 |
|
Tweet
 The English Premier League has hit the halfway point of the season and Manchester United has an ominous seven point advantage at the top of the table. They consolidated their position last week with a tie - their first of the season - at Swansea and an incredible 4 - 3 win over Newcastle, capped with a trademark late winner. Their nearest challenger, Manchester City, slipped up in midweek when an Adam Johnson goal was enough to see Sunderland squeeze past the champions. QPR has the dubious honor of propping up the standings heading into the second half of the season after two more defeats - against Newcastle and West Brom - last week. Reading is in deep trouble as well, though, but they swapped places with QPR thanks to collecting a point against Swansea on Wednesday. Don't forget to make your Premier League Pickem predictions before the deadline of each game. Week 18's schedule is another two rounds worth of games. Saturday's proceedings begin at 7:45 AM ET with Tottenham facing Sunderland. Next follows six 10 AM ET kickoffs at Aston Villa, Fulham, Manchester United, Norwich, Reading and Stoke. Saturday's final clash is at 12:30 PM ET and is between Newcastle and Arsenal. Sunday has two matchups with Everton hosting Chelsea at 8:30 AM ET and Liverpool traveling to QPR at 11 AM ET. The second round of games gets under way on New Year's Day with the 7:45 AM ET game featuring Fulham and West Brom. There are then five 10 AM ET matches at Manchester City, Swansea, Tottenham, West Ham and Wigan. Tuesday's final game sees Arsenal visit Southampton at 12:30 PM ET. The gameweek is rounded off with three Wednesday meetings. There are two 2:45 PM ET matchups at Chelsea and Liverpool and week 18's final game has Everton journeying to Newcastle at 3 PM ET. Note that the Yahoo! Fantasy Football Premier League game has gameweeks beginning on Saturday and Tuesday. Here we preview the upcoming gameweek of the English Premier League. The title of each game section is a link to pick the result of that game. Tottenham Hotspur (4th) at Sunderland (13th) (Sat, 7:45 AM ET) Tottenham headed into the holiday set of games looking to rebuild some momentum to keep the pressure on the top sides and they'll probably be pleased with their week 17 return. In their first game they took on Stoke and were held to a 0 - 0 tie by the in-form team. Then in midweek, Spurs eventually pulled away from Aston Villa, aided by a Gareth Bale hat-trick, in a 4 - 0 win. Sunderland might have been looking over their shoulder going into week 17's fixtures but two victories have pushed the Black Cats up the table. They first traveled to Southampton and earned a 1 - 0 win and then took on the champions in midweek and defeated Manchester City. It was Sunderland's third win in four games. Head-to-Head Stats Last season: Tottenham 0 - 0 Sunderland Sunderland 0 - 1 Tottenham (reverse fixture) Last 6 (all competitions): Tottenham lead 3-1-2. Last 3 at Sunderland (all competitions): Tied 1-1-1. All-time (all competitions): Tottenham lead 42-37-29. Team News Tottenham (from): Friedel, Lloris, Gomes, Cudicini, Walker, Naughton, Assou-Ekotto, Gallas, Caulker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Lennon, Sigurdsson, Townsend, Bale, Falque, Carroll, Mason, Livermore, Sandro, Huddlestone, Dembele, Parker, Dempsey, Adebayor, Defoe. Doubts: Assou-Ekotto, Dembélé, Dempsey. Injured: Kaboul. Sunderland (from): Mignolet, Westwood, Bardsley, Kilgallon, O'Shea, Cuellar, Bramble, Gardner, Colback, McClean, Larsson, Johnson, Vaughan, Sessegnon, Meyler, Saha, Campbell, Wickham, McFadden, Fletcher. Doubts: O'Shea. Injured: Brown, Cattermole. Unavailable: Rose (can't face parent club). Wigan Athletic (18th) at Aston Villa (16th) (Sat, 10 AM ET) The second half of the season usually signifies an upturn in fortunes for Wigan and once again they're looking to work their way out of danger. The Latics are in the relegation zone right now thanks to a six-game winless streak, including three consecutive losses. Two of those defeats came last week against Arsenal and then at home to Everton. Week 17 was one to forget