EPL Preview : Blockbuster GameWeek 8

Finally the International break is over and after two weeks EPL action starts again. Fans can have sigh of relief as two weeks were very long and difficult to pass without Premier League action so the wait is over and EPL action starts with games this weekend to watch out for. Here is some sneak preview and prediction of the matches to be played in the weekend.

Dt :- 20-10-2012

(1.) Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea at White Hart Lane – 12:45 BST/ 17:15 IST

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 15: Florent Malouda of Chelsea is tackled by Kyle Walker of Spurs during the FA Cup with Budweiser Semi Final match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on April 15, 2012 in London, England.

The EPL gets off to a cracking start with the London Derby as Tottenham host league leaders Chelsea. All eyes will be on Andres Villas-Boas, facing his old team Chelsea for the first time after getting sacked last season and joining Spurs over the summer. Tottenham Hotspur are on a good winning streak as they have won four consecutive league matches, winning their last match 2-0 against Aston Villa. AVB’s men will look to continue their good run against Chelsea side who have not won at White Hart Lane in their last six visits.

Chelsea are on an unbeaten run and are on top of the table with a lead of four points over the chasing pack. The Blues are in superb form having won their last three league matches on the trot, winning 4-1 against Norwich at home the last time. Roberto Di Matteo will look to get a good result as they have a poor record at the Lane. This will be an acid test for the Chelsea team as both teams are in good form. While Terry’s absence and AVB’s return will dominate the headlines, it will be a tight contest with little to choose between the two sides so a draw looks the best possible result.

Players to watch out for – Dempsey, Bale, Dembele, Vertonghen; Hazard, Mata, Ivanovic and Cech

Prediction – Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Chelsea

(2.) Fulham v Aston Villa at Craven Cottage – 15:00 BST/ 19:30 IST

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – MARCH 10: Clint Dempsey of Fulham (L) beats James Collins of Aston Villa in the air during the Barclays Premier League match between Aston Villa and Fulham at Villa Park on March 10, 2012 in Birmingham, England.

Fulham host struggling Aston Villa, who have had their worst start ever this season. Fulham will look to get back to winning ways on home soil after their 2-2 draw against Southampton on the road. Martin Jol wants Craven Cottage to become a fortress, which means having a good record at home. Aston Villa are off to their worst start of the season as they have won only one match out of seven played. Villa are in a transition period and Paul Lambert will look for improvements, as they are very poor away from home. An easy comfortable home victory looks the best possible result.

Players to watch out for – Berbatov, Duff, Riise; Agbonlahor, Benteke, Vlaar

Prediction – Fulham 3-1 Aston Villa

(3.) Liverpool v Reading at Anfield – 15:00 BST/ 19:30 IST

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – JANUARY 13: Jobi McAnuff of Reading is challenged by Lucas of Liverpool during the FA Cup sponsored by E.ON 3rd Round Replay match between Liverpool and Reading at Anfield on January 13, 2010 in Liverpool, England.

Liverpool welcome Reading to Anfield, and are searching for their first home win of the season, having only won two out of 13 matches in 2012. Before the international break, Liverpool were held to a goalless draw at home to Stoke, while Reading picked up a 2-2 draw at Swansea.

Brendan Rodgers side will look to improve their performance at home as they have made the joint worst start to the season. Reading are yet to win a match this season, but they are improving as the weeks go by in an effort to to get out of the relegation zone. It will be a tight contest as both are not in good form but Liverpool have better talent in the team and if they can keep up their good work, a first home victory is theirs for the taking.

Players to watchout for Liverpool – Suarez, Gerrard, Skrtel; Kebe, Pogrebnyak and Guthrie

Prediction – Liverpool 2-1 Reading

(4.) Manchester United v Stoke City at Old Trafford – 15:00 BST/ 19:30 IST

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JANUARY 31: Wilson Palacios of Stoke City battles with Antonio Valencia of Manchester United during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Stoke City at Old Trafford on January 31, 2012 in Manchester, England.

