After a mesmerizing opening weekend, we now look forward to the Gameweek 2 of the Barclays Premier League.
Fulham vs Arsenal
Fulham will be going into this weekend’s clash against their London rivals full of confidence after a defiant 1-0 win over Sunderland on the opening day.
They will be looking to make it two wins from as many matches, and beating Arsenal in their first home game of the season will do their confidence a world of good.
Maarten Stekelenburg is a doubt with a slight shoulder injury sustained last week and Fulham are still without Kieran Richardson. The Cottagers will be determined to get one over the Gunners after losing out by a sole Per Mertesacker header in the corresponding fixture last campaign.
Arsenal could not have had a more disastrous start to their season with a 3-1 loss at home to Aston Villa, which also included defender Laurent Koscielny being sent off. They also have a massive injury list with Abou Diaby, Thomas Vermaelen, Mikel Arteta and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain all ruled out for the clash. However, Arsenal’s 3-0 win at Fenerbahce in the Champions League play-off should give them a massive boost ahead of this crucial tie.
Prediction: Draw
Possible Score: 1-1
Everton vs West Bromwich Albion
The Toffees host West Bromwich Albion in their first home game this season after an entertaining 2-2 draw away at Norwich.
Roberto Martinez will be pushing his team to perform better and build on the draw they played last weekend. Darren Gibson could return from his knee injury, however, Antonio Alcaraz is set to remain sidelined.
West Bromwich Albion succumbed to a surprise defeat at the hands of Southampton last weekend, thanks to a late Rickie Lambert penalty. They will be looking to bounce back from the defeat and hence, will make life hard for Everton at Goodison Park.
The Baggies will welcome back Steven Reid from injury but will be without the services of Zoltan Gera, who might not return till late October.
Prediction: Draw
Possible Score: 2-2
Hull City vs Norwich City
Hull City would have been happy to get the game against Chelsea out of the way early and will be looking to begin their campaign in a winnable fixture against Norwich City at the KC Stadium.
A great second half performance last weekend against the Blues would give Steve Bruce’s side some confidence as he looks to get the Yorkshire side off the mark for the season.
Norwich City, who have just completed the loan signing of Swedish forward Johan Elmander, will be looking to build on the strong showing against Everton last week.
With a solid point against Everton last weekend and Gary Hooper being their only main injury concern, Norwich will be taking the field with a strong mind set.
Prediction: Norwich City Win
Possible Score: 1-2
Newcastle United vs West Ham United
The Magpies will be looking to make amends for their poor start to the campaign, where they lost 4-0 to Manchester City. Newcastle will be hoping to make a strong statement when West Ham visit St. James Park.
Newcastle, however, are still suffering from an abundance of injury problems as Jonas Gutierrez, David Santon, Loic Remy are ruled out, while Steven Taylor is suspended.
West Ham will try to pile on the misery over Newcastle after a solid home win against new boys Cardiff City last weekend. With Andy Carroll being their only major injury concern, Sam Allardyce will be hoping to trump Alan Pardew in the game of wits.
Prediction: Newcastle United Win
Possible Score: 2-0
Southampton vs Sunderland
The Saints will be on high spirits after their last minute win against the Baggies on the opening weekend. Mauricio Pochettino will be looking for another strong performance at St. Mary’s to give his side two wins from two starts, which can put his club in the top half of the table early in the season.
The corresponding fixture, last campaign, ended in a 1-0 win for Sunderland, but Southampton will be looking to turn the table this time around.
Paolo Di Canio suffered a bad start last weekend with a loss at home to Fulham. His new boys didn’t live up to expectations as after an astonishing 23 shots on goal, there was no goal to show on the scoresheet.
Steven Fletcher remains out with an ankle injury, however, Wes Brown looks set to return. This will be a tricky encounter and therefore, it is hard to pick a winner with both sides capable of taking three points.
Prediction: Southampton
Possible Score: 1-0
Stoke City vs Crystal Palace
After a deserved loss to Liverpool at Anfield, Stoke City will be hoping to turn their fortunes around in front of their home crowd as they welcome recently promoted Crystal Palace.
Mark Hughes will take heart from the resolute defending by his team against Liverpool. Wilson Palacios looks set to miss out due to illness as the Potters will be looking for their first win of the season.
Crystal Palace showed some heart against Tottenham last weekend and would be looking for a similar display this time round. A similar performance by the Eagles this weekend can see them possibly sneak away with something, but with a lengthy injury list, odds are stacked against them.
Prediction: Stoke City
Possible Score: 2-0
Aston Villa vs Liverpool
After a superb win at Arsenal and an unlucky loss at Chelsea, Paul Lambert will be readying his team for their first home match of the campaign. With Christian Benteke in red-hot form, Aston Villa will be looking to build on their great start to the campaign. With no major injury concerns, the Villains will be looking for a win against Liverpool at home.
Games like these were a major concern for Liverpool last season. Consistency is what they need to develop and the game against Villa will be a massive test.
Brendan Rodgers is still without the suspended Luis Suarez and is trying to fight off possible suitors for defender Daniel Agger. Despite that, there are no real injury concerns for the Reds. They will be looking for a second straight win and their best start to an EPL season in the past seven years.
Prediction: Draw
Possible Score: 1-1
Cardiff City vs Manchester City
Cardiff City will be on their toes as former champions Manchester City come calling. The Bluebirds will go into this game with nothing to lose and hoping that City will be at their worst on the day. Cardiff City stadium, though, will be in raptures as it hosts its first Premier League match since 1962.
No major injury concerns for Malky Mackay’s side means they can step on to the field with full confidence.
Manchester City started their campaign in style with a 4-0 drubbing of Newcastle and will be looking to continue their fine form against relegation candidates. City will be without captain Vincent Kompany, who suffered a blow in their last match, and Stevan Jovetic remains on the sidelines.
Prediction: Manchester City Win
Possible Score: 0-4
Tottenham vs Swansea City
Tottenham began their season with a concrete performance against Crystal Palace last Sunday and despite only winning by a goal, they managed to look like a resolute side.
Their new signings are beginning to fit in and another full match for the new boys would only spell danger for their opposition. With Willian all set to join Spurs, and no injury concerns whatsoever, North Londoners will be smelling blood.
Many pundits thought that Swansea should have put in a better performance against Manchester United last Saturday. There were no real positives for the Swans to come out of that match, but Michael Laudrup has the skills to turn things around and a draw is definitely realistic. However, Tottenham at the White Hart Lane might be a different proposition altogether.
Prediction: Tottenham Win
Possible Score: 1-0
Manchester United vs Chelsea
Even though they are the champions, United surprised many with their 4-1 win over Swansea City. David Moyes’s side is still without key players such as Ashley Young, Johnny Evans, Rafael, Nani, and Darren Fletcher.
The Scotsman will be looking for a similar performance as last week when they welcome Mourinho’s Chelsea to Old Trafford. This Chelsea midfield will run them ragged if they don’t try to take control from the off.
Chelsea will play their third game in just seven days and a win at Old Trafford will put them six points clear of their rivals, which will be a massive mental advantage.
The Blues did not perform to their level against Villa and will be looking to improve on it. Jose Mourinho would love a win away at Manchester United so early in the campaign and with no major injury concerns besides David Luiz, this is definitely the chance for the Blues to lay down an early marker in what will be a blockbuster clash of the two title favourites.
Prediction: Draw
Possible Score: 1-1
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