Djibril Cisse reports for duty back in the Premier League this weekend with QPR

ARSENAL v BLACKBURN 13:00, The Emirates (Saturday)

Failure to win in four matches, including three defeats, has left Arsenal seventh in the table and five points off the Champions League places.  The visit of Blackburn, who they’ve generally beaten with ease at the Emirates, is therefore well-timed.  Steve Kean was left infuriated by his team’s inability to convert chances against Newcastle on Wednesday evening and Blackburn will probably need at least one goal to avoid defeat.

What to watch out for: Goals.  Although Blackburn did hold Arsenal to a goalless draw here last season, they have failed to keep a single clean sheet
this campaign.  They’ve outscored their relegation rivals though and the game up at Ewood Park between these two sides finished 4-3 in Rovers’ favour.

Possible line-ups:

Arsenal - Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Koscielny; Arteta, Ramsey, Song; Van Persie, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain

Blackburn – Robinson; Olsson, Givet, Dann, Lowe; Pedersen, Petrovic, Nzonzi, Hoilett; Dunn; Modeste

Recent form: Arsenal – DWLLLD; Blackburn – DWLWDL

Prediction: 3-1

NORWICH CITY v BOLTON WANDERERS 15:00, Carrow Road

Norwich’s six match unbeaten run in all competitions ended at Sunderland on Wednesday, but they’re still nicely placed at 11^th in the table, a position
relegation-threatened Bolton would love to be in.  Owen Coyle’s men have however improved lately, winning two of their last three away games and producing morale-boosting performances against Liverpool and Arsenal.

What to watch out for: Mark Davies.  The diminutive midfielder has impressed since becoming a regular starter for Bolton in recent months, to the extent that as far as survival hopes are concerned he’s arguably now the most important Davies at the club.

Possible line-ups:

Norwich – Ruddy; R Martin, Whitbread, Naughton, Ayala; Johnson, Surman, Pilkington, Hoolahan; Morison, Holt

Bolton – Bogdan; Steinsson, Knight, Ricketts, Wheater; Muamba, Eagles, Petrov, M. Davies, Reo-Coker; Ngog

Recent form: Norwich – LDWWDL; Bolton – LDWLWD

Prediction: 1-1

QUEENS PARK RANGERS v WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 15:00, Loftus Road

The arrival of Mark Hughes at Loftus Road has seen a definite improvement in QPR’s form.  Equally clear is that Hughes is intent on immediately stamping his own imprint on the team, as he looks for a win that could put the Hoops six points clear of the drop zone.  Statistics are damning for Mick McCarthy, with Wolves’ defeat at home to Liverpool in the week making it nine league games without a win and 21 games since they kept a clean sheet.  Another defeat might make his position untenable.

What to watch out for: Bobby Zamora should make his debut for the hoops.  Hughes knows how to get the best out of the England international and a partnership with Djibril Cisse can make a big difference to QPR’s attack.

Possible line-ups:

QPR – Kenny; Young, Taiwo, Ferdinand, Onuoha; Buzsaky, Barton, Mackie, Wright-Phillips; Cisse, Zamora

Wolves – Hennessey; Ward, Johnson, Berra, Foley; Edwards, Kightly, Frimpong, Jarvis; Fletcher, Doyle

Recent form: QPR – DLLWWD; Wolves – DDLDLL

Prediction: 2-2

STOKE CITY V SUNDERLAND 15:00, The Britannia Stadium

Sunderland’s dramatic improvement under Martin O’Neill has seen them overtake high-soaring Stoke in the table.  The Black Cats have
won six of their nine games under the Ulsterman and will be confident of inflicting a fourth home defeat of the season on the Potters.  Tony Pulis’ men may be distracted by their forthcoming Europa League double header with Valencia.

What to watch out for: James McClean.  The young Northern Irish midfielder has been as key a member of Sunderland’s renaissance as anyone.  He has good pace, skill and crossing ability.

Possible line-ups:

Stoke - Sorensen; Huth,Wilson, Shawcross, Wilkinson; Whitehead, Delap, Etherington, Palacios; Walters, Crouch

Sunderland - Mignolet; Bardsley,Turner, Richardson, O’Shea; Larsson, Gardner, Colback, McClean; Sessegnon; Campbell

Recent form: Stoke – DDWDLL; Sunderland – DWWLWW

Prediction: 1-2

WEST BROMWICH ALBION v SWANSEA CITY 15:00, The Hawthorns

The contrast between home and away form is nowhere more clearly marked than with these two sides.  Swansea have one of the strongest home records in the country but have managed just one away win.  West Brom’s situation is the opposite, with only two home wins compared to five on the road, so an even contest beckons.

What to watch out for: Although they’ve struggled outside of Wales, Swansea’s gradual improvement since the start of the season suggests they may enjoy themselves against an Albion side who’ve lost five of their last seven at the Hawthorns.

Possible line-ups:

West Brom– Foster; Olsson, Shorey, McAuley, Tamas; Morrison, Dorrans, Mulumbu; Tchoyi, Long, Odemwingie

Swansea – Vorm; Williams, Taylor, Caulker, Rangel; Britton, Sinclair, Dyer, Allen, Sigurdsson; Graham

Recent form: West Brom – DLLLWD; Swansea – DDWWLD

Prediction: 0-1

WIGAN ATHLETIC v EVERTON 15:00, The DW Stadium

Everton will be boosted by their triumph against the odds against league leaders Manchester City on Tuesday night, but Roberto Martinez would’ve been similarly encouraged by Wigan’s second half performance in defeat at Tottenham.  Wigan have kept hold of their key striker Hugo Rodallega, while Everton may struggle to replace Louis Saha until new boy Nikola Jelavic has bedded in.

What to watch out for: A low-scoring affair.  Only seven goals have been scored in their previous four meetings at Wigan and this season the teams have notched only 43 between them.

Possible line-ups:

Wigan – Al Habsi; Caldwell, Boyce, Stam, Figueroa; McCarthy, Gomez, McArthur, Beausejour; Moses, Rodallega

Everton– Howard; Hibbert, Baines, Heitinga, Neville; Gibson, Donovan, Drenthe, Cahill, Fellaini; Stracqualursi

Recent form: Wigan – LDLLLL; Everton – WLLDDW

Prediction: 0-0

MANCHESTER CITY v FULHAM 17:30, The Etihad Stadium

City have bounced back well from their rare defeats this season and will expect to boost their goal difference further with victory over Fulham, which will keep them top of the table.  Martin Jol’s West Londoners have been dealt two big blows this week with the sudden loss of Bobby Zamora to local rivals QPR and a hernia injury to Steve Sidwell.

What to watch out for: Fulham were the first team to take points off City this season and will sit back to try and frustrate their superior opponents and claim a point.  In the absence of a natural defensive midfielder it could prove difficult however.

Possible line-ups:

Man City – Hart; Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy; Milner, Barry, Nasri; Silva; Dzeko, Aguero

Fulham – Stockdale; Kelly, Riise, Hangeland, Senderos; Ruiz, Murphy, Duff, Frei; Dempsey, Johnson

Recent form: Man City – DLWWWL; Fulham – DDWLWD

Prediction: 2-0

NEWCASTLE UNITED v ASTON VILLA 13:30, St. James’ Park (Sunday)

Alan Pardew was justifiably delighted with his Newcastle charges following their two-nil win at Blackburn on Wednesday, being as it came on the back of a resounding defeat at Fulham and a cup exit at lower league Brighton.  The Magpies should be strengthened by the return of top scorer Demba Ba and his Senegalese strike partner Papiss Demba Cisse, but Yohann Cabaye is still suspended. Villa have largely been solid rather than spectacular this season, but
one defeat in six suggests they’ll be tough to beat.

What to watch out for: The return of Ba is something for the Toon Army to get genuinely excited about. With an unlikely fourth-placed finish not out of the question this match could see the start of an explosive Newcastle strike force between Ba and new boy Cisse.

Possible line-ups:

Newcastle - Krul; Coloccini, Santon, Simpson, Williamson; Guthrie, Ben Arfa, R Taylor, Gutierrez; Ba, Best

Villa – Given; Hutton, Warnock, Dunne, Cuellar; Ireland, N’Zogbia, Petrov, Clark ; Bent, Keane

Recent form: Villa – DWLDWD; Newcastle – WLWWLW

Prediction: 2-2

CHELSEA v MANCHESTER UNITED 16:00, Stamford Bridge (Sunday)

Chelsea have shored up defensively since their defeat at Old Trafford early in the season, but seemingly at the expense of creativity, with the Blues only scoring more than once in one of their last eight league games. Ashley Cole will miss out through suspension following his dismissal at Swansea in the week.  United just keep getting results, no matter which player happens to be out, and a win at Stamford Bridge would leave their title challenge in great shape going into the final third of the season.

What to watch out for: Wayne Rooney to return and get on the scoresheet.  Rooney often comes back strongly after a spell out the side and has scored on his last two visits to Stamford Bridge.

