22-01-2011 16:00 Blackpool - Sunderland

Big Boots To Fill

If Sunderland are to win against Blackpool on Saturday and claim only their third away victory of the season, they will have to find somewhere else to score goals from. Darren Bent scored 32 of Sunderland’s 74 goals since the English hit man joined the club in the summer of 2009.

Last season he scored exactly half of the club’s goals and this season he was also their leading scorer in the league.

Asamoah Gyan will be the man charged with the task of scoring the bulk of Sunderland’s goals now that Bent has left, however without the ever-impressive Welbeck available Gyan could find his chances hard to come by.

Home Form Must Improve

Blackpool have won less points at home than any other club this season and this is no small part due to the small amount of goals they have scored at Bloomfield Road. Only Birmingham City, Everton and Wigan Athletic have scored less goals at home.

Blackpool’s comfortable mid-table position this season is mainly due to their impressive away form which has seen them win five times away from Bloomfield Road. Only Manchester City and Arsenal have won more games away from home this season in the Premier League.

Sunderland’s away form has been poor this season, winning only twice and Blackpool will be looking to take advantage of the Black Cats' vulnerability without Darren Bent leading the line.

TEAM NEWS

Blackpool

Richard Kingson will continue in the Blackpool goal as first-choice keeper Matt Gilks is still not quite ready to return from a long-term knee injury. The game also comes too soon for striker Marlon Harewood who has been sidelined since November. Other long-term absentees include Chris Basham, Malaury Martin and Billy Clarke.

With no new injury concerns Ian Holloway’s side virtually picks itself, such has been the consistency of his team selection this season.

Holloway has yet to improve his team in January and will stick with the same squad that has performed admirably so far in their first season in the Premier League. He has had to fend off interest from Aston Villa for influential skipper Charlie Adam this week, with Holloway insisting the player is going nowhere in January.

Possible starting XI: Kingson; Eardley, Cathcart, Evatt, Crainey; Grandin, Adam, Vaughan; Taylor-Fletcher, Campbell, Varney.

Sunderland

Lee Cattermole faces a late fitness test after he missed the team’s previous two games but Steve Bruce will give his skipper every chance to prove is fitness. Michael Turner, John Mensah, David Meyler and Fraizer Campbell are all still sidelined with long-term injuries.

Following the shock departure of Darren Bent, Sunderland have lost their most potent scoring threat. As well as his permanent departure, Danny Welbeck faces six weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury. Bent and Welbeck scored 14 of the team’s 26 league goals this season which will place more pressure on summer signing Asamoah Gyan to lead the line.

Possible starting XI: Gordon; Onouha, Ferdinand, Bramble, Bardsley; Malbranque, Henderson, Zenden, Cattermole, Richardson; Gyan.

Prediction

Blackpool 2-2 Sunderland 

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22-01-2011 16:00 Arsenal - Wigan Athletic

Arsenal Keen To Keep The Pressure On Title Rivals

Arsenal return to Premier League action this weekend after an impressive 3-1 win over Leeds in the FA Cup, looking to maintain the pressure on their title rivals.

The Gunners have recaptured their form after a couple of rocky performances in cup competitions but they will be looking forward to the visit of Wigan.

The north London club have not beaten Wigan in their last two meetings but both matches have been at the DW Stadium.

At the Emirates it is a different story as the Latics have never beaten Wenger's side in the Premier League on their travels.

Gunners forward Andrey Arshavin is hopeful this record can continue as the title race hots up.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't beat Wigan at their stadium," he told his official website. "The next game will be held at the Emirates.

"The performance which Arsenal showed recently in the championship allows us to achieve the landslide victories, so I hope that the upcoming clash will be no exception. We need to catch up with the two Manchester teams."

Wenger will be hoping this is the case and with players such as Theo Walcott – who has already netted two more league goals than he managed in the whole of the last campaign, with all of his goals coming in Arsenal victories – in form, not many would back against them.

O Captain! My Captain!

It has not all been rosy for Arsenal this week as midfielder Denilson was quoted questioning captain Cesc Fabregas' leadership qualities in an interview held in Brazil.

The Brazilian was quoted as saying the Gunners did not have a real leader but Wenger brushed the comments aside, insisting they were mistranslated.

It is hard to see what effect these comments may have on Arsenal but the issue seems to have been dealt with as Fabregas and Denilson both posed for a photo together on the train to Leeds, which was posted on the Spanish international's Twitter account.

There has also been a surge in support for the Arsenal captain from his team-mates. England international Kieran Gibbs praised his skipper for the way he has helped him settle into the first-team squad.

