It’s almost eight years since these two rivals last met and it should still be a tense match as Chelsea and Leeds face each other in the Capital One Cup quarter finals, with their rivalry dating back to the 1960s.
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Spurs will be aiming to return to the top four of the Premier League with a win over Swansea this afternoon as they host Michael Laudrup’s side in the early kick-off.
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Nobody could have predicted West Brom’s genuine progress in the Premier League this season and the same could be said for their opponents this afternoon. West Ham have made an impressive start since being promoted from the Championship, however both sides have had a slight dip in form with the Baggies on three straight defeats and West Ham also losing three of their last four matches.
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The last time these two teams met the score line ended 7-5 to Arsenal in the Carling Cup. This time they meet in the Premier League where points are crucial for the home side who are at the very bottom of the table in the relegation zone.
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Easter is often viewed as a crucial time of the season when titles can be won and relegation sealed. On Saturday there are seven Premier League games and plenty of those could have big ramifications at both ends of the table.
Stoke v Wolves (5.30pm)
It’s almost getting to the last-chance saloon for Wolves (9/2 – match prices) as they stare down the barrel of relegation, six points adrift of the other strugglers and with just seven games to save themselves.
Another defeat on Saturday would be the latest nail in the coffin so Terry Connor must do all he can to motivate his side for what is always a difficult trip to the Britannia Stadium.
The Potters 4/6 themselves are 10 points clear of the relegation places but will be looking for at least a couple more wins to guarantee another season of top-flight football. Expect them to pick up three points in this one to keep them safely in mid-table and leave Wolves virtually needing a miracle.
Prediction: Home win.
Chelsea v Wigan (3pm)
The Blues (1/4) made it through to the Champions League semis in midweek but it’s been a domestic season of disappointment so far for the top-four chasers. Roberto Di Matteo has done a fine job since being placed in interim charge but his side are still five points behind Spurs in the race for fourth.
While that’s not insurmountable, it looks like a forlorn chase at this stage with the focus now very much on Europe and the FA Cup semi-final against London rivals Spurs.
Wigan, on the other hand, remain very much in the mire but have proved in recent years they have the stomach for the fight and they might just shock a jaded Chelsea at the Bridge. An away win (11/1) looks too far-fetched but the Latics could easily come away with a vital point at what is a mouth-watering 5/1 chance.
Prediction: Draw.
Bolton v Fulham (3pm)
Bolton (13/8) have rallied in recent weeks to move themselves out of the drop-zone but are still just a point clear of 18th place, although they do have a game in hand.
It’s been a season of struggle for the Trotters with boss Owen Coyle’s reputation taking a few knocks along the way but they, too, now look up for the fight and can claim another big three points in this one.
For Fulham, on offer at 7/4 to win, who sit comfortably in mid-table, this match does not seem as important but they are always a tricky outfit to contend with and Martin Jol never settles for going through the motions.
However, this one means far more to Bolton than the Cottagers and a home win at 13/8 should be backed.
Prediction: Home win.
West Brom v Blackburn (3pm)
The Baggies (10/11) have moved themselves clear of trouble in recent weeks and are have an eight-point cushion going into the weekend, despite two straight defeats.
Roy Hodgson will want to put that record straight when struggling Rovers visit the Hawthorns but it’s likely to be a tight encounter between two well-drilled, organised sides.
Rovers (3/1) were a tad unlucky not to take a point off leaders Manchester United on Monday and will feel they can get something from the Baggies so a draw also looks good here at 5/2.
Prediction: Draw.
Liverpool v Aston Villa (3pm)
This game is big for both clubs but for different reasons. Liverpool’s shocking run of form has seen them lose six of their last seven games in the league and slip out of the top six with local rivals Everton edging ahead in the process.
Results and performances have led some fans to question whether ‘King Kenny’ Dalglish is really the right man for the job and, while he generally retains the support of the majority, another home defeat to out-of-form Villa will not be tolerated.
With (7/1) that in mind, a narrow home win (4/9) looks on the cards but don’t expect a classic. Villa have a poor recent record at Anfield and Alex McLeish’s men are on a bad run themselves, so much so that the Scot has admitted they could be drawn into the relegation scrap.
The Midlanders are surely too good to go down but are likely to have to search elsewhere in the rest of the season for those much-needed points to ensure safety.