Possible line-ups:

Chelsea – Cech; Ivanovic, David Luiz, Bosingwa, Terry; Romeu, Malouda, Meireles; Torres, Mata, Sturridge

Man Utd – Lindegaard; Evra, Ferdinand, Evans, Smalling; Giggs, Park, Carrick, Valencia;Rooney, Hernandez

Recent form: Chelsea – DLWWDD; Man Utd – WLLWWW

Prediction: 1-1

LIVERPOOL v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 20:00, Anfield (Monday)

Liverpool will be looking to complete an exceptional new year hattrick by recording victory against each of the top three teams and in the process gain revenge for the four-nil thumping Tottenham dished out earlier in the season.  Luis Suarez’s return from his eight-match ban will only help their cause.  Spurs
meanwhile responded to claims they can’t handle the pressure of a title race with a comfortable win over Wigan in the week. A win at Anfield would make them impossible to disregard.

What to watch out for: Liverpool have struggled to break down well organised, unadventurous opposition at Anfield this season, but against teams who have a go, like Spurs, they tend to flourish.  Expect a fast, feisty occasion, with a fairly even score.

Possible line-ups:

Liverpool – Reina; Johnson, Jose Enrique, Agger, Skrtel; Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Adam; Suarez, Carroll

Tottenham – Friedel; Kaboul, King, Walker, Assou-Ekotto; Bale, Parker, Modric, Kranjcar; Adebayor, Van der Vaart

Recent form: Liverpool – DWLDLW; Tottenham – DWWDLW

Prediction: 2-2

Chris Samba appears desperate to leave Blackburn

You could be forgiven for forgetting that today is Transfer Deadline Day. Apart from Carlos Tevez and his agent doing their utmost to carve out a deal anywhere from South America to East London, there has been very little action on the transfer front. After a summer of massive moves, this seemingly is the winter of being content with your lot.

However, perhaps rather depressingly, Transfer Deadline Day is as hotly anticipated as FA Cup Final day, and there’s always the possibility of some late action to get the pulses of Premier League fans racing.

Twelve months after the purchase of Fernando Torres, will Chelsea prove their clout once more with a ludicrous bid for Mesut Özil? Will Dimitar Berbatov be rescued from the obscurity of the United bench? Following the fashion for returning old boys, will Kenny Dalglish dust off his hot pants and give himself a player/manager contract?

Well, we don’t know. But by thunder, that won’t stop us having a guess. Here’s a run-down of what might happen in the hours between now and 11pm.

And, as we’re doing this in alphabetical order, we start with Arsenal. Speculation is always rife about who Arsene Wenger should sign. When the entire country was screaming at him through megaphones to sign Eden Hazard and Gary Cahill, he signed Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta.

So, with the opinion that he should snap up Chris Samba reverberating around North London, will there be any noise coming from the phone in Samba’s agent’s office? Well if Wenger’s stubbornness is anything to go by, then no.

Also, there have been whispers about a possible loan deal for Kaka. Out of favour at Real Madrid, maybe the Brazilian could help Arsenal’s campaign for Champions League qualification.

Also at Arsenal, Andriy Arshavin is seemingly doing his best to manufacture a move away, having turned in a glut of awful performances. Unsurprisingly, there has been no interest. While the Gunners need an out and out left winger, they will probably have to offload the Russian first. Unlikely to happen.

At Aston Villa, it’s business as usual – they’re doing no business. Randy Lerner is notoriously miserly when it comes to transfers, preferring to bring players through the youth system. Add to that the fact that Alex McLeish can’t sign a decent player for buttons, and it’s not hard to see why Villa will be quiet today. There have been a few gentle rumours of a late bid for Hugo Rodallega, but don’t hold your breath Villa fans.

Third from bottom Blackburn need all the help they can get, and with the financial clout of Venky’s behind them, they should be throwing cash around like a drunken billionaire baby in Monte Carlo. But they’re not. With club captain Chris Samba saying Venky’s don’t understand English football, and handing in a transfer request, things look bleak for Rovers. Despite Steve Kean saying that he was looking to bring in four new faces, all remains quiet. Still, of all the teams that might do some late business today, Rovers are prime candidates.

Bolton are another team staring down the barrel, but rather than sit around playing solitaire, manager Owen Coyle is pursuing a number of players. Crystal Palace’s wunderkid Wilfried Zaha is apparently top of the list, with a loan deal for Arsenal’s Ryo Miyaichi also possible. With Tim Ream (await endless The Only Way Is Essex jokes) coming in from New York Bulls, Coyle has done some decent business. Whether he can tie up both the Zaha and the Miyaichi deals by midnight remains to be seen.

It wouldn’t be Transfer Deadline Day without Chelsea popping up and doing some business, and this week is no different. Belgian attacking midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is apparently on the verge of signing, but Blues fans will have to wait a while to see him play, as he’ll be loaned back to Genk for the remainder of the season. Another deal is unlikely but always possible.

Everton, meanwhile, never really get caught up in the whole deadline day frenzy. Reluctant to spend money at the best of times, usually there is about as much chance of David Moyes doing business as there is of John Terry and Luiz Suarez being named Let’s Kick Racism Out Of Football’s Men Of The Year. However, Moyes is apparently keen to bring either Kevin Doyle or Nikica Jelavic to Goodison by close of play. Where they’re getting the money from is anybody’s guess, but it seems pretty certain that somebody will be signing for the Toffees today.

Fulham probably need to sort out their defence before they go spending money on strikers, but word has it that they are in for Dortmund’s Lucas Barrios. While of course it’s all speculation, Barrios would constitute a massive signing for Fulham. Nicknamed the Panther thanks to his ruthless proficiency in the box, Barrios could transform Fulham’s fortunes this season. One to watch closely.

Having spent what must have felt like billions over the summer and got a pretty shoddy rag tag bunch of misfits in return, Liverpool’s owners may be loath to spend any more money. They could probably do with a wide man though, and Wolves’s Matt Jarvis is a name that’s constantly linked with bigger clubs. It’s unlikely that Wolves would let him go cheaply however – they’ve got a new stadium to pay for – and the Reds may feel they could get a better deal elsewhere. Still, if they’ll pay £35million for Carroll…

If the loss of Vincent Kompany proved anything, it’s that Stefan Savic, while he may be a decent prospect, isn’t ready for first team football yet. With enough money to buy the moon and paint it blue, Manchester City’s options are endless. Who would bet against a last-minute bid for a seasoned centre half who’s got one year left in his legs? Walter Samuel anyone?

Manchester United – De Rossi, Sneijder, Rodwell, Cavani, Gaitan. United have been linked with them all. Whether Sir Alex will shell out for them, however, is another matter, but with City just edging them in the league, he may well be tempted. All quiet so far today, and any United fans awaiting a signing might be left disappointed.

Newcastle’s signing of Papiss Demba Cisse may turn out to be the best deal of this window. In prolific form for Freiburg, once he returns from action with Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations, he could set the league on fire. As far as deadline day deals go, there has been talk of a late bid for the linked-with-everyone Chris Samba, as well as interest in Steven Pienaar and Tim Cahill. With Mike Ashley at the helm, quite literally anything could happen. Worth keeping an eye on.

In East Anglia, it’s been a quiet window for Norwich, with most of the talk being about Steve Morison moving on. Were he to move, it would spark a chain reaction much like musical chairs, in which clubs sign strikers to replace ones they’ve lost until one club sits rather forlornly on the floor at midnight and begins to weep because it wasn’t quick enough. Could be the catalyst for all sorts of late mayhem.

QPR spent big and spent well in the summer, and may well fancy a late foray into the market. Having already signed Nedum Onuoha and with a very crowded dressing room, they would need to let a few players go in order to bring anybody in, and this may well see another chain reaction of late signings. Of all the QPR rumours, easily the most bizarre is their apparent interest in Djibril Cisse.

Stoke also spent a lot of money in the summer, and chairman Peter Coates isn’t the type to throw good money after bad. With another good season underway and decent team spirit, it seems unlikely that the Potters will make any late moves.

Mama Diouf, Michael Owen and Kevin Davies have all been touted as possible signings for Martin O’Neill’s Sunderland. With Diouf moving to Hannover, and Bolton apparently reluctant to let Davies go, it would seem Owen is in the hotseat for a return to the North East. It’s hard to see why they would want him, but far be it from me to question O’Neill. Despite Owen Coyle’s insistence to the contrary, a big enough bid could see them land Davies, and this seems the safer bet. Could go right to the wire.

Swansea have been very quiet this window, haven’t they? Anybody think they’ve been too quiet? As the board have rewarded Brendan Rodgers’ sterling work with a new contract, maybe they’ll back him further with a bit of spending money. A centre half and a striker would be top of his wishlist, and in the summer there was talk of Kris Commons signing from Celtic. It’s one of the more unlikely potential moves this window, but you never know…

With Spurs boss Harry Redknapp’s time taken up with court proceedings, it’s unclear how much time he has to devote to signing new players. Still, rumours are rife that he’d like to take either Steve Morison from Norwich, or Andy Carroll from Liverpool – if he can offload Roman Pavlyuchenko. The Russian would make a good signing for all manner of clubs – Everton, Stoke, Fulham – but to get rid of one player and sign another in one day is notoriously fraught with problems. If anyone can do it, though, it’s ‘Arry.

West Brom are reportedly in for FC Twente striker Emir Bajrami, and talks seem to be progressing. This seems one of the safer bets of the day. Does this spell the end of Long, Odemwingie, Bednar or Fortune at West Brom? Only time will tell.

Wigan are in dire need of some fresh blood, and quickly. Bizarrely, however, manager Roberto Martinez has said that while Victor Moses and James McCarthy are not for sale, Hugo Rodallega might be allowed to leave. To allow your best player to leave without bringing in a fresh face defies all logic, and so it’s possible that Martinez has something going on under the radar. Definitely worth watching.

