Match Previews

Manchester United v Crystal Palace

Old Trafford – kick off 12.45pm – LIVE on BTSport

The champions will play host to Crystal Palace in this Saturday’s early kick-off where David Moyes will be looking for his team to overturn a poor start to the new Premier League season.

United have only managed 4 points from 3 games so far into David Moyes’ reign at Old Trafford and currently sit six places behind leaders and bitter rivals Liverpool. Their recent results have included an impressive opening day 4-1 victory over Swansea, a goal-less draw at Chelsea and a defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

United’s defeat at Anfield last week and the disastrous dealings during the transfer window have piled even more pressure on the new manager but the plucky Scott will be hoping to get his first home win of the season against Crystal Palace.

Crystal Palace have showed fortitude since being promoted from the championship under the management of Ian Holloway but they have struggled to find the results to match their ambition. Their result on the opening day against Spurs didn’t tell the true story of the game as they came out on the end of a 1-0 defeat after a very bold and gutsy performance. Another defeat to Stoke added pressure to the Premiership new comers but they showed true grit to finally pick up their first 3 points of the season against Pablo Di Canio’s Sunderland side last week.

All of United’s closest challengers have difficult games this weekend with City away to Stoke, Chelsea away to Everton and Liverpool being away to Swansea on Monday night. A comfortable win would be just what the doctor ordered for David Moyes as he looks to overcome an early drop in league places.

Team news

Fellaini is set to make his debut for the champions. Wayne Rooney looks set to miss out again as he recovers from the cut sustained to his head so it looks as if Danny Welbeck will continue alongside Robin Van Persie in attack. Chris Smalling may replace Phil Jones at right back.

Moyes may opt to play winger Wilfred Zaha against his former club in a bid to spark some creativity from the wide areas where United have lacked some spark recently.

Crystal Palace’s new signing Barry Bannan and loan signing Cameron Jerome are both highly likely to feature at Old Trafford. Paddy McCarthy (groin), Yannick Bolasie (hamstring), Jerome Thomas (ankle), Glenn Murray (knee) are all unavailable for selection.

New summer signing Jack Hunt unfortunately suffered a broken ankle in Palace's last match, and is another injury to add to the clutch of players nursing early season wounds. Florian Marange, Stephen Dobbie and Owen Garvan have all been left out of the 25-man squad.

Key player: Fellaini (Man U)

Many have joked at the expense of United’s dealings in the summer, or lack of dealings, but in Fellaini the champions have obtained a player who will definitely bring a great deal of importance on the football pitch. At Everton last season the 25 year old scored 11 goals in 31 Premier League appearances while also creating 40 goal scoring chances. He had an average shot accuracy of 66% and an average pass accuracy of 79%. The defensive midfielder picked up 9 yellow cards and only made 3 defensive errors all season.

Key player: Barry Bannan (Palace)

Bannan will be looking to impress at his new club after what has been an up and down career fpr him so far. The midfielder looks set to play a big role for the Eagles this season.

Prediction

The early kick off should be a great encounter as both United and Palace are under quite some pressure to pick up points, especially the champions who are falling behind all their closest rivals including Manchester City and Jose Mourniho’s Chelsea.

United have scored an average of 2.1 goals per game against Palace in their last 10 encounters. They have failed to score in two consecutive league matches for the first time in five years but have never lost against Palace during 8 previous meetings. I predict a cagey encounter in the opening stages of the game but Manchester United, with new boy Fellaini, will come out on top in the end with a 3-1 victory.

By @LeeGormley

Aston Villa V Newcastle

Saturday 14^th September - Villa Park

KO 15:00

Despite Newcastle sitting above Villa in the table many will argue it is Villa who’s had the better start to the season, fancing three from the top four and putting in some admirable performances they’re unlucky to have not gained more points. A heavy defeat, a bore draw and a narrow win is all Newcastle have had to offer so far.

During the transfer window Paul Lambert has put his faith in youth, all his new signing being under 24, as well as keeping hold of goal machine Christian Benteke, after last seasons torrid time things are certainly looking up. Pardew still has Cabaye in his ranks despite much speculation of a move away, although he’s so far only made a cameo appearance as a substitute, getting him focused and on form could be key to the teams future improvements.

Team News

Villa’s new striker Kozak may be set to make his debut for the club and defenders Baker and Luna could feature after recent injuries. N’Zogbia remains out with an Achilles injury. Benteke will be key if Aston Villa are to secure the win with four goals already this season.

Cabaye may make his first starting line-up appearance this season now he’s set to stay. Remy could also start for Newcastle after his loan move from QPR. Both Taylor and Tiote are also available for selection again.

Prediction

Aston Villa will get the win here but it could be a tight match, Villa find it hard to keep a clean sheet at home but Newcastle are struggling to find the back of the new. If Benteke is on form The Villains should edge it.

