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Premiership Preview by Mohit

October 6th/7th 2007

After mid-week UEFA Cup and Champions League games for many the top clubs in England, it’s back to another exciting premiership weekend.

We start the weekend with the current champions, Manchester United hosting Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford. Sir Alex Fergusson’s men have failed to score more than one goal in all but one of their games this season and are a mere shadow of their attacking talents last season. However, there have been several glimpses of United’s attacking flair displayed in the past few weeks and it seems only like a matter of time before the floodgates open. Last week, Wigan recorded their seventeenth consecutive loss against the ‘Big Four’ of English Football, going down by a solitary goal to Liverpool at home. United are the overwhelming favorites to come out with the three points but Wigan will not go down without a fight!

The other Saturday game is a six-pointer between Aston Villa and West Ham United. Only two places and one point separate these teams and they will both be determined to win the game. The Hammers have had a promising away record this year: with two victories, a draw and a loss and will be looking to keep it going. Villa return home after their eight-goal thriller against the Spurs and have some defensive work to do after conceding three goals in the last quarter of that game.

The noon kickoff on Sunday is at the Emirates Stadium with Arsenal going up against Sunderland. The young ‘Gunners’ team proved last week that they were capable of playing with flair as well as grinding out away victories. These are promising signs for their manager, Arsene Wenger and the ‘Black Cats’ will have their work cut out for the game.

Two teams with the worst goal difference records of the league go head to head with Reading hosting Derby. Reading come into this game having conceded seven away goals to Portsmouth while Derby spirits will be high after their well-earned draw with Bolton last week. Newcastle face off against Everton at St. James’s Park and will be looking to make amends after they were completely outplayed last week by Manchester City. At Ewood Park, Blackburn host struggling Birmingham City for the second time this month. The last time these two sides met was in the Carling Cup with the home side dominating that fixture and winning comfortably by three goals. The home fans will be expecting more of the same this week!

Portsmouth travel to Fulham with their confidence high after putting seven goals past Reading last week. Fulham will also be confident after their hard-fought draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last week which included several clear cut chances to beat the home side for the first time in three years. This promises to be a scruffy match and a crowd entertainer. The in-form Manchester City side hosts a struggling Middlesborough team at the City of Manchester Stadium. Boro have not recorded a victory in the previous four premiership outings while Eriksson’s men made an emphatic statement with a 3-1 victory over New castle last week. City’s Brazilian midfielder, Elano has already impressed many critics and will be one to look out for in this fixture.

After their improbable win in Valencia in mid-week, confidence in the Chelsea camp will be higher than it has ever been since Mourinho’s departure. They travel to the Reebok Stadium to face a Bolton side that has been woeful in the Premiership thus far. Manager Avram Grant will be looking to capitalize on this especially considering his team’s recent poor form in the Premiership. Many of Chelsea’s senior players believe that the victory against Valencia will be the turning point of their season.

Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur in what has been billed as the match of the weekend. Both teams were involved in mid-week European games with the Spurs gaining an away draw in Cyprus and progressing to the group stages of the Uefa cup. Liverpool’s Champions league aspirations took a huge setback with their shock 1-0 loss to Marseille at Anfield. Rafa Benitez has urged his team to step up their game this week against Spurs as they aim to maintain the pressure on Arsenal. Martin Jol must be counting his lucky stars when his team staged an amazing three goal-comeback against Aston Villa last week. However, he knows his job as manager is far from secure but will also be aware that a win against an under-performing Liverpool side at Anfield might be the turning point of his season!

There you have it – another action filled weekend of football from the best league in the world.