He said: "I've spent quite a bit of time with him, away from training as well and for such a young person he's got such a wise head on him. Cesc has helped me greatly and I can only thank him for that."

The problem appears to have been solved by Wenger but it remains to be seen whether the comments will have any lasting effects.

Can Wigan Pull Off A Shock?

Wigan made it three draws in four Premier League games last weekend after their 1-1 draw with Fulham.

The Latics head to London with only four wins all season and their record against the Gunners does not fill many with confidence.

But in their last two games against Arsenal, albeit at home, they have snatched points.

Wigan's solitary league win over Arsenal in their history came last season when three goals in the last 10 minutes earned a 3-2 victory at the DW Stadium and killed off the Gunners' title charge.

And in December, Martinez's side earned a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Wenger's men after being reduced to 10 men for a long period of the game.

But these results have been anomalies rather than the norm as Arsenal have only been beaten once in 11 attempts by Wigan.

Martinez is in buoyant mood ahead of the trip to the capital as he has been boosted by the return to fitness of key players.

He told the club's official website: "We have a few players coming back from injury over the next few weeks which is great news for the club.

"Now we will all be together and hopefully start picking up more victories so that we can have a strong finish to the season."

"Franco is a great prospect for the future and his strength is important to us right now as well, and getting the likes of himself, James McCarthy and Victor Moses fit again will give us a massive boost.

"You're always looking to strengthen your squad at this time of the season but with their return it will improve us in a completely different way.

"All three players have world-class potential and already play a huge role in our squad."

Martinez will need all the world-class talent he can get if they are to pull of a shock at the Emirates.

Trivia

Arsenal have never tasted defeat at home against Wigan in five Premier League matches, racking up 15 goals in the process at an average of three goals a game.

The Gunners have already lost three times in the league at the Emirates this season compared with twice last term, three in the 2008/09 campaign and once in their first season at the Emirates back in 2006/07. They did not lose in the league at home during the 2007/08 campaign.

Hugo Rodallega has scored six goals this season, contributing nearly a third of his side's league goals this campaign.

This match pits the Premier Leagues higest scorers, Arsenal (45), against the lowest scorers, Wigan (19).

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal

The Gunners have slight concerns over striker Marouane Chamakh (knee) and Denilson (hip) ahead of Wigan's visit to the Emirates.

Both took knocks during Arsenal's 3-1 FA Cup replay win over Leeds but manager Arsene Wenger believes both should be able to figure.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is still hampered by a shoulder problem, while Abou Diaby (calf) and Sebastien Squillaci (hamstring) are still one week away from returns.

Possible line-up: Szczesny; Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy; Song, Wilshere, Fabregas; Nasri, van Persie, Walcott.

Wigan
Franco di Santo may have to settle for a place on the bench as Roberto Martinez comes up with a system which can contain the Gunners' attacking strengths.

Tom Cleverley (hamstring) is a doubt for the visitors, who have been boosted by the news that Victor Moses (shoulder) and James McCarthy (ankle) could return in the next few weeks.

Possible line-up: Al Habsi; Stam, G Caldwell, Alcaraz, Gohouri; Figueroa, Watson, Hendry, Gomez, N'Zogbia; Rodallega.

Prediction

Arsenal 3-1 Wigan Athletic  

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22-01-2011 15:30 Borussia D. - Stuttgart

No Signs Of Complacency For The Champions Elect

The glimmer of hope latched onto by the chasing pack has all but vanished after a superb six minute surge in the second-half from Borussia Dortmund, who capitalised on some haphazard Leverkusen defending to ruthlessly punish die Werkself. Juergen Klopp had hailed it as the biggest game of the season and die Borussen passed the test with flying colours. Neven Subotic and Mats Hummels were once again imperious and Kevin Grosskreutz gained a confidence boost with a brace. As a consequence, der BVB's lead is now thirteen points over Hannover.

"If Bayern (Munich) had our lead, then they would already be comfortably champions. We know however, that a lot can still happen and we need to see it through to the end," he told the pre-game press conference.

"If you are the table toppers, not everything can be going wrong but equally not everything has to have been going right. We can make a realistic assessment of our performance in Leverkusen."

Klopp is not someone who is seduced by the lure of complacency - he wll do everything to ensure there is no Devon Loch style collapse as the evenings become brighter. He picked out twelve video clips from last week's game, five of which were positive and seven of which were less so, as Nuri Sahin so helpfully enlightened us.