for Aston Villa. They headed into the gameweek in decent form - unbeaten in five - but were left reeling after two heavy defeats. Chelsea were the first team to put Villa to the sword and in a miraculous display the Blues ran out 8 - 0 winners. Aston Villa then drew another blank against Tottenham and conceded four goals this time. Head-to-Head Stats Last season: Wigan 0 - 2 Aston Villa Aston Villa 0 - 0 Wigan (reverse fixture) Last 6 (all competitions): Aston Villa lead 3-1-2. Last 3 at Aston Villa (all competitions): Tied 1-1-1. All-time (all competitions): Aston Villa lead 8-4-5. Team News Wigan (from): Al Habsi, Pollitt, Boyce, Caldwell, Ramis, Figueroa, Beausejour, Jones, Maloney, McCarthy, McCarthur, Stam, McManaman, Di Santo, Boselli, Kone, Fyvie, Redmond, Mustoe, Orsula, Morris. Doubts: Ramis. Injured: Miyaichi, Piscu, Crusat, Watson, Alcaraz. Aston Villa (from): Guzan, Given, Lowton, Herd, Clark, Lichaj, Stevens, Bennett, Ireland, Westwood, El Ahmadi, Bannan, Holman, Benteke, Bowery, Burke, Johnson, Williams. Injured: Baker, Vlaar, Agbonlahor, N'Zogbia, Bent, Dunne, Gardner, Weimann. Suspended: Delph. Unavailable: Petrov (latest). Swansea City (9th) at Fulham (14th) (Sat, 10 AM ET) Swansea needed to arrest a two-game slide as they entered the festive period, which was probably not the form they wanted to be in ahead of a meeting with Manchester United. However, the Swans matched the visitors and despite falling behind they took away a point. Swansea then had to visit struggling Reading and a 0 - 0 stalemate ensued. Swansea is now winless in four games. Fulham has been drifting down the table since week 9 having won just once since then. Things didn't improve when they faced Liverpool last weekend as they were thrashed 4 - 0. The Cottagers then took on Southampton and Dimitar Berbatov gave them the lead but they were pegged back by a late penalty. Head-to-Head Stats Last season: Swansea 3 - 0 Fulham Fulham 0 - 2 Swansea (reverse fixture) Last 6 (all competitions): Fulham lead 3-2-1 (includes 2 FA Cup meetings). Last 3 at Fulham (all competitions): Fulham lead 2-1-0 (includes FA Cup meeting). All-time (all competitions): Fulham lead 30-21-10. Team News Swansea (from): Vorm, Bartley, Flores, Williams, Britton, Lita, Michu, Graham, Hernandez, Dyer, Routledge, Monk, Shechter, Moore, De Guzman, Tiendalli, Rangel, Ki, Tremmel, Agustien, Gower, Richards, Davies. Injured: Taylor, Michu. Fulham (from): Schwarzer, Stockdale, Riether, Kelly, Hangeland, Hughes, Senderos, Riise, Dejagah, Baird, Sidwell, Diarra, Karagounis, Kacaniklic, Richardson, Kasami, Duff, Ruiz, Rodallega, Petric, Berbatov. Doubts: Diarra, Petric, Duff. Injured: Davies. West Bromwich Albion (6th) at Manchester United (1st) (Sat, 10 AM ET) West Brom had hit a poor run of form - three losses and a tie - ahead of last week's games but they go into this clash on the back of two wins in a row. First they took on Norwich, who had a 10-game unbeaten streak going. The in-form Canaries took the lead but West Brom hit back to win 2 - 1. The Baggies then journeyed to QPR and edged out the hosts 2 - 1. Manchester United seven points clear is not what the rest of the league wants to see but that's the current position. Last week was far from easy, though. First, United were held to a tie by Swansea and then they went behind three times against Newcastle. Javier Hernández was on hand, though, to score the 90th minute winner. Head-to-Head Stats Last season: West Brom 0 - 2 Manchester United Manchester United 2 - 1 West Brom (reverse fixture) Last 6 (all competitions): Manchester United lead 5-0-1. Last 3 at Manchester United (all competitions): Manchester United lead 2-0-1. All-time (all competitions): Manchester United lead 51-40-29. Team News West Brom (from): Foster, Myhill, Daniels, Jones, Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Tamas, Dawson, Ridgewell, Popov, Mulumbu, Dorrans, Thorne, Brunt, Morrison, Gera, Odemwingie, Fortune, Long, Lukaku, Rosenberg. Doubts: Olsson, Popov, Mulumbu. Injured: Yacob. Manchester United (from): Lindegaard, De Gea, Smalling, Vidic, Wootton, Ferdinand