Midweek Match-Ups: EPL Match Day 12, Featuring Manchester, West London Derbies

After the weekend just past threw up a couple of surprising results, such as Newcastle beating Arsenal at the Emirates and Bolton spanking four past Tottenham, a full midweek fixture list throws up some intriguing battles at both ends of the Premier League table.

Tuesday night features two clubs going head to head who are only just out of the relegation zone in Stoke and Birmingham, while Spurs look to bounce back against Sunderland.

On Wednesday the remaining eighteen teams are in action as Chelsea host Fulham, Manchester United visit Manchester City and in-form Liverpool make the trip to Wigan Athletic.

Feel free to post your predictions as well - three points for a correct score line, one point for picking the right team to win (or draw). Those who's totals beat my own get a mention in my next article!

Tuesday Fixtures

Stoke vs Birmingham

The home side come into the game with manager Tony Pulis moaning bitterly of some desperate refereeing which has arguably cost his side at least four points over the past four league matches - a turnaround which would otherwise see them sitting in mid-table at present.

Gary Neville's unbelievable getaway without a second yellow card, Sanli Tuncay's bizarrely disallowed goal against Everton and, most blatant and astonishing of all, the neither-goal-nor-penalty against Sunderland at the weekend have been extremely poor refereeing decisions which have gone against Stoke recently. But the Potters can either carry on moaning about it, or they can try and create their own luck in their next game. For what it's worth, I don't see them worrying about it too much once their Tuesday night game kicks off against Birmingham.

Tuncay is starting to find some form, Kenwyne Jones always looks a threat and in Jermaine Pennant and Matty Etherington they have some real threat down the flanks. And if all else fails, they can still turn to the mighty Rory Delap and his long throw-ins!

For their part, Birmingham have had an up-and-down time of late; they haven't lost in four games in all competitions but at the same time have only won one of those. There were signs in the previous game of Zigic and Jerome linking up well, and Jerome's return to fitness and the score-sheet can only bode well for those in Blue. In goal Ben Foster's form has been good, but Birmingham are still letting in more goals than they would be comfortable about.

Prediction: Birmingham are yet to win on the road this season, and that will continue. 2-1.

Tottenham vs Sunderland

What can we say about Spurs? Beating Inter Milan one minute and being hammered by Bolton Wanderers the next. Clearly Tottenham are yet to get to grips with balancing Champions League life alongside their domestic efforts, but lets be honest - Spurs aren't going to win the Champions League this season, so if they want their stay in Europe's elite competition then they are going to have to buck up their ideas at home rather quickly.

The league is still so close at the moment that one win or defeat can see a swing of three or four positions either way, which makes it even more important to try to string some consistency together.

Harry Redknapp has really rotated his strikers this season. Defoe started the season in the starting eleven before his injury, Pavlyuchenko and Crouch have both started as lone forwards, and Robbie Keane started against Manchester United recently. The mercurial Rafael van der Vaart can't win every game for Spurs, and while Gareth Bale is a star in the making he's not a match-winner yet to be counted on every week - zero assists in the league so far this season make clear reading. A big-game player yes, but Spurs need to pick up the points at home to stay in contention for the top four.

Sunderland did extremely well to bounce back from their North-East derby drubbing by Newcastle last week with a win against Stoke, albeit with the help of the above-mentioned refereeing assistance somewhat.

But in Asamoah Gyan Sunderland have a real talent on their hands. Not only is he a goal threat, ever so important for the Black Cats in the absence of Darren Bent, but he is also a team player, someone who can create a chance out of nothing and most of all a striker who lacks nothing for confidence; ever an important starting point for the focal position of any team's attack.

Mignolet in goal and Henderson in midfield have won many plaudits this season already and Steve Bruce's side won't struggle this season, but neither do I expect them to trouble the Europa League positions - their away record will see to that.

Prediction: Spurs will pretend this is a midweek Champions League match and win 3-1.

