Premier League Opta Facts - 28-29 December

Statistics and facts to help your football betting are available every week at Sta Sam Ti Reko courtesy of Opta Sportsdata, Europe's leading provider of sports performance statistics.

Manchester City v Aston Villa

• Villa have only won two of their last 15 Premier League games against Man City.
• John Carew has scored four goals in his six Premier League starts against Man City.
• Villa have conceded a penalty in three of their last four Premier League games against the Citizens.
• Villa have won just one and lost seven of their last nine Premier League away matches.
• Gerard Houllier's side have failed to score in three of their last four away matches in the Premier League.
• Man City have only kept one clean sheet in their last six Premier League matches.
• Aston Villa are one of two teams who have not won any points from a game where they have been trailing in the Premier League.

Stoke City v Fulham

• The Potters have won the last three meetings in all competitions with the Londoners.
• Five of the last seven league meetings between Stoke and Fulham have ended as 1-0 wins.
• Fulham have won none of their last 26 Premier League away games.
• Blackpool are the only team to prevent Stoke from scoring in the last nine league matches played at the Britannia Stadium.
• Fulham have lost the most points from winning positions this season; 13.
• 83% of the goals Stoke have scored have been netted in the second half, the highest proportion in the top flight.
• 65% of the goals that Fulham have conceded have come in the first half, the highest proportion in the Premier League.

Sunderland v Blackpool

• Sunderland are unbeaten in their last 11 games in all competitions at home to Blackpool, since the Tangerines won 4-1 in February 1958.
• Sunderland have lost just one of the last 19 Premier League matches at the Stadium of Light.
• Steve Bruce's side have kept five clean sheets in their last six Premier League games at the Stadium of Light.
• Sunderland have only failed to score in two of their last 15 Premier League home matches, being shut out both times by Manchester United.
• No team have kept more clean sheets than the nine clean sheets that Sunderland have managed this season.
• Blackpool have lost only one of their last seven Premier League matches.
• 81% of Sunderland's goals have been scored by strikers, making them more reliant on their forwards than any other team.

Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United

• Spurs have won just one and lost six of their last seven Premier League matches against Newcastle.
• Spurs have scored exactly one goal in nine of the last 11 Premier League matches against Newcastle.
• None of the last 20 Premier League meetings between Newcastle and Tottenham has ended as a draw.
• Spurs have scored first in their last six Premier League matches at home to Newcastle, but have gone on to lose two of the last three.
• Newcastle have conceded more goals in their last two league away games (eight) than in their previous six on the road (7).
• Tottenham Hotspur have now gone 17 matches without keeping a clean sheet in the Premier League.
• Rafael Van der Vaart has either scored or assisted 10 goals in his last nine Premier League appearances for Spurs.

West Bromwich Albion v Blackburn Rovers

• Blackburn have had a player sent off in the last two Premier League games against West Brom.
• Rovers haven't kept a clean sheet away from home in the Premier League this season.
• Only one team (Stoke) have stopped Rovers from scoring in their last 11 Premier League away matches.
• Rovers' last five goals away from home have all been netted in the 80^th minute or later.
• Blackburn have won just one of their last 11 Premier League away games in the Midlands.
• Blackburn are one of two teams who have not won any points from a game where they have been trailing in the Premier League.
• Blackburn's defenders have contributed six goals, more than any other team.

West Ham United v Everton

• West Ham have won none of the last six meetings with Everton in the Premier League.
• Louis Saha has scored five goals in four Premier League appearances for Everton against West Ham
• Yakubu has scored three goals in four Premier League games for Everton against West Ham.
• Everton have only lost four of their 15 Premier League visits to Upton Park and have won in their last three games at the home of the Hammers.
• Everton have won away at West Ham more often than versus any other Premier League opponent, 7 times (joint with Manchester City).
• The Toffees have beaten West Ham 16 times in the Premier League, more victories than against any other opponent.
• Blackpool are the only team to stop West Ham from scoring at Upton Park in the Hammers' last 12 Premier League home matches.

