Sunday, April 8, 2012

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09.04. (Mon) 21:00 Fulham vs Chelsea

EPL,Fernando Torres,Aston Villa v Chelsea
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PROBABLE LINEUPS

FULHAM

Schwarzer
Kelly, Hughes, Hangeland, J.A Riise
Ruiz, Dembele, Diarra, Duff
Pogrebnyak, Dempsey
CHELSEA

CechIvanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Cole
Essien, Lampard, Meireles
Kalou, Torres, Mata

The hosts are unlikely to make many changes from the side that emphatically won 3-0 at Bolton. Pavel Pogrebnyak should be fit to come back, with former Liverpool youngster Alex Kacaniklic the most likely to drop out of the side.

Danny Murphy may come back into the squad after missing the Cottagers' trip to Bolton. Long-term injury victims Zdenek Grygera (knee) and Steve Sidwell (groin) again miss out.

Roberto Di Matteo could make a number of changes from the side that narrowly beat relegation strugglers Wigan 2-1. John Terry may again miss out with a rib injury, but veterans Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard are likely to overcome knocks and be back into the side in place of Ryan Bertrand and Florent Malouda, respectively.

Elsewhere, Salomon Kalou may take Daniel Sturridge’s place as one of the Blues’ attacking front trio. Fernando Torres is likely to get a chance to impress over Didier Drogba after coming off the bench against Wigan.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Fulham’s last win in the Premier League over Chelsea was back in the 2005-06 season when they won 1-0.
  • The Cottagers have scored five or more goals at home on three occasions so far this season - a 6-2 win over QPR, a 5-2 win over Newcastle United and a 5-0 win over Wolves.
  • The previous league encounter earlier in the season at Stamford Bridge ended in a 1-1 draw. Juan Mata (pictured right) opened the scoring just after half-time before a Clint Dempsey finish tied up the match.
  • Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has scored 10 or more Premier League goals in each of the last nine campaigns. He currently has 10 league goals so far this season.
  • Roberto Di Matteo has won eight of his ten games in all competitions since being appointed as the Blues’ interim manager.
  • Chelsea are one of seven clubs who have been in the Premier League since its inception - the other six are Arsenal, Aston Villa, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham.
Prediction
Fulham have put in a number of impressive displays at home this season playing an attractive and fast brand of football under Martin Jol. They will be hoping to add another win against a London rival after beating Arsenal at home earlier in the season.
Chelsea need a win as they look to finish in a Champions League spot, but could get distracted by massive upcoming games against Spurs in the FA Cup semi-final and Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League. The Cottagers can capitalise on this and grab a win in an entertaining encounter.
Editor's Prediction
Fulham 2-1 Chelsea

Premier League Opta Facts 9th-11th April


Everton v Sunderland
Sunderland have won none of their last 17 games against Everton in all competitions (W0 D5 L12).
Everton have won four of their last five Premier League games at Goodison Park, keeping a clean sheet in all four victories.
The Toffees have scored just 10 goals in their last 10 league outings on home soil.
Sunderland have won none of their last four Premier League away games.
The Black Cats have kept just one clean sheet in their last 11 games on the road.
The Toffees have scored eight goals in the opening 20 minutes of their last 10 Premier League games against Sunderland.
David Moyes' side have won the last four matches against Sunderland at Goodison, the last three without conceding a goal.
David Moyes has never managed a winning team against Martin O'Neill in the Premier League (W0 D6 L3).
Everton have scored exactly two goals in their last three Premier League games.
Nikica Jelavic has scored four goals from eight shots on target for Everton in the Premier League.

Newcastle United v Bolton Wanderers
Newcastle are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League games at the Sports Direct Arena, winning five.
Bolton have kept just one clean sheet in their last 41 Premier League games on the road.
The three goals netted against Wolves at Molineux ended a run of four away games without a goal for the Trotters.
Bolton have drawn just one of their last 28 Premier League away games and that came last season at St James Park.
49% of the goals Bolton have conceded have been netted by midfielders, the highest proportion in the league this season.
The last four meetings between Bolton and Newcastle at St James Park have seen one win apiece, two draws and just six goals.
Papiss Demba Cisse has scored five goals in five league games for the Magpies at the Sports Direct Area.
Newcastle are unbeaten in eight games against teams in the bottom five of the table this season, winning six.
Bolton have earned just one point from 10 games against the current top six in the Premier League and none on the road.
The Wanderers are the only team in the Premier League who are yet to score a headed goal away from home this season.

Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Norwich have failed to score in their last five Premier League games against Spurs.
The Canaries have won just one of the last 13 games against Spurs in all competitions (W1 D2 L10).
Tottenham have lost just two of their last 33 Premier League games at White Hart Lane (W20 D11 L2).
Spurs have kept just one clean sheet in their last six home league games.
Tottenham have scored in their last 21 league games on home soil.
Norwich have lost four of their last five away games including the last three in a row.
The Canaries have kept no clean sheets in their last 30 away games in the Premier League.
Spurs have won only one of their last seven Premier League games.
Gareth Bale has no goals and only one assist in his last eight Premier League appearances.
Grant Holt has scored six goals in his last seven Premier League appearances.

Aston Villa v Stoke City
Six of the eight Premier League goals Stoke have scored against Aston Villa have been netted in the 80th minute or later.
Kenwyne Jones scored in both league meetings with Villa last season.
Aston Villa have only won one of the last nine league meetings with Stoke (W1 D5 L3).
Alex McLeish's side have won just one of their last nine Premier League home games (W1 D2 L6).
The Villans have kept just one clean sheet in their last 11 Premier League matches at Villa Park.
Stoke have won none and lost four of the last six Premier League games on the road.
Four of the seven meetings between Villa and Stoke have ended as draws and the three wins have been by a single-goal margin.
Villa have scored fewer headed goals than any other team in home games this season (1).
Stoke are the only team to have hit fewer than 100 shots on target this season (80), while Villa are third lowest (116).
Peter Crouch has scored three goals in his last four home appearances but has not scored on the road in five matches.


Fulham v Chelsea
The Blues and the Whites have already met twice this season, both times at Stamford Bridge; in the Carling Cup where a 0-0 draw was won by Chelsea on penalties and 1-1 in the league.
Didier Drogba has scored three goals in his last four Premier League starts against Fulham.
Fulham have won just one of the 21 Premier League games against Chelsea (W1 D8 L12).
Fulham have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight Premier League games at Craven Cottage.
Martin Jol's side have won five and lost just one of the last seven games on home soil.
Chelsea have kept just one clean sheet in their last nine Premier League away games.
Victory at Villa Park in their last away game ended a run of five without a win on the road for the Blues and three straight defeats.
Chelsea have won three and drawn two of their last five visits to Craven Cottage.
Clint Dempsey has scored 13 goals in his last 12 matches in all competitions at Craven Cottage.
Dempsey's total of 15 goals this season is already the highest ever recorded by a Fulham player in a single Premier League season.

Blackburn Rovers v Liverpool
Rovers have won just two of the last 26 Premier League games against Liverpool (W2 D12 L12), but they did earn all three points last time they met at Ewood Park.
Blackburn have kept just one clean sheet in their last 17 Premier League games at Ewood Park.
Liverpool have lost six of the last seven Premier League away games including the last four in a row.
Yakubu has scored seven goals in his last nine Premier League games at Ewood Park.
Liverpool have won just one of their four Premier League away games against the teams in the bottom five of the table.
Blackburn have picked up just six points from north west derbies, fewer than any other team in the region.
Liverpool have won just one of their five north west derbies away from home in the Premier League this season.
Liverpool have taken just nine points from 13 games in 2012, only Wolves have fewer.
The Reds have hit the woodwork 28 times this season. If all their woodwork strikes (and the oppositions') had gone in, they'd be 13 points better off.
Blackburn have lost their last three league games, they have never lost four in a row under Steve Kean.

Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion
West Brom are looking for their 50th league victory over Manchester City.
Roberto Mancini's side are unbeaten in their last 26 Premier League games at the Etihad Stadium, winning 24 of those games.
Only one visiting side of the last 17 to play at the Etihad Stadium has stopped Man City from scoring two or more goals.
West Brom have kept just one clean sheet in their last 35 Premier League away games.
City have the best home record in the top flight this season, picking up 46 from a possible 48 points.
The Baggies have failed to score in their last three Premier League games against the Citizens.
Sergio Aguero has scored six goals in his last six Premier League games at the Etihad Stadium.
West Brom have lost all three away games against the teams in the current top four of the Premier League and taken one point from six matches overall.
Man City have scored the highest percentage of goals in the second half of home games of any side in the top flight (70%).
City have gone three Premier League games without a win, they haven't gone four without one since November 2009.