With Wolves playing some pretty uninspired football and sitting second from bottom, they are another team in real need of some fresh faces. While many Wolves fans wanted the first fresh face to be in the manager’s position, Mick McCarthy finds himself still in work. If Everton’s interest in Kevin Doyle pays off, either Leon Best or Nicky Maynard could be subject to Wolves bids. Meanwhile, McCarthy has said their reported interest in Nathaniel Clyne is unfounded.

So, there you have it. While nobody would say this is the most exciting deadline day in the history of the World, there are a few interesting possibilities. Now sit back and watch it all unfold.

McClean celebrates his goal against Peterborough in the FA Cup

As well as changing their fortunes, Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill appears to have unearthed a gem in new star James McClean.

How fortunes can change in football. At the beginning of December things looked bleak for Sunderland football club. They were 17th in the table, one point above the relegation zone, and with no clear indication of where the next points were going to come from. Step forward Martin O’Neill.

Since O’Neill’s first official game in charge on December 11, the Black Cats have taken 16 points from a possible 24, including a famous last-minute victory against league leaders Manchester City. They now sit 10th in the table and have a fourth round FA Cup tie on Sunday against local rivals Middlesbrough - things are looking a lot healthier than they were seven weeks ago.

It is clear, then, that O’Neill has brought with him changes from the Steve Bruce era. One such change is the emergence of a bright young Northern Irishman named James McClean.

Having signed from Derry City in August 2011, McClean didn’t play a minute of Premier League football until the arrival of O’Neill. Since then, however, McClean has been involved in all but one of O’Neill’s games at the helm, impressing enough in his early substitute displays to warrant a first-team starting place in all of Sunderland’s top flight matches in 2012.

McClean’s form of late is symptomatic of Sunderland’s as a whole. A team who had looked anaemic under Bruce now seem re-invigorated, bringing an energy onto the pitch that had previously been lacking.

McClean himself is an excellent advocate of this energetic style. A young, pacey left winger, the Northern Irishman is unafraid of getting at defences and ruffling a few feathers, as shown with his two goals so far this year.

O’Neill’s Sunderland are not a team that are afraid to get forward. With Craig Gardner and Sebastien Larsson providing additional goal threats, as well as the emergence of Stephane Sessegnon as a player of real threat at the head of the team, McClean is able to play as a genuine wide player, hugging the touchline and taking on opposition full backs.

McClean sees his role as as a wide player fairly simply – “to beat the full back and get as many shots and crosses in as possible.”

The arrival on the scene of a talented, aggressive left winger may be exactly the sort of support Sessegnon needed to lead the line so impressively. Indeed, McClean has contributed two assists to accompany his two goals so far in 2012, marking an impressive first month proper to his senior career, and his direct methods are paying dividends.

The 22-year-old’s positive play and attacking mind-set have won him many plaudits over the last month, and seem to echo the O’Neill brand of energetic, aggressive football seen since his arrival on Wearside. The type of play that saw him beat Peterborough’s full back and smash a left footed strike against the crossbar in Sunderland’s FA Cup match earlier this month should see the winger keep his place in the starting line-up.

In August 2011, McClean chose to declare for the Republic, rather than his native Northern Ireland, taking advantage of the FIFA ruling which decreed that Irish players may choose which national side they represent – provided they do not have a senior cap for the other.

The young winger has recently re-iterated his desire to represent the Republic, despite manager Giovanni Trapattoni seemingly ruling out his selection for Euro 2012 in favour of the squad that earned them a place at the finals. If he continues to display the form he has done so far under manager O’Neill, a full international call-up is surely on the horizon.

Following his first substitute appearance under O’Neill, McClean said: “I’ll try to improve and if the manager calls me I want to repay his faith.”

McClean has since gone on to feature heavily in O’Neill’s plans. Having seemingly won one manager over to his talents, McClean may well be able to win over another in Trapattoni by advancing his brand of attacking wide play.

After all, fortunes change quickly in football, and McClean would appear to have a bright future ahead of him at the Stadium of Light, and on the international stage.

Given that Mario Balotelli struggles to nip out for some milk at the moment without the media going utterly insane, it’s hardly surprising that after the weekend’s Super Sunday action, most column inches should be dedicated to him.

This time, however, rather than buying dogs for everyone in Cheshire or walking around in trousers made entirely from marshmallow, Mario has split the country right down the middle with rather more serious actions.

Midway through the second half of Manchester City’s match against Spurs, the Italian appeared to stamp on Scott Parker after a challenge. Watch it in slow motion, it looks like a certain stamp. Watch it in real time, there’s no way he could have done it. It’s impossible to be certain. Not that it’s stopped people speculating.

Whether he meant to hurt Parker or not is immaterial now, as referee Howard Webb didn’t send him off, and the history books will show that City went on to beat Spurs 3-2. With Balotelli scoring the winner. In the 94th minute. From the penalty spot.

After an uncharacteristically poor challenge from Ledley King on Balotelli, there was no uncertainty about whether or not to award a penalty. Nor was there any doubt about who was going to take the spot kick. And so, while Harry Redknapp was left to complain about the referee, City were sitting on an eight point lead over Spurs, all but ending their title ambitions.

It was rough justice on Spurs, whose resilience saw them claw back a two-goal deficit created by a beautiful Samir Nasri shot, and a less than beautiful Joleon Lescott forward roll.

Goals from Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale saw the visitors back on level terms, and had Defoe been blessed with longer legs, it could easily have been Spurs who won it at the death. Bale’s deft square ball to Defoe at the back post just needed the slightest touch to find Joe Hart’s empty net. The England striker could only nudge it past the post, and the rest is history.

The result left City six points clear of United, who prepared for the game against Arsenal less than hour later knowing that anything short of win would leave them with a considerable mountain to climb to beat City to the title.

But it was hardly a game that was worthy of the occasion. Arsenal vs United has, in the past, treated us to such battles as Vieira vs Keane, such memorable moments as Martin Keown screaming in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s face after a penalty miss, such one-sided goalfests as this season’s 8-2 United win. Not this time. It was, therefore, some relief that, at the end of an uneventful first half, Ryan Giggs’s cross found the head of Antonio Valencia, who, in turn, found the back of the Arsenal net.

In the second half, Robin van Persie proved he was human by prodding an unmissable opportunity wide from eight yards. On 71 minutes, however, he proved that he wasn’t human at all, by placing a shot between the legs of Jonny Evans, past Anders Lindegaard, and into the very furthest reaches of the United net.

It was exactly what Arsenal needed. Having asked some serious questions of the United defence for much of the second half, it looked as though the Gunners might get some vengeance for the 8-2 drubbing earlier in the season.

Or, rather, it looked that way for about another three minutes. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was without question, Arsenal’s best player all afternoon was inexplicably substituted for Andrey Arshavin, who hasn’t done a decent thing in an Arsenal shirt since he started appearing in those insurance commercials with the other meerkats. The substitution was announced, and roundly booed by Arsenal fans. Even van Persie could be seen shouting at Arsene Wenger not to make the change.

After the game, Wenger said that he didn’t have to defend his decision making to anybody. In private, he must be kicking himself, for it was none other than Arshavin, whose lack of strength and inability to tackle allowed Valencia to dance into the Arsenal box and lay the ball on a plate for Danny Welbeck to lash home the winner.

Whether that decision will cost Arsenal a Champions League place is still unclear, but it’s undeniable that Wenger’s obstinacy this season has cost them dear.

Another manager who seems to be losing the plot one day at a time is Kenny Dalglish. Following an insipid performance that saw them lose 3-1 to Bolton, he warned his Liverpool players that if they continued to underperform, they “wouldn’t be here [at Liverpool] very long.”

They may be underperforming but if he decides to sell a number of his big signings he’ll be making massive losses on the £35million paid for Andy Carroll, or the £20million shelled out for Jordan Henderson.

Bolton, meanwhile, are out of the relegation zone, after goals from Mark Davies, Nigel Reo Coker and Gretar Steinsson cancelled out Craig Bellamy’s consolation goal, and gave Owen Coyle’s side a vital three points.

Another amazing result came at Craven Cottage, where Fulham managed to win a game. Against all odds, Martin Jol’s side overcame Newcastle 5-2 in an astonishing game. Danny Guthrie had given Newcastle the lead, but some woeful defending led to a Danny Murphy penalty, before Clint Dempsey netted twice in five minutes and another penalty – this time from Bobby Zamora - made it 4-1.

Hatem Ben Arfa scored Newcastle’s second before Dempsey got his hat-trick and sealed the points for Fulham in the 89th minute.

There were also late goals at the Britannia, where Cameron Jerome’s 86th minute equaliser cancelled out Steve Morison’s goal for West Brom, and looked to have salvaged a point for Stoke. A rash challenge by Jon Walters then saw Stoke concede a late free kick, however, and Graham Dorrans lashed home.

Chelsea, meanwhile, were left to rue Fernando Torres’s goal drought as he squandered the best chance of the game against Norwich, which finished 0-0. Having somehow managed to poke the ball wide from about four centimetres out, Torres is now without a goal in 17 games. The poor result was not all Torres’s fault, however. Paul Ruddy in the Norwich net pulled off some inspired saves, and proved yet again how valuable he is to the Canaries..