Birmingham City v Manchester United

• There have been only five goals scored in the last four Premier League meetings between Manchester United and Birmingham City.
• Wayne Rooney has scored in four of his last six Premier League games against Birmingham.
• Birmingham have drawn three and lost three of their six home Premier League games against Man Utd, but all three defeats were by a one-goal margin.
• The Blues have managed to score just four goals in 12 Premier League meetings with United, but none of these have come at St Andrews.
• Birmingham have only lost one of their last 23 Premier League home matches, but 12 of these have ended as draws.
• United are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League away games, but have drawn six of the last seven.

Chelsea v Bolton Wanderers

• Bolton failed to score in three matches against Chelsea last season, twice in the league and once in the Carling Cup.
• Chelsea are unbeaten against Bolton in their last 14 meetings in all competitions.
• Frank Lampard has scored seven goals in his last 10 Premier League starts against Bolton.
• Bolton haven't kept a clean sheet against Chelsea in their last 19 Premier League meetings.
• The Blues have only failed to score in one of their last 29 Premier League games at Stamford Bridge.
• Chelsea have the best home defence in the Premier League conceding just four goals, but those all came in their last two games at Stamford Bridge.
• 63% of the goals Bolton have scored have come in the last half an hour of games, the highest percentage of any team.
• The clean sheet against West Brom ended a run of 17 matches without a shutout for Bolton.

Wigan Athletic v Arsenal

• Arsenal were 2-0 up with just over 10 minutes to play in this fixture last season, but Wigan came back to win 3-2.
• There have been five goals scored in the 89^th minute or later in the last three meetings between Wigan and Arsenal.
• Wigan have won just one and lost eight of their 10 Premier League games against Arsenal.
• The Latics have only won two of their last 10 Premier League home matches, but are unbeaten in the last five.
• Wigan are unbeaten in their last five matches at the DW Stadium, netting in each game.
• Tom Cleverley has scored three goals in his last four Premier League appearances.
• Wigan haven't won back to back Premier League games since August 2009.

Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers

• There have been just five goals scored in the four Premier League meetings between Liverpool and Wolves.
• Liverpool have won their last four Premier League games at Anfield and kept clean sheets in the last three.
• Fernando Torres has hit 44 goals in 48 Premier League appearances at Anfield.
• Wolves have won none of their last 11 Premier League away games and lost the last seven in a row.
• Mick McCarthy's side have kept just one clean sheet in their last 19 Premier League away games.
• Wolves have kept just one clean sheet in their last 21 Premier League matches.
• Liverpool have only scored one goal in the final 15 minutes of matches, fewer than any other team.

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Championship Opta Facts - 28-29 December

Statistics and facts to help your football betting are available every week at Sta Sam Ti Reko courtesy of Opta Sportsdata, Europe's leading provider of sports performance statistics.

Coventry v QPR

• The Sky Blues are unbeaten in their last meetings with the Hoops, winning twice.
• QPR have hit just one goal on their last five trips to the Ricoh Arena.
• Only one of Coventry's 11 league games at home this season has ended in a draw.
• Marlon King has scored in the Sky Blues' last two league games at home.
• QPR have hit just two goals in their last five away matches in the Championship combined.

Bristol City v Crystal Palace

• City have won their last three meetings with the Eagles by a 1-0 scoreline.
• Nicky Maynard has scored in three of his last four league appearances against Palace.
• City are unbeaten in their last six league matches at home, and have kept three consecutive clean sheets.
• Brett Pitman has opened the scoring in the last three league games at Ashton Gate, bagging five goals in total.
• Palace have lost their last five league away games.

Burnley v Scunthorpe

• Burnley have won just one of their last seven league games at home to the Iron.
• However Burnley have lost just one of their last six against Scunthorpe in all competitions.
• Having kept a clean sheet in five of their opening six league games at Turf Moor, Burnley have failed to shut out their opponents in their last five.
• The Iron have shipped three goals in each of their last two league away games.

