Premier League Preview: Liverpool’s last chance against Man U
There are crucial games this weekend in the English Premier League with Liverpool needing to keep its title hopes alive with a victory at Manchester United, Chelsea hosting Man City, and Aston Villa hosting Tottenham Hotspur. (Times listed are local time). Here’s a preview of some of the key games this weekend.
Manchester United – Liverpool - Saturday 12:45
Both teams had impressive victories in the knockout stage of the Champions League. Man U played a solid second leg to win 2-0 on aggregate against Serie A leaders Inter, and Liverpool thrashed Spanish side Real Madrid. United hold a comfortable 7 point lead at the top of the table while Liverpool have dropped to third. The game could go either way and Liverpool can easily surprise. Either way it should be an exciting crowd. – Prediction – Liverpool stuns Manchested United 2-1
Chelsea – Manchester City – Sunday 13:30
Chelsea have been under a resurgence after sacking Scolari and acquring new manager Guus Hiddink. Their Champions League win against Juventus showed this team still have some heart left and will look to put pressure on Man U. Manchester City had a solid 2-0 win against Aalborg in the UEFA Cup and have a talented attack but often make defensive mistakes. Chelsea’s form is better on the road but they still have the ability to get a win, and City have struggled on the road. Prediction – Chelsea win 2-0
Aston Villa – Tottenham Hotspur – Sunday 16:00
Villa have struggled recently after getting as high as 3rd in the table but now sit in 4th. Their lead above Arsenal is down to 3 points and are in danger of letting a good season slip away. Tottenham are out of the relegation zone but want another win to give them some breathing room. Prediction – Villa wins at home but a close match 1-0
Arsenal – Blackburn – Saturday 15:00
Arsenal have picked up their form and are closing the gap for 4th place with Aston Villa. They advanced during the week in the Champions League on penalty kicks against Roma and look to continue the momentum. Blackburn are in a f
ight to stay in the Premiership as they are 2 points above Portsmouth in 18th. Arsenal have way too much firepower to be denied at home as Blackburn will probably slip into the relegation zone after this weekend. Prediction – Arsenal cruises 3-1
Bolton – Fulham – Saturday 15:00
Both teams are in the middle of the table with Fulham in 10th by one point. They should be evenly matched and the match could go either way. Fulham have played solid defense, surrenduring 25 goals while scoring the same amount. Bolton have scored 30 but given up 40, which is uncommon for a team that high in the table. Fulham are looking to rebound after a disappointing loss to Blackburn on Wednesday but have struggled on the road. Prediction 1-1 draw
Here’s the rest of the schedule -
Everton/Stoke City – 15:00 Saturday
Hull City/Newcastle – 15:00 Saturday
Middlesbrough/Portsmouth – 15:00 Saturday
Sunderland/Wigan – 15:00 Saturday
West Ham/West Brom – 20:00 Monday
Current Barclays English Premier League Table (courtesy www.premierleague.com)
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1
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27 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 7 | +36 | 65 |
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2
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28 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 8 | +32 | 58 |
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3
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28 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 23 | 12 | +25 | 58 |
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4
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28 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 14 | +13 | 52 |
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5
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28 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 15 | +15 | 49 |
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6
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28 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 12 | +8 | 45 |
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7
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28 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 19 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 17 | 0 | 39 |
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8
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28 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 30 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 24 | +9 | 35 |
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9
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28 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 0 | 35 |
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10
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28 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 34 |
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11
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28 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 25 | -10 | 33 |
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12
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28 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 18 | 24 | 0 | 32 |
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13
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28 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 20 | -8 | 32 |
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14
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28 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 15 | 29 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 21 | -16 | 32 |
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15
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28 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 23 | -12 | 30 |
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16
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28 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 31 | -17 | 29 |
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17
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28 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 20 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 23 | -11 | 28 |
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18
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27 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 18 | 22 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 22 | -15 | 28 |
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19
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28 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 25 | -20 | 26 |
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20
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28 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 27 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 27 | -29 | 22 |
