Premier League preview round 10- Saturdays Games

Arsenal V West Ham United

  
After a fine display at Eastlands last sunday, Arsenal will be looking to record their fifth successive victory in all competitions since their lose at Stamford Bridge. Their oppenents West Ham, however enter the game in different steed winning only one of their nine Premier League games this term and in the process recording only one clean sheet and one victory all season. Last weeks home defeat to Newcastle will surely turn up the heat on Hammers boss Avram Grant.

Team News
Arsenal Injuries: Almunia, Van Persie, Diaby, Wilshere (suspended), Gibbs, Frimpong, Vermaelen, Ramsey.
West Ham United injuries: Hitzlsperger, Collison, Hines, Kurucz, Piquionne and Upson (both doubtful)

Blackburn Rovers v Chelsea

 

The Blues travel to Ewood Park in fine form, last weeks 2-0 home win against Wolves combined with Manchester City's defeat at the hands of Arsenal means Chelsea are five points clear at the top. Carlo Ancelotti's men also boast the record of conceeding the fewest goals so far this term with a remarkable two. Blackburn on the other hand are living dangerously just outside the drop zone by a point. Sam Allardyce has been promised £5m to spend in the january transfer window by Rovers new perspective Indian owners and on this seasons early form it is whats needed.

Team News
Blackburn Rovers injuries: Nzonzi, Grella, Andrews
Chelsea injuries: Ramires, Lampard, Benayoun

Everton v Stoke City

Everton have recently kick started their Premier League campaign after their Merseyside derby win followed up by a point at White Hart Lane last weekend moved them up to 11th in the table. Stoke on the other hand have lost every game in the league away from the Britannia Stadium so far apart from their 2-1 success at St James' park.

Team News
Everton injuries: Anichebe, Fellaini, Osman, Rodwell, Arteta (doubtful)
Stoke City injuries: Sidibe, Jones (doubtful), Pennant (doubtful)

Fulham v Wigan Athletic

If the league table nine games in anything to go by this will be a closely contested match up with Wigan sitting just one point above the Cottagers and once point clear from the relegation zone. Fulham just hovering above Liverpool on goal difference. Mark Hughes' men have recorded just one victory all season whereas the Latics go in to the game in better form losing just one of their last seven Premier League games.

Team News
Fulham Injuries: Etuhu, Murphy, Zamora, Duff, Kelly, Senderos, Davies (doubtful)
Wigan Atheltic injuries: McCarthy, Boyce, Pollitt, Gohouri (doubtful)

Manchester United V Tottenham Hotspur ( Kick off 5.30)

Manchester United's Mexician starlet Javier Hernandez will be under the spotlight this weekend after his brace against Stoke City followed up by Tuesday's winner against Wolves in the league cup left United fans quick to forget the Wayne Rooney saga. The Red Devils undefeated so far this term shouldn't be too quickly written off in this seasons title race. Their oppenents Spurs havn't won at Old Trafford in 21 years but have an opportunity to do so under Harry Redknapp due to the quality of the squad. However they cannot afford to have one eye on next weeks Champions League tie at White Hart Lane with Inter Milan.

Team News
Manchester United Injuries: Rooney, Valencia, Owen, Giggs, Hargreaves, Evans (doubtful)
Tottenham Hotspur injuires: Defoe, Huddlestone, Dawson, King, Corluka, Woodgate, O'hara



Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City

Wolves enter this encounter in deep early season trouble sitting second bottom in the table. Last weekends defeat at Stamford Bridge was by no means embarassing for the midlands outfit but with league games against Manchester United and Arsenal coming up home points here will surely have to be a priority. The Citizens contrastingly are sitting third in the Premier League table being replaced at second place by last weekends conquerors Arsenal. No top scorer Carlos Tevez is a blow but one which shouldn't affect the outcome of this match in terms of the strength and depth Roberto Mancini's squad possesses.

Team News
Wolverhampton Wanderers injuries: Zubar, Craddock, Guedioura
Manchester City injuries: Tevez, Kolarov, Nimely, M Johnson, K Toure (doubtful), Boyata (suspended)

West Ham United 1-2 Newcastle United

Andy Carroll set one up and bagged the winner for the Magpies

Andy Carroll put a controversial week behind him as he headed in the winner in a 2-1 victory at Upton Park. The win moves the magpies up to ninth in the Premier League and leaves West Ham rooted to the foot of the table.

Carroll 21, who had been attracting the wrong kind of headlines this week nodded in Joey Barton's cross to secure the points, the young talisman had also earlier set up team mate and now landlord Kevin Nolan to equalise.

The game should have potentially panned out much different to the final outcome if the first 20 minutes were anything to go by, West Ham exerted early pressure and were rewarded when Carlton Cole opened the scoring. However after that the home side were outplayed by the Toon Army.

The result means West Ham remain bottom of the league level on points with Wolves and Liverpool being separated only by goal difference.

West Ham unbeaten in five started very brightly and were making sure most of the game was played in the Newcastle half.  Their first real chance of the game proved to be the opener with Mark Noble picking out Frederic Piquionne's run with a exquisite perfectly weighted pass. The Frenchman's ball across goal was then turned in by Carlton Cole for his first goal of the season.

However the game began to shape up differently from then on as Newcastle started to look more and more like the home side and were soon in the ascendancy. Andy Carroll and Joey Barton in particular were starting to look more than a handful for the Hammers.

And it was no suprise when the Tyneside outfit levelled when Andy Carroll leaped well to nod Joey Barton's cross into the path of Skipper Kevin Nolan who smashed home from 8 yards.

The game was now being played at a very fast past and chances were coming thick and fast, Andy Carroll continued to terrorise the West Ham defence forcing a string of decent saves from Robert Green after the break. His volley from outside the box however was in the end a comfortable save for the hammers stopper.

West Ham already soaking up the majority of the pressure were hit with a blow when club Captain Matthew Upson departed with an unidentified injury which forced him off.

Once play resumed Newcastle took off where they left off, and it was inevitable that Andy Carroll who put in a good shift up top would come up trumps with the winner.

Barton who had a great game put a lovely inswinging cross into the box for the unmarked England u21 international to powerfully head home from 8 yards.

The win moves Newcastle up to ninth and on another day they could have ran out bigger winners as late efforts from Shola Ameobi, Joey Barton and Andy Carroll left Robert Green helpless. Next up for the magpies is a Carling Cup last 16 tie with Arsenal at St James' Park on wednesday, followed by the Tyne-Wear derby with arch rivals Sunderland on Sunday.

Goal Scorers: Cole 12, Nolan 23, Carroll 69

Line ups
Newcastle United: Krul, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Williamson, Simpson, Nolan, Barton, Gutierrez, Tiote, Carroll, Ameobi
Substitutes: Soderberg, Perch, Taylor, Guthrie, Routledge, Smith, Lovenkrands

West Hame United: Green, Gabbidon, Upson (Ilunga 53), Da Costa, Jacobsen, Parker, Noble, Behrami (Barrera 76), Cole, Piquionne (McCarthy 67), Obinna
Substitutes: Stech, Ben-Haim, Faubert, Ilunga, Barrera, Boa Morte, McCarthy

Referee: Chris Foy
Att: 34,486

Simon Anthony Blaquiere