Prediction: Home win
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While much of the attention this week has been on a certain local tussle at Old Trafford, thanks to Thursday’s Europa League encounters there are also four other Premier League games to entertain us on Sunday, featuring teams from the top, middle and bottom of the table.
Arsenal v Stoke
Arsenal will be looking to arrest an alarming trend of European hangovers when they clash with Stoke at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday lunchtime. The Gunners have lost all four of their games that have immediately followed Champions League matches this season.
Stoke were in European action of their own, beating Maccabi Tel-Aviv 3-0 at the Britannia Stadium, and know a win in north London could take them into the top six. Arsenal’s worries this season have mainly been restricted to matches on the road and after winning their last five home games in all competitions, they should sneak this one.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Stoke @ 7/1
Fulham v Everton
Fulham boss Martin Jol was left frustrated on Thursday after a controversial red card for Moussa Dembele hampered their attempts to beat Wisla Krakow, David Biton’s second-half goal eventually condemning the Cottagers to a 1-0 defeat.
They do, however, have fond memories of their last home league match – a 6-0 romp against QPR. Everton will be desperate to arrest of run of three straight defeats but have a poor record by the Thames – they have won just one of their last 10 league matches away at Fulham.
Prediction: Fulham 1-1 Everton @ 11/2
Blackburn v Tottenham
The natives are restless at Ewood Park. A run of just one win in eight league games has left the Lancashire club bottom of the pile and a supporter protest is planned for the third home game in succession.
The contrast couldn’t be more stark between Rovers and Sunday’s opponents Spurs. Only a late Newcastle equaliser prevented Harry Redknapp’s men from winning a fifth league game on the bounce last weekend and they once again find themselves within touching distance of the top four with a game hand.
Prediction: Blackburn 1-3 Tottenham @ 14/1
QPR v Chelsea
The lack of a home victory is spoiling what has otherwise been a solid return to the Premier League for QPR. But how the fans would dearly love to break that particular duck against their west London rivals Chelsea.
However, they will be taking on a Blues side in fine form having won six of their last seven league games, scoring 23 goals in the process. The Stamford Bridge outfit have also lost just one of their last 14 league and cup games against QPR and that statistic won’t be changing on Sunday.
Prediction: QPR 0-3 Chelsea @ 8/1
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There are three games in the secnd round of the Carling Cup on Tuesday evening as Paolo Di Canio’s Swindon host Southampton in the pick of the ties. Elsewhere League Two side Aldershot host Carlisle, while Bristol Rovers travel to League One club Leyton Orient.
Aldershot v Carlisle
Carlisle travel to the Recreation Ground in excellent form and must be backed at 7/5 to progress to the next round. Greg Abbott’s men are unbeaten since their opening-game defeat at home to Notts County and come into this game on the back of a good win away again Leyton Orient.
Abbott will resist the temptation to rest players in this fixture as he will hope to keep confidence high in the camp and the reward of a home fixture in the next round against fellow League One side Rochdale is on offer for the winner here.
Apart from their shock win at Upton Park against West Ham in the last round, the Shots have had an inauspicious start to the season. They have lost both of their home games in the league so far and would need to really step up their came if they are to overcome the Cumbrians.
Prediction: Carlise to beat Aldershot at 7/5.
Leyton Orient v Bristol Rovers
It’s been a miserable start to the season for Leyton Orient so far as they have failed to pick up a point from their opening five league games.
However, they can expect better luck in the cup as they host League Two flyers Bristol Rovers. Russell Slade will see the importance of a good cup run as critical to his club’s finances and the reward for winning this game is a trip to Ewood Park to face Premier League side Blackburn.
The O’s’ form will turn around at some point – this is a side who narrowly missed out on the play-offs in League One last season and often poor form in the league does not transpire into the cup.
The players will feel the pressure off their shoulders as there are no points on offer this time around.
Rovers, however, are not in the best form themselves. They were involved in a disappointing goalless draw at home to Hereford on Saturday and goals have been to come by for Paul Buckle’s men – they have scored just one in their three games.
It will be a tough place for the League Two side to go to and the smart money says they will just be narrowly denied in a close contest at the Matchroom Stadium.
Prediction: Leyton Orient to beat Bristol Rover at 11/10.
Swindon v Southampton
Paolo Di Canio will relish hosting Championship Southampton at the County Ground.