Aston Villa 2 – 1 Newcastle

By @ItsBizNews

Fulham V West Brom

Saturday 14^th September – Craven Cottage

KO 15:00

Both teams have been struggling to find a win since towards the end of last season and will be going all out to secure three points and a massive morale boost. Fulham have a run of home games coming up and will hope to start them off with a win, these kind of games will be essential to Martin Jol improving on last seaons 12^th place league standings.

Steve Clarke ended the transfer season with a busy deadline day and an important one at that. With Lukaku gone he’ll be looking elsewhere for the goal this season and will hope record signing Sessegnon can contribute greatly to the teams goal threat. West Brom don’t have a great record again Fulham and a win could set them on course for the rest of the season.

Team News

Fulhams’ Stekelenburg who suffered a shoulder injury on his debut could return to the side however Hughes is doubtful and Richardson remains on the sidelines. Darren Bent and Berbatov will most likely start up front and fans will hope they will both recapture past form.

Record signing Stephane Sessegnon and Amalfitano could start for West Brom with Anichebe still lacking full match fitness. Sinclair should feature and will be looking to prove himself. Morrison remains a doubt.

Prediction

Can’t seen one team having the edge over the other here, bore draw is on the cards. With both teams in need of the win it should be a well fought battle even if the goals don’t flow.

Fulham 1 – 1 West Brom

By @ItsBizNews

  

Hull City V Cardiff City

KO 15:00

Battle of the potential re-brands as it’s otherwise being called. Who knows in five years time it could be the tigers v the dragons, it’s not out of the realms of possibility. These two newly promoted clubs played each other on the last day of last season, when a pulsating but tense match ended in a 2-2 draw after a Nicky Maynard penalty in stoppage time was put away, a minute after Hull had missed a spot kick to take the game to 3-1. This was also the game that saw Hull City return to the Premiership with the already Championship winners. This seasons game promises to be an early season six pointer with both teams looking to kick on from decent starts to get as much space between themselves and the bottom of the table as soon as possible.

Both teams have been extremely busy in the transfer market, and at the close of play on transfer deadline day, Cardiff had signed 8 new players with Hull City signing 10 including ex-Swansea goalscorer Danny Graham, who I’m sure will get reminded of his past club quite quickly by the bluebird fans.

Hull City’s Allan McGregor is struggling with a groin injury which kept him out of the Scotland squad during the international break, with Steve Harper in line to take his place. Hull’s deadline day signing Gedo is still waiting for a work visa while Sagbo is still suspended.

Cardiff should hand a debut to Peter Odemwingie who signed on transfer deadline day, and have serious goalkeeping concerns of their own with David Marshall who injured his hip in midweek. If he is not fit, Joe Lewis, former Peterborough goalkeeper and who was at one time tipped to be the next England keeper, will step into his shoes. It’s this bloggers dearest hope that Marshall is fit. *Breaking News* I have just been told that Marshall has travelled to Hull so I’m quite hopeful.

The key battle as far as I’m concerned is Tom Huddlestone V Gary Medel. Huddlestone is a magnificent passer and dribbler of the ball if he is given time, but we have seen on a number of occasions at Spurs he can get flustered easily and lose his focus when he hasn’t got so much time on the ball. It’ll be Gary’s job, from a Cardiff point of view, to put his nickname Pitbull into use and hound Tom down.

I also think Campbell vs Hull’s defence will be key for several reasons, firstly Campbell’s personal desire to get one over his old club and secondly I don’t believe Hull’s defenders can keep up with Fraizar. When he came off the bench last season, the Hull’s fans booed the boots off him…….so much when he scored Cardiff’s first goal last season his fan mocking celebration was well deserved, so he will have a point to prove. Hull’s defenders, especially Curtis Davies and James Chester, are some of the strongest you’ll find in the division but don’t really have the pace. So a few well placed passes from Whitts and I think Campbell will be away.

You all know by now I’m a Cardiff fan, but you also know I’m realistic. I do think Cardiff will win here, but I think it will be a close game. I’m going for a 2-1 win to Cardiff City. Oh, and the game may be the only time this season that Cardiff City wear blue. If you had told a Cardiff City fan that 5 years ago they would have locked you up, so don’t tell me that re-branding of team names couldn’t possibly happen…

By @haydngleed

Stoke City vs. Manchester City

The Britannia - Kick-Off 3:00pm - Updates on BBC 5Live from 3:00pm

Stoke City will be hoping for a rare third league win in a row when they face Manchester City on Saturday. The Potters currently sit fifth after picking up wins at home Crystal Palace and away at West Ham, and seem to be playing and reaping the benefits of an improved style of play under Mark Hughes.