Wednesday Fixtures

Aston Villa vs Blackpool

Gerard Houllier's Aston Villa have struggled for goals in recent weeks and it showed against Fulham at the weekend - they had chance after chance to finish the game off at Craven Cottage before the home side's late late leveler, but Ashley Young, Nathan Delfouneso and Stewart Downing were all guilty of missing chances. With both Emile Heskey and John Carew missing through injury, not to mention the long-term absentee Gabriel Agbonlahor, perhaps it is self-evident that they might suffer in the goal scoring department.

But ultimately, that is what gets you points, and Villa can't afford to dwell on what they can't have. Youngster Delfouneso is a promising talent and a couple of starts and a lucky goal might be just what he needs to gain the confidence to be the next Agbonlahor instead of the next Stefan Moore.

Stephen Ireland can provide Villa with the creativity they need to make the extra chances required, especially in the absence of Stylian Petrov, but he needs to work harder to make the grade under Houllier.

Blackpool have fast become one of any Premiership fan's favourite teams to watch or read about, with their apparently devil-may-care, cavalier attitude to top-flight football and manager Ian Holloway's propensity to try to win games and provide delightful sound-bites.

The latter may be in less plentiful supply than in previous years but his team undeniably plays some terrific stuff at times. Charlie Adam gets the plaudits as captain and arguably the best known player in the Tangerines' squad, but forwards Grandin, Varney, Taylor-Fletcher and Campbell deserve enormous credit for their work-rate as much as their swashbuckling, fast-interchanging play.

Prediction: Home win, Villa to sneak it with a set-piece. 2-1.

Chelsea vs Fulham

Lets get the prediction out the way at the top: Chelsea will not lose two games in a row. Fulham have yet to win away from home this season, Chelsea have won five out of five at home and haven't even conceded a goal at Stamford Bridge. This is a West London derby with home banker written all over it.

I watched Fulham play Aston Villa at the weekend and to be honest was not impressed with Mark Hughes' side; I have seen them play better so I know that wasn't their true level but the worry is that it was a home match and it took them five minutes into added time at the end of the game to have their first real decent effort of the match.

Andy Johnson is working his way back to fitness and will need more games to get his touch and form back, and while Dembele is a very interesting player it will take more than him and Dempsey to break down the Chelsea defence this week.

Chelsea will wait to see if Michael Essien can return to their side after he missed the defeat to Liverpool, while a fully-fit Didier Drogba would also be a welcome return. Chelsea attacked a lot in the second half at Anfield and perhaps could have justified scoring once at least, but a two goal reversal will leave a sour taste in their mouths and I can see them handing Fulham a lesson under the Stamford Bridge floodlights.

Prediction: A derby match, but not a close one. Chelsea to win 4-0.

Newcastle vs Blackburn

Newcastle have had a great couple of results on the bounce, first trouncing rivals Sunderland 5-1 at home before beating Arsenal 1-0 on their own patch at the weekend. Those results have seen the Magpies rise to fifth in the table and they should enjoy it because I don't think they'll be as high again for the rest of the season.

They have some very good players who at present are on top of their game; Kevin Nolan, Jonas Gutierrez and Fabricio Coloccini to name but three. But they also have an absolute beast of a forward in Andy Carroll. In full flight he's a scary cross between the raw power of Les Ferdinand and the hammer left foot of Obafemi Martins, but with pace and no shortage of skill in close quarters. He's not afraid to take on a man but also is clever enough to get his head up and find an easy pass out wide when needed - in short, he has everything required to be a great centre forward if he keeps progressing.

If I was a Newcastle fan I would also be paying tribute to three lesser-heralded names: Jose Enrique who has been strong in defence and capable in attack from left back, Tim Krul who has deputised more than ably for the injured Steve Harper, and Cheik Tiote who has seamlessly slotted into the Premier League at the heart of Newcastle's engine room with a series of powerful, energetic and accomplished displays.

So, Newcastle are going to lose this game.

That's just the way they are. Blackburn are a very up and down side, both with their results and their style of passing, but when the chips are down they have enough real battlers in their side to come through and get a result. One win in the last five games isn't good enough for Allardyce's men and the win over Wigan at the weekend will give them heart.