Wolves’ second derby game in four days saw them lose their second derby game in four days, as Robbie Keane scored twice to give Villa the points. Darren Bent’s penalty gave Villa the lead, before Michael Kightly and Dave Edwards turned the game around for the hosts.

Unfortunately for Mick McCarthy, who may well have been sacked by now if there were anybody to replace him at Molineux, Robbie Keane was on hand to score twice, either side of Karl Henry’s red card.

Two delightful goals – one from Stephane Sessegnon, the other from Craig Gardner – gave Sunderland another win in the O’Neill Revolution. The Black Cats now have 16 points form a possible 24 under O’Neill, and have moved up to 10th. Swansea, meanwhile are 13th.

Despite a respectable draw away at Everton, Blackburn remain in the relegation zone. A handball by Marouane Fellaini in the build up to the Everton goal was missed by referee Mike Halsey, Tim Cahill giving them the lead, before David Goodwillie’s equaliser gave Blackburn a point.

Wigan are the worst team in the Premier League, and their 3-1 loss to QPR, with goals from Heidar Helguson, Akos Buzsaky and Tommy Smith, came as a surprise to nobody. Hugo Rodallega – Wigan’s only good player – managed to score from a free kick, but not even QPR could manage to throw away any points against the Latics. A dreadful, dreadful team, they are certain to be relegated.

Arsenal versus Manchester United used to be a fixture that really whetted the appetite. People tuned in from every corner of the globe to watch Roy Keane go head-to-head (literally) with Patrick Viera.

The watching world was gripped by Sir Alex Ferguson’s touchline spats with Arsene Wenger, while every goal was celebrated like it was the winning strike in a World Cup Final.

Quite simply, the winner of this fixture often went on to win the league title.

Now though, it is not the biggest game of the season. It is not even the biggest game of the weekend – that’s being played by two other clubs from Manchester and north London.

Nevertheless, it is still an encounter that could have long-term implications for the loser. United, despite their frailties, are hunting their 20^th league title, while the Gunners are desperate to finish in a Champions League spot.

Losing is not an option, particularly for the two managers, whose passion for the game still burns bright despite their advancing years.

But who is the most likely to be sipping a vintage glass of wine in celebration come Sunday evening? As so often in this match, anything can happen.

However, one of the major talking points of Arsenal’s season to date has been the defence – or lack off in most cases.

Just last weekend, Danny Graham, Scott Sinclair and Nathan Dyer made a mockery of a Gunners’ rearguard that included the hapless and pedestrian Per Mertesacker.

Two of Arsenal’s best performances against the Red Devils under Wenger’s guidance came in 1-0 victories in 1998 and 2002. In 1998 the backline consisted of Dixon, Adams, Keown, and Winterburn, while four years later the four-man defence was made up of Lauren, Keown, Campbell, and Cole.

Strong, fearless and water-tight units of that there can be no question. These quartets allowed the likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires to strut their stuff further up the field of play.

Fast-forward to the Liberty Stadium last Sunday and Wenger’s defensive line read: Djourou, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Miquel. The result? A 3-2 defeat to a team that were only promoted to the Premier League last May.

Taking nothing away from Swansea, but only Frenchman Koscielny came out of that match with any credit and even he may have been at fault for the third goal.

The prospect of lining up against players of that ilk will have Wayne Rooney (so often a goalscorer against Arsenal down the years) licking his lips in anticipation. Nani, Javier Hernandez, Danny Welbeck et al may also be eager to fill their boots.

That’s not to say that United will travel to the Emirates without their own problems in defence.

Rio Ferdinand appears to be losing pace by the week, while Theo Walcott may look to expose Patrice Evra’s inconsistent defensive work over the last 18 months.

A famous football saying states: ‘A team that doesn’t concede goals cannot lose football matches.’ No more is that truer than this weekend. Defenders will be more important than the attack-minded players in this one.

Back in the summer when Papiss Demba Cisse was the talk of the Bundesliga, Footy Matters took a closer look at the Senegal international.

Freiburg being Freiburg, there was always going to be a time when he left the club with Arsenal and Liverpool on the radar back then, amongst others. Newcastle, however, were never mentioned.

They were already in advanced talks to bring Demba Ba in anyway, so it made little sense to put their hat in the Cisse ring when they would basically be getting two of the same player. When we compared Cisse to Ba, the Freiburg man did not come out too favourably.

Therefore, with Freiburg bottom at the Christmas break and half the clubs in Europe on red alert for a striker, the name of Newcastle United was one of the few that did not come up. For me, a more logical destination at the time was QPR, particularly with the known interest of Mark Hughes from his Fulham days.

That is not to say bringing in a striker of the quality of Cisse is a bad deal. A transfer fee rising to £10million for a striker who has been as prolific as he has been in what is now officially the third best league in Europe, is an absolute bargain when you compare that to what that would get you elsewhere.

His recent record is outstanding – especially in a struggling side. He hit 22 goals last year to finish second in the German scorers’ charts and followed that up with nine so far this term, almost as many as the points his team have. Meanwhile, Ba hit 14 in his only full top flight season in Germant at 1899 Hoffenheim, missing half of his second campaign through injury and cutting his third short to join West Ham.

To compare the two players is difficult. Despite their lowly position in the league, Freiburg create far more opportunities for Cisse than Hoffenheim did for Ba despite Hoffenheim being a consistently better side – mainly due to Freiburg playing a Blackpool-like style. Despite his better goal tally, Cisse’s goals to chances ratio is far poorer than Ba’s in German football.

Frankly though, it boils down to having two predatory goalscorers trying to play together. On paper it seems very unlikely to work; chasing the same balls, getting in the way of each other, and bringing their collective ability down.

Newcastle fans need to watch the African Cup of Nations in the hope that the pair play together and can be complimentary. The problem is, with Moussa Sow, Mamadou Niang and others, it is doubtful they will even be on the pitch on the same time until they are wearing black and white stripes.

If it comes off, no defence in the Premier League can contain them, their only hope would be that Cisse will miss the chances created! Just don’t get your hopes up that it does.

Mark Hughes’ QPR face a real relegation six-pointer against fellow strugglers Wigan while Wolves host Midlands rivals Aston Villa. Meanwhile, Super Sunday offers north London clubs Tottenham and Arsenal the chance to exact revenge on Manchester’s City and United, not to mention crucial points that will determine the shape of the top four and possibly the title.

The Emirates may also witness Thierry Henry vs. Paul Scholes, unfathomable a few weeks back yet the quality both icons still  maintain mean you can’t bet against either being the match winner.

NORWICH CITY v CHELSEA 12:45, Carrow Road (Saturday)

The weekend’s early kick-off sees the meeting of two teams who have an identical yield of points from their last six matches.
Games involving Norwich have rarely been dull this season with Paul Lambert’s men impressing with their attacking play.  They have tended to come unstuck in most encounters with the big boys however and Chelsea will be encouraged by their formidable record against promoted teams.

What to watch out for: With Branislav Ivanovic unlikely to be ready to return for Chelsea, Andre Villas Boas might see an opportunity to try David Luiz at right back in place of the oft-criticised Jose Bosingwa, which would allow Gary Cahill to make his debut alongside John Terry in central defence.

Possible line-ups:

Norwich – Ruddy; R Martin, Whitbread, Naughton, Ayala; Johnson, Surman, Pilkington, Hoolahan; Morison, Holt

Chelsea – Cech; Cole, David Luiz, Cahill, Terry; Romeu, Ramires, Lampard; Torres, Mata, Sturridge

Recent form: Norwich – DDLDWW; Chelsea – DDDLWW

Prediction: 1-2

EVERTON v BLACKBURN ROVERS 15:00, Goodison Park

Steve Kean achieved arguably his second most impressive result as Blackburn boss last week with the 3-1 win over Fulham despite being a man down for over an hour.  That result should do confidence in the squad the world of good, however the harsh sending off of Yakubu means he’ll be banned for this fixture.

Everton’s home form has been disappointing this season, with just three wins from 10 matches.  Nothing less than victory is expected here.

What to watch out for: The most notable detail from Everton’s last match was the debut of new signing from Manchester United, Darren Gibson. A more than competent passer and striker of the ball, Gibson should add extra creativity to the Toffee’s midfield.

Possible line-ups:

Everton– Howard; Baines, Heitinga, Neville, Duffy; Gibson, Cahill, Fellaini, Anichebe; Saha, Donovan

Blackburn – Robinson; Samba, Givet, Hanley, Lowe; Formica, Pedersen, Petrovic, Nzonzi; Hoilett; Goodwillie

Recent form: Everton – WDWLLD; Blackburn – LLDWLW

Prediction: 1-1

FULHAM v NEWCASTLE UNITED 15:00, Craven Cottage

Alan Pardew’s Newcastle have rediscovered their early season form in the last few weeks, with three wins from their last four games which have breathed new life into their quest for a top six finish.

They ought to be in for a tough test at Fulham though, who, but for in a recent thrashing by Manchester United, are always competitive at home.

What to watch out for: Leon Best.  Newcastle have strengthened their strikeforce this week with the acquisition of Papiss Demba Cisse from German side Freiburg.  However, with the Senegal attacker immediately jetting off to join new clubmate Demba Ba for the Africa Cup of Nations, this match and the forthcoming January fixtures give Best a chance to build on his winning goal against QPR last week and make it hard for Pardew to leave him out for the rest of the season.