Evans, Buttner, Evra, Cleverley, Giggs, Fletcher, Scholes, Tunnicliffe, Carrick, Kagawa, Young, Hernandez, Welbeck, Van Persie. Doubts: Kagawa. Injured: Rooney, Jones, Rafael, Anderson, Nani. Manchester City (2nd) at Norwich City (11th) (Sat, 10 AM ET) The reigning champions have some work to do if they are to overhaul their Manchester rivals. If Manchester City is to win a second consecutive title, they'll have to improve on their week 17 form. Firstly, City struggled to break down Reading and needed a Gareth Barry header deep into stoppage time to steal the points. They then visited Sunderland and came away from the Stadium of Light empty-handed. Norwich headed into the holidays as the league's in-form team having gone ten games unbeaten but they're suddenly looking to stop a two-game losing streak. They looked like a match for West Brom but ultimately lost 2 - 1. The Canaries then ran Chelsea close but were narrowly beaten 1 - 0. Head-to-Head Stats Last season: Manchester City 6 - 1 Norwich Norwich 1 - 2 Manchester City (reverse fixture) Last 6 (all competitions): Manchester City lead 5-0-1 (includes League Cup meeting). Last 3 at Norwich (all competitions): Manchester City lead 2-1-0. All-time (all competitions): Manchester City lead 32-8-21. Team News Manchester City (from): Hart, Pantilimon, Wright, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Nastasic, K. Toure, Clichy, Rekik, Nasri, Milner, Barry, Y. Toure, Garcia, Silva, Sinclair, Aguero, Tevez, Dzeko, Balotelli, Razak. Doubts: Balotelli. Injured: Kolarov, Maicon, Rodwell, Richards. Norwich (from): Bunn, Rudd, Turner, Bassong, Martin, Barnett, R. Bennett, Garrido, Snodgrass, Howson, Tettey, Johnson, Pilkington, Surman, E. Bennett, Hoolahan, Holt, Morison, Jackson, Kane. Injured: Surman, Ruddy, Whittaker. West Ham United (12th) at Reading (19th) (Sat, 10 AM ET) Due to the postponement of their game at Arsenal, West Ham only had one game to tackle last week. That fixture was against Everton and the Hammers took an early lead. However, Everton struck back and won 2 - 1. Both sides had a player sent-off but Carlton Cole's and Darron Gibson's red cards have been rescinded. West Ham has just one win in the last seven games and has lost four during that stretch. Reading is still struggling to maintain their Premier League status but at least they've stopped their losing streak and have moved off the foot of the table. Reading's defeat at Manchester City last weekend was their seventh in a row but that run was ended when they held Swansea to a tie. Head-to-Head Stats Last season: West Ham 0 - 3 Reading Reading 4 - 2 West Ham (reverse fixture) Last 6 (all competitions): Reading lead 4-1-1. Last 3 at Reading (all competitions): Reading lead 2-1-0. All-time (all competitions): Reading lead 6-3-2. Team News West Ham (from): Jaaskelainen, Spiegel, O'Brien, Reid, Collins, Tomkins, McCartney, Spence, Demel, Moncur, Taylor, Noble, Collison, Diarra, Lletget, Nolan, Jarvis, O'Neil, Maiga, Cole. Injured: Carroll, Diamé, Vaz Te. Reading (from): Federici, Taylor, Gunter, Cummings, Gorkss, Pearce, Karacan, Kebe, Mariappa, Shorey, Harte, McAnuff, Guthrie, Leigertwood, Tabb, McCleary, Le Fondre, Hunt, Robson-Kanu, Pogrebnyak, Roberts. Doubts: Roberts, Morrison. Injured: McCarthy. Southampton (17th) at Stoke City (8th) (Sat, 10 AM ET) Southampton's defense has improved but they're still finding it tough to pick up enough points to move away from danger. The Saints have only conceded six goals in the last eight games but last week's two games only yielded them one point. It was a close encounter with Sunderland but Southampton eventually lost 1 - 0. They then battled with Fulham and a late penalty helped earn them a point. Stoke now has the current longest unbeaten run in the league having gone nine games without a defeat. The league's best defense kept Spurs out last week in a 0 - 0 tie and then the Potters beat Liverpool 3 - 1, which was only the third Stoke game this season that saw more than two goals. Head-to-Head Stats Last season: No meetings (last met in 2008) Last 6 (all competitions): Southampton lead 4-2-0. Last 3 at