Manchester United host physica’ Stoke City at Old Trafford. United have a great record against Stoke at home, whereas Stoke have not won in their last 12 matches at Old Trafford. Manchester United had a great game in their last outing, winning 3-0 at Newcastle, which was a difficult place to get a result. Sir Alex Ferguson will want a similar performance against a Stoke side which plays in a different style and will look to get back to winning ways at home, having lost their last match 3-2 against Spurs.

Stoke City are living up to their reputation of being a notoriously difficult nut to crack as they have held many big teams to draws this season. Tony Pulis’ side will look to play physically, depending on set-pieces for goals. The Potters have a good defense and will try to make life difficult for Manchester United. Getting a point at Old Trafford will be a big result for them as they have poor record at the Theatre of Dreams. A comfortable home victory with a clean sheet looks the best bet for Man United team possessing great talent.

Players to watch out for – Van Persie, Scholes, De Gea; Crouch, Shawcross and Begovic

Prediction – Manchester United 2-0 Stoke City

(5.) Swansea City v Wigan Athletic at Liberty Stadium – 15:00 BST/ 19:30 IST

WIGAN, ENGLAND – MARCH 03: Swansea player Gylfi Sigurdsson in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Wigan Athletic and Swansea City at DW Stadium on March 3, 2012 in Wigan, England.

Swansea and Wigan will both be out to end their winless streak as both teams have not won a league match in their last five games. Swansea had a great start to the season but have faded somewhat and so must try and get a positive result at home. Michael Laudrup will look to get a win against the struggling Latics as the Swans have difficult fixtures ahead.

In their last outing, Swansea were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Reading, while Wigan came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Everton. Wigan are also on a winless streak and Roberto Martinez will be out to get a result against the out of form Swans. It will be a tight encounter between two struggling teams hoping to get a win, but home advantage might just edge out Wigan, meaning Swansea will pick up three points.

Players to watch out for – Michu, Routledge; Vorm; Kone, McArthur and Caldwell

Prediction – Swansea City 1-0 Wigan Athletic

(6.) West Bromwich Albion v Manchester City at The Hawthrons – 15:00 BST/ 19:30 IST

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – APRIL 11: Nigel de Jong of Manchester City competes with Youssouf Mulumbu (R) and Graham Dorrans of West Bromwich Albion during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion at the Etihad Stadium on April 11, 2012 in Manchester, England.

Surprise high-fliers West Brom host unbeaten Man City at the Hawthrons. West Brom have made a bright start to the season under new boss Steve Clarke to sit sixth in the table. The Baggies have also turned the Hawthrons into a fortress, winning all four matches at home and will look to make it five with a win over Man City. Before the international break, West Brom won 3-2 against QPR, while City beat Sunderland 3-0.

Manchester City are unbeaten and Roberto Mancini will want to win this match and get nearer to league leaders Chelsea. Both teams have some injuries to their players and it will be a close match where City are likely to get a win, but both teams are on a good run of form. It will be difficult to separate them and I am going for an entertaining draw.

Players to watch out for – Odemwingie, Mulumbu; Foster; Aguero, Yaya Toure and Kompany

Prediction – West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Manchester City

(7.) West Ham United v Southampton at Upton Park – 15:00 BST/ 19:30 IST

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 14: Carlton Cole of West Ham tries to block Jose Fonte of Southampton during the npower Championship match between West Ham United and Southampton at Boleyn Ground on February 14, 2012 in London, England.

The two promoted teams – West Ham and Southampton – face off at Upton Park. The Hammers have made a bright start to life back in the Premier League, occupying a top-half standing while the Saints are lying in the bottom half of the table. In their last outing, West Ham lost 3-1 to Arsenal at home and Southampton played out a 2-2 draw against Fulham at home. Sam Allardyce will hope to get a win against the Saints as they have the home advantage, while Southampton have been poor as they have the leakiest defense in the league.