Wigan Athletic v Manchester United
United have won all 14 matches in all competitions against Wigan.
The Latics have failed to score in eight of their last nine Premier League games against the Red Devils, including the last five in a row.
Wayne Rooney has scored 10 goals in 14 appearances against Wigan in all competitions.
Wigan's win over Stoke ended a run of 13 Premier League games at the DW Stadium without a victory for the Latics.
Roberto Martinez's side have scored just six goals in their last 10 Premier League games at the DW Stadium.
The Red Devils have won 12 and lost just one of their last 17 Premier League away matches.
Man Utd have the best away record in the Premier League with 39 points, already 14 points more than they picked up on the road in 2010-11.
United have won their last eight games in a row, the longest sequence in the Premier League this season, and the longest within a season since 2008-09.
The Latics have had three players sent off in their last three league games against Man Utd.
Javier Hernandez has scored three goals in three league appearances against Wigan.

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal
Only Arsenal (19) have recovered more points from losing positions than Wolves (14) in the Premier League this season.
12 of the points Arsenal have recovered have come in away games, again a league high.
Wolves have dropped more points from winning positions than any other team in the 2011-12 Premier League (20).
Arsenal have lost just one of the last five Premier League away games (W3 D1 L1).
Wolves have won none of the last nine Premier League games at Molineux and lost the last seven in a row.
Wolves have gone 15 games at Molineux without a clean sheet in the Premier League.
Arsenal have won 15 and lost none of the last 18 games against Wolves in all competitions.
The Gunners have won the last five trips to Molineux in all competitions.
Wolves scored from their only shot on target against Arsenal when they met just after Christmas while the Gunners netted just once from 11 attempts on target.
Wolves have the worst home record in the top flight picking up just 11 points so far.

Queens Park Rangers v Swansea City
Three of the last four league games between Swansea and QPR have ended as draws.
Jamie Mackie has scored in his last two appearances for QPR against Swansea.
QPR have kept no clean sheets in their last 11 Premier League games at Loftus Road.
Gylfi Sigurdsson has scored six goals in his last five away league games for Swansea.
Swansea have won just two of their six games against the teams in the current bottom five of the table.
QPR have scored the highest percentage of goals in the first half of home games in the top flight this season (53%).
QPR have picked up seven red cards this season, more than any other Premier League side.
Swansea have lost their last three league games, their worst run of the campaign.
Swansea have collected fewer yellow cards than any other Premier League side this season (32).
Bobby Zamora has managed only four shots on target in eight games for QPR but two of those have resulted in goals.

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09.04. (Mon) 16:00 Tottenham - Norwich

EPl,Emmanuel Adebayor,Tottenham Hotspur v Swansea City
Getty Images

PROBABLE LINEUPS

TOTTENHAM

Friedel
Walker, Kaboul, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto Parker, Sandro, Modric Van der Vaart, Adebayor, Bale
NORWICH CITY

RuddyMartin, R. Bennett, Ward, Drury
Bennett, Fox, Howson, Surman, Hoolahan
Holt

With a number of their key players replaced in the goalless draw away to Sunderland, Harry Redknapp is unlikely to make any changes to his side, with no new injury or suspension concerns to contend with.

Norwich manager Paul Lambert rarely makes alterations to his side, and despite the short space between games, is unlikely to change this policy.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor (pictured right) has been caught offside the most times in the Premier League this season, and is their leading goalscorer in the Premier League with 13 since joining on loan from Manchester City via Real Madrid.
  • After their win over Swansea in their last home game, Tottenham have now achieved the rare feat of defeating teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland this season, having previously faced Hearts and Shamrock Rovers in the Europa League.
  • The first meeting between these two sides this season was on December 27, and finished in a comfortable 2-0 win for Spurs at Carrow Road thanks to a brace from Welshman Gareth Bale.
  • Both sides were founder members of the Premier League in the 1992-93 season, and in nine games played between the two, Norwich have only recorded one victory: a 3-1 win at White Hart Lane in the 1993-94 season.
  • Tottenham’s Kyle Naughton is currently on loan to Norwich City, and has only made one appearance for his parent club, as a 94th minute substitute away to West Ham in August 2009.
  • These two sides faced each other in the 1973 League Cup final at Wembley, with a 72nd minute goal from Ralph Coates handing Tottenham a 1-0 victory.
  • Despite reaching 40 Premier League points thanks to their 2-2 draw at home to Everton, Norwich have only taken five points from their last six games, with a 2-1 win at home to Wolves helping lift them 12 points clear of the relegation zone.
  • Norwich’s Adam Drury has been at the club since 2001, and is the only player in the squad who was part of the Canaries’ most recent season in the Premier League in 2004-05; he has been inducted into the Norwich City Hall of Fame.
Prediction
Having played out tough draws on Saturday, this game may be a struggle for both sides. However, with home advantage, Tottenham will be confident of reversing their recent poor form and returning to winning ways, and should have enough to see off the Canaries.
Editor's Prediction
Tottenham 2-1 Norwich City