Stoke (all competitions): Stoke lead 2-1-0. All-time (all competitions): Southampton lead 28-25-9. Team News Southampton (from): K. Davis, Gazzaniga, Boruc, Richardson, Butterfield, Stephens, Clyne, Fox, Shaw, Yoshida, Hooiveld, Fonte, Reeves, Ward-Prowse, Do Prado, Cork, Chaplow, De Ridder, Ramirez, Schneiderlin, S. Davis, Puncheon, Lee, Lambert, Rodriguez, Mayuka. Injured: Lallana. Stoke (from): Begovic, Shotton, Huth, Upson, Wilkinson, Whelan, Nzonzi, Walters, Kightly, Etherington, Jones, Sorensen, Whitehead, Crouch, Jerome, Adam, Palacios, Owen. Injured: Wilson, Delap. Suspended: Cameron, Shawcross. Newcastle United (15th) at Arsenal (7th) (Sat, 12:30 PM ET) Newcastle is slipping ever closer to the league's bottom 3 having found it difficult to win games all season. Going into the festive fixtures, the Magpies were on a run of six defeats in seven. They found some respite when a Shola Ameobi goal sealed the points against QPR. However, they endured heartache at Old Trafford when they led three times but eventually succumbed to Manchester United 4 - 3. It's been a tough first half of the season for Arséne Wenger's charges. Seventh place is a lowly position at the halfway stage of the season for Arsenal under Wenger's stewardship but there might be signs they're on the way up. Last weekend they toughed it out against Wigan and a Mikel Arteta penalty was enough to seal the points. That victory was Arsenal's third in succession after they had dropped to tenth. Head-to-Head Stats Last season: Newcastle 1 - 2 Arsenal Arsenal 0 - 0 Newcastle (reverse fixture) Last 6 (all competitions): Arsenal lead 3-1-2 (includes League Cup meeting). Last 3 at Arsenal (all competitions): Arsenal lead 2-1-0. All-time (all competitions): Tied 66-66-38. Team News Newcastle (from): Krul, Elliot, Harper, Simpson, Santon, Ferguson, Tavernier, Coloccini, Perch, Tiote Bigirimana, Gutierrez, Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi, Obertan, Ba, Cisse, Shola Ameobi, Ranger. Injured: Gutiérrez, Ben Arfa, Cabaye, Anita, Vukic, Gosling, S. Taylor, R. Taylor. Suspended: Williamson. Arsenal (from): Szczesny, Gibbs, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Sagna, Podolski, Cazorla, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arteta, Walcott, Mannone, Ramsey, Gervinho, Rosicky, Koscielny, Coquelin, Jenkinson, Arshavin. Injured: Santos, Diaby, Fabianski, Miquel. Chelsea (3rd) at Everton (5th) (Sun, 8:30 AM ET) After a difficult start to his tenure on and off the field, Rafael Benítez has slowly turned things around at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea went three games without a win to begin Benítez's reign at the club but they have since recorded three wins on the spin. Last week began with a bang as Chelsea put eight past Aston Villa - scored by seven different players - despite missing a penalty. They also posted a 1 - 0 victory over Norwich. Everton's strong first half to the season bodes well for a team who often improve as their campaign progresses. The Toffees have only lost twice so far this term, tied-best along with Manchester City, and are currently on a seven game unbeaten run. Last week, Everton posted a pair of 2 - 1 victories, first away to West Ham and then at home to Wigan. They have three wins in four. Head-to-Head Stats Last season: Chelsea 0 - 2 Everton Everton 1 - 3 Chelsea (reverse fixture) Chelsea 2 - 1 Everton (League Cup, after extra-time) Last 6 (all competitions): Everton lead 3-2-1 (includes 2 FA Cup and a League meetings). Last 3 at Everton (all competitions): Everton lead 2-1-0 (includes League Cup meeting Everton won after extra-time). All-time (all competitions): Chelsea lead 63-51-52. Team News Chelsea (from): Cech, Azpilicueta, Ferreira, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Cole, Bertrand, Mikel, Lampard, Ramires, Mata, Oscar, Hazard, Moses, Marin, Piazon, Torres, Turnbull. Injured: Romeu, Terry. Everton (from): Howard, Mucha, Neville, Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Naismith, Osman, Gibson, Pienaar, Jelavic, Heitinga, Hitzlsperger, Oviedo, Barkley, Vellios, Gueye, Duffy, Anichebe. Doubts: Gibson. Injured: Mirallas, Hibbert. Suspended: Fellaini. Liverpool (10th) at Queens Park Rangers (20th) (Sun, 11 AM ET) Despite an obvious improvement since their early season troubles, Liverpool heads into the second half of the season with their lowest points total after 19 Premier League games. Their positive progress has been halted somewhat by three defeats in the last six games. They began last week in impressive fashion, though, and thumped Fulham 4 - 0. However, despite a second minute penalty, Liverpool suffered a 3 - 1 loss at Stoke. QPR is propping up the table at the halfway stage of the season. Their one and only win of the campaign came last week and they suffered two more losses last week. Newcastle beat QPR last weekend and then it was West Brom who dispatched the R's in midweek. Head-to-Head Stats Last season: Liverpool 2 - 3 QPR QPR 0 - 1 Liverpool (reverse fixture) Last 6 (all competitions): Liverpool lead 3-2-1. Last 3 at QPR (all competitions): QPR lead 2-1-0. All-time (all competitions): Liverpool lead 31-8-8. Team News Liverpool (from): Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique, Gerrard, Lucas, Allen, Sterling, Suarez, Downing, Jones, Wisdom, Carragher, Coates, Sahin, Henderson, Shelvey, Cole, Suso. Injured: Borini, Kelly. QPR (from): Green, Cesar, Murphy, Cerny, Onuoha, Hill, Nelsen, Ferdinand, Mbia, Park, Fabio, Traore, Derry, Diakite, Granero, Taarabt, Hoilett, Faurlin, Wright-Phillips, Ephraim, Mackie, Cisse. Doubts: Nelsen, César, Onuoha, Park. Injured: Johnson, Zamora, Dyer, Ephraim. Fulham (14th) at West Bromwich Albion (6th) (Tue, 7:45 AM ET) Fulham's poor away form is a big reason why they've dropped down the standings. The Cottagers have recorded just one win on their travels and they've conceded 22 goals in ten away games. Fulham has lost three out of their last four away meetings. West Brom has been strong at home for most of the campaign, recording the third best home points tally in the league. They've stumbled recently, though, and the only three games where they've dropped points at the Hawthorns have occurred in their last six home outings. Fulham were easy winners when these sides met in week 4. Head-to-Head Stats This season: West Brom 0 - 3 Fulham Last 6 (all competitions): Fulham lead 3-1-2. Last 3 at West Brom (all competitions): West Brom lead 2-0-1. All-time (all competitions): West Brom lead 36-26-17. Team News Fulham (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-4-2) Schwarzer; Riether, Senderos, Hangeland, Riise; Dejagah, Baird, Sidwell, Kacaniklic; Berbatov, Rodallega Subs: Ruiz, Frei, Karagounis Injured: Etheridge (no date). West Brom (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-2-3-1) Foster; Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Popov; Mulumbu, Brunt; Fortuné, Morrison, Gera; Lukaku Subs: Ridgewell, Long, Tamas Injured: Yacob (Jan). One booking from suspension: Jones, Yacob. Stoke City (8th) at Manchester City (2nd) (Tue, 10 AM ET) Stoke is one of the toughest places to go and win but their away form has let them down to a certain extent. The Potters have just one away victory all season but perhaps the fact that they're currently four games unbeaten on the road is a positive sign. However, Stoke has just seven away goals all term. Manchester City has lost just once at home and that was their first league defeat at the Etihad for over a year. The champions have struggled in their last three at home, with their only win being a 1 - 0 victory over Reading. These two sides shared the spoils in September. Head-to-Head Stats This season: Manchester City 1 - 1 Stoke Last 6 (all competitions): Manchester City lead 3-0-3 (includes FA Cup meeting). Last 3 at Manchester City (all competitions): Manchester City lead 3-0-0 (includes FA Cup meeting). All-time (all competitions): Manchester City lead 43-35-23. Team News Stoke (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-2-3-1) Begovic; Cameron, Shawcross, Huth, Wilkinson; N'Zonzi, Whelan; Kightly, Walters, Etherington; Jones Sub: Whitehead, Crouch, Shotton Injured: Delap (no date), Wilson (no