Doncaster v Ipswich

• Rovers are unbeaten in their last six games against Ipswich in all competitions, winning three.
• Last season Rovers came from behind to draw in both league meetings with Ipswich.
• Rovers are unbeaten in their last four at home in the Championship, winning three.
• The Tractor Boys have lost six of their last seven league games on the road.

Hull v Reading

• Three of the last five meetings between the Royals and the Tigers have ended 1-1.
• Hull are without a win in their last seven games at home to Reading.
• The 10 games at the KC Stadium this season in the league have produced only 12 goals.
• Shane Long has scored four goals in his last four appearances away from home with the Royals.

Leeds United v Portsmouth

• Pompey are on a run of four straight wins against Leeds in all competitions.
• However, the Whites have won their last four matches at home to Portsmouth in the second tier of English football.
• Leeds have won their last three games at home in the league this season.
• Pompey have won four of their last six league games on the road, including the last two.

Millwall v Leicester

• The last three league meetings between Millwall and Leicester have ended in a 1-0 win for the away side (Leicester two times).
• The Lions have won just two of their last 13 matches against City.
• Millwall have shipped just four goals in their last six league games at the New Den.

Norwich v Sheffield United

• Norwich have won their last four games at home to the Blades, three of them by a 1-0 scoreline.
• United have lost on seven of their last eight trips to Carrow Road.
• The Canaries have won only one of their last four games at home in the league.
• All three of the Blades' away wins in the league this season have been by a score of 1-0.

Preston v Middlesbrough

• Boro have won four of their last five league meetings with Preston.
• Preston have not won at Middlesbrough in the league since November 1971.
• The last three games at Deepdale in the league have produced only three goals in total.
• Boro have lost nine of their last 10 league games on the road.

Swansea v Barnsley

• Swansea have won three of their last six league meetings with Barnsley, each by a 3-1 scoreline: the other three games ended in draws.
• The Tykes were one of just three teams against whom the Swans managed to score more than twice in a match last season.
• Swansea have scored exactly once in their last three league games at home.
• After failing to pick up all three points in their first seven away matches of the season, Barnsley have now won their last two.

Watford v Cardiff

• Cardiff are on a run of three straight wins against Watford in the league.
• Peter Whittingam hit three goals against the Hornets last season.
• Watford have won just one of their last five games at home to the Bluebirds.
• Watford are unbeaten in their last three games at home.
• Cardiff have kept only one clean sheet in their last nine Championship matches on the road.

Nottingham Forest v Derby County

• Forest haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last 10 meetings with the Rams.
• Derby have only won one of their last 15 trips to Forest in the league.
• Forest are the only side in the second tier to remain unbeaten at home this season. The Reds have won five and drawn five of their 10 games the City Ground.
• The Rams have lost their last three Championship away games.

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SPL Opta Facts - 29 December

Statistics and facts to help your football betting are available every week at Sta Sam Ti Reko courtesy of Opta Sportsdata, Europe's leading provider of sports performance statistics.

Hamilton v Aberdeen

• Paul Hartley scored a hat-trick of penalties when the two sides met at Pittodrie earlier in the season.
• Aberdeen have won on 10 of their last 12 trips to Hamilton in all competitions.
• Hamilton have not played a league game in over a month, with their last SPL fixture being played on the 27^th November.
• Hamilton have managed just one goal in their last five SPL fixtures.
• Aberdeen's Boxing Day victory over Hibs saw them end a run of seven successive league defeats.
• The Dons scored more goals in their last match against Hibs (2) than they had managed in their previous six games put together (1).
• This will be the fourth successive away game that Aberdeen have played in the SPL.
• Aberdeen have lost more SPL games in 2010 than any other side (23).

