SEPT 26 — Part of the excitement surrounding this season is the promise of fresh upheaval at either ends of the table. The promoted three are emerging as a welcome threat to the established bottom-half order and the complacency that exists there.
Even before Wolves’ victory over Fulham, the promoted three had, as a collective, already fared better than predicted, with Birmingham City victorious at Hull City and Burnley securing a third win at Turf Moor. The Clarets' run of consecutive home victories stretches back to February during which time only two teams, Crystal Palace and Sunderland, have scored.
Burnley may have won all three home fixtures but they have lost all three on the road, scoring none and conceding nine. However, as a Championship club they came within minutes of dumping Spurs out of last season's Carling Cup semi-final.
Tonight, they take on Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. This fixture takes place four years to the day since Spurs last won a league match in September.
While Harry Redknapp's men’s record of eight consecutive league matches without a clean sheet is likely to continue with their growing injury problems at the back — Ledley King and Stephen Bassong have now joined Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson on the treatment table — but they have also scored 12 in their six league matches to date, their best record at the start of a Premier League campaign.
So, taking into account Burnley’s confidence following last season’s Carling Cup encounters, and Spurs crocked defence, I do fancy Burnley to have an edge and grab at least a point in London. A score draw or Burnley win will pocket you a good win, if you are the wagering type.
Last season’s best performing promoted team Stoke City will have to work their socks off as they entertain a revitalised Manchester United side.
Stoke defied the critics by surviving their inaugural Premier League season with a relative degree of comfort, and they have made an encouraging start to this season to suggest there will be more of the same. They came within seconds of holding Chelsea to a draw at the Britannia Stadium, but were denied a point when Florent Malouda popped up with a last-gasp winner.
MU have won eight of the last 10 league matches against the Potters who have not beaten the Red Devils in the top flight since Boxing Day 1984. The Red Devils were given a real scare by Stoke here last season and needed a late winner from Carlos Tevez to save their blushes. Having rested key players in midweek I reckon they could have a much easier time around with an early goal, but I think Stoke will still give MU a few scares. I predict a 2-1 or 1-0 win for MU.
Liverpool entertain a Hull side that is continuing its form from the second half of last season. Expect the Reds to pile on more pressure on manager Phil Brown with an emphatic win. A few early goals should open the floodgates for what I think will be Liverpool’s biggest win of the season. Torres could even be on a hattrick tonight.
The other two Big Four teams, Chelsea and Arsenal, go on the road today, with the Blues travelling to Wigan Athletic and Arsenal taking the shorter trip across London to Fulham.
Like MU and Liverpool, Chelsea will easily put aside Wigan’s challenge.
Chelsea also look set to extend their winning run and match their own record of being the only club to win their first seven fixtures in a Premier League campaign. Wigan has been dismal against the Big Four so far and this match is a foregone conclusion.
The Gunners, however, have a potential banana skin on their hands.
Any game featuring Arsenal will surely entertain true football aficionados, but for their own supporters, it can sometimes be a reason to get a blood-pressure gadget for a quick check before and after the match.
Having lost their last two away matches, Arsenal are bidding to avoid an unwanted hat-trick. The last time they lost three successive away fixtures was in November 2006 when they were beaten by West Ham United, Bolton Wanderers and Fulham, who will be hoping history repeats itself.
However, with Fulham’s current form, last season’s antics, where they were one of only two teams to take five points off Arsene Wenger's men, are but a distant memory. I think the Gunners will return to their form of the previous two seasons, 2006/07 (winning 4-0) and 2007/08 (3-0), to bring an end to their away losing streak.
Aston Villa was that other team which took five points off Arsenal. They were touted as being able to oust Arsenal in the top four Premier League teams since early last season, but self-destructed in the latter half of the season.
They are flying high again this season, winning every match after an opening day disaster of losing 2-0 at home to Wigan. That’s four wins on the trot, giving them 12 points in five matches — their best start to a Premier League campaign since the 1998/99 season.
Gabriel Agbonlahor is their star performer this season and his form alone has helped Martin O’Neill’s side overcome the loss of Gareth Barry’s strong influence in the middle of the park. Villa face a Blackburn Rovers side who, under Sam Allardyce are nowhere near the side they used to be. Blackburn are looking at another home defeat here as the raw pace of Agbonlahor will be too hard for them to handle.
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