The former West Ham star will see a good cup run as a way of making a name for himself in the managerial game and will have his players fired up for the visit of Saints.
On the other hand, Nigel Atkins will be expected to rest a few of his star players going into this Carling Cup fixture as the push for promotion into the Premier League is his priority this season.
This should allow a full-strength Swindon side to hold the Saints to a draw after 90 minutes.
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Two games take place on Sunday in the Championship, starting with Sam Allardyce’s West Ham making the trip to the City Ground to take on Nottingham Forest. The other game sees Watford host Birmingham, who qualified for the next stage of the Europa League on Thursday evening.
Nottingham Forest v West Ham (13:15)
Two of England’s well established managers clash horns at the City Ground on Sunday as Steve McClaren hosts Sam Allardyce’s West Ham.
West Ham should be taken at 8/5 to get the better of Forest, who have been unconvincing so far in their league campaign.
The Hammers were unfortunate not to hold onto three points at home to Leeds last Sunday – a last minute equaliser from the Yorkshire side shared the spoils at Upton Park. The hosts were on top for large amounts of the game and deserved to pick up three points for their efforts.
Allardyce’s men were clinical on their last trip away from home – dispatching Watford 4-0 in a very impressive display.
You will struggle to find a forward line better than Carlton Cole and John Carew in the Championship. Both players with bags of Premier League experience and proven goalscorers in the top flight.
Cole is a 6/1 shot to score the first goal in the game and looks the obvious choice to open the scoring and add to the two goals he has already scored this season.
The East London club have been boosted by the signing of Sam Baldock ahead of the game. The 22-year old has been very impressive for MK Dons in the past few seasons and will be a key figure in the Hammers fight for promotion back into the Premier League.
West Ham are a 10/1 shot to win the game 2-1 and is the likely correct score as both sides are capable of finding the back of the net.
Watford v Birmingham City (15:00)
Watford have had a miserable start to the Championship campaign so far and it is likely to get worse as Birmingham are 21/10 to get their season up and running with a win at Vicarage Road.
Birmingham are a better side than their league position of 18th suggests, but they have had a tough start to the life in the second tier.
Chris Hughton has a decent squad at his disposal with the right blend of youth and experience. Adam Rooney and Nathan Redmond will both have the opportunity to shine for the Blues this season. The latter, who is 10/1 to score the first goal, scored in Europe on Thursday in their 3-0 victory over Portuguese side Nacional.
Watford’s team got ripped apart in the summer, adding to boss Malky Mackay’s exit to Cardiff, with Will Buckley departing to Brighton and Danny Graham moving to newly-promoted Swansea City.
The side from North London will be one of the favourites to be relegated from the Championship this season and are going to struggle in what is a very competitive league.
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There are three Premier League matches on Sunday with two sides that won their opening game, Bolton and Manchester City, set to face each other. New boys Norwich are also in action so we will take a look at how things might turn out on Sunday evening.
Bolton v Manchester City
Bolton are now firmly established as a top-flight club and they dealt ruthlessly with the threat of Premier League newcomers Queens Park Rangers last weekend. While the 4-0 scoreline may have flattered them slightly, it was still an excellent way to get their campaign up and running.
But Sunday’s clash will be a real test of their mettle as they welcome a City side to the Reebok who have real title ambitions after another summer of big-money signings.
Record signing Sergio Aguero bagged a brace on his City debut against Swansea and could well be handed a starting berth against the Trotters. The Argentina international hit-man looks a real talent and the Bolton rearguard will have to keep a close eye on him throughout the 90 minutes.
But such is the talent on show at the Eastlands club these days that goals could come from anywhere and there are even rumours that Carlos Tevez might make an appearance.
Bolton’s Ricardo Gardner will undergo a fitness test on his groin problem, while new signing Tuncay will be available if his work permit is sorted out in time.
Both sides scored four goals last time out and, while home advantage will certainly help Bolton, an away win seems the likely result here.
Odds: Bolton 7/2, City 5/6, draw 13/5
Norwich City v Stoke City
Norwich made the best start of the three promoted teams, gaining a creditable 1-1 draw away at Wigan Athletic, and Sunday’s clash at Carrow Road will be the first top-flight game there for six years.
There is sure to be a carnival atmosphere and that will help them against a well-organised and tough Potters outfit, who came away from Stamford Bridge with a point after a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in their season-opener.