Hibernian v Dundee United

• United have won five and lost just one of their last eight league clashes with Hibernian.
• Hibs have won just one of their last five games at home to the Terrors.
• Hibs have picked up only one point from their last four league matches.
• The Cabbage have won only two of their last 12 home matches in the SPL.
• Dundee United have scored exactly one goal in each of their last seven league games.
• The Terrors have lost just twice on the road in the SPL since the start of March (12 games).
• Only Aberdeen (23) have lost more games in 2010 in the SPL than Hibs (21).

Celtic v Motherwell

• Celtic have won eight and lost none their last 10 league meetings with Motherwell.
• The Steelmen have scored just six goals in 21 SPL matches at Celtic Park.
• Celtic have lost six matches in 2010 in the SPL, more than in both 2009 (5) and 2008 (4).
• The Hoops have conceded only two goals in their last seven home league matches against Motherwell.
• Motherwell have been able to collect just one point in their last four SPL matches.
• Motherwell have won just two of their 44 SPL away games against either Rangers or Celtic.

Inverness CT v Kilmarnock

• Caley Thistle have won six of their last eight matches against Kilmarnock in all competitions.
• Inverness have won their last five games at home to Killie in all competitions.
• Caley Thistle have not won any of their last four league games; drawing three and losing once.
• Inverness have won just two of their last 12 SPL games at home.
• Kilmarnock have lost only once in their last eight league games since defeat by Caley Thistle in October; picking up five wins in this run.

St Johnstone v Rangers

• St Johnstone won their last league match at home to the Gers, inflicting their biggest league defeat since August 2000.
• Only Celtic, Aberdeen and Hearts have won more often at home to Rangers in the SPL than St Johnstone (three wins in nine meetings).
• Rangers have been defeated in just three SPL games in 2010, fewer than any other side.
• Should this game be played, St Johnstone will host an SPL game for the first time since 13^th November.
• St Johnstone have lost three successive home league games without scoring.

St Mirren v Hearts

• Hearts have won only once in their last four trips to St Mirren's ground in the SPL.
• However the Buddies have won only one of their last nine SPL clashes with the Jambos.
• St Mirren have won just one of their last seven league games at home, and none of their last four at St Mirren Park.
• The Buddies have kept just one clean sheet in their last 14 SPL matches.
• Hearts are unbeaten in seven league games, winning six of those during this run.
• The Jambos have won five successive away games in the SPL and seven of their last eight.

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28-12-2010 21:00 Birmingham City - Manchester United

Chelsea Victory To Inspire Blues

After Everton's water pipes burst, a flood of relegation worries erupted for Birmingham. The Boxing Day abandonment ensured McLeish's men dropped to 17th place in the table - with two games in hand.

Not many teams fighting the drop can boast of a recent victory against the Premier League winners, however. The belief from the 1-0 result against Chelsea more than a month ago could inspire them against the champions elect.

An unlikely three points could boost the Blues towards mid-table safety. An expected set-back and upturn in fortune for Fulham could send them into the bottom three for New Year.

Month To Remember For On-Song United

December is traditionally a time of joy as the festive season kicks in but United have taken this to a new level.

A 1-0 victory against Arsenal and 2-0 swatting aside of Sunderland has seen Ferguson's squad begin to kick into gear after a stuttering start to the season. The Scot will be hopeful of ending the month on a positive note against his Aberdeen protege.

United haven't been beaten at St Andrew's since a 5-1 mauling in 1978. A repeat of such a scoreline would send shockwaves through both ends of the division.

TEAM NEWS

Birmingham City

Alex McLeish's men are fresh after their Boxing Day match at Everton was called off. The Scot is still set to be without playmaker Alexander Hleb (hamstring) and James McFadden (knee).

Hleb has returned to training but the game is expected to come too soon for him to feature.

Possible starting XI: Foster; Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell; Larsson, Bowyer, Ferguson, Gardner, Fahey; Jerome.

Manchester United

Boss Sir Alex Ferguson could unleash striker Michael Owen from the substitute's bench after his return to the fold from injury. It is not yet known whether Anderson's petulant reaction from his substitution during the 2-0 win against Sunderland will be punished.

