English Premier League Weekly Predictions: Gameweek 7

Finally. Manchester United finally dropped some points last week. Considering they were missing more than half of their normal starters, and they were at Britannia Stadium, Sir Alex Ferguson and Co. shouldn't feel too bad about themselves.

I'm sure they don't, because, at the end of the day, they are still the class of the English Premier League.

But enough about United. City and Chelsea both closed their gaps on the leader (the other Manchester are simply back on goal differential), and the bottom half of the table seems to be a giant blur.

Hopefully, things will look a little clearer after this week, but I'm not counting on that.

MATCH OF THE WEEK

Tottenham Hotspur 3 Arsenal 2: There's nothing quite like a North London derby. It's only the seventh week of the season, but us fans will already get this treat. Neither of these teams have looked too good this year, but they seem to be figuring it out.

Spurs have won their last three matches by a combined score of 8-1. Arsenal, on the other hand, notched their second straight home win last week. Even if these teams will struggle to get a Champions League spot this year, they certainly have plenty of bad blood for each other. I expect a late strike from Luka Modric to be the difference maker in this match.

OTHER MATCHES

Everton 0 Liverpool 2: This match will be an interesting one. Liverpool looked considerably better last week, and they might finally be getting Steven Gerrard back. Sure, he enters an already clogged up midfield. But, hey, isn't that why the Reds have King Kenny Dalglish? I don't think he'll have trouble figuring out how to crack a tough Toffee defense.

Aston Villa 1 Wigan 0: Can you name the two undefeated teams other than the Manchester clubs? Well, if you picked Villa, you would be right (Newcastle being the other one). However, they haven't quite turned in many victories. In fact, they only have one to their name. But, facing a weak Wigan defense, I think they will get their second victory of the season.

Blackburn 0 Manchester City 2: For those of you that haven't watched City play yet, you are missing out. Despite their unrest (see: Tevez, Carlos), and mismanaging (see: Mancini, Roberto) in the Champions League, City still have plenty of firepower and attacking depth to stay in the title race for the whole year. They had a tough loss to Bayern Munich on Tuesday, so we'll see how the squad responds in a match they should win.

Manchester United 5 Norwich City 0: I don't think I've ever predicted something this one-sided. While the score may be a tad closer (who knows the squad Ferguson will pick), this won't be pretty. I'm not saying it's impossible for Norwich to steal a point at Old Trafford. I'm just saying it won't happen. Not even close.

Sunderland 2 West Bromwich Albion 1: Unfortunately, I don't think West Brom are nearly as good as they had us believing last year. Luckily, Peter Odemwingie seems to be ready to start scoring goals again. They should be good enough to avoid relegation, but I don't think the Baggies will be able to record a point at the Stadium of Light.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Newcastle United 1: This match will be ugly. Both of these teams like to defend and be tough, and that won't change. If you like gritty, hard-fought bloodbaths, look no further. Wolves want to regain their form, but I think the Toon will be able to steal three points on the road this week.

Bolton 1 Chelsea 2: Doesn't this just seem like a match Chelsea will lose? They had a game during the week, they're on the road, and they can't defend against set pieces. If Kevin Davies gets free, he could end up with a hat trick. If the Blues can keep him locked up, they should be able to earn three points at Reebok Stadium.

Fulham 1 Queens Park Rangers 0: QPR have been a nice little surprise this year, but I think they will have a little setback this week. Fulham haven't been playing well, but I think a home match against a newly promoted side should help them get on the winning track. If not, well, they're in for a season-long relegation battle.

Swansea City 0 Stoke City 1: Stoke need to avoid a mental hangover after a hard-fought draw with United. If they want to hang around the Top Four or Top Six, this is a match they need to win. We'll see if the Potters can pull it out.

Last Week: 7-0-3 (W-L-D)

Season: 27-12-11 (W-L-D)

Well, there are the picks for the week. The matches were tough to pick, which means we're in for a good weekend of football. As always, feel free to let me know what you think of the picks, as well as any picks you may have.