With Benjani, the two Dioufs, Roberts and Kalinic they have options in the final third and I think they will have enough about them to take the points from St. James' Park.

Prediction: At odds with Newcastle's recent form; 0-1.

West Ham United vs West Bromwich Albion

Right at the bottom vs right in the middle. West Ham looked as though they were going to get their first away win of the season at the weekend when they went two goals up at St. Andrews, but as usual defensive inadequacies put paid to that and they ended up taking only a point away.

Rob Green has come under criticism for his performances this season at times and rightly so, but he somehow seemed to escape it this weekend. For the first goal Birmingham scored, the ball bounced from Zigic's knock-down inside Green's six-yard box - any 'keeper should be snaffling that up, not letting the forward poke it past him. And for the second goal, although he saved the initial free-kick, Green merely parried it back out into the melee of players instead of pushing it out towards the flanks, as all goalkeepers are taught to do.

Aside from him, Obinna has moments of magic and madness up front, while Piquionne needs someone to share the load in the goals. Scott Parker can't do it all by himself in the middle of the park either; in short, the Hammers are in a bit of a mess all the way through the team and Avram Grant needs to start showing he is the man to sort it out.

West Brom were on a good run of form until the defeat to Blackpool last Monday night, unbeaten in eight games in all competitions in a run of games that took in Manchester City and United, Arsenal and Tottenham. However two defeats on the spin have seen the Baggies drop to tenth place and have three players sent off in the process.

In the likes of Chris Brunt and Peter Odemwingie they have players of the calibre to win Premiership matches, and a game against bottom of the table West Ham could be just what they need to stop the defeats before they mount up.

Prediction: Brom to be happier than Ham in the battle of the Wests, a 1-1 draw.

Wigan vs Liverpool

The buzz-phrase for Wigan at present is "consistently inconsistent". The Latics are four games without winning in the Premiership now and are marooned in the bottom three courtesy of their wretched goal difference which has seen them ship fourteen goals at home in just six games.

Hugo Rodallega and Charles N'Zogbia are the big threats for Wigan and can change a game in an instant, but there is no doubting that James McCarthy is a big miss for them in midfield. Diame and Gomez are too inconsistent to be considered first team regulars while Maynor Figueroa looks a shadow of his last-season's self. One very bright spot for Wigan is the form of on-loan Omani goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi; not only has he proven himself a very capable shot-stopper but he also prevents the error-prone Chris Kirkland from taking his place on the field, something which probably saves Wigan a goal per game at present.

Liverpool have strung together four victories on the bounce with wins over Blackburn, Bolton, Napoli and Chelsea as they strive to turn their season around. Only two weeks ago Liverpool found themselves even lower in the table than Wigan are now, but 9 points in the league since then has seen them rise into the top half, just two points behind fifth-placed Newcastle.

Boss Roy Hodgson does not seem to have settled on a preferred formation yet, using both the more familiar-to-Kopites 4-2-3-1 and his own preferred 4-4-2 in recent games, but injuries to Kuyt, Babel, Johnson, Agger and Cole has in all fairness seen him struggle to ascertain what may be his strongest lineup. Without a doubt the return to goal-scoring form of Fernando Torres at the weekend is a huge boon for Liverpool, while the performances of Martin Kelly and Lucas Leiva were also great boosts. The Reds picked up a big win at Anfield but now must continue this run of form against teams from the lower half of the table, after defeats this season to the likes of Blackpool and Everton.

Prediction: Liverpool to continue their run and spank a disjointed Wigan 0-5.

Everton vs Bolton Wanderers

Everton have endured a very mixed start to the season; a poor opening month with defeats against Blackburn, Aston Villa and Newcastle tempered by three wins and a draw in October which was enough to see boss David Moyes crowned Manager of the Month. Their latest outing also resulted in a draw, 2-2 away to Blackpool where the Toffees were forced to twice come from behind to earn a point.

