English Premier League: Saturday Match Previews for November 6, 2010

Bolton vs Tottenham

Petrov should be fit to play after recovering from a hamstring injury; the Bulgarian could step in for Taylor on the wing.

Bolton have not kept a clean sheet since opening day, which is not a great record, at best. At the back, Bolton have been absolutely shocking, and after seeing Tottenham tear apart Inter Milan, it looks likely that Bolton are going to suffer greatly.

Their record against Tottenham is even more worrying: They have only beaten Tottenham once in their last nine meetings. Despite being at home, this match is not very likely to go Bolton’s way; in fact, they would be lucky to get a draw out of this matchup.

Lennon is facing a last-minute fitness test and it’s 50/50 whether he will be available for selection.

Like Bolton, Spurs have failed to keep a clean sheet since the opening day of the season; the difference is that they have the ability to score enough to compensate for their deficiency at the back. Spurs have conceded the opening goal in their last six matches, although they have won three of those matches. This match is a good opportunity for them to rack up a couple more points in their race for Europe.

Birmingham vs West Ham

Alex McLeish may recall fit-again Cameron Jerome to the side after he sat on the bench against Aston Villa. The player is now considered to be fully fit again and should take his place in the squad. "The Blues" will also give a last-minute fitness test to centre back Johnson.

Birmingham have only scored four times in their last seven matches, which doesn’t bode well for the chances of this being a high-scoring and action-packed match. Birmingham have been struggling since the start of the Premiership season, winning only three of their last 20 matches.

West Ham haven’t exactly been faring any better than Birmingham, sitting them bottom of the Premiership table. Upson may finally be fit and will be tested at the last minute. Da Costa should be fit enough to play despite having injured his ankle. West Ham have been saved by the woodwork 11 times so far this season. Yet, they still have one of the worst defensive records in the Premiership, despite having an extra player in the form of the goalposts. They’ll be lucky to pick up anything more than a point.

Blackburn vs Wigan

Benjani has said to the press that he will be fit to play despite having to come off last week against Chelsea. His suffered from a minor hamstring issue, although it appears to only have been a slight pull. Rovers will assess the fitness of Diouf and Olsson, added to which it seems that Givet will be able to play.

This match is important for both clubs due to the two sides tussling around the relegation zone. Whilst Blackburn currently sit below Wigan, they do have the advantage of a tremendously good record against the side: They have never lost against Wigan at home. They have a very good chance of keeping this record intact considering that there is not much to separate the two sides, and Wigan’s away record is poor, at best.

Wigan have only scored seven goals so far this season, which is the joint-lowest tally in the Premiership. The "Lactics" have been pretty good at scraping draws, their defeat against Fulham was their first in seven matches. The problem is not the side's defence for a change, but the fact that they cannot score for love or money. They will struggle in this match.

Blackpool vs Everton

Blackpool are level on points with Everton. If you’d have asked any fans of the side before the start of the season if they’d be happy being level on points with Everton after 10 games, they’d have all given a resounding "Yes!"

Cathcart is doubtful after aggravating his back injury against West Brom; if he can’t play, it seems likely that Edwards will take his place. Everton have not lost any of their last five matches against Blackpool, and for the first time in years, Blackpool actually have a chance of a victory in this fixture.

Moyes’ men have not lost a match in five games. Compared to their dismal start to the season, this is something of an achievement, and it seems that everybody who referenced Everton’s usual slow starts to seasons would be correct. The "Toffees" seem to be getting their season back on track. Anichebe may make a comeback, although his fitness is still in doubt ahead of their trip to Blackpool. They are the most fouled team in the Premiership, though it seems quite inconceivable when you watch them play as they rarely seem to bait for the foul. This could be a messy game if Blackpool are put on the back foot early on.

Fulham vs Aston Villa

Fulham have a pretty poor record against Aston Villa, which seems rather peculiar in many ways seeing as there has rarely been a massive gulf in class between the two sides. Fulham have only won three of their last 21 matches with Aston Villa. There are no fresh injury concerns for the home side, which makes something of a nice change for Mark Hughes. Duff and Ethru should be fine to play this match, recovering from calf and ankle injuries, respectively. Fulham have only won four of their last 21 matches, although this poor record has been enough to sit them in the middle of the Premiership table.

Villa have another striker out of action: Carew joins Heskey on the sidelines after picking up yet another injury. Delfouneso is the only fit front man, and the youngster will need to make sure that he isn’t pushed around too much by Fulham’s back four. Albrighton, Sidwell and Beye have all recovered from their respective injuries and viruses.

The Villains have gone 344 minutes without scoring a league goal, which seems to be an ever-growing total. The Villains may have some real difficulties even getting shots on goal in this game, never mind actually converting them into goals.

Manchester United vs Wolverhampton

Nani will miss out due to a groin injury, but fortunately Fletcher is expected to overcome his ankle concerns. Anderson, Evans, Gibson and Macheda will be given late fitness tests as all of them are suffering from a virus. Sir Alex Ferguson is suffering from the same flu, but will be at Old Trafford, regardless.

Assuming that no more of United’s first team are taken ill, this should be a pretty easy match for the home side. Even with a lot of players out, they should still have a pretty good chance of victory against Wolves, who are more than a little bit out of their league.

Wolves have no new injury worries or returning players. They have not won at Old Trafford in over 30 years, which highlights the gap between the two sides. It will be a miracle if they manage to pull off a victory in this game. Wolves have yet to keep a clean sheet this season, and they don’t look any more likely to do that this time round. Their problems at the back are largely responsible for their place in the bottom three. A draw here would be more than acceptable, although they may have some difficulty playing for one when they can’t keep a clean sheet.

Sunderland vs Stoke

Sunderland’s record-signing Gyan may finally make his long-awaited first Premiership appearance. But they will be missing Bramble, who is suspended following his red card against Newcastle. When it comes to playing at home, Sunderland have a pretty good record since November 2009 (only Manchester United have beaten the Black Cats at home), so Stoke’s chances must seem rather slim. Matches at the "Stadium of Light" have been pretty boring recently—only four goals in the last four games is hardly a statistic which inspires thoughts of grand score lines. No goals have been scored by the away side in the last four meetings of these teams.

Stoke have lost their last three matches in the Premiership. Fuller could be on the bench for the first  time since he dislocated his shoulder, and the striker may make an appearance on the pitch depending on how the match pans out. Sorenson is also fit again, but Delap’s appearance is doubtful. Stoke will be lucky if they pick up some points here and break the cycles that these two teams have been in for some time, but it probably is not going to happen.

Joe—livescoredaily.com—live scores and live sports