Mario Goetze, who was the deserved recipient of fulsome praise from fellow players, fans and journalists alike for a performance at 10 beyond his tender years, will be a big miss tomorrow as he battles bronchitis. However, contrary to the opinions from certain quarters of the media, Dortmund have a strong squad and have the luxury of choosing between Robert Lewandowski and Mohamed Zidan as Lucas Barrios will surely come back. Another thing is even surer - no-one at the club will be taking anything for granted.

Leading From The Front

Bruno Labbadia saw his new team win during his fourth game in charge, all of which had come at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. That series now of course comes to an end but it is worth reflecting briefly on a vital three points for die Schwaben in Spieltag 18. There is little doubt that at times the hosts rode their luck and they had to be bailed out by goalline clearances from Christian Molinaro and Patrick Funk, who will marshall the full-back positions tomorrow.

Still, they should be given credit for forcing a mistake in the Mainz backline and capitalising upon Radoslav Zabavnik's slip to net what would be the winner. When you're down and out in the nether regions of the table, you need the rub of the green, even when the quality of the squad is more akin to a top-half outfit.

That looks to have deserted Labbadia in the run up to the Dortmund game with Cacau definitely out and doubts over Martin Harnik and Ciprian Marica. Stuttgart's new coach was a striker himself and is the only man to have scored 100 goals in both the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga. It's therefore no surprise to hear his preferred manner of setting up his team:

"I prefer most of all to play with two strikers. We want to put Dortmund under pressure at every opportunity, without losing our shape and organisation. We want to put out our most powerful and fit side, in order to best be able to restrict der BVB," he told the pre-game press conference.

Labbadia wants to build on the progress made against die Nuell-Funfer and ensure that the team spirit remains high, no matter how the results may pan out.

"We want to continue doing the good things we did against Mainz. We were well organised and gave very few chances away. Now we need to move forward again and be more willing in possession to play the ball upfield. The lads enjoy their work and the atmosphere after the win is good ; we want to retain such an environment in the camp even after defeats, which will surely come in the course of the season."


TEAM NEWS

Borussia Dortmund

Shinji Kagwa is still away on Asia Cup duty as Japan have reached the quarter finals but his replacement Mario Goetze will also be absent, having suffered from bronchitis during the week. Mohamed Zidan, despite struggling with flu, is a possible replacement although Robert Lewandowski could move back with Lucas Barrios returning upfront. Sven Bender will also miss out with a knee problem and he joins long-term casualties Sebastian Kehl, Patrick Owomoyela and Florian Kringe on the sidelines. Antonio da Silva is favourite to come in with Markus Feulner also in contention. Alternatively, Juergen Klopp could plump for Felipe Santana but most likely he would be loathed to move Hummels forward and split the best defensive partnership in the Bundesliga.

Probable Starting XI: Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer - Sahin, da Silva - Blaszczykowski, Lewandowski, Grosskreutz - Barrios

VfB Stuttgart

The problems are mounting for Bruno Labbadia in attack as not only is Cacau definitely out with an adductor injury but Martin Harnik and Ciprian Marica are also major doubts with muscular injuries. They join Khalid Boulahrouz, Johan Audel and Sandro Celozzi on the injury list. Christian Genter may possibly edge out Timo Gebhart for a midfield spot.

Probable Starting XI: Ulreich - Funk, Tasci, Delpierre, Molinaro - Gebhart, Traesch, Kuzmanovic, Boka - Schipplock, Pogrebnyak

Prediction

Stuttgart have injury problems in attack, which is less than ideal against the best defence in Germany. Dortmund may be missing in Kagawa and Goetze but they have the depth in quality allied to the momentum gained from last week's win in Leverkusen to march on at the top.

Borussia 2-0 VfB Stuttgart

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22-01-2011 13:45 Wolverhampton Wanderers - Liverpool

Aiming For Survival

Wolves are currently placed 19th in the Premier League, in what has been a tightly contested season so far. This can be seen in the fact that the visitors are only five points ahead, but rest in 13th place.

Survival will be at the forefront of manager Mick McCarthy’s mind, as his side are currently on one of the three trapdoors that lead to the Championship.

But Wolves have been strong at Molineux in recent times, as their last five games at home have resulted in four victories - one of which was against Chelsea. Now with the stuttering Reds set to arrive, the hosts will likely fancy their chances and hope to jump out of the relegation zone.

History also favours the home side, as they have not lost a top-flight game at home to the Merseyside club since 1979. It was a goal from Alan Hansen that gave the side a victory at the time, but the six games since have resulted in three victories and as many draws from McCarthy’s charges.