Owen Hargreaves (hamstring), John O'Shea (calf), Paul Scholes (groin) and Antonio Valencia (knee) are all absent. With the busy festive fixture list to juggle, a number of changes could be made.

Possible starting XI: Van der Sar; Rafael, Vidic, Smalling, Fabio; Nani, Anderson, Fletcher, Giggs; Rooney, Berbatov.

Prediction

Even though Birmingham's players are rested, they seem ill-prepared to stop their table topping visitors.

Birmingham 0-2 Man Utd.

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28-12-2010 18:30 West Ham United - Everton

Hammers Looking For Momentum

West Ham recorded only their third league win of the season against Fulham on Sunday, and their first away from Upton Park for 16 months, and no doubt boss Avram Grant will be looking for another inspired performance in front of the home fans against Everton.

Despite the victory at Craven Cottage, the Hammers are still in the relegation zone on 16 points, but it provided the east London club with a much needed boost to give them some momentum going into the second game of the important festive period.

But the Hammers do not have a good record against the Toffees having lost 2-1 in the corresponding fixture last season.

Toffees Looking To Extend Away Record

Everton head into this fixture having not lost in seven games on the road, the most recent being a 2-1 victory against Manchester City. The Toffees have also only failed to score once in their last 11 Premier League games, so goals could be aplenty.

And Everton fans will be optimistic heading into this fixture as the Merseyside club have an excellent record over the Hammers, having won seven of 15 games at Upton Park, with only four draws and four defeats in the process.

TEAM NEWS

West Ham

Following the 3-1 win against Fulham on Boxing Day, Avram Grant has no new injury concerns for the visit of Everton to Upton Park.

The Hammers boss will look to keep faith with the same 11 that started the game at Craven Cottage, although Victor Obinna could force himself back into the team after starting on the bench.

However, Grant will continue to be without defender Manuel Da Costa and midfielders Mark Noble, Jack Collison and Thomas Hitzlsperger, who are all sidelined until the new year with injuries.

Possible starting XI: Green; Ben-Haim, Tomkins, Upson, Gabbidon; Sears, Kovac, Parker, Stanislas; Cole, Piquionne.

Everton

Meanwhile, Everton’s game was postponed against Birmingham, so manager David Moyes will have a fresh set of players to choose from for the game against the Hammers.

However, the Toffees boss will be without striker Victor Anichebe who is suspended after seeing red in the 2-1 win against Manchester City, while defender Phil Jagielka is out with a thigh strain.

Midfielders Leon Osman and John Heitinga will also miss the trip to Upton Park with knee and ankle injuries respectively.

But Moyes will be boosted by the return of Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta who has now served his three-match suspension.

Possible starting XI: Howard; Neville, Hibbert, Distin, Baines; Coleman, Arteta, Rodwell, Fellaini; Cahill; Saha.

Prediction

With the Hammers beating Fulham and securing their first win away from home this season, I feel that the momentum is with them heading into this fixture. Despite Everton having a good away record, Avram Grant’s men will know that every home game will be crucial if they are to turn their season around and climb away from the bottom of the table.

West Ham 2-1 Everton

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28-12-2010 16:00 Manchester City - Aston Villa

Home Form A Concern

Manchester City have done brilliantly on their travels and have the best away form in the league, as they have won six games, drawn two and lost two while visiting other teams. But unlike most other teams, they seem to falter in the presence of their own fans.

Of the last six games at Eastlands, Mancini’s charges have won two, drawn two, and lost two, which has proven to be their relative downfall in what has been a steep rise in standing this season - albeit owing to the binge on the transfer market.

Arsenal and Chelsea lock horns in north London on Monday. But irrespective of the result of that game, City will still have played at least one game more than the other three teams in the top five. And this means that any slip up could see the club drop out of the top four depending on the results of teams around them.

Victory in this game will take the Eastlands outfit to top spot in the Premier League for a brief period, with the result of Manchester United’s trip to Birmingham City being the determining factor as to whether they would continue to remain on top.

