EPL GAMECAST: MATCH PREVIEW

Saturday 27 February 2016

West Ham United	v	Sunderland	Boleyn Ground	14:45
Watford	v	Bournemouth	Vicarage Road	17:00
Stoke City	v	Aston Villa	Britannia Stadium	17:00
Southampton	v	Chelsea	St. Mary's Stadium	17:00
Leicester City	v	Norwich City	King Power Stadium	17:00
West Bromwich Albion	v	Crystal Palace	The Hawthorns	19:30

Sunday 28 February 2016

Tottenham Hotspur	v	Swansea City	White Hart Lane	16:05
Manchester United	v	Arsenal	Old Trafford	16:05

WEST HAM V SUNDERLAND

A battle between 7th & 19th respectively. Sam Alardyce would be taking his wards to his former stomping ground hoping for a repeat in fortunes for the Black Cats following their heroics last time out against United. unfortunately, the Hammers have been in a rich vein of form of late and proved that with a thumping 5-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup. The return from injuries for key players like Victor Moses, Manuel Lanzini and Dimitry Payet as well as Enner Valencia would certainly boost the team. The addition of Emmanuel Emenike who is on loan would offer a different dimension to the attack. Failing to register a win in their last two outings which has seen them drop one place below Southampton would certainly not dampen the morale of the team. Sunderland have only registered two wins in 6 games with the last win coming against Manchester United where they ran away 2-1 winners at the stadium  of light. How they set up to play this game would be.

WATFORD V BOURNEMOUTH

Watford are 9th on the table and far from disturbed by relegation problems. They have won just two games in 6 and lost the same number of games while drawing the remainder. Ighalo and Deeney seem to have re-ignited their early season lethal partnership and would be looking to upend their erstwhile championship rivals in this one. They play at home and would be bristling with confidence. The addition of Mario Suarez from Fiorentina would be a big boost to their midfield and would add guile, craft , speed and invention from the versatile midfielder. Bournemouth on the other hand are 15th on the log and though not exactly in imminent danger of relegation worries would be wary of results that come their way from now on. They have won just once in their last 4 and twice in their last six games and would be hoping for some heavy fortune to beat their hosts.

LEICESTER V NORWICH

The league leaders would be hoping to bounce back from the set back suffered at Arsenal in their loss a fortnight ago and there is no better team to re-stamp their authority and register their credentials for the league title than Norwich City. The home advantage offered to the team would provide the needed setting to consolidate their grip on the leadership of the table with Arsenal and Spurs facing tricky ties against United and Swansea respectively. Dropped points by their title rivals this weekend and a home win by the King Power outfit would certainly banish the anguish suffered in their last game against Arsenal. Norwich are 17th on the log and carelessly squandered their two goal lead against West ham in the last fixture. If the forms of the respective teams are anything to go by, then the sharp contrast in the teams' fortunes clearly bring out the disparity in quality between the two teams. Leicester have lost just once in 6 games, winning four out of the remaining 5 games. While Norwich had lost 5 of their last 6 games drawing only once in the game against Westham United.

SOUTHAMPTON V CHELSEA

Ronald Koeman's team continues their impressive surge up the table. They have won an incredible 5 games in six and drawn once in their goal-less draw against Arsenal and kept an incredible 6 clean sheets in the process. A team with a knack for attacking without fear. The solidity at the back would surely make them more formidable against opponents. They are surely the form team of the EPL and would be looking to take the scalp of their guests at St MARY'S . They currently sit 6th on the log behind Man united and would have their sights set on gazzumping the mancunians in 5th spot with a win over Chelsea especially if the former champions slip up against Arsenal later on Sunday. Chelsea's resurgence under Guus Hiddink continues with the team yet to lose a game in the league under the dutchman. They sit 12th on the table and far from their ponderous early season form and would look to continue their steady climb up the table. They have won just twice out of six games but would be boosted by a win at St Mary's.