Possible line-ups:

Fulham – Stockdale; Kelly, Riise, Hangeland, Senderos; Murphy, Duff, Dempsey, Dembele; Ruiz; Zamora

Newcastle - Krul; Coloccini, Santon, Simpson, Williamson; Cabaye, Guthrie, Ben Arfa, Gutierrez; Best, Sh Ameobi

Recent form: Fulham – WLDDWL; Newcastle – DLWLWW

Prediction: 2-1

QUEENS PARK RANGERS V WIGAN ATHLETIC 15:00, Loftus Road

Mark Hughes will have been pleased to have picked up his first win as QPR manager in their narrow midweek cup victory over MK Dons, but the reality is the team, still missing the suspended Joey Barton, will have to play far better to be sure of victory over relegation-battling rivals Wigan.

Roberto Martinez’s men took a point away from Stoke in their last away game and are capable of the same here in what should be a tight game.

What to watch out for: The Hughes factor.  The Welsh warrior will want to have the same immediate impact on his new charges as Martin O’Neill has had at Sunderland and it could be his side’s enthusiasm to win for their new manager that sees QPR cross the line in this contest.

Possible line-ups:

QPR – Kenny; Hill, Gabbidon, Young, Ferdinand; Derry, Buzsaky, Mackie, Wright-Phillips; Bothroyd, Helguson

Wigan – Al Habsi; Alcaraz, Caldwell, Stam, Figueroa; McCarthy, Crusat, Gomez, McArthur; Moses, Rodallega

Recent form: QPR – LLDLLW; Wigan – DDLDLL

Prediction: 1-0

STOKE CITY v WEST BROMWICH ALBION 15:00, The Britannia Stadium

An interesting encounter between a team known for being very difficult to beat at home and another who are clearly enjoying themselves more on the road.  Stoke have actually stumbled at home a little since their controversial win over Tottenham last month, but are in overall great form with only one defeat in nine matches.

Meanwhile, West Brom, largely thanks to sharp-shooting forwards Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie, have only lost four of their ten away games this season.

What to watch out for: Neither side are renowned for their goalscoring, Stoke have scored the least of anyone in the top half of the table and West Brom less than anyone outside the bottom three.  A low-scoring game is highly probable.

Possible line-ups:

Stoke - Sorensen; Huth,Wilson, Shawcross, Wilkinson; Whelan, Whitehead, Etherington, Shotton; Walters, Crouch

West Brom– Foster; Jara, Shorey, McAuley, Dawson; Morrison, Thomas, Mulumbu, Scharner; Long, Odemwingie

Recent form: Stoke – WLDDWD; West Brom – WWDLLL

Prediction: 1-1

SUNDERLAND v SWANSEA CITY 15:00, Stadium of Light

Although Swansea’s success this season has been predicated on their superb home form, they’ve actually lost only twice in their last seven away games.  The Black Cats, however, are really starting to purr under Martin O’Neill.  With the number of chances they’ve been creating of late, Sunderland will expect to be too strong for their opponents.

What to watch out for: Josh McEachran.  The Chelsea youngster has been tipped to be a mainstay of the England team of the future and has this week joined his former youth coach Brendan Rodgers at Swansea for the remainder of the season.  A substitute appearance is likely.

Possible line-ups:

Sunderland - Mignolet; Bardsley,Richardson, Kilgallon, O’Shea; Cattermole, Larsson, Vaughan, McClean; Sessegnon, Bendtner

Swansea – Vorm; Williams, Taylor, Caulker, Rangel; Britton, Sinclair, Dyer, Allen, Sigurdsson; Graham

Recent form: Sunderland – LWDWWL; Swansea – DLDDWW

Prediction: 3-1

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS v ASTON VILLA 15:00, Molineux

Wolves face their second West Midlands derby in a week, having gone out of the cup at home to Birmingham on Wednesday evening.  Mick
McCarthy has seen his men earn some extremely creditable draws in the last month, but Wolves are without a win since early December.

Villa won their last away match impressively at Chelsea and edged a contentious affair in the corresponding fixture here last season.

What to watch out for: A feisty derby- if it’s anything like last season’s meeting at Molineux, where Wolves fans were livid at Stephen Warnock not getting dismissed for a late challenge and then later setting up the winning goal. Defeat this time for Wolves would likely see McCarthy get the brunt of the home abuse.

Possible line-ups:

Wolves – Hennessey; Ward, Johnson, Berra, Foley; Kightly, Henry, Frimpong, Jarvis; Fletcher, Doyle

Villa – Given; Hutton, Warnock, Dunne, Collins; Ireland, Albrighton, Petrov, Clark ; Bent, Agbonlahor

Recent form: Wolves – LDDDLD; Villa – LLDWLD

Prediction: 2-2

BOLTON WANDERERS v LIVERPOOL 17:30, The Reebok Stadium

A fixture where a team with a dismal home record plays host to an opponent who’ve won half their away games this season should only see one winner, but thankfully for Owen Coyle football is never that straight forward.  Liverpool are still of course without Luis Suarez.

What to watch out for: The possibility of Andy Carroll scoring.  Bolton have lost eight of their ten home matches and conceded 24 goals in the process.  Carroll, providing he starts, should get chances and it’s about time he started putting them away.

Possible line-ups:

Bolton – Bogdan; Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Ricketts; Muamba, Eagles, Petrov, M. Davies, Reo-Coker; Ngog

Liverpool – Reina; Johnson, Jose Enrique, Agger, Skrtel; Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Adam; Carroll, Bellamy

Recent form: Bolton – LWLDWL; Liverpool – WDDWLD

Prediction: 0-2

MANCHESTER CITY v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 13:30, The Etihad Stadium (Sunday)

Manchester City have already blunted Tottenham’s attack before a ball has been kicked by depriving them of on-loan Emmanuel Adebayor.
City have clearly missed the influences of the Toure brothers and suspended Vincent Kompany in recent games, but showed in Monday night’s win at Wigan they’re capable of grounding out wins.

Such is Tottenham’s form at the moment, a repeat of the rout they endured early season at White Hart Lane is unlikely.

What to watch out for: Can Tottenham meet the challenge in front of them?  They faltered amid talk of challenging for the title last week against Wolves, but a win at City would put them within two points of the leaders. Defeat, though, would see them go eight adrift.

Possible line-ups:

Man City – Hart; Zabaleta, Lescott, Savic, Clichy; Milner, Barry, De Jong; Silva; Dzeko, Aguero

Tottenham – Friedel; Kaboul, Dawson, Walker, Assou-Ekotto; Bale, Lennon, Parker, Modric; Van der Vaart, Defoe

Recent form: Man City – WWDLWW; Tottenham – DWDWWD

Prediction: 3-2

ARSENAL v MANCHESTER UNITED 16:00, The Emirates Stadium (Sunday)

Arsenal should be playing for pride as well as points when these two sides meet for the first time since United’s 8-2 humiliation of the Gunners back in August.  The Gunners eventually bounced back exceptionally well from that result, thanks mainly to Robin Van Persie’s goalscoring exploits.

Even against a United side still understrength, particularly in midfield, Arsenal will need the Dutchman to bring his ‘A’ game if they are to take all the points.  Or will Thierry Henry be able to revisit past glories against United?

What to watch out for: With both teams shorn of key defensive players there could be a healthy amount of goals.  Both teams are clearly at their best when taking the game to their opponents.

Possible line-ups:

Arsenal - Szczesny; Mertesacker, Koscielny, Djourou, Miquel; Arteta, Ramsey, Song; Van Persie, Henry, Walcott

Man Utd – Lindegaard; Evra, Ferdinand, Evans, Smalling; Giggs, Park, Carrick, Nani; Rooney, Welbeck

Recent form: Arsenal – LWDWLL; Man Utd – WWWLLW

Prediction: 2-2

Scott Parker is crucial to Spurs' hopes at the Etihad on Sunday

This Sunday could see Tottenham Hotspur prove their title credentials are genuine, or Manchester City consolidate their position at the top of the league.

One thing Spurs and City have in common is their bravery to play attractive, attacking football. In Harry Redknapp and Roberto Mancini, the clubs have managers who realise the benefits of taking the game to the opposition. The plethora of attacking options both men have at their fingertips yields an embarrassment of riches, and it is likely that the result of this match will depend on which team flexes their offensive muscles the most.

Spurs’ encouraging progress in the Champions League last season hinted at the quality they possess and indeed, their continued improvement this season has led many to suggest that they may be challenging for top spot come the end of the season. But do they have the ability to beat City and live up to the recent hype, or are they the latest victims of media hyperbole?

Following their slip-up in drawing to Wolves last weekend, it is games such as Sunday’s where Tottenham will prove if they possess the quality and consistency to be taken seriously as championship contenders. While Redknapp may wish to play down his team’s chances of topping the league at the end of the season, Manchester City would be ill-advised to take the threat posed by the London club lightly.

Now is a good time for Spurs to be playing City. They are missing the defensive spine and heartbeat of their team with captain Vincent Kompany suspended and Yaya and Kolo Toure away on international duty at the African Cup of Nations. The likes of Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart in the centre of Tottenham’s midfield will have the scent of blood in their nostrils.

While City are still far from being easy pickings – their squad has far too much depth of quality for several absences to make that much of a difference – they are certainly weakened. Spurs’ ultra-creative midfield ought to be licking their lips at the prospect of having a go at the City backline, now more exposed than usual.