date). One booking from suspension: Wilkinson. Manchester City (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-2-3-1) Hart; Kolo, Kompany, Nastasic, Zabaleta; Yaya, J. García; Milner, Tévez, Silva; Agüero Subs: Dzeko, Barry, Lescott Injured: Maicon (no date), Rodwell (no date), Richards (Feb). One booking from suspension: Yaya Touré. Aston Villa (16th) at Swansea City (9th) (Tue, 10 AM ET) Aston Villa's away performances can't get much worse than their last road trip. Villa failed to put up any kind of fight when they visited Chelsea last week and were thrashed 8 - 0. Swansea's home form has been erratic for most of the campaign and victories at the Liberty have been few and far between. The Swans last home win came a month ago against West Brom, their third of the season. Since then they've lost a thriller against Norwich but held Manchester United to a tie. When these clubs met earlier in the season, it was Aston Villa who triumphed, beating Swansea 2 - 0. Head-to-Head Stats This season: Swansea 0 - 2 Aston Villa Last 6 (all competitions): Aston Villa lead 3-2-1. Last 3 at Swansea (all competitions): Swansea lead 2-0-1. All-time (all competitions): Aston Villa lead 15-4-1. Team News Aston Villa (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (5-3-2) Guzan; Lowton, Herd, Clark, Baker, J. Bennet; El Ahmadi, Westwood, Delph; Holman, Bentéké Subs: Albrighton, Ireland Injured: Weimann (no date), Baker (no date), Bent (no date), Gardner (May), Agbonlahor (Jan). Unavailable: Petrov. One booking from suspension: Clark. Swansea (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-2-3-1) Vorm; Tiendalli, Chico, Williams, Davies; Britton, Ki; Dyerl, Michu, Routledge; Moore Subs: Agustien, De Guzmán, Shechter Injured: Taylor (May). One booking from suspension: Chico, Michu. Reading (19th) at Tottenham Hotspur (4th) (Tue, 10 AM ET) When you're languishing near the foot of the table, it's very likely that both your home and away form has been poor. This is the case with Reading but their away form is the worst in the league. On ten road trips, Reading has only picked up two points and they've lost their last five away games. Tottenham's home form has been mixed this season but it's looked better since they suffered two losses at White Hart Lane at the end of October/start of November. Since then, Spurs have recorded two wins and a tie at home. Tottenham ran out easy winners at Reading in week 4. Head-to-Head Stats This season: Tottenham 3 - 1 Reading Last 6 (all competitions): Tottenham lead 5-0-1 (includes 2 FA Cup meetings). Last 3 at Tottenham (all competitions): Tottenham lead 2-0-1 (includes FA Cup meeting). All-time (all competitions): Tottenham lead 9-5-4. Team News Reading (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-2-3-1) Federici; Gunter, Pearce, Mariappa, Harte; Karacan, Leigertwood; Kébé, Guthrie, McAnuff; Pogrebnyak Subs: Robson-Kanu, Le Fondre Injured: McCarthy (May). One booking from suspension: Leigertwood, Mariappa. Tottenham (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-4-2) Lloris; Walker, Gallas, Vertonghen, Naughton; Lennon, Sandro, Dembélé, Bale; Adebayor, Defoe Subs: Parker, Sigurdsson, Townsend Injured: Kaboul (no date). One booking from suspension: Bale, Defoe, Sandro, Vertonghen. Norwich City (11th) at West Ham United (12th) (Tue, 10 AM ET) Norwich has played cagey stuff away from home since suffering some heavy defeats at the start of their campaign. After three losses and a tie on the road, Norwich strung together four consecutive away ties, followed by their only away win so far this season. Norwich lost last time out on the road, though. West Ham's home form had been their strength during this campaign but they've stumbled in recent weeks. The Hammers have just one win in their last four at Upton Park and they're looking to break a two game losing streak. These sides played out a 0 - 0 tie in week 4. Head-to-Head Stats This season: West Ham 0 - 0 Norwich Last 6 (all competitions): West Ham lead 2-0-4 (includes 2 FA Cup meetings). Last 3 at West Ham (all competitions): West Ham lead 1-0-2 (includes FA Cup