Posted on 27 Aug 2010 at 13:00 PM by
Formex
It’s
already beginning to look like a tough season for Wigan and following a
thumping at home to Blackpool and then a 6-0 hammering by Chelsea at the DW
Stadium they venture south to play Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday in
a fixture that saw them humiliated 9-1 last season.
Unless boss
Martinez can
address the huge deficiencies in their defence this looks one-way traffic and
with William Gallas expected to make his debut for the Lilywhites they should
show additional resolve at the back. Spurs won well in midweek against Young
Boys in the Champions League and few will expect a reverse against the Premier
League’s new whipping boys.
Saturday’s
early game sees Arsenal travel to Ewood
Park to play Blackburn
and we can bank on the home side’s boss Sam Allardyce having a plan to stop the
Gunners. This usually results in Arsene Wenger having plenty to complain about
to the officials but maybe this time Arsenal can follow up their thumping of Blackpool
by inflicting another defeat on Blackburn.
Robin van Persie has a great scoring record against the home side and he could
well prove the match winner again and for those keen on the correct score try
1-2.
Few would
envy Stoke as they head for Stamford
Bridge on Saturday to
play the champions. Chelsea
has won both their league games this season 6-0 and they trounced Tony Pulis’
side 7-0 when they played here last season. That was only four months ago and
Stoke have lost their first two games of the new campaign so anything other
than another Chelsea
victory, and an easy one, would be a real surprise. Another 6-0 would not be
out of the question but surely Ancelotti’s side can’t keep up their scoring
run.
By only
drawing at Fulham last Sunday Man United handed the early initiative to Chelsea in the race for
the title but another slip up looks most unlikely this weekend as West Ham
visit Old Trafford.
Wayne
Rooney missed the Fulham game with a stomach bug and if he plays in this will
be extra keen to get back to scoring as he has gone eleven games for club and
country since hitting the net. This maybe the time to catch Javier Hernandez
who could make his home debut and with the visitors in such a poor shape nothing
other than a home win should be expected.
On Sunday Man City can add to their Liverpool success by taking
three points from Sunderland at the Stadium of
Light. City have won nine of their last ten against the Mackems and at odds
against they look too good to miss.
The other
standout away is Fulham who play at Blackpool
and following the home sides 6-0 thrashing by Arsenal look vulnerable. Fulham
earned themselves a worthy point at home to Man United last week and although
they only achieved one away win last term they can win this.