English Premier League: Week 26 Previews and Predictions

Only nine games are on this weekend's schedule, as the second Merseyside Derby of the campaign between Liverpool and Everton is being postponed for the Reds' Carling Cup Final date with Cardiff City.

David Moyes' side will get an extra week to prepare and heal while the rest of the league is back to business as usual following last weekend's fifth round of the FA Cup.

This week has seen much debate over the future of both Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas, and with both in hot water, it will be an interesting weekend to see what happens if both clubs manage to drop points.

Wolverhampton also are having managerial issues as they cannot find one after sacking Mick McCarthy and it looks like it could be a long run-in for the club, as they are leaderless when they need one the most.

Some great rivalry games are on the ticket as two London Derbys are set to take place with the famous Arsenal and Tottenham North London Derby the biggest left in the absence of the Liverpool-based Merseyside Derby. Bobby Zamora makes his debut against his old club Fulham in the other capital match-up.

It will be great to see what happens as the relegation race is a five-horse battle with only two points between 20th and 16th, while the fight for the top is back and forth between Manchester United and Manchester City.

If Tottenham are to keep their nose in the fight for a chance at the title if either City or United slip they have got to win against Arsenal.

Looking forward to a great weekend of action.

Let's have your predictions in the comments below.

Chelsea vs Bolton Wanderers

Dropping Fernando Torres for Didier Drogba only saw the Ivorian play horribly against Italian Serie A side Napoli in midweek as Chelsea are a sinking ship under Andre Villas-Boas at the moment.

It is uncertain as to whether Juan Mata will play with a broken finger, but without him the Blues are in an even more sad state of affairs.

Mata has been the best offensive spark while the defense is crumbling before any opposition.

Bolton, on the other hand, are picking up points here and there and could very well pull off a shocking draw or upset just as they did against Liverpool.

Match Prediction: Chelsea 1 - 1 Bolton

Predicted Chelsea Starting XI: Petr Cech; Branislav Ivanovic, David Luiz, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Oriel Romeu, Florent Malouda, Raul Meireles, Fernando Torres, Daniel Sturridge

Predicted Bolton Wanderers Starting XI: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Samuel Ricketts, David Wheater, Zat Knight, Gretar Rafn Steinsson, Fabrice Muamba, Martin Petrov, Ryo Miyaichi, Chris Eagles, David N'Gog, Ivan Klasnic

Players to Watch: Daniel Sturridge and Ryo Miyaichi

Newcastle United V Wolverhampton Wanderers

Newcastle United's last outing in the league was rather painful as they were pounded 0-5 by Tottenham in North London.

Wolves at least got a goal against West Bromwich Albion in their 1-5 drumming two weekends ago.

The return of midfield stars Chiek Tiote and Yohan Cabaye are expected to make a huge difference and the front pairing of Demba Ba and Demba Cisse should be even more potent with the added support.

Wolves have pretty much shot themselves in the foot by sacking a boss that was loved and respected by his side and has always gotten the job done.

Now, they cannot even get a decent interim boss. Maybe they should hire McCarthy back and say they are sorry for being idiots.

Match Prediction: Newcastle 4 - 1 Wolves

Predicted Newcastle United Starting XI: Tim Krul, Davide Santos, Michael Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Jonas Gutierrez, Chiek Tiote, Yohan Cabaye, Gabriel Obertan, Damba Ba, Demba Cisse

Predicted Wolverhampton Wanderers Starting XI: Wayne Hennessey, Stephen Ward, Christophe Berra, Roger Johnson, Kevin Foley, Jamie O'Hara, David Edwards, Karl Henry, Matt Jarvis, Kevin Doyle, Steven Fletcher

Players to Watch: Yohan Cabaye and Steven Fletcher

Queens Park Rangers V Fulham

Bobby Zamora will lead the line in his post-Fulham debut when the Cottagers come to Loftus Road.

However, he will be without new strike partner Djibril Cisse for another two games, including this one, and with the rest of the front attack injured, it will once again be up to Rob Hulse to partner Zamora.

Fulham, meanwhile, come to town safely nestled in the middle of the table while their former striker and former manager Mark Hughes have both inherited a relegation fight.

The Cottagers are the favored side to take the three points, but an up and down QPR squad could surprise and steal one at home as they did manage 29 shots and 58% possession in their loss to Blackburn.