With Yakubu, Saha, Beckford, Anichebe and Silva in their ranks Everton shouldn't lack for goals, but the front men have disappointed thus far in that respect, with the likes of Arteta and Coleman aiding Everton's only other regular goalscorer, the head of Tim Cahill. While scoring has been a slight problem, Everton's home form has been strong and they have only suffered one defeat at Goodison Park this season.

Bolton are sometimes referred to as having undergone a major facelift under Owen Coyle, changing from the all-aerial combat approach of the likes of Allardyce and Megson to a free-flowing, fanciful footballing side of the modern day. As usual, the truth lies somewhere in-between. There is no doubt that the likes of Lee, Holden and Petrov provide more than a touch of class about their play but Bolton have in no way lost their physical edge that Kevin Davies and Johan Elmander bring them up front.

Coyle has his team looking first for the pass to a teammate, but when the aerial advantage is there to be used they have no problems in taking it, and they are absolutely right to.

This game should be a real battle, a powerful affair at both ends of the pitch which might just take a moment of magic to seal the three points.

Prediction: Hard one to call and Everton are good at home, but I think Bolton will cause them too many problems to not get something out of the game. 2-2.

Manchester City vs Manchester United

Big derby game at a big time for both clubs.

City come into the game on the back of three defeats on the spin and a win at West Brom, while United have closed the gap on leaders Chelsea to two points after a late winner at home to Wolves.

City await to hear if Mario Balotelli's red card will be overturned, but it is unlikely to be so, meaning the tempermental Italian will miss the derby match. With Silva, Tevez, Adebayor, Johnson and Wright-Phillips available for selection, it is unlikely that City will struggle to find reinforcements, though Mancini may opt to shuffle his formation to try to beat United in the centre of the park.

Questions marks remain over the home team's defence; while the talent of Joe Hart in goal cannot be disputed, those in front of him have yet to make a compelling claim to be first choice pairing.

United have not played consistently well for some time in the league. But they have, importantly, been picking up the points - however long it takes. An 85th minute winner against Valencia (Champions League), an 86th minute winner against Stoke, a 90th minute winner against Wolves in the League Cup, a 93rd minute winner against Wolves at the weekend. And that's just dating back five weeks. Whatever it takes, United keep on doing it.

But, as they say, form doesn't matter in a derby. Eleven versus eleven, it comes down to who wants it more.

Prediction: I have a sneaking suspicion that the home side will end up happy in this one. But United will finish at least two places above City come the end of the season. 2-1.

Wolves vs Arsenal

I was feeling rather sorry for Wolves and Mick McCarthy at full time at the weekend; so hard did his team work to keep that point against Manchester United, only to be undone at the death again. It wasn't just because they lost out late on, it was because it happened again - they should've got something there, and they should've got something against Chelsea.

But at the end of the day, that is exactly why some teams are better than others, so I stopped feeling sorry for them.

With the likes of Matt Jarvis, David Jones, Nenad Milijas and the ever-improving Kevin Doyle, I feel Wolves will have too much quality to go down. But they must take their chances and win games when they are on top. Their defence is not good enough to keep out teams with real quality, so they need to keep supplying Doyle and Fletcher with chances to get points.

Arsenal will be greatly stung by their second home defeat of the season against Newcastle. With van Persie and Walcott coming back from injury, the gradual return of Bendtner, and the likes of Chamakh, Arshavin, Rosicky, Vela and Nasri, Wenger could be faced with a great selection problem very soon.

Alex Song, Cesc and Jack Wilshere seem to be almost immovables in the centre of the park at present, so it is three from those other eight for the rest of the forward line. Nasri's form should be enough to keep him in for now but Walcott really looks in the mood this season as well.

Ultimately all that fire-power should keep Arsenal in the hunt, but in the short-term I fear for Wenger giving too many players 60-minute and 30-minute run-outs, and not enough of them full games to make an impact. That could see them struggle to find their rhythm and touch, to the detriment of the Gunners' style of play.

Or they could completely click into gear and carve Wolves up ten times in the first half hour.

Prediction: I've been back and forth.... but I'll go with my initial thoughts. Wolves to win 1-0.