Dalglish Looking For His First Win

New Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is still looking for his first victory during his second stint as the manager of the club, as he has been unable to guide his charges to a win in any of his first three games at the helm.

This makes it the worst start for a new manager at the Merseyside club since Roy Evans – who also did not win any of his first three games – in 1994.

The side are currently in serious difficulty, as they have won only one of their last eight games in all competitions. That they fell to three consecutive defeats before drawing with Everton at Anfield goes to show that they are far from the European giants that they have been in years past.

But the draw with the Toffees is still a start, since the gaffer has got his first point as boss and can now move forward to build on it.

Some players have come out speaking positively of the managerial change, admitting that Dalglish’s methods have been impressive. Even chairman Tom Werner has admitted that the boss is a candidate to be appointed on a permanent basis in the summer. But first he will have to prove that the Reds can be resurrected from the dead, and Molineux may be just the place to start.

TEAM NEWS

Wolves

Captain Karl Henry returned to claim a spot on the bench during the recent loss to Manchester City, and could continue in a similar manner as he gets back to match fitness.

Jody Craddock (hip) has returned to training, but is still some way from reaching full fitness.

Adlene Guedioura (broken leg), Michael Kightly and Michael Mancienne (both knee) are all sidelined, while George Elokobi is suspended.

Possible starting XI: Hennessey; Zubar, Stearman, Berra, Ward; Jarvis, Jones, Milijas, Hunt; Doyle, Fletcher.

Liverpool

Jamie Carragher (shoulder) is still recovering from surgery, while skipper Steven Gerrard serves the final match of his three-game suspension.

Daniel Agger is a doubt after he was replaced in the last game due to illness, while Milan Jovanovic and David Ngog are also doubts as both players picked up knocks that kept them out of the recent Merseyside derby.

Possible starting XI: Reina; Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson; Kuyt, Meireles, Lucas, Spearing, Maxi; Torres.

Prediction

Wolves 1-1 Liverpool 

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22.01.2011. Bet Of The Day

16:00 Newcastle United - Tottenham Hotspur

An attacking game is on the cards at St James Park as Newcastle take on Tottenham. Although Andy Carroll has already been ruled out The Magpies showed in their last home fixture they are more than capable of finding the net without him, hitting five against West Ham.

Tottenham themselves of course are no strangers to the attacking mantra with the likes of Bale and Van der Vaart. Away from home and goals are usually to be found with four of their last five away fixtures racking up three or more goals. There is a good tendency of goals in this fixture with 6 out of the last 8 Premier League meetings between these two sides and this game should be no different.

Match Odds: Newcastle 3.0, Draw 3.20, Tottenham 2.20

Tip: Over 2.5 goals @ 1.75

18:00 Quevilly - Martigues

Remember Quevilly? Last season the amateurs produced sensation after sensation, en route to French Cup semi-finals. This season they are doing great in their league, and are facing fellow amateurs Martigues who are a somewhat inferior side. With all the confidence the Cup brings to the tiny town in the north, it’s a very good bet given the generous odds. 

Match Odds: Quevilly 2.0, Draw 3.20, Martigues 3.50

Tip: Quevilly to win @ 2.0

Additional tip: Last week Blackpool lost 2-3 in the exciting fest of attacking football at West Brom, but we are taking them as a long-term project. The Tangerines are 2.37 to beat Sunderland on Saturday.

18:20 Scunthorpe United - Burnley

Scunthorpe are without a win in their 11 home games and what also stands out is the fact that during this time they have conceded 30 goals. They have only manged two clean sheets at home so far and have conceded two or more goals in seven out of 11 home games.Burnley have appointed Eddie Howe as their new manager and this will be his first game in charge so although Burnley's away form is not fantastic I believe that the new manager will have the desirable effect on the players. Expect Burnley to find a way past the leaky home defence and sneak a win.

Match Odds: Scunthorpe 3.20, Draw 3.20, Burnley 2.10

Tip: Burnley to win @ 2.10

18:30 Aston Villa - Manchester City

The Aston Villa - Man City match is one that I am certainly looking forward to and it caught my eye when I scanned the weekend fixtures. The arrival of Darren Bent should add spice to the proceedings and give Villa a more potent goalscoring threat.Man City have developed a worrying habit of conceding lately and starting games slowly. The outcome of this match is hard to call but I will be having a bet in the both teams to score market. With plenty of attacking artillery on both sides I expect it to turn a profit.

Match Odds: Aston Villa 3.40, Draw 3.25, Man City 2.0

Tip: Both teams to score @ 1.70

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