Match Prediction: QPR 2 - 3 Fulham

Predicted Queens Park Rangers Starting XI: Patrick Kenny, Fitz Hall, Anton Ferdinand, Nedum Onuoha, Taye Taiwo, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jaime Mackie, Joey Barton, Shaun Derry, Robert Hulse, Bobby Zamora

Predicted Fulham Starting XI: Mark Schwarzer, Stephen Kelly, Brede Hangeland, Philippe Senderos, John Arne Riise, Danny Murphy, Simon Davies, Clint Dempsey, Bryan Ruiz, Damien Duff, Pavel Pogrebnyak

Players to Watch: Bobby Zamora and Clint Dempsey

West Bromwich Albion V Sunderland

Sunderland avenged their last home match against Arsenal with a 2-0 FA Cup victory to send the Gunners crashing out of yet another competition while the Black Cats' form is only gaining momentum at the right time.

Martin O'Neal has the Wearside club playing out of their shoes at the moment with them only a few points shy of the top eight in the league.

West Bromwich Albion pulled off a massive 5-1 pummeling of Wolves two weeks ago to see Mick McCarthy put out on his hind parts from the Molineux, but it will be a tougher test against Sunderland at home.

Match Prediction: West Bromwich Albion 2 - 3 Sunderland

Predicted West Bromwich Albion Starting XI: Ben Foster, Nicky Shorey, Jonas Olsson, Liam Ridgewell, Billy Jones, Yousuff Mulumbu, Graham Dorrans, James Morrison, Billy Cox, Marc-Antoine Fortune, Peter Odemwingie

Predicted Sunderland Starting XI: Simon Minoglet, John O'Shea, Michael Turner, Sotirios Krygiakos, Wayne Bridge, Kieran Richardson, Sebastian Larsson, Craig Gardner, James McClean, Stephane Sessegnon, Frazier Campbell

Players to Watch: Peter Odemwingie and Frazier Campbell

Wigan Athletic V. Aston Villa

Wigan Athletic managed a rare victory for them against Bolton Wanderers in their last outing and are hopeful that they can pull off something good enough to steal a point from Aston Villa or get an upset.

The Villains have lost Robbie Keane back to the United States and Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, but Gabriel Agbonlahor is in line to test fit for the match.

Hugo Rodallega is set to leave Wigan no matter what happens at the end of the season, but for now the club need to try and get everything out of him they can.

Getting him firing as a motivation to secure a better transfer in the summer could help pull them out of the drop zone over the last 13 games of the season.

Match Prediction: Wigan 1 - 2 Aston Villa

Predicted Wigan Athletic Starting XI: Ali Al Habsi, Maynor Figueroa, Gary Caldwell, Anton Alvarez,  Ronnie Stam, David Jones, James McCarthy, Jordi Gomez, Ben Watson, Victor Moses, Hugo Rodallega

Predicted Aston Villa Starting XI: Shay Given, Alan Hutton, Carlos Cuellar, Richard Dunne, Stephen Warnock, Ciaran Clark, Barry Bannan, Stiliyan Petrov, Charles N'Zogbia, Darren Bent, Gabriel Agbonlahor

Players to Watch: Victor Moses and Darren Bent

Manchester City V. Blackburn Rovers

Carlos Tevez is back and ready to be a part of Manchester City once more.

It's about time, but I doubt you learned anything from your four-month-long hissy fit that proves you have a long way to go towards being a professional. Hopefully he doesn't bunk next to Mario Balotelli or the Citizens are truly in trouble.

However, it may bee a week or two before he is ready for action.

This week it is the conundrum of a squad Blackburn Rovers under Steve Kean who is either a genius or insane with the sporadic results that have come from his charges this season.

Gael Givet and Jason Lowe are both still suspended, but Kean will be hoping to manage to get Chris Samba to rejoin the side for such an important match.

Match Prediction: City 5 - 2 Blackburn

Predicted Manchester City Starting XI: Joe Hart, Micah Richards, Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott, Gael Clichy, Gareth Barry, Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri, David Silva, Eden Dzeko, Sergio Aguero

Predicted Blackburn Rovers Starting XI: Paul Robinson, Bradley Orr, Chris Samba, Scott Dann, Martin Olsson, Steven Nzonzi, David Hoillet, Morten Gamst Pederson, Anthony Modeste, Yakubu, David Goodwille,

Players to Watch: Samir Nasri and Yakubu

Arsenal V Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham has been on top form, other than failing to defeat Stevenage in their FA Cup tie last week.

Arsenal, however, have been in the dumps and with continued injury problems giving them football's version of a plague, it will be a tough match up.

Spurs have multiple players that will be game-time decisions from Emmanueal Adebayor to Luka Modric, but all are expected to start with three huge points to be taken for either side in this North London Derby.