Houllier Under Pressure

Gerard Houllier will likely be a worried man as his side prepare to lock horns with the high flying - and high spending - title chasers.

Aston Villa were consistently on the brink of breaking through in seasons past, but have now fallen prey to a consistently inconsistent run that has cast a cloud over the Frenchman’s reign at Villa Park.

The former Lyon boss arrived in Birmingham after the sudden departure of fan-favourite Martin O’Neill, prior to the start of the season. But the results have done him no good, and recent comments following a match against Liverpool - a club he previously managed - would have irked the wrath of a few fans.

In defence of the ex-Liverpool boss, the money generated from the sale of James Milner was not reinvested in the squad as the manager has been left to rely on younger players in the absence of some of his more experienced charges.

But without the required results on the pitch, one could wonder as to how long the relationship between Houllier and owner Randy Lerner could be like the titanic; great at first, only to hit an iceberg and sink to the bottom of the ocean.

TEAM NEWS

Manchester City

City boss Roberto Mancini has maintained that he will tinker with his line-up for this encounter to give some of his players a rest, due to their exertions against Newcastle United. But he will likely keep James Milner in the starting line-up, having singled him out for praise after the victory over Alan Pardew’s charges.

Pablo Zabaleta was a doubt for the recent game against the Tyneside club, but managed to make the bench on Boxing Day. He could come back to man the right-back position, but faces some competition from Micah Richards.

Kolo Toure returns after serving a suspension after getting sent off against Everton. Emmanuel Adebayor (groin) and Wayne Bridge (hamstring) are doubts for this game.

Possible starting XI: Hart; Zabaleta, K Toure, Kompany, Kolarov; Milner, De Jong, Barry; A Johnson, Tevez, Balotelli.

Aston Villa

Gerard Houllier received a much-needed boost in the last game as Stilian Petrov returned from injury, while Fabian Delph was able to make a start against Tottenham - though he was later replaced as the skipper marked his return to action.

Luke Young (groin) is a doubt as he had not trained prior to the game against Spurs, and continues to be a doubt for this one. He is joined by Ashley Young (knee), who was described as a “touch and go” prior to the last match. But with this fixture coming only two days after the loss to Harry Redknapp’s men, the winger would likely still be a doubt for this game.

Emile Heskey went off injured in the last game and may miss this one through injury.

Possible starting XI: Friedel; Lichaj, Collins, Cuellar, Warnock; Downing, Reo-Coker, Petrov, Albrighton; Young; Agbonlahor.

Prediction

City may be poor at home, but Villa have been poorer on their travels. They have picked up only one point in their last six away days, which puts the home side as strong favourites to take three points on the day.

Man City 2-0 Aston Villa

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28-12-2010 16:00 Tottenham Hotspur - Newcastle United

Tottenham target top four

So far so good for Harry Redknapp and Tottenham during the festive period after their battling 2-1 victory over Aston Villa on Boxing Day placed them fifth in the table, just seven points adrift of leaders Manchester United.

Redknapp pointed out that Spurs are 33-1 to win the title after the victory at Villa Park, and while they still seem to be some way off mounting a serious challenge for the Premier League crown, another three points against Newcastle at White Hart Lane will certainly stand them in a strong position at the half way point of the season.

Bouncing back

Newcastle, meanwhile, did not fare so well on Sunday, as Alan Pardew lost his first game at the club - his second in charge - in the 3-1 home defeat to Manchester City.

The Magpies' last visit to White Hart Lane saw them lose 1-0 to a solitary Darren Bent goal on their way to relegation to the Championship, but the Tyneside club have enjoyed some success on their travels to N17, winning the two previous meetings at the ground, scoring seven goals in the process.

Newcastle's last victory in north London back in March 2008 saw them run out 4-1 winners, with Nicky Butt, Geremi, Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins getting on the scoresheet, and while the personnel has dramatically changed, Pardew will have his fingers crossed for a similar result.

