da aviator aposta： The fixtures are starting to come thick and fast in the Premier League as we edge ever closer to the Christmas schedule; a much maligned period of the season for players and managers championing the benefits of a winter break, yet wholeheartedly embraced by fans who are able to enjoy a flurry of football before the year comes to a close. This list does not include Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who is somewhat of an anglophile when it comes to such traditions.
da betway： As well as a full round of fixtures this weekend, all 20 teams are also in action in midweek, giving us plenty to look forward to; focusing on Saturday and Sunday’s matches, here are FIVE things in particular you should watch out for:
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1. Southampton’s top four credentials put to the test
August 19th 2012, and Southampton faced Manchester City at the Etihad in their first game back in the Premier League since gaining promotion from the Championship. Although City went into the game as champions – having clinched their first Premier League title just three months previously – the Saints still gave them an almighty run for their money, and were it not for two late goals from Edin Dzeko and Samir Nasri, they may very well have taken all three points.
Since that game two years ago, Southampton have never looked back – while their eighth placed finish under Mauricio Pochettino last season was certainly impressive, their form under Ronald Koeman this campaign has been stunning. The South Coast side currently lie in second place in the league and come up against City once again this weekend, who are two points and one position below them. With Graziano Pelle scoring for fun and Dusan Tadic excelling as a creative playmaker, many are tipping the Saints to finish in the top four at the end of the season. Win against City, and they’d do their chances no harm.
2. Europa League hangover at White Hart Lane
Everton and Tottenham Hotspur were both in action in the Europa League on Thursday, and the two sides meet at White Hart Lane over the weekend. The infamous ‘European hangover’ is often the bane of teams competing in the continent’s secondary club competition, and coping with the demands of the Premier League and the Europa League has been especially hard for the Toffees and the Lilywhites this season – they have both won only once in the league after playing in Europe.
They will at least be grateful that they are facing opposition who are equally as fatigued as they are. Expect quality and intensity to be at a premium in North London on Sunday afternoon.
3. Burnley with a perfect chance to push on
At the start of the month, the general consensus was that Burnley were more or less dead and buried already, nailed on for the drop after failing to win any of their ten opening league games. However, back-to-back victories over Hull City and Stoke City has seen hope return to Turf Moor, and another three points this weekend could see them climb out of the relegation zone.
In Aston Villa, they could not face better opponents to continue their revival; Paul Lambert’s men are the lowest scorers in the top flight with just six goals, and confidence is clearly low after a winless run stretching back to September. Clarets boss Sean Dyche will be counting on Danny Ings – whose brace secured victory over Stoke last weekend – to carry on where he left off; points will be precious for Burnley throughout the campaign, and gaining all three against Villa would be much welcomed.
4. QPR v Leicester – a relegation six-pointer?
Another bottom-of-the-table clash is taking place this weekend at Loftus Road, where QPR – currently propping up the league with eight points – take on Leicester City, languishing in 18th place and seemingly in freefall. Although Rangers boss Harry Redknapp has described the tie as a game they “need to win”, this is perhaps more relevant to the Foxes than the London side.
QPR may be in last place, but their performances of late have been encouraging, and they possess a squad which is surely good enough to break away from the bottom and secure survival. Leicester, meanwhile, are in a worrying run of form – they have not won since September, and have found the net just twice in their last seven games. This drought has coincided with main striker Leandro Ulloa hitting a bad patch, which shows just how dependent the Foxes are on the Argentinian to provide them with goals. Leicester boss Nigel Pearson needs to get Ulloa back to goalscoring ways – and quick – otherwise his side could be in serious trouble.
5. Intriguing reunions at Upton Park
West Ham United versus Newcastle United promises to be an compelling match for a number of reasons. Not only are both teams led by managers who were under intense pressure before the season and have gone on to oversee impressive starts to their respective campaigns, but the two men in question – Sam Allardyce and Alan Pardew – were also in charge of the opposition at some earlier point in their managerial careers.
Pardew enjoyed a degree of success at West Ham, guiding them to the FA Cup final in 2006, while Allardyce’s tenure at Newcastle was an unhappy one, getting sacked in January 2008 for a series of poor results after just seven months in the job. Although the Upton Park faithful have slowly but surely warmed to Allardyce, largely due to the Hammers’ lofty league position, the Toon Army remain hostile towards Alan Pardew, even though his side are level on points with fourth-placed Manchester United.
It will be interesting to see if the 53 year-old receives a friendlier reception from the home end than from his own supporters on Saturday. What’s more, the added intrigue of West Ham’s Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll facing their former club – especially the latter, who was born and bred on Tyneside and was once a fan favourite at Newcastle – should make this game a corker.
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