The former Man City boss will be relishing facing his old club again, who also have a new manager this season after parting company with Roberto Mancini at the end of last season. Manuel Pellegrini’s start hasn’t been 100% after City suffered a 3-2 loss to Cardiff City in the second week of the season, which was a surprise in any circumstance, but following their 4-0 romping of Newcastle it was wholly unexpected.

The Chilean has also suffered some bad luck already, losing both Vincent Kompany and new signing Martin Demichelis to injuries, leaving him short at centre back. There were obvious frailties in the defence in the victory over Hull last time out, and most will agree City were lucky not to have been 2 or 3 down at half time; luckily for them Hull were poor and failed to capitalise on several chances that could have changed the outcome of the game.

Stoke’s home league record against City in the league is pretty immaculate, with the Potters undefeated since their return to the Premier League 5 seasons ago (W1 D4), but the last time City visited Stoke was in January in the FA Cup, when they won 1-0 courtesy of an 85th minute Pablo Zabaleta goal.

Team News

Stoke are likely to be without ex-City player Glenn Whelan who suffered a groin injury whilst on international duty with the Republic of Ireland, and Charlie Adam is also a doubt after picking up a knock. Trinidad striker Kenwyne Jones is also a doubt, so deadline day signing Marko Arnutovic could make his debut, as could former City winger Stephen Ireland.

Key Player: Asmir Begovic - the Bosnian stopper is performing solidly at the back in his trio with Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross; the three of them have a great understanding built up over the past couple of seasons, and Stoke are seeing the rewards with solid, consistent performances at the back.

With a Champions League trip to Czech side Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday, and pressure on Pellegrini to deliver in the competition, he might be tempted to rest some of his key players. As previously mentioned, Kompany and Demichelis are both injured, leaving Matija Nastasic and Joleon Lescott as the only recognised centre backs. Micah Richards has a hamstring strain, and David Silva is a doubt after picking up a thigh complaint.

Key Player: Yaya Toure - the Ivorian has been fantastic for City this season, solid in the middle, driving through the middle of the pitch to get them forward, and scoring two fantastic free kicks.

Prediction: 1-1 - although it sounds boring, it will be a good game, and I’d expect the away side to have the majority of the chances, but Stoke are on a good run and will have their formidable support behind them. I imagine City will also have half an eye on Tuesday.

By @willtm10

Sunderland V Arsenal

KO 15.00, Stadium of Light

The Black Cats host the Gunners but there may be as many eyes on Sunderland's controversial manager Paolo DiCanio as the match itself. The fiery Italian more than raised a few eyebrows after publicly slaughtering his players after their defeat at Crystal Palace last time out. Pressure from the media is starting to mount and with just 2 wins from his ten Premier League games in charge DiCanio will be desperate for something here against an in form Arsenal side.

Their chances may be boosted by a probable debut for loan striker Fabio Borini from Liverpool although skipper John O'Shea is set to miss out through suspension. New boy Borini may play a slightly different role in a 4-4-2 formation favoured by DiCanio than he has at Liverpool giving him the opportunity to be Sunderland's main focal point up front alongside main goal scoring threat Steven Fletcher who could return.

Arsenal of course have their own new arrival expected to make his debut in the shape of £42.5 million record signing Mesut Ozil. This is great news for the gunners baring in mind they will be without Arteta, Podolski, Oxlade-Chamberlain & Rosicky who all miss out through injury. Wenger is more than likely to stick with his 4-2-3-1 formation. Arsenal will be keen to continue their recent momentum and capitalise on the current feel good factor around the club. If they can inflict a heavy defeat on Sunderland the media focus on DiCanio could reach fever pitch.

It was always going to take time for Sunderland to gel this season after signing 14 new players and if they can at least avoid defeat here it would be seen as a step in the right direction and this match up is sure to be as fierce as any this weekend with an atmosphere to match.

By @chrish5244

Tottenham Hotspur V Nowich

Saturday 14^th September - White Hart Lane

KO 15:00

The international break is over and both teams will be looking for a good restart. Norwich have a generally poor away record in the premier league but can boast of a great record at White Hart Lane having picked up four points in their last two games there.

Both teams had a summer of spending in the transfer market however Spurs easily take the crown for activity and a whopping £108m worth of it. With all these new players it could take a long time to form a cohesive team and predictable results.

Team News

It’s thought Spurs new signing Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela will make their first starts for the club, something in sure not only Tottenham fans will be relishing, as they’re great additions to the premier league. Capoue, Lennon and Adebayor, who’s reportedly been told to train with the reserves until further notice, are out. Chiriches is currently unavailable as he awaits a work permit.

Nathan Redmond has made a great start for Norwich these season and looks set to be a key player. New signing Hooper may make the bench in his comeback from a shin injury, Ryan Bennett is now fit again to play however Elliott Bennett is still out for the foreseeable future.

Prediction

Spurs have won 10 of their last 14 games at White Hart Lane and despite Norwich having an excellent recent head to head record again them I fully expect Tottenham to ease a win.