Match Prediction: Arsenal 1 - 2 Tottenham

Predicted Arsenal Starting XI: Wojciech Szczęsny, Carl Jenkinson, Laurent Koscielny, Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna, Mikel Arteta, Alex Song, Aaron Ramsey, Gervinho, Robin Van Persie, Theo Walcott

Predicted Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI: Brad Friedel, Kyle Walker, Michael Dawson, Ledley King, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Sandro, Luka Modric, Scott Parker, Gareth Bale, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Emmanuel Adebayor

Players to Watch: Robin Van Persie and Gareth Bale

Norwich City V Manchester United

Norwich City have three wins and a draw in their last five games in the English Premier League and have proved they are more than worthy of playing at the top level in the country with their current eighth-place team.

Manchester United are fighting to retain their title after an injury-plagued season and narrowly escaping a shock UEFA Europa League ousting at the hands of Ajax Amsterdam on Thursday night.

The days of United throwing out the second team and still being easy winners have passed, as they are in the midst of transition and rebuilding at multiple levels.

Norwich have had a good home record and there is a chance they could shock the defending league champions.

Match Prediction: Norwich City 2 - 2 United

Predicted Norwich City Starting XI: John Ruddy, Russell Martin, Marc Tierney, Zack Whitebread, Kyle Naughton, Andrew Crofts, Bradley Johnson, Wesley Hoolahan, Anthony Pilkington, Grant Holt, Steve Morison

Predicted Manchester United Starting XI: Ben Amos, Chris Smalling, Rio Ferdinand, Jonathan Evans, Patrice Evra, Ji-Sung Park, Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes, Nani, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck

Players to Watch: Anthony Pilkington and Nani

Stoke City V. Swansea City

Stoke City have taken one point from their last 15 available in the Premier League and is possibly one reason that manager Tony Pulis rested so many players during their second leg UEFA Europa League tie with Valencia.

Even with a weaker line-up than many would have expected, the Potters honestly wasted a chance to make it to the last 16 of Europe's second-tier championship.

Swansea, on the other hand, have been in top form. They beat Stoke in their first EPL meeting of the season and have three wins and a draw in their last six games.

The Britannia is sure to be rocking as both clubs are tied on 30 points and tied for 11th place in the league.

Tony Pulis will be pushing for a much better finish than that, but he will have to lead his charges on one heck of a run.

Match Prediction: Stoke City 2 - 2 Swansea

Predicted Stoke City Starting XI: Thomas Sorenson, Danny Collins, Jonathan Woodgate, Ryan Shawcross, Marc Wilson, Jermaine Pennant, Ryan Shotton, Dean Whitehead, Matthew Etherington, Jonathan Walters, Peter Crouch

Predicted Swansea City Starting XI: Michel Vorm, Angel Ranger, Steven Caulker, Ashley Williams, Neil Taylor, Mark Gower, Leon Britton, Luke More, Joe Allen, Danny Graham, Scott Sinclair

Players to Watch: Peter Crouch and Danny Graham

No Merseyside Derby; Reds Chase Wembly Carling Cup Glory

Liverpool last won a piece of silverware in 2006, when Steven Gerrard lifted the FA Cup for the Reds at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

In all his time at the club, Gerrard has not gotten the chance to lead the Reds out for a Wembley Cup Final in London.

However, 'Captain Fantastic' now has the chance to do that as he leads the club back to what was once called "Anfield South," by the Liverpool faithful in the glory days of the 1970's and 1980's.

With Gerrard looking to start in the same line-up with Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll for only the second time since the later two arrived 13 months ago, it is sure to see the Reds put on a show.

Cardiff City also got the last piece of silverware in the FA Cup. However, theirs came way back in 1927 when they defeated Arsenal.

The Bluebirds lost in the 2008 FA Cup final to Portsmouth with current Liverpool defender Glen Johnson in the Pompei squad that took the trophy before the south coast club fell into ruin.

Their duo of Kenny Miller and Peter Whittingham are the two that are expected to lead the Welsh club to any chance at victory and come Sunday afternoon we shall see what all comes to pass.

Match Prediction: Liverpool 3 - 1 Cardiff

Predicted Liverpool Starting XI: Pepe Reina, Glen Johnson, Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger, Jose Enrique, Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam, Steven Gerrard, Craig Bellamy, Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll

Predicted Cardiff City Starting XI: David Marshall; Anthony Gerrard, Kevin McNaughton, Andrew Taylor, Ben Turner, Don Cowie, Peter Whittingham, Aron Gunnarsson, Robert Earnshaw, Kenny Miller, Joe Mason

Players to Watch: Steven Gerrard and Peter Whittingham

Conclusion

A great weekend of action on the way and I think there are definitely some upsets possible.

Get the discussion going with your own predictions in the comments.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out more on Bleacher Report and at the links below. You can follow me on Twitter @thedailyatz and Facebook, or visit my website.