Liverpool highlighted their defensive frailties in last week’s Carling Cup semi-final, terrifying and wrong-footing Stefan Savic in particular with their pace. In Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale, Spurs possess two wingers perfectly equipped to frighten even the most resolute of defences, let alone one weakened by absence. If Spurs can get the ball out wide and run at City, they might find a fast approach yields a great deal of success.

Scott Parker, then, has a key role to play. While the Sky Blues may be weakened at the back, the likes of David Silva and Sergio Aguero would scare most opponents and have been amongst the star performers in the league thus far, so the danger they represent should never be under-estimated. It is testament to Parker’s skill that he will be the man charged with denying them the ball as much as possible.

If he can dam the tide of City possession and launch fresh Tottenham attacks, Spurs may again prosper. The number of opportunities Lennon and Bale are afforded to run at City will be directly influenced by the amount of control Parker is able to exert in the centre of the park.

Sunday, then, ought to provide an aggressive and open game, both teams wishing to mask their relative defensive weaknesses through their attractive and innovative attacking play. This is a game which ought to be won or lost in midfield. If Parker is able to extinguish the danger Tottenham face in the shape of Silva and Aguero and feed Spurs’ quicker, more creative players, we just might be discussing a victory for the men in white come Sunday evening.

When optimistic Tottenham fans studied this season’s fixture list, few would have dared believe that this Sunday’s game with Manchester City could see them moving one step closer to a maiden Premier League title – indeed, if Redknapp had his way, this would still be the case.

Come January, however, and this is exactly where the north Londoners find themselves. The question of whether or not they will still be there come May, only time can answer, but the result this Sunday may provide an accurate indication.

If Spurs can get a result at the Etihad and prove their bite is just as bad as the recent media bark, we may see the crowning of new kings of the Premier League.

Arsenal and Tottenham suffer Blue Monday weekend as United and Chelsea win

In the weekend leading up to the dreaded Blue Monday – supposedly the most depressing day of the year – Man United and Chelsea gave their fans reason to be cheerful while Arsenal and Spurs fans will feel the alleged blueness all too keenly.

United closed the gap on rivals Man City with a 3-0 win over Bolton at Old Trafford on Sunday. While 3-0 flatters the Champions and does little to highlight the Trotters’ fighting spirit, few Bolton fans will have expected much before kick off. After Adam Bogdan saved a first half Wayne Rooney penalty, Bolton did well to take the sting out of United’s attack, and it seemed as though they would make it to half time unscathed.

But as David Wheater blocked Rooney’s cross, Paul Scholes was there to poke the rebound beyond the hapless ‘keeper. It was rough justice on the visitors, who gave as good as they got in the second half.

United’s defence lacked concentration and had Ngog, Steinsson or Petrov had a little more luck in front of goal, the tie could well have swung in Bolton’s favour. It was only after the 74th minute when Danny Welbeck tapped Rooney’s through ball past Bogdan that United fans could really relax.

The salt in the Bolton wound came courtesy of Michael Carrick, whose (admittedly fairly tame) 20-yard effort found the net.

United sit level with City on points, but with a goal difference of -8. Bolton, meanwhile, sit second from bottom of the league, and as West Brom, Fulham and Swansea start to edge away from the bottom, nerves in the bottom five will be starting to fray.

Wolves are fourth from bottom and possibly in line for a frayed nerve or two, they will take heart from Saturday’s mightily impressive point away at Spurs.

After the entire planet seemed suddenly to wake up to Spurs’ high position in the league on Wednesday – apparently the true measure of title ambitions is winning 2-0 away at Everton – all eyes were on Harry Redknapp’s men to see if these ‘new’ pretenders to the throne could put more pressure on the Manchester Axis of Dominance.

They couldn’t. Possibly fatigued after Wednesday’s game at Everton, Spurs were tepid at best, and did little to prove their ambitions. That is to take nothing away from Wolves who gave a great account of themselves, and on another day would have walked away with all three points.

After a contentious corner which replays proved shouldn’t have been given, a Roger Johnson header was nimbly parried by Brad Friedel, but only as far as Stephen Fletcher, whose tap in from six yards was as simple a goal as he will score all season.

And, while Spurs had much of the possession and territory, they couldn’t convert that into the hard currency of goals. Early in the second half, however, Gareth Bale found Luka Modric twenty yeards from goal. The Croatian’s low driven shot somehow crept under Wayne Hennessey and Spurs were level. The goal did nothing to rally the hosts however, and despite a late surge after the introduction of Jermain Defoe, Spurs had to settle for a point.

Arsene Wenger was left to rue a mixture of bad defending and adverse playing conditions as Swansea claimed another big scalp at the Liberty Stadium. With a pitch that had been left mauled by rugby side Swansea Ospreys, the playing surface was far from ideal for Arsenal’s smooth passing game. Nonetheless, it was the Gunners who took the lead thanks to Robin van Persie’s venomous shot from close range. While it may have been an ominous start for Swansea, it did little to dent their confidence, and for much of the game they outplayed their visitors.

A (harshly awarded) Scott Sinclair penalty and a clipped Nathan Dyer effort both beat Wojciech Szczesny in the Arsenal net, before Theo Walcott leveled the scores on 69 minutes. Even the introduction of Arsenal Legend Thierry Henry wasn’t enough to inspire a victory, and just seconds after Walcott’s equaliser, Arsenal showed some of their signature wooly-headed defending to allow Danny Graham to wrap up all three points for the Welsh side. Despite a late Arsenal surge, they couldn’t prevent a loss, and although few teams will enjoy trips to Swansea, this loss may be the difference between a fourth-placed finish and a year in the Europa League.

On Saturday, Frank Lampard’s early goal was enough to quell the Sunderland Revival. Rejuvenated under new manager Martin O’Neill, Sunderland may have fancied their chances against a stuttering Chelsea side, but Lampard’s goal proved decisive, as he was on hand to tuck the ball home after a spectacular 20-yard bicycle-kick from Fernando Torres ricocheted back off the bar.

There were chances at both ends, with Stephane Sessegnon looking a constant threat to Chelsea’s defence, and Torres, Lampard and Mata all going close for the hosts. Truly, either team could have won it, and while Torres had two very decent penalty claims turned down, Sunderland squandered three gilt-edged chances at the other end to level the score. Despite the win, Chelsea remain in fourth place, eight points behind Man City, and to put it bluntly, out of the Premiership title race this season. Indeed, whether they manage a Champions League spot is far from certain.

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s perennial struggle against Stoke continued. While Liverpool have yet to lose at home this season, it’s starting to feel as though they may never win at home again. Six draws in their last eight home games is a shoddy run for a team whose spending record dictates that they should be pushing for a top four finish.

While Liverpool had the lion’s share of possession and territory, Stoke were their usual resolute selves, and were hardly troubled at the back.

Another team with less than enviable home form is Alex McLeish’s Aston Villa. With only three wins at home all season, it’s hardly surprising that Everton took a point from Villa Park, and could have taken all three. After Bent gave Villa the lead, Victor Anichebe came off the bench to rescue a point. And, had Shay Given not been blessed with such lightning reflexes and panther-like agility, either Louis Saha or Villa’s own Stephen Warnock could have given Everton all three points.

Mark Hughes’s first game in charge of QPR was not what he dreamt it might be. Despite a spirited performance, Leon Best’s wonderstrike proved decisive and while Newcastle sit in sixth, QPR have slipped into the relegation zone, thanks to Blackburn’s win against Fulham, the pertinent details of which can be found…

…Here. Blackburn earned another vital three points as Pedersen, Dunn and Formica all found the Fulham net, with Damien Duff scoring the visitors’ only reply.

And Norwich’s fine form continued, as Surman and Morison scored either side of Shane Long’s 68th minute penalty as they overcame West Brom.

Meanwhile, Man City will go three points clear at the top this evening as they face rock-bottom Wigan.

Harry Redknapp's Tottenham face Wolves today looking to cement their place as genuine title challengers

ASTON VILLA v EVERTON 15:00, Villa Park (Saturday)

Just as Villa seemed to have sorted their away form out with an unexpected win at Chelsea, they slipped up at home to Swansea in their following match. Everton, meanwhile, were sneaking up the table nicely until they suffered back-to-back recent defeats.

This is the most played fixture in top flight football history and is normally a tight encounter - today should be no exception.

What to watch out for: Robbie Keane making his entrance at some point having joined Villa on loan until late February.

Possible line-ups:

Villa – Guzan; Hutton, Warnock, Dunne, Collins; Ireland, N’Zogbia, Petrov, Clark ; Bent, Agbonlahor

Everton – Howard; Baines, Heitinga, Distin, Neville; Bilyaletdinov, Cahill, Fellaini; Saha, Donovan, Anichebe

Recent form: Villa – WLLDWL; Everton – DWDWLL

Prediction: 2-2

BLACKBURN ROVERS v FULHAM 15:00, Ewood Park

The visit of Fulham affords Blackburn a decent opportunity to improve their wretched home record. Steve Kean’s men have lost eight of their ten home matches this season, but Fulham don’t win many away and haven’t won any of their last four visits to Ewood Park.

What to watch out for: Pacey forwards.  Despite the team’s largely indifferent form under Martin Jol, Fulham always provide their opponents with a nippy winger or two to contend with; Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele are having excellent seasons. As for Blackburn, Junior Hoilett is one of the best dribblers in the league.