Tottenham Hotspur 3 – 1 Norwich

By @ItsBizNews

Everton - Chelsea
Goodison Park, Liverpool
KO: 17:30 BST (Sky Sports)

Everton will look to end a run of 3 consecutive draws in the league this season when they host Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side on Saturday evening. The Toffee's have featured in two 0-0's already this season, along with a thrilling 2-2 on the opening weekend, while opponents Chelsea have two 2 wins from their opening 3 games, plus a 0-0 with champions Manchester United.

Deadline day signings Gareth Barry and James McCarthy should start in midfield to cover for the departed Marouane Fellaini, however Romelu Lukaku (on loan from Chelsea) is ineligible to make his debut this week due to a clause in his loan contract. Nikica Jelavic will lead the line for Everton. Darron Gibson and Antolin Alcaraz are both ruled out for the forseeable future so won't feature at Goodison.

Chelsea on the other hand have a number of options vying for a start this weekend. Summer signings Samuel Eto'o and Willian could both start, while Ramires could start on the bench after competing in Boston for Brazil on Tuesday night. Juan Mata is yet to start a game this season and as the transfer window has closed, the Spaniard will have to fight hard for his spot in the line-up.

Possible Starting Line-Ups 

With both teams fielding plenty of new faces, I can see this game being rather open. Everton have averaged the most possession in the league this season with 64.1%, but with just two goals from 54 shots they're conversion rate is among the worst in the league. Martinez is unlikely to change his style to combat Chelsea, meaning their possession game may fall straight into the hands of counter-attacking expert Jose Mourinho. His Chelsea side will be compact at the back and will spring with speed, efficiency and intelligence in order to take full advantage and I can see it working perfectly.

PREDICTION

Everton's record vs Chelsea in recent times is good, however Mourinho's record against Everton is better. The Special One has never lost against Everton, winning 4 and drawing 2 of his 6 fixtures against the Merseyside club. Mourinho will expect to continue that record, and I do too.

Everton 0-2 Chelsea
(Willian, Lampard)

By @dmf180593 

Swansea - Liverpool

Liberty Stadium, Swansea
KO: 20:00BST (Sky Sports)

Brendan Rodgers returns to the Liberty Stadium with his Liverpool side top of the league and in fine form. Swansea on the other hand come into the game with just 3 points from their opening three fixtures following defeats to Manchester United and Tottenham.

Daniel Sturridge, who missed both England fixtures last week is expected to be fit on Monday night while new signings Mamadou Sakho and Thiago Ilori are both available too. Victor Moses could start on the bench for his new side. Glen Johnson however will miss out after injuring his ankle in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Manchester United two weeks ago. The full-back has been ruled out for between 5-6 weeks. Andre Wisdom is expected to fill in for him, although after his red card midweek for England's U21's Martin Kelly is also another option. Kolo Toure is a doubt for the game, and it's likely Sakho will replace the Ivorian and partner Daniel Agger at the heart of the defence.

Swansea have a near full strength side to choose from however. Neil Taylor is definitely out with a thigh injury, while Nathan Dyer could return after a recent hamstring injury. Jonjo Shelvey faces the club he left to join Swansea during the summer and will be keen to impress his new manager, while showing his old fans what they're missing out on. Alvaro Vazquez will start on the bench, but may make his debut on the night.

LEAGUE TABLE

POS	Team	GP	Won	Drawn	Lost	GS	GC	Pts	GD +/-
1.	Liverpool	3	3	0	0	3	0	9	+3
16.	Swansea	3	1	0	2	3	5	3	-2

Possible Starting Line-Ups 

Both sides are likely to go with their regular 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formations as it has done them well in the past. Neither side have any real injury problems so the sides are likely to look a lot like they have done at the start of the season, despite the deadline day. The players both sides have signed were brought in to play the system the clubs play, rather than change the system the clubs play. Although they offer versatility and flexibility, they've been signed to slot straight into the team. Victor Moses may come in as a natural winger to replace Iago Aspas, but with Liverpool undefeated so far it's hard to see Brendan Rodgers changing a side that's working so well.

PREDICTION

Both sides will feel they can win this game although Liverpool have the obvious advantage of having more quality in their side. Brendan Rodgers will know a lot of the Swansea players well and will look to extend Liverpool's 100% record. Daniel Sturridge's inclusion will be a big factor. Even if he is included in the side, will he be fit enough to make any actual impact on the game itself against such an organised outfit such as Swansea. If he misses out, Aspas will start up front which means Liverpool will lose a lot of pure finishing from their side which could prove costly. I'm going to plump for a Liverpool win, but if Sturridge doesn't make the side I wouldn't be surprised with a draw.

SWANSEA 1-2 LIVERPOOL
(Bony | Sturridge, Gerrard)

By @dmf180593