Stoke may feel the effects of Thursday’s trip to Switzerland when they played FC Thun in the Europa League but their 1-0 victory will have given them a confidence boost heading into the weekend’s fixture.
Norwich centre-back Zak Whitbread was forced off against Wigan because of a knee problem and his participation against Tony Pulis’ men is in doubt but Daniel Ayala, who joined from Liverpool on Tuesday, is waiting to fill his boots.
Stoke trio Jonathan Woodgate, Jermaine Pennant and Asmir Begovic were rested for the Swiss trip but should all start in East Anglia.
The Canaries’ stay in the Premier League lasted just one season last time and they will need to win the majority of their home games if they want to reverse that trend this time, and a home clash with Stoke will certainly have been pencilled in as one they can take three points from.
Odds: Norwich 6/4, Stoke 15/8, draw 23/10
Wolves v Fulham
Wolves were another side to take maximum points from their opening salvo with an excellent 2-1 win at Blackburn, while the Cottagers held Aston Villa to a goalless draw by the Thames.
The Molineux outfit waited until the final game of last season to secure their top-flight status but have started this term in a positive fashion as they look to consolidate their place in England’s top division.
Fulham are under new management and look to be an organised unit under Martin Jol although, like Stoke, they might suffer from their midweek European outing.
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy may name the same side that won at Blackburn, with defender Richard Stearman fit again after hurting his back against Rovers.
Fulham could recall Dickson Etuhu, John Arne Riise, Philippe Senderos and Andrew Johnson, who were rested and dropped to the bench for the clash with Dnipro.
Both sides will be looking for a top-10 finish this year and a draw looks a sensible bet for this one.
Odds: Wolves 11/8, Fulham 11/5, draw 9/4
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Tottenham take on Hearts in a ‘Battle of Britain‘ as the highlight of this Thursday’s Europa League play-offs which will also feature Celtic, Rangers, Stoke City, Birmingham City and Fulham.
Manager Harry Redknapp may seem more concerned about the ticking clock in his head that counts down to the final frantic minutes of the transfer window than Spurs’ Europa League campaign and he probably is, which makes Hearts a great bet at 4/1 (90 Minutes) to take a first-leg lead down to London.
The Tynecastle club’s owner was widely criticised for axing ex-boss Jim Jefferies after the 1-1 draw to Hungarians Paksi in the previous round, but his decision didn’t look so bad when Hearts ran out 4-1 winners in the second leg.
New coach Paulo Sergio is endearing himself to the fans and local press alike and saw his team turn Aberdeen over 3-0 at home last weekend.
Spurs, however, are yet to play a competitive match this season after their opening Premier League match was called off following the riots and may be a bit short of competitive match sharpness for a clash which, as any Anglo-Scottish affair could be, may be tasty.
John Sutton grabbed a brace at the weekend and, although he didn’t score their first, the ex-Motherwell man is 7/1 (First Goalscorer) to bag the opener against Spurs while Hearts are 9/5 (To Score First Goal) if you prefer.
Stoke City may be worth opposing on their travels too as they, like Spurs in the Champions League last year, take on a useful Swiss team on a plastic pitch.
FC Thun are currently top of the Swiss standings following a 5-2 home win at the weekend and with the safety net of the second leg at the Britannia Stadium, Stoke boss Tony Pulis may field a weakened line up for this first leg.
Pulis has spoken about the concern he has that the hard surface may lead to injuries in his squad in the lead-up to the match, so the 2/1 on offer for a home win looks incredibly tempting.
Without wanting to sound totally anti-English here, Birmingham City’s Europa League involvement may not last much beyond this round either as they face a first-leg trip to Madeira to take on CD Nacional.
Chris Hughton is without a number of key players for the clash and, although Nacional are not up there with the best teams in Portugal, they have a good defensive record.
The Blues may be able to come away with a small deficit from the match to keep them in touch over the tie and a scoreline of 1-0 to Nacional at 9/2 (Correct Score) or HT Draw/FT Nacional at 10/3 (Half Time/Full Time) appear to be the safest wagers.
Now for the good news! Celtic look a great bet to win their home leg against FC Sion and at 8/15 should be in most accumulators, while Rangers (6/4) and Fulham (4/6) can also make progress against Maribor and Dnipro at bigger, but slightlier riskier prices.
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