Match Previews

Norwich V Aston Villa

Saturday 21^st September – Carrow Road

KO 12:45

With several games now played you can begin to make end of season predictions with a little more influence, albeit still without real conviction. However results so far suggest both teams will be residing in a similar part of the table.

Goals weren’t a plenty last year for Norwich so they’ll be hoping new signing Hooper (when he eventually makes his debut) will go some way to solving that particular issue. Then with Nathan Redmond shining week in week out, if he can keep this form up, things look much more promising for the canaries.

Benteke continues to ensure goals aren’t an issue for Aston Villa as his fine form continues which is just as well seeing as Villla haven’t kept a clean sheet since 2012. A promising start to the season against Arsenal has been over shadowed by a run of defeats, fans will be hoping it won’t get as bad as last season.

Team News

New signing at Norwich, Gary Hooper could be set to make his debut this weekend, after making the bench against Tottenham it’s only a matter of time. Both the Bennetts however remain out with knee injuries.

With Okore out with a serious injury, one which could see him take no further part this season, Clark is expected to take his place on the team sheet. Baker is fit again after overcoming his opening-day injury.

Prediction

Goals are hard for Norwich to come by but luckily for them they’re playing Aston Villa who seem unable to keep a clean sheets so they should at least manage one. With Benteke on the field you wouldn’t bet against him scoring, it’s just a decision on how many.

Norwich 1 – 1 Aston Villa

By @ItsBizNews

Liverpool V Southampton

Saturday 21^st September – Anfield

KO 15:00

Liverpool have had a remarkable start to the season, one which we and many others didn’t predict. Daniel Sturridge has been in fine form and single handedly helped Liverpool to their spot at the top of the table. Compared to last seasons poor home form Anfield is fast becoming a fortress once more, a fact which will delight fans, young and old.

Despite creating endless amounts of chances Southampton are struggling at present to covert them into goals and therefore points. On the Brightside they can boast an impressive amount of possession, weave this with their creativity it should only be a matter of time until they ‘stop making heroes out of opposing goalkeepers’ in the words of Pochettino.

Team News

Daniel Agger is expected to return to the side and with Coutinho looking set to be on the side lines for several weeks both Aspas and Sterling will be pushing to claim that spot.

Luke Shaw should be back in the side after limping off against West Ham but Fox remains doubtful.

Prediction

The home team tends to prosper between these two sides and will Sturridge in the form he currently is Liverpool should secure another win and remain firmly at the top of the table.

Liverpool 2 – 0 Southampton

By @ItsBizNews

Newcastle V Hull

Saturday 21^st September – St James’ Park

KO 15:00

There’ll be a couple of extra Newcastle fans at St James’ Park this weekend with Steve Bruce and Danny Graham both boyhood supporters. They won’t be expecting  a warm welcome though and Graham will be hoping for a few extra boo’s by ending his 21 match run without a single goal.

A slow start for Newcastle has had a shining light in the form of Hatem Ben Arfa who has almost single handedly won them their points so far this season. Acting as both playmaker and goalscorer Newcastle fans will hope his form continues consistently unlike last season.

Team News

Steven Taylor will be unavailable for Newcastle after damaging his hamstring in training. Shola Ameobi is also out with an injury he picked up away on international duty.

Hull are also not without injury, captain Robert Koren is thought to be out for up to eight weeks and McShane has a hamstring injury whilst Figueroa has been grantened compassionate leave.

Prediction

Newcastle haven’t won 3 in a row since 2012 whereas Hull have only won one of their last 11 matches. Both teams also haven’t been brimming with goals, this screams bore draw.

Newcastle 0 – 0 Hull

By @ItsBizNews

West Brom V Sunderland

Saturday 21^st September – The Hawthorns

KO 15:00

Usually this early into the season clashes between the bottom teams don’t hold too much significance however both teams will know how difficult it can be to recover from a bad start and come the end of the season early dropped points can come back to haunt them.

West Brom only just celebrated their first league goal of the season last weekend and with a run of incredibly tough fixtures lined up points from this match could be seen as vital. Sunderland also face a run of imposing fixtures so will be ensuring they don’t drop points with out putting up a fight.

Team News

Work permit in place Stephane Sessegnon is set to make his debut for West Brom whilst Long and Vydra are both doubtful.

Sunderland captain John O’Shea is available again after suspension and Lee Cattermole may well feature again after injury.

Prediction

Both teams haven’t chalked up a win in their last 8 games so a draw would be plausible. However the Baggies have a great record against Sunderland and with the much anticipated inclusion of Sessegnon I think West Brom will take the points.