STOKE V ASTON VILLA

The Brittania stadium is hardly a place you would love to visit on a cold Saturday evening especially when you are the bottom team of the league. The Villains were exposed once again in a match between their under 21 side and the main team where the first team was thumped 3-0 by their youth team. How much that development would affect the confidence of the team remains to be seen especially with Manager Remy Garde coming out to say the job was harder than he expected. On the other hand, the Brittania remains a fortress for Stoke City who are 10th on the log after overcoming a three game losing streak to win their last game in 4. Interestingly, Aston Villa have lost just two games in 6 and won two as well but remain rooted to the bottom of the log. How quickly they would be able to turn things around here would be key.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION V CRYSTAL PALACE

Its Tony Pulis v Alan Pardew. Both teams have been decent in this campaign. Crystal Palace have slipped down to 13th place in a 6 game winless run. The positivity they showed early on in the season has since disappeared with their strikers particularly guilty of wasting chances. Their victory over cross-city rivals , Spurs however should be a morale booster for a team that has been abject in front of goal for some time this season. Tony Pulis' men on the other hand are just below their hosts on 14th position and had been winless in 5 games before their fortuitous win over Everton and would be angling for points at tea time. The penchant of both teams to be cautious of recent however presents a potentially drab spectacle.

LIVERPOOL V EVERTON

One of the biggest derbies in English football. Tutored by two of the most attacking footballing brains around, this fixture presents a mouth licking prospect for the neutrals. Everton were unlucky to lose to Westbrom at  Goodison Park while Liverpool have been blowing hot and cold and are in 8th place while their croo-city rivals and guests are 11th on the log. Both teams have won just two games in their last six games, drawn and lost the same amount. With Liverpool playing in the Capital one cup final, this game had to be shifted . However, we have a potential cracker on our hands.

NEWCASTLE UNITED V MAN CITY

This game like the immediate preceding one in this analysis is being postponed for the same reasons. With the Citizens having lost three games on the bounce in the league, this presents an opportunity for the mancunians to get back on track. Having convincingly won a tricky Champions league game in midweek against Dynamo Kiev, the Etihad outfit would want to make light work of this one. Having won the reverse fixture 6-1 back in September, City are the obvious favourites for this one against a team that is languishing in the drop zone in 18th position with just one win in the last four. The return of Captain, Vincent Kompany is a big boost and would bring the much needed solidity at the back they have lacked for weeks now.

TOTTENHAM V SWANSEA

The 2nd placed team in the league continues their meteoric rise under Poch. The thumping 3-0 victory over Fiorentina in the Europa league without the injured Harry Kane shows the undoubted quality in this team. Spurs have also won their last 5 games in a row and ramped up a points haul of 15 to underline their credentials. If anyone had any doubts before about the quality in the team, they went to the Etihad and did a double over the Citizens. Leicester are certainly the only team standing on their way at the moment. Mauricio Pochetino has also set up his team in an impressive defensive manner that make s it hard to score them.Swansea on the otherhand, have registered just two wins in 6 in a crazy season marked by inconsistencies and would be happy to come out with a point.

MAN UNITED V ARSENAL

The loss to Sunderland by United has certainly evoked some form of response from the lads. With back to back wins in the FA CUP, first against Shrewsbury Town and then in the Europa league where they turned a 2-1 deficit to win 5-1 and 6-3 on aggregate against FC MIDTJYLAND of Denmark amid all the injury woes with the likes of Rooney, Smalling, Martial, Darmian, Schweinsteiger all side lined. The club is certainly a team with confidence but that depends on the Man united team we are going to see on Sunday. If we see the United we saw against their Danish opponents, who refused to give in even when they went behind, then, we would be on for a very interesting finale but if the lethargic and drab United we have seen all season turns up, then, they would be in for a drubbing. Strangely, both teams have won just twice in 6 outings in the league. However, unlike United who have a truck load of injury worries on their shoulders, Arsenal have players returning from injury; Danny Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez, Francis Coquelin and Jack Wilshere and would therefore give them options. The gunners would want to keep pace with the chasing pack with a win while United would want to consolidate on the race for the top four spot.