TEAM NEWS

Tottenham

Jermain Defoe is suspended after picking up a straight red card against Aston Villa on Boxing Day, ruling him out of the festive period's fixtures.

Rafael van der Vaart returned to the side to score twice at Villa Park and may not be risked as Harry Redknapp eases him back to full fitness.

William Gallas is still a week away from a return, while Tom Huddlestone is also ruled out.

Possible starting XI: Gomes; Hutton, Dawson, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Palacios, Modric, Bale; Crouch, Pavlyuchenko.

Newcastle

Kevin Nolan's yellow card at St James' Park on Sunday was his fifth of the season and he will miss the trip to White Hart Lane with the ban.

Otherwise, Alan Pardew may name an unchanged side to the one that lost 3-1 to Manchester City.

Possible Starting XI: Krul; Simpson, Coloccini, Taylor, Jose Enrique; Routledge, Guthrie, Tiote, Barton, Gutierrez; Carroll.

Prediction

Tottenham's strength in depth will be pushed to the limit by Newcastle, who usually fare well at White Hart Lane, but with Nolan missing from the Magpies' travelling squad, the home side should triumph, though it may not be entirely comfortable.

Tottenham 2-1 Newcastle

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28-12-2010 16:00 Stoke City - Fulham

Broken legs and broken dreams

Tuesday's tie marks these two sides meeting for the first time since an ill tempered League Cup game in September that culminated with Fulham's big summer signing Moussa Dembele sustaining a broken leg as a result of a needless, over-the-top challenge from Andy Wilkinson - one that Hughes would go on to describe as "ridiculous".

Since then, the seasons of both sides have taken a rather different trajectory. At that point of the campaign, the Potters were rooted to the bottom end of the table, but now the Midlands side sit comfortably in the top half while the Londoners struggle down in the relegation zone.

And Tuesday's trip will likely give Fulham fans few reasons to be cheerful, as they have not won an away game this season - another poor display could see another airing of "Hughes out!" from the Cottagers support.

TEAM NEWS

Stoke City

Having reshuffled his pack at Blackburn on Boxing Day, Tony Pulis is expected to opt for his preferred forward partnership of Ricardo Fuller and Kenwyne Jones, with the former missing out on the trip to Ewood Park as Jonathan Walters took his place.

And despite breaking his goalscoring duck as a substitute in the 2-0 away win, midfielder Marc Wilson is unlikely to start against Fulham, with Rory Delap likely to continue in the middle.

Possible starting XI: Begovic; Wilkinson, Huth, Shawcross, Collins; Pennant, Delap, Whitehead, Etherington; Fuller, Jones.

Fulham

After seeing his side capitulate against West Ham on Sunday, Mark Hughes may be tempted to mix things up against Stoke, potentially handing Damien Duff a start after the Irishman was only deemed worthy of a spot on the bench against the Hammers.

Possible starting XI: Schwarzer; Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido; Davies, Murphy, Etuhu, Duff; Dempsey; A Johnson.

Prediction

After picking up a solid win at Ewood Park, it is difficult to look beyond the home side for this encounter, especially given Fulham's erratic defending and hapless finishing against West Ham. However, if Johnson can step up, and if Hangeland can boss the aerial duel with Fuller and Jones, then there is a chance that the away side could sneak a goal, but it will take a poor day at the office from Stoke for the away side to get over their awful travel sickness.

Stoke 2-1 Fulham

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28-12-2010 16:00 West Bromwich Albion - Blackburn Rovers

Baggies Looking To Bounce Back From Boxing Day Blues

West Brom host Blackburn looking to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat at Bolton on Sunday afternoon. The Baggies created chance after chance in the game but failed to take any of their chances, something which is likely to lead to a defeat with the serious problem they seem to have preventing the opposition scoring this season.