Nigel Adkins will look to fill the gap in defense, while their attacking play has been good. West Ham are very good at home, and an easy victory looks to be on the cards against a struggling Southampton.

Players to watchout for West Ham – Carroll, Nolan, Jaaskelainen; Lambert, Lallana and Clyne

Prediction – West Ham United 3-1 Southampton

(8.) Norwich City v Arsenal at Carrow Road – 17:30 BST/ 22:00 IST

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 05: Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal is tackled by Simeon Jackson of Norwich City during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Norwich City at the Emirates Stadium on May 5, 2012 in London, England.

Struggling Norwich host an in-form Arsenal side at Carrow Road. Norwich have made a poor start to the season as they have not won a single match and Chris Hughton’s side are languishing towards the foot of the table. The Canaries will look for an improved performance and try to get at least a point. Before the international break, Norwich suffered a 4-1 defeat at Chelsea, while Arsenal impressively won 3-1 at West Ham United.

Arsenal have made a great start to the season and are consistent in attack as well as in defense. Arsene Wenger will want to continue this good work against Norwich as they have a good record at Carrow Road. An away win for Gunners seems likely as they are on good away form.

Players to watch out for – Holt, Bassong Ruddy; Gervinho, Cazorla and Vermaelen

Prediction – Norwich 1-4 Arsenal

Dt :- 21-10-2012

(9.) Sunderland v Newcastle United at Stadium of Light – 13:30 BST/ 18:00 IST

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – MARCH 04: Sunderland forward Sebastian Larsson gets in a shot despite the attentions of Fabricio Coloccini during the Barclays Premier League match between Newcastle United and Sunderland at St James’ Park on March 4, 2012 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England

This fixture promises to have Super Sunday fireworks at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland lock horns with Newcastle United in the Tyne-Wear derby. There is no love lost between these two where local bragging rights are as important as three points at stake. Both teams come into this game at the back of 3-0 defeats to the teams from Manchester, as the Magpies were defeated at home by United while the Black Cats lost at City before the international break.

Sunderland have not won this fixture since 2008 and they haven’t kept clean sheet in any of their derby fixtures. Martin O’Neil side will look to improve the record and get a win, as he has home advantage. Newcastle are unbeaten in their last five matches of this fixture and Alan Pardew will be looking to continue his good record at the Stadium of Light with a win.

The Toons haven’t won an away match this season and will have to perform better for a win. Both teams will want to come out firing in this derby game and emotions will be running high, it will be a close match as it can go either way, but they may just cancel each other out on this occasion - I am predicting an entertaining draw.

Players to watchout for – Fletcher, Larsson, O’Shea; Demba Ba, Ben Arfa and Tiote

Prediction – Sunderland 1-1 Newcastle United

(10.) QPR v Everton at Loftus Road Stadium – 16:00 BST/ 20:30 IST

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 03: Clint Hill of QPR tackles Nikica Jelavic of Everton during the Barclays Premier League match between Queens Park Rangers and Everton at Loftus Road on March 3, 2012 in London, England.

QPR face an in-form Everton side at Loftus Road. QPR are winless and the pressure is on manager Mark Hughes to deliver after spending big in the summer, and he will be hoping for his side to perform to win the match. In their last outing, QPR lost 3-2 at West Brom, while Everton settled for a 2-2 draw at Wigan. Everton have started the season brightly, sitting in the top four of the table. David Moyes’ side will look to keep performing consistently and get a result but they will have to do without their talisman Marouane Fellani. Its a tricky game which can go either way or can end as a draw but I am predicting a surprise home win for QPR as they need a result and can just edge out Everton in this fixture since they have the home advantage.

Players to watchout for – Taarabt, Park; Ferdinand; Jelavic, Pienaar and Baines

Prediction – QPR 2-1 Everton