Hull v Chelsea, 12:45
For all that the media seem to agree the Chelsea team is lacking in a number of areas the simple fact is that after twenty Premier League games the side managed by Mourinho are just one match-day away from overhauling Arsenal in first. Two points separate the London clubs going into this set of fixtures, and with the away side having lost just once in their last ten outings in the league you’d suspect that the Gunners will need a win to stay ahead of their rivals for the title. Eden Hazard is top scorer with 9 for the Blues, and 3/1 in the score/win with BWin.
Hull manager Steve Bruce has seen a bug sweep through his squad, but hopes it will have passed the majority by in time for kick off, but Paul McShane is out with an ankle injury. Chelsea will again be without Frank Lampard and Branislav Ivanovic, neither of whom will feature before January is out.
Cardiff v West Ham, 15:00
In their last ten league matches Cardiff have collected just one win, and as a result of that and some other embarrassing stuff the Welsh side decided to change their manager in an effort to stay in the division, to a mixed reception. Given that they have the same number of maximums in their last ten matches some might express surprise that West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is still in his job, but there are a number of factors excusing the form of his side and so far the board have kept faith with their man. With the form so poor it’s tough to pick, so I’ll go with home advantage and a punt on the 9/1 on a 2-0 home win with Bet365.
Cardiff City could hand a debut to new signing Magnus Wolff Eikrem and Craig Bellamy is back after two months out. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce says he will make a “calculated” decision on whether to recall Andy Carroll, but James Tomkins should be fit enough to feature.
Everton v Norwich, 15:00
After twenty league matches Everton sit just one point behind their local rivals Liverpool in the league and have a fantastic chance of pushing on to the top four over the remainder of the calendar, starting today against a Norwich side without a win in their last five Premier League matches. Draws with Sunderland and Palace have to be considered potential points dropped for the Canaries even if it would have been tough to win those games, and an away match at Goodison is as tricky an ask as you could get so far in the 2013-14 season. If Everton get going the 11/4 with SkyBet on them winning by 3 or more goals could be good value.
Ross Barkley and Leighton Baines could play today despite minor knocks, but Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin are not likely to be fit for this game. Norwich have Leroy Fer back after a one-match ban, but Michael Turner, Jonny Howson, Alex Tettey, Anthony Pilkington and Elliott Bennett are all sidelined.
Fulham v Sunderland, 15:00
We’ve got a few really important games from the bottom half this weekend, and Fulham against Sunderland is at least as big as any other in terms of staying in the division for another season. if things don’t go their way this afternoon Sunderland could find themselves four points adrift of the team in nineteenth and as many as seven from safety, a massive gap when you consider they’ve so far averaged just 0.7 points per game in the league. Having said that, Fulham are not exactly Manchester City at home, so the 7/1 with Ladbrokes on a 1-1 might be worth a look, as could the 11/2 on Berbatov as first scorer with Bet365.
Fulham are again likely to be without defender Brede Hangeland but Maarten Stekelenburg could return after a four-game absence with an ankle injury. Sunderland have no new injury concerns, with Carlos Cuellar and Kieren Westwood still crocked.
Southampton v West Brom, 15:00
The home team are still in the top half of the table, but in the last few weeks there has been a definite whiff of deterioration about St Marys both on and off the pitch. The determination to get Mark Clattenburg in trouble didn’t pay off for the Saints, and two wins in their last ten games also suggests that the problems on-field go a lot further than a couple of poor decisions given against them too. Today they face a West Brom not managed by Pepe Mel for the first time as the new man watches from the stands before taking charge on Monday, which will be an interesting experience for the players, and should spur them on to make a game of it with 5/6 at Stan James on both teams scoring.
Southampton goalkeeper Artur Boruc could make a comeback and Gaston Ramirez and Rickie Lambert are expected to be fit, but Dani Osvaldo and Victor Wanyama are absent for the home team. West Brom caretaker head coach Keith Downing will be without defender Billy Jones and Goran Popov with Youssouf Mulumbu and Victor Anichebe back in training but unlikely to feature.
Spurs v Crystal Palace, 15:00
Injuries are a natural part of football, and dealing with them is something every manager has to face at some point regardless of resources or squad depth. Right now Tim Sherwood is feeling the pinch a bit with a number of key absentees hindering his attempts to take his team up toward the top four, but a home game with Palace doesn’t come with many excuses for losing and today the home supporters will treat anything other than three points as abject failure. Palace are a tough team now under Pulis, though, and the 1-0 home win at 6/1 with Boylesports might be what Spurs have to settle for.
Tottenham’s are still missing a swathe of first-team player, including Jan Vertonghen, Younes Kaboul, Erik Lamela, Sandro, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Lewis Holtby and Paulinho. Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis has a number of his squad requiring fitness tests ahead of this match.
Man Utd v Swansea, 17:30
Having just beaten United at Old Trafford in the cup will definitely give Swansea some confidence prior to their evening kick-off with Manchester United, but they’ll also be aware of how unlucky the home side were in that game and the increased pressure on the Red Devils to succeed in the league. With eleven points between themselves and Arsenal at the top of the table it is fair to say United really need to get into their post-Christmas run of good form as quickly as possible and a 2-1 home win is available at 8’s with Bet365, but anything can happen at Old Trafford right now.
Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney is out and Jonny Evans is a fitness doubt, potentially joining the likes of Evans, Ferdinand, Young, Van Persie, Jones, Fellaini and Nani on the United injury list. Swansea boss Michael Laudrup is without wingers Pablo Hernandez and Roland Lamah, with Michael Vorm not yet ready to return from a knee operation.
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