West Brom 2 – 1 Sunderland

 By @ItsBizNews

WEST HAM - EVERTON
Boleyn Ground, London
KO: 15:00 BST

West Ham United welcome Merseyside's blues to Upton Park on Saturday afternoon, with Everton unbeaten against the Hammers since 2007.

West Ham come into this game with worries about their form. After a convincing 2-0 opening day victory over Cardiff City, they've not scored in any of their 3 fixtures since including two 0-0 draws. With head striker Andy Carroll out until the new year with a heel injury, it's been left to Modibo Maiga and free-agent signing Mladen Petric to come up with the goals that will help to secure West Ham the points to keep them in this division.

Everton have also had an indifferent start to their campaign with two 0-0 draws sandwiched between a 2-2 draw with Norwich and more recently a 1-0 win over Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side. Goals have been an issue for Everton too, but the addition of Romelu Lukaku on deadline day is sure to change that.

TEAM NEWS

Andy Carroll is ruled out of this tie with a heel injury that is set to keep him out until January at least. Joe Cole (hamstring), Alou Diarra (knee), George McCartney (knee) and Stewart Downing (leg) are all out too, meaning Sam Allardyce has limited options for his 100th game in charge of West Ham.

Everton on the other hand have a stronger squad available than last time around against Chelsea. Romelu Lukaku is available to make his debut after being ineligible against his parent club, while Darron Gibson and Arouna Kone are back in the squad after injury. Antolin Alcaraz is definitely out of the game, while manager Roberto Martinez has rated Steven Pienaar's chances as "50-50".

PREDICTED LINE-UPS

PREDICTIONS

In a tightly contested game between two sides who have drawn 5 games out of 8 between them this season, it seems like only one result is possible. However with Everton's squad getting stronger and West Ham still struggling for goals with no real solution, I think Everton will snatch it and come out on top.

West Ham 0-2 Everton
(Lukaku, Mirallas)

By @dmf180593

Chelsea vs. Fulham

Stamford Bridge - Kick-Off 17:30pm - LIVE on Sky Sports 1

The West London derby. Perhaps it’s not quite as ‘big’ as the Manchester Derby on Sunday, but it is still a fierce rivalry between the two, after all it depends who you ask!

Just under 2 miles separate the clubs, but in terms of the Premier League and other meetings between them, Chelsea have the upper hand (P71, W41, D23, L7), and they are currently in sixth; eight places above their rivals.

However since the return of Jose Mourinho, The Blues haven’t been firing on all cylinders and a loss would make it three losses in a row for ‘The Special One’ having lost at Everton last weekend, and at home against Basel in the Champions League on Wednesday. Could Jose’s unbeaten home record in the Premier League finally be tarnished?

Even still, Fulham aren’t doing particularly well themselves; since their 1-0 win at Sunderland, they have picked up just one point out of a possible nine, and last weekend threw two away when West Brom equalised in the last minute at Craven Cottage.

But their recent record against Chelsea isn’t too bad, and they have picked up a point in all but one of their last five meetings. Unfortunately they haven’t beaten the Blues since March 2006 and despite Chelsea’s poor form, I wouldn’t expect that to change.

Team News

Chelsea have no injury concerns at this early stage of the season. John Terry is likely to be re-called after sitting out of the defeat by Basel, while Ramires is also available again having missed out mid-week due to suspension. Former Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer is likely to be on the bench as Petr Cech remains number one.

Having used 20 different players so far, it is difficult to know whether Mourinho knows his best team yet, and it is possible he is still experimenting.

Key Player: 

Frank Lampard - at the grand old age of 35, Lamps is still at the heart of the Chelsea midfield, which says a lot about the calibre of player he is and the effect he has when it comes to changing games or being the difference.

Schwarzer’s replacement, Maarten Stekelenburg, will miss out through injury along with Aaron Hughes, Matthew Briggs and Bryan Ruiz. Darren Bent is fit again, but Dimitar Berbatov faces a late fitness test on a hamstring problem.

Key Player: 

Scott Parker - the summer signing from Tottenham is one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League, and like Lampard has the ability to change games.

Prediction: 

3-0 - I can’t see Chelsea being allowed to lose 3-in-a-row, especially if the third is to a rival like Fulham. The crowd will help in getting The Blues going, and Jose is the sort of manager who can pull something out of the bag when needed.