meeting). All-time (all competitions): West Ham lead 17-15-15. Team News Norwich (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-2-3-1) Bunn; Martin, Turner, Bassong, Garrido; Tettey, Johnson; Snodgrass, Hoolahan, Pilkington; Holt Subs: Morison, Howson, E. Bennett Injured: Whittaker (no date), Surman (no date), Ruddy (Feb). One booking from suspension: Johnson. West Ham (week 17's Saturday lineup): (4-2-3-1) Jääskeläinen; Tomkins, Collins, Reid, O'Brien; O'Neil, Noble; Taylor, Nolan, Jarvis; Cole Subs: Maďga, Spence, Collison Injured: McCartney (no date), Diamé (no date), Benayoun (no date), Carroll (Jan), Vaz Te (Jan). One booking from suspension: Collins, Nolan, Reid. Manchester United (1st) at Wigan Athletic (18th) (Tue, 10 AM ET) Manchester United's away form has almost been as strong as their performances at Old Trafford. Their seven away victories are the most in the league. However, United was held to a tie by Swansea last week, their first shared game of the season. If Wigan is to survive the drop this season, their home form will have to improve. The Latics have lost half of their home games so far this term and they've only won twice. Manchester United were easy winners in week 4 but the corresponding fixture last season saw Wigan triumph. To date, it's their only win over United in 16 attempts. Head-to-Head Stats Last season: Wigan 0 - 4 Manchester United Last 6 (all competitions): Manchester United lead 5-1-0. Last 3 at Wigan (all competitions): Manchester United lead 2-1-0. All-time (all competitions): Manchester United lead 15-1-0. Team News Manchester United (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Smalling, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra; Scholes, Carrick; Valencia, Van Persie, Giggs; Hernández Subs: Cleverley, Fletcher Injured: Rooney (no date), Anderson (no date), Nani (no date). One booking from suspension: Rooney, Van Persie. Wigan (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (3-5-1-1) Al-Habsi; Boyce, Caldwell, Figueroa; Stam, McCarthy, Jones, McArthur, Beausejour; Maloney; Koné Subs: Di Santo, J. Gómez Injured: Crusat (no date), Lopez (Feb), Miyaichi (Feb), Watson (Feb). One booking from suspension: Beausejour, Di Santo, Figueroa, McCarthy. Arsenal (7th) at Southampton (17th) (Tue, 12:30 PM ET) Arsenal's away form has been troublesome this season but they've strung together some good results in the last month. On their travels, the Gunners are currently four games unbeaten, including wins on their last two away trips. Southampton's home form has easily been better than their away performances. The Saints narrowly lost their last game at home against Sunderland but prior to that defeat they were four games unbeaten at St. Mary's. When Arsenal hosted Southampton earlier in the season, they thumped the visitors 6 - 1 and their tally included two own goals. Head-to-Head Stats This season: Southampton 1 - 6 Arsenal Last 6 (all competitions): Arsenal lead 4-0-2 (includes FA Cup meeting). Last 3 at Southampton (all competitions): Tied 1-1-1. All-time (all competitions): Arsenal lead 43-16-22. Team News Arsenal (week 17's Saturday lineup): (4-2-3-1) Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Arteta, Wilshere; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Podolski; Walcott Subs: Ramsey, Coquelin, Koscielny Injured: Santos (no date), Diaby (no date), Fabianski (Jan). Southampton (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-2-3-1) K. Davis; Clyde, Fonte, Yoshida, Shaw; Cork, Schneiderlin; Puncheon, S. Davis, Ramírez; Lambert Subs: Rodriguez, Do Prado Injured: Lallana (no date). One booking from suspension: Schneiderlin. Queens Park Rangers (20th) at Chelsea (3rd) (Wed, 2:45 PM ET) Unsurprisingly, QPR's away form has been appalling all season but it's arguably improving. In ten road games, QPR has posted three ties while losing seven times but two of those points were picked up in their last three away fixtures. Chelsea has only experienced one league defeat at Stamford Bridge so far this season but things haven't always gone their way in the last month. The Blues had won their