, Kalou and Anelka out but will still put out a decent side capable of doing damage...
...Home win. Cue Ancelloti saying he doesn’t know why they lost.
Liverpool vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers: Having lost to the team at the bottom of the table last weekend and being lucky to finish with nine outfield players (to be fair, Torres should have seen a second yellow for that elbow). Liverpool will want to put their poor performance behind them. But not having Javier Mascherano available will be a huge blow...
Wolves have won three of their last four. The only defeat being that game at Old Trafford. Wolves’ fans will be hoping the manager doesn’t see this as an unwinnable game and rest players. Indeed, if he gives it a go, they could earn a decent result at Anfield and plunge Liverpool deeper into the mire...
...Draw.
Arsenal vs. Aston Villa: both teams battled it out for fourth last season. And we know how that finished. Arsenal have a few problems up front (and they’d be devastated to learn that Robie Van Persie is out for the season) but have won three games since THAT game against Chelsea. They should be up for this following their demolition of Hull City and will want to put some space between Villa and themselves...
In Ashley Young, Stuart Downing and James Milner, Villa have three of the best crossers in the league (though the latter has stepped into central midfield). Meaning? Arsenal will have to deal with a lot of good crosses come Sunday. They are indeed the second best team in terms of recent form, only behind Birmingham City and will fancy a win to go ahead of Arsenal on the table (and complete a set of wins against the big four). On recent form, they look capable, but this game looks set to end in a...
...Draw
Hull City vs. Manchester United: After the recent sacking of Mark Hughes, Phil Brown will know that but for Liverpool’s poor form, more attention would have been on him (he was very close to the brink some weeks back until Jimmy Bullard came to the rescue). Now, he’s gone a fair few games without a win and the pressure may just be building, again. They do not have serious injury problems but for them, having Jimmy Bullard out is a serious issue...
The Champions meanwhile, have an unheard of injury crisis, missing eight senior defenders at some point recently. At Craven Cottage, they lined up in a 3-5-2 formation with Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Ritchie De Laet in defence. That’s two midfielders and a rookie in defence. No team will survive that. There’s word that they’ll rush their Brazilian twins into action against Hull, which will be a gamble in itself. But for the defence and the absence of Edwin van der Sar, they have no problems...
...Away win.
Do enjoy the weekend’s games and the celebrations. Meet you on the other side of the games.
let's wait and see
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