By @willtm10 

MANCHESTER CITY - MANCHESTER UNITED

Etihad Stadium, Manchester
KO: 16:00 BST (Sky Sports)

The most unpredictable Manchester derby in recent memory takes place this Sunday at the Etihad Stadium. With two new managers in the dugouts and a host of new players set to feature, anything could happen in this top of the table affair between the two sides who have occupied first & second respectively in the previous two Premier League campaigns.

Both sides are coming into the game in good form too, with big wins for both midweek in the Champions League group stages. The blues travelled to Pilsen, Czech Republic to defeat Viktoria Plzen comfortably with goals from strikers Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero as well as a corker from influential midfielder Yaya Toure. United on the other hand defeated German side Bayer Leverkusen 4-2, with striker Wayne Rooney reaching 200 goals for the club as well as Robin van Persie and Antonio Valencia getting their names on the scoresheet.

TEAM NEWS

Manchester City have a few issues with their side going into this game. Gael Clichy looks almost certain to miss out, meaning Serbian Aleksandr Kolarov is set to deputise. Despite his clear ability at dead ball situations, the left-back isn't the greatest defender and will be an obvious target for Manchester United to attack. Vincent Kompany returned from injury midweek with no issues so the captain should retain his place in the starting eleven along with youngster Matija Nastasic. David Silva is also a doubt for the tie, although coach Manuel Pellegrini is hopeful the Spanish playmaker can shake off a thigh injury to feature. Sergio Aguero looks certain to continue up front and will likely be partnered up front with Edin Dzeko. Alvaro Negredo should start on the bench.

Manchester United's squad however is starting to look stronger after their early season injuries. Wayne Rooney is fit and firing scoring 3 goals in his last 2 games while Robin van Persie has also scored in his last 2 games. Phil Jones is still ruled out with the ankle injury he picked up against Liverpool while Rafael has returned to training ahead of his return to the first team. Fabio started against Crystal Palace and impressed, while Chris Smalling started midweek against Leverkusen. I expect Smalling to start for his physical presence, although I wouldn't rule out an early return for Rafael. Marouane Fellaini should make his full Premier League debut for his new side in midfield alongside Michael Carrick, while Valencia should also continue after finding his form again midweek. Nani could make a return on the left, although Shinji Kagawa also impressed in his first outing of the season. Danny Welbeck missed the game with fluid on the knee, but should be fit enough to feature.

PREDICTED LINE-UPS

With David Silva struggling for full fitness ahead of this game, Manchester City will have to look towards Argentinian Sergio Aguero as their main catalyst for creativity and goals. The striker was the difference at Old Trafford last year with a fine solo goal and after his goal midweek he finally looks like he's getting into some form this season. His partnership with Dzeko is beginning to blossom as both begin to play alongside each other more frequently, meaning problems for any defence they come up against. Although United have looked good defensively, the pace of Aguero up against Ferdinand and Vidic could be a key factor in their battle. City will have to get the ball in behind the Man United defence, meaning Silva's eye for a pass will be needed if they are to grab a stranglehold in the game.

For Manchester United, it's the same old story - Wayne Rooney will be key to any success they may have on Sunday. The England hitman became only the fourth player in the history of the club to hit 200 goals for the club with his brace against Leverkusen - and 10 of those goals have come against Manchester City (more than any other club). Rooney scored twice in this fixture last season as United snatched a late 3-2 win. His form will be key for United, tracking back into midfield to help without the ball but also being able to create and dictate the game away from home will be the big task.

Notable Battles:

Edin Dzeko vs Nemanja Vidic

These two Eastern European stars are both very similar in build. Both incredibly strong and both very good in the air. While Dzeko has an edge with his pace, Vidic makes up for it with experience and gives this the ingredients for an intriguing on field battle between the pair.

Yaya Toure vs Marouane Fellaini

In recent years, Yaya Toure has dominated this game for Manchester City with his pure physical presence. Brute strength and technical ability to match he was untouchable against United's midfield, however the addition of Fellaini changes all that. Fellaini offers to United exactly what Toure offers to City, meaning it's an even playing field. While Toure may be a better footballer, on the day it will be a battle between two giants.

PREDICTION

Both sides come into this game  off comfortable victories in the Champions League but United come into this game in better league form. Manuel Pellegrini's side haven't really got going yet domestically and this game won't be any easier. Moyes' team had their best performance of the season in midweek and will be fired up to give their new manager his first derby win. It will be a tight game with neither manager wanting to lose but I think the fans will have a big say in the way the teams play, meaning there will be goals.

Manchester City 1-2 Manchester United
(Aguero | Rooney, Nani)

By @dmf180593