EPL Preview: Arsenal Eyeing Top Spot

Joe LazarDec 17, 2010

Arsenal vs Stoke

Arsenal will try to come back from their defeat against Manchester United on Monday by trying to win against Stoke City at the Emirates. Arsenal looked largely impressive in their toothless display against Manchester United and Arsene Wenger will be hoping for more when they face Stoke City in the 3 PM kickoff. The Gunners went into the Manchester United game as table leaders, but their defeat has now meant that they are two points behind, having played a game more. Hence, Wenger will know that there is now no room for error and he will have to rely on Manchester United losing against Chelsea this weekend.

Stoke will also be looking to improve on their result against Blackpool last week, a game in which they lost. Stoke City are generally good in away matches and have already picked up points from their previous trips to London. Arsenal will welcome all their big guns back and have known new injury worries. Stoke too have no new injury worries and are expected to field Ricardo Fuller as their main striker. Fuller has an impressive record against Arsenal and has so far scored four goals against them.

Sunderland vs Bolton

Bolton are flying high in the league and they will be looking to maintain that with a win over Sunderland when they visit the northeast. However, the form table is oddly stacked against Bolton as they have not won more than one away game in their past few Premier league matches. Sunderland, on the other hand, have been impressive at home and have not tasted defeat at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland have lost three times in the league, but all three have come in away games and Steve Bruce will be looking to maintain that when Bolton visit them.

Sunderland are also doing well in the league and are currently one point below Bolton. However, Owen Coyle’s men are incredibly tough to beat and it is something that their form suggests. While Coyle does not have any new injury worries, Bruce has Anton Ferdinand ruled out for this match and this means that he will be without his main centre-backs for this game. Michael Turner and Titus Bramble are the other two players who are currently injured for Sunderland. Bolton, meanwhile, will welcome Fabrice Muamba for this game.

Birmingham vs Newcastle

Alan Pardew made the perfect start in his Newcastle United managerial career and he will be looking to maintain that against a Birmingham side that is fast sliding down the table. Birmingham have just one victory to show for in their last six Premier League games and Alex McLeish will surely have things to worry about. They lost the last time around in the local derby to Wolves and that has made the situation even worse. Scoring goals has been a problem for Birmingham and it explains why they have just won three times this season.

Newcastle, meanwhile, were doing all right even before Chris Hughton was sacked and last week's victory over Liverpool has only made things sweeter. For a club that came up only last season from the Championship, eighth place in the Premier League table is great and they would be more than satisfied if things end up this way. Both teams have received good news ahead of the match, with Birmingham City welcoming Liam Ridgewell back from injury and Newcastle United welcoming back Mike Williamson and Fabricio Coloccini from suspension. Alexander Hleb is the player who misses out for Birmingham City.

Blackburn vs West Ham

This game is between two clubs that are staring down uncertain futures with regard to their managers. While the future is bleak for manager-less Blackburn Rovers, it is no better than the situation at West Ham United, where Avram Grant has just been given an ultimatum by the club's board. According to sources, Avram Grant must win at least one game in their next three matches in order to remain in the job. Blackburn are no closer to appointing a successor to Sam Allardyce after the club's board revealed that it could be months before a successor was appointed.

This could be the one of the matches that Grant will be targeting to get some points on the board. This is because Blackburn away and Fulham at home are the two fixtures that are relatively easy amongst the three. Blackburn are currently managed by caretaker Steve Kean and the one reassuring thing for him is that he has no new injuries. This will be the first game that he will be facing as Blackburn manager and he will be hoping to impress the new owners straight away. West Ham United have no good news in the injury department, with both Valon Behrami and Thomas Hitzlsperger failing to recover from their injuries.

Wigan vs Aston Villa

Aston Villa will be looking to build upon their victory over West Brom in last week's Midlands Derby against an injury-ravaged Wigan side that managed to get a point against Everton last week. Wigan Athletic are currently two places from the bottom of the table and the draw against Everton last week did little to help the situation. They will be comforted by the fact that they need only improvement in their goal difference to move out of the relegation zone. Aston Villa are not in a comfortable position either, as they are just four points and three places above Wigan Athletic.

The issue facing Roberto Martinez right now is the huge injury list that he will have to do with for this game. Wigan Athletic are missing eight first-team players for this match and it remains to be seen if Martinez can put forward a full substitute bench. Emmerson Boyce, Victor Moses and James McCarthy are some of the players currently missing this match. Gerard Houllier too has to put forward the team without Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Luke Young. However, Houllier does have Ciaran Clark back from suspension.

Liverpool vs Fulham

Roy Hodgson's men will be looking forward to come back strongly from the defeat against Newcastle last week and they could not have had a kinder fixture than Fulham to do that. This is because ever since Mark Hughes took over at Fulham, they have been dire and have just two wins all season. Also, this will be especially an important match for Roy Hodgson as he prepares to face the club he left in June. Roy Hodgson was a popular man in West London, but he will be looking to inflict more misery on his successor.

Fulham currently lie just one place above Wigan Athletic and are separated only by goal difference. However, Mark Hughes’ men do have the chance to go up to 15th place with a win and get some much-needed gap between the dreaded relegation zone. Liverpool have been handed a major injury boost with the news that Steven Gerrard has recovered from his injury. Liverpool had Europa League commitments midweek, but since Roy Hodgson rested much of the stars they should be well enough to face Fulham. Joe Cole could also feature for Liverpool, while Fulham have no new injuries.