The last round of Premier League fixtures before another International break. Friendly matches for the USA and England while Mexico, France and Portugal head to the play offs for World Cup Qualification in Brazil next summer.
With that in mind it is vital clubs go into the break with a win so let’s have a look now how things might develop over the weekend.
SATURDAY (All kick off times 3:00pm BST/10am ET unless stated)
Aston Villa v Cardiff:
Paul Lambert will be looking for a win at home to Cardiff who themselves are on a high from last Sundays Welsh derby win against Swansea. Last time out, away to West Ham the Villains didn’t look the threat they did in the first game of the season when they beat Arsenal.
It is now well into November and yet you have to go back to September for that win against Manchester City for the last time Villa have secured all three points, and that was the only time at Villa Park in the League this season.
That said Villa are dealing with an awful injury list at the moment and Fabian Delph may be the only player to return Saturday. Gabby Agbonlahor is a doubt and may make the fitness test but Weimann, Luna, Bennett, Gardner, Okore and N’Zogbia are unlikely to feature, and some for a while.
In the other dugout things are slightly less frustrating on the injury front. Andreas Cornelius looks set to be the only man missing for the visitors as Cardiff try to get more space between them and the bottom three.
Prediction: 2-0
Chelsea v West Brom:
This one will be an interesting affair. Potentially the return of some players to Chelsea if Scott Sinclair and Anelka pass late fitness tests then they will join Manager Steve Clarke who himself played over 300 games and was Assistant Manager for four years at Stamford Bridge.
Anelka has a knack of scoring against his old sides and the West Brom fans will be hoping, if he is fit, that will be a trend that continues.
Chelsea will look to address the situation of the defeat last week against Newcastle which, they bounced back from initially in the Champions League midweek. The simple is that although the home side are nine places and seven points above the visitors the pressure is on them fully in this game and anything but a win would not be received very well.
Prediction 3-1
Crystal Palace v Everton:
Every time I write about the Eagles I cannot find any positives for them or any way to figure on them getting a win or, in most cases, even a point. The stepping down of Holloway was not a good thing for the side and the caretaker boss, Keith Millen is doing the best with what he has. The talk of a new Manager has not been as loud as it initially was and that may be because of the monumental task ahead of the person who takes charge. There is a January transfer window available but is the cash?
Everton are ticking along nicely under the guidance of Roberto Martinez and certainly you wouldn’t expect anything other than the full three points at the end of this game.
Prediction: 0-2
Liverpool v Fulham:
Liverpool are doing pretty well so far this season but they can sometimes over complicate the smaller sides. Now I am not saying that Fulham are a small side but they certainly are in the bottom quarter for a reason.
Martin Jol will be looking to stave of his critics and also get revenge for the double his side suffered last season when the Merseysiders conceded four goals in the corrosponding fixture last time out.
Berbatov, Bent and Taarabt will certainly be required if anything other than a home win is to be the outcome at the final whistle. If Fulham are to beat Liverpool at Anfield though you would have to see Liverpool have a very poor showing, and I am just not sure that will happen.
Prediction: 2-1
Southampton v Hull City:
Now here are two teams with two very happy managers and two very happy sets of fans. Hull City, under Steve Bruce are 10th in the Premier League and have only lost twice in the last five. Those two defeats were away to Spurs and Everton and both were only lost by a single goal which is certainly not bad at all.
In Southampton though they now face a side much higher than most expected them to be. They beat Liverpool at Anfield and were unlucky away to United to only get a draw. Saints coach Pochettino just picked up the manager of the month award for October and throughly deserved it was too.
Only a point away from second place at the start of the match a win will certainly have people really start to sit up and take notice, if they haven’t already.
Prediction: 1-1
Norwich v West Ham (kick off 5:30BST/12:30 ET)
Norwich were slaughtered last weekend against Manchester City with a display that probably was as bad as it got for the Canaries. The only solace City fans could muster was the fact they hadn’t beaten the Premier League record of 9-0 back in 1995. That record, thankfully, is still held by their local rivals Ipswich who were actually beaten by another Manchester side.
Either way though the pressure is fully on Chris Hughton and with a struggling West Ham visiting Carrow Road it is vital the yellow and greens get their three points. I feel if Norwich lose this game then Monday morning there will be another manager vacancy.
West Ham have been slightly better away than City have been at home though and that will not encourage the Norwich faithful. Ricky Van, Hooper and co will all have to pull their socks up and get to scoring if they want to stay in this division.
Prediction: 4-0
SUNDAY (All Kick Off times 4:10 BST/11:10 ET unless stated):
Tottenham v Newcastle (Kick Off 12:00 BST/7am ET):
Fresh from the controversy at the weekend Spurs host Newcastle, who defeated Chelsea. Pardew is a manager under pressure but you feel the fans have sympathy for him and tend to direct their anger towards the Chairman.
For me Newcastle are not doing badly at all, ninth in the league and only three points away from Manchester United is certainly better than they had been doing, a draw here would be a great result.
For Spurs there are issues and although they have been good in the early going a lot of their winning goals have come from penalties. Striking has been their main problem this season and only six teams have scored less than them, four of those make up the bottom four. That said they have also conceded the least in the league but that combination isn’t one that wins titles. Yes you need a tight defense but you also need strikers to score boat loads of goals. Jermain Defoe broke Martin Chilvers with a great penalty midweek but cannot get a sniff around the first team in the league. Adebayor is doing his usual tantrum episode and so who knows what is in his future and the other striker Soldado looks like a fish out of water.
Prediction: 2-2
Sunderland v Manchester City (Kick Off 2:05 BST/9:05 ET):
Twelve goals in their last two games make City an unwelcome visitor to the Stadium of Light on Sunday. Those two wins came at home though and the away form has not been great which may give Gus Poyet a little hope his Black cat side will not go the way of Norwich or CSKA.
Pantilimon should still be in goal and a Demechelis/Nastasic partnership is preferred with Kompany still out.
Yes the pairng was at fault for the opening CSKA goal but time together will hopefully eradicate that type of error in the future. A win here will certainly help all at City be in a confident mood as they head into a busy time after the International break.
Will Sunderland have anything to threaten City? If Altidore puts himself around a bit then maybe but I think Sunderland’s first objective should be keeping that back door locked.
Prediction: 0-2
Manchester United v Arsenal:
How will each side deal with their European hangover is the main question with this match up. Arsenal were in Germany and beat Dortmund, the first time an English side had done that on their ground. Meanwhile, in Spain, United struggled to get a draw. A Young dive gave United a penalty and RVP missed when a win could have seen them in a very string position in their qualifying group.
For me United are still playing the Everton way and Moyes is not letting his players play. I said in a previous preview piece that he had to trust his players but it doesn’t seem they are quite there yet. For this reason I think Wenger may get his revenge on the side which defeated his 8-2 in the opening matches of the 2011/12 season.
Prediction: 1-3
Swansea v Stoke:
I think Swansea will put the South Wales defeat behind them and get back to form in this game against Mark Hughes’ Stoke City side. Certainly another defeat for Laudrup’s men would start to sound the warning bell a little but I think Hughes will leave Wales still waiting for his 100th Premiership victory.
That said it would be good if the ex Welsh national manager could get it in the country of his birth, and the don’t play Cardiff away until April!
Prediction: 0-0
