Premier League predictions

Not the easiest players to intimidate!

Arsenal v West Ham
The first of a number of local derbies this weekend takes place at the Emirates as West Ham make the short trip across London to take on an Arsenal team in second place and who have scored twelve goals in their last three games in all competitions.

West Ham are bottom and despite their Carling Cup progress this week, look to be in a bit of a mess.

Not really a tough outcome to predict I’m afraid.

Soccernews prediction: 3-0

Blackburn v Chelsea
I know Sam Allardyce gets angry when his team are described as physical, intimidating, ‘in your face’, aggressive, etc, but that’s exactly what they are. I don’t mind that.

You’ve got to play to your strengths and if your strength is to lump the ball up to the giant Chris Samba whilst the nasty El-Hadji Diouf mugs the opposition goalkeeper, then that’s fine!

The problem for Blackburn in this game is that not only are they nowhere near as good a team as Chelsea, they also can’t intimidate them. That is why Chelsea will win the league. They can match the best teams for football and they can battle against the lower teams if it comes down to that as well.

If Blackburn try to rattle Chelsea, I’m sure John Terry, Alex, Michael Essien and Didier Drogba wouldn’t be adverse to ‘giving some back’.

Soccernews prediction: 0-3

Everton v Stoke
Everton have made it to a more respectable mid-table position after two good wins and a draw at Tottenham. Everything at Goodison Park seems to have returned to the normality of being a good top half of the table team.

Stoke are on the same points as Everton but their form seems to be slipping alarmingly in the other direction. That fiery spark the team had is missing. Potentially worrying times.

Soccernews prediction: 2-0

Fulham v Wigan
Sixteenth plays fifteenth at Carven Cottage. Fulham are struggling to find a win at the moment and Mark Hughes won’t be panicking, but he will be well aware that his side are just three points off the drop zone. He needs his players to start picking up some points.

Wigan have made improvements from the abysmal start to the season they had, but they are still totally unpredictable. They will fancy their chances in this one. They are actually unbeaten away this season so far and I expect that to remain the case.

Soccernews prediction: 1-2

Manchester United v Tottenham
Latest news from Old Trafford is that Wayne Rooney may well be out for longer than the three weeks initially announced. In normal circumstances that would be a bitter blow for United. However, as it stands, they have Dimitar Berbatov, who is giving a weekly master class in forward play and Hernandez, who is beginning to make a really big impact.

Tottenham are still hanging on to the coat-tails of the top four and are making a decent attempt to match last seasons heroics.

It is third against fifth. I think those are about the right positions for these two teams and I think United will just scrape it in what should be an entertaining game.

Soccernews prediction: 2-1

Wolves v Manchester City
Let’s be honest, Wolves are not great. What they will do, and any team under Mick McCarthy is the same, is they will give 100% all the time.

Manchester City will still be reeling from their demolition by Arsenal last week, but they will know they are technically superior to Wolves all over the pitch.

I think Wolves will really try to ‘get in to’ City and if they can unsettle them, who knows what might happen?

Soccernews prediction: 1-0

SUNDAY 31ST OCTOBER 2010

Aston Villa v Birmingham
The biggest midlands derby sees Gerard Houllier’s tenth placed Villa take on Alex McLeish’s twelfth placed Birmingham.

Villa are getting used to life under Houllier and although they lost at Sunderland last week, they drew with Chelsea the week before. They will be fine.

Birmingham have picked up a little, but they are still not the same side that did so well last season. Having said that, anything can happen in a derby game like this and that is bad news for someone trying to make predictions!

Soccernews prediction: 1-1

Bolton v Liverpool
Owen Coyle has worked wonders at Bolton who are on a nice little unbeaten run and are sitting in eighth place in the table.

The jury is still out on whether or not things have settled down at Liverpool. This game will tell us more than their win over Blackburn last week did.

Soccernews prediction: 1-1

Newcastle v Sunderland
The biggest North-East derby sees a buoyant seventh placed Sunderland travel the short distance to St James’ Park to play a Newcastle side going well but with a remarkable story going around that manager Chris Hughton, who has done a wonderful job, may not keep his job at the end of the season.

Both teams are on the verge of having their best season in many years. This could be a really good game.

Soccernews prediction: 2-2

MONDAY 1ST NOVEMBER 2010

Blackpool v West Brom
This game is between two promoted teams who were many people’s favourites to go straight back down to the Championship.

So far, it hasn’t turned out like that at all. Blackpool are in a creditable fourteenth place and whilst they will almost certainly be in the scrap to avoid relegation, they have shown enough to say that they won’t go down easily.

West Brom have won at the Emirates and drawn at Old Trafford and they are currently sixth in the table, entirely on merit.

Logic says that West Brom should win this one but it is always dangerous to bet against Ian Holloway. I’m going to take that risk.

Soccernews prediction: 1-3