Possible line-ups:

Blackburn – Bunn; Samba, Givet, Hanley, Lowe; Formica, Pedersen, Petrovic, Nzonzi; Hoilett; Yakubu

Fulham – Stockdale; Kelly, Riise, Hangeland, Senderos; Sidwell, Ruiz, Murphy, Dempsey; Zamora, Dembele

Recent form: Blackburn – LLLDWL; Fulham – LWLDDW

Prediction: 1-1

CHELSEA v SUNDERLAND 15:00, Stamford Bridge

If Sunderland had any apprehension about going to Stamford Bridge last season, having conceded five goals on each of their previous two visits, it was quickly dispelled as they set about recording a sensational 3-0 win. Currently riding high, just as they were at the time of last season’s visit, a win on Saturday would come as less of a surprise considering Chelsea’s lacklustre home form.

The Blues, however, must win games like this being as a top four finish looks less guaranteed than at any other time in the Abramovich era.

What to watch out for: Goals. A total of 35 have been dispatched in the last seven meetings between the sides. Chelsea will probably be boosted by the return of top scorer Daniel Sturridge.

Possible line-ups:

Chelsea – Cech; Cole, David Luiz, Bosingwa, Terry; Romeu, Ramires, Lampard; Torres, Mata, Sturridge

Sunderland – Mignolet; Bardsley,Richardson, Kilgallon, O’Shea; Cattermole, Larsson, Vaughan, McClean; Sessegnon, Bendtner

Recent form: Chelsea – WDDDLW; Sunderland – WLWDWW

Prediction: 2-1

LIVERPOOL V STOKE CITY 15:00, Anfield

The return to fitness of Steven Gerrard could not have been better timed for Liverpool, with the prolonged suspension of Luis Suarez otherwise depriving the side of attacking flair. The Reds should be buoyed by the midweek Carling Cup semi-final win at Manchester City, but have a habit of making hard work of home matches they ought to win.

Stoke enjoyed a fine end to 2011 and a win at Anfield would put them only two points behind their sixth-placed opponents.

What to watch out for: A cautious Stoke performance. Tony Pulis will set his team out to try and contain the home side. Stoke have scored only eight goals on the road this season so don’t expect them to show much adventure.

Possible line-ups:

Liverpool – Reina; Johnson, Jose Enrique, Agger, Skrtel; Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Adam; Carroll, Bellamy

Stoke - Sorensen; Huth,Wilson, Shawcross, Wilkinson; Whelan, Whitehead, Etherington, Shotton; Walters, Crouch

Recent form: Liverpool – WWDDWL; Stoke – WWLDDW

Prediction: 2-0

MANCHESTER UNITED v BOLTON WANDERERS 15:00, Old Trafford

Bolton will no doubt be encouraged by their fellow strugglers Blackburn’s win at Manchester United in the champions’ last home game. Owen Coyle will need less reminding of the trouncing his men took in the corresponding fixture at the Reebok earlier in the season.

United are looking to get their title defence back on track following consecutive defeats and have little room for error with Tottenham now level on points with them.

What to watch out for: Gary Cahill – will he be available? Chelsea agreed a fee with Bolton for the England defender two weeks ago but the transfer has stalled. Will his mind be focused on the game amid the confusion and the prospect of a big opportunity slipping away?

Possible line-ups:

Man Utd – Lindegaard; Evra, Ferdinand, Evans, Smalling; Jones, Carrick, Nani, Valencia; Rooney, Welbeck

Bolton – Bogdan; Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Ricketts; Muamba, Eagles, Petrov, M. Davies, Reo-Coker; Ngog

Recent form: Man Utd – WWWWLL ; Bolton – LLWLDW

Prediction: 3-1

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR v WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 15:00, White Hart Lane

Tottenham’s scintillating form shows no signs of diminishing, with a title tilt looking more realistic than ever going into the second half of the season. The secret to Harry Redknapp’s side’s success has been the swatting aside of teams from the bottom half of the table, such as Wolves.

The West Midlands outfit are without a win since victory over Sunderland in early December, but although unlikely to achieve one here, they did manage a win at Tottenham two seasons ago.

What to watch out for: The midfield battle. Spurs might’ve been expected to stutter in the absence of enforcer Scott Parker in their last few games but Jake Livermore has come in and impressed alongside Luka Modric. Wolves will be hoping on-loan Arsenal youngster Emmanuel Frimpong can make a name for himself with Jamie O’Hara still injured.

Possible line-ups:

Tottenham – Friedel; Kaboul, Gallas, Walker, Assou-Ekotto; Bale, Lennon, Modric, Livermore; Adebayor, Van der Vaart

Wolves – Hennessey; Stearman, Ward, Johnson, Berra; Henry, Frimpong, Jarvis, Hammill; Fletcher, Doyle

Recent form: Tottenham – WDWDWW; Wolves – LLDDDL

Prediction: 2-1

WEST BROMWICH ALBION v NORWICH CITY 15:00, The Hawthorns

West Brom will be looking to put more distance between themselves and the league’s bottom five by attempting to win only their third home game of the season. Norwich have been a revelation with their willingness to attack teams few had previously given them a chance against, and they will fancy their chances in this one.

What to watch out for: An open, attack-minded match. Remarkably, Norwich have scored more goals than anyone outside the top five this season, while West Brom have won plaudits for their passing football.

Possible line-ups:

West Brom – Foster; Shorey, McAuley, Dawson, Jones; Thomas, Dorrans, Thorne, Scharner; Odemwingie, Cox

Norwich – Ruddy; R Martin, Whitbread, Naughton, Ayala; Johnson, Pilkington, Fox, Bennett; Morison, Jackson

Recent form: West Brom – LWWDLL; Norwich – WDDLDW

Prediction: 3-2

NEWCASTLE UNITED v QUEENS PARK RANGERS 13:30, St. James’ Park (Sunday)

Mark Hughes begins his reign as QPR boss away to a Newcastle team blunted by the departure to the African Cup of Nations of free-scoring forward Demba Ba. Nevertheless, the Magpies are always strong at home and QPR will also be missing a key man, in the shape of the banned Joey Barton.

Rangers are currently on the worst run of form in the league and fans will be hoping Hughes will have a similar effect to Martin O’Neill at Sunderland.

What to watch out for: Hatem Ben Arfa. Alan Pardew labelled his wondrous solo effort in the cup last week against Blackburn as the greatest goal he’s ever seen. He brings an unpredictable quality to Newcastle’s build up.

Possible line-ups:

Newcastle – Krul; Coloccini, Santon, Simpson, Williamson; Cabaye, Abeid, Gutierrez, Obertan; Ben Arfa, Best

QPR – Kenny; Hill, Gabbidon, Young, Ferdinand; Derry, Taarabt, Faurlin, Wright-Phillips; Mackie, Helguson

Recent form: Newcastle – LDLWLW; QPR – LLLDLL

Prediction: 2-1

SWANSEA CITY v ARSENAL 16:00, The Liberty Stadium

There shouldn’t be many wasted passes in this purist-pleasing contest. Brendan Rodgers’ insistence on his team playing patient possession football has also been effective, with Swansea’s home record up their with the best in the league.

Arsenal will be desperate for victory in order to keep pace with their London rivals in the race for Champions League places, but will have to earn their victory.

What to watch out for: Thierry Henry. After his fairytale re-start to his Gunners career against Leeds on Monday night he’s certain to play a part here and who’d bet against another goal.

Possible line-ups:

Swansea – Vorm; Williams, Taylor, Monk, Rangel; Britton, Orlandi, Sinclair, Dyer, Agustien; Graham

Arsenal – Szczesny; Mertesacker, Koscielny, Djourou, Coquelin; Arteta, Ramsey, Song; Van Persie, Walcott, Gervinho

Recent form: Swansea – WDLDDW; Arsenal – WLWDWL

Prediction: 1-1

WIGAN ATHLETIC v MANCHESTER CITY 20:00, The DW Stadium (Monday)

Wigan’s excellent December form evaporated with the arrival of 2012. After threatening to break out of the bottom three with an undefeated run, Roberto Martinez’s men were thrashed at home by a revived Sunderland and last week crashed out of the cup at lower league Swindon.

The other Roberto will be the last person showing any sympathy after suffering two home cup defeats inside a  week. City should be especially focused on victory now there is Tottenham as well as their city rivals breathing down their neck.

What to watch out for: The City line-up. Mancini recognised that Mario Balotelli didn’t seem in the mood on Wednesday night and withdrew him before half-time. It’s always interesting to see which of his star attacking players he leaves out.

Possible line-ups:

Wigan – Al Habsi; Gohouri, Alcaraz, Stam, Figueroa; McCarthy, Gomez, Jones, Diame; Moses, Rodallega

Man City – Hart; Richards, Lescott, Savic, Clichy; Milner, Barry, De Jong; Nasri, Silva; Dzeko

Recent form: Wigan – WDDLDL; Man City – LWWDLW

Prediction: 1-3

Sir Alex Ferguson endured a difficult night on Tyneside

This scribe would like to think he is what is known as a ‘proper’ Manchester United supporter.

Not one of those glory-hunting, day-tripping people who fill up at least half of Old Trafford every other week with hands gripped tightly around their latest megastore purchases and cameras.

No, he’d like to describe himself as somebody that is aware that football was played before the introduction of the Premier League in 1992. Somebody that can talk you through Norman Whiteside’s extra-time FA Cup winner against Everton in 1985 (despite not even being born). Heck, he could even name the United starting line-up for the 1968 European Cup final (not Champions League) against Benfica.