Di Matteo's men have only kept two clean sheets in their last 16 Premier League games at the Hawthorns - against Sunderland on both occasions. The Baggies have been in mixed form at home, recording victories against Birmingham, Fulham, Sunderland and Newcastle but losing to Manchester City and Stoke.

Despite the setback at Bolton meaning that Albion have lost their last two Premier League games, fans will be confident that they can get back to winning ways against a struggling Blackburn side.

Albion went one better than Manchester United this season when they beat Rovers 8-1 in a Division One clash - but that was way back in 1936 and even the most positive of Baggies fans surely won't be predicting such a scoreline.

Rovers Hoping To Keep 11 Men On The Pitch For A Change

Blackburn will travel to the Hawthorns hoping they can end the game as they begin it, with 11 players on the pitch. Rovers have had a man sent off in their last two Premier League matches against the Baggies - with Benni McCarthy seeing red after scoring the opening goal in the last meeting between the sides at the Hawthorns, a 2-2 draw.

The Midlands has not been a happy hunting ground for Rovers - they've recorded just one victory in their last 11 Premier League matches in the region. Like their opponents, they have also been poor defensively this season and have failed to keep a clean sheet in any away game.

Fans travelling south to the game should remain optimistic even if their side fall behind as remarkably Rovers' last five goals away from home have been scored in the 80th minute or later. Steve Kean will be hoping that his side don't have to leave it that late on Tuesday, after an inauspicious start to his managerial career - a draw and a defeat not the ideal start for a man who claims a mid-table finish is a minimum this season.

TEAM NEWS

West Brom

West Brom will be without arguably their best player of the season so far after Chris Brunt picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign in the 89th minute of the 2-0 loss at Bolton on Sunday.

The Northern Irishman would have had his slate wiped clean on January 1 but will now be unavailable for Tuesday's game. Brunt will be a big loss to the Baggies - only Manchester United's Nani has as many assists as the Albion wideman.

Fellow winger Jerome Thomas is also a doubt after the former Arsenal man missed the Boxing Day clash with Bolton Wanderers due to illness. Speaking to the club's official site, manager Roberto Di Matteo said: "We'll have to see how he [Thomas] feels tomorrow when he comes in."

Albion are still without long-term absentee Jonas Olsson, who will not return from his Achilles injury until the end of January at the earliest.

Possible starting XI: Carson; Jara, Scharner, Tamas, Shorey; Odemwingie, Dorrans, Mulumbu, Tchoyi, Morrison; Fortune.

Blackburn Rovers

Steve Kean is sweating on the fitness of 'wantaway' defender Christopher Samba - who missed the Boxing Day clash against Stoke with an ankle injury.

If the giant centre-back does play, it seems certain that he will stripped of the captaincy after expressing publicly his desire to leave the club in the wake of Sam Allardyce's departure.

Vince Grella (Achilles), Steven Nzonzi (hamstring) and Keith Andrews (groin) remain sidelined but could be back in contention early in the New Year, whilst Rovers are definitely without Jason Roberts for a month (hamstring) and young academy graduate Phil Jones until the end of the season (knee ligament).

Possible starting XI: Robinson; Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Givet; Emerton, Dunn, Hanley, Pedersen, M Diouf; Kalinic.

Prediction

The Baggies will be looking to recover from back-to-back defeats in the league and will expect three points against a Blackburn side to halt their slide down the table towards the relegation zone.

Rovers themselves have struggled since the surprise sacking of Sam Allardyce, managing a draw against West Ham and losing to Stoke City on Sunday. Steve Kean will undoubtedly have his players pumped up for the game and Rovers' physicality could ruffle a few feathers at the Hawthorns, where the Albion like to play pretty, passing football.

But Di Matteo has installed a 'steel' into the Albion side that wasn't present under his predecessor Tony Mowbray and I expect the home side to be too strong for Blackburn. An early onslaught and a high tempo from West Brom should be enough to see over Rovers, who will be hoping that they can keep things tight and perhaps sneak a winner on the break.

West Bromwich 3-1 Blackburn

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