first four at the Bridge but a defeat and three ties immediately followed. An 8 - 0 win over Aston Villa got them back to winning ways, though. These two sides tied 0 - 0 in week 4. Head-to-Head Stats This season: Chelsea 0 - 0 QPR Last 6 (all competitions): Chelsea lead 4-1-1 (includes 2 FA Cup and a League Cup meeting). Last 3 at Chelsea (all competitions): Chelsea lead 3-0-0 (includes an FA Cup and a League Cup meeting). All-time (all competitions): Chelsea lead 20-14-18. Team News QPR (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-2-3-1) Green; Fábio, Ferdinand, Hill, Traoré; Mbia, Faurlin; Mackie, Taarabt, Wright-Phillips; Cissé Subs: Hoilett, Diakité Injured: Dyer (no date), Park (no date), Johnson (Mar), Zamora (Jan). One booking from suspension: Diakité, Granero, Taarabt. Chelsea (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-2-3-1) Cech; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ivanovic, Cole; D. Luiz, Mikel; Oscar, Mata, Moses; Torres Subs: Lampard, Hazard, Aké Injured: Terry (no date), Romeu (Jun). One booking from suspension: Mikel. Sunderland (13th) at Liverpool (10th) (Wed, 2:45 PM ET) Sunderland's form on the road has been poor overall but at least they've recently picked up a couple of away wins. The Blacks Cats could only muster four ties and two losses from their first six road trips but they've now won two of the last four. Liverpool's results at Anfield were a concern at the start of the campaign but things have improved since. In their last six home fixtures, the Reds have notched up four victories, one tie and just the one defeat. Last time out they thumped Fulham 4 - 0. When Liverpool went to Sunderland in September, they came away with a point. Head-to-Head Stats This season: Liverpool 1 - 1 Sunderland Last 6 (all competitions): Liverpool lead 2-1-3. Last 3 at Liverpool (all competitions): Liverpool lead 1-0-2. All-time (all competitions): Liverpool lead 72-52-35. Team News Sunderland (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-2-3-1) Mignolet; Gardner, Cuéllar, Kilgallon, Rose; Larsson, Colback; Johnson, Sessegnon, McClean, Fletcher Subs: Campbell, Bardsley Injured: Cattermole (Feb), Brown (Jan). Liverpool (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-2-3-1) Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique; Lucas, Gerrard; Downing, Shelvey, Suso; Suárez Subs: Sterling, Henderson, Cole Injured: Kelly (Mar), Borini (Jan). Everton (5th) at Newcastle United (15th) (Wed, 3 PM ET) Everton has slowly accumulated points on the road. The Toffees did win in their last away fixture at West Ham but that was the first road victory since mid-September. All of Newcastle's five wins this season have come at St. James' Park, but they've also suffered four losses at home. The Magpies were victorious in their last home encounter, though, narrowly defeating QPR 1 - 0. These clubs played out an exciting 2 - 2 in week 4 where Newcastle fought back to claim a tie. In 163 meetings, these sides have each won 64 times, tied 35 games and have both scored 246 goals. Head-to-Head Stats This season: Newcastle 2 - 2 Everton Last 6 (all competitions): Tied 2-2-2. Last 3 at Newcastle (all competitions): Tied 1-1-1. All-time (all competitions): Tied 64-64-35. Team News Everton (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-4-2) Howard; Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Osman, Gibson, Hitzlsperger, Pienaar; Anichebe, Jelavic Subs: Naismith, Heitinga, Oviedo Injured: Hibbert (no date), Mirallas (no date). One booking from suspension: Neville, Osman. Newcastle (week 17's Wednesday lineup): (4-1-3-2) Krul; Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon; Anita; Perch, Bigirimana, Marveaux; Cissé, Ba Subs: Obertan, Shola Ameobi, Sammy Ameobi Injured: Ben Arfa (no date), Gosling (no date), Vuckic (May), R. Taylor (Mar), Cabaye (Feb), S. Taylor (Jan), Gutiérrez (Jan), Anita (Jan). One booking from suspension: Gutiérrez. |
Sections: Main, Fantasy Games | Tags: Premier_League_Talk, Soccer_Talk, Fantasy_Premier_League, ASFL2_Fantasy_Games, Premier_League_Pickem, Unofficial_Games, Bonus_Points |