Stepney, Brennan, Foulkes, Sadler, Dunne, Crerand, Charlton, Stiles, Best, Kidd and Aston in case you’re wondering!

Now this isn’t an attempt at bragging, it just puts him into a position where he feels he can comment on the current problems United are suffering, despite Sir Alex Ferguson’s persistent denials.

Which brings us round to what a large proportion of the United faithful see as the ‘major problem’, namely the Glazer family.

Now, don’t grasp the wrong idea from the few paragraphs that are about to follow, after all the debt that the Glazer family have plunged the club into is simply spine-chilling. However, for those fellow Reds that continue to bemoan the lack of funding from the Glazer family into the playing squad, they should scratch a little more than surface.

This piece was written (slightly in anger) following United’s 3-0 loss to Newcastle United on a windy night on Tyneside. Or in other words, a night where championships are won and lost.

Ferguson sent out a starting XI that read: Lindegaard, Valencia, Ferdinand, Jones, Evra, Giggs, Carrick, Park, Nani, Rooney and Berbatov. To put it another way, a side that cost around £170million.

Lining up in the centre of midfield for United (a problem area despite what Ferguson says) was 38-year-old Ryan Giggs and £18.6millon worth of weak tackling and crab-like passing in the shape of Michael Carrick.

In direct opposition were messrs Tiote and Cabaye, a duo that cost the Magpies a mere £8million. And guess who won the all-important midfield battle? That’s right, Newcastle’s bargain buys.

The pair have everything the United midfield is currently crying out for. There is the bite and all action style of the Ivory Coast’s Tiote, while Frenchman Cabaye provides the easy-on-the-eye passes and imagination – highlighted by his curling free-kick into the top corner shortly after the restart.

Just to put this into context even further, Tiote and Cabaye cost less than Bebe and Mame Diouf! Scary!

Staying with Newcastle, their goalkeeper Tim Krul, widely regarded as one of the best in the Premier League, cost a mere £200,000 when he joined the club from Den Haag. Whereas United parted with a reported £18million to bring the mistake-ridden David de Gea to English shores during the summer.

And just to rub more salt in the wound, Demba Ba anyone? While £30million Dimitar Berbatov waltzed around the turf looking less than disinterested, Ba was busy terrorising Rio Ferdinand and Phil Jones. His unstoppable volley was the perfect reward for a good night’s work by the frontman.

And it is not just Newcastle that should be patting their scouts on the back.

Tottenham Hotspur paid £7million for Gareth Bale and £16.5million for Luka Modric. Compare that to the reported £16million paid for Ashley Young and a further £16million shelled out to take Antonio Valencia to Old Trafford and which manager do you think got the better deal?

The list goes on, particularly in United’s troubled midfield area. Aaron Ramsey (£4.8million), Adam Johnson (£9million), Scott Parker (£5.5million), Rafael van der Vaart (£8million) and Stephane Sessegnon (£6million) would all arguably make an impact for United currently. Whether that says more about those players than the state of the United engine room is debate for another day.

But the point is valid, those players are out there, and not always at massive prices.

Which begs the question, what is going on behind the scenes at United? Where are the United scouts when Modric is Spurs bound or Johnson is moving to City?

Granted the Glazer family have not parted with massive money since the purchase of Berbatov, but who does these days? With the exception of the noisy neighbours of course.

Anyway, you could have brought David Silva in for what it cost to sign Young and the painfully one-footed Valencia and still have and had enough change to pick up Tiote and Cabye. What a difference that would make to the United line up.

Krul, Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Silva, Cabaye, Tiote, Nani, Rooney, Hernandez. Compare that to the team that took to the field at Newcastle and make your own mind up.

Okay, it is not Barcelona-conquering, but what would you rather see turn out in red and white each week?

Now, this is not a defence piece of the Glazers, nor is it a critical article on Mr Ferguson’s transfer dealings. It is simply written to raise the awareness that United have spent reasonable money in recent years, but other clubs have simply signed better players or perhaps got lucky with their gamble purchases.

Whatever your opinion one thing is for certain, something has to change or United will end up a long way behind the other half of Manchester.

Talking of which, roll on Sunday!

Rant over!

A “Super Sunday” collection of games provided many of the weekend’s most eagerly anticipated Premier League fixtures, with five of the current top six in action. Saturday, meanwhile, saw the focus largely concentrated on matters in the lower half of the table.

The weekend’s results haven’t manufactured any major change at the top of the league, with both Manchester clubs winning, although Tottenham returned to third spot after beating Sunderland on Sunday, a day after Chelsea laboured to a draw at struggling Wigan.

Manchester City, looking to bounce back after the disappointment of being knocked out the Champions League and then surrendering their unbeaten league record at Chelsea, were always likely to meet a tough challenge in Arsenal.

The Gunners were themselves unbeaten in their last eight league games, a positive run mostly attributed to the messianic form of Robin Van Persie and a mightily improved defence from the start of the season.

Arsenal provided City with their toughest league assignment at the Etihad this season, with Joe Hart forced to make several fine saves before the home side took advantage of a defensive reshuffle to score the game’s only goal. Mario Balotelli’e effort was parried by Wojciech Szczesny with the ball falling at the feet of David Silva.

The little Spaniard made no mistake in slotting home his sixth goal of the season from two yards out. After that City were forced to cling on for the win as Thomas Vermaelen forced Hart to tip a long distance strike over the bar late on.

The win meant City maintained their unbeaten home record in 2011 with Mancini’s men failing to win only two of the games. More pertinently they retain their two-point lead at the top of the table.

Earlier in the day Manchester United had secured victory with rather more ease at QPR. They made a flying start by taking the lead inside the opening minute. Antonio Valencia, keeping his place following an encouraging display against Wolves last Saturday, delivered a cross for Wayne Rooney to plant a header beyond the reach of goalkeeper Radek Cerny.

United could and should have put the game beyond the reach of the home side in the first half, with poor finishing and good shot-stopping from Cerny responsible for keeping the score down.

United did eventually kill off their opponents shortly after half time through the unlikely source of Michael Carrick. The England midfielder grabbed his first goal in 70 United games by dispossessing Joey Barton in the QPR half and darting towards goal before beating Cerny with a composed finish.

A London side doing rather better are Tottenham who, with a narrow victory over Sunderland, took possession of third place in the table. In truth they appeared a less capable force in the absence of the rampaging Gareth Bale through injury, but were nonetheless deserving victors.

Rafael Van der Vaart and Brazilian Sandro missed excellent first half opportunities before Spurs lost their other wing wonder, Aaron Lennon, with a hamstring strain on the half hour. It was Lennon’s replacement, Roman Pavlyuchenko, who came on to earn Spurs the spoils with an excellent finish from Van der Vaart’s pass just after the hour mark.

The most surprising result of the weekend was Chelsea’s inability to see off Wigan on Saturday, certainly when you consider their achievement in beating Manchester City last Monday night which reduced their deficit from the league summit to seven points.

Jordi Gomez’s 88^th minute equaliser at the DW Stadium may well have killed off Chelsea’s title hopes prematurely, cancelling out Daniel Sturridge’s ninth goal of the season. Chelsea drop back to fourth in the table with a crucial encounter with Tottenham coming up on Thursday.

Speculation remains rife over who will be the first manager out with the race apparently between Blackburn’s Steve Kean and Bolton’s Owen Coyle. Rovers suffered a devastating late defeat at home to West Brom, while Bolton were swept aside by Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Wolves are again lurking perilously close to the bottom three following a 2-1 reverse against in-form Stoke at Molineux. Wolves led at half-time through a Stephen Hunt penalty, which resulted from a foul from Jonathan Woodgate which might’ve brought a red card, but didn’t.

Possibly to save him from a sending off Tony Pulis decided to replace the out-of-sorts Woodgate immediately in any case. Stoke drew level rather fortunately when Robert Huth’s free-kick cannoned in off Wolves striker Kevin Doyle with Peter Crouch grabbing the winner in the 70^th minute with a far post header.

Stoke have now won four consecutive games for the first time in the Premier League and sit proudly in eighth place.

Blackburn looked to have done enough to get a draw against West Brom after Scott Dann headed an equaliser to cancel out James Morrison’s superb volley. Peter Odemwingie had other ideas though, as he showed a return to scoring form with an exceptional curling effort from 20 yards to break Blackburn hearts in the 89^th minute.

Bolton on the other hand were never really in their game at Fulham, with goals from Clint Dempsey and Bryan Ruiz securing all the points for Martin Jol’s men.

Elsewhere, Liverpool resumed a fantastic away record by winning at Aston Villa in Sunday’s other game. Craig Bellamy was the star of the show with both a goal and an assist in the space of five minutes early on.

Both goals resulted from corners, firstly Bellamy converted a Stewart Downing ball in via a flick-on from Jonjo Shelvey and moments later Bellamy curled the ball in for Martin Skrtel to head home.

The weekend’s other games saw promoted sides Norwich and Swansea continue to pick up points, with creditable draws at Everton and Newcastle respectively.

Grant Holt put Norwich ahead in the first half, but Leon Osman rescued a point for Everton with nine minutes remaining. Swansea continued to show improvement on the road with a 0-0 draw at Newcastle